Here's an easy trick for opening a CD or DVD drive when the power is off on the hard drive. Unfold a heavy-duty paperclip until there is at least 1-2 inches straight. There is a small pinhole just under or above the drive bay door. Insert the paperclip and manually rotate the small gear located behind the pinhole. Repeat this until the drive is ejected far enough to grab it. Pull slowly and do not pull when you feel resistance. Slowly push the drive bay back when you are finished.

The first thing to do when you encounter problems with your personal computer is to switch out some of the existing components with other compatible ones, and then observe how the system works with the different components. By making one change at a time, the problem can be isolated and addressed.

An easy way to fix common PC problems is to check all of the cables. A large number of problems can easily be remedied by doing this. Make sure that they are firmly and correctly connected. You may also want to check the the memory modules, sound card and video card adapters to make sure that they have been inserted right.