The Top 5 Most Common Computer Problems

If you have a PC, then you have most likely suffered from computer problems. Most people have accepted that there PC will eventually crash due to a virus or some massive error. However this is a myth. Your PC is built to last more than a decade. However you must keep well tuned for it to make its third birthday. Nevertheless, most people would rather buy a shiny new PC rather than spend an hour trying to fix computer problems on there 2 year lap top or desktop. After another two year after their purchase lack of maintenance will cause their new PC to lose its performance speed. Whats next you guess, $3000 Windows Vista Ready PC. This is known as the consumer vicious cycle.

Why have does your computer have problems?

Well, the biggest problem that your computer has is its owner. More than 80% of computer problems stem from neglecting to perform simple maintenance task such as cleaning your registry, emptying your cache files and updating software regularly. If these task a perform diligently. You would be reading this article from a five year old machine running on Windows 98 operating system. So, lets take a look at the top five computer problems and how to avoid them.

1. Computer has performance has slowed.

This is the number one complaint from most users. There are several reason why this has occurred. However, most can attributed to lack of maintenance. Fragmented data, corrupted registry, spyware, and load of unnecessary programs and services running can all eat away at your PC speed and performance. Manage your programs and cleaning your registry would easily award you a 30% gain in performance speed. Check out The 4 ways to speed up my computer

2. Lockup, freezes, and blue screens of death.

This is a another common computer problem. However, this particular issue is a bit more serious; therefore, it needs a few diagnostic steps. In most cases this problems are caused by spyware. To avoid this problem update your anti-spyware program daily. Having the most up to date signatures will help you avoid having a serious spyware problem. However, if you have concluded that your PC is spyware free. You should update your hardware drivers. The computer cannot communicate with various hardware components without an up to date driver. When it cannot find a driver, the CPU locks up. Also, increasing your virtual memory can also help to avoid freezes. Virtual Memory will allow to you get more use out your computer's RAM. Check the resource box for more info on the subject.

3. The computer spontaneously reboots or turn itself off.

This computer problem can be usually attributed to a hardware issue. Usually its the power supply is dying or in most cases a dirty or defective cooling fan. The computer trying to cool itself by automatically switching off. So, if you feel a bit of extra heat coming out the computer. Clean the fan and make sure it running properly. If your fan is functional, check your power supply. Also, you will be surprised how many people fail to make sure the cables are attached tightly. This be the cause of this particular computer problem.

4. Strange noises and vibrations.

This is almost totally a hardware issue. You computer is made up of thousands of parts. Its not unheard of that one of them can become unhinged. Overheating can cause expansion of wires and melt some sensitive. High pitch noises such as squealing or whining sounds can be cause electronic components. Whatever the reason, you conduct a small investigation. Remove the case and run the computer to discover the origin of the computer problem. If its not a simple matter such as a loose wire or fan issue, it may be time to call a computer tech.

5. Your home page, default search engine, or web browser has changed itself.

This is also known as "high-jacking". Spyware has been installed on your computer via social networking or from email link. This action has allowed spyware to install a java script into your web browser. The spyware then sends a message to your browser to change your user settings. For example change your home page to another web page.

As you have discovered from reading the article, the most common computer problems can be handle quite easily by simple maintenance of your PC. Net time you are suffering from computer problems. Take a few minutes to run some diagnostic test before rushing out to computer technical center claiming your PC is broken. When all you need to do was just make sure it was plugged in.

For more answers to computer problems:
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For tips and tweaks to increase PC speed"
http://www.delete-computer-history.com/how-to-speed-up-pc.html

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Tips For How To Diagnose Your Frustrating Computer Problems

One of the biggest sources of frustration in today's society seems to be when technology fails, and with good reason. One moment your computer can be working without any problems at all, and the next moment it is running slow, crashing or worse, refusing to turn itself back on.

And this is not helped by the fact that a broken computer could be caused by what seems like hundreds of different problems. Fortunately, once you know where to start, diagnosing computer problems does get easier. And this is what this article will cover.

There are two main sources of computer problems: software related issues, and hardware related issues.

Software related problems tend to include things such as programs which are installed on your computer, along with your operating system (such as Windows 7 or Apple Mac OSx) and its essential files.

Hardware related issues - on the other hand - relate to physical problems with the electrical components inside your computer.

Problems due to faulty hardware are the most problematic since - unless you build computers yourself - it's likely that you won't be able to open up your computer and determine exactly which piece of hardware is causing your computer problems. And even if you do find the problem, it's relatively common that the only fix is to buy a replacement for the faulty hardware part.

Hence hardware related issues are the most problematic, although there is no easy solution when this is the case. You can only hope that the computer problem is in fact a software problem.

On the software note: if the problem is simply that a particular piece of software is slow, try reinstalling it via the 'Add/remove programs' feature in the Control Panel. If your computer as a whole is slow, try running Disk Defragment and Disk Cleanup along with uninstalling any programs which you no longer use.

Unfortunately there are too many possible causes of computer problems to list in this one article. Fortunately Computer Lover is here to help: we have created a handy new 'Solve Your Computer Problems And Solutions' diagram which you can download for free. Computer Lover covers all aspects of computing, including handy tips to remember when hunting for the newest laptops on the market.

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Troubleshooting Computer Problems

Troubleshooting computer problems can be time consuming if you don't follow a plan. You need to have some idea of what you are troubleshooting for if you have any hope of discovering what the problem is!

Computer failure comes in many shapes and sizes. There are the fairly easy ones and there are the very difficult ones. Learning to know which type it is likely to be will save you time and make troubleshooting problems a whole lot easier.

The most serious of problems are probably those concerning hardware. When you hear the ominous repeating click sound of a hard disk in the throes of death, it's too late to panic; the damage has already been done.

Power supply units can often be the cause of problems in computers. You don't need a lot of experience to conclude that your power supply is no longer supplying power. Even if it is still supplying power, it may be underpowered and causing problems because of that.

Computers create heat. That's why they have a cooling fan as part of the assembly. Should the fan fail, or if it is inadequate because the manufacturer doesn't care, or if the under ventilation is inadequately provided for, you will experience all kinds of problems.

When a computer overheats it will often suddenly shut down. It does this to protect itself from over heating any more. However, it doesn't tell you that there is a problem beforehand, and that it has to shut down. It just does it. If your computer is doing this regularly, it could be an overheating problem.

Troubleshooting these kind of computer problems will require you to make an educated guess at what kind of problem it is likely to be. Pursuing that line of thinking will lead you on to other related components, and eventually you should be able to track down the real problem. For example, a problem with the sound card will exhibit itself through a sound problem and a video card problem will make itself obvious through the monitor.

Don't forget to check all the cabling and plugs first! Many a technician has been embarrassed after spending time checking everything only to finally notice a loose connection. Check the most obvious first when troubleshooting computer problems, if only to eliminate them as the source of the problem.

Sometimes troubleshooting your computer problems will lead you to a software cause. Perhaps there is a software conflict. This would likely show up soon after you installed a new program. In fact, if your problem is noticed immediately after installing a program, then that is the likely cause.

