Software Help

Understand Your Software, How to Use it, and How to Troubleshoot it
When You're Having Problems

Without software, the computer is an oversized paper-weight! Without it, the computer wouldn't run and you'd have no means to do send email, create documents, connect to the internet, etc.

Computer software can be divided into the following categories:

• BIOS (Basic Input Output System)
• Operating System (OS)
• Applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, Adobe, etc.)
• Device Drivers
• Firmware

The BIOS is the first thing you see when you boot up your computer (all that text rolling across a black screen). It's job is to make sure all the critical hardware components are working (CPU, RAM, Hard Drive, Keyboard, etc.)

If something doesn't work right, the BIOS may freeze (and display an error message of what's not working), not work at all, or give you a series of beeps (different beep series indicate different problems).

If you can't get past the BIOS screen, something is serious may be wrong. Then again, it could be something as simple as having a floppy disc in the floppy drive.

It's important to pay attention to error messages, lights, beeps, etc. during the BIOS stage if you're having a problem booting up your computer.

The Operating System (or OS, for short) is the software program that runs your computer. Common Operating Systems include

• Windows Vista
• Windows XP
• Windows ME, 98, 95
• Windows 2000
• Linux
• OS/2 (Mac computers)

PC Operating Systems (Windows) are by far the most common. Knowing which OS your computer is running is important when adding or upgrading components and troubleshooting problems.

You can easily see which OS your computer is running by,

1. RIGHT Click on MY COMPUTER
2. Select PROPERTIES

A window will pop up which tells you which operating system you're running. By the way, it also tells you which service pack your running and what type of CPU you have (Intel or AMD), how fast it is, and how much memory (or RAM) is installed on your computer.

Software Applications are smaller software programs that run on your computer. These are designed to perform specific functions or jobs. Some software applications come pre-installed on your computer (like Outlook Express and Internet Explorer) and others are added by the manufacturer or by the user.

Common software applications include:

• Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access, etc.)
• Microsoft Works
• Adobe Reader or Acrobat
• Roxio Easy CD Creator
• Computer Games
• Internet Explorer (and Firefox, Netscape, etc.)
• Outlook Express (and Juno, PeoplePC, etc.)
• Windows Media Player (and Real Audio, QuickTime, etc.)

Just about every other software program that runs on your computer other than the Operating System can be labeled a software application.

The exception to the rule are device drivers and firmware.

Device Drivers are the small programs that tell your computer how to work with your hardware devices (keyboard, mouse, printer, monitor, scanner, etc.).

Every hardware device attached to your computer needs a device driver to work properly.

Some hardware components have their own software application installed, which is called Firmware. The Computer BIOS is actually firmware. This software is embedded on the motherboard in the form of a chip. Without it (or if it's corrupted), the computer won't boot.

Some routers have firmware inside them. Like all software, firmware can become corrupted, causing the device to not work properly. When troubleshooting hardware problems, it's sometimes necessary to update the firmware.

Things that Affect Software Functioning

There are various things that can affect how your software functions. One of the biggest ones often overlooked is system memory (or RAM).

Every piece of hardware or software you buy is designed to work on certain systems. And the box will have a list titled, System Requirements.

It's very important to compare this list to your actual system requirements when buying a new piece of software or hardware. Otherwise, the new purchase may not work on your computer.

Keep in the mind that the System Requirements listed are MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS. When it comes to memory, my experience is that when buying software, you should have twice the memory listed in System Requirements.

In other words, if the system requirement listed says you need to have 256 MB RAM installed on your computer, then I'd suggest installing 512 MB RAM. You can run the software with 256 MB, but it will run very slow (painfully slow). Doubling your memory will make things run much smoother.

Causes of Software Problems

Software corruptions are one of the main causes of software problems. Software can become corrupted numerous ways including:

• Improper shutdown of computer or program
• Configuration changes
• Computer viruses
• partial installs or uninstall's
• corrupted updates or problems during installation of updates
• Compatibility issues

The list goes on - which is why troubleshooting software can be challenging. Every computer is unique, so there's not always a "one fix fits all computers" solution.

Troubleshooting software follows many of the same rules as troubleshooting hardware. First you have to isolate the problem.

This requires knowing if you made recent changes to hardware or software (including updates), trying to tie the problem to certain programs or actions.

If you can narrow duplicate the problem under a set of conditions, tracing the cause is a lot easier.

As always, it's also important to write down any error messages you may be getting. That too can help trace the problem much quicker.

Many software problems masquerade as hardware problems, and vice versa. For example, if a computer doesn't boot up, you may suspect the monitor (since the screen is blank), when in reality, the problem could be a corrupted OS.

Likewise, if you can't connect to the internet, you may suspect a problem with your internet software, when the problem could be the modem.

So when troubleshooting software, you may have to rule out hardware problems in the process.

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