How to Fix Your Own Computer

You can upgrade or fix your own computer if you have the right information, computer tools and service manuals for your PC. As you know, hiring a professional to upgrade your PC or replace a drive, graphics card or memory, can be expensive. There are some jobs the average computer user can do on their own provided they have the right information at their fingertips. The following information will give you the knowledge you need to repair your own computer.

Essential Tools For Computer Repair

Aside from saving a lot of money, there is a lot of satisfaction when you fix your own computer or perform an upgrade to improve its performance. But you need a few things to get started. The following are a few of the essentials we feel are necessary for the beginning computer repair enthusiast:


Service manual for your computer – Most people don’t realize your computer has a detailed service manual out there on the Internet. If you go to the manufacturer of your computer (Dell, HP, etc) You will likely find several manuals online. You probably received a Quick Start sheet of paper with your new computer. But service manuals show detailed information, such as how to take apart your computer, the specifications and part numbers for everything. A detailed service manual is a must have for home computer repair.

Computer Toolkit – You will need more than just a screwdriver for most jobs. Computer tool kits are inexpensive and contain tools you probably do not have, such as precision screwdrivers, wire strippers, and Torx bits. Having the right tools can make the job easier and reduce the likelihood your computer will get damaged by a slip or gouge of a standard screwdriver.



Read more about this great starter computer toolkit.
Computer Troubleshooting Book – Research and learn about computers in general. Learn what makes computers “go”. There are numerous parts that interact with each other and can often produce the same symptoms when there is a problem. Learn the difference between the various ports, expansion cards, memory and other hardware before you even consider fixing your own PC.



We recommend this book for computer troubleshooting. It has extensive flowcharts that walk you through the process of figuring out what is wrong with your computer. It’s not a huge book, which makes it easy to carry around or keep handy near your PC. Read more about this Computer Troubleshooting Book.



If you’re looking to know everything there is to know about computers, Upgrading and Repairing PCs (19th Edition) is a great book for that. At nearly 1200 pages, this book covers it all.

In conclusion, you can certainly perform most computer jobs on your own if you have the right service manuals, reference books and tools to perform the task.

source : http://www.pctechbytes.com

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How To Troubleshooting Laptop With Backlight Failure

This laptop came for repair because of the LCD screen backlight failure. My customer complained that the laptop LCD screen is black but the laptop works with an external monitor.



Here are my steps for troubleshooting this laptop with the backlight failure.

First of all, I tested this laptop with an external monitor connected to the VGA port and the external monitor worked absolutely fine. I was able to get crystal clear image on the external screen even though the internal screen didn’t light up. If the external screen works fine, then most likely there is nothing wrong with the video card.

Notebook display assembly diagram

After that I took a closer look at the laptop LCD and noticed that the screen is not completely black. The laptop screen still works but the image is very very dull, you barely can see it. It means that the screen still gets data signal from the video card, but for some reason the backlight lamp doesn’t work.
From my experience I know that this problem can be related the lid close switch, faulty inverter board or bad backlight lamp. I checked them one by one.

If you have a similar problem, make sure the lid close witch moves freely. The lid switch is a small button located close to the LCD screen. This button triggers the hibernation or sleep mode when the screen is closed. If the lid close switch is dirty, it might get stuck inside the laptop case and cut off the power from the inverter board. The inverter board works as a power supply for the backlight lamp and if there is no power coming to the inverter board, the backlight lamp will not light up either.




In my case the lid button worked properly, it didn’t stuck inside the case. When I was pressing on the button very fast, I was able to light up the screen but only for a fraction of a second. The image wasn’t bright and it had a pinkish tone. A pinkish tone usually indicates a problem with the backlight lamp, not the inverter board.



Even though I suspected the backlight failure, I decided to test this laptop with a new inverter board just in case. But it didn’t help. The screen didn’t light up even after I replace the inverter board. So, I was right, this problem is not related to the inverter board.



