Help With Computer Problems

Hence - to help with your PC's problems - we have written this guide outlining the 6 most common problems that can affect your system. There can be thousands of different problems and solutions and we naturally can't cover them all, although this article will outline the most common ones and point you in the right direction to help you solve the computer problems.

Problem 1 - Slow computer performance/slowdowns

There are a number of causes for this. It's usually related either to installed software, or the operating system. Following these tips should help:
Uninstall any software you no longer use. Also, if you have software which you don't use on a daily basis, check to see that it isn't set to start automatically when

• your computer starts (check the software's settings)
• Run the "Disk Cleanup" and "Disk Defragment" tools under the Windows control panel. These tools might take hours to run, so be patient with them. Also don't run the two tools together where possible (since they might slow them both down)
• Run a virus and spyware scan.
• Also if you use Windows Vista or 6, consider disabling the visual effects since these can sometimes slow-down your system

Problem 2 - Lockups, freezes and the 'blue screen of death'

If your computer freezes or locks-up, firstly try all of the above steps (see problem 1). If this doesn't help, then try updating your device drivers on the system. Check your computer's manual for instructions on how to do this if applicable. Also check to see whether your system is running low on disk-space or memory (RAM).
If none of the above help, your computer might have a hardware fault. A failing hard-drive could be one cause (a bad hard-drive will cause frequent lockups and freezes). In this case, contact your computer vendor (or the local repair shop if your computer's not under warranty) and go from there.

Problem 3 - Computer automatically restarts or turns off

If your system has booted into the operating system when this happens, consider starting up into safe mode (repeatedly press F8 when the computer starts or check your computer's manual). From here, run virus scans to ensure it's not caused by a virus. If it isn't, then do a system restore and hopefully this will solve the problem.
If it doesn't solve the problem - or if your computer restarts/turns off before the operating system loads - it might be a hardware problem (in this case, possibly with your power supply unit or system fans). If so, look into getting the computer repaired as necessary.

Problem 4 - Strange noises or vibrations

This is caused by a hardware issue. Sometimes it's (thankfully!) something minor such as a slightly loose connection or a loose screw (loose screws = loose components = vibrations, especially when it comes to CD/DVD drives) which can easily be solved without the need to hire a computer technician (although if you aren't comfortable with the internals of a system, then call a repair person nonetheless).
If it's not caused by a loose connection or screw, it might be the sign of a more major problem: hardware failure. In this case, one of your computer's components will probably have to be replaced.

Problem 5 - Won't turn on

This is always a very worrying one. Going to switch on your computer only for nothing to happy is never a good sign. This will be a hardware issue and will usually be serious. If - after switching the computer on - there's no sound at all (i.e. nothing inside the system tries to start-up), this might be a fault with the power supply unit, CPU or in the best-case scenario a loose connection.
If you hear some sounds but then it fails, it might be a problem with the hard-drive or a couple of other components. Either way, in this case it's usually best to contact your computer vendor or local repair shop straight away and go from there. There's unfortunately very little you can do unless it's a loose connection (however it's unfortunately rarely a loose connection in these cases) hence it's best to ring up your vendor/repair shop.

Problem 6 - Getting popups and adverts

If you aren't on a website when this happens, it's possible your system is infected with spyware. Running a spyware tool such as Avanquest's Fix-It Utility should solve this.
If you are on a website however, this is probably the reason (i.e. a website has code that triggers popup ads to be displayed). All modern browsers (e.g. Firefox 3, IE8, Google Chrome) have pop-up blocking software, so if you haven't already, consider upgrading to one of these browsers.

Posted in: Help With Computer Problems