Troubleshooting and Maintenance Guide
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Table of Contents Maintenance............................................................................................1 Creating Data Backup Discs .................................................................................... 1 Creating System Recovery Discs ............................................................................... 1 Removing Unused Programs..................................................................................... 1 Running the Disk Cleanup Program.................
Repairing Software Problems ................................................................21 Software Repair Overview.....................................................................................21 Restarting Your Computer ...................................................................................... 22 Turning Off Your Computer....................................................................................22 Updating Drivers .............................................................
Maintenance This section includes information about tasks you can perform to help ensure the troublefree operation of your computer, and to ease the recovery of important information on your computer should problems arise in the future. Creating Data Backup Discs You can use the CD or DVD burning software included on your computer to create backup discs of important information including personal files, e-mail messages, and Web site bookmarks.
Running the Disk Cleanup Program The Disk Cleanup program frees up space on your hard disk drive by removing temporary and unused files (including Temporary Internet Files and files in the Recycle Bin). You can run Disk Cleanup manually, or you can set it up to run automatically. Running Disk Cleanup manually 1 Click the Windows Start Button, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup. Disk Cleanup searches for files to delete and calculates how much disk space can be saved.
Running the Disk Defragmenter Program When Microsoft® Windows Vista™ stores files on your hard disk drive, it often divides them into multiple pieces (or fragments) so they fit into available space on the drive. When you attempt to open a fragmented file, it must be retrieved from more than one place, so the process takes more time. The Disk Defragmenter program groups the fragmented files together on your hard disk drive to improve computer performance.
Checking for Hard Disk Drive Errors Perform the following procedure to check the integrity of the hard disk drive in Windows Vista. Close all open programs before beginning the disk check. 1 Click the Windows Start Button, and then click Computer. 2 In the window that opens, right-click the hard disk drive that you want to check, and click Properties. 3 In the Properties window, click the Tools tab. 4 Under Error-checking, click Check Now.
Recommended Maintenance Schedule Daily Weekly Monthly Quarterly (seasonally) Manage e-mail Protect against viruses, adware, and spyware Use Windows Update Set new passwords Delete e-mail from unknown sources. Do not open untrusted attachments. Organize e-mail. Update definition files or schedule a weekly automatic update. Run a full virus, adware, and spyware scan or schedule a weekly automatic scan. Optimize performance Run Disk Cleanup.
Recommended Maintenance Schedule (continued) Daily Weekly Monthly Clean up Web browser files Clean up the desktop Delete cookies. Delete cache. Delete history files. Empty the Recycle Bin 6 This, and other cleanup tasks, can be performed with the Disk Cleanup program. (See “Running the Disk Cleanup Program” on page 2.) Delete or uninstall unneeded icons and applications. (See “Removing Unused Programs” on page 1.) Maintain overall condition Check cleanliness.
Troubleshooting Computer Problems This section contains a series of tables that describe possible solutions to problems that may occur when using your computer. Each table contains: Symptoms that describe the sign or warning message for the type of problem. Possible solutions that describe what you should do to try to solve the problem.
Audio Symptom Possible solution No sound is produced. Press the Mute button on the keyboard to see if the Mute feature is turned on. Or 1 Click the Windows Start Button, and then click Control Panel. 2 Click Hardware and Sound, and then Adjust system volume. 3 If applications are muted, click the mute button to unmute. Click the task bar Volume icon ( the volume. ), or use the keyboard controls to increase Ensure powered (active) speakers are turned on.
CD and DVD Drives Symptom Possible solution The CD or DVD drive cannot read a disc or takes too long to start. Ensure the disc is inserted with the label facing up and centered in the tray. Wait at least 30 seconds to let the drive determine the type of media. Clean the disc with a disc cleaning kit, available from most computer stores. The driver may be corrupted or outdated. Refer to “Updating Drivers” on page 22 for detailed information about restoring and updating drivers.
CD and DVD Drives (continued) Symptom Possible solution I cannot create (burn) a disc. (continued) Make sure you have enough space available on your hard disk drive to store a temporary copy of the content. Click the Windows Start Button, then Computer. Right-click on the hard disk drive and select Properties to view the space available. If you are on a network, copy the files from a network drive to your hard disk drive first, and then record them to disc.
Video (continued) Symptom Possible solution Error message: Files Needed To Display Video Are Missing or Corrupt. 1 Click the Windows Start Button, right-click Computer, and then select Properties. 2 Under Tasks, click Device Manager. 3 Click the plus sign (+) next to Sound, video and game controllers. 4 Right-click TV tuner (select models only) and then select Update Driver Software. 5 Select Search automatically for updated driver software. 6 Follow the instructions to update the driver.
Hard Disk Drive Symptom Possible solution Computer seems to be locked up and not responding. Use the Windows Task Manager to close any programs not responding or restart the computer: 1 Press the Ctrl key, the Alt key, and the Delete key on the keyboard at the same time. 2 Click Start Task Manager. 3 Select the program that is not responding, and click End Task. Or If closing programs does not work, restart the computer: Hard disk drive error message displays.
Hardware Installation (continued) Symptom Possible solution A new device is not recognized as part of the system. (continued) Restart the computer, and follow the instructions for accepting the changes. Deselect the automatic settings in the operating system for the card, and choose a basic configuration that doesn’t cause a resource conflict. You can also reconfigure or disable devices to resolve the resource conflict. A new device does not work.
