tekservePOS

tekREVIEW Newsletter

 Updates and Analysis for Retail IT Teams

 #13  Friday 30 October 2009

printPrint

Can your PC Breath?

Overheating can cause a lot of damage to your PC. To avoid this damage, there are several ways to ensure proper ventilation most of which are free. The easist thing to do is to make sure your PC or POS has a enough breathing room on all sides that have vents. The standard is 3 to 4 inches. This can be challenging in tight cash wraps - so place as much room as you can allow.

 

Secondly, ensure that the vents of the PC or POS is clear of papers, supplies or dust bunnies - all of which can hinder the fans effectiveness.

 

Click here for more tips on how to keep your PC cool.

 

 

tekREVIEW
Updates & Analysis
for Retail IT Teams
FREE Newsletter Sign Up
We Value Your Privacy!
Next

Bob’s Technical Insights: Eliminating a Power Problem

October 25, 2009

When things are hectic at a store and equipment is not working its sometimes easy to overlook the obvious issues like power. Here are some quick tips to help you eliminate simple power issues on your own.

 

Scenario A: A "replacement" unit just arrived at my store and it's "DEAD”

  1. Whenever a piece of equipment doesn’t turn on, the first thing one should do is make sure that the power cord / supply / battery is not lose. Shipping can sometimes cause the power cord / supply / battery to come loose with the power contacts. Disconnect and reconnect the power cord / supply / battery.
  2. Check the wall outlet to verify the power source is good. Sometimes when a "replacement" unit is introduced into your system the cords come loose from the wall outlet or power source.
  3. If that does not work, test that power cord by turning off a good working unit. Disconnect the power cord from the working unit and plug that power cord into the newly "replaced" unit. Press the power button on your unit.
  4. If this does not correct your problem, please call your help desk for further instruction.

Scenario B. My system is not operating. Everything is off.
Sometimes a power outage or surge can cause issues with your POS system. Here are a few questions to ask to help to get to the root of the problem:

  1. Do you have power in the store? Yes
  2. Did you have a storm that knocked out power to your area? Yes
  3. Do you have an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) box? Yes
  4. Is the UPS box disconnected from the wall outlet? No
  5. Is the UPS box constantly beeping? Yes

Many stores use a UPS box to help with power surges in a store. Most UPS boxes beep constantly when they have lost power. To see if the UPS is causing the issue

  • Disconnect and Turn off the UPS box.
  • Locate a wall outlet and a power strip.
  • Disconnect all power cords from the UPS box.
  • Plug the power strip into the wall for power.
  • Turn on the power strip.
  • Plug all the power cords from the UPS box to the power strip.
  • Press the power buttons on your equipment.
  • If this does not correct your problem, please call your help desk for further instruction.

 

(Note: There are several types of UPS boxes, please refer to the manufacturer's instruction manual for specifics.)
 

Comments

Post a comment
rss RSS
No comments.
Digital Media for the Digital World - Tue, 27 October

Guest blogger: Kevin Lawrence, Helius, Inc.

Growing up I never imagined how prevalent digital media would become in our daily lives. We have video on our phones, iPod’s, computers and many other technology devices. Digital media has also become a critical consideration for corporations as well.

 

0 Comments
Read more Read more

From the president's MacBook

Our PED/ PIN Pad Encryption facility is up and running! Only "street legal" for about 30 days and to date, about 10,000 units in the queue to be encrypted.... We are quickly learning - there is still much to be learned here! As we go through the process, we thought we might be able to provide some additional "value" in this area to our customers by sharing some of what we are learning.

 

Read more >>

tekservePOS News

tekSESSIONS, the most anticipated event since Oprah's recent appearance in Copenhagen, promises to be bigger and better than ever with special appearances by Bob, the POS Guru, as well as a host of renowned speakers. Click here for a current agenda.

Read more »

Excerpt: Delivering training to over 1,000 locations with more than 150,000 associates across the United States andin Puerto Rico can be a daunting challenge. Traditional methods oftraining required bringing associates to a single location for in-person training, costing the company thousands of dollars per associate for time lost, travel and training delivery.

Read more »