Try uninstalling the program. If that fixes the problem then you need to find out why before re-installing the program. Make sure all the software drivers are up to date before trying any more software installs.

Troubleshooting computer problems is usually never easy. It takes time and the simple plan of doing one thing at a time and checking to see what the effect is. If you do several things and suddenly everything is fine again, you'll never know what the cause was.

Always make one change, check, and if it doesn't work to improve matters, make another change, and so on. Being methodical will make troubleshooting computer problems a lot easier.

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Fix Computer Problems - How to Stop Computer Problems in Your Office Before They Start

Okay sooner or later your office PC (personal computer) will have something go wrong with it. Like any other office machine, computers are subject to glitches, bugs and crashes caused by failing hardware or software. And in the long run your small business PC will be no different.

Just like in many home-based businesses, large modern offices have the exact same computer problems as a much smaller shops because they had the same "computer user" issues. All the computer users are mired in the "busy-ness" of the job at hand.

"Busy-ness" is what happens when working folks, like you and me, get caught up in using our business PCs day-in and day-out without taking the time to perform proper computer maintenance on them.

We lug around our laptops from home to car to office and back again without stopping. We download everything from music to maps without thinking about where these programs come from or what harm they can do to our business systems.

"Busy-ness" is the secret serial killer of technology and the biggest source of on-going computer problems. We slowly kill our technology with software that has not been updated in years, by downloading all types of viruses and spyware that is "attached" to more innocent applications and emails or by ignoring the signs of obviously failing hardware.

After all we are too involved in our "busy-ness" to take time to fix these "minor" computer problems...until it's too late.

Unchecked computer troubles and poor computer maintenance will eventually lead to damaged or destroyed data files, lost work productivity due to hours of downtime. Not to mention costing you a fortune in computer repair fees.

So what can you do to fix computer problems before they get out of hand?

Fix Your Computer Problems Tip# 1 - Be Sensitive to What You Have. First, understand that your personal technology, your PC and the data and applications on it, are the lifeblood of your business. Take an inventory of what data files you have and what software you have installed. There are several free programs that can make this computer maintenance problem an easy fix.

Fix Your Computer Problems Tip# 2 - Be Aware of What You Download. The biggest problem, I have ever had both professionally and personally (hey I did it do, you know) was PCs with viruses or malware (malicious software) that were downloaded from "freebie" sites.

Free music, free software, etc. are great if you get them from a safe and trusted source, but no matter what you kind of anti-virus program you may have, like a vampire, malware loves it best when you "invite" them into your home.

Fix Your Computer Problems Tip# 3 - Be Certain You Update Often. Another problem that has always caused problems is failing to update your operating system or hardware drivers on a regular basis. Hackers never sleep. Somewhere in the world some greedy, little nerd is hard at work learning how to break into your PC.

Whether they hack your computer for fame (bragging rights) or fortune (to sell your stolen identity or credit card numbers), you need to learn to protect both your PC and more importantly your personal data. And one of the best ways to do this is update your operating system (OS) at least once a week.

Microsoft has a Windows update system that automatically downloads and installs updates and upgrades on your PC. Granted every once in while the Microsoft engineers mess up and release an update or upgrade that has some negative consequences, in the long run, their updates are one of the better way to safeguard your PC from outside attackers.

Fix Your Computer Problems Tip# 4 - Be Sure to Backup Your Business Files Frequently. I can honestly say, this is one biggest mistakes made in almost all small offices and businesses. We get knee deep in the "busy-ness" of making a living and then forget all about the data and files that make that business possible.

Think you can live without your hard drive? What if every single file, every picture, document or software program you have bought and paid or downloaded and installed, were to go, POOF overnight? It happens....

Now that you are aware of some of the problems of being too busy, you can set aside time every week to perform some simple computer maintenance tasks, so you will not have to fix more serious computer problems later on.

Sick of computer maintenance headaches? Tired of wasting money on computer repair fees?
I invite you to discover more FREE ways to fix computer problems fast and learn troubleshooting computer problem tips at http://www.fixcomputerproblemsguide.com
From Chancer Reese, your Small Office Tech Diva.

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Troubleshooting Computer Problems - 8 Questions to Ask Yourself

Computer problems can be frustrating, especially when you don't know the reason. Sometimes there is a simple solution, other times fixing your computer requires more effort. In this article, we will take a look at how to troubleshoot common computer problems.

Question #1: Is it Just You or Your Entire Network?

One of the most common reasons for sudden problems such as the inability to access the web or print documents is related to your network. If all of the computers on your home or office network are experiencing the same problems, then you know that the trouble lies in the network not your PC.

Question #2: Are all Cords Firmly Connected?

"My computer won't start", have you checked to make sure it's all plugged in? Cords can come loose and cause your computer to fail to power up. Sometimes, this is also the case when a specific device (such as a mouse or keyboard) fail to function.

If everything is plugged in and your device still won't work, try another jack if possible. I have personally had several computers where the USB ports die for no apparent reason, causing my devices to not work. Plugging them in to another port clears it right up.

Question #3: Have You Installed Anything New Lately?

New software can introduce a variety of problems. If you started having problems after installing something new, try uninstalling or reinstalling the program. If the failed installation has caused errors in your windows registry (as often happens), you will need to run a registry cleaner to restore your registry to proper condition.

Question #4: Is It Hanging on Startup?

If you can't get past the Windows startup, you can attempt to hit the "F8" key on your keyboard and select the option to start up in safe mode. While in safe mode, you can uninstall problematic software or just attempt a reboot from there to see if the problem clears up. While in safe mode, it would be a good idea to back up all of your critical data as failure to boot can be a sign of serious problems with the hard disk.

Question #5: Is It Making Strange Noises?

Years ago, I booted up my office computer one morning only to be greeted by a screeching sound coming from my hard disk. Not knowing what else to do, I quickly shut it down. Still, I was not fast enough to save the data from permanent loss. What had happened was the needle in my hard disk had come loose and the sound I heard was it scraping my hard disk and wiping all of my data away with it.

Needless to say, if you hear a loud scraping noise immediately shut down the computer. Your data may still be able to be recovered, but you will need a new hard drive before you can use the computer again. The moral of the story is that loud noises can signal big problems for your PC and it's better to be safe than sorry.

Question #6: Are You Experiencing Problems with Specific Software?

If a particular program is giving you trouble, it can be the result of a corrupt document or a Windows registry problem. In order to find out, try closing your current document and opening a new one. If the behavior clears up, then it is likely just a corrupt file. If the problem persists, you could have errors in your registry.

If this is the case, a good registry cleaner can repair those for you automatically. In fact, cleaning the registry is a great way to put an end to many problems and end up with a faster computer as well. I left a link for you at the bottom of this article for a free download of my favorite registry cleaner.

Question #7: Is Your Computer Giving Error Messages?

Error messages are not usually much help unless you take the time to research them. If you type the exact error in to Google, you can find information on the specific cause of the problem. Often, error messages are the result of registry problems. As in the last step, installing and using a registry cleaner can help a lot with errors.

