My Moms Computer..........

[Frank Jr.]

My Mom has a decent Hp home pc setup that is less than a year old. When I set it up I showed her how to turn the computer on and off and how to do the basics. Every weekend when I go visit I do a little house cleaning with it and make sure she has all the needed updates. Last weekend I noticed that it was running a little sluggish so I decided to defrag the hard drive. It took three hours. It shouldn't have taken that long and it concerned me but I didn't say anything to her. Last night she called me and said that the monitor would not come on nor could she cut the computer off. She said the blue light would not turn off either. BLUE LIGHT! What Blue Light. She replied "you know the blue light on the computer" I then asked her how she is turning the computer off? She replies I just push that button with the blue light on it. I had to power boot the thing. It was froze up harder than granite rock. I didn't have a lot of time to spend on it as I was working but somehow I think I will have to spend some time on it tomorrow when I go visit.

 

[charper1]

So what is the blue light? Is that the actual power and she just has not been performing a proper shut down?


How big is her HDD and what app are you using to do the defrag; it can be fairly lengthy.

 

[Frank Jr.]

So what is the blue light? Is that the actual power and she just has not been performing a proper shut down?


How big is her HDD and what app are you using to do the defrag; it can be fairly lengthy.

Yep it's the actual power button on the pc. When on it has a blue circle. When in standby it is orange. 500gig. I defrag it once a month and usually takes about 10 minutes but ............ She was not properly shutting it down. I don't know how or why that started. I guess she needs a refresher course. She retired last last year from Bosch as a shift plant manager and had her own office pc. I bet she gave those IT guys fits. I just use the defrager that comes with Windows on her machine for now.

 

[charper1]

Wow, I think 10mins for a full 500GB defrag is great!

 

[Frank Jr.]

Wow, I think 10mins for a full 500GB defrag is great!

Not much on it

 

[snathanb]

Yep it's the actual power button on the pc. When on it has a blue circle. When in standby it is orange. 500gig. I defrag it once a month and usually takes about 10 minutes but ............ She was not properly shutting it down. I don't know how or why that started. I guess she needs a refresher course. She retired last last year from Bosch as a shift plant manager and had her own office pc. I bet she gave those IT guys fits. I just use the defrager that comes with Windows on her machine for now.

I guess I don't follow you. All the HPs we have in our office do properly shut down when you press the power button on the front of the PC. The power button triggers a normal Windows shut down, just as if you had performed it through the start menu.

Same with all the PCs here at the house.

 

[charper1]

I think you can setup differing types of shut down modes for when the case button is pressed.

 

[Frank Jr.]

I guess I don't follow you. All the HPs we have in our office do properly shut down when you press the power button on the front of the PC. The power button triggers a normal Windows shut down, just as if you had performed it through the start menu.

Same with all the PCs here at the house.

Well not from this one far as I know. I have not been able to check that out yet with what you have said but I will. If I can change those settings like charp has said, believe me I will!

 

[snathanb]

Well not from this one far as I know. I have not been able to check that out yet with what you have said but I will. If I can change those settings like charp has said, believe me I will!

Here is where to set it......

 

[Frank Jr.]

Here is where to set it......

Thanks everybody. Done!:up

 

[snathanb]

Excellent!

 

[Van]

That is odd, my hp will shut down normal when you press the power button and my wifes older one does the same thing and my daughters second gen imac to. I think its time to do some passive interogation of your mother to find out what she has been doing online and who else has been using her computer.

 

[DishNetworkFan]

Interesting

 

[Frank Jr.]

That is odd, my hp will shut down normal when you press the power button and my wifes older one does the same thing and my daughters second gen imac to. I think its time to do some passive interogation of your mother to find out what she has been doing online and who else has been using her computer.

How do you interrogate a 72 year old mother passively or otherwise?. You don't! You just fix it. Nuff said. BTW there is no one other than her using the thing. Where she goes online I see that when I clean it up

 

[charper1]

With a chair, a bullwhip and a bottle of gin!

 

[Frank Jr.]

With a chair, a bullwhip and a bottle of gin!

You forgot the tequila!

 

[Van]

Considering that my wifes computer tends to get several trojans a week nothing surprises me about what a woman of any age could get herself into on the web ( sorry to our resident fairer sex )