A-base Computers

Windows
CD Wont Read / Auto run
If you are using a cut backup copy of your original disk not all CD Rom's and particularly DVD's and laptop CD ROMs quite simply can't read the disk. Try using the original.
Some CD ROMs and DVD's are too slow to be able to read newer software and games
You can also install by either:
Open My Computer, double click on the CD (or DVD) Drive, or
From Start choose Run, Browse, Open the CD and double click either Setup,
or Auto run
Windows Application Error
This Windows error message can either appear as a box message, or as "the blue screen of death General application errors are caused 99% of the time because of corrupt software. This may or may not be of your own making. If the message always occurs in the same programme, eg. Word, you will need to reinstall your software. If the message is intermittent, close your programmes and re-start your pc.
Internet Set-Up
To check your current ISP and internet connections, from Start, choose Programs, then Accessories, Communications then Dial-Up-Networking. This shows your current connections and their settings. To check your settings, right click on the appropriate Icon and choose Properties. From here you can check Windows has not defaulted to US rather than UK settings, that your ISP's dial up telephone number is correct, and under Server Types, you have enabled software compression and you have a tick in the TCP/IP box
Not many ISP's use a manual configuration, rather they will have a CD Rom which will auto run from your CD Drive and are difficult to remove in the future, even using their own uninstall software.
You can also check your internet settings are correct from your Desktop by using the right click on the big blue "E" and choosing Properties. From here you can set up the Home Page of your choice when you go on-line. From the Connections menus, you can highlight your ISP and click settings, to ensure your user name and password are configured correctly.
If in doubt about the correctness of any of your settings, you should always telephone your ISP for confirmation.
No License Error - Access 97
When installing Access 97 using Windows 98, a No License Error Message sometimes occurs. Rectify this by :
Close down all programmes
2. Download the Aclicn97.exe file to your Desktop by clicking here
3. Once downloaded double click the file to expand - you will be asked for the location in which you wish to place the extracted files. Enter C:\windows\desktop
4. Once extracted you will be left with a ReadMe file and a programme called AcLicens.exe. Double click AcLicens.exe to update your Windows Registry and this will correct the error message
Microsoft Link
Microsoft do offer a reasonably helpful web-site with a lot of patches and fixes. To link direct to their site, use our link here
Word & Excel
Wont Print
Check your Printer is plugged into the mains and power is being received, that the printer cable is connected to both the printer and the pc, that your printer settings are correct .... From the print menu (Control & P) ensure the model of your printer is shown in the top box. If not select your printer (using the down arrow at the right of the box) This may be a temporary glitch. Close Word and re-start your pc and try again Your printer drivers may be corrupt and need de-installing and re-installing... From "Start", choose "Programs". See if your printer is listed eg. "HP DeskJet". If it is click and it will bring up some options - if there is an "uninstall" or "deinstall" option, click and follow the instructions. We recommend at this point you re-start your computer (Start, Shut Down, Re-Start, Okay). With the printer turned on and connected, re-install your printer only when you are back to the Desktop. If and only if there is no uninstall option, open up "My Computer" on your Desktop, open up "Control Panel" and you will see "Add/Remove Programs". Please make sure you choose the correct option from the list before clicking the "Add/Remove" button If you are printing from a Floppy Disk, make sure the disk is not too full ... go to CantReadFloppy. We do not recommend printing from floppy. Where possible save your document to the Hard Drive before printing
Tool Bars
We do not recommend that you alter or change your tool bars. For those of you that have either by mistake or otherwise :- Lost Tool Bar Re-start your computer and see if it re-sets itself. If not see if you can see any part of the tool bar at the edge of the page - some people inadvertently move it elsewhere - using the mouse try to drag the portion you can see back into position Two Tool Bars Re-start as above, or drag the duplicate bar on top of the original
Changed Screen
Check the top right of your word document has three box, a dash, two little boxes and an X. If it has, a dash, a big box and an X, click the big box, or on the Tool Bar, click View (or Alt V) to make sure it is in Normal View. Tip - you can always check what your document is going to look like using print preview on the Tool Bar (white page with magnifying glass)
Wont Read Floppy
We recommend Floppy Disks are always formatted before use, however ~ Is the Disk "write-protected" - both holes should be open ~ Is the Disk corrupt. Try formatting it .... Open My Computer, right click on Floppy A, choose the Format option and then Quick. There is no need to choose any of the other options. Click Start. ~ Is the Disk too full. Make sure you have around 50-100 KB left on your disk .... Open My Computer, right click on Floppy A, choose Properties option and look at pink box "Free Space"