Internet Access Symptom Possible solution I cannot connect to the Internet. Verify Internet settings, or contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) for assistance. Verify that you are using the proper cables for your Internet connection type. Your computer may have a modem and an Ethernet network adapter (also called a network interface card, or NIC). A modem uses a standard telephone cable to make a dial-up connection. A NIC uses a network cable to connect to a local area network (LAN).
Internet Access (continued) Symptom Possible solution My Internet browser home page changed to something I did not want. You may have spyware on your computer. Spyware is software that usually runs silently in the background on your computer, collecting and sending information about you and your use of the computer to another person or system on the Internet.
Keyboard and Mouse Symptom Possible solution Keyboard commands and typing are not recognized by the computer. Turn off the computer by using the mouse, reconnect the keyboard to the back of your computer, and then turn on your computer. Keyboard Print button does not work. Use the Print menu item in the program (usually located on the File menu). Wireless keyboard does not work or is not detected. Wireless mouse does not work or is not detected. Cursor does not respond to mouse movement.
Keyboard and Mouse (continued) Symptom Possible solution Cursor moves only vertically or horizontally (or does not move smoothly on the screen). Remove the rollerball cover from bottom of mouse (rotate it counter-clockwise), remove the ball, and clean it with a damp, lint-free cloth (not paper). Also clean the rollers on which the ball moves. Mouse does not work or is not detected. Unplug and reconnect the mouse cable to your computer. Optical mouse does not track cursor well.
Power (continued) Symptom Possible solution Computer will not turn on or start. (continued) Incompatible memory (RAM) may have been installed. Reinstall the old memory to return your computer to its original state. Refer to the Upgrading and Servicing Guide for instructions. Reseat the hard disk drive’s data and power cables. See the Upgrading and Servicing Guide for instructions. Invalid system disk or Non-System disk or disk error message displays.
Performance (continued) Symptom Possible solution Applications and files take longer to open or respond. (continued) Run the Disk Defragmenter program to group fragmented files together on your hard disk drive and improve performance. This does not affect the location of files and folders on your computer. NOTE: The Disk Defragmenter program may take a long time to complete. It is a good idea to run it overnight. To run the Disk Defragmenter program: 1 Save your work and close all other programs.
Miscellaneous Symptom Possible solution Insufficient memory message displays. Close all open programs, and then try the desired task again, or restart your computer (click the Windows Start Button, click the Arrow button next to the Lock button, and then click Restart). If the message displays again, consider purchasing and installing additional memory. Remote sensor is not receiving a signal from the remote control (select models only).
Repairing Software Problems Your computer uses the operating system and installed software programs during normal operation. If your computer works improperly or stops because of the software, you may be able to repair it. Some software repairs are as simple as restarting your computer, and others require performing a System Recovery from files on your hard disk drive. NOTE: It is important that you perform the computer repair methods in the order described in this document.
Restarting Your Computer Restarting is the simplest repair method for your computer. When you restart, the computer reloads the operating system and software into its memory. To restart your computer: 1 Close all open programs and windows. 2 Click the Windows Start Button. 3 Click the Arrow button next to the Lock button, and then click Restart.
Microsoft System Restore Microsoft Windows Vista includes a feature that allows you to restore your computer configuration to that of a previous time when a current software problem did not exist. The feature does this by creating a restore point where it records the computer settings at that time and date. When a new program is installed the operating system automatically creates a restore point before it adds the new software. You can also set them manually.
Software Program and Hardware Driver Reinstallation If an individual factory-installed software program or hardware driver is damaged, you can reinstall the software program or hardware driver using the Recovery Manager program. (Select models only). NOTE: To ensure your computer includes the program, perform steps 3 through 5 of the following procedure. If the Recovery Manager program is listed in the PC Help & Tools folder, your computer includes the program.
System Recovery After you have tried the previously mentioned methods of repairing your computer, you can run a System Recovery as a last resort to reinstall the factory-shipped operating system, software programs, and hardware drivers. System Recovery — Completely erases and reformats the hard disk drive — this includes deleting all data files you have created. System Recovery reinstalls the operating system, programs, and drivers.
Choosing Recovery Disc Media There are several advantages to using DVDs instead of CDs when creating recovery discs: DVDs have greater capacity than CDs, so there are fewer discs to record and store. DVD recovery discs take less time to create than CD recovery discs. To create recovery discs, your computer must have a CD or DVD writer drive, or other drive that can write to CDs or DVDs. The number of discs in the recovery disc set depends on your computer model.
System Recovery Options System Recovery should be attempted in the following order: Through the Windows Vista Start menu. By pressing the F11 key on the keyboard during startup. Through recovery discs that you create. Through recovery discs purchased from HP Support. To purchase recovery discs, go to http://www.hp.com/support and visit the Software & Driver downloads page for your computer model.
Starting System Recovery from system startup 1 Turn off the computer. If necessary, press and hold the On button until the computer turns off. 2 Remove the HP Personal Media Drive if your computer includes one. Disconnect all peripheral devices from the computer except the monitor, the keyboard, and the mouse. 3 Press the On button to turn on the computer.
7 The computer starts the recovery from the recovery disc. Follow the onscreen instructions when they are displayed. NOTE: System Recovery option deletes any data or programs that you created or installed after purchase. Be sure to back up any data that you want to keep onto a removable disc. 8 Insert the next disc if prompted. 9 When the Recovery Manager finishes, remove the last disc. 10 Click Finish to restart the computer. 11 After the computer restarts, a series of startup screens appears.
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