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Educational Service Unit #8 Technology FAQ FAQ (Macintosh) FAQ (Windows) FAQ (Internet/e-mail) How Much Memory do I have? Which Version of System Software do I have? 7? 8? 9? 10? How Much Hard Drive do I have? How do I allocate more memory to an application? How to get out of computer lock ups or freezes? Printer Troubleshooting Is your battery dead? BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP General Maintenance Virus protection Windows 98, ME, 2000,NT,XP??? How Much Memory do I have? How Much Hard Drive do I have? How to get out of computer lock ups or freezes? Printer Troubleshooting Is your battery dead? BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP General Maintenance Internet settings for Networks Internet settings for modems E-mail settings Forgotten passwords How Much Memory do I have? On System 9 and below you can tell how much memory you have by going under the Apple at the top left and pulling down to the top choice of About This Computer or About This Mac. It will tell you the built-in memory and what the virtual memory is set on. It will also tell you which System Software you are running. Which Version of System Software do I have? 7? 8? 9? 10? See above to determine which System version you are running. If your computer is older it probably has System 7 or 8. If it is only about 2 years old it would have System 9 and if it is only about 6 months old it would have System 9 and 10. There are benefits and limitations with each system and I can advise you on your optons with each depending on your needs, your hard drive space and your memory.   How Much Hard Drive do I have? You can tell how much hard drive space you have just by opening the hard drive icon. On the top portion of that window it should show you the amount of hard drive space used and available. If you are viewing that window in List View instead of icon, it may not be turned on to see the hard drive size. Just view by icon and you can see the specifications. How do I allocate more memory to an application? You can boost the amout of memory that an application can use in System 9 and below. System 10 takes care of this issue for you. You have to consider the amount of memory that your computer has when you boost it. You may want to add 1,000 k or more depending on your needs. To do this, you must make sure that the application is not open. Then find the actual folder that the application is in. Find the actual application icon and click once and only once. Then you can go to the File Menu at the top and pull down to Get Info. At that point on older system you will see the memory allocations at the bottom of that window. On newer machines you may have to click and hold on the General Information button to move down to memory. You normally just change the bottom number to allow more memory to be allocated to that actual program. How to get out of lock-ups or freezes? Many computer lock ups are caused by memory over load or by one particular program freezing. The best thing you can do when you suspect your computer is locked up is hold down the Apple, Option keys and hit the Esc button. This will sometimes bring up a window that says Force Quit and it will list the program that is currently frozen. It may sometimes let you Force Quit that program and sometimes not. Either way after this procedure you should also restart your computer. Another trick that comes in handy if you don't know how to get out of a program, especially happens with games, is to use the Apple key and the Q key to Quit an application.   If the computer will not Force Quit the application and even the mouse is stuck, you will have to do one of a number of different type of soft restarts depending on your computer. For the best option, check your owners manual, the help files or e-mail me with your computer model. Most of the older computers before iMacs would do a soft restart by holding down the Option, Apple and hitting the Reset button (the button that turns on the computer). The original iMac's required a paper click incerted into a reset hole on the right side of the compuer and newer iMac's have a pushable button in that location. Some of the tower computers have a reset button on the front.   Never unless absolutely necessary turn off the power or unplug the computer to get out of a lock up. There are only extreme cases when this is necessary and it is hard on the hard drive to do so. Think of your hard drive as a turning record (assuming you are old enough to know what a record is) and when you pull the plug it drops the needle down on your hard drive platter . That can cause software and/or hard drive problems.   Printer Troubleshooting The first things to check are the simple things. So check the power cable, and the cable connecting the printer to your computer or to your network. Are there any flashing lights on the printer? Usually there should be one solid light to show it is ready. Is there paper in the printer?   Next thing to do is check the Chooser - under the Apple. Select your printer, if you have a newer computer, your printer is probably a USB printer. After selecting the printer it should show something in the box to the right - select it and try to print again. If the Macintosh is older, you will be given a choice of the Printer Port or the Modem Port. Either port will work depending on whether you have a external modem or not. Check to see which port you have your printer plugged in to. If it is in the printer port, check in the Chooser to make sure AppleTalk is Inactive unless you have a laser printer and not an inkjet. See FAQ below if you suspect a dead battery.   Always try to print something simple like an open window first (do not print the desktop unless you want to waste paper and ink). If that prints go back to your program you were printing from. If your file still does not print, try a new document.   Another common problem is that the background printing program such as PrintMonitor, Desktop Printing, Epson Printer Monitor, HP Print Monitor, or others could be clogged. When youare attempting to print you normally might try printing several times before you realized it isn't work. Check for this program under the Appliations men u at the top right corner of your screen. You may have to stop printing and delete some print jobs waiting to print. If none of these items work, you may have to reinstall your printer driver or on newer computers, download and install a newer updated priinter driver. Take care to read the information on which versions of the system software are compatible. Is your battery dead? When a battery goes dead, the default settings are reset and that will lose your printer connection because it defaults to Appletalk active. If you suspect a dead battery, check your date and time. If it is 8/27/56 or 1904 on newer computers, your batteries is probably dead. You will also possibly lose colors on your screen or at least the highlight color.   Backup, Backup, Backup? If you don't know how to backup your important data you are running a risk of losing all of your hard work. Backing up is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. There are many ways to backup files such as floppy disk for small files, Zip Disk or SuperDisk for larger files, an external hard drive, tape drive(rare on Macs), writeable CD-Rom drive, uploading to another computer or to the internet, and others. It depends on the size of your files and the devices you have or can add to your system. If you are scanning pictures or using a digital camera, you will want something permanent to store your files with. Contact me for recommendations for your particular needs. General Maintenance? MICE---Have you ever cleaned your mouse or washed your mouse pad? Most cloth mouse pads can be tossed in the washer or at least washed by hand. DUST---Have you ever thought about getting the dust out of your computer? Dust tends to collect inside computers and especially around any opening or fan. Depending on your computer model, there are various things you can do to clean your computer. I'll try and add more detail here for different models but for now you'll have to guess or e-mail to ask me. HARD DRIVE CARE AND MAINTENANCE--Hard Drives hold all of your programs and data so they are the most important component to take care of. See backup above. Hard drives can have problems and even fail and it can happen to fairly new computers. One of the things you can do to protect your hard drive is to get out of lock up's the best way possible.       More to come - ideas are welcome.