Illegal Operations
When your pc tells you you have performed an illegal operation it's probably not your fault. Nine times out of ten, Word will need re-installing. You are likely to loose all unsaved work, re-start your computer and start again
Keyboard Not Working
Quite simply, is it still connected - Hoovers and animals have a lot to answer for!! or a temporary glitch ... Re-start the computer (Start, Shut Down, Restart, Okay)
Changed Settings
Your settings are not how you left them ! The most common default errors are : Check Tools (Alt T), and click on Customize. The Toolbars section of Customize, shows a list with the following ticked - Standard - Formatting - Menus (and possibly Drawing). If not, put a tick in the appropriate box and then click Close Ruler has changed to inches, not centimetres .... Choose Tools (Alt T), then Options, and General, 3/4's of the way down is Measurement Units, with an arrow at the end of the box - change this to the required setting and click Okay Your monitor's refresh rate may have changed. From your Desktop, right click anywhere there is no icon. Choose Properties, then Settings at the top. The standard settings are - under Colors is 256, and under Screen Area is 800 x 600 - this gives you larger settings. Bigger monitors may run on - High Color (16 bit) and 1024 x 768. Click Apply to retain your settings.
No Fonts
Apart from Times New Roman, Arial and a few others, most fonts on your computer come with the Drivers for your Printer. If you have never had a printer installed, or recently had your Hard Drive formatted, you will only have the basic fonts.
General & Maintenance
Disk Installation
Beware when installing disks: Check the small print on the disk to make sure that your computer complies with the minimum (and sometimes maximum) specifications required. Generally check the following - memory - CPU - Windows - video card Any disk you install adds some of it's own information onto your Hard Drive. his may not be compatible with what's already on your Hard Drive, particularly with Games and DirectX, and can sometime require drastic action to repair From time to time when you don't play a game anymore, get rid of it to free up some Hard Drive space - see Deleting Packages and Defragging, below
From time to time when you don't play a game anymore, get rid of it to free up some Hard Drive space - see Deleting Packages and Defragging, below
Deleting Documents
When you delete a file you have created eg. a letter you no longer need, it is automatically sent to the "Recycle Bin" on your Desktop. In this way if you delete something by mistake until you "empty" the "Recycle Bin" it is not lost forever. From time to time you must however permanently delete items in your "Recycle Bin" as they use up Hard Drive space. To do this, open the "Recycle Bin", click "File" and "Empty Bin"
Deleting Packages
This is different from delete documents you have created yourself. This would be deleting a game or perhaps a printer or scanner. There are two ways to delete packages, and the first you should always use is:
From "Start", choose "Programs". See if your package is listed eg."Microsoft Games" or "HP Printer". If it is click and it will bring up some options - if there is an "uninstall" or "deinstall" option, click and follow the instructions. We recommend at this point you re-start your computer (Start, Shut Down, Re-Start, Okay)
If and only if there is no uninstall option, open up "My Computer" on your Desktop, open up "Control Panel" and you will see "Add/Remove Programs". Please make sure you choose the correct option from the list before clicking the "Add/Remove" button
Disk Clean Up
This is also important. Again through no fault of your own, your computer creates what are called temporary files. These are created each time you print, each time you type a letter, and each time you go on the internet. You don't need these "temporary files" all they do is clog up your Hard Drive. Delete them by following the proceeding for De-fragging above, but use "Disk Clean Up" in System Tools.
De-fragging
This is important. As you use your computer more and more, through no fault of your own, your files and programmes become disjointed on the Hard Drive. This means your computer will slow down as it has to work harder to find files and programmes. "Defragging" quite simply pulls everything back together. From "Start", choose Programs, then choose "Accessories", then "System Tools" and finally "Disk Defragmenter" and follow the instructions
Internet
Can't get on line
Check your modem lead is connected to your computer and to your telephone line ; Check with your ISP that their Server is not offline for maintenance or otherwise ; Check with your telephone line provider there are no faults on your line - you must tell them it is for "internet" use as the signal is different for telephones and modems ; Check your settings have not defaulted to United States rather than UK. Right click on the blue "E", click on Connections (this will show you who your ISP is). In Connections, click on Settings (this shows you your user name and password). In Settings click on Properties - this shows your ISP, its telephone number, your default location and the type of your modem.
