more from Scot's Newsletter -- 5-29-2001....
COMPUTER SAVVY: RULE #1
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"Readers of my now dormant newsletter Windows Insider may recall my ongoing "Windows Wisdom" series. What they may not know is that the whole "Windows Wisdom" notion started as a column I wrote for Access Magazine called "Computer Savvy." When I parted from Access early last year, Editor Stephanie Chang gave me permission to use the "Computer Savvy" and concept elsewhere. So I'm picking it back up for SFNL.
Windows Wisdom entries have offered advice from the school of computer
hard knocks. They're the everyday bits of wisdom that experienced computer users live by often without realizing it.
I'm kicking off Computer Savvy with the help of reader Eric Somberg. Eric
sent me something to tack on to my Rule Number One. First, though, let me
recap:
-- Rule No. 1: When Troubleshooting, Eliminate the Variables --
When computer troubles crop up, they often occur in conjunction with newly
installed software or hardware. A problem may not seem to be related to a
recent change on your system, but the smart money assumes that it probably
is. To troubleshoot the problem, start by eliminating the variables. If
you just added a piece of hardware, check Device Manager to make sure it's
properly installed and the driver is working. If all else fails, remove
the piece of hardware. You're checking to see it the new problem you
encountered goes away.
The same is true of software. If you just installed some, uninstall it. If
that didn't fix things, what about that program you installed last week?
In fact, why not take this opportunity to uninstall all those apps you
never use? This is something you should do periodically even when you
don't have problems. Get to know Windows' Add/Remove Programs Control
Panel applet. Use it.
Here's Eric's addition: To avoid problems in the future, do not add more
than one application at one time. In other words, install a new program,
reboot, and live with it for a while before installing another program. By
following this rule, you'll be able to figure out which application
started causing the problem. And that makes troubleshooting a whole lot
easier. Eric also recommends using the "Custom" installation option (when
available) instead of the "Typical" setup option. His point being that
under custom, you should look for overly complicated things you don't
need, and turn them off in advance of installation."
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