Do No Harm

By Tom McNichol

Most lawyers are familiar with the old saw, "He who represents himself has a fool for a client." Turns out that there's a computer version of the saying that goes something like this: "He who tries to fix his own computer will have an even bigger problem on his hands."

Computers are complicated beasts--at least as complicated as the law--and every bit as prone to getting totally screwed up. Major computer fixes are best left to the pros, and anything that involves cracking the machine open (except perhaps a memory upgrade) should be handled by a tech support expert.

Having said that, many common computer problems are usually caused by a handful of conditions that aren't too difficult to diagnose. Knowledge of basic computer troubleshooting can save you from calling in a grumpy support staffer from the IT department, or from making an expensive call to an outside repair service. Use the same approach attorneys employ to analyze a legal problem: Follow a step-by-step approach that systematically narrows the possible causes of the trouble.

1. Step Away from the Machine
The moment you realize that your computer has a problem--a frozen screen, a crash, a "lost" file, whatever--the best first move is to step away from your machine. By stepping back from the problem, you avoid making a panicked move that can worsen the problem, or render your data hopelessly irretrievable. Your first tech troubleshooting move should adhere to the Hippocratic oath: First, do no harm.

2. Quick, Save What You Can
Having stepped back from the problem for a moment, you're ready to make a cool-headed evaluation of the trouble. The first thing you should do is save whatever data you can. You can save data onto the hard drive, a CD, a USB flash drive, or even all three. Back up any and all data that would cause you to burst a blood vessel should you lose it.

Sometimes, such as when a computer is "frozen," it's not possible to save your work. If faced with a frozen computer, try to quit the program you're currently using and then see if you can relaunch it. On a computer running Windows, you make what's known as the "three-fingered salute" by pressing the Ctrl, Alt, and Delete buttons at the same time. On an Apple computer, you simultaneously press the Command, Ctrl, and Escape buttons, then select the program you want to quit.

3. Check Your Connections
Next, make sure that all of your cable connections are firm and tight, an often overlooked issue. Most office computers feature a spaghetti-like mass of cables that are easily knocked loose by an errant foot or hand. Printer cables are especially prone to being jarred loose, as they often have the farthest to stretch. When in doubt, unplug the cable and then plug it in again.

4. Restart with a Clean Slate
Once you've saved all the work you can, tried to relaunch a frozen program, and checked your connections, you're ready for the electronics world's most primitive fix: Turn the computer off, and then turn it on again. Many users are amazed that this age-old trick still works on even the most sophisticated devices. But often it does. Rebooting the computer clears the machine's memory register and resets it to a previous, more stable, condition.

However, make sure what you perform is a "cold boot." Don't just shut down programs or click on the "Restart" command. You want to turn off the computer completely, wait two minutes (no cheating), and then flick the machine back on. Turning the power off and then back on again completely clears the memory and lets many internal settings revert to their default mode.

5. Hardware or Software?
If the problem persists, you'll next want to narrow down whether it's a hardware or software issue. First, run a check on your hardware devices by opening your computer's hardware manager. (On a PC, access the Device Manager, a Control Panel applet that lets you view and control the hardware attached to the computer. On a Mac, go to the "Apple" pull-down menu and select "About This Mac," then "More Info.")

The Device Manager will list all the hardware devices on your computer. Devices that aren't working properly or aren't being recognized by your computer will be marked, and accompanying dialog boxes may provide additional details on the problem. You may not be able to repair, say, a physically damaged printer, but narrowing down the problem to a specific hardware issue can be invaluable.

If all of your hardware devices check out OK, you may have a software problem or a memory issue. When a computer freezes frequently or seems to take forever to perform simple tasks, the problem often is insufficient memory. For example, to run the business version of Windows Vista, Microsoft recommends that you have at least 1GB of RAM (system memory) and a 40GB hard drive with at least 15GB of available space. A RAM upgrade is a fairly painless way to breathe new life into an old machine.

6. Make a Clean Sweep
If the source of the problem is still elusive, the culprit could be a computer virus or an uninvited guest in the form of adware, spyware, or other malware. All of these invaders take up memory and can affect the performance of your computer. Run a complete system scan with a good antivirus software package, which will identify and evict the offending intruders. (Windows Defender, included in Windows Vista and Windows 7 and available as a free download for Windows XP, will detect most malware issues. A free shareware program called MacScan performs the same function for Apple machines.) Third-party companies such as Symantec and McAfee offer their own stand-alone antivirus packages, well worth the $40 to $50 it will set you back.

In summary, a little bit of cool-headed troubleshooting can fix many common computer problems. At the very least, it will help you identify the source of the trouble, which is valuable information if you do have to hand the problem over to an expert. Most of all, you'll be proud that your computer doesn't have a fool for a user.

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