Keeps Locking
Installing more than one ISP at a time can seriously confuse your system. If you are not happy with your current ISP check in Start, Programs to see if there is a "deinstall" or "uninstall" option. If not, in My Computer open Control Panel. From there open "Add/Remove Program" and you will see a list; Check very carefully you are deleting the correct program. Before installing your new ISP restart your Computer (Start, Shut Down, Restart, Okay; Check your settings are still correct - see Cant get on Line ; An intermittent fault with your 'phone line may cause this Check with your telephone line provider there are no faults on your line - you must tell them it is for "internet" use as the signal is different for telephones and modems ; A faulty modem lead or faulty modem. Your first (and cheapest) option - borrow a friends lead and take it from there ; Quite simply a temporary glitch - try re-starting your machine (Start, Shut Down, Restart, Okay) and try again
Dual ISP
Your system will be confused if you have more than one ISP installed at any one time, and will not work as well as it might as each ISP will be fighting for control. We suggest having one ISP installed at a time. To do this, please follow the instructions under Keeps Locking
Technical
Drivers
Have you lost your drivers for your hardware? Search for your drivers, and download them using our link, here
Non- System Disk Error
This falls into two categories, simple and serious : The simple answer may be, take your floppy disk out of the drive bay or the drive may simply have lost it's system tracks or it could be more serious and a sign of impending failure. If in doubt bring your system straight back to us and we will endeavour to recover your data Partitions We do not recommend partition hard drives not least because if one goes, all go, but moreover if you do not correctly partition or re-partition you can loose all drive data.
Printer/ Port Problem
~ Is the port connected to both pc and printer. If yes, try another cable ~ Is the system reporting it as working. Check System in Control Panel ~ Try re-starting the pc. It may be a temporary glitch ~ Have the printer drivers become corrupt - de-install and then reinstall ~ Is it a network printer. If so, are your work-groups correctly assigned and is the host pc switched on ~ Is there ink in the cartridges. Some printers don't work even if your printing black only and the colour cartridge is empty ~ Is the printer port correctly assigned to EPP or as required by your particular printer ~ Is the printer set as the default. Choose Printers in My Computer, right click your printer and select Default ~ Quite simply is there any paper in the tray, has it been changed to banner printing, or is there a paper jam
IDE Slaves and Masters
Most pc's support 4 IDE devices, or which one is your hard drive and one is your CD-Rom. If you add another drive e.g.. CD-RW or a second Hard Drive if it is incorrectly configured it can be detrimental to the performance of your pc and can incur damage. Generally your Hard Drive will be your Primary Master, and your CD-Rom will be your Secondary Master. You cannot have two Slaves or two Masters on the same IDE channel. Some CD-RW's are particular about the way they are configured
Beeping PC
Generally if your pc continually "beeps" when switched on, it is one of two problems: ~ Memory - failure or not true in slot or Video - see Video Problems below
Sound Problems
As with most pc problems, there are numerous reasons for sound to fail : ~ Are the speakers plugged into the jack socket, if so is it the correct socket? ~ Is there power to your speakers and are they switched on? ~ Is your volume control panel set to "mute" or speaker volume turned down? ~ Is the sound card reporting as working in System from Control Panel? ~ Is "Windows" sound working but CD Audio is not, your audio lead may become disconnected or your sound card dislodged ~ None of the above? It is possible either your sound card or speakers have failed
Picture / Video Problems
Is there a power light on your monitor? Check mains connection, and fuse; Is the data cable from your monitor to the pc plugged in true ; Screen distortion or picture breakage? Your video card may not be compatible with the programme or game you are running. Alternatively your monitor may be failing; Is the pc "beeping" at you when you switch it on? This generally means your video card has become loose, or has failed

We hope our guide assist you solve your problem, although you will appreciate we cannot list each and every possible scenario. These pages contain answers to the most commonly askedquestions and problems and cannot be a substitute for ICT courses, training or books, but more as a ready reference : We are not qualified to support applications not listed and suggest you contact your supplier. The information contained in this guide has been collated by us from the most common problems we are contacted about, and must be read with this in mind. It is not definitive and aims to help us provide a better service to our customers Data recovery services are extremely costly. Ensure you back up your data regularly to avoid this unnecessary expense	Home Price Guide Broadband Toshiba A-base PCs 2nd User PCs Web-Mail News Directions Support

