The "How to fix any computer" thread

[RubenX]

 

[Margaretha]

re: The "How to fix any computer" help thread

LOL

Actually, with windows you can just restore your system to an earlier date. It's simple to do and it takes 5 or 10 minutes and it doesn't delete your files. You can get rid of Trojan viruses that way.

 

[WildCat]

re: The "How to fix any computer" help thread

Yeah, we're pretty much screwed any which way.

 

[sencha]

re: The "How to fix any computer" help thread

While problems with Linux are sometimes (very) difficult, at least it's possible in almost all cases provided you know how to code. In closed-source operating systems such as Windows and Mac OS X, some bugs are just impossible to fix without the help of the respective corporations. My entire family uses Linux since I'm the only tech support they have. I've been able to fix or at least find workarounds for almost every issue they've had. I'm not a genius though, and sometimes problems are beyond my expertise. Once it's set up, the issues are minimal in my opinion.

 

[2010Dolby]

re: The "How to fix any computer" help thread



Reminded me of this.

How to fix any Ford

 

[Dragon's Tooth]

re: The "How to fix any computer" help thread

if you have an actual windows disk you can also repair your installation of windows from that. Or store all your important files on a separate hard drive.

Usually I just make husband do it because I have a love hate relationship with computers. A handy husband does come in handy for any computer errors lol

 

[SirMaverick]

re: The "How to fix any computer" help thread

As the owner of a Computer Repair business, I must chime in on this. Y'all have it all wrong. It's even easier than that.


Step 1: Get a sledge hammer

Step 2: go buy a new computer

 

[kimical]

re: The "How to fix any computer" help thread

Or you can do the same as windows and format it with the linux disc.

 

[pacman]

re: The "How to fix any computer" help thread

While problems with Linux are sometimes (very) difficult, at least it's possible in almost all cases provided you know how to code. In closed-source operating systems such as Windows and Mac OS X, some bugs are just impossible to fix without the help of the respective corporations. My entire family uses Linux since I'm the only tech support they have. I've been able to fix or at least find workarounds for almost every issue they've had. I'm not a genius though, and sometimes problems are beyond my expertise. Once it's set up, the issues are minimal in my opinion.

Pretty much this. I've never really had a problem in gnu/linux that was unfixable. Some required work, but there is always a solution. Of course, the vast majority of problems I've had were from me making my own customizations to things or me breaking stuff on purpose. I actually don't remember having many problems since I switched to Arch/Parabola GNU/Linux.

 

[pjcnet]

re: The "How to fix any computer" help thread

For Windows PCs:

That's what you do when you haven't got the technical expertise to fix the computer properly and it will only work for software faults and not hardware related problems.

Rebooting Windows will often clear a problem, but you'll usually never really know what caused it and it may well happen again, if intermittent problems or triggered problems aren't ever addressed like this when they happen they can build up until you're more often getting errors and problems. Also often if you know what you're doing you can fix a particular fault in a few minutes when some people will be reformatting their hard drive and bad technical support will also often tell you to do this. As an absolute last resort I will reformat and reinstall Windows, plus I will ensure I can back-up any data first (or I won't actually reformat at all - instead I'll move the files I want to a safe place while deleting the rest of the directories before reinstalling Windows).

 

[Warwick C]

re: The "How to fix any computer" help thread

I am not sure if this the right place I have a computer that will not read the hard drive.
I can start it with a reboot disc, but it can not read the hard drive.
Does anyone have any ideas on how I can get that computer going again.
The operating software is Windows 7

Any help would be appreciated

Thanks

Warwick

 

[Judge]

re: The "How to fix any computer" help thread

I am not sure if this the right place I have a computer that will not read the hard drive.
I can start it with a reboot disc, but it can not read the hard drive.
Does anyone have any ideas on how I can get that computer going again.
The operating software is Windows 7

Any help would be appreciated

Thanks

Warwick

Assuming your hard drive's SATA and power connectors aren't loose, I'd use Microsoft's directions on booting with the Windows 7 installation disk to try accessing the system recovery tools. Or use safe mode with command prompt using "chkdsk c:" at the prompt to try to fix recoverable drive errors.