Question #8: Have You Run Your Virus Scanner Lately?

Lastly, it's an unfortunate truth that viruses are out there and your computer could catch one if you are not keeping up to date with your virus definitions. Be sure to update your anti-virus software on a regular basis to make sure that it has the information it needs to fight current threats. If you don't yet use an anti-virus software what are you waiting for? Download and run one right away to find out if your computer problems are the result of a rogue virus.

Hopefully these tips will get you started troubleshooting your computer problems. Oftentimes, computer troubles are something simple that you can fix yourself. Other times, you will need to take the computer to a technician for repairs.

Many problems can be solved in just minutes after a good cleaning of your Windows registry. For a free download of RegCure, my favorite registry cleaner Click Here Now.

For more information on registry repair, see my registry repair review site.

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4 Common Computer Problems and Their Solutions - Are You Suffering From Any of These?

This is a very short article so there is no way I can cover all the problems you can experience with your computer. I will go through only 4 common computer problems and how you can solve these problems.

The first common computer problem is virus (or general malware) problem. Virus is a common term used by computer user to mean any software that creates problems such as slowing down your computer, displaying annoying pops ups, or disconnecting you from the internet. Solution is to download antivirus or antispyware programs to protect your computer.

The second common computer problem is performance issue. This a bit similar to the above because virus can slow down computer performance. The solution to a slow computer is to optimize the memory by removing majority of your startup items and background services, upgrade your memory, and perform different types of tweaks to improve computer performance.

The third common computer problems is how to upgrade the computer. If you have a old computer that you want to upgrade to the latest, the solution is to not be afraid because you can do it yourself. Once you find out the make and the model of your computer motherboard, you would be able to figure out the components required and you can make purchase of these components and add it inside your computer yourself.

The fourth common computer problem is hardware problems. The solution to this problem is to get an expert to fix this for you. Hardware problem such as broken screen, damaged motherboard, damaged power supply etc are not easy to fix by ourselves so we require an expert to do these for us.

Others problems include computer crashing, freezing, Windows errors, registry problems, drivers problems and so on.

Download Windows Optimization Software and watch videos on how to improve your computer's performance.

If your computer is having any problems you can learn how to fix computer problems using some of the tips and tweaks I have recorded on videos. You also gain access to free tools and resources you can download to better optimize your computer

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Auto End Tasks to Enable a Proper Shutdown

This reg file automatically ends tasks and timeouts that prevent programs from shutting down and clears the Paging File on Exit.

1. Copy the following into notepad.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management]
"ClearPageFileAtShutdown"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop]
"AutoEndTasks"="1"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control]
"WaitToKillServiceTimeout"="1000"

2. Save the file as shutdown.reg
3. Double click the file to import into your registry.

NOTE: If your anti-virus software warns you of a "malicious" script, this is normal if you have "Script Safe" or similar technology enabled.

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CREATING ONE CLICK SHUT DOWN AND REBOOT SHORTCUTS

First, create a shortcut on your desktop by right-clicking on the desktop, choosing New, and then choosing Shortcut. The Create Shortcut Wizard appears. In the box asking for the location of the shortcut, type shutdown. After you create the shortcut, double-clicking on it will shut down your PC.

But you can do much more with a shutdown shortcut than merely shut down your PC. You can add any combination of several switches to do extra duty, like this:

shutdown -r -t 01 -c "Rebooting your PC"
Double-clicking on that shortcut will reboot your PC after a one-second delay and display the message "Rebooting your PC." The shutdown command includes a variety of switches you can use to customize it. Table 1-3 lists all of them and describes their use.

Use this technique to create two shutdown shortcuts on your desktop—one for turning off, and one for rebooting. Here are the commands :

shutdown -s -t 03 -c "Bye exil0r"
shutdown -r -t 03 -c "We'll meet soon ;)!"

Switch
What it does

-s
Shuts down the PC.

-l
Logs off the current user.

-t nn
Indicates the duration of delay, in seconds, before performing the action.

-c "messagetext"
Displays a message in the System Shutdown window. A maximum of 127 characters can be used. The message must be enclosed in quotation marks.

-f
Forces any running applications to shut down.

-r
Reboots the PC.

Related Topic :

• Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows

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KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS FOR WINDOWS

Leave your mouse behind and work more efficient on Windows system with these keyboard shortcuts.

Windows key + R = Run menu

Windows key + E = Explorer

ALT + Tab = Switch between windows

ALT, Space, X = Maximize window

CTRL + Shift + Esc = Task Manager

Windows key + Break = System properties

Windows key + F = Search

Windows key + D = Hide/Display all windows

CTRL + C = copy

CTRL + X = cut

CTRL + V = paste

ALT + Esc = Switch between running applications

ALT + letter = Select menu item by underlined letter

CTRL + Esc = Open Program Menu

CTRL + F4 = Close active document or group windows (does not work with some applications)

ALT + F4 = Quit active application or close current window

ALT + [-] = Open Control menu for active document

CTRL + Left/Right arrow = Move cursor forward or back one word

CTRL + Up/Down arrow = Move cursor forward or back one paragraph

F1 = Open Help for active application

Windows key + M = Minimize all open windows

Shift + Windows key + M = Undo minimize all open windows

Windows key + F1 = Open Windows Help

Windows key + Tab = Cycle through the Taskbar buttons

Windows key + Break = Open the System Properties dialog box


Accessibility Shortcuts :

Right SHIFT for eight seconds........ Switch FilterKeys on and off.

Left ALT +left SHIFT +PRINT SCREEN....... Switch High Contrast on and off.

Left ALT +left SHIFT +NUM LOCK....... Switch MouseKeys on and off.

SHIFT....... five times Switch StickyKeys on and off.

NUM LOCK...... for five seconds Switch ToggleKeys on and off.


Explorer Shortcuts :

END....... Display the bottom of the active window.

HOME....... Display the top of the active window.

NUM LOCK+ASTERISK....... on numeric keypad (*) Display all subfolders under the selected folder.

NUM LOCK+PLUS SIGN....... on numeric keypad (+) Display the contents of the selected folder.

NUM LOCK+MINUS SIGN....... on numeric keypad (-) Collapse the selected folder.

LEFT ARROW...... Collapse current selection if it's expanded, or select parent folder.

RIGHT ARROW....... Display current selection if it's collapsed, or select first subfolder.