Finally, I disconnected the screen backlight lamp connector from the inverter board and connected my test backlight lamp (I removed it from another cracked screen). For the test purpose, you can buy a new backlight lamp here. Try to find a backlight with the connector already attached to it, so you can plug it into the inverter board. Make sure the connector on the backlight lamp is similar to the connector on your LCD screen.



As soon as I turned on the laptop, my backlight lamp lighted up. Yep, that’s the problem. The laptop screen has a faulty backlight lamp.

Here’s another laptop with backlight failure

This laptop video fails in a little bit different way. In this case the backlight lamp hasn’t failed completely.



The laptop starts with video on the screen but the background has reddish tone, the screen flickers and it makes noticeable buzzing noise coming from the backlight and inverter area. After a few minutes the backlight turns off by itself and the buzzing noise stops. When the backlight is off, the image on the screen is still visible but it’s very dark.



I removed the screen bezel and connected my test backlight lamp.


My test backlight works absolutely fine. The lamp doesn’t flicker and there is no buzzing noise. So, this laptop needs a new backlight lamp.

source : http://www.laptoprepair101.com

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How to troubleshoot laptop battery charging problems

In this post I explain how to troubleshoot laptop battery charging problems. I will list most common battery failure examples and suggest some troubleshooting steps.

Example 1.

Laptop detects the battery but shuts off when AC adapter unplugged.

When you move the cursor arrow over the battery icon while the laptop is connected to AC adapter, it show the remaining battery charge and says “charging”.




The batter power meter utility (if available) also shows that battery is connected and charging.



But… as soon as you unplug the AC adapter, the laptop shuts off completely.

Possible problems:
1. The battery not seated correctly. Try reconnecting the battery.
2. The battery contacts got dirty or oxidized and the battery is not making good connection with the motherboard. Try reconnecting the battery a few times.
3. If reconnecting the battery doesn’t help, most likely the battery is bad and has to be replaced.
4. If you replaced the battery but the problem still exists, this is motherboard related failure. Apparently the battery charging circuit has failed. In this case the whole motherboard has to be replaced (or repaired on component level).

Example 2.

The battery not detected by the laptop.

The battery is installed and you know it’s connected correctly but there is a red cross on the battery icon.



If you move the cursor arrow over the battery icon, it says “no battery detected”.

Possible problems:
1. Most likely the battery is bad. You have a very good chance to fix this problem by replacing the battery.
2. If replacing the battery doesn’t help, this is motherboard related failure. The motherboard has to be replaced (or repaired on component level).

Example 3.

The battery discharges very quickly after it reaches some critical point.

The battery detected by the laptop and charges properly to 100%.
When you unplug the AC adapter, it take normal time to discharge until some critical point (let’s say 80%) but after that the battery discharges very quickly to 0%.

Possible problems:
This is battery related failure. The battery is bad and has to be replaced.

Example 4.

The battery charges only if the power plug positioned correctly.

You have to wiggle the power plug in order to charge the battery. After you find the right position, the battery charges properly.



Possible problems:
1. AC adapter failure. The AC adapter power cable is damaged. You can test your AC adapter with a voltmeter.
2. If the AC adapter works fine, most likely this is power jack (connector where you plug power adapter) failure. In this case the power jack has to be replaced.
In some laptop models the power jack is not soldered to the motherboard, it’s attached to a power harness.



In this case, you can unplug the failed power jack from the motherboard and replace it with a new one.

source : http://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop/2010/07/21/troubleshoot-laptop-battery-charging-problems/

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How ToTest LCD Screen Inverter in a Laptop

In this post I explain how I test the LCD screen inverter board in a laptop computer. The screen inverter failure is very similar to the backlight lamp failure. In both cases the screen gets very dark and the image on the screen becomes very faint, barely visible under a bright light.



If you suspect the inverter board failure, I know only one reliable way to test that. It’s either replacing the inverter board with a known good one and see if it works, or connecting a known good backlight lamp and see if your presumably bad inverter lights it up.


In most cases I go with the second method – testing the laptop with a known good backlight lamp. Why? Because backlight lamps are pretty much universal. The same backlight lamp will work with many different inverters as long as they have matching connectors. I’ll talk about these connectors later.