Advanced startup options (including safe mode)

Of course if any of these remedies appear to work allowing proper bootup again, just be mindful that in all likelihood if you have bad sectors on your disk, it will only get worse. That your operating system and bios is telling you the drive is dying a slow death. At such a point it's best to migrate all data to another brand new drive.

Note this may not properly or completely address the issue if the problem has anything to do with a virus or malware.

 

[Warwick C]

re: The "How to fix any computer" help thread

Thanks for the sugestion Judge, I'll look into it again later on.

The last time I tried I was able to open the computer on the recovery disc upto the stage where I was able to try the recovery tools,
but it was was able to read the solid state hard drive. the hard drive only had the operating software on it, so I think that is part of the problem and no installation disc. I had kept everything else backed up on a external hard drive that it can read.

I'll have to swap the cpu around tosee what happens

warwick

 

[Soup]

re: The "How to fix any computer" help thread

A few whacks with a goalie stick is guaranteed to fix any computer's @$$ but good!

 

[Judge]

re: The "How to fix any computer" help thread

Thanks for the sugestion Judge, I'll look into it again later on.

The last time I tried I was able to open the computer on the recovery disc upto the stage where I was able to try the recovery tools,
but it was was able to read the solid state hard drive. the hard drive only had the operating software on it, so I think that is part of the problem and no installation disc. I had kept everything else backed up on a external hard drive that it can read.

I'll have to swap the cpu around tosee what happens

warwick

You might also check to see if your motherboard has a controller driver update for the bios/chipset. Sometimes older drivers can cause the bios to stop reading a drive based on other internal updates Microsoft installs.

 

[apt-get]

re: The

Original post contained some image.

HAHAHA, but in all seriousness, fixing issues on linux is often pretty easy because in the rare (well, for me) cases when they happened, they were all incredibly transparent and easy to solve.

 

[Warwick C]

re: The

When I tried to start the computer, It ran as normal upto DMI Data check. then it would come up with AMD Data change update to DMI.
From that stage I can only boot from a Re boot disc. then it will run upto trying to do a system recovery, which is on the hidden disc.

How would I go about updating the AMD data to DMI, It is some thing I ma not sure about, but may help others.

The other thing that I noticed is that the HDD Drive disc shows no compatibility or disabled.

I am using my other computer which I see as a glorified lap top. 1 GB of Ram and speed, so I would like to get the other one working again.
Then I can have more space for my boat design work.

I have tried to provied as much information to help, to get help.

I was OK until I got a hidden disc problem

I open to some setting one up from my posts for computer help.

Warwick

 

[Judge]

re: The "How to fix any computer" help thread

You might consider resetting the bios by removing the motherboard battery and then reinstalling it. And check the boot device sequence to make sure the proper hard drive is listed to boot first. Of course if you made any custom settings in the bios, you'll have to set them up again.

Here's a website that goes into such things in greater detail...your answer might be found there:

Computer stops at verifying dmi pool data....

 

[umbrellabeach]

re: The "How to fix any computer" help thread

LOL, yes, I had Linux once. It seemed like a good idea until I found out how unnecessarily complicated everything was. I couldn't even install software on its own - I always had to have a bunch of other stuff to go with it, and then either it wouldn't even tell me what I needed or there was some unfixable error during installation. In my opinion it's not worth all that fuss just to be less vulnerable to viruses. I'm not very vulnerable to them anyway.

 

[Warwick C]

Re: The "How to fix any computer" help thread

Thanks Judge, for the link I have just browsed it so far. But now I understand what DMI means.

I just need to sort out the pass word issue on the Bios set up then reset to the default settings.

I now think it may have been part way through an update when shut down.

As long as I learn what happened then I can prevent it next time

Warwick