Run Box (Windows Key + R) or Start Run Short command :

devmgmt.msc = Device Manager

msinfo32 = System Information

cleanmgr = Disk Cleanup

ntbackup = Backup or Restore Wizard (Windows Backup Utility)

mmc = Microsoft Management Console

excel = Microsoft Excel (If Installed)

msaccess = Microsoft Access (If Installed)

powerpnt = Microsoft PowerPoint (If Installed)

winword = Microsoft Word (If Installed)

frontpg = Microsoft FrontPage (If Installed)

notepad = Notepad

wordpad = WordPad

calc = Calculator

msmsgs = Windows Messenger

mspaint = Microsoft Paint

wmplayer = Windows Media Player

rstrui = System Restore

netscp6 = Netscape 6.x

netscp = Netscape 7.x

netscape = Netscape 4.x

control = Opens the Control Panel

control printers = Opens the Printers Dialog


Internetbrowser :

Type in adress "google", then press [Right CTRL] and [Enter]
add www. and .com to word and go to it


For Windows XP:

Copy. CTRL + C

Cut. CTRL + X

Paste. CTRL + V

Undo. CTRL + Z

Delete. DELETE

Delete selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin. SHIFT + DELETE

Copy selected item. CTRL while dragging an item

Create shortcut to selected item. CTRL + SHIFT while dragging an item

Rename selected item. F2

Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word. CTRL + RIGHT ARROW

Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word. CTRL + LEFT ARROW

Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph. CTRL + DOWN ARROW

Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph. CTRL + UP ARROW

Highlight a block of text. CTRL + SHIFT with any of the arrow keys

Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document. SHIFT with any of the arrow keys

Select all. CTRL + A

Search for a file or folder. F3

View properties for the selected item. ALT + ENTER

Close the active item, or quit the active program. ALT + F4

Opens the shortcut menu for the active window. ALT + SPACEBAR

Close the active document in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously. CTRL + F4

Switch between open items. ALT + TAB

Cycle through items in the order they were opened. ALT + ESC

Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop. F6

Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer. F4

Display the shortcut menu for the selected item. SHIFT + F10

Display the System menu for the active window. ALT + SPACEBAR

Display the Start menu. CTRL + ESC

Display the corresponding menu. ALT + Underlined letter in a menu name

Carry out the corresponding command. Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu

Activate the menu bar in the active program. F10

Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu. RIGHT ARROW

Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu. LEFT ARROW

Refresh the active window. F5

View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer. BACKSPACE

Cancel the current task. ESC

SHIFT when you insert a CD into the CD-ROM drive Prevent the CD from automatically playing.

Use these keyboard shortcuts for dialog boxes :


To Press

Move forward through tabs. CTRL + TAB

Move backward through tabs. CTRL + SHIFT+TAB

Move forward through options. TAB

Move backward through options. SHIFT + TAB

Carry out the corresponding command or select the corresponding option. ALT+Underlined letter

Carry out the command for the active option or button. ENTER

Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box. SPACEBAR

Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons. Arrow keys
Display Help. F1

Display the items in the active list. F4

Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box. BACKSPACE

Related Topics :

• Easy Way to Improve Windows Performance

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EASY WAY TO IMPROVE WINDOWS XP PERFORMANCE

Defragmenting on hardisk won't do much to improve your Windows XP performance. It is better to buy several part of your computer rather than to buy defragmentation software. Here are some tips to improve pc. This is not step by step but free to start on which is more possible and easy to done.

• If a PC has less than 512 MB of RAM, add more memory. This is a relatively inexpensive and easy upgrade that can dramatically improve system performance.
• Ensure that Windows XP is utilizing the NTFS file system. If you're not sure, here's how to check: First, double-click the My Computer icon, right-click on the C: Drive, then select Properties. Next, examine the File System type; if it says FAT32, then back-up any important data. Next, click Start, click Run, type CMD, and then click OK. At the prompt, type CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS and press the Enter key. This process may take a while; it's important that the computer be uninterrupted and virus-free. The file system used by the bootable drive will be either FAT32 or NTFS. I highly recommend NTFS for its superior security, reliability, and efficiency with larger disk drives.
• Disable file indexing. The indexing service extracts information from documents and other files on the hard drive and creates a "searchable keyword index." As you can imagine, this process can be quite taxing on any system. The idea is that the user can search for a word, phrase, or property inside a document, should they have hundreds or thousands of documents and not know the file name of the document they want. Windows XP's built-in search functionality can still perform these kinds of searches without the Indexing service. It just takes longer. The OS has to open each file at the time of the request to help find what the user is looking for. Most people never need this feature of search. Those who do are typically in a large corporate environment where thousands of documents are located on at least one server. But if you're a typical system builder, most of your clients are small and medium businesses. And if your clients have no need for this search feature, I recommend disabling it. To disable file indexing double-click the My Computer icon. Next, right-click on the C: Drive, then select Properties. Uncheck "Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching." Next, apply changes to "C: subfolders and files," and click OK. If a warning or error message appears (such as "Access is denied"), click the Ignore All button.
• Update the PC's video and motherboard chipset drivers. Also, update and configure the BIOS.
• Empty the Windows Prefetch folder every three months or so. Windows XP can "prefetch" portions of data and applications that are used frequently. This makes processes appear to load faster when called upon by the user. That's fine. But over time, the prefetch folder may become overloaded with references to files and applications no longer in use. When that happens, Windows XP is wasting time, and slowing system performance, by pre-loading them. Nothing critical is in this folder, and the entire contents are safe to delete.
• Once a month, run a disk cleanup. Double-click the My Computer icon. Then right-click on the C: drive and select Properties. Click the Disk Cleanup button it's just to the right of the Capacity pie graph and delete all temporary files.
• In your Device Manager, double-click on the IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers device, and ensure that DMA is enabled for each drive you have connected to the Primary and Secondary controller. Do this by double-clicking on Primary IDE Channel. Then click the Advanced Settings tab. Ensure the Transfer Mode is set to "DMA if available" for both Device 0 and Device 1. Then repeat this process with the Secondary IDE Channel.
• Upgrade the cabling. As hard-drive technology improves, the cabling requirements to achieve these performance boosts have become more stringent. Be sure to use 80-wire Ultra-133 cables on all of your IDE devices with the connectors properly assigned to the matching Master/Slave/Motherboard sockets. A single device must be at the end of the cable; connecting a single drive to the middle connector on a ribbon cable will cause signaling problems. With Ultra DMA hard drives, these signaling problems will prevent the drive from performing at its maximum potential. Also, because these cables inherently support "cable select," the location of each drive on the cable is important. For these reasons, the cable is designed so drive positioning is explicitly clear.
• Remove all spyware from the computer. Use free programs such as AdAware by Lavasoft or SpyBot Search & Destroy. Once these programs are installed, be sure to check for and download any updates before starting your search. Anything either program finds can be safely removed. Any free software that requires spyware to run will no longer function once the spyware portion has been removed; if your customer really wants the program even though it contains spyware, simply reinstall it.
• Remove any unnecessary programs and/or items from Windows Startup routine using the MSCONFIG utility. Click Start, click Run, type MSCONFIG, and click OK. Click the StartUp tab, then uncheck any items you don't want to start when Windows starts. Unsure what some items are? Visit the WinTasks Process Library. It contains known system processes, applications, as well as spyware references and explanations. Or quickly identify them by searching for the filenames using Google or another Web search engine.
• Remove any unnecessary or unused programs from the Add/Remove Programs section of the Control Panel.
• Turn off any and all unnecessary animations, and disable active desktop. In fact, for optimal performance, turn off all animations. Windows XP offers many different settings in this area. Here's how to do it: First click on the System icon in the Control Panel. Next, click on the Advanced tab. Select the Settings button located under Performance. Feel free to play around with the options offered here, as nothing you can change will alter the reliability of the computer only its responsiveness.
• If your customer is an advanced user who is comfortable editing their registry, try some of the performance registry tweaks offered at Tweak XP.
• Visit Microsoft's Windows update site regularly, and download all updates labeled Critical. Download any optional updates at your discretion.
• Update the customer's anti-virus software on a weekly, even daily, basis. Make sure they have only one anti-virus software package installed. Mixing anti-virus software is a sure way to spell disaster for performance and reliability.
• Make sure the customer has fewer than 500 type fonts installed on their computer. The more fonts they have, the slower the system will become. While Windows XP handles fonts much more efficiently than did the previous versions of Windows, too many fonts -- that is, anything over 500 -- will noticeably tax the system.
• Do not partition the hard drive. Windows XP's NTFS file system runs more efficiently on one large partition. The data is no safer on a separate partition, and a reformat is never necessary to reinstall an operating system. The same excuses people offer for using partitions apply to using a folder instead. For example, instead of putting all your data on the D: drive, put it in a folder called "D drive." You'll achieve the same organizational benefits that a separate partition offers, but without the degradation in system performance. Also, your free space won't be limited by the size of the partition; instead, it will be limited by the size of the entire hard drive. This means you won't need to resize any partitions, ever. That task can be time-consuming and also can result in lost data.
• Check the system's RAM to ensure it is operating properly. I recommend using a free program called MemTest86. The download will make a bootable CD or diskette (your choice), which will run 10 extensive tests on the PC's memory automatically after you boot to the disk you created. Allow all tests to run until at least three passes of the 10 tests are completed. If the program encounters any errors, turn off and unplug the computer, remove a stick of memory (assuming you have more than one), and run the test again. Remember, bad memory cannot be repaired, but only replaced.
• If the PC has a CD or DVD recorder, check the drive manufacturer's Web site for updated firmware. In some cases you'll be able to upgrade the recorder to a faster speed. Best of all, it's free.
• Disable unnecessary services. Windows XP loads a lot of services that your customer most likely does not need. To determine which services you can disable for your client, visit the Black Viper site for Windows XP configurations.
• If you're sick of a single Windows Explorer window crashing and then taking the rest of your OS down with it, then follow this tip: open My Computer, click on Tools, then Folder Options. Now click on the View tab. Scroll down to "Launch folder windows in a separate process," and enable this option. You'll have to reboot your machine for this option to take effect.
• At least once a year, open the computer's cases and blow out all the dust and debris. While you're in there, check that all the fans are turning properly. Also inspect the motherboard capacitors for bulging or leaks.

