Computer Hardware Repair

Nowadays, we all use our computers almost every day in order to do certain activities involving our work, school or just for having fun. Computers have become familiar to everyone and almost everyone has a computer and uses it a regular basis. It is also important for us to be able to overcome certain problems that might occur while we are working with our PCs. This is because these problems can often intervene with our work and make it harder for us to do certain task that should be easily done. In this respect, it is important to know all about computer hardware repair. Computer hardware deals with all the computer components that can be seen and touched within a computer. This is why many problems occurring with these components should be easily solved by following certain troubleshooting steps that can guide us within the repairing process.

Certainly, when discussing about computer hardware repair it is also important to mention that not all kinds of problems can be repaired by the users themselves if they do not have a strong knowledge about computers and computer hardware components. It is important to know what you are dealing with and how to actually follow the troubleshooting steps in order to become able to actually solve a certain problem. Also, it is important to be able to know when the repairing process is leading to something good and when some sorts of mistakes have been made during this process and in the end we might not get the positive result that we would expect. In the same time users must also be aware of the fact that some problems cannot be dealt with without having access to some specialized tools and that these problems can lead to severe damage within the computer if they are not treated right. These is why in some cases users should require a specialist’s opinion and help in order to get rid of these types of

When discussing about problems that users can deal with on their own it is important to mention that most of these problems require some knowledge about computer hardware components in order to proceed with the computer hardware repair process. One example of problem that can sometimes be repaired by the users is considered the one caused by the power supply. The first step to be followed in this case is to check whether the power source is working properly or not. This can be made by the user himself by unplugging first of all the power supply and afterwards plugging in a radio for example. It is also important to be mentioned the fact that in the case in which users have a power strip they should not assume that the used socket is necessarily working properly jut because the other types of outlets might be working properly. Even if the power strip light is actually on this does not mean that everything is functioning properly and that the cause of the problem should be looked somewhere else. This is because it has often been the case in which power strips have been discovered to have at least one bad outlet which sometimes fails without being able to discover why. Also, it has been considered that the cause of the problems can rarely be discovered to be the power supply cord because it does not usually fail. Anyway, what it is possible to happen is the situation in which one connector of the power supply might not be placed correctly within the socket and this might be causing the problem. In this way, it is important for the users to check these connectors when they are trying to repair computer hardware that seems to have been damaged because of the of power supply failure.

Another step that users should follow when dealing with the same kind of problem is to assure them that they have previously selected the appropriate voltage for their power supply. If this is not the case it can be discovered that this is actually the cause of a certain error having been displayed on the computer screen. At this stage, what users should do is to unplug the power supply in order to select the correct type of voltage for it before re-plugging it in. This is also an important step to be followed by the users when they are trying to repair a certain problem with the computer hardware caused by the power supply. Another situation in which the power supply might have failed and caused the problem that the user is dealing with is the one in which it is discovered an unconnected type of power switch. This can also happen if the user has been previously working within the case, because in this way it is very easily to disconnect a power switch by mistake. What the user can do in this case is to place the power switch back in its place and the error should disappear if it was really the cause of the problem and not only something that might have happened by mistake while the user was trying to repair the computer hardware.

Another situation in which it is possible for the power supply to fail and cause problems that might lead the user to believe that it is necessary to repair the computer hardware is the case in which the necessary power to the motherboard included within the computer is not actually connected. At this stage what the user should know that is important to do is to check the ATX type of connectors and the other types as well in order to discover whether they are properly connected or not. This is because if one of them is disconnected it might be causing the problems and the computer hardware does not actually need to be repaired.

Certainly, sometimes it is needed for some special equipment to be possessed in order for the user to be able to do certain tasks. When it might be considered to be dangerous or useless to do a certain task within this process it might be better for the user to ask for further assistance from someone that might possess the necessary equipment to work with. In the end, it also depends on the user’s knowledge about computers in general and computer hardware.

If he has dealt with similar problems before he will know what should be done next. What is important is first of all to get really informed about all the necessary steps to be followed and afterwards to proceed with the repairing process.

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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.

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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.

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Computer Viruses

A computer virus is a piece of code or a small executable program that cause the computer to malfunction and even crash. A virus infected computer acts differently like it shows unusual screen display, error messages, slows down the normal system operations and degrade the hardware/software functionalities.  In the recent years, there have been an increased number of the computer viruses and other online threats, which includes spyware, adware, Trojan horses, malware, badware, web worm, malicious codes and rootkits.  Many viruses are very destructive and they can crash hard disk, processor or the whole system.  Fixing a virus infected computer can be very costly and a long procedure.  If you system shows any of the below symptoms then it may be attacked by the viruses or spyware.

Symptoms of the Virus Infected System

• Unusual error messages.
• System runs slow than usual.
• System hangs up frequently.
• Computer crashes
• Computer restarts itself after every few seconds.
• Disk drives inaccessible.
• Computer’s applications do not work.
• Hard disk’s LED/Indicator seems to be busy most of the time.
• System utilizes more resources than normal.
• Antivirus program disabled for no reason.
• An Antivirus program does not run and can’t be installed.
• Distorted desktop items, menus and dialog boxes.
• Windows works incorrectly.

Best Antivirus Software

• Norton Antivirus
• Trend Micro Antivirus & Anti spyware
• McAfee Virus Scan
• Panda Antivirus
• Norman Virus Control
• Bit Defender Antivirus
• Kaespersky

Virus Protection Tips

It has been said that “prevention is better than cure”.  Preventing your computer with an antivirus program is much better than dealing with a virus infected computer.  The following tips are very useful in protecting a computer from the viruses and other internal and external threats.

• Use an up-to-date antivirus program and regularly scan your computer with it.
• Update your Windows based operating system from the Microsoft’s website.
• Use an up-to-dated anti spyware program.
• Raise the security level of your web browsers.
• Use a software/hardware firewall and make the security settings very tight.
• If you are administering a computer network, limit the users’ access and monitor their online activities.
• Never open an email attachment and a web link through MSN messenger from unknown source.
• Don’t run unknown executable programs.
• Delete Junk emails from your inbox and NEVER reply to them.
• Block the source IP addresses of the SPAM emails.
• Backup your system’s critical data on the regular basis.
• DO NOT download, execute or open email attachment from unknown and suspicious sources.
• Do not install unused programs on your system.
• Exercise great caution when downloading the files from internet.
• Do not use Floppy disk in your system for data transfer.
• Update your gateway computer/device, server and all the client computers in your network with strong firewall, antivirus and anti spyware solutions.

The above mentioned tips are really helpful in dealing not only with the viruses but also with the other known threats like spyware, adware, Trojans, browser’s hijacking, unauthorized access and the hacker’ attacks.

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