7 Printers
The action of sending a document to print creates a bigger
file, often called a postscript file.
Printers have only a small amount of memory, called a
buffer. This can be easily overloaded. Printing a document also uses a
considerable amount of CPU power. This will also slow down the computer's
performance.
If the printer is trying to print unusual characters, these
might not be recognised, and can crash the computer. Sometimes printers will
not recover from a crash because of confusion in the buffer. A good way to
clear the buffer is to unplug the printer for ten seconds. Booting up from a
powerless state, also called a cold boot, will restore the printer's default
settings and you may be able to carry on.
8 Software
A common cause of computer crash is faulty or
badly-installed software. Often the problem can be cured by uninstalling the
software and then reinstalling it. Use Norton Uninstall or Uninstall Shield to
remove an application from your system properly. This will also remove
references to the programme in the System Registry and leaves the way clear for
a completely fresh copy.
The System Registry can be corrupted by old references to
obsolete software that you thought was uninstalled. Use Reg Cleaner by Jouni
Vuorio to clean up the System Registry and remove obsolete entries. It works on
Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE (Second Edition), Windows Millennium
Edition (ME), NT4 and Windows 2000.
Read the instructions and use it carefully so you don't do
permanent damage to the Registry. If the Registry is damaged you will have to
reinstall your operating system. Reg Cleaner can be obtained from www.jv16.org
Often a Windows problem can be resolved by entering Safe
Mode. This can be done during start-up. When you see the message "Starting
Windows" press F4. This should take you into Safe Mode.
Safe Mode loads a minimum of drivers. It allows you to find
and fix problems that prevent Windows from loading properly.
Sometimes installing Windows is difficult because of
unsuitable BIOS settings. If you keep getting SUWIN error messages (Windows
setup) during the Windows installation, then try entering the BIOS and
disabling the CPU internal cache. Try to disable the Level 2 (L2) cache if that
doesn't work.
Remember to restore all the BIOS settings back to their
former settings following installation.