Related Topics :

• Bootup Problems
• Hardware Failure Beep Code
• Sality Virus Problem Solver
• Disabled Task manager Solution
  

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SALITY VIRUS PROBLEM SOLVER

Sality virus discovered in June 4 2003. This virus has keylogger and backdoor capability. Infecting all *.exe (applications) files and running windows infected program in background such as moviemk.exe and run duplicated windows system files.
This virus also disabled task manager and regedit, make folder options change no effect and make computer run slower off course. This virus spread by network connections that have file sharing enabled or by removable media such as zipdisk, diskette and CD (rarely).

When infected zipdisk plugged in to clean computer it will run automatically controlled by autorun.ini and search and kill any active antiviruse software even if it has an uptodate virus definition database. In norton antivirus it will prompt error in autoprotect (navapsvc.exe) but that is ok just let the error prompt open and don't press any command button because if you do the virus will kill norton autoprotect service and control your computer, begin scan imedietly in infected media. It will usually find one or more hidden undeletable file by antivirus thats mean we have to delete it manually. Go to folder options --> view --> select show hidden files and folder and uncheck hide protected operating system files. Go to the locations where antivirus detect it and delete it.

How to avoid it.

1. Disable autorun for any removable media by pressing shift key while inserting CDROM or zipdisk to avoid running autorun.ini program.
   
2. Change folder options setting to view all hidden files including protected windows system files and show the file extensions to see if a file have double extensions.
3. Antivirus software with up to date database.
4. Be very aware before running unknown program.

How to disinfect.

1. Uninstall any antivirus that already been taken over by sality.
   
2. Because task manager and regedit disabled, install process explorer. See the process and kill any suspicious software or any uncritical windows program.
3. Reinstall your antivirus and update with the latest virus database.
4. Disable system restore. The virus might hide there.
   
5. Complete scan your computer. If access denied or unable to repair or delete because the infected file running, kill using process explorer.
6. Restart after completing complete scan.
7. Check your antivirus software. If its still running the virus has been destroyed if not follow the next step.
8. Take the hardisk out and put in clean computer with update antivirus software and scan there. After scan finished put the hardisk back to its origin CPU.
   

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HOW TO SOLVE DISABLED WINDOWS TASK MANAGER

Windows Task Manager is a task manager application included with Microsoft Windows NT family of operating systems that provides detailed information about computer performance and running applications, processes and CPU usage, commit charge and memory information, network activity and statistics, logged-in users, and system services. The Task Manager can also be used to set process priorities, processor affinity, forcibly terminate processes, and shut down, restart, hibernate or log off from Windows. Windows Task Manager was introduced with Windows NT 4.0, previous versions of Windows NT included the Task List application, which had far fewer features. The task list was capable of listing currently running processes and killing them, or creating a new process.

When task manager disabled its very hard for us to see the running process and or to kill not responding process. Task manager disabled may because of virus or intentionally disabled by the administrator. The second causes was rarely case because task manager wasn't critical temper to windows system rather than regedit (registry editor) that can make change to the system behavior. Several virus such as W32.sality.AE make registry and task manager not working. The virus will take control the registry and disable task manager so the change in registry to enable the task manager will be no use.

When hard to re-enable task manager why don't just another better "Task Manager"? My solution for this case is using process explorer. Process explorer has more functionality to see the process in tree mode and the DLL's handles, it also can search the process and handles, kill any suspicious background program and off course it has functionality to replace our troubled task manager ^_^.
To replace task manager with process explorer go to options in process explorer and click/check replace task manager and process explorer will active whenever Ctrl+Alt+Del combination pressed.

To download process explorer click here.

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Boot Camp-Troubleshooting Hardware Bootup Problems

This guide deals with troubleshooting a PC that won't boot to the point where it at least starts loading an operating system (hardware related problem). This article is intended for a person who has a little knowledge of PC's and is comfortable opening up and working inside a PC. If this isn't you, then I recommend taking your PC to a qualified PC repair shop. This is meant as a general troubleshooting guide and by no means covers every scenario that can occur, any omissions or mistakes were not intentional and will be updated as necessary.
Now let's get started..

Keep it Simple

First and foremost, I cannot stress enough that when it comes to troubleshooting PC's, KEEP IT SIMPLE! You will save yourself a lot of time and effort if you start looking for the simplest and most obvious solutions first.
With that being said here is a list of a few things you should start checking first..