The inverter board is located inside the display panel under the LCD screen. In most laptops you can access the inverter board if you remove the LCD screen bezel. The inverter board has connectors on both ends. The left side of the inverter is connected to the LCD cable. The right side of the inverter is connected to the backlight lamp which is mounted inside the LCD screen. Check out this display diagram.
To make sure that inverter board is getting power from the motherboard (via the LCD cable), you can test it with a multimeter. In my case I connected the “+” lead of the multimeter to the pin 1 on the connector and the “-” lead to the ground trace around the screw hole. I got about 19.4V DC on that side of the inverter, so it’s getting power from the motherboard.

WARNING! If you accidentally short something on the inverter while testing it, you can damage the inverter or even the motherboard. Proceed on your own risk! Not sure? Don’t do that!



So, the inverter is getting power from the motherboard, but the screen is still dark. Apparently, it’s either bad inverter or failed backlight. Let’s test it with a known good backlight.

Here’s what I’m going to do:
1. I will unplug the LCD screen from the right side of the inverter. Basically, I’m unplugging the LCD backligth lamp which is located inside the screen.
2. I will plug in my known good backlight lamp which you can see on the picture below. Please notice that my test backlight lamp is shorter than the screen, but for the test purpose that’s OK.

Results I’m expecting:
1. If my test backlight lights up, the backlight lamp inside the screen is bad and there is nothing wrong with the inverter board. If that’s the case, you’ll have to replace the LCD screen or replace the backligth lamp (which is not easy at all).
2. If my known good backlight lamp stays dark after I turn on the laptop, most likely we have a faulty inverter board. If that’s the case, you’ll have to replace the inverter board and it’s relatively easy.



 There are two different types of backlight connectors, you can see them on the picture below. The top one (big) is not as common as the bottom one (small). I do most of my test with a backligth lamp which has a small connector.

IMPORTANT! If you decide to buy a new backlight lamp for test, you have to make sure that the connector on the lamp matches the connector on the inverter. Very often backligth lamps are sold without any wires attached. If you plan to use this backlight as a test equipment, you’ll have to find one with wires as I have on the picture 3.

You can buy a cheap backlight lamp with wires here.




Finally, when you ready to test the laptop, unplug the LCD screen from the right side of the inverter.



Plug in your test backlight lamp and turn on the laptop.



In my case, the backlight lamp lights up, so the inverter board works properly.

source : www.laptoprepair101.com

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How To Install A Network Printer

Installing a network printer allows multiple users and computers to share a single printer, rather than having numerous personal printers throughout the home or office. When installing a network printer, make sure it is located in a centralized place so that all users can access it conveniently, then install the software on each machine. You may find that newer versions of Windows may already have the necessary drivers installed.

Finding the Printer on the Network

To install the printer using an IP address, go to Start>Control Panel>Printers and Faxes and then click the Add Printer icon. Next, click Create a new port, then select Standard TCP/IP Port from the drop-down menu. You will then be asked to enter an IP address. Enter the IP address of the print server and click Next. You will be asked to select the printer manufacturer and the model from the list. If you do not see your printer listed, insert the disk that came with the printer and click Have Disk.

If you do not know the IP address of the printer, you can sometime select Browse for printer in the beginning of the process. If the networked printer is attached to another computer is being shared, you will need to enter the name of the computer followed by the share name of the printer. For example: \\computername\printername. Newer versions of Windows (like Windows 7) make it easier to share printers through the Homegroup.


Spending extra on a network printer can save you money in the long run. Network printers can be higher grade and print cartridges can last longer than personal ink jet printers, so installing a network printer makes economical sense.

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How to Fix Blue Screen Errors

Blue screen errors, or blue screen of death (BSOD) errors, are the most severe errors Windows can encounter. Since Windows can not recover from this kernel level error, a blue screen is displayed with the error details. The error details contain a STOP error code, which indicates the type of error.

