Black Bag Support - Questions & Answers

This page contains answers to common issues handled by our support staff, along with some tips and tricks that we have found useful. We are always adding new information to this page so make sure you visit often. If you are having a problem that is not posted here, please visit our Suggestions page and we will do our best to get a solution posted as soon as possible.

To view the question and answer documents, just click on the bulleted item to expand or collapse the contents.

Note: Unless otherwise specified, all documents were written assuming Microsoft Windows XP is being used.

Hardware - This refers to the physical components of your computer; the things you can touch such as your keyboard, mouse, printer and other internal or external parts that make up your computer system.
- General
  - How do I run the hardware diagnostics on my Dell computer?
  - What are the specifications of my system?
  - What can I do with my old computer?
  - How do I eject a disk that is stuck in my CD-ROM or Zip drive?
- Hard Drives
  - How do I test my hard drive for errors?
  - What do I do if I have a bad sector on my hard drive?
  - What is an "unmountable boot volume" error?
- Memory
  - How do I know if my memory is bad?
  - What kind of memory does my system take?
  - When should I add memory to my system?
- Video
  - How do I make my screen appear bigger?
  - How do I change the screen saver or desktop image?
- Monitors
  - What are the differences between monitors?
  - Why does my monitor display one color more than the others?
- Printers
  - How do I allow others to use my printer?
  - How do I fix the print quality of my printer?
  - What do I do when the printer doesn't print?
- Networking
  - What is networking?
  - What is a firewall?
  - Do I need a firewall?
  - How do I set up a wired network?
  - How do I set up a wireless network?
  - How do I configure wireless security?
Software - This refers to the computer programs held in the storage of a computer for some purpose. Program software performs the function of the program it implements, either by directly providing instructions to the computer hardware or by serving as input to another piece of software.
- General
  - What is licensing and how does it affect me?
- Operating System
  - What are the minimum requirements of my OS?
  - What are the differences between the current OS's?
- Internet
  - How do I change the home page of my internet browser?
  - What are script errors and how do I prevent them?
  - What are cookies and should I delete them?
- Email
  - How do I configure my email client?
  - What are my email server settings?
- Anti-Virus
  - What are my anti-virus program options?
  - How do I know if I have a virus?
  - How do I remove a virus?
- Spy-ware
  - What is Spy-ware?
  - How do I prevent Spy-ware?
  - How do I remove Spy-ware?
- Updates
  - What updates should I be doing?
  - How do I install updates?
- Maintenance
  - What kind of maintenance should be performed?
  - How often should maintenance tasks be performed?
  - How do I use Disk Cleanup?
  - How do I perform maintenance without using Disk Cleanup?
Data - This refers to information in the form of files that you have created manually or that a software program has created based on your input.
- General
  - When should I backup my data?
  - What data do I want to backup and where is it located?
- Backup Methods
  - What do I need to backup my data?
  - How do I backup to CD?
  - How do I backup to a USB hard drive or flash drive?
  - How do I backup to tape?
  - How do I automate my backup?
  - What backup software is available?
  - How do I use SyncToy?
Miscellaneous
- General
  - How do I take a picture of the screen?
  - How can I print a file listing of a directory's contents?
  - What is a software rebuild?
  - What is the difference between a power strip and a surge strip?
  - Do I need a battery backup?
- Upgrading
  - What is the difference between an update and an upgrade?
  - Should I upgrade or buy new?
- Purchasing
  - What should I be looking for in a new system?
  - Should I buy online or in a store?
  - How do I get a good online deal?
- Error Searching
  - How do I find the cause of my program errors?

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Questions or problems regarding this web site should be directed to kgawronski@blackbagsupport.com.
Black Bag Support. Established 2006.
Last modified: 4 Nov., 08