Troubleshooting Personal Computers - IV

People Problems

Introduction

Some problems you may experience could be due to human error and not the PC.

Just as an aside – If you ask an IT Support person, you will probably be told that nearly all the problems are people problems. They have a term for this known as PEBKAC. This is an acronym for Problem Exists between Keyboard and Chair.

Due to the nature of Windows functionality, it is easy to play and easy to accidentally change an important setting with just a click of the mouse if you are not fully concentrating on what you is doing. This can be the cause of mysterious problems for which you will believe that you are entirely innocent.

A common problem, particularly for inexperienced users, can be finding and accessing files. It is easy, even for experienced users to save a document using the default settings and not remembering where it was stored.

Finding a File

If you cannot find a file, try:

·         Opening the application that created the document and if it is listed as a recently used file, right click the file name and open the Properties dialogue box. This displays the path to where the file is stored.

·         Using the Search function in Windows Explorer

·         Checking the Recycle Bin

·         Finding out if somebody else has moved it

·         Restoring the file from a back up if you have one

Accessing a File

If you cannot access a file, try:

·         Checking that you are attempting to open it with the correct application

·         Checking that the name hasn’t changed – you may be trying to open the wrong file

·         Checking that the location hasn’t changed if you are trying to open it with a shortcut

·         Finding out if the file is corrupt – There are limited recovery methods with varying degrees of success

Many of the major applications have a means of recovering their own files. You may also need the assistance of specialized software and / or the help of an expert.

The answer to many problems of this nature are invariably simple and always annoying, but as with any computer system problems, be careful about going beyond your knowledge and experience because you could cause more problems, so don’t be reluctant to ask for assistance.