Personal computers have made our lives convenient by helping us get things done at the comfort of our homes. You can comfortably carry work or school assignments home, knowing you have the tools to tackle them.
But what happens if your screen goes blue and no key you punch produces a response. Or what happens if your computer refuses to come to life after you plug it in and hit the power button. What do you do? You call an expert. Here are some common computer problems and how a computer repair expert can help you overcome them.
#1: Hard Drive Failure
A hard drive failure can reveal itself in different ways. It can start with an annoying slowness in booting as well as in normal operation. This could be an early indicator that your hard drive is overloaded with files or needs defragmentation. One of the most apparent indicators you might get is when this message is splashed across your screen: “Hard Drive detects imminent failure…to ensure no data loss, backup contents and replace the hard disk”. You would be wise to make an urgent backup of your most important files and then call in the experts.
You can resolve problems with your hard drive by deleting files that are needlessly taking up space. Running a disk defrag will have the same effect as well as decrease the amount of work it has to do to retrieve data. But if things have reached that crucial stage, you may need to find a home computer repair expert to format the disk. If this fails, then you will probably need to replace the disk.
#2: Running Slow
Indicators that your computer is running slow is if you click on an icon, and the resulting file takes a lifetime to open. Or you go to boot your computer, and it takes a long time to bring the ‘Welcome’ screen. These are signs that your computer isn’t working at the speed it should be functioning. This could be a hard drive issue, an issue with the computer’s memory, or a processor issue.
Figuring out what is causing your computer to be sluggish could vary, so it is wise to ring up a support expert to handle the issue. The computer repair expert will be able to pinpoint the problem faster, saving you the expense of replacing components that you might not need to replace.
#3: Blue Screen of Death
If you go to use your computer and encounter the blue screen of death, you will know right away that there is a serious issue. The experts refer to the blue screen of death as a ‘memory dump.’ You may be working on your computer, then suddenly a blue screen appears telling you a process crucial to the operation of your computer has stopped.
Windows users will be familiar with the blue screen. At this point, there is little you can do but bring in the experts. There are several steps they’ll take to remedy the situation. Disabling auto restart, adjusting settings in the system registry, or updating the system drivers are among possible BSoD solutions.
#4: Overheating
During its normal operation, your computer will generate a certain amount of heat as its internal components run. But there might be times when it feels hotter than usual. This is usually a sign that the computer’s internal cooling system is not functioning as it should.
A computer maintenance expert can open your PC or laptop to take a closer look at the fans and vents. The culprit is most likely dust that has accumulated and is clogging the vents. Or the dust could have built up on the blades of the fans, inhibiting the smooth flow of air out of the CPU. The motors that rotate the fans could also need greasing. Greasing these fans will also help cool your computer down and prevent it from overheating. Make sure all of these tasks are performed by a professional.
#5: Programs Crashing or Freezing
Few things can be more annoying than a program shutting down while you’re working in it. There are also instances where programs freeze, making the computer unresponsive when you move the mouse or pound on the keyboard. It could be that the memory requirements of the application you’re running are more than what your machine can handle, or it could be a virus attack.
Either way, it’s best to let a technician have a look. Depending on where the problem lies, they will uninstall the application or format the hard drive.
#6: Infected With a Virus
Most of the applications you use on your computer are run online, which can make it challenging to keep track of the files uploading and downloading in the background as you work. Viruses can download via the cookies websites leave or could be Trojans hiding behind attachments you download from emails.
You will need to make sure you have antivirus software installed on your computer and set it up to automatically run a scan. The scan will indicate if there is a virus detected on your computer so you can stop the problem before it persists. However, there might be a time when you don’t catch the virus in time, and you need to call in an expert to clean up your PC and get it back to full health.
Leave It to the Experts
Several computer issues have easy, quick fixes. You can pull up the task manager or reboot your machine, which could resolve program freezes and other such problems. But when your attempts to fix your computer fails, it’s wise to refrain from trying to pry your computer open. Save the time and frustration and let a computer repair expert get your device back to working correctly.
