Computing

 

Computers are now an integral part of any workplace and home. Keeping them running efficiently and trouble-free is sometimes a difficult task as the problems are numerous and difficult to troubleshoot. Problems occur for a variety or reasons. There may be issues with computer hardware (say, a hard drive failure) or software (say, Microsoft Windows or Microsoft Excel). Quite often, problems might be caused by interactions among some software and the particular hardware. Difficulities can be attributed to other technologies and services that computers interface with (say, a digital camera), and to the interfaces themselves. Finally, problems may also be due to malicious and hidden software, something that users may not even be aware of! Our job is to first understand where the problem lies, fix it, and then help keep your computer and other devices running optimally and trouble-free.

 

Problems with Hardware or Software

 

Although hardware is generally reliable and only occasionally fails, hardware problems can be serious. Hard drive complications can lead to a loss of data. If data has not been previously and recently backed-up, data loss can be disastrous. In the case of a business, loss of business financial data or documents can be disastrous as that data is often the lifeline of a business. For home users, too, hardware failure data loss may lead to loss of digital photographs, music, and other important documents stored on their computers. Although such problems do not necessarily have disastrous consequences, they can nevertheless be agonizing or plain irritating.

 

Problems due to Interactions

 

Sometimes, users may install a new piece of hardware and the software that accompanies it. These can often interact with the existing hardware and software (Windows, for example) in unintended ways and can, therefore, have undesirable consequences. The resulting difficulty may be due to installation of the incorrect version of a software, the software itself, or an interaction between an existing hardware device and the new hardware. Such problems have the potential for making a computer system completely inoperable or, less seriously, can result in less-than-optimal performance.

 

Problems due to Technologies and Interfaces

 

Increasingly, computers are being interfaced and integrated with entertainment technologies such as digital cameras and wireless music systems. Generally, these systems work without any hiccups. However, when things do go wrong, troubleshooting and resolving problems requires one to not only understand the technologies and their complexities, but also to know how these devices interface with each other. Is something wrong with the computer and its software? The digital camera and its software? The music device and its software? A combination of these? Or, is it a result of the "interface" between the computer and the device? Sometimes, answers to these questions are not readily apparent, and call for a systematic approach to understanding and resolving problems.