1. Check the Power Cable (reason: ensure the PC is getting power and that the problem isn't simply a bad power cable)

a. Is it plugged into the back of the PC tightly?
b. Is it plugged into a power source?
c. If it is connected to a power bar --- is the power bar plugged in and turned on?
d. If possible try a different power cord and/or power bar
e. Is a breaker blown in the building? Try a different wall plug

2. Check the monitor
(reason: make sure the monitor is still working. When you boot a PC you expect to see something on the monitor, if you don't, one may think their PC isn't working when in fact there is something wrong with the monitor)

a. Is the power cable plugged in tight to the back of the monitor?
b. Is the power cable plugged into a power source?
c. If it is connected to a power bar --- is the power bar plugged in and turned on?
d. Is the monitor turned on?
e. Is the monitor's video cable plugged tightly into the video card on the PC?
f. Are the contract and brightness settings of the monitor adjusted correctly?
g. If possible try a different monitor.

3. Visually check the power supply
(reason: a PC may boot to a point with a failing power supply but can quickly overheat causing it to the PC to stop functioning)

a. Does the fan turn when the PC is turned on?
b. Does it feel hot to the touch?
c. Do any lights come on when the PC power button is pressed?

4. Check the keyboard
(reason: a PC needs a keyboard to boot, most times if there is a keyboard problem a message will be displayed on the screen, however this may not always be the case and the computer may just stop booting)

a. Is the keyboard connected to the PC?
b. If possible try a different keyboard.

5. Check the floppy and CD drive
(reason: when a PC boots, by default it will try and boot from the floppy or CD drive first. If there is a disk in either of these drives even if it is not a bootable disk, the PC may try to boot from the disk. Most times an error is displayed when it can't boot from the disk but this isn't always the case)

a. Is there a disk in the floppy drive?
b. Is there a disk in the CD drive?

A person may think that it is a waste of time to check such simple things and want to skip the above checklist. I cannot count how many times I have been called to troubleshoot a PC only to find that a power bar was turned off or there was a disk in the floppy or CD drive. Take the time now to check the easy things--- I guarantee you it will save a lot of headaches and frustrations.
Advanced Troubleshooting
When a computer is first turned on, the hardware runs a Power-On Self Test (POST). If errors are encountered during this POST test, they are usually indicated by a beep or in the form of a code displayed on the screen. With this error code you can determine what part of the system is having problems and find a solution. You have probably heard a beep code in the past and just not realized it. You know the one or two short beeps your computer makes when you first turn it on, that is a beep code indicating everything checks out OK. With some PC's it may seem like there isn't any beep code, what is probably happening here is there is a problem with the internal speaker inside the PC, it is either not present, not functioning any longer or not connected properly to the motherboard. If this is the case in your instance, check to see a visual code is being displayed on the monitor, if nothing then skip ahead to the next section.
To check for an error code on your PC, turn the computer on and listen for any beeps or look on the monitor screen for a code. As I mentioned, one or two short beeps indicates everything is OK, if you experience any different sequence or length of beeps, write down what you heard, (e.g. 1 long beep followed by two short beeps) or write down the error code on the screen. Error codes vary from PC to PC depending on the manufacturer of the motherboard inside the PC. It would be beyond the scope of this guide to include every manufacturer error codes as some may be missed and some may change as new technology is introduced. Performing a search on the Internet using your favorite search engine will find many sites specific to your PC. They will have a list of codes, what they mean and potentially how to fix them, look for the code you wrote down previously. The hardware generally checked by the POST test is the motherboard, CPU, power supply, memory and video card. If the error code indicates a problem in one of these areas, make sure all cards in the PC are seated correctly in the motherboard slots and that the power supply cables are connected snuggly to the motherboard. If all of this has been done and you still receive an error code then chances are the device has failed and will need to be replaced.
If the POST test doesn't reveal the source of the problem the next step is to open up the PC.
Staying with the theme of keeping it simple we will want to try and start the PC with the minimum hardware required to boot a computer. All you need to boot a PC is the motherboard, memory, some sort of media (floppy disk, hard disk, CD, etc.) and a video card. What we will want to do is remove or disconnect any unnecessary hardware.

1. Leave one form of media drive connected to boot with, preferably the floppy drive if available, and disconnect all other drives.
2. Remove all cards except for the video card.
3. Remove all memory except for one stick
4. Insert bootable media (floppy disk, CD, etc.) and power on the PC

If the PC doesn't boot with the minimum hardware then the problem may lie with the video card, memory or the motherboard. Try using a different stick of memory if you have one as well try using a different video card. Friends and family can be great sources for this, ask to borrow their video card or memory from their PC, just make sure to return it when you are done. If swapping the memory and video card don't work then you more than likely have a problem with the motherboard and it will need to be replaced.
If it does boot.

1. Turn it off
2. Insert or connect one hardware device that was previously removed
3. Try booting again.
4. Repeat these steps until the computer no longer boots.

Once the PC doesn't boot again the last hardware device that was connected is the problem and should be replaced or permanently removed.
If you get to this point and your PC still doesn't want to load an operating system then it is time to have a qualified computer technician look at the problem or purchase a new PC. You gave it your best shot but sometimes a fresh set of eyes can see something that may have been missed.

Author : Keith Park
Source : articlecity.com

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PC REPAIR: BYPASS FORGOTTEN BIOS PASSWORD

There are three options to bypass BIOS password. Listing below sorted from simple to complex way to reset your forgotten BIOS password.

1. Omnipotent Password
BIOS from different manufacturer, has their own omnipotent password. Both omnipotent password and password that users set are able to unlock the computer. Try the abbreviation of manufacturer or the character string which formed by the first letter of each word. May be it is the omnipotent password.

AMI BIOS Omnipotent Password list:
AMI
AMI
bios310
AMI!SW
KILLCMOS
A. M. I
589589
SMOSPWD
AMISETUP
ami.kez
BIOS
ammii
AMI_SW
ami?
AMI.KEY
AMI SW
amipswd
amidecod
amiami
PASSWORD
LKWPETER
BIOSPASS
AMIPSWD

Award BIOS Omnipotent Password list:
PASSWORD
HLT
biostar
?award
djonet
AWARD SW
ALFAROME
j09F
1EAAh
g6PJ
AWARD?SW
256256
j256
admin
HELGA-S
AWARE_PW
589721
LKWPETER
ally
HLT
award_ps
Alfarome
ally
award
zjaaadc
AWARD?SW
APAf
j322
award.sw
j64
SWITCHED_SW
1kwpeter
SER
award_?
1kw peter
TTPTHA
awkward
SKY_FOX
zbaaaca
setup
1kwpeter
AWARD_SW
sxyz
syxz
SZYX
biosstar
BIOS
t0ch20x
BIOSTAR
t0ch88
01322222
CONCAT
tzqF
CONCAT
ttptha
589589
CONDO
ZAAADA
Awkward wodj

