MA XIMUMPC NOVEMBER 2004
TRAUMA KIT
2004
IN ACTION
Don’t panic! Here’s how our
trauma kit can save you from
three common PC disastersSYMPTOM: YOUR LAPTOP
WON’T BOOT
TRIAGE : More than anything else, data
rescue should be your fi rst priority. Open
the laptop drive bay using the Snap-On
screwdriver. The hard drive may be affi xed
to the chassis with tape, so be sure to
remove it before attempting to extract
the drive (and remember that this might
violate your warranty). Gently— gently —
remove the hard drive from the bay. Place
on gurney and wheel over to a working
PC. Power down the working PC. Connect
the laptop hard drive to the 2.5-to-3.5-inch
IDE converter , and then connect that to the
secondary IDE port with a standard IDE
cable. Power on the PC. If the laptop drive
is clicking or making any other unusual
noises, we strongly recommend powering
down and turning to a professional
data recovery service before the drive’s
condition deteriorates any further.
Otherwise, evacuate all the data.
Now treat the situation like any other
unbootable PC. Try to reinstall Windows,
and if that doesn’t work, pray you’re still
covered by warranty.SYMPTOM: YOUR PC
SPONTANEOUSLY REBOOTS
AND/OR SHUTS DOWN
TRIAGE : If it’s a hot day, the CPU
and/or motherboard may be trying
to prevent a meltdown by simply
shutting down the PC when its internal
temperature exceeds safe levels.
Don’t just sit around waiting for the
PC to cool off so you can power up
again—fl ush out any cruft
and improve the airfl ow
in the interim. Using
the can of Dust
Off , clean out
the intake and
exhaust grills
with quick,
short bursts.
Never depress
the trigger for
more than a
half second or
you’ll risk spraying
moisture over your
components. Clean off
the surfaces of your
expansion cards, CPU,
and chipset with the
same method. Check
for any cables that can
be tied off or tucked
out of the way to improve airfl ow.
If the problem persists, update
your videocard and motherboard
chipset drivers to the latest version.
Chipset drivers can be found at your
motherboard manufacturer’s web site,
and video drivers will be at either
http://www.ati.com or http://www.nvidia.com.
Still having spontaneous
reboots? It’s time to dig deeper, and
your trauma box is well equipped
for the task. Pop your CPU heatsink
from its mount and clean off the
old thermal grease with the 99%
isopropyl alcohol and a paper towel.
Then apply a thin layer of Arctic
Silver 5 and remount your heatsink
on the CPU.SYMPTOM: YOU FORGOT
YOUR PASSWORD
TRIAGE : The Maximum PC Trauma
Response Team is quite familiar with the
forgotten password. It can be a major
nuisance—unless you’re prepared. To
remedy the problem, pull out Winternals’
ERD Commander 2003. Just boot the
system from the ERD Commander CD.
The interface couldn’t be simpler—it
looks and operates just like Windows XP.
Click Start > Administrative Tools >
Locksmith. Select the account
whose password you’d like
to reset from the drop-
down list, and specify a
new password in the
following screen. Then
reboot and enter using
your newly created
password. Note that
you must select a new
password, so if you
think you can use ERD
Commander to “hack” into
an account without raising
any red fl ags, think again.
Another great feature
of ERD Commander
allows you to revert to
earlier System Restore
points from within the
application—a lifesaver
when you can’t boot into Windows XP,
even in Safe Mode. n} } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } }
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}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
A half-inch of cat hair
blocking your exhaust
definitely counts as “cruft.”No password? No problem —if your trauma
kit has ERD Commander.Laptop not booting? Rescue the
data first.}}}}}}}}}}}}