Don Trauger – Kennett
Most computer problems are software related. Whether it’s a malware infection, a faulty program, or a computer that won’t boot,
the problems are usually in the software category. There are several approaches to correcting software problems. For example, a
malware problem can often be corrected by scanning with your anti-virus program and the Malwarebytes program. For a faulty program,
often just uninstalling then reinstalling the program will take care of the problem. For a computer that won’t boot the situation is
serious. For Windows XP you will need the operating system disk. Insert the disk, restart the computer and boot from the inserted
system disk. You may have change the boot priority in the BIOS to boot from the inserted CD system disk. To make a repair using the
Recovery Console press R. Follow the directions on the screen. At the Windows prompt you can employ several different fixes by typing c
ommands such as chkdsk c: /r, fixboot, and fixmbr and pressing Enter. Do one at a time! After employing the fixes remove the disk and
reboot normally. Windows Vista and 7 also have a repair feature that is built in. Reboot the computer and when you see the manufacturer’s
logo depress the F8 key for about 1 second – release for 1 second and repeat until you see the Advanced Boot Options window. Choose Repair
Your computer and press Enter. Follow any screen prompts. When you see the System Recovery Options window, click the Command prompt. To
repair a non boot condition type bootrec.exe /fixboot then press Enter. Repeat again by typing bootrec.exe /fixmbr then Enter. To repair
a computer that starts to boot but fails to complete type chkdsk c: /r. This command repairs Windows system files in XP, Vista, and
Windows 7. Type exit and press Enter to return to the main window. If the preceding fails to repair the problem, click on Startup Repair.
Another selection is System Restore which also may help with a problem of starting your computer. Regular maintenance can help eliminate t
he need to repair your computer at such a difficult level.
For testing your computer go to www.pcpitstop.com. This site will run a free analysis of your computer. Please use Internet Explorer for
this test. On the left side, click on Overdrive. In the next window, also on the left side, click on Sign up FREE. This will create an
account for you to save your test results. After your account is created you can proceed with the testing. Click on test your system now.
In the future just sign in, in the User Login on the left side and click Go, then click Scan this system now. After the test completes,
click the tabs to note any discrepancies. The Summary and the Performance tabs hold the most important info. If you wish, bring your results
to the PC Club meeting for further analysis.
Help with the above information is available at the PC Club meetings. We meet the second Tuesday of every month at 7:00 PM upstairs in the
Ardmore room of the Community Center.