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Austin Community College
5930 Middle Fiskville Rd.
Austin, Texas
78752-4390
512.223.4ACC (4222)
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Helpdesk Hardware FAQ's
I have a CD that will not read in my computer?
My monitor has wavy blue and green colors in the corners?
My computer will not boot?
I am getting a "NON SYSTEM DISK OR DISK ERROR"?
I am getting a "NTLDR is Missing, Press any key to restart" error?
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I have a CD that will not read in my computer?
Look carefully at the data side of the CD. This is the side opposite the label. Inspect the CD for scratches or damage.
If the CD is dusty, or dirty, it may be gently cleaned with a lint-free towel using gentle sweeping motion from the
inside of the CD near the spindle hole outward. Do not rub the cloth around the CD - always rub from the inside out.
Repeat this all the way around the CD. Be sure not to apply too much pressure, and do not use anything abrasive.
If cleaning the CD does not solve the issue, it may be too damaged to read, or your CD drive itself may need cleaning.
Fill out the Helpdesk Service Request Form
for assistance with cleaning your CD drive.
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My monitor has wavy blue and green colors in the corners?
We have a number of monitor models at ACC, and we cannot supply instructions for all of them, however there is a certain amount of
similarity in the controls of most monitors. Here is the basic procedure to follow:
- Press your Menu button, which should be located on the front of your monitor.
- When the on-screen menu appears, look for an 'Options' or 'Extra Controls'
entry. Use the other keys on the monitor, which are usually arrows, to navigate to this
choice. On most Dell monitors, the up and down arrows navigate the menu, while the right arrow acts as an enter key.
- Look for the word 'Degauss' on this sub-menu, or an icon that appears to be a horseshoe magnet with a slash
through it. Move to this option, and press the right arrow or 'enter' key.
- The monitor should buzz, and display a distorted image that will clear over the course of a few seconds.
Your monitor has now been successfully degaussed.
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My computer will not boot?
Rule out Power issue.
The first step in determining the cause of the no-boot situation is to check your computer's cabling.
Very often, cables can become detached without being noticed. Check the three main cables neccessary to
your computer's operation. These are the power cables for the PC and monitor, which can easily be found
by tracing them to the power strip or outlet you use to power your computer. Be sure that these cables
are properly seated on both ends, and check that the switch on your power strip (if any) is in the 'on'
position. Power strips that lie on the floor may inadvertently be kicked, turning off the power to every
item plugged in to that power strip. If your power strip has no 'on; light, or you are using an electrical outlet; it can be
helpful to plug another device in to the power strip or outlet to verify that there is electricity in that outlet.
Rule out Monitor issue.
Once it has been verified that the computer is plugged in to a good electrical outlet.,
check the cable that runs from the monitor to the PC. Be sure this cable is seated properly,
and that the screw-in posts are tight. Check the light on the monitor. It should be green, or
flashing amber. If there is no light, and you are sure your monitor is getting power,
then the problem lies in the monitor, or it's power cable. The easiest way to narrow this
down is to borrow a power cable from a 'known good' monitor, or the PC, and swap the cables.
If the monitor will now come on, you have a bad monitor cable. Contact your Helpdesk Support
Technician to get a replacement (Helpdesk Service Request Form). If a known good
cable does not cause the monitor to turn on, then the monitor probably has some sort of
mechanical issue. If you are able to borrow a known good monitor from another computer,
and that monitor works on this computer, then you need to request that your monitor be replaced.
One final step before making that request is to test your monitor on a known good computer, failure of the monitor to function on a known good system is further proof of monitor failure.
Check other PC Cabling
Now that it has been determined that your PC has power, and that the monitor is not the cause of the
issue, the following steps will determine whether your PC has a mechanical issue. Trace the cables
from your mouse and keyboard to the back of the PC. Pull these cables out, one at a time, and look at
the connectors to see if there are any bent pins. Return the cables, and ensure that they are seated
tightly. Note that on most new PCs, the keyboard and mouse cables are color coded, with the Mouse connector
and socket being coded green, and the keyboard connections being purple. Attempt to power on the PC,
and watch the keyboard's lights, located in the upper right hand corner of the keyboard. At this time,
also listen for the sound of the PC fan coming on, and the sound of the PC's disk drives spinning up.
If there are no lights, and the PC makes no sound, swap the power cables from the PC to the monitor,
since it has already been verified that the monitor's power cable is good. If this swap allows the PC to
power on, then the PC's cable is at fault, and a replacement should be ordered. When replacing the cables,
make note of the small red switch near the port on the back of the PC where the power cable connects.
This switch should be showing the legend "115" clearly. If it looks as if it is off center, or is showing "220",
move the switch all the way to the "115" position, making sure the switch is firmly in place.
Try the power button again at this time.
Contact your Helpdesk Support Technician
Once all these trouble-shooting steps have been completed, you have successfully ruled out
all the more common causes of a non-bootable condition with a PC. At this time, you should fill out a
Help Service Request Form
and ask that your Helpdesk Support Technician take a look at the computer
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I am getting a "NON SYSTEM DISK OR DISK ERROR"?
Remove any disks from your floppy drive, and reboot the computer. This error is commonly caused by
the presence of a floppy diskette in your floppy disk drive when you turn your computer on. The
presence of such a disk will cause this error.
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I am getting a "NTLDR is
Missing, Press any key to restart" error when I try to boot my computer.
Remove any disks from your floppy drive, and reboot the computer. This error is commonly caused by
the presence of a floppy diskette in your floppy disk drive when you turn your computer on. The
presence of such a disk will cause this error.
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