When disaster strikes,
don't Panic!
Don't touch the keyboard, mouse or anything else on your computer, you
will probably make things worse. Calm down, make cup of tea, then write down
everything that you were doing just before the disaster struck.
Write down exactly what happened including any error messages which appeared on the screen.
Try clicking the Start button
,
it may still function despite your current problem.
If it works, close down in the proper manner and wait for 30
seconds before switching on again.
You may find the problem has vanished. Windows XP is quite good at
repairing itself at start-up.
Write down this next piece of advice on a card and stand it against your screen for reference.
Frozen computer?
No response from your mouse or keyboard?
DO NOT SWITCH OFF as this could wreck your expensive hard drive.
To un-freeze your computer, hold down the
Ctrl
and
Alt
keys together, then tap the
Delete (Del)
key. A window will pop up. The stuck program will be high-lighted as
Not Responding
or
Running. Click
End task
and wait a while. You can repeat the
Ctrl, Alt, Delete if more than one program has frozen. Another
End Task
button may need clicking. If this fails to unfreeze the computer, press the
Reset
button on your computer, this will close down the computer but will not be
as damaging to your precious hard drive as switching off with the computer's
Switch-on
button. Some of the latest computers do not have a
Reset
button, these can usually be reset by pressing the 'Switch On' button for
about 8 to 10 seconds.
