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- Look
around, you're bound to learn
something...
- Here at
nCity, we do whatever we can to help our fellow computer
'noids work thru difficulties, arrive at the unvarnished
truth, and make informed decisions. Part of that support
is this very web site; the idea is to get some of the
simple stuff out of the way so we can move on to more
challenging issues. nCity's Solutions and Links sections
contain all manner of detailed answers, links, resources
and info. Pages in this section (Support) have only a
brief outline of steps involved in the troubleshooting
process and is intended primarily to describe support
provided by nCity.
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- We try to
stay focused on repair jobs, appointments, classes and
client needs as much as possible. We answer a lot of
questions over the phone and via email, and usually reply
to emails when they are received - but there _are_ other
things in life that require attention, too.
Meanwhile, I hope
you enjoy your visit and find this web site
useful.
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- Collecting
information and specs:
- The
first thing we need is as much information
about your equipment as we can find; OS
version, amount of RAM installed, hard drive
capacity (and space remaining), and any
affected peripherals. Your System Profiler
has most of this data; if the profile is not
available, look on machine's bar code sticker
and in its manual, and/or check your sales
receipt. Be sure to have your machine's model
number and its serial number.
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- Illustration
(right) shows "Memory" selected in left
column under Contents; "ATA" provides info
about your hard drive (external drives are
probably under "FireWire"). Network info is
also found here, as are System logs
(including error and crash logs).
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- System
Profile may be found by opening "About This
Mac" item under the Apple menu, and clicking
"More Info" button in the resulting
window.
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- System
Profiler (About This Mac -> More
Info).
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- Warranty
concerns:
- Is your Mac
still under its one-year warranty? Did you purchase an
extended (3-year) warranty? If the answer to either
question is yes, we still may be able to help. (nCity is
NOT an Apple certified service provider. Unfortunately,
our only certified tech left California because he,
"couldn't make any money here.") A warranty repair can be
handled by the Apple Store or by a few other resellers in
the Sacramento area. We recommend calling Apple's
toll-free support number first (in your manual), and
going thru the steps recommended by Apple tech support.
If necessary, you can then arrange for shipping to and
from your door.
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- Specific
issues may be covered by Apple _beyond_ your warranty
period, too. We can research the problem online, using
your Mac's model number (MxxxxLL/A) and its serial
number, and find out if an extended warranty is in place
and if your machine qualifies.
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- Startup
problems:
- Startup
issues are often an easy fix. These range
from setting a startup volume in System
Preferences to resetting PMU or replacing the
PRAM battery. Once all the easy solutions
have been explored, then more complicated
suspects should be examined, starting with
status of the boot volume and power
supply.
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- See
Startup Issues link (sidebar, left) for more
suggestions.
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- Can't
find OS on startup.
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- Freezes,
unresponsive applications:
- How much
memory (RAM) is installed? In ballpark numbers, 256MB is
not enough, 512MB is barely adequate, we need more RAM,
Capt'n! A freeze is probably an application running out
of memory. Amount of RAM required depends on what you use
your computer for, of course, and "power users" will
likely have 1GB (1024MB) or more.
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- Other
possible causes include failing hard drives, corrupt
(damaged) or missing System segments, wacky application
software, and a whole slew of other things. A damaged
input device can mimic a freeze, too.
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- Communication
problems:
- Possibly the
most common complaint comes from people who suddenly are
unable to send or receive email. The problem might well
be on your server's end, especially if you have a dialup
account - assuming none of your machine's settings have
been changed and all cables and devices are intact. Wait
a day or so and try again.
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- Modems
sometimes fail, too (especially after thunderstorms). A
damaged modem may report any number of odd (and
misleading) errors, it may endlessly try to connect or
disconnect, or your system profile may insist that there
is no modem connected (internal or external). Swapping
your modem with a known-good one is probably the quickest
way to diagnose a failing modem.
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- If you have
broadband, the first solution to try is to shutdown your
computer and remove power to your modem, router or
gateway and any connected hubs. (If you use broadband and
don't have a router, you really should get one.) Wait 3
to 5 minutes and reconnect power to modem, router and
hub(s). After these devices have completed their startup
routines, then startup your Mac and see if communications
have been restored.
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- Printing
problems:
- Make sure all
connections are intact and power is on. (Sometimes it
helps to power-up printers and peripherals before
starting up your computer.) Check settings; make sure
your printer appears in Printer List (System Prefs ->
Printer and Fax -> Setup). Check printer's ink tanks
or cartridge. Look for any physical damage to the device
or its ports.
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- If printer is
producing distorted output (too small or too large,
sideways, missing fonts or styles), check Page Layout
settings in the application you are printing from. If
output appears as a page of gibberish, or machine spews
out blank pages along with the desired job, try printing
something else from another application. Launch TextEdit,
type something, and see if that prints properly. Consult
your printer's manual and try running printer's
self-test.
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- If you are
trying to print a page from some web site, know that web
pages are not necessarily designed to be printed and
printer output might be spread over multiple pages in
ways you wouldn't expect along with additional blank
pages.
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- Sometimes
there's just nothing to do.
- This
message appeared one day for no apparent
reason, with no workaround. Tried every way
possible to save this document - save, save
as, different file types, create a new one
and copy everything over - Photoshop simply
refused to save any open doc, no matter what.
OK?! No, it's NOT okay. The only "disk" that
might have been involved was Photoshop's
scratch disk, but no clue what went wrong or
why.
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-
- Sure,
blame it on the disk, uh-huh...
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- Still
having trouble?
- That's what
we're here for. If you're certain everything is properly
connected and powered, nothing has been changed recently
that might be causing the problem, and you've run out of
things to try, give us a call. We're quick, we're
reasonable, and we'll get to the bottom of things
ASAP.
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- Standard
Operating Procedure (SOP):
- When you
bring your Mac to our shop, be prepared to spend a few
minutes with us while we hook it up and evaluate
machine's configuration and condition. We will take our
best guess at possible causes, discuss solutions and
options with you, and provide an estimate for service if
we can. If we can't pinpoint the problem right off the
bat, you'll be asked to fill out a drop ticket and leave
the machine with us for diagnostic testing.
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- We have a
minimum charge for initial diagnostics, and an hourly
rate for extended service (see the Services section for
details regarding billing and diagnostic procedures.)
Someone (probably me) will call you with test results and
recommendations, and discuss appropriate options with
you, before attempting to make repairs. Once we have
agreed on a course of action, and you've received an
estimate, only then will we proceed - with your
permission - in a cost effective manner.
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