Windows CD Wont Read / Auto run If you are using a cut backup copy of your original disk not all CD Rom's and particularly DVD's and laptop CD ROMs quite simply can't read the disk. Try using the original. Some CD ROMs and DVD's are too slow to be able to read newer software and games You can also install by either: Open My Computer, double click on the CD (or DVD) Drive, or From Start choose Run, Browse, Open the CD and double click either Setup, or Auto run Windows Application Error This Windows error message can either appear as a box message, or as "the blue screen of death General application errors are caused 99% of the time because of corrupt software. This may or may not be of your own making. If the message always occurs in the same programme, eg. Word, you will need to reinstall your software. If the message is intermittent, close your programmes and re-start your pc. Internet Set-Up To check your current ISP and internet connections, from Start, choose Programs, then Accessories, Communications then Dial-Up-Networking. This shows your current connections and their settings. To check your settings, right click on the appropriate Icon and choose Properties. From here you can check Windows has not defaulted to US rather than UK settings, that your ISP's dial up telephone number is correct, and under Server Types, you have enabled software compression and you have a tick in the TCP/IP box Not many ISP's use a manual configuration, rather they will have a CD Rom which will auto run from your CD Drive and are difficult to remove in the future, even using their own uninstall software. You can also check your internet settings are correct from your Desktop by using the right click on the big blue "E" and choosing Properties. From here you can set up the Home Page of your choice when you go on-line. From the Connections menus, you can highlight your ISP and click settings, to ensure your user name and password are configured correctly. If in doubt about the correctness of any of your settings, you should always telephone your ISP for confirmation. No License Error - Access 97 When installing Access 97 using Windows 98, a No License Error Message sometimes occurs. Rectify this by : Close down all programmes 2. Download the Aclicn97.exe file to your Desktop by clicking here 3. Once downloaded double click the file to expand - you will be asked for the location in which you wish to place the extracted files. Enter C:\windows\desktop 4. Once extracted you will be left with a ReadMe file and a programme called AcLicens.exe. Double click AcLicens.exe to update your Windows Registry and this will correct the error message Microsoft Link Microsoft do offer a reasonably helpful web-site with a lot of patches and fixes. To link direct to their site, use our link here Word & Excel Wont Print Check your Printer is plugged into the mains and power is being received, that the printer cable is connected to both the printer and the pc, that your printer settings are correct .... From the print menu (Control & P) ensure the model of your printer is shown in the top box. If not select your printer (using the down arrow at the right of the box) This may be a temporary glitch. Close Word and re-start your pc and try again Your printer drivers may be corrupt and need de-installing and re-installing... From "Start", choose "Programs". See if your printer is listed eg. "HP DeskJet". If it is click and it will bring up some options - if there is an "uninstall" or "deinstall" option, click and follow the instructions. We recommend at this point you re-start your computer (Start, Shut Down, Re-Start, Okay). With the printer turned on and connected, re-install your printer only when you are back to the Desktop. If and only if there is no uninstall option, open up "My Computer" on your Desktop, open up "Control Panel" and you will see "Add/Remove Programs". Please make sure you choose the correct option from the list before clicking the "Add/Remove" button If you are printing from a Floppy Disk, make sure the disk is not too full ... go to CantReadFloppy. We do not recommend printing from floppy. Where possible save your document to the Hard Drive before printing Tool Bars We do not recommend that you alter or change your tool bars. For those of you that have either by mistake or otherwise :- Lost Tool Bar Re-start your computer and see if it re-sets itself. If not see if you can see any part of the tool bar at the edge of the page - some people inadvertently move it elsewhere - using the mouse try to drag the portion you can see back into position Two Tool Bars Re-start as above, or drag the duplicate bar on top of the original Changed Screen Check the top right of your word document has three box, a dash, two little boxes and an X. If it has, a dash, a big box and an X, click the big box, or on the Tool Bar, click View (or Alt V) to make sure it is in Normal View. Tip - you can always check what your document is going to look like using print