Using English at Work

Lesson 6 - Having Computer Problems

SCRIPT

When we return to the office, I know I have to try to make some headway with my report. Unfortunately, as soon as I sit down in front of my computer, it starts acting up. First, my computer screen freezes and I have to boot it up again. Then, when I try to print a copy of my report, it won't print. I discover that the problem is that the printer is jammed, so it takes some time to clear it and for it to work again. Finally, when I think that my computer worries are over, my mouse and keyboard go haywire. I finally give up and call the computer tech.

I don't usually like calling the computer tech to help me with computer problems. She's nice enough, but she always makes me feel like I did something bad to my computer - something I shouldn't have done - even when I haven't.

When she arrives, she sits down at my computer and asks me a lot of questions to find out what the problem might be. I tell her about the problems I had and she asks if I'd had any problems while working on my word processing program. I say that everything was fine, but I did have some trouble formatting one of my files and got an error message when working on my spreadsheet program. She starts doing something to my computer, typing on the keys a mile a minute for a long time. Finally she says, "Okay, it's fixed. You shouldn't have any more problems now - as long as you don't abuse your computer." Of course I never abuse my computer, but it's no use telling her. At least my computer is fixed and I can keep working.

GLOSSARY

to make some headway - to make progress; to move something forward; to advance something

* If we want to make some headway with this new business, we'll have to hire someone who knows about marketing.

to act up - to not work correctly; to not function properly; to malfunction

* The coffee maker is acting up, shooting coffee into the air instead of into the coffee pot.

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Using English at Work

Lesson 6 - Having Computer Problems

screen - the electronic display (what one looks at) on a television, computer monitor, PDA, or similar type of electronic device

* There's something wrong with the computer screen, because everything that should be white looks green.

to freeze - to stop responding, especially in a computer

* Whenever Jaclyn opens more than four files at a time, her computer freezes. I think she needs to get more memory for her computer.

to boot (something) up - to start or turn on a computer or a similar electronic device

* The first thing Elaine does when she gets to the office is to boot her computer

up.

to print - to use a machine that takes information in an electronic computer file and puts it on paper in ink

* The first time I printed the report it had big black lines on the page, so I had to use another printer.

to jam - to get stuck; to have papers or other objects stuck in a machine so that the machine can't work properly

* The vending machine was jammed with coins, so I wasn't able to use it.

mouse - a small piece of equipment that one moves with one's hand to move the cursor (a small flashing line or arrow) on a computer screen

* Move your mouse over the link and right click on the button that says "submit."

keyboard - a rectangular piece of equipment that has buttons with letters and numbers that are pushed with one's fingers to enter text into a computer program

* Do you know how to type without looking at the keyboard?

to go haywire - to stop working correctly; to get out of control; to become uncontrollable

* At the family's Thanksgiving dinner, things went haywire when everyone started arguing about Benjamin's decision to quit school and become a musician.

to give up - to stop trying to do something that is difficult or that is taking a long time

* Macaulay was trying to play Chopin's music on the piano, but then he gave up and decided to play something easier instead.

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