FAQ

1. How come my computer is "on" but there is no display on the monitor?
   1. Make sure the monitor is turned on (check for the power LED on the monitor unit itself).
   2. Make sure the brightness and contrast is set to moderate on the monitor.
   3. Is there any beeping sound when you start the PC?
      1. One beep means normal startup - you should have the normal display on your monitor.
      2. One long beep followed by 3 short beeps means the graphic card has come loose or stopped working. In this case:
         1. Power off the computer. Take the case panel off and reseat the graphics card. Then power the computer back on.
         2. If there's still no display, try a different graphics card.
         3. If the new graphics card doesn't resolve the problem, try a new monitor.
         4. If you do not have a spare graphics card or monitor, refer to our "Warranty Policy" page for repair or return instructions.
   4. Make sure the voltage is set to 110V or 115V on the power supply rather than 220V. This toggle can be found on the back of the power supply (where the power mains plug is connected) and is usually red.
   
   
   
2. Why is there no power to the computer?
   1. Make sure both ends (one end goes to the wall's power outlet or the power strip and the other end goes into the back of your computer) of the power cord are plugged in properly.
   2. Make sure the I/O switch (also referred to as the rocker switch or the flip switch) in the back of the computer is turned on. The "line" should be pushed in on that switch and you must use the front panel's power switch to turn on the computer. "|" means "on" or power on, and "O" means "off" or power off. You do not need to use this switch to shut off the computer each time you finish using it, the operating system will do it for you when you choose to exit Windows and shutdown.
   3. If you're replacing the mainboard, please check the following:
      1. Make sure you have the power switch's connector from the front panel of the case plugged into the mainboard's "power connector", which is located on the mainboard. Refer to the mainboard (also known as the motherboard) installation guide for location of this connection. Power LED, Reset, HD LED, and Power switch connectors are labeled clearly on each plug coming from your case.
      2. Make sure there's power to the mainboard. The biggest power plug from the power supply (color coded with red, yellow, black, orange, blue, brown, and gray with 20 or 24 pins in all) should be properly plugged into the "ATX Power connector" on the mainboard. Again, refer to the mainboard installation guide for the ATX power connector's location.
   
   
   
3. There's no response from either the mouse or the keyboard.
   1. For customers who have just received a new computer and do not know where to connect the keyboard and mouse:
      1. The keyboard and mouse connectors are color coded on the back of the computer. The mouse should be plugged into the green connector and keyboard should be connected to the purple connector.
      2. If you have difficulty with differentiating the colors, no need to worry. The keyboard plug is always on the left and the mouse plug is on the right as you're facing the back of the computer.
      3. Should your mouse or keyboard not have said green or purple connectors, you can plug these devices into any of the available USB ports located at the back (or front) of the computer.
   2. For customers who have had the PC for a little while and suddenly the mouse or the keyboard fails to respond correctly:
      1. Power off the computer and reconnect the mouse or the keyboard in the back of the computer. Power the computer back on and test the mouse or the keyboard again.
      2. If the mouse or the keyboard still doesn't work, check the device's driver under "Device Manager" to make sure the keyboard driver or the mouse driver is there and has no problem.
      3. If all drivers are installed and running but the keyboard or the mouse still does not respond, try the device with another computer.
      4. If the device does not work with the other computer, contact our support department and request an RMA number to send the faulty device back for a replacement.
   
   
   
4. My computer produces 1 long beep and 3 short beeps during the computer boot up. What could be wrong?
   This problem may be caused by the fact that the graphics card is loose. Please open the case, reseat the graphics card and reboot your computer. The graphics card is the card you connect your monitor to. Reseating the graphics card should consist of unscrewing the faceplate screw that connects the card to the back of the case, pulling on a lever or tab mechanism that will allow the card to be removed from its socket, re-inserting the card into the socket, and fastening the card back to the case with the faceplate screw. For more detailed information about reseating video cards, refer to the manuals that came with your motherboard and/or video card.
   
   
5. My computer repeats long beeps with no display on the monitor. What went wrong?
   Memory module(s) is/are loose. Please open the case, reseat the memory module and reboot the system. Reseating the memory modules will consist of pressing the (typically) white tabs at the end of the DIMM slots on the motherboard. This will free the RAM and allow you to remove it and then re-insert. For more detailed information, refer to the manual that came with your motherboard.
   
   
6. I am getting a "no KB Error" during boot up.
   1. Please make sure the keyboard connection has not come loose
   2. Please note that the keyboard connector (purple) is on the left and the mouse connector (green) is on the right.
   
