Ever experienced your computer shutting down in the middle of an important search? Can’t save the report you have sweated over with for hours and is due in the next 2 hours? Can’t get connected to the Web despite repeated logging in? How about opening a word document with gibberish codes? Very likely the answer is a clear “yes” from most of TKU students who have to use a PC to deal with their assignments and research on a daily basis. When these things happen, some students, such as Chiu Jia-wei, a senior from the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, tend to unplug the computer for a restart. Unfortunately, frequently resorting to such an extreme measure will certainly damage the durability of the machine. Some other students, such as Liao Ren-huang, a sophomore from the Department of Accounting, would call friends for help. When that does not work, they would have to turn to professionals who may charge a fortune.

These nightmares, according to the Information Processing Center, can soon be behind us with only a few clicks away. Just log on to the Center’s Education Support Section web site (http://www.ipcedu.tku.edu.tw/index.htm), then click on Computer Repair and Maintenance, under which, you can click on Easy PC Repair. This page provides many easy to use tips to fix your computers.

These tips are organized in Q&A format and are categorized under “Computer Maintenance Q&A”, “Hardware Defects Q&A” “Software Use Q&A” amongst others, and there is a DIY disc for free download. All these pages contain rich information of possible solutions to most encountered and sometimes even very difficult problems. This information is not only expanded but also up-dated regularly by the Section’s technicians. It has always been available to the students the Section hires as technicians for work and training but remain underused by other students. The Section’s Director,Tsai,Chun-chih, hence, is now encouraging all students to tap into these vast resources to manage their own PC.