Are you having computer trouble? Before contacting TFG Support or your computer’s manufacturer, you can check this page for what may be a quicker, easier, and cheaper solution. For additional help on computer-related issues, please email TFG Support at support@tfgtech.com.  These tips are geared towards laptop computers, but most can be applied to desktop computers as well.

Do you have a useful tip?  Send it to us at support@tfgtech.com so we can post it!

Problem: My computer is slow and pop-ups continually plague my Internet browser.

Your computer may be infected with spyware. Spyware is software that hides itself somewhere on your computer collecting information about you and what you do on the internet. Spyware is often downloaded onto your PC when you download other free software or when you visit certain websites. Spyware is not a virus, and therefore will not cause serious problems for your computer. However, it can be a great annoyance. The easiest way to remove spyware is to use a removal tool such as Ad-aware, AVG Antivirus, or Spybot. Links for downloading these programs and more are also available at http://tfgtech.com/t-resourcecenter.aspx.

Problem: My computer is frozen, fails to respond to inputs from keyboard or mouse, or fails to respond to efforts to restart.

This can happen from time to time, especially with laptops. The easiest way to solve this problem is to disconnect the laptop’s power cord and then to remove the battery from the laptop, reinsert it, and then try turning the computer back on. The computer should then be usable. NOTE: There is no way to save programs you are working on after the computer has frozen. A backup copy of the Microsoft Word or WordPerfect document that you were working on may exist, and will automatically prompt you to view it when the program is reopened.

Problem: Windows does not boot properly; instead, a blue screen appears with an error message.

This could be an indication of a host of problems. If this happens intermittently, it may be a good idea to make a backup copy of important files on your computer. In general, the only way to solve this problem is to reload Windows on your machine. Your computer’s original documentation should include a Windows installation disk and instructions on how to do this. If not, contact your computer’s manufacturer. If this does not help, you may have a problem with a piece of hardware in your computer, such as the hard drive, which may need to be replaced. Contact your computer’s manufacturer in this instance.

Problem: When I turn my IBM Thinkpad on, it beeps repeatedly and gives me an error code.

A list of error codes is available at http://tfgtech.com/t-resourcecenter.aspx.  Be sure you go to the document that’s specific to your Thinkpad, as codes can vary by model and machine type. 

Problem: Computer acts strangely. For instance, it may shut down unexpectedly, not connect to the internet via Internet Explorer, or run unexpectedly slowly.

Your computer may have a virus. You may want to download Stinger, a freeware program available at http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger. This program searches for and destroys common viruses on your computer. Be sure you download a fresh copy from the website each time you use it, because unlike Norton and McAfee, it will not automatically prompt you for updates.  If this does not help, you may need to install some other virus detection software.  Links to download other programs can be found at http://tfgtech.com/t-resourcecenter.aspx.

Problem: Unable to send emails from home through your default email client (Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Mozilla, etc.)

Some internet service providers, such as Verizon, Earthlink and Starpower, require that you use their outgoing email server and no one else’s. If you encounter this problem, contact your Internet Service Provider to determine the proper settings for configuring your email client.

Problem: Computer seems to shut off every 10 or 15 minutes, but the battery seems to be fine. 

To save your battery power, your operating system will typically 'hibernate' your computer after a specific amount of time - that is, the computer will basically shut down the processor, hard drives, display, and anything else that consumes battery power, but retain the system state in memory to allow a quick restart. Check your hibernation settings.  You can do this by clicking Start > Control Panel > Power Options.  Check the “Power Schemes” and “hibernate” tabs and make sure hibernation is NOT enabled, or adjust the amount of time before hibernation.

Problem: I can’t hear any sound coming from my computer.

This could be caused by a variety of things.  The first step would be to make sure the sound is turned up on the computer as well as in Windows.  Play any sound file in Windows Media Player and press the “Volume Up” button repeatedly until you hear the sound playing.  If you still can’t hear anything, click Start > Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices and make sure the “MUTE” box is unchecked.  If it is already unchecked, go to the “Hardware” tab and make sure all the audio devices listed are working properly. 

Problem: I need popups to display, but they never do.

Chances are that you have a popup blocker installed on your computer. If you do not think you installed a popup blocker, then it may have been installed without your knowledge. Popup blockers are often automatically installed with some popular software products like AOL Instant Messenger. Some websites like Yahoo! will also prevent popups from appearing while you are in that domain. To see popups again, you will have to either disable or uninstall any popup blockers you have on your system