Fixing your computer? Simple stuff only

Sometimes a desperate desire to fix a problem can lead a person to do strange and not so wonderful things.

Lord knows I’ve been there. Let me tell you a story that, at first blush, seems to have nothing to do with technology.

I was already bald in my early 20s and I had a desperate desire to somehow fix my baldness. So, for the magnificent sum of $29.95 (hey, this was a long time ago) I bought a wig. I figured it would turn me into a more desirable person.

I wore it to a large party. I didn’t know many people there so it was a good way to test my theory that, with the wig, I’d be a new man, a better one. And it seemed to be working because, not far away, a beautiful redheaded woman was giving me the eye. I watched as she slowly made her way toward me. My heart was beating so fast it made my shirt flutter. In my mind she was floating like an angel.

She came within inches and whispered in my ear.

“There’s a string that seems to be hanging out of your hair.”

What I’m saying here is that desperate desire and the rush toward fulfilling it aren’t all that they are cracked up to be. It’s true for both bald-headed guys and computers.

When trouble strikes and your first instinct is to become some superhero of computing and start trying desperate measures, think of me with a cheap wig and do something counterintuitive instead. Stop. And then do something downright crazy — spend some time thinking. Turn off the computer and mull over the problem rather than trying to fix it. If you do that, you may avoid doing something that will make your problem worse rather than better.

I know it’s difficult to stop yourself from diving right in there. I have sure been there myself.

Years ago, my stepson came to me with a computer that apparently could no longer produce sound. So there was no music, no soundtrack for YouTube videos, nothing. It was as mute as a tree stump.

I spent hours working on that computer — including some pretty fancy stuff. Then as I sat in front of the computer, completely frustrated, I tweaked the volume control knob. I was greeted with a burst of sound. The problem with that computer was that he had the volume turned all the way down — I had just spent hours trying to fix a computer that was working just fine.

Even when the problem is a real one, taking time to think calmly about it can save your neck. Know what you should think about first? Consider whether you might be better off just taking the computer to a tech to get it fixed. After all, that’s what most of us do when the kitchen range stops working or when the car dashboard lights up like Times Square at Christmas.

If, after a good amount of time considering the problem, you believe the fix is within your capabilities, then take this second step. Ask your spouse or best friend if they agree you are up to the job. Many of us often have an inflated notion of our technical skills.

For some of us, some of the time, it will be a problem that we are capable of handling. If that’s truly the case, then it is time to take a lesson from a good auto mechanic: Car Fixing 101 says that the smart way to work on a car is to look at obvious and simple fixes first. If I had followed that advice when working on my stepson’s computer that rule would have meant trying the volume control before dismantling the computer.

Let’s say the problem does fall into that category — something you at least semi-understand and that is within your skill level. Before you proceed, TECHNOBUDDY’S BIG Q&A spend some time on the web researching the prob- lem and fix. Besides websites there’s one resource that can really be helpful. Check out YouTube. Often there is a step-bystep video that shows how to attack the problem in a way that doesn’t just explain the fix but also shows each step of the repair.

Now, here’s a final bit of advice. Let me warn you it takes a brave person to follow it. If as you begin the fix you have just a tiny cloud of doubt that you are in over your head then stop. Don’t proceed. Get professional help. I’ve found that the subconscious often is smarter than the conscious mind when it comes to evaluating the likelihood of overstepping your skills. Listen to that doubt.

Look, I completely understand that panic that comes over a person can push you toward taking desperate measures. But as I discovered with my $29.95 wig, those moments of desperation can leave a person standing there with his head unraveling.