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Helpdesk
Ron has worked professionally in the field of electronics for over a decade and has been using and upgrading PCs since the early days of DOS
“My PC’s left me in the dark” How do you solve a problem without a visual prompt? Call PCAnswers! The problem Ron Rooney asks… “Can the PCAnswers team fi x my new PC? I’ve bought all the parts and put it together, but I can’t even get to the BIOS screen. The computer is receiving power, but I can’t get a signal through to my monitor.”
30 September 2009
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rror codes thrown up by your PC can be confusing, even irritating at times. However, when faced with a total system failure with no audio or visual indication of what’s at fault, it’s hard to know where to start looking for the solution. PCAnswers reader Ron Rooney is pretty au fait with the world of PCs, but even an experienced computer user can run into a brick wall. So it was the case with a new machine that he had built himself: it wasn’t working and he didn’t know why. To make matters worse his particular motherboard lacked onboard sound and any system beep facility, as did his desktop case. Translating BIOS beeps was therefore out of the question, so we were aware that we would have to get our hands dirty to solve this silent hardware enigma.
When we arrived we were pleased to see that Ron had prepared a test space for us. This was handy because we knew any solution we found would be based on trial and error, and we needed a clear area to swap components around easily.
Duplicate purchases Ron had purchased the parts for a full system from various online retailers. He subsequently bought a further two Intel dual-core CPUs and an identical motherboard once his startup problem became apparent. These particular parts were purchased from eBuyer and eBay. Our initial concern was with the power unit or graphics card, because the motherboard and
“Translating BIOS beeps was out of the question – we’d have to get our hands dirty to find a solution”
PCAnswers
Help me fix…
Always check for loose chips or components – they could lead to a massive hardware failure
processor had already been changed by Ron and the chances of getting two or more faulty components were very unlikely. To get us up to speed we tried booting up the PC. The motherboard lights flickered as normal and the CPU and graphics card fans started to do their work. However, no BIOS screen could be seen. The motherboard or processor headed our list of suspect kit, which rather unhelpfully also featured most of the other PC components! Before we continued, it made sense to check that the monitor or VGA cable weren’t at fault. We configured the laptop to treat the monitor as a separate display, and it worked perfectly. Ron’s monitor was duly removed from the list. We then focused our attention on the PC itself. The graphics card was removed in case this was at fault, but this made no noticeable difference. We then confirmed that the PSU was working through the use of a power supply unit tester.
Elimination process We now knew that we were close to identifying the problem. By eliminating the monitor, video card and power unit from the equation we were left with two possibilities: the motherboard or the processor. It was unlikely that the CPU was stopping the motherboard from booting up, but for the sake of completeness we tested this theory with one of Ron’s spare chips. As expected, replacing the processor didn’t help.
Scott replaces the processor with another one in an attempt to find the answer by a process of elimination
By replacing the troublesome motherboard Ron can finally finish assembling his dream PC
NEED OUR HEL P? If you’d like a PCAns
expert to v isit
wers
y So, by a process of elimination we help you w our home and it h a computin were certain it was the motherboard problem, ju g s t d ro p us a line that was causing the startup pcanswe a t rs@futur problem. This, despite the lights, fans enet. co.uk and and general noises generated by the we’ll do the rest! board. The second identical motherboard also appeared to be at fault. Ron rebuilt his PC using a third, different motherboard that he’d ordered, which arrived that very morning. It started up first time. Trial and error It was unclear whether a manufacturing fault or unscrupulous hardware checklist eBay sellers were behind the two Remove non-essent motherboards’ errors. It’s always a ial components good idea to test any item that you Check that the proble purchase on eBay or other online m isn’t with your monit shops as soon as you receive them, or Ensure all componen to avoid complications in the ts are seated and that th returns/refund process. e graphics card is worki ng A lack of visual or audio prompts Assess your power su undoubtedly makes the problempply wi th a PSU tester solving process trickier, but it Replace the processo shouldn’t stop you from finding r if you have another a solution. Decide on a sensible one spare troubleshooting plan, set aside If is else fails, change some space and a couple of the motherboard hours, then roll up your sleeves and get going! ■
Contact with your PC problems: email pcanswers@futurenet.co.uk today! Sendusyour questions to pca.experts@ PCAnswers
September 2009