There are a lot of possible causes for blue screen errors, but most of them relate to the computer hardware. The cause of a BSOD error can be a temperature problem, a timing error, a resource conflict, hardware failure, a corrupt registry, a virus or simply a device incompatibility or driver error.

How to analyze blue screen errors

The first thing to do to analyze a blue screen error is to check the meaning of the STOP error code. You need to stop Windows from rebooting when a STOP error is encountered. Once the blue screen of death is shown, you can check the meaning of the STOP error code. Together with the filename of the driver or module, this will give an indication of the error cause.

Another option to analyze the cause of the blue screen error is to look at the Windows system event log or to debug the memory dump (minidump) that Windows created when the error occurred. The event log can be viewed using the event viewer. Right-click Computer in the Start menu, and then select Manage. In the Computer Management window select Event Viewer. The information in the event log can be of great help to isolate the cause of the blue screen error.

Reading the minidump requires a bit more technical knowledge, but Microsoft has tools to read the minidump.

The most common cause of blue screen errors

In reality, the most common cause of blue screen errors is a device driver problem. Outdated, incorrect or corrupt drivers can cause the system to encounter a STOP error, resulting in the BSOD.
So the easiest way to try and fix a blue screen error is to reinstall and update your system’s device drivers. This will ensure that all driver bugs are fixed and that all hardware has the correct driver.

If you know which device caused the error, you can update or reinstall that driver first. The file name in the blue screen of death can help identify the driver. Look for a file with the .SYS extension and search for that file name.

If you do not have the drivers for all devices, or are not comfortable updating your PC’s drivers manually, you can use a driver update tool to find, download and update all device drivers for you. Such tools will accurately identify your computer hardware, including any device causing an error, and automatically install the latest drivers for it.

In most cases updating or reinstalling drivers will solve your blue screen errors.

Other causes of blue screen errors

However, if updating device drivers does not fix the blue screen error, there are a number of additional things to try:

• Load the default BIOS values – resource conflicts and timing issues can be caused by incorrect BIOS settings.
• Update the BIOS – especially after adding new hardware or installing a Windows service pack this can help fix issues.
• Update Windows – missing updates, including service packs can be a source of stop errors.
• Check your system – run a virus scan and spyware scan after updating your definition files.
• Run a memory test to check your computer’s RAM. Memory faults can easily cause blue screen errors, so see if your RAM is error free. Vista and Windows have a built-in option to test the memory, for XP you can use a program called memtest86.
• Driver rollback – if you have recently updated a driver, you can use the driver rollback to revert back to the previous driver version.

List of STOP Errors Causing BSOD:

• Stop 0×00000003 UNSYNCHRONIZED_ACCESS
• Stop 0x0000000A IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
• Stop 0x0000001E KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
• Stop 0×00000023 FAT_FILE_SYSTEM
• Stop 0×00000024 NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM
• Stop 0x0000002E DATA_BUS_ERROR
• Stop 0x0000003F NO_MORE_SYSTEM_PTES
• Stop 0×00000044 MULTIPLE_IRP_COMPLETE_REQUESTS
• Stop 0×00000050 PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
• Stop 0x0000006B PROCESS1_INITIALIZATION_FAILED
• Stop 0×00000073 CONFIG_LIST_FAILED
• Stop 0×00000074 BAD_SYSTEM_CONFIG_INFO
• Stop 0×00000076 PROCESS_HAS_LOCKED_PAGES
• Stop 0×00000077 KERNEL_STACK_INPAGE_ERROR
• Stop 0×00000079 MISMATCHED_HAL
• Stop 0x0000007A KERNEL_DATA_INPAGE_ERROR
• Stop 0x0000007B INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE
• Stop 0x0000007E SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
• Stop 0x0000007F UNEXPECTED_KERNEL_MODE_TRAP
• Stop 0x0000008E KERNEL_MODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
• Stop 0x0000009C MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION
• Stop 0x0000009F DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE
• Stop 0x000000BE ATTEMPTED_WRITE_TO_READONLY_MEMORY
• Stop 0x000000C2 BAD_POOL_CALLER
• Stop 0x000000C4 DRIVER_VERIFIER_DETECTED_VIOLATION
• Stop 0x000000CA PNP_DETECTED_FATAL_ERROR
• Stop 0x000000CB DRIVER_LEFT_LOCKED_PAGES_IN_PROCESS
• Stop 0x000000CE DRIVER_UNLOADED_WITHOUT_CANCELLING_PENDING_OPERATIONS
• Stop 0x000000D1 DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
• Stop 0x000000D5 DRIVER_PAGE_FAULT_IN_FREED_SPECIAL_POOL
• Stop 0x000000D8 DRIVER_USED_EXCESSIVE_PTES
• Stop 0x000000DA SYSTEM_PTE_MISUSE
• Stop 0x000000EA THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER
• Stop 0x000000ED UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME
• Stop 0x000000F2 HARDWARE_INTERRUPT_STORM
• Stop 0x000000FC ATTEMPTED_EXECUTE_OF_NOEXECUTE_MEMORY
• Stop 0x000000FE BUGCODE_USB_DRIVER
• Stop 0xC0000218 UNKNOWN_HARD_ERROR
• Stop 0xC000021A STATUS_SYSTEM_PROCESS_TERMINATED
• Stop 0xC0000221 STATUS_IMAGE_CHECKSUM_MISMATCH
• Stop 0xC0000244 STATUS_AUDIT_FAILED