   
   
7. Why am I not receiving sound from the computer?
   1. Make sure you turn on the speakers and everything is plugged in correctly.
   2. Be sure the speaker is plugged into the right place on the audio panel. You can consult the manual that came with your sound card (if you have a discrete sound card) or your motherboard/audio software (if you are currently using onboard sound).
   3. Make sure nothing is muted under volume mixer control.
   4. Check for device conflicts under "Device Manager".
   5. Reinstall soundcard driver, and/or make sure you have the latest version of these drivers. The latest version of drivers for your particular card can be found on the respective manufacturers' websites.
   
   
   
8. My floppy drive doesn't allow me to read or copy a file. What do I do?
   1. Be sure the disk is inserted properly with the floppy drive door closed (small black slider in bottom right corner of disk).
   2. Be sure the disk has been formatted (IBM Format, 1.44MB).
   3. Check and see if the disk has been compressed with a compression program.
   4. Try to use another floppy disk and see if that helps. One of the reasons floppy disks are being phased out is because they often become corrupt or just stop working for some inexplicable reason.
   
   
   
9. I received a "Floppy disks fail (40)" error message while booting up the computer. What can be wrong?

   Please check to make sure both ends of the ribbon cable between the controller and the hard drive are firmly connected and reboot your computer. If you need help locating the ribbon cable, it might be referred to as an IDE or PATA cable in your motherboard's manual.
   
   

10. When my computer is booting up, I get the message, "Press any key to boot from CD¡K" What do I do?

    This message is being displayed because you currently have a bootable CD in your CDROM drive. If you leave the message without pressing any buttons, this option will be bypassed and the computer will boot from the hard drive as it normally does. However, if you want to boot from the CD, such as in the case where you are reformatting Windows, then simply press any key on the keyboard.

    
    
    
11. I am getting a message saying "C: driver error" or "Missing operating system".

    You need the Zip drive to be turned on so the LPT port on the Zip drive will be recognized. If the Zip drive is not plugged in, you will not be able to print.

    1. Check the hard drive setting in the standard CMOS Setup.
    2. Use "IDE HDD AUTODETECT" to set your hard drive.
    3. Reboot your computer.
    4. If you're trying to add more drives, check the ribbon cables on those drives and on the main board's IDE connectors. If your hard drive is SATA, make sure the SATA connectors have not come loose from the hard drive or the motherboard, as they commonly do.
    
    
    
12. If my printer is plugged into my external Zip drive which is plugged into my printer port, why does the printer not work when the Zip drive is off?

    You need the Zip drive to be turned on so the LPT port on the Zip drive will be recognized. If the Zip drive is not plugged in, you will not be able to print.
    
    

13. How do I change the resolution on my computer?

    Take the following steps:

    1. Right click anywhere on your desktop (other than on an icon or the taskbar) to bring up the Menu.
    2. Choose "Properties" and go to the "Settings" tab.
    3. Move the slider to the left or right to change the screen resolution.
    
    
    
14. Why doesn't my printer respond or print properly?

    Check the following:

    1. Make sure the switch on your printer is in the ON position.
    2. Check the connections to make sure they are secure.
    3. Make sure you have defined the printer properly in the application you are using.
    4. Replace the printer cable.
    
    
    
15. How do I get into the Windows 98 Startup menu?
    1. Restart your PC.
    2. Hold the Control (ctrl) key down until you see the Windows startup screen.
    
    
    
16. Should I update my BIOS

    If the computer is running fine, no. Manufacturers release BIOS updates to correct issues that have arisen with older versions. If your experience with the computer does not "suffer" from these issues, it is recommended that you do not flash the BIOS.
    
    

17. I see a message saying press "Delete" to enter setup during the system boot up process. Should I hit "Delete" and run the setup?

    No. Pressing the DELETE key while your computer is starting will allow you to enter the BIOS to change the system's settings. It is not recommended to modify the BIOS if you are not familiar with the settings. Please consult our technical support team at 1-866-907-3536 before altering any settings in the BIOS.
    
    

18. I would like to upgrade the amount of RAM on my computer. How do I find out what kind of RAM I need to purchase?

    Refer to your invoice. You should see a list of details describing the components on your computer. You should be looking at the type, speed, and timings of the RAM. This will be something along the lines of "DDR2 800 5-5-5-15", meaning: RAM type is DDR2, speed is 800MHz, and the timings are 5-5-5-15. It is recommended that you purchase the same model of RAM that is currently in your system to maintain perfect compatibility, but this is not necessary.