The Random Hang-up Problem

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It’s frustrating when your computer intermittently hangs-up , or re-boots itself for no reason that you can tell.  At best it’s an annoyance, and at worst it means that you’ve lost hours of valuable work that will be difficult or impossible to recreate.

If this has happened only once, then it’s probably next to impossible that you’ll be able to explain why this happened.  But if you find it happening on a regular basis, then you really need to be able to find and correct the problem .

There are a few things you can check for yourself, before you have to make a costly visit to your local computer repair shop.

As is the case with most modern computers, your computer comes with built in circuitry to monitor the status of the computer. One of the checks built into your system is testing of the computer’s internal temperature . The computer may be built to shut itself down if the temperature moves outside the desirable operating range.

For your system to run at the correct operating temperature, it is important that air is able to circulate freely inside and around the case. If you have placed your computer inside of an enclosure, such as a tight-fitting bookshelf or cubbyhole, then this may be the first thing you should consider changing. By the same token, I have seen computers practically covered with books, manuals and other papers. Once again, these types of things can hinder air circulation , and you should make sure that there is plenty of space around your computer.

You should also take a look at the slotted vents in the sides of your computer case. Over time, these slots can become blocked by dust, lint, and other debris. Because the computer is usually always drawing some power, it has a constant (even if small) electrostatic charge. Your computer rivaled only by a vacuum cleaner in its ability to suck in dust and fluff.

If you take the cover off of your computer case, you’ll be able to see the dust build-up that has occurred inside your computer. Be careful when you remove dust from inside of the case. For this job, it’s probably best to use a very soft artist’s brush or a can of compressed air.

Next, take a look at the cooling fans inside the case. Modern computer usually have a cooling fan positioned near the top of the microprocessor. This fan should be clear of all dust, and able to move freely, without any grinding noise, when the computer is operating. It is okay to start the computer with the case cover removed, just be careful not to poke things into the various components.

There will be another fan inside near the power supply . Make sure this fan is free of dust and running freely. Some computers may also have a supplemental case fan. This will be screwed on over one of the slotted case vents, and will generally be running from a cable connected to the motherboard. Not all machines will have a separate case fan, but yours does, it is there for a reason. Do the same thing to this fan as you did with the others.

If you have identified faults with your cooling fans , this could require a trip to your local repair shop. The repair technician may also suggest that the CPU heat sink be removed and re-placed with fresh heat transfer compound, which should be a relatively easy and inexpensive job.

Is Your Computer a Blessing or a Menace?

The computer can be thought of as a “sign of the times”. It was invented to remove the mind-numbing aspects of various collating, organizing and thinking processes. It has also brought about a big change in all of our lifestyles. Even our lives themselves have been influenced by this technology .

Some may have the view that the computer is more of a menace than a blessing , but this seems to be completely out of touch with the rest of the world. This is ridiculous because the rest of the world has learned to enjoy and use computers. The statement is the typical mourning of a person who’s always clamoring for the ‘good old days’.

The trouble with the ‘good old days’ is that, while they may fill us with a sense of nostalgia , in many respects they weren’t all ‘good’. People who clamor for them fail to see the pain they also held. Before the computer was invented, there were too many things that were necessarily slow.

Data processing was slow, typing on typewriters was tedious and error-prone, and accounting was done by hand on paper ledgers, which was extremely slow and highly tedious. The computer sped up all these processes. And on a personal level, computers have become a vastly popular household item.

Why is it so great for things to be sped up? It is simply a great blessing . If simple, but troublesome, tasks like data processing can be done faster, then we will have time to do the other, more important, tasks. It simply doesn’t make sense that the computer could be a menace .

Perhaps the idea of the computer as a menace arises from the trouble that it has been perceived to cause in some areas. Some people may have lost their jobs because the computer has made them obsolete. To be honest, though, this is simply a matter of looking at the ‘problem’.

The fact that the computer can replace a person could be thought of as a clear indication that the person should be doing something more important. In many companies, where computers have replaced people, those people receive high-value retraining. This is a ‘life upgrade’ and the worker should see the process as a blessing; since the computer was indirectly responsible for providing the upgrade.

Another reason why some may look at the computer as a menace is the fact that it makes some people waste time playing games on it. This is a ridiculous accusation; time could just as well be wasted by that same person watching television. On top of that, playing games on the computer at least has the advantage of being interactive, unlike the habit of staring at the TV. But more importantly, playing computer games is something that a person chooses to do. There is no compulsion for any particular individual to waste time in this (or any other) way. It’s simply not appropriate to label the computer a menace for this reason.

So to call the computer more of a menace than a blessing is just plain unfair. Indeed, the computer is a great blessing. Like just about everything else, whether the computer is a blessing or a menace, depends a lot on how one exercises his or her choices.