31
Share photos, music and data
Make your files available to friends and family
It’s easy to share your favourite photos and videos online with your friends and family. Paul Townsend explains all
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still, there’s no complicated hardware raditionally, photo collections involved. All you need to start sharing is your have remained out of sight, broadband connection and, of course, some tucked away in albums or special moments you’d like others to see. stuffed away in old shoe boxes at the back of the wardrobe. Not much has changed with the arrival of digital Sharing is simple cameras. Now it’s all too easy to It’s not just photos, either: let the photos remain on your sharing video clips is just as camera’s memory card or hard easy. Over the next few disk without letting them see pages we’ll look at the the light of day. different ways in which Why not order glossy prints of It’s time to change all that. you can share your files. your photos? In Vista you can do this from within Windows You probably have countless Whether it’s sending them Photo Gallery. Select some photos that your nearest and as email attachments or photos then click Print > dearest would love to see. sharing them online via a Order Prints. Do the same in XP using Picture Sharing photos over the internet web page, we’ll tell you all Tasks. is the easiest way to make them you need to know. accessible to all your friends and family. If privacy is a concern, don’t let Whether they’re just down the road or on this put you off sharing your photos and the other side of the world, there are a videos. We’ll advise on the best ways to number of methods you can use to share ensure only your closest contacts are able to your photos. It’s simple to do and better see anything that you decide to share.
HOT TIP!
Contents
Photo prints
Network your PCs to access any file..... P45 Let friends and family see your photos........ P46 Make video-sharing hassle-free....................P48 Use FTP to swap large documents.......P50
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1
Troubleshoot
If you’re having problems connecting to the Internet click “Diagnose and Repair”. This will launch Windows Diagnostics which will either fix the problem or advise on a possible cause
5
Share photos, music and data
Make your files available to friends and family 2
Visualise your network
The Network and Sharing Center Provides you with a graphical overview of your network. It can even indicate when there’s a connection problem between two devices
Create a network
Setting up a network from scratch can be a daunting task. Click “Set up a connection or network” to access the setup wizard.
3
Share your media
To stream media between your PC and other devices on your network make sure that media sharing is set to On. You can then set up media sharing in Windows Media Player.
4
Limit network access
If you want to restrict network access to your files turn on password protection. This means that only people who have a user account and password on the PC can access the files.
HOT TIP!
Share any file or folder There’s a simple way of sharing files between the PCs
I
f you own more than one PC and they’re are connected to the same router it’s easy to share files between them. For the inexperienced user the Network and Sharing Center in Windows Vista will help simplify the process. There’s an option that enables you to create a network from scratch. A setup wizard takes you through the process of getting your network up and running. Once done you’ll be able to share any file. You’ll also be able to use the Network and Sharing Center to monitor your
wireless network connections and troubleshoot any problems.
Selective sharing You can also choose which aspects of information can be shared: passwordprotected sharing ensures data remains private. It’s also possible to stream media stored on your PC such as music and videos to another computer on your network. Think of this as a bit like giving someone else access to your media library. They can select the music they’d like to listen to or the videos they’d like to watch. The
Quick update You can see at a glance the items that you’re sharing on your network by going to the Network and Sharing Center and selecting “Show me all the files and folders I am sharing”.
other person then watches and listens while the media is played from your PC. You can decide whether or not you want to allow this to take place by changing the setting from within the Network and Sharing Center. What’s useful about the Network and Sharing Center is that it can provide you with a graphical representation of your network. It takes into account all the devices that are attached to your PC including your Internet connection and provides you with a full visual map.
PCAnswers
September 2009
45
Posting, replying and messaging It’s advisable to consider who you need to see your message when deciding what kind of post to use and when WRITING POST 1 This post being written is
a reply to the question posed below. It starts with the username preceded by an @ sign, which ensure twitter treats it as a reply.
TWEET BOX 2 This is where you
enter the text you want to send to Twitter. The number shows you how many characters you have left.