Other BIOS
Phoenix BIOS: phoenix
Megastar: star
Biostar: Q54arwms
Micron: sldkj754xyzall
Compag: compag
Micronies: dn 04rie
Concord:last
Nimble: xdfk9874t3
CTX International: CTX_123
Packard Bell: bell9
CyberMax: congress
QDI: QDI
Daewoo: Daewuu
Quantex: texl xljlbj
Daytek: Daytec
Research: Co12ogro2
Dell: Dell
Shuttle: spacve
Digital Equipment: komprie
Siements Nixdorf: SKY_FOX
Enox: central
SpeedEasy: lesarotl
Freetech: Posterie
SuperMicro: ksdjfg934t
HP Vectra:hewlpack
Tinys:tiny
IBM: IBM MBIUO sertafu
TMC: BIGO
Iwill: iwill
Toshiba: 24Banc81 Toshiba toshy99
JetWay: spooml
Vextrec Technology: vextrex
Joss Technology: 57gbz6technolgi
Vobis: merlin
M Technology: mMmM
WIMBIOSnbsp BIOS v2.10: complert
MachSpeed: sp99dd
Zenith: 3098z Zenith
Magic-pro: prost
ZEOS: zeosx

2. Discharge by Software
CMOS ROM can be discharged by software way. Then help you to solve the password problem. Follow these method, use the prompt “DEBUG”, all things to be easy.

Clear Award Password
C: \>DEBUG

- o 70 34
- o 71 34
- q
or
- o 70 11
- o 71 ff
- q

Clear AMI Bios Password
C: \>DEBUG
- o 70 16
- o 71 16
- q
or
- o 70 10
- o 71 0
- q

Note: the setup of CMOS BIOS will be erased during the discharge, so the computer is able to running until you reset it. If it is COMPAQ computer, you’d better get a floppy disk which save CMOS program first, then do the discharge, or else it is easy to discharge but hard to recover.

3. Hardware Jumper Discharge to CMOS BIOS
All the computers could discharge to CMOS BIOS by switch or jumper, and clear any prompt (system booting prompt, CMOS setup prompt, key lock prompt). There are examples for the particularity of CMOS of some Original packaging computer:
The discharge of COMPAQ and AST is finished by close/open the switch, but except the state power off, follow these steps:

a. After the external power is turned off, push SW1 and SW1-2 to “on”.
b. External power is turned on. Restart the computer.
c. Wait for 1to 5 minutes, turn off the computer.
d. Push SW1 and SW1-2 to “off”
e. Turn on the computer, enter CMOS setup to reset it.

Most of motherboard discharge to CMOS by jumper, and for the different board, the pin is different. During the discharge, read the user’s guide of motherboard first, if the state of CMOS discharge jumper pin is not included in it, to check that whether there are signs on the motherboard, such as “Exit Batter”, “Clean CMOS”, “CMOS ROM Reset”. If you find these sign, connect the pin of switch, or else, remove the battery.

Related Topics :

• Phoenix BIOS Beep Code
• Detecting PC Hardware Failure by Its Beep Code

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COMPLETE AUDIO AND VIDEO CONVERT FOR IPOD, PSP, PS3, XBOX AND OTHERS

Internet movie streaming format nowadays commonly use FLV format as provided in youtube.com and other broadcasting sites. Because of the format was in FLV the video can be played only on computer. But there is a way share and retouch it with your creativity. ImTOO MPEG Encoder Platinum is powerful video and audio file converter, which can convert video or audio from one format to another, like convert WMV to AVI, as well as video to audio and picture. It supports video formats like AVI, WMV, MP4, ASF, MPEG, RM, 3GP, audio formats like MP2, MP3, WMA, AAC, AC3, OGG, AU, and picture formats like JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP.

Key Functions

1. Video Converter - Convert between video formats ImTOO Video Converter Platinum, powerful video file converter, can convert most popular video formats such as WMV, AVI, MPEG, MP4, DivX, MPEG-4 AVC, RM, MOV, XviD, 3GP, FLV;
2. Audio Converter - Convert audio and video to audio formats. This WMV converter can also convert audio from video formats as above and other audio formats including MP3, WMA, WAV, RA, M4A, AAC, AC3, OGG, etc.;
3. Video Producer - Make new video from pictures. Creating kinds of video from pictures is supported by this video file converter;

Key Features

1. Support to clip segments from a video file and output them separately or merge them as a whole to output;
2. Merging multiple source files into one to output ensures you a smooth watching.
3. Offer preview the source file and clip segments;
4. Get snapshot in one click when previewing;
5. Provide source file split to several by setting duration or file size;
6. Customize output file size to make them suit digital players With Bitrate Calculator;
7. Set several output formats for one source file to output;
8. Convert Audio CD formats to various audio formats to make it playable on your portable device;
9. Support High-Definition (HD) video encoding/decoding and APE/CUE decoding;
10. To obtain more efficiency, the program can be set to work in background.
11. Offer abundant profiles in category, support advanced settings for you to personalize, and enable you to save and name the profile which you can also rename and delete in future.
    

