Frequently Asked Questions

Sometimes mainboard cmos may have corruption. Try unplugging all cables from computer systems and replug cables. Power cable should be last to be plugged in.

If problem is not solved, Excel Computers can diagnose desktop computers for $60 and laptop computer for $60-120

We have used laptop batteries, call our shop at 916 -736-0322.

Computers will sometimes power on but not display anything on screen. You can try these tips:

1. Unplug phone line from modem
2. Unplug power cable from computer and display monitor, replug power cables
3. Try a different display monitor
4. If computer is a laptop computer, attach a display monitor, turn on computer. You may have to hold down blue"FN" key and press function key that has blue display icon
5. Your problems may be an internal hardware problem(s). Excel Computers can diagnose desktop computers for $60 and laptop computers $60-120

The following applies to Outlook 2003.

When you view your Inbox in either a single-line or multi-line layout view (view: Views give you different ways to look at the same information in a folder by putting it in different arrangements and formats. There are standard views for each folder. You can also create custom views.), it's easy to quickly sort your messages by clicking a column heading (column heading: The horizontal bar at the top of one column in a table. There are multiple column headings in the column heading row.). However, you can also sort messages by using multiple columns. For example, you can sort by who a message is from and if that person flagged it for your attention.

Note  If you have the Reading Pane (Reading Pane: A window in Outlook where you can preview an item without opening it. To display the item in the Reading Pane, click the item.) turned on, you might need to maximize your Outlook window and drag the split bar to make the Inbox wider to see all the columns.

Sort your Inbox by using multiple columns

1. Click the column heading of your first sorting criterion.
2. Hold down the SHIFT key and click the column heading of your next sorting criterion.

   You can continue to sort by additional columns, with each additional criterion sorting within the earlier criterion.

   Note  You can also sort the columns in other mail folder views the same way.

1) Place bootable Windows XP or operating install disc into computer

2) Shutdown computer

3) Turn on computer.  Make sure to enable boot cdrom first from cmos menu or boot prompt.

4) If Windows XP or operating install disc does not begin to load, then cdrom is defective.

If Windows XP or operating install disc begins to load and cdrom has problems in Windows, Then problem is most likely with Windows installation.

1. Turn off computer
2. Turn on computer
3. Press function key F8 repeatedly before Windows begins to load
4. User arrrow keys to move cursor to "Last Known Good Configuration ..."
5. Press Enter
6. If problem not repaired, Excel Computers can service your computer using more advanced techniques

Wireless mice and keyboards can cause intermittent no response, move or delete files/folder problems. Try the following:

1. Press connect on wireless receiver
2. Press connect on wireless mouse and keyboard
3. Try replacing batteries and repeat steps 1,2

Your original hard drive is most likely ata type. New laptops only support sata type hard drives. We sell a very nice economical 15.6" laptop for $580. We remove unneeded software from it and install free antivirus, penoffice, adobe reader, flash player. We also install a second operating system called Linux. Linux is pratically impervious to virus infections and recommended for email and web browsing.

Slow Windows Perfomance can be caused by low system memory. Check available physical memory. For good performance at least 200000 K available memory is needed.

1. Press CTRL-ALT-DEL keys at the same time
2. Press Perfomance Tab
3. If memory is less than 200000 K available, adding additional system will help performance

Slow Windows Performance can be caused by low hdd space. Open My Computer. Move mouse over local disk C: Drive. Windows will indicate hdd size and space available. We recommend at least 500mb free. If free space is less than 500mb then additional hdd can be installed.

1. Try pressing function key f8 before windows begins to load and choose safe mode. once inside safe mode try doing a system restore to date and time before problem occurred
2. If safe mode does not work, the computer maybe virus infected or windows corrupted. We recommend windows to be reinstalled. The lowest cost windows install costs $60.

You can install the google toolbar by going to this website.

http://www.google.com/toolbar/ie/index-instant.html

Input signal out of range can be caused by windows display settings set to very high or very fast setting that monitor does not support. Try lowering Windows Display settings by booting into windows safe mode. Windows safe mode is accessible by pressing function key f8 several times before windows begins to load.

Every once in a while we have a customer asking about how to permanently delete files from their computer, so that no one can ever find them again.  The answer is easy.  Destroy your hard drive by melting in in a fire or by dissolving it in acid.  At Excel Computers, we offer our means of getting the job accomplished by placing our customer's old hard drives in a plastic bag and slamming it on the ground, effectively smashing them.

A more textbook explaination of how a hard drive works is this:  Files are written onto your drive as a series of ones and zeroes.  A directory of that file tells the computer where it is.  When you delete a file, you change that directory.  Your computer will no longer find it, but the data may still exist until something else writes over it, changing those ones and zeroes into a different series of ones and zeroes. 

For those looking to give away a functional computer and/or not wanting to smash their old hard drives, there are programs which promise to permanently delete these files so that they are no longer readable.  Some of these programs can work better than others at making overwritten data irretrievable.  While we're not the FBI or have any high tech forensic capabilities here, we've found that these hard drive erasing programs will make it virtually impossible for anyone other than supreme hackers or law enforcement to even have a chance at recovering erased data.  

A good open source free hard drive erasing program that we've had good experience with is Eraser (http://www.heidi.ie/node/6).  Eraser is compatible with all versions of Windows from 95 on up and performs all of its functions within Windows.  Erasing your hard drive is your only choice if you intend on leaving it funtional.  But if you have a computer on which you’ve stored sensitive data, the only way to be 100 percent sure it’s gone is to destroy the hard drive.