Plug and Play

Plug and Play formally called Plug and Prey usually refers to a feature of cards such as modems, network cards etc. , which allow both computers and operating systems that support Plug and Play to automatically configure the cards to your system. What this means is that you won’t have to have mess with setting DIP switches and jumpers.

If every time you turn on your computer you must go into the CMOS Setup and set the date and time the problem is the computer's internal battery. The internal battery is used to keep power to the CMOS which holds the date, time, and other important information about your system. The problem arises when the battery is either dead or is on its last leg, either way it should be replaced. This is not an expensive item and will make booting your computer less of a headache.

The specification for the length of a standard parallel printer cable is 25 ft. That means that a printer cable over 25 ft may work but is not guaranteed to work. I have in the past been able to run a printer using a 75 ft fully shielded cable on certain PC’s and there have been times that going over 25 feet has caused intermittent problems or just won’t work. The quality of the cable being used, the strength of the parallel port output signal and the printer all determine whether you can exceed the 25 ft barrier. The answer to this problem is simple, either buy a line booster which will boost the signal or move the printer closer and use a shorter cable.

If you are constantly getting disconnected from the internet your problem may be your Call Waiting. If you have Call Waiting you must disable it before dialing the internet. You can do this by adding a code (some areas it's *70 for example) in front of your Internet Service Provider's (ISP) phone number. Start by double clicking on My Computer. Next double-click on Dial-Up Networking. When the Dial-Up Networking dialog box appears, add your call waiting disable number followed by the phone number of your ISP. The example below illustrates this:
*70, 999-9999
Where the *70 is the call waiting disable number followed by a comma and your Internet Service Provider's Number.

Keep floppy disks away from the telephone, radio speakers, magnetic screwdrivers and your monitor. All of which generate magnetic fields, that can result in data loss.

Never drive with your notebook computer on the front seat. A quick stop can result in the notebook slamming onto the floor. Not a pretty sight. A good place to set your notebook computer when driving is on the floor behind the front seat.

Never shut your computer off while still in an application this can result in lost clusters and damaged files on your hard drive.

Never erase files you are unsure of. System or needed program files may be deleted causing system or program problems.

Never smoke around your computer. The smoke gets sucked into the computer by the fan. Over time the components will form a yellow grim. This will generate excessive heat that could result in a failure.

Never operate any computer equipment with the dust cover on. This will result in heat build up, could possibly cause a failure, which could result in unnecessary repair costs, loss of data, loss of time, and may cause an electrical fire.

Never leave your monitor on for any length of time unattended. Monitors generate high voltage and heat which has the potential to start a fire.

Never place beverages near computer equipment where there is the danger of spillage.

Never use your computer in a room that is warmer then 80 degrees. This will place the components of your computer in a position that could result in a heat failure.

When bring your computer out of the cold never turn it on without letting it warm up first. The condensation resulting from turning on a cold computer could result in a failure.

Never move your computer or notebook computer when turned on this could result in a hard drive crash.

Never look at or copy the contents of a floppy disk that is not yours without scanning it for viruses first.