Please share your own experiences with blue screen of death errors, including possible solutions. New insights can help others, or maybe we can help you with specific STOP errors.

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How To Troubleshooting Blue Screen of Death Errors

Any frequent Windows user has encountered the big bad BSOD, short for the Blue Screen of Death. This common error will make its presence known whenever the system senses that an application, piece of hardware or device driver is experiencing issues behind the scenes. What makes this particular issue so tricky is that it can be an indicator of anything from a minor glitch to a major error that causes your system to malfunction and leave you staring at the infamous blue screen.


On rare occasions, getting rid of a blue screen error is as simple as rebooting the system. Some have been lucky enough to restart their PC and never encounter the problem again. Unfortunately, this error usually means that your system is suffering from a critical error and when this is the case, it will not go away until you address the matter.

There is no standard solution to fixing the blue screen problems, mainly because there are so many problems that can result in such an error. This could be anything from a new program you just installed to a memory stick you added to the computer. In order to eliminate this nuisance, you must first diagnosis the problem to find out what’s actually going on. By doing a little troubleshooting, you can narrow things down and actually find the culprit.

Check Software and Hardware Components

The easiest step to eliminating blue screens is uninstalling any new software or hardware recently installed on the machine. If you encountered the problem after adding on a new component, this is likely the source of your problem. This could be due to a failed installation or incompatibility issues related to the software or a driver the device needs to function.

Check Your Memory Status

Blue screen errors could also appear if you recently added more RAM to your computer. You can find out if your RAM is faulty by running a diagnostic utility. If you don’t have such a tool handy, you will have to get more hands on by opening the computer case and removing the stick of RAM you just installed. From there, you can fire up the machine to see if the blue screen still shows up. This is actually easier than it sounds, but if you don’t feel comfortable opening your computer find yourself a professional technician who won’t charge an arm and leg to do the job.

Fix the Registry

The Windows registry is one of the most common causes of the BSOD. Over time, the registry gets cluttered with invalid files and other unwanted items that can make your system unstable. A blue screen of death occurrence is the ultimate sign of instability. You can run a registry cleaner to find out if the registry is stirring up all the trouble on your PC. These programs are fairly inexpensive and have the ability to automatically detect and remove the questionable items hiding out on your PC.

Conclusion

When the blue screen of death shows up, it will be accompanied by a STOP code that gives details on what caused the problem. Be sure to jot down this information when troubleshooting to better your chances of successfully fixing the issue.

