RISC OS 3.7 User Guide

# 5 Troubleshooting

Sometimes things go wrong and you need to be able to get out of a mess or restart your computer. Check in the Welcome Guide first for any hints and key combinations to press. Generally, you should always shut the computer down first (see page 67) but sometimes you can't do this.

### If things go wrong - reset options

Here are some problems you might encounter, and some possible solutions:

Problems and their likely solutions:

- Keyboard and mouse have no effect: Use the system monitor to quit the current task, or try the reset methods described below. See page 65.
- Hourglass won't disappear: Use the system monitor to quit the current task. See page 65.
- Can't choose Shutdown or quit tasks using system monitor: Try these methods in order: Press Ctrl- Break, or Press the Reset button, or Switch off and on again. You'll lose unsaved data.
- Floppy LED flashes many times on start-up: There is a hardware problem: Contact your service provider or supplier for advice. Normally associated with a red screen display.
- Unexpected error messages during start-up or failure to start correctly (e.g. starts up at command line): Press Shift-Break and check that !Boot hasn't been moved or renamed. Also check the start-up files in !Boot (you can restore them using the ! ResetBoot application in the `Diversions` directory). See Inside the Desktop boot file on page 54 and RAM discs on page 96. When you've cured any problems, Shutdown and restart the computer.
- No picture on monitor; can't use !Boot to check or set monitor type: Switch on holding down either 0 or 3 on the numeric keypad, or R or Delete[11], or T or Copy. Once you have a usable desktop, use !Boot to choose the correct Monitor type[12].
- CMOS RAM settings have become corrupted: Switch on either holding down R, or holding down Delete. Use !Boot to reconfigure your CMOS settings then press Ctrl-Reset. Suggestion: As corrupt CMOS RAM settings can cause a variety of faults, if you have any strange problems on your computer, resetting CMOS RAM can be a useful first step.

If you are not using a network, a file within !Boot disables the network software in ROM to make maximum memory available for your use. To allow this to make memory available after performing a Delete-Power-On, shut down and restart your computer.

If you have a CD-ROM drive fitted, the CD icon on the icon bar may disappear after a Delete-Power-On. To restore it, double-click on !Boot on your hard disc, open the Discs window and configure CD-ROM drives to 1

#### Resetting CMOS RAM from the command line

Sometimes you need to be able to reconfigure your computer from the command line, rather than using !Boot. In such cases, (e.g. after a Power-on Delete operation) refer to Useful star commands on page 421. This gives a list of the most useful star commands, which you may need to use in an emergency. A full list of available star commands is given in the file`StarComms` in the`Tutorials` directory.

[11] Power-on-R preserves Econet station number, country code, number of floppy and hard discs and expansion card information. Power-on-Delete only preserves Econet station number. If there is a configuration protection connector inside the computer and it's set to the 'protected' position, these resets have no effect: see your Welcome Guide.

[12] In exceptional circumstances !Boot will not be able to turn off the configured monitor setting. In this case, with the computer switched off, press and hold down the Delete and Shift keys, then switch the computer on. You can release these keys once the RISC OS 3 initialising message appears on the screen.