While computer hardware issues are not as common as software problems, we hope you will find the information on this page useful for those hardware problems you do encounter. In fact, many software issues are commonly mistaken for hardware issues. With this in mind you may want to visit our software support page first. It’s also a good idea to try some of the general maintenance procedures listed there.
Never forget to back up all of your data on a regular basis. In the event that your hardware problem is the result of a hard-drive failure you will need access to a back up copy of all your data. We do not recommend backing up to floppy diskettes. They hold very little data and are not as reliable as other forms of media storage. CD-R, CD-RW, USB jump drives and Zip disks are all excellent forms of removable media storage to back up your data. We also recommend using the personal storage space all students, faculty and staff are allocated on our server. This space is backed up nightly during the week. Do you need to know how to access your personal storage space on the Simpson server? If so, pick up a brochure in one of our labs or from Information Services.
All Simpson College-owned computers are fully supported by Information Services, if they have a hardware problem, they will be fixed as soon as possible. Please contact Information Services at 515-961-1681 or e-mail us with your hardware problem.
We do everything we can to be the first line of support for Simpson College student-owned computers. However, if it is determined that a student-owned computer has a hardware problem, Information Services will refer the student on to his/her hardware manufacturer or the hardware support vendor of their choice. The nearest local repair facilities are in Des Moines. Below are some useful online resources.
Some common signs that you are having a problem with the computer’s hardware include:
- Clicking or grinding noise
- Mouse freezes
- Blue Screen errors
- Failure to boot
- Abnormaly slow boot
Even if you just suspect your computer is having problems, it is a good idea to call and ask. Issues left untouched could result in unrecoverable data loss.