Recently in Troubleshooting Category

When I look in a ClamWin scan report, I often see the following errors (or something very similar):


Does this indicate a problem or virus on my computer?  Why can't ClamWin open these files?

Hard Disk Drive Troubleshooting

The troubleshooting of hard disk drive problems could probably fill an entire book.  When it gets down to the bottom line, however, there are three basic kinds of problems you might have with a hard disk drive.  Each requires very different troubleshooting actions and different levels of risk.

I've been working in the computer industry for almost 20 years now.  During that time, I've heard a number of my less-technical friends and co-workers tell me that they're "running out of memory" on their computer.  After I ask a few questions about what they mean, it's clear to me that they don't understand the difference between "memory" and "disk space".  If they were to ask a salesperson at a computer store to sell them some "memory" for their computer, they might get some very expensive hardware that wouldn't solve the real problem.  Just so that this doesn't happen to you, I thought I might give you a few different explanations of what "memory" and "disk space" really are, so that you know what to ask for and why.

Periodically, I take a look at the search results that led people to my web site. In a recent examination, I saw that several people asked the question "What is the importance of a motherboard?" and sought an answer. For a seasoned technical support person like myself, the answer to that question is quite obvious, but to someone who isn't that familiar with what is inside his or her computer, it's a mystery. Since a number of you obviously want to know the answer to that question, here it is, as much in layman's terms as I can make it.