Dear Geek,

I spilled some pop’ on my work computer, and now one of the keys sticks.  I just started at this job, and don’t want to admit to my boss that I was that careless.  Help!

Signed,

Popped

Dear Popped,

A sticky situation indeed!  If the spill wasn’t too large, and the keyboard itself isn’t permanently damaged, you can usually fix the problem yourself.

1.  Shut down your computer.  If you are using a desktop computer, and the keyboard is wired, unplug it.

2.  Tilt the computer upside down and gently shake it to remove any loose debris.  If you have a can of compressed air, you can spray it between the keys as well (keep your keyboard upside down while doing this, in order for the dirt to fall away from your keyboard instead of falling back onto your keys).

3.  Dip a cotton swab into some gentle isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) and brush it in the area surrounding each key.  If you’re unsure of the strength of the alcohol you have, dab a little on a small, inconspicuous area first to ensure that the alcohol doesn’t cause a discolouration or remove the lettering on the keys.

4.  Dip a soft cloth into the isopropyl alcohol, and brush it along the tops of the keys and surfaces.

5.  If the key is still sticking, you will have to use a flathead screwdriver to gently pop the key off.  Clean the back of the key with your soft cloth & isopropyl alcohol.  Use a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol to remove any dried up “pop” from the base of the keypad.  Gently snap the key back onto the keyboard.

6.  Use a dry, lint-free cloth to remove dust and polish the keyboard.

7.  If using a wired keyboard, plug it back in.

If this doesn’t fix the sticky keys, you’re going to have to go to your IT department, head hung in shame, and let them know.

If you have a question for our Resident Geek, send it to:  geek@tbyd.ca.  We’ll translate it from Geek-lish to English, so it actually helps!

Dear Geek,

When shutting off my computer at the end of the day.  Regardless of closing all my programs prior to choosing “shut down”, I always get the message asking me if I want to “force” the computer to close a program before it shuts down.  Why do I keep getting this message when I’ve already closed all the programs?

Forcing Clueless

Dear Clueless,

When you close all the programs you had running, you speed up the shut down, by not having the computer do it for you (and ensuring that you’ve saved all your changes).  However, there are ‘applications’ or programs that your computer is running behind-the-scenes, such as malware scanners, etc.  When you receive the message asking if you want to “force” a program to close, it simply means that an application (or applications) is taking too long to close, and Windows is simply getting impatient.  If you wait and don’t answer, the application will close on it’s own, and your computer will shut down as requested.  However, if you’re in a hurry, and don’t want to wait, you can choose to force the applications to close.

If you have a question for our Resident Geek, send it to:  geek@tbyd.ca.  We’ll translate it from Geek-lish to English, so it actually helps!

Dear Geek,

My printer at home is old and buying ink for it is almost as expensive as buying a new printer.  My kids are bugging me to get a wireless printer.  Why would I need one? And why are printers so cheap, and the ink so expensive?

Signed,

Print-less

Dear Print-less;

Let’s start with your last question first.  Why does something that contains less liquid than a McDonalds ketchup packet cost so much?  Some argue that it’s because of the technology that went into it.  Others argue that it’s because ink manufacturers have a monopoly on the market and charge higher because they can.  Others state that printer manufacturers make printers so cheap so that people will have to buy the ink.  You can try the less-expensive ink refills, however some people complain that the ink cartridge goes quicker, and that the quality is lower.  You can also make sure you choose the ‘black ink only’ option when you print black and white text, to make the colour ink last longer (which is more expensive than black ink).

Now for your second question.  There are pros and cons to wireless printers.  Printers that connect to your computer via a USB cable are more difficult to share with other computers because it has to be left on all the time in order for the other computers connected to your network to access it.  A network-ready wireless printer simplifies the process, and makes it easier for everyone to access it.  A wireless printer also makes it easier to place the printer in a location that’s convenient for everyone, without having everyone trip over cables everywhere.

If you’re printing big documents, a wireless printer could be slower to load the document.  Also, depending on your wireless network and settings, wireless printers could be ‘glitchy’.

If you have a question for our Resident Geek, send it to:  geek@tbyd.ca.  We’ll translate it from Geek-lish to English, so it actually helps!

Dear Geek,

Sometimes my computer gives me an error message of “disk not found”.  What does this mean and how can I stop the message from coming up?

Signed,

Disk Flopped [Read more…]

Dear Geek,

My neighbor was shocked to find out that I don’t have a firewall on my computer.  I have antivirus software on my computer.  Besides, I don’t have national security information stored, do I really need a firewall?

Defenseless? [Read more…]

Dear Geek,

One of my co-workers is constantly using “shortcuts” on his keyboard to do simple things like cutting & pasting.  What are the shortcuts, and how do I use them?

Thanks,

A Little off the Side [Read more…]