UPDATE/REPLY 3 This button sends your
message. When you’re not writing a reply, it’s marked as Update instead.
4 FAVOURITE OR REPLY
UPDATE 6 This is an update
VISIBILITY 5 By default replies
message that doesn’t start with another username. All your followers should see this.
like this are seen by you, the person who sent it and anyone who’s following both of you.
The star icon enables you to mark this tweet as a favourite so you can easily find it later. The arrow starts a reply above by entering the @ sign and username for you.
HOT TIP!
World audience
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witter is made up of a continual stream of 140 character messages. The vast majority of these are publicly available, but that doesn’t mean that everyone will see them. When you post a message (or tweet) to the network it’s in the public arena, but only the people who are following you will see it in their timelines. In turn, you’ll see all the messages that the people who you follow post. All? Well, not quite. A Direct Message (DM) is a private communications between two parties on Twitter. Don’t assume that they’re secure, but they
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PCAnswers
aren’t easy to access for anyone else. Replies are open messages addressed to particular users. These show up in their main time stream and also in their lists of mentions, which display all messages that include their usernames. Replies by someone that you’re following to someone you’re not following don’t show in your timeline by default. You can find them by examining the user’s profile or by searching.
Types of tweet There are three main kinds of tweet: an update, which appears to everyone following you; a reply that appears to
Remember all messages are public, including replies. They can all be found using search. Don’t say anything in a tweet that you’re not happy for the whole world to know.
the addressee and anyone who’s following both of you; and a direct message which is only seen by the recipient. When you enter a message in Twitter it’s treated as an update unless it starts with a username preceded by an @ sign or a letter D. @username is treated as a reply, while D username is treated as a direct message. There’s also Retweet (RT), which is a way of propagating a tweet that you find interesting to your followers.
Get up-to-the-minute news
Twitter etiquette
It’s crucial to mind your Ps and Qs when using Twitter
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witter doesn’t come with hard and fast rules, but you want to avoid irritating other users where possible. Etiquette in any situation comes down to a matter of taste to some extent, but it also helps to bear in mind other people’s feelings and remember to use some manners. If someone gives you some advice or help then remember to thank him or her. Give credit where
it’s due and bear in mind that other people see your tweets. Try to respect that you are communicating in a public arena, don’t dominate proceedings and use tact and diplomacy where necessary. Imagine that you’re at a group gathering and behave in a manner that won’t show you up. Using the internet can instil a feeling of superiority and anonymity – neither will do when using Twitter.
HOT TIP! Correction!
If you make an error in a message, go to your Twitter profile page, select the tweet and click the little bin icon to delete it. Now enter the tweet again with the correction you want to make.
Have a profile picture and bio
Tweet too frequently
People like to see who they’re talking to. The best way to do this is by uploading a portrait photo and describing yourself in your short bio. If you’re unhappy with sharing a picture of yourself, choose something that gives an indication of your interests – a keen gardener might use a photo of some vegetables.
✔
There’s no hard and fast rule as to how frequently is too frequently, but if you look at your timeline and your messages are showing up more often than everyone else’s, you’ve probably got the balance wrong. Users who take the question “What are you doing?” too literally can be very tiresome.
Engage with others
Use txt spk unnecessarily
The whole point of a social network is to get to know others and to make new friends. If someone you’re following poses a question, post a response. Ask questions of your own and interact with other people. Imagine that you’re at a party and chat to anyone you like.
✔
When you’re limited to 140 characters it can be very tempting to abbreviate words to fit everything in. The occasional necessary abbreviation is fine, but routinely adopting text speak can irritate your followers. Remember a tweet has a much wider audience than a text message.
Retweet messages you like
Justify unfollowing someone
If you like someone else’s tweet, forward it on to your followers. This is called retweeting and it shows people the sort of posts you like and improves the reputation of the person you retweeted. Most Twitter clients have a retweet button, but on the web you’ll need to copy and paste the tweet manually.
✔
Some people genuinely want to know why they’ve lost a follower, but in most cases you’ll upset the user concerned. If their posts aren’t your cup of tea or if they have a different approach to Twitter etiquette to you then simply and quietly unfollow them.
