IT Help, Please

[bevvy]

Do I need a screwdriver? - gasp!

No, it should just slide out.

[andrews]

Do I need a screwdriver? - gasp!

No, it should just slide out.

Right, bevvy, I shall try that, and then am going to call it a day (or something else probably!)
Spooks is on shortly, and I think I'll watch it.
Thanks for your help.

[a_person]

Help!!! I was happily using my laptop when it hibernated. It was plugged into the mains at the time, and I assumed it was recharging the battery. I checked to see if the leads were loose, but everything was as it should be. Now I don't know how to get it to come on again. I have pressed the Power button, and only one light is coming on, instead of two, (third light indicates WiFi).
Current situation: it is downstairs plugged into the socket, and I am unhappily upstairs sitting at the family computer, searching Google and all sorts trying to find an answer to my predicament.

- What laptop and model do you have? Certain ones behave in certain ways (like my Dell behaves like a right b$%^& at times and so do other Dells with the same problem?)
- Are you still in warranty?
- What do you mean by it doesn't switch on? As in, it doesn't come back to the desktop? Or your wireless isn't working? (If wireless, firstly try disabling and enabling and if that don't work, we'll something else...)

[andrews]

My laptop problem has been resolved. The lead from the laptop to the socket was faulty, disabling any recharge in the battery. It has to be replaced, but I'll get that sorted this weekend. Thanks Bevvy and a_person for your time in offering assistance.

[Cortone]

My laptop problem has been resolved. The lead from the laptop to the socket was faulty, disabling any recharge in the battery. It has to be replaced, but I'll get that sorted this weekend. Thanks Bevvy and a_person for your time in offering assistance.

Got lost in the discussion - is your laptop a Dell? I've heard this is a common problem with Dells andrews, but it's very easily remedied.

[andrews]

My laptop problem has been resolved. The lead from the laptop to the socket was faulty, disabling any recharge in the battery. It has to be replaced, but I'll get that sorted this weekend. Thanks Bevvy and a_person for your time in offering assistance.

Got lost in the discussion - is your laptop a Dell? I've heard this is a common problem with Dells andrews, but it's very easily remedied.

It's not a Dell, Cortone. It's a Toshiba Satellite Pro and probably well past its sell-by date. However, I have a new lead and power supply, and things are back to normal now. Funnily enough, that typing problem has now been rectified as well. I thought that was the keyboard.

[Beate]

Help! All my computer stuff is plugged into one big extension lead which for some reason I decided to switch off at the source last night (instead of just switching off the computer), and when I switched it back on this morning, the router seemed to be dead! No green light and the computer says it seems a USB is unplugged, but it isn’t. How can switching off the extension kill off my router and how can I fix this???? Have no internet at home now!

[bevvy]

I had exactly the same thing happen to me the other day. It drove me mad for several hours until I examined the router more closely with my glasses on and I found an on/off button that was almost invisible - it just looked like a black dot to me. I pressed this button and all was well again. Maybe your router has something similar

[a_person]

If it's all four, try taking it off the extension and plugging it into the mains on its own. If it works there, then its your extension that its not working with. If it still doesn't come on, then it may be to do with your ISP provider.

Sometimes the router takes a while to get all the green lights on too. My lights occasionally go off and I have to restart the bloody damn thing (switching the "power" button on and off as bevvy mentioned). On one occasion, I had to wait several hours because there was a fault with my ISP. If your green lights don't come on (depending which of the green lights), first give it 15 minutes or so and if that doesn't work then call your ISP. They'll tell you to a) restart it b) reinstall it and then when that fails they'll look into it so when you do speak to them make sure you tell them you've done both and the fault is clearly with them.

Switching it off at the mains, wouldn't ruin your router. I do it all the time.

[steve9872]

If any of the above doesn't work then try plugging the router into a friend's or neighbour's phone line and see if the lights come on. Its another of the things that you are asked to do, as well as plugging into the engineers socket - revealed by unscrewing the front cover of the first box coming into the house.

As far as the pc is concerned you will need to do the following:
Open a command box via Start-run and type cmd in the run box and hit enter.
Type the following exactly in the command box.
chkdsk /f
Hit return and read the instructions. It will tell you that checkdisk will only run after a reboot, so make the pc reboot and when it restarts keep your hands well away from the keyboard and mouse until you are back in windows properly. It may take a while.

All should now be well, hopefully.