BEGPAN4.CVP  931015
 
                       1.2 - Getting Started
 
You likely have more resources than you realize.  First of all, your
own observations.  If you can keep cool, and not panic, you can
probably note and recall more than you think.  Don't consider this
as a potential loss of your accounts receivable, look at it as a
detective story.  Look for the clues.
 
Get some paper and a writing implement.  (Pen, pencil, sharp piece
of coal: in this situation, who's fussy?)  You will want to be as
accurate and detailed as possible.  Most crimes aren't solved by
"Elementary, my dear Watson," cerebrations, but by "Just the facts,
ma'am," deliberations.  Start writing now.  What type of computer is
it?  What operating system?  What version of the operating system?
What happened?  (In detail.)
 
Now start to inventory your resources.  First, you want anything
that can tell you about this machine.  Do you have invoices with
details of the machine such as the operating system and version? 
Invoices for the software?  Was a file created for this machine? 
Have you got a file listing from the last time anything was added to
it?  What *was* the last thing added to it?  Have you got a file
listing from when it was first set up?  Have you got a recent
backup?  (You do?  Fortunate mortal!)
 
Next, look for software that can tell you things about the present
state of the machine.  You do have some.  There is a fair amount the
operating system itself can tell you.  How much disk space is left? 
Has that changed a lot?  Memory is a *very* important factor.  The
Mac system info will tell you what programs are using how much
memory.  The MS-DOS CHKDSK program will tell you not only about the
disk space and other interesting things, but also about the "total
memory," which can sometimes pinpoint specific viral programs.  If
you have MS-DOS 5 or higher, MEM/C can give you a *lot* of
information.  Even if you can't use it, people you call on for help
might be able to.
 
Do you have utility or disk tool programs?  These can also give you
valuable information.  Both commercial and shareware utilities can
help here.  If the computer is still working reasonably well, look
at the memory statistics.  Look at the files.  Are there a lot of
hidden files?  Are there a lot of new files?  Are there a lot of
files with very close "creation dates"?  Look at the disk boot
sector, and the master boot record.  There should be some common
system messages there.  If you don't see them, or see some odd
messages, that's an indication, too.
 
Are you writing all this down?  Or, if the printer is still working,
printing the screen to save all the data?  (Starting to feel less
panicked?  Yes, you usually feel better when you have something to
do.)
 
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993   BEGPAN4.CVP  931015
 
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Vancouver      ROBERTS@decus.ca         | "The client interface
Institute for  Robert_Slade@sfu.ca      |  is the boundary of
Research into  rslade@cue.bc.ca         |  trustworthiness."
User           p1@CyberStore.ca         |    - Tony Buckland, UBC
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