Note: This material is provided for educational purposes only. Consult with a computer expert at MyCuredComputer for professional assistance and the best intended outcome.

Having a printer problem is one of the most frustrating issues a computer user can experience. In troubleshooting printer problems it is important to isolate the details, determine the cause, and then find the solution. These are a couple of important things to consider:

1. The hardware and physical connections between printer and computer must be good. The printer itself needs to be in good working condition, with a non-empty ink cartridge, connection should be properly setup whether if it’s parallel, USB, wireless, wired LAN.
2. The software (drivers, operating system, and program being used should be properly loaded and in working condition. The computer should detect the printer, and the driver should be loaded and compatible with the operating system.

To prevent frustrations in troubleshooting, we need to be able to differentiate these two possible causes. You can perform the following steps to check the problem:

1. Double-check the physical connections of the printer and the computer. Make sure they are properly connected. Turn off the printer and the computer. Unplug them from the power outlet and then wait for several seconds before restarting them.
2. Check if the computer properly detects the printer. In Windows, click on Start, and then click on Devices and Printers. You should be able to see your printer in this window. Set your printer as the default printer by right clicking on it and choose Set as default printer. If there is an error (indicated by an “x” mark), this is most likely a software issue. If this is the case, you may need to reinstall the driver. If the printer is not showing in this window at all, try to unplug then reconnect the USB cable of your printer to the computer or try it on another USB port. Observe if there is any noise, activity or change. Also, observe the system tray icons on the lower right corner of your windows screen to see if there would show a message that a device has been detected.

Printing a test page

If your printer is detected properly in Devices and Printers window with no error, you can try to print a test page. Right click on the printer icon and choose “Printer properties.” Under the general tab, click on the button that says, “Print a Test Page.” If you are able to print a test page, this means the printer, the driver and OS are functioning properly. If you are still unable to print documents on the program you are using, the program itself, or the printer settings for that program is not configured properly. Check to make sure the correct printer is selected on the program you are running.

Reinstalling the printer driver

If there is an error on the printer or if the printer is not detected at all, the next step is to uninstall and re-install the printer driver. It is very important that the driver should be compatible with the version of your operating system. Uninstall the printer driver by going to Devices and Printers; right click on the printer and then Remove Device. You can install the driver from the drivers CD that came together with your printer or you can download one from the manufacturer’s website. In older versions of Windows, you can uninstall the printer driver by going to Add remove programs in the control panel.

If problem persist, then it may be that there is a hardware issue, either with the connections, the USB port of the computer or the printer has failed and it’s time to get a new one or send it for repair. We recommend having a computer expert at MyCuredComputer assist you with diagnosing and troubleshooting your printer problems. To get started call or start a Live Chat today.

Category: Computer Tips & How Tos

Note: This material is provided for educational purposes only. Consult with a computer expert at MyCuredComputer for professional assistance and the best intended outcome.

A computer is a machine that does myriads of tasks. The computer has quickly become an essential part of our daily life and routine activities. Computers come in different sizes and specifications depending on the user’s need. Two main types of computers are portable and desktop.

But how does a computer work? One way to better understand this is by knowing its different hardware and software components and their respective functions. Let us go ahead and take a look.

Hardware

1. Case. This is where all parts reside. A desktop PC it comes in different sizes like micro tower, mini tower, mid tower, and full tower.
2. Power Supply (PSU Power Supply Unit). This component supplies power to the rest of the computer parts. It comes with different wattage options to supply power to all devices in a computer.
3. Motherboard. It acts as the backbone of a computer unit. This is where all components of the computer are connected.
4. Processor (CPU or Central Processing Unit). It acts as the brain of a computer wherein it processes and performs commands and instructs the rest of the components to work their functions.
5. Memory (RAM or Random Access Memory). It stores recently opened data, so that the CPU can easily access it. There are different types of RAM such as: SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic RAM), RDRAM (Rambus Dynamic RAM), DDR RAM (Double Data Rate RAM)
6. Video Card. This is what sends graphics to the monitor. Most video cards are built into the motherboard; however those that are into multimedia and games generally chose to upgrade their video cards to accommodate their graphic demands.
7. Sound Card. This is what sends sound to the speakers or accepts sound from the microphone.
8. Hard Disk Drive. This is where software programs, files, music, documents, pictures, and videos are stored.
9. Optical Drives. A device that uses a laser to read and/or write CDs and DVDs.
10. Monitor. The computer screen that displays information, images, and characters generated and processed by the computer.
11. Keyboard. Used to type commands into the computer.
12. Mouse. A pointing device which allows computer users to perform different commands and operations. It generally consists of a left and right button that is used in different functions. It also can come with a scroll that is used in moving the page inside a window up, down, left and right.
13. Speaker. Used to produce sounds from the computer.

Software

1. Operating System. This is the main software that manages both applications and hardware of a computer.
2. Word Processor. The application used in creating and typing documents
3. Spreadsheets. It is used in working with financial data or anything related to numbers and used in creating graphs, and tables.
4. Database. Used to store collection of data for organization purposes, easy access, and software programs.
5. Presentation. Used to create moving or still graphics slides, formatted in a way that it can create a comprehensive layout of information.
6. Communication Software. Generally tools that are used in receiving and sharing information from one computer to another. Some communication software uses the internet in communicating and sharing information with other computers.
7. Internet browsers. Software that allows you to access websites and search/browse the web.

A computer generally consists of both hardware and software for it to work properly.  This is only a basic overview of personal computer components.

Category: Computer Tips & How Tos