You will find within these tabs the answers to questions that are frequently asked of me by people concerning there computers, audio visual equipment, and technology in general. Just click on the plus (+) to open that tab and read the answer. If you have questions that are now answered here, please email me a question and I will try and answer it here or in a blog post. Email me at Charles@LeggConsulting.com.
Computer memory can be confusing as there are many different types of memory, but the most common is Random Access Memory or RAM. This memory is where your computer does most of its work. Not having enough of this type of memory will slow down your computer, especially when dealing with large files such as photographs and videos. Having the right amount of memory depends on what types of work you do with your computer and the age of your computer. You can never have too much RAM memory, but the maximum amount of RAM you can install in your computer is dependent on your computer’s motherboard. You can look up the RAM specifications of your computer on line. You need to know the maximum size or RAM, the type of RAM, and if you can install individual strips of memory, or if you need to do it in pairs. This is a little confusing, but you can check online for additional help on what specific RAM your computer uses.
Very basic troubleshooting involves some very simple steps. First, if you are having trouble starting your device, make sure that it is plugged in to a wall outlet. Don’t laugh; many of my repairs have been as simple as plugging the device back into the wall outlet or making sure the power plug in securely pushed into the outlet. The next step is to cold reboot the computer. A cold reboot involves turning the power switch off then on. Another helpful item when troubleshooting is to write down, or take a photo with your camera phone, of any error messages that appear on the screen. These messages can be help to a technician diagnose the problem, especially if the problem is intermittent. Also ask yourself, what changed before the problem started. Did you install a new application or hardware, update a driver, or remove some software you didn’t think you were using. I hope these tips help in troubleshooting your computer.
This is one of the most frequent questions asked of me and one of the most difficult to answer. The answer is really based on what you want to do with the computer. If you travel, then a notebook or laptop computer will server you best, otherwise a desktop computer would work and generally are less expensive for the same computing power. How powerful should the computer be? Once again, what are you going to do with the computer? If you are only using the computer for email or surfing the web, then a low end computer will do just fine, but if you are into Photoshop and high end gamming, then a high end computer will serve you better. As far as brands, I tell people stick with a well know brand, one that stands behind their product for years to come. Some brands are less expensive, but you get what you pay for.
Hard drives can stop working suddenly or over time. The most common death is when the disk that stores the data becomes corrupt or the read/write head becomes damaged. This can happen due to age or damage caused by dropping the drive or some other shock. The drive will attempt to keep reading the same data over and over, often making a clicking sound. The second is when the motor that turns the disk inside the drive becomes defective. If you hold the drive to your ear, and do not hum of the drive spinning, that is most likely the problem. The last is related to the electronics in the drive. The drive may make a humming sound, but the computer cannot read or write to the drive at all. If your drive shows signs of failing, make sure your data is backed up. Replace the drive before it fails completely. And always have a good backup of your drive.
The most common reason for computers to be slow is insufficient Radom Access Memory or RAM. If you do not have enough RAM in your computer, the computer must move data from your RAM to your hard drive, then back again or disk memory swapping. This takes a lot of time and significantly slows the computer down. If your computer’s hard drive is running frequently or all the time when your computer is slow, then most likely you need more RAM. If your hard drive is also running out of storage space, you have an even greater problem as this can cause your computer to completely stop working. Adding additional memory to your computer can easily be performed by you, with just a little instruction, or buy a qualified technician. You should add as much memory as your computer will accept. This will assure that your computer will have sufficient memory to work with data without swapping data to the hard drive.
Computer memory can be confusing as there are many different types of memory, but the most common is Random Access Memory or RAM. This memory is where your computer does most of its work. Not having enough of this type of memory will slow down your computer, especially when dealing with large files such as photographs. Having the right amount of memory depends on what types of work you do with your computer and the age of your computer. You can never have too much RAM memory, but the maximum amount of RAM you can install in your computer is dependent on your computer’s motherboard. You can look up the RAM specifications of your computer on line. You need to know the maximum size or RAM, the type of RAM, and if you can install individual strips of memory, or if you need to do it in pairs. This is a little confusing, but you can check online for additional help on what specific RAM your computer uses.