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Zenith recommends Windows® 7.
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Make sure that the PC's power cable is plugged firmly into a wall socket or power strip and that the power strip is on. |
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Try plugging the PC or the power strip into another wall socket. |
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Ensure that the power cable is firmly connected to the PC's power-supply outlet. |
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Check to see that the power supply is switched to the "on" position. |
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Make sure that the power supply is switched to the voltage appropriate to your region. |
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Attach a working power cable to the PC's power supply and plug it in. |
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Unplug all external devices from the PC -- including a CD drive or digital camera -- except the monitor. If the computer powers on without the devices, add the peripherals back in one at a time until you can identify the problem device. |
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Computer Power’s Up But Display Is Blank
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Ensure that your computer can boot normally and that all of the usual power lights are on. |
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Make sure that the monitor power cable is plugged firmly into a working wall socket or power strip and that the power strip is on. |
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Try plugging the PC or power strip into another wall socket. |
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Verify that the monitor's power button is "on". |
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Make sure the monitor's brightness and contrast controls are properly adjusted. |
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Check to see that the monitor VGA cable is plugged firmly into the back of the display and that the pinned end is tightly screwed into the computer's video output on the back of the case. |
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Computer Won't Boot from Hard Drive (Doesn't Get to Windows Splash Screen)
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Make sure that there is no media in your floppy or CD drive. |
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Listen to make sure your hard drive is spinning. |
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Remove all external drives or devices and try restarting the computer. |
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If you receive a series of beeps or error messages, write them down, as they could be instrumental in diagnosing your problem. Beep codes vary by manufacturer, so consult your BIOS documentation for more in-depth info on what those beeps mean. |
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Keep an eye out for any built-in diagnostic tools; you might be able to find an error by using these. |
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If no diagnostic tools exist, go to the BIOS's hard drive section and make sure it's configured as "Auto." |
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If the BIOS has an auto detect feature, run it to make sure that it can actually detect your hard drive. |
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If your BIOS has an optimized default option, try loading it and rebooting. |
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If the BIOS has a failsafe default option, try loading it and rebooting. |
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Windows Won't Boot (After BIOS POST Has Been Completed) or Crashes
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Make sure that there isn't a disk in your floppy or CD drive. |
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Remove external drives or devices. |
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Enter the Windows Advanced Options menu by pressing the F8 key during the BIOS's Power-On Self Test (POST). Select the option for "Last Known Good Configuration." (Note: if this works, you will lose any recently installed software or newly created files.) |
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Enter the Windows Advanced Options menu, boot into Safe Mode with networking, and perform a system restore. |
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While in Safe Mode run your antivirus and anti-spyware programs. Remove any detected threats. |
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If no diagnostic tools exist, go to the BIOS's hard drive section and make sure it's configured as "Auto." |
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If the BIOS has an auto detect feature, run it to make sure that it can actually detect your hard drive. |
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If your BIOS has an optimized default option, try loading it and rebooting. |
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If the BIOS has a failsafe default option, try loading it and rebooting. |
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Hints and tips
Monitor
One should always try to keep their monitor as clean as possible. Try to prevent fingers and other objects from coming into contact with your computer screen. When it does come time to clean dust and smudges from your monitor, a gentle cloth and a gentler touch is necessary. Don’t touch the screen!!
How to clean your monitor screen: Those who work in an office won’t be able to keep others’ fingers off their monitor forever, and even if they do, said monitors will still collect dust and need to be cleaned. Before you start wiping away, here are a few important guidelines:
1. Do not use any sort of cloth with a rough texture that will scratch the screen. This includes paper towels.
2. Do not use harsh cleaning fluids.
3. Be extra careful of sharp fingernails, especially when cleaning an LCD screen
With a smooth cotton cloth, gently wipe your screen free of dust, fingerprints and other smudges.
Take extra care with flat screen monitors. If you are cleaning an LCD monitor, or any other type of flat screen monitor, you must take extra steps to avoid damaging the screen. These types of monitors are very fragile (not to mention expensive), and their screens are soft to the touch.
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Use only a soft cotton cloth to wipe the monitor — nothing with a rough texture that could potentially scratch the screen. |
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Press lightly and gently. Do not apply too much pressure to the screen. |
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Avoid direct contact between your hands and the screen. Especially watch your fingernails. Any sort of sharp edge can damage a flat screen monitor. |
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Ultimately, you should use common sense when you clean your computer screen. Any computer part is a fragile and potentially expensive piece of equipment. Think twice about the materials and methods you are using to clean you screen, and when in doubt, just follow the directions above.
Protecting your PC from overheating
In this day and age, most PC’s will beep as a warning if the CPU (the processor) gets too hot, or if any internal fans fail. In addition to this there are some simple steps to ensure that your PC does not generate more internal heat than it is supposed to.
These are:
1. If your PC is in a room which is permanently air conditioned, when the PC is being used then you don’t need to read the remaining steps.
2. Do not use standby in the summer, give your PC a chance to cool down, when you know you will not be using your PC for a long time (eg. 3 hours and over). The CPU, the main generator of internal heat, will still continue to function in standby mode, thus your PC does not get a chance to cool down.
3. Make sure that nothing is covering the vents (front, back or side) of the PC. The vents exist to help the internal heat out of the PC.
4. Similarly give your PC enough of room so that the internal heat which escapes through the vents, does not stay around, preventing heat from escaping.
5. Do not place your PC in a spot where it comes in contact with direct sunlight, this is as good as putting your PC in an oven.
Keyboard care
Shut down your computer, IF necessary hold it upside down to release any debris from in between the keys (pressing the keys is a good way to release it). If you have a can of compressed air then use it to blow any debris from around keys, now take one of the cotton buds and use the cotton bud to clean the sides of the keys.
After cleaning the sides of the keys
take your lint free cloth and give the surface of the keyboard a good wipe over using the cloth to trace the contours of the keys.
You should now have a nice clean keyboard. |
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