First aid

In the PC/Windows case

Once you computer works in an abnormal way, think to check for updates on Windows (Windows Update) and for your anti-virus. All Windows security holes can bring virus on your computer. A virus can alter your computer performances, brutally shut down your computer, display error messages on screen, or destroy in an irrecoverable way your data and your softwares.

In order to check how clean your hard drive is, you can use virus detection and eradication tools. The check of your hard drive by a disk scan allow you to sanitize and delete virus from your system, hard drive, compressed files and all your emails.

To preserve your PC speed, it’s necessary to run regularly a defragmentation of you hard drive. This recompose your fragmented files, in order to reduce the hard drive access time. Generally the defragmentation tool can be found in the "start" menu then "all software" then accessories then system tools and finally click on the "hard drive defragmentation".

For the novice, when your computer doesn’t answer, or a software is frozen, The "Ctrl+Alt+Sup" key combination allows you to suspend or to stop softwares. Sometimes the persistent leaning can make the computer to reboot. Be careful, all your unsaved data will be lost.

In the Mac case

In the case of a Mac OS X system: during the abnormal functioning of your computer, think to check your system and anti-virus updates. You can find this tool in "System configuration" and "software update".

In the case of a system Mac OS 9 or older, updates require a software…

In the printer case

First always check the ink and paper level. A message or a luminous button will warn you.

If a printing stop the printer, cancel or delete this printing by pushing the "end task" button.

In last resort, shut down the printer then switch on it.