PC - Help Me

SOFTWARE

Without software computers would be pretty useless. Software is the programs that run on your computer and allow you to perform tasks. It ranges from text editors to the Operating System on your machine.

Each peice of software is different and so it is hard to troubleshoot however, here are a few pointers to help you.

"How do I load software?"
  1. Most software comes on CDs with an auto-run feature so you should simply place the disk in the drive and it will run, then follow the on-screen instructions.
  2. If your CD wont auto-run, select the folder of your drive (probably D: or Q:) and find the auto-run program then manually run it (by double-clicking it).
  3. If your software is on a floppy disk, insert it into the drive and find a suitably named '.exe' (EXEcutable) file, e.g. install.exe, setup.exe or the name of the program.
It is best to let the installer put files where it wants to, if you change it the programs may have trouble finding things when you run them.

"How do I remove software?"
  1. The best way to remove a peice of software you have installed is to find its 'uninstall' program. Find the folder that contains the software (e.g. C:\Windows\Program Files\NameOfSoftware) and look for an uninstall program, then just double-click it.
  2. Another way to remove software is to click the 'Start' menu > Settings > Control Panel (in some versions of Windows, Control Panel may be under My Computer instead of settings). Go to Add/Remove Programs. Find the program you want to remove from the list and Windows will remove it for you.
  3. Alternatively, if all else fails, simply go to the folder that contains the software and delete it. This is messy as most programs store things all over the place and you probably wont be able to entirely remove them this way.

"What do I do when a program crashes/freezes?"
The trouble with software is its always locking up and refusing to work! There isnt a lot you can do when this happens but here are a few suggestions:
  1. An invaluable tool when using a Windows based system is 'Control-Alt-Delete', so called as it describes the three buttons you press simultaneously (Ctrl-Alt-Delete/Del) to bring up the Task Manager. This lists all the processes that are currently running on your machine. You wont recognise some of them as they are system processes that are running in the background, dont worry about these. Look for your program, which will probably say '[not responding]' next to it, select it and click 'End task'. It may take a few seconds but this should close down your program.
  2. If the program has frozen the computer and you cant do anything at all, try pressing Ctrl-Alt-Del a few times to try and restart the computer (pressing it twice should activate a restart). If nothing happens try and manually switch off the computer. If it stays on your only option will be to unplug the computer from the mains. This wont do your computer much good but may be the only way to restart.