preview on the Tool Bar (white page with magnifying glass) Wont Read Floppy We recommend Floppy Disks are always formatted before use, however ~ Is the Disk "write-protected" - both holes should be open ~ Is the Disk corrupt. Try formatting it .... Open My Computer, right click on Floppy A, choose the Format option and then Quick. There is no need to choose any of the other options. Click Start. ~ Is the Disk too full. Make sure you have around 50-100 KB left on your disk .... Open My Computer, right click on Floppy A, choose Properties option and look at pink box "Free Space" Illegal Operations When your pc tells you you have performed an illegal operation it's probably not your fault. Nine times out of ten, Word will need re-installing. You are likely to loose all unsaved work, re-start your computer and start again Keyboard Not Working Quite simply, is it still connected - Hoovers and animals have a lot to answer for!! or a temporary glitch ... Re-start the computer (Start, Shut Down, Restart, Okay) Changed Settings Your settings are not how you left them ! The most common default errors are : Check Tools (Alt T), and click on Customize. The Toolbars section of Customize, shows a list with the following ticked - Standard - Formatting - Menus (and possibly Drawing). If not, put a tick in the appropriate box and then click Close Ruler has changed to inches, not centimetres .... Choose Tools (Alt T), then Options, and General, 3/4's of the way down is Measurement Units, with an arrow at the end of the box - change this to the required setting and click Okay Your monitor's refresh rate may have changed. From your Desktop, right click anywhere there is no icon. Choose Properties, then Settings at the top. The standard settings are - under Colors is 256, and under Screen Area is 800 x 600 - this gives you larger settings. Bigger monitors may run on - High Color (16 bit) and 1024 x 768. Click Apply to retain your settings. No Fonts Apart from Times New Roman, Arial and a few others, most fonts on your computer come with the Drivers for your Printer. If you have never had a printer installed, or recently had your Hard Drive formatted, you will only have the basic fonts. General & Maintenance Disk Installation Beware when installing disks: Check the small print on the disk to make sure that your computer complies with the minimum (and sometimes maximum) specifications required. Generally check the following - memory - CPU - Windows - video card Any disk you install adds some of it's own information onto your Hard Drive. his may not be compatible with what's already on your Hard Drive, particularly with Games and DirectX, and can sometime require drastic action to repair From time to time when you don't play a game anymore, get rid of it to free up some Hard Drive space - see Deleting Packages and Defragging, below From time to time when you don't play a game anymore, get rid of it to free up some Hard Drive space - see Deleting Packages and Defragging, below Deleting Documents When you delete a file you have created eg. a letter you no longer need, it is automatically sent to the "Recycle Bin" on your Desktop. In this way if you delete something by mistake until you "empty" the "Recycle Bin" it is not lost forever. From time to time you must however permanently delete items in your "Recycle Bin" as they use up Hard Drive space. To do this, open the "Recycle Bin", click "File" and "Empty Bin" Deleting Packages This is different from delete documents you have created yourself. This would be deleting a game or perhaps a printer or scanner. There are two ways to delete packages, and the first you should always use is: From "Start", choose "Programs". See if your package is listed eg."Microsoft Games" or "HP Printer". If it is click and it will bring up some options - if there is an "uninstall" or "deinstall" option, click and follow the instructions. We recommend at this point you re-start your computer (Start, Shut Down, Re-Start, Okay) If and only if there is no uninstall option, open up "My Computer" on your Desktop, open up "Control Panel" and you will see "Add/Remove Programs". Please make sure you choose the correct option from the list before clicking the "Add/Remove" button Disk Clean Up This is also important. Again through no fault of your own, your computer creates what are called temporary files. These are created each time you print, each time you type a letter, and each time you go on the internet. You don't need these "temporary files" all they do is clog up your Hard Drive. Delete them by following the proceeding for De-fragging above, but use "Disk Clean Up" in System Tools. De-fragging This is important. As you use your computer more and more, through no fault of your own, your files and programmes become disjointed on the Hard Drive. This means your computer will slow down as it has to work harder to find files and programmes. "Defragging" quite simply pulls everything back together. From "Start", choose Programs, then choose "Accessories", then "System Tools" and finally "Disk Defragmenter" and follow the instructions Internet Can't get on line Check your modem