Click here to download the trial or buy now

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PHOENIX BIOS BEEP CODE

• 1-1-1-3 : Verify Real Mode.
• 1-1-2-3 : Initialize system hardware.
• 1-1-3-2 : Set in POST flag.
• 1-1-4-1 : Initialize cache to initial POST values.
• 1-2-1-1 : Initialize Power Management.
• 1-2-1-3 : Jump to User Patch 0.
• 1-2-2-3 : BIOS ROM checksum.
• 1-2-3-3 : 8237 DMA controller initialization.
• 1-3-1-1 : Test DRAM refresh.
• 1-3-2-1 : Set ES segment to register to 4 GB.
• 1-3-3-3 : Clear 512K base RAM.
• 1-3-4-3 : Test 512K base memory.
• 1-4-2-4 : Reinitialize the chipset.
• 1-4-3-2 : Reinitialize the cache.
• 1-4-4-1 : Configure advanced chipset registers.
• 2-1-1-1 : Set Initial CPU speed.
• 2-1-2-1 : Initialize BIOS interrupts.
• 2-1-2-4 : Initialize manager for PCI Options ROMs.
• 2-1-3-2 : Initialize PCI bus and devices.
• 2-1-4-1 : Shadow video BIOS ROM.
• 2-2-1-1 : Display CPU type and speed.
• 2-2-2-1 : Set key click if enabled.
• 2-2-3-1 : Test for unexpected interrupts.
• 2-2-4-1 : Test RAM between 512 and 640k.
• 2-3-1-3 : Test extended memory address line.
• 2-3-2-3 : Configure advanced cache registers.
• 2-3-3-3 : Display external cache size.
• 2-3-4-3 : Display non-disposable segments.
• 2-4-1-3 : Check for configuration errors.
• 2-4-2-3 : Check for keyboard errors
• 2-4-4-3 : Test coprocessor if present.
• 3-1-1-3 : Detect and install external RS232 ports.
• 3-1-2-3 : Re-initialize onboard 110 ports.
• 3-1-3-3 : Initialize Extended BIOS Data Area.
• 3-2-1-1 : Initialize hard-disk controller.
• 3-2-1-3 : Jump to User Patch 2.
• 3-2-2-3 : Clear huge ES segment register.
• 3-2-3-3 : Shadow option ROMs.
• 1-1-2-1 : Get CPU type.
• 1-1-3-1 : Initialize chipset registers with initial POST values.
• 1-1-3-3 : Initialize CPU registers
• 1-1-4-3 : Initialize I/O.
• 1-2-1-2 : Load alternate registers with initial POST values.
• 1-2-2-1 : Initialize keyboard controller.
• 1-2-3-1 : 8254 timer initialization.
• 1-2-4-1 : Reset Programmable Interrupt Controller.
• 1-3-1-3 : Test 8742 Keyboard Controller.
• 1-3-3-1 : 28 Autosize DRAM.
• 1-3-4-1 : Test 512K base address line.
• 1-4-1-3 : Test CPU bus-clock frequency.
• 1-4-3-1 : Shadow system BIOS ROM.
• 1-4-3-3 : Autosize cache.
• 1-4-4-2 : Load alternate registers with CMOS values.
• 2-1-1-3 : Initialize interrupt vectors.
• 2-1-2-3 : Check ROM copyright notice.
• 2-1-3-1 : Check video configuration against CMOS.
• 2-1-3-3 : Initialize all video adapters in system.
• 2-1-4-3 : Display copyright notice.
• 2-2-1-3 : Test keyboard.
• 2-2-2-3 : 56 Enable keyboard.
• 2-2-3-3 : Display prompt “Press F2 to enter SETUP”.
• 2-3-1-1 : Test expanded memory.
• 2-3-2-1 : Jump to User Patch 1.
• 2-3-3-1 : Enable external and CPU caches.
• 2-3-4-1 : Display shadow message.
• 2-4-1-1 : Display error messages.
• 2-4-2-1 : Test real-time clock.
• 2-4-4-1 : Set up hardware interrupts vectors.
• 3-1-1-1 : Disable onboard I/O ports.
• 3-1-2-1 : Detect and install external parallel ports.
• 3-1-3-1 : Initialize BIOS Data Area.
• 3-1-4-1 : Initialize floppy controller.
• 3-2-1-2 : Initialize local-bus hard-disk Controller
• 3-2-2-1 : Disable A20 address line.
• 3-2-3-1 : Search for option ROMs.
• 3-2-4-1 : Set up Power Management.
• 3-2-4-3 : Enable hardware interrupts.
• 3-3-1-3 : Check key lock.
• 3-3-3-3 : Scan for F2 key stroke.
• 3-3-4-3 : Clear in-POST flag.
• 3-4-1-3 : POST done-prepare to boot operating system.
• 3-4-2-3 : Check password (optional).
• 3-4-4-1 : Clear parity checkers.
• 3-4-4-4 : Check virus and backup reminders.
• 4-2-1-1 : Interrupt handler error.
• 4-2-2-1 : Pending interrupt error.
• 4-2-3-1 : Shutdown error.
• 4-2-4-1 : Shutdown 10 error.
• 4-3-1-4 : Initialize refresh counter.
• 4-3-2-2 : Check HW status of ROM.
• 4-3-2-4 : Do a complete RAM test.
• 4-3-3-2 : Initialize interrupt controller.
• 4-3-3-4 : Initialize all vectors.
• 4-3-4-2 : Initialize the boot device.
• 3-3-1-1 : Set time of day.
• 3-3-3-1 : Erase F2 prompt.
• 3-3-4-1 : Enter SETUP.
• 3-4-1-1 : Check for errors
• 3-4-2-1 : One beep.
• 3-4-3-1 : Clear global descriptor table.
• 3-4-4-3 : Clear screen (optional).
• 4-1-1-1 : Try to boot with INT 19.
• 4-2-1-3 : Unknown interrupt error.
• 4-2-2-3 : Initialize option ROM error.
• 4-2-3-3 : Extended Block Move.
• 4-3-1-3 : Initialize the chipset.
• 4-3-2-1 : Check for Forced Flash.
• 4-3-2-3 : BIOS ROM is OK
• 4-3-3-1 : Do OEM initialization.
• 4-3-3-3 : Read in bootstrap code.
• 4-3-4-1 : Boot the Flash program.
• 4-3-4-3 : Boot code was read OK.

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DETECTING PC HARDWARE FAILURE BY ITS BEEP CODE

AMI BIOS FATAL ERROR BEEP CODES

• 1 beep : DRAM refreshing fails. Try to reset the memory first. If the error still occurs, replace the memory with known good chips.
• 2 beeps : Parity error in first 64K RAM. Try to reset the memory first. If the error still occurs, replace the memory with known good chips.
• 3 beeps : Base 64K RAM failure. Try to reset the memory first. If the error still occurs, replace the memory with known good chips.
• 4 beeps : System timer fails.
• 5 beeps : Process fails.
• 6 beeps : Keyboard controller 8042 - Gate A20 is error. Try to reset the keyboard controller chip. If the error still occurs, replace the keyboard chip. If the error persists, check parts of the system relating to the keyboard, e.g. try another keyboard, check to see if the system has a keyboard fuse.
• 7 beeps : Processor virtual mode exception interrupt error.
• 8 beeps : Display memory read/write failure (non-fatal). Replace the video card or the memory on the video card.
• 9 beeps : ROM BIOS checksum (32KB at F800:0) failed. It is not likely that this error can be corrected by reseating the chips. Consult the motherboard supplier or an AMI product distributor for replacement parts.
• 10 beeps : CMOS shutdown register read/write error.
• 11 beeps : cache memory error.

AMI BIOS NON - FATAL ERROR BEEP CODES

• 2 short : POST failure - one or more of the hardware tests has failed.
• 1 long 2 short : An error was encountered in the video BIOS ROM, or a horizontal retracing failure has been encountered.
• 1 long 3 short : Conventional/extended memory failure.
• 1 long 8 short : Display/retrace test failed.
  

AWARD BIOS BEEP CODES

• 1 short : No error during POST.
• 2 short : Any - non fatal error, enter CMOS setup to reset.
• 1 long 1 short : RAM or motherboard error.
• 1 long 2 short : Video error, cannot initialize screen to display any information.
• 1 long 3 short : Keyboard controller error.
• 1 long 9 short : Flash RAM/EPROM (which on the motherboard) error. (BIOS error)
• Long beep : Memory bank is not plugged well or broken.
  

IBM BIOS BEEP CODES

• No beeps : No power, loose card or short.
• 1 short beep : Normal POST, computer is ok.
• 2 short beep : POST error, review screen for error code.
• Continuous beep : No power, loose card or short.
• Repeating short beep : No power, loose card or short.
• 1 long and 1 short beep : Motherboard issue.
• 1 long and 2 short beeps : Video (mono/CGA display circuitry) issue.
• 1 long and 3 short beeps : Video (EGA) display circuitry.
• 3 long beeps : Keyboard/keyboard card error.
• 1 beep, black or incorrect display : Video display circuitry.

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