Tag: troubleshooting

Understanding Jumper Cable Settings

If you get the chance to view your motherboard, most probably you would see a complicated setup as to how the backbone of a PC would work. Just imagine one malfunctioning chip and the impact it can have on the whole hardware you have. It takes one simple chip or diode to wreck all of it.

The question of identifying which one it may be is a blackhole. Some technicians may be able to trace it but in most cases, such a scenario would lead to changing the whole motherboard to avoid the trouble. So what are the instances wherein you would consider replacing your motherboard rather than wait and have it repaired?

1. Don’t fool around with the jumper cables.
There are certain settings that jumpers in your motherboard have been programmed for. Some may point towards reading the right memory chips while others pertain to the overall health of you PC as far as plug and play features are concerned. There are some of us who see technicians tinker around with them but in reality, it may not be a wise one if you do not know what you are doing. Avoid being a professional technician if you don’t know the effects that such would have on your PC.

2. Avoid spilling liquids on motherboards.
Such is a similar thing in mobile phones. Ever wonder why some phones get busted after they are accidentally dropped with a single drop of water? The same holds for a PC motherboard. Just provide that extra understanding that you motherboard must be free from such inconsistencies and you will have less things to worry about.

Remember the Traditional Eraser for Modules?

Let us travel back in time when the first Pentium was introduced in the market. Most of you may not be familiar with it but during those days, the Pentium I reigned supreme. Among their competitors were the 396 and 486 processors. I think there was even a 586!

One thing you will note though is that during these times, improvising was the measure of how effective a PC user or technician was. Trying to avoid replacing parts and discovering the tricks of malfunctioning computer parts was the craze back then and it took the help of only one simple item; a pencil eraser.

Yup, that reddish orange tip you see at the end was a very useful tool in making things work. It was recurring though. For example, a memory chip back then could be put to work by simply using the eraser to clean the teeth of the said chip. This even worked for video cards. While we are all past that, today, it does still work.

It cannot be discounted that slots would sometimes gather dust and for sure have a difficult time reading the chips to function properly. But look back again and try this trick out and you can have one last chance to see if the chip or part is indeed damaged and due for replacement.

At least, you have a last option to check if that chip can still be used or not. Rather than quickly buying a new one, at least you save on cost until the time comes it is not longer functional.

Got a PC Problem? Find it Online

Aside from PC Extreme, there are a lot of sites you can check out online for PC repair tips. It can range from hardware to software and will entirely depend on what anyone who has problems with a PC is concerned.

The tips you can get on the web do not usually have to be professional in nature. In fact, the simpler terms used towards guiding people who need to repair their PC is better. Not all people are technically versed on PC terms and making it simple, using synonyms that makes it generally easy to understand will surely be more appreciated for novice PC repair specialists who want to avoid having a technician do it for them and pay professional fees in the process.

Such a recourse is not a cheapskate person. It is something like learning what you can to understand your PC better and avoid these mistakes in the process. The only way to learn in the world of technology is through hands on. Some may call it risky but the fact is that as much as possible, if you can try to resolve the matter with your own efforts, then the better.

The learning process is also something to look forward to. We find most issues on the web resolved by simply sharing the steps you made. Besides, if in case you fail to resolve the issue on your own, you can bring it to the standard PC technicians for repairs. But at least you tried and made paying for it as a last recourse.

Being a Step Ahead of the Software Requirements

For most software that you install, there will be the ideal PC requirements provided so you can be assured of optimum performance for programs and games you will install on your PC. At times, varied differences as far as video specifications, memory and processor capacity will be stated. But while many would see the usual minimal requirements, you have to consider the fact on whether these will be sufficient to satisfy the level of performance you are expecting once these software programs are installed.

Based on experience, it would never hurt to be a step ahead. This entails making sure that you are installing the software on hardware that is a bit advanced. For example, if video card requirements are at least 128 MB, why not install a 256 MB video card if the difference is just a couple of bucks? Or perhaps if memory requires at least 256 RAM, why not go double like 512?

Some may call it overkill but they are really some form of making sure that you get best performance from these programs. Remember that if you go for minimal requirements, you will eventually find yourself wanting better performance and hence upgrading these concerned hardware peripherals in the end.

In summary, do not take the minimal system requirements as a measure of competent utilization of programs. They are placed there so that you know that the program will indeed run. But as far as great performance is concerned, do consider the fact that it is not stated anywhere in that part of the software box for you to ponder on as well.