Troubleshooting

Computer will not power up

• Ensure that all cables are securely connected.
• Check mains socket with another known working appliance.
• Make sure the mains on/off switch is set to on.
• Some power supplies have built-in protection which sometimes needs to be reset. To do this switch to off and remove the power cable for 60 seconds, replace cable and set switch back to on.
• If your computer is still not powering up, contact the manufacturer or a local computer service centre.

Tower powers up and is immediately followed by a series of beeps

• BIOS beep codes indicate a number of different system faults depending on BIOS manufacturer and the failure. You need to seek professional technical help.

Tower powers up – lights on and noise from the fans – but nothing on the display

• Check monitor is receiving mains power by following the same steps above for the socket and cable checks.
• Ensure the video cable is securely connected at both ends – i.e. to the tower and to the monitor.
• If you should have a spare video lead or monitor you can swap to see if this helps to determine if the lead or monitor is faulty. If neither, you will need to find help locally.

PC will not boot – gets stuck part way through the normal boot up steps

• Can you boot in SAFE MODE? If you don’t know what safe mode is, best miss this step and call someone to help.
• Chose Safe Mode or Last Known Configuration to see if this fixes your boot problem
• If you can boot in safe mode, try MSCONFIG, System Restore and restore your system back to an earlier time when you know it was booting up correctly.
• Again, if you don't know about this it is best call someone for help.

System boots up but takes ages and/or is very slow and take ages to do anything when you’re using it

These symptoms can be caused by several different problems.

• Too many processes and task running and overloading available system resources. Use MSCONFIG, Startup to stop processes and applications from automatically running at system startup. Only do this is if you know what you’re doing.
• Poor performance can be caused by viruses and other malicious software – use a good antivirus tool. Programs like AVG or Avast are free to download.

Unable to connect to the Internet

• Check all cables are connected properly
• Still not able to connect? Call our tech support at 1 888 965 5511.
• Unplug the power supply to your Wireless Antenna
• The Wireless Antenna, like a computer, will occasionally need to be reset. In order to do this:
  • Shut down your computer.
  • When your computer is off, unplug the power from your Wireless Antenna.
  • Leave the power unplugged for five minutes.
  • Plug the power cord back into the wall.
  • Wait for five minutes.
  • Turn on your computer.
  • If you have to reset your antenna frequently, this indicates a problem and you should contact our technical support service at 1 888 965 5511.
• Reset your hardware firewall or router if you have one
  • A firewall is a source of Internet security. It is used to block unwanted Internet traffic from entering your computer or network. In the case of a hardware firewall (also called a router), it is good practice to reset it if you are having problems. This can be done by
    • Removing the power cord from the unit for one minute.
    • Plugging it back in.
    • Waiting another minute and then restarting your computer(s).
• Check your software firewall configuration if you have one. A software firewall is a program that is configured to allow some programs on your computer to connect to the Internet and block unwanted Internet traffic from entering your computer. Occasionally the firewall configuration changes and blocks the programs that you want to allow access to the Internet. In order to see if it is your firewall that is blocking the connection:
  • Right-click on the firewall icon in the system tray (PCs: bottom right of your screen, beside the clock)
  • Look for an option to shut down, disable or exit the firewall.
  • Try the Internet connection now.
  • If it works, the firewall was not configured properly.