Canasta Addicts Technical Support

The first step is to make sure the computer is getting power. When you try to turn on the computer, if you don't see any lights come on and no sound comes from the computer case, then your PC is not getting any power. In this case, check the power cables first. If your system has a 110V/220V switch on the back, make sure it is set firmly in the 110V position. Also, if you use a surge protector, make sure it's turned on and you are receiving power from your wall outlet.

If all of these connections are fine but you still hear and see nothing when you turn the computer on, the power supply may be damaged. In this case, you will need to take your system to a repair shop to have it diagnosed and repaired.

Note: Sometimes the cooling fan will spin even though the power supply is broken.

If the CPU lights up and beeps, but the monitor remains dark, make sure that the monitor is turned on and getting power (check for the power light, usually located near the switch on the monitor face). Make sure that the monitor, keyboard, and other peripherals are firmly attached to the CPU.

If you do see the power lights come on and you can hear the hard disk start to spin, check to see if something appears on the screen. On PCs, there is a built-in program stored in the computer's BIOS (Basic Input-Output System) that checks all of the hardware when you turn on the computer. This is called the POST, or Power-On Self Test. The BIOS stores information about the hardware in your system in an area of memory that is not erased when you turn your computer off. This non-volatile memory is referred to as the CMOS RAM.

When the BIOS finds something wrong with your computer, it notifies you by flashing an error message on the screen or making your computer emit a series of beeps. These beeps are actually diagnostic messages. Different brands of CMOS have different beep patterns.

In most cases, a BIOS error means that you will either have to investigate your CMOS settings or swap components. Usually, you will need to take the computer to a technician. If the boot failure occurs after you have just installed or moved a video card, you should power down and push the card firmly into its slot, and then try restarting.

If your computer gets past the POST stage, the problem is most likely something in the Windows boot process. At this point, it's useful to boot into Safe Mode or to use the Recovery Console (Windows XP) or boot diskettes (earlier versions of Windows).

Safe Mode is a special diagnostic version of Windows that bypasses some Windows startup files. If you have a problem with your hardware configuration or your computer's display drivers that prevents Windows from loading normally, you may be able to resolve the problem by booting into Safe Mode and changing the relevant settings.

If you can boot into Safe mode, you can set it to not load certain drivers, disable startup items, run ScanDisk, and use a number of other diagnostic tools.To enter Safe Mode in Windows Vista or Windows XP:

Note: If you have more than one partition installed, you may need to select an operating system and press Enter before entering Safe Mode.

• Safe Mode: Boots Windows with only the basic drivers needed to load the operating system. Uses basic drivers for mouse, keyboard, display (VGA), mass storage, and default system services and drivers, with no network components. 
  
  
• Safe Mode with Networking: Loads the Safe Mode configuration, but also enables network devices and services. 
  
  
• Safe Mode with Command Prompt: Loads Windows in Safe Mode, and, after logging in, opens a command prompt instead of the normal desktop. 

  Note: You should try booting to the command prompt only if you feel comfortable operating within the DOS environment.

• Enable Boot Logging: Boots Windows with all of the normal files and drivers, but writes their status to a log file at each step. I
  
  
• Enable VGA Mode: Boots Windows using a plain VGA 16-color 640x480 display driver for the highest level of compatibility with video cards. In Windows Vista, this mode is called Enable Low-Resolution Video. It is otherwise identical.
  
  
• Last Known Good Configuration: Boots Windows using the last registry configuration that is known to work. This is a way of undoing problems created by installing incorrect drivers or possibly by registry corruption. It will not, however, fix problems caused by corrupted or missing files.
  
  
• Debugging Mode: Boots Windows while sending debug information through a serial port to another computer. It's useful in the case of a persistent "blue screen" or "stop" error.
  
  
• Directory Services Restore Mode:  Vista only. Starts the Windows domain controller running Active Directory so that directory service can be restored. This option is intended for system administrators.
  
  
• Disable Automatic Restart on System Failure: Vista only. This option is intended to correct a loop wherein Windows fails, reboots, and fails again, thus initiating endless reboots.
  
  
• Disable Driver Signature Enforcement: Vista only.  Vista, by default, insist on properly Signed drivers. A driver is considered to have a valid "Driver Signature" only after it has been tested and approved by Microsoft. Some advanced users prefer to use certain third-party drivers, which are not tested by Microsoft. This option enables the system to use third-party, non-Microsoft approved drivers, though at their own risk.
  

  Use the arrow keys to move up or down this menu to make your selection, and then press Enter. If you have to update software or access the Internet while in Safe Mode, select "Safe Mode with Networking".