Troubleshooting Computer Problems

This page covers the common questions you should think about when you run into a computer problem. These are the same questions that the Computer Resources staff will ask you, as they try to help you. By following these troubleshooting tips you may be able to solve your own problem in a short amount of time. It also helps you narrow down, logistically, the possibilities of failure. If, after initial troubleshooting on your own, your computer still doesn't work, at least you will be able to describe the problem to someone else in a much more informed and intelligent manner.

Common problems and solutions:

Basic Knowledge.
General Advice.
Hardware Related Troubleshooting
Network Related Troubleshooting
Software Related Troubleshooting
- "My software application doesn't work."
- "My computer keeps crashing in..(Word,Excel,etc.)."
Data or File related Troubleshooting.

Basic Knowledge

You should know some basic information about your computer:

Is it a Mac or PC? Who is the manufacturer (Dell, IBM, Apple, no name)?
Operating System and version (OS 9.0 or X for Mac, Windows NT, 98, 2000 or XP)?
Approximate size of your hard drive. This could be anywhere from a few gigabytes to a few hundred gigabytes. Was it close to full when you crashed?
Approximate amount of ram (memory) in your computer. This is a number similar to 512 megabytes or 1 or more gigabytes.
What were you LAST doing when it froze? How many programs were running? What were you working on? Was the document local (on your hard drive), or on a network drive?
Were you logged on to the GSD network?

General Advice

Reboot: If something is not working, or crashed, first restart your computer. This solves most problems. We cannot always explain why it crashes or freezes, occasionally, just accept it as part of the computer world! ("It's a mystery.")

Virus check: Check to see if your virus scanning software is up-to-date. Minimally, each month you should update your AntiVirus software with the latest virus definitions, in order for it to be effective against the latest viruses. You can typically download new virus definitions from the manufacturer site of your AntiVirus software. After updating your virus definitions, run a complete scan of your hard drive.

Determine the scope of the problem: Try to determine if it is hardware, network, software related or a specific file problem. Is it with the whole office or studio, on only one platform (only Macs or PC's), or just your computer? Is it with one specific program, or one specific file?

See if you are "on" the network: Not being connected to the network is the culprit in most printing, web and e-mail problems. To test for network connections, start Internet Explorer (Safari on Mac) or any other browser, and if you can browse the Internet you are connected to the network.

Hardware Related Troubleshooting

"Computer doesn't start up at all."

Check to ensure that the power cords and power strip are firmly connected. Check all cable and power connections. Restart the power strip if you have one.
Is there electricity? Is the power strip on? Is the monitor on? Is the hard drive on?
Does either the monitor or computer green light come on? Does the monitor light come on green at all, even briefly, or is it orange?
Do you hear the hard drive start up? If yes, try substituting monitors with someone else in the tray or office, to see if that works. Are you using the correct connection from monitor to your video card?
If the monitor seems to work, but nothing comes up, try booting the PC with a "Boot" or startup disk. Follow steps in next section below.
Do you get error messages? If you do get error messages write them down thoroughly.
When did it last work?
What was the last thing you did before shutting it down?
Did you install new software, or hardware? Did you delete any files?

"Computer gets stuck starting up the operating system."

Do you get error messages or nothing? If you do get error messages write them down.
When did it last work?
What was the last thing you did before shutting it down?
Did you install new software, or hardware? Did you delete any files?
For Mac, try starting system with extensions off (you do this by restarting while holding down "shift" key). Then turn extensions on with extension manager slowly to find problem.
In Windows press "F8" at start up, and try launching in "Safe Mode".

"I can't move the mouse", or "the keyboard doesn't respond."

Check the cable connections between mouse, keyboard and the computer. Are they in the right ports? If not, turn the computer off, connect them right, and then restart with the cables connected correctly.
Swap the mouse or keyboard temporarily with one that you know works on another machine. Does it work now?