lead is connected to your computer and to your telephone line ; Check with your ISP that their Server is not offline for maintenance or otherwise ; Check with your telephone line provider there are no faults on your line - you must tell them it is for "internet" use as the signal is different for telephones and modems ; Check your settings have not defaulted to United States rather than UK. Right click on the blue "E", click on Connections (this will show you who your ISP is). In Connections, click on Settings (this shows you your user name and password). In Settings click on Properties - this shows your ISP, its telephone number, your default location and the type of your modem. Keeps Locking Installing more than one ISP at a time can seriously confuse your system. If you are not happy with your current ISP check in Start, Programs to see if there is a "deinstall" or "uninstall" option. If not, in My Computer open Control Panel. From there open "Add/Remove Program" and you will see a list; Check very carefully you are deleting the correct program. Before installing your new ISP restart your Computer (Start, Shut Down, Restart, Okay; Check your settings are still correct - see Cant get on Line ; An intermittent fault with your 'phone line may cause this Check with your telephone line provider there are no faults on your line - you must tell them it is for "internet" use as the signal is different for telephones and modems ; A faulty modem lead or faulty modem. Your first (and cheapest) option - borrow a friends lead and take it from there ; Quite simply a temporary glitch - try re-starting your machine (Start, Shut Down, Restart, Okay) and try again Dual ISP Your system will be confused if you have more than one ISP installed at any one time, and will not work as well as it might as each ISP will be fighting for control. We suggest having one ISP installed at a time. To do this, please follow the instructions under Keeps Locking Technical Drivers Have you lost your drivers for your hardware? Search for your drivers, and download them using our link, here Non- System Disk Error This falls into two categories, simple and serious : The simple answer may be, take your floppy disk out of the drive bay or the drive may simply have lost it's system tracks or it could be more serious and a sign of impending failure. If in doubt bring your system straight back to us and we will endeavour to recover your data Partitions We do not recommend partition hard drives not least because if one goes, all go, but moreover if you do not correctly partition or re-partition you can loose all drive data. Printer/ Port Problem ~ Is the port connected to both pc and printer. If yes, try another cable ~ Is the system reporting it as working. Check System in Control Panel ~ Try re-starting the pc. It may be a temporary glitch ~ Have the printer drivers become corrupt - de-install and then reinstall ~ Is it a network printer. If so, are your work-groups correctly assigned and is the host pc switched on ~ Is there ink in the cartridges. Some printers don't work even if your printing black only and the colour cartridge is empty ~ Is the printer port correctly assigned to EPP or as required by your particular printer ~ Is the printer set as the default. Choose Printers in My Computer, right click your printer and select Default ~ Quite simply is there any paper in the tray, has it been changed to banner printing, or is there a paper jam IDE Slaves and Masters Most pc's support 4 IDE devices, or which one is your hard drive and one is your CD-Rom. If you add another drive e.g.. CD-RW or a second Hard Drive if it is incorrectly configured it can be detrimental to the performance of your pc and can incur damage. Generally your Hard Drive will be your Primary Master, and your CD-Rom will be your Secondary Master. You cannot have two Slaves or two Masters on the same IDE channel. Some CD-RW's are particular about the way they are configured Beeping PC Generally if your pc continually "beeps" when switched on, it is one of two problems: ~ Memory - failure or not true in slot or Video - see Video Problems below Sound Problems As with most pc problems, there are numerous reasons for sound to fail : ~ Are the speakers plugged into the jack socket, if so is it the correct socket? ~ Is there power to your speakers and are they switched on? ~ Is your volume control panel set to "mute" or speaker volume turned down? ~ Is the sound card reporting as working in System from Control Panel? ~ Is "Windows" sound working but CD Audio is not, your audio lead may become disconnected or your sound card dislodged ~ None of the above? It is possible either your sound card or speakers have failed Picture / Video Problems Is there a power light on your monitor? Check mains connection, and fuse; Is the data cable from your monitor to the pc plugged in true ; Screen distortion or picture breakage? Your video card may not be compatible with the programme or game you are running. Alternatively your monitor may be failing; Is the pc "beeping" at you when you switch it on? This generally means your video card has become loose, or has failed