Recommend people you like
Spam your followers
If you recommend other users that you like, you’ll help to improve their reputations and your own as well. If you consistently recommend high-quality users, other people will learn to value your judgement and then pay more attention to your postings and perhaps even recommend you, too.
There’s a fine line between recommending stuff that you think other people will like and spamming. Most users are happy to hear about your new blog post or website update. However, repeated postings of a commercial nature or hawking schemes to increase your follower count will turn people off.
✔
✘ ✘ ✘ ✘
PCAnswers
September 2009
57
Learn how to… Use virtual desktops
Organise your PC
by running virtual desktops
Microsoft’s Desktops 1.0 makes it possible to run up to four “clones” of Vista. Here’s why you should…
How long will it take? Three minutes What do I need? Windows Vista, Desktops 1.0
What will I learn? ✔ Running virtual desktops ✔ Switching between them ✔ Customising your desktops
Mac and Linux users have had virtual desktop software for years, and it’s been notable in its absence from the PC. The Your guide software enables you Scott to set up more, “fresh” Ewart Operating Systems on your PC, and it’s a incredibly useful and productive way of working. One of the main reasons to use a virtual desktop is that it increases your screen real-estate. As we use our PCs for more and more tasks we often find that our Vista Task bar becomes filled up with programs. Virtual desktops enable you to switch between entire OSes as you would between programs. It's a real boon if you're running a netbook or a small monitor on your home PC, where applications fi ght for
screen space. It can also be used to diagnose problems: if a certain program keeps crashing, you can run it in a virtual desktop to prevent it shutting down your whole PC.
Download Desktops 1.0
There are swathes of freeware programs that enable virtual desktops, but one of the best is Microsoft’s own Desktops 1.0 (http://tinyurl. com/5fywm3). This tiny program sits in the notification area of your Task bar, and makes it possible run up to four virtual Vista desktops. Desktops 1.0 is not quite as comprehensive as other virtual desktop software, but its beauty lies in it simplicity. If you like your desktop to be clean and free of clutter, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. ■
STEP-BY-STEP Furnish your PC with multiple desktops
1
Download Desktops
Desktops 1.0 doesn’t install on your PC, so it’s worth copying it to a memorable folder, or the desktop, and running it from there. When it’s running, it will show up as a four-square grid in Vista’s notification area, next to the clock.
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2
Virtual Vista
To add a desktop, click the Desktops 1.0 icon and click in one of the blank areas labelled “Press to create Desktop”. This will create a new desktop with no programs running. To add more, click in the other blank squares.
Learn how to… Use virtual desktops
EXPERT ADVICE Desktops via your browser Use virtual desktops when you’re out and about
As we've seen, Desktops 1.0 is an incredibly handy piece of software and thanks to the way that it works and its tiny size, you can run it directly from your browser. This is useful if you’re away from your home computer: at work, or an internet café, for example. Simply open Internet Explorer and enter live.sysinternals.com/ desktops.exe in the address bar, then click Run. It will download and run the file automatically, and you’ll be able to create new desktops to your heart’s content. It's worth bearing in mind that Desktops will no longer be installed if you log out or restart the PC.
3
Define hotkeys
Enter this URL in Internet Explorer for virtual desktops on-the-go
4
Switching desktops
Switching between desktops is achieved by holding [Alt] followed by a number key (1-4). Right-clicking the Desktops 1.0 icon and choosing Options enables you to alter those combinations.
If your hotkeys don’t always work for switching between desktops, minimise all your programs (Hold down the Windows key and [M]) and try again, or left-click the Desktops icon and select the relevant panel.
5
6
Run automatically
Desktops 1.0 won’t run unless you tell it to, but if you’re finding its functionality useful you can set it to run whenever you boot up Windows. To do this, right-click the icon and choose Options > Run automatically at logon.
Turn it off
Due to the way Desktops 1.0 runs, it can’t be exited like a normal program. To stop it running, log off your PC, then log back in again. But make sure you save all your work before doing this!
PCAnswers
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