"I can't read a floppy/zip disk or CD"

Does your computer recognize the drive? (Usually A: for floppies)
Can you read ANY other floppy disks, or none?
Can it be read in another computer? Mac or PC?
What type of disk is it? Is it high density or low density? Mac or PC formatted?
Run a complete AntiVirus scan of the floppy disk.
Can you read anything off the disk, or is it just a problem with one file?
If you can, copy the file to the local hard drive, then try to open it.

Network Related Troubleshooting

How to tell if your computer is 'on' the network

Does your computer connect to the GSD local area network (LAN), enable you to print; and allow you access to the Internet?

For Windows:

At start up, does it prompt to log into the DESIGN domain? Did you log in, at startup, without errors, to the DESIGN domain?
When you click on Network Neighborhood or My Network Places on your desktop, do you see any other computer names listed in the Design Domain?
Do you get any error messages when starting your Internet browser?

For Mac (OSX):

Go System Preferences. Choose Network. Is the Built-in Ethernet selected? Do you have an IP address ("provided by the DHCP server")? If not, then check your network cable connections and then restart your Mac.

"I can't log onto the network."

Is the caps lock key on?
Can anyone in the office log in on any other computer - Mac or PC?
Can you log on, with your own password, to someone else's computer, just not your own?
Can someone else log onto your computer as themselves?
Are you sure you remember your password?
Check network cables, remove and put back in.
Did you get any error messages on startup?

"I can't use e-mail."

Are you on the network otherwise? (See above)
Can anyone in the office get into their mail on any other computer - Mac or PC?
Can you get to the GSD's home page: www.gsd.harvard.edu in the browser window?
Do you remember your password?

"I can't print."

Are you on the network otherwise? (See above section.)
Can anyone in the office print from any other computer to that printer - Mac or PC?
Can you print to any other printer?
Try turning printer on and off. Check printer network cables, remove and put back in.
Is there a paper jam at the printer?
If it didn't print, have you kept trying to send it? If so, you may have a large queue of files, which you will need to clean up. Delete them all including the first print which has stalled.
On a PC, go to Start > Settings > Printers. Is the printer you want listed? Is it shaded out? Go to properties, and check network path. Check the printer queue. Has it stalled, or is some file stuck in it? Try deleting the file.
On a Mac, go to Applications > Utilities > Printer Setup Utility. Do you see all the printers listed? Are you selecting the proper driver - Adobe or HP, etc.? Is your printer listed? Are other printers listed? Try setting it up again.

"I can't get onto the web."

Are you on the network otherwise? (See above section.)
Can anyone in the office get onto the web, from any other computer - Mac or PC?
On a PC, click start menu, choose run, type "winipcfg", were you assigned an IP Address?
On a Mac, go to TCP/IP control panel, and check that the server is set to use DHCP.

Software Related Troubleshooting

"My software application doesn't work."

When did it last work? Has this software been working recently, or is this the first time you've tried it?
Did you delete or move any files?
If this is the first time you've tried it, did you install it yourself? From disk, or over the network?
If installed over the network, did you read the GSD instructions first (the GSD Read file)?
Are you on the network?
Is "Key Access" loaded and running? To check Key access, go to the Key access program folder and launch the 'keyaccess.exe' file, this should give you a logon screen with the GSD's TCP/IP address, press the 'logon' button, you should get a message informing that Key Access is running.
On a Mac, try rebuilding the desktop (do this by restarting while holding down the option and apple clover key).
Reload the software.

"My computer keeps crashing in...(Word, Excel, etc.)."

Try opening different files in the program, not the same one each time. It may be a data problem, not the software.
Do computer maintenance procedures. Empty out temp folders and browser cache. Run diskcheck and defrag in Windows. Use Disk Utility on a Mac.
Reload the software.

Data or File Related Troubleshooting

Try opening file from hard disk first, not from a floppy disk.
Open file and save it with a different name. The original may be corrupted.
Use your backup!