Appendix For Windows

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Appendices Appendix 1: Getting the workstation log-in screen This section lists several things to check or do to obtain the log-in window. Check these in the order given.

If the screen is blank except for the message B62A-16: Screen Saver - Press Any Key (the first bit will vary depending on which workstation you are sitting in front of), then press any key on the keyboard, such as the space bar, and the log-in window should appear.

If the screen is totally blank, see whether the machine and its monitor are switched on. If so, each will show a very small coloured light. Press a key, and the log-in screen or workstation menu may appear.

If the machine is switched off, switch on the monitor using the button on the front of the monitor, then switch on the main processor unit using the button on the front. After a minute or two, while it starts up and various messages appear and disappear, the log-in window will appear.

If there are characters or graphics on the monitor screen, but no log-in screen, the computer has probably been left running a program by the previous user (this was naughty). You should try to close all the windows you can see, and then you should be able to use the Logout icon or the Logout option on the Start menu. If there is no sign of these, there are a couple of things to try. If it is obvious how to stop whatever the offending program is doing (sometimes labelled "˜"˜exit' or "˜"˜quit'), try doing so. If it is not obvious, or what you try fails to work within a few seconds, there is a magic remedy: Make sure there is no disc in the disc drive slot, then hold down the Control and Alt keys at the bottom left-hand corner of the keyboard with your left hand, and press the Del key in the bottom right-hand corner (or the "˜"˜Delete' key) with your right hand. As you may guess, this operation is designed to be hard to do by accident, because it has a fairly drastic effect (it will stop almost any program that someone else may have left running). You may then be asked whether you really want to restart the computer.

If even the "˜"˜Ctrl-Alt-Del' operation fails to have any effect, you will have (as a last resort) to switch off the main processor box using the button on the front. Do not switch the monitor off. Wait about ten seconds for the machine to stop humming and then switch back on again. If after a minute or two the log-on screen doesn't appear, the machine is faulty and should be reported to the Information Centre at the Computing Services in the Murray Building.

Move to another workstation.

Appendix 2: What to do if your computer crashes Don't panic. It's because of a software failure, usually. It is never your fault (well, hardly ever), because Rule Number One for software developers is to anticipate every daft thing every maniacal user might ever do.

Try clicking on each of the running program buttons on the Start bar in turn. It is possible that one of these is waiting for a response from you.

If this doesn't work, and the computer is still frozen, press Ctrl-Alt-Delete (hold down the Control and Alt keys and press the Del or Delete key). Allow a few seconds before expecting to see some response. This may restart the computer, or a blue text screen may appear with instructions on what to do next. This varies according to what Windows thinks has happened, but often it is possible to choose an option which allows Windows to close down the offending program and carry on as normal.

If these steps have no effect, the computer software has lost control completely and the computer must be prodded back into life. Press the button marked Reset on the front of the main system unit, or switch off and on again after ten seconds. Wait a while for the network and menu software to reload. You will then need to log in again and start from scratch.

When this has happened to you once or twice in the middle of something important, you will develop the habit of saving your work at regular intervals, say every ten minutes or so. Saving a file to the hard disc or to your home filestore will enable you to survive a crash, even if you haven't got a floppy disc for long-term storage.

Appendix 3: Getting help Some students are natural-born computer geeks, and will need no assistance beyond these notes and the web pages. Others can cause computers to freeze in terror if they even approach one. Of course, you are probably some where in between, and may appreciate a little help if you get stuck.