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How To Fix Computer Power Supply

The power supply is the componet at the rear of the PC that the powr cord plugs into. The inside consists on a numerous wires that plug into the motherboard and other devices, such as the hard disk drive, optical drives, floppies and even video cards. The power supply will normally either work or not work. This article will show you how to determine if the power supply is the cause of your computer problems.



The power supply can partially fail, completely fail, or even fail intermittently. The PSU can cause a myriad of problems and can frustrate computer users who are not use to dealing with this temperamental component. This tutorial will help you diagnose problems with the power supply to determine if it is time to replace the unit. Links to the tools we talk about can be found on this page.

To begin, is the power supply working? Just because the computer isn’t powering up, doesn’t mean the power supply isn’t doing its job. Is the fan on the back spinning?

When troubleshooting power supply issues, you first make sure you have the correct voltage set on the rear of the unit. You should see a red switch that can be set to 115V or 230V. Depending on the country you live, this switch will need to be set appropriately. For instance, the Unites States uses 115V. Secondly, make sure you are not plugging into a power strip. Power strips can fail, so be sure to try plugging the power cable directly into a working, properly grounded wall outlet.

If you’ve been working inside the case, check the thin power wires running from the front of the case to the motherboard. These generally plug into the motherboard at the lower right of the motherboard and may be labeled something like “power sw” or “pw switch.” If this wire has popped off, the PSU will not work. To test the switch, you can remove the “power sw” wire and short the pins by touching a flathead screwdrive to the two pins. If the switch is bad, the computer should power up right away. There is also the main motherboard connector, which is the long 20 pin connector. Make sure this is properly secured. Some graphics cards or motherboards also require an addition 4-pin wire connector. If you motherboard requires it, be sure this is plugged in to the appropriate socket.

Use a multi-meter or stand alone power supply tester to check the PSU. To test with a multi-meter, make sure the power supply is plugged in to a power source and that the 20-pin connector is plugged into the motherboard. It’s best if you lay the case on it’s side so you can look directly down on the motherboard. Next, you’ll jam the black lead down into any of the black (ground) wires. Then you can probe each colored wire for the appropriate voltage. If voltage is seriously out of range or does not exist, then the power supply is bad. The colored wires should have the following voltages:

The pin-outs for an ATX power supply
Pin# Color Function 1 Orange +3.3V DC 2 Orange +3.3V DC 3 Black Ground 4 Red +5V DC 5 Black Ground 6 Red +5V DC 7 Black Ground 8 Gray Power OK 9 Purple +5V standby 10 Yellow +12V DC	11 Orange +3.3V DC 12 Blue -12V DC 13 Black Ground 14 Green PS-ON 15 Black Ground 16 Black Ground 17 Black Ground 18 White -5V DC 19 Red +5V DC 20 Red +5V DC

An alternative to the multi-meter is the stand-alone power supply tester. This small device plugs directly into the 20-pin connector of the power supply. It will immediately tell you if the power supply is bad. These are cheap and easy to use.

If you are not getting power, or if your system randomly reboots or develops bizarre symptoms that you cannot nail down, consider swapping in a new power supply. Spending too much time trying to diagnose a flaky power supply could become expensive, as unexpected dip in power can damage other computer parts, such as the hard drive.

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SMADAV 8.5 PRO with Key

You can change smadav free to smadav pro. Register the following way :

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Shrink Vista Partition for WinXp Installation

Shrink Vista Partition for WinXp Installation

 Options:
A) If you have an available partition for WinXp installation, go to "WinXp Installation".


Materials needed:
1) PerfectDisk 2008(30 days trial version, download here).


Steps:
*make sure you backup the drive you going to shrink just in case anything goes wrong.
1) In Windows Vista, go to "Start", right click on "Computer" and choose "Manage". You will be prompted, just click "Continue".

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REGISTER SMADAV PRO REV.8.4.1

smadv pro 8.4.1

You can change smadav free to smadav pro. Register the following way :

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Resetter Epson T60 Working

Resetter epson T60 :

1. Follow this step download driver epson .

2. Download software resetter Epson T60 here.

3. Date not change.

4. Double "AdjProgcracked.exe".

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