Chapter 1. Desktop Annoyances
I remember my first desktop PC. It was a Packard Bell 8086 with two floppy drives and CGA graphics. The contraption terrorized my cats with its constant noise, and usually threw enough heat to warm my office in our frigid New England winters. Of course, a 20MB (yes, megabyte) hard drive and a newfangled VGA graphics adapter were prized upgrades that worked quite well-once I managed to get them working in the first place. Times have changed. Today’s 3GHz+ desktop systems offer remarkable compatibility and stability across a myriad of hardware devices. Still, there are plenty of times when it seems that your PC genuinely hates you, and not even a deal with God can get things running the way you want. This chapter offers practical solutions to keep you from pulverizing your pesky desktop.
SETUP ANNOYANCES
CABLING AND IMAGE QUALITY
The Annoyance:
The image on my LCD monitor looks a little fuzzy no matter what resolution or refresh rate I use. I already downloaded the latest drivers. What else can I do?
The Fix:
Electrical noise usually causes an image to seem “fuzzy,” but always start with the basics and perform a few quick sanity checks. Make sure you tighten (secure those little thumbscrews) the analog RGB video cable between the monitor and the PC’s video adapter. Look for any kinks, nicks, or damage to the video cable. If it looks like the cable just came through an Enron shredder, replace it right away. Reroute the video cable away from any AC power cables ...