This month in the PA Disciplinary Board Newsletter:
(click on any of the links to read)
The Envelope Please: Top Five Disciplinary Cases of 2008
Stories of Steel
Supreme Court: We’ll Report Negligent Defense Counsel
FAQ: Complaints against Prosecutors and Criminal Defense Attorneys
Got a Tip?
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Wednesday, January 28, 2009
WBA Tech Tip of the Month: Computer Troubleshooting - First Steps
Computer Troubleshooting - First Steps
Surveys indicate that 75 percent of all computer problems are resolved by simply restarting the
computer, yet the majority of even veteran users fail to undertake this common-sense first step
prior to contacting IT technical support.
Unlike hard-wired electronic devices, computer software ‘circuits’ are dynamic and selfmodifying, and as programs interact with users and other programs, logic paths are altered and can, under some conditions, degrade or become corrupted. Restarting the computer clears
memory registers and resets the computer logic back to a previous stable condition.
Remember that restarting Windows (also known as rebooting) is not the same as shutting down
and restarting the entire computer, and when the former fails, it is sometimes necessary to attempt the latter. Windows is smart enough to know whether it is restarting from a power-down or power-up condition, and the housekeeping routines it employs are different depending on its previous condition. That’s why a Start, Shutdown, Restart is much faster than a Start, Turn Off, Power On procedure, but not always as effective in correcting certain computer problems.
Also, the newest ‘green’ computers don’t really shutoff when you perform a shutdown or press
the power button - they simply descend into a hibernation state. To completely reset the
computer, it is sometimes necessary to perform a shutdown, then physically disconnect the power cord and wait 10-15 seconds (in order to discharge the capacitors inside). This is similarly true when troubleshooting problems with printers, which in most cases are reset only by removing power to them, not by simply pressing the On/Off button.
Courtesy of Erie County Bar Association and Richard D. Vasil, Vasil Consulting
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Surveys indicate that 75 percent of all computer problems are resolved by simply restarting the
computer, yet the majority of even veteran users fail to undertake this common-sense first step
prior to contacting IT technical support.
Unlike hard-wired electronic devices, computer software ‘circuits’ are dynamic and selfmodifying, and as programs interact with users and other programs, logic paths are altered and can, under some conditions, degrade or become corrupted. Restarting the computer clears
memory registers and resets the computer logic back to a previous stable condition.
Remember that restarting Windows (also known as rebooting) is not the same as shutting down
and restarting the entire computer, and when the former fails, it is sometimes necessary to attempt the latter. Windows is smart enough to know whether it is restarting from a power-down or power-up condition, and the housekeeping routines it employs are different depending on its previous condition. That’s why a Start, Shutdown, Restart is much faster than a Start, Turn Off, Power On procedure, but not always as effective in correcting certain computer problems.
Also, the newest ‘green’ computers don’t really shutoff when you perform a shutdown or press
the power button - they simply descend into a hibernation state. To completely reset the
computer, it is sometimes necessary to perform a shutdown, then physically disconnect the power cord and wait 10-15 seconds (in order to discharge the capacitors inside). This is similarly true when troubleshooting problems with printers, which in most cases are reset only by removing power to them, not by simply pressing the On/Off button.
Courtesy of Erie County Bar Association and Richard D. Vasil, Vasil Consulting
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