Diagnosing and fixing computer problems is no walk in the park. That\u2019s why we often call upon professionals to perform such a complex task. However, the truth is that you\u2019re not totally powerless when your PC goes haywire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If your machine has been acting funny, there are immediate remedies you can do before a trusted technician comes in to finish the job. For five of the most common computer problems, we\u2019ve outlined some of the troubleshoots you can readily do as an end user.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often a sign of insufficient RAM, corrupt\/missing files, registry conflicts, malfunctioning programs, or even spyware, a frozen screen can be enough reason for you to panic. However, before you go screaming for help, try doing this first: press Ctrl+Alt+Del. This will open the Task Manager, where you can close any non-responding programs that could be causing the frozen screen. Once you\u2019re in, go to the \u2018Applications\u2019 tab and look for programs that are listed as \u201cNot Responding\u201d. Select those programs and click the \u2018End Task\u2019 button near the bottom of the window. After you click \u2018OK\u2019 to the subsequent queries and the program finally closes, you should notice activity resume on your screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In case nothing happens when you press Ctrl+Alt+Del, try restarting your computer. While you may run the risk of losing any unsaved work in the process, there is no other option, other than waiting and hoping it fixes itself on its own. Cross your fingers that the programs you were using have sufficiently saved parts of your work with their autosave feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, press and hold the unit\u2019s power button until it shuts down and then restart the computer. After it goes back on, dedicate time to clean up the system or use the System Repair program and do some basic maintenance operations so your device won\u2019t freeze again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You may have experienced your computer shutting off all of a sudden while you\u2019re in the middle of work. Frustrating, isn\u2019t it? What\u2019s more, your CPU doesn\u2019t readily turn on even after you\u2019ve pressed the power button several times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These two are tell-tale signs that your equipment isn\u2019t getting enough power. When you suspect a failing power supply as the primary cause, you need to check if the computer is properly plugged into the outlet. If it is, the next step is to test the power point with another operational device so you can see if there is adequate power coming from the said source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In case there isn\u2019t enough power supplied through the power point, call an electrician.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ve all been there. You order the machine to print a report and your printer simply stares back at you as if there\u2019s no job to do. What could be running in its head?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s say that your printer\u2019s drivers are updated and there isn\u2019t a shortage of ink\/toner and paper, too. In this case, restart the machine or unplug and plug it back again. This should get the printer going. If it doesn\u2019t, you may have to check for a loaded print queue by clicking on the printer icon in the system tray. From there, you\u2019ll see the status of each printing job along with the status of your machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition, check to see if the \u2018Use Printer Offline\u2019 option isn\u2019t ticked. This may be caused when you start printing something while the printer is off, which could then stall subsequent printing jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For starters, make sure it isn\u2019t your internet connection that\u2019s causing the bottleneck. Do this by running a speed test using sites like Speedtest.net. When you do, see if your download and upload speeds are at least 50% of your broadband plan\u2019s advertised speeds. Check to make sure the ping is under 100 milliseconds, too,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If there isn\u2019t anything wrong with the speed, you may have a torrent file being downloaded or VPN running somewhere in the background. In most cases, torrent-downloading programs remain hidden in the system tray while they download files. Turn these programs off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lastly, reset your router and modem. This simple measure has resolved countless connection problems so hope this will do it for you. Now, if you can\u2019t find the reset button on your router or modem, pull the power cable for just a few seconds and it\u2019ll have the same effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You open a program and it takes a long time for it to run. This, or you wait for a half-hour for your PC to turn on. If you\u2019ve experienced these two, then you definitely have a slowpoke in front of you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For starters, check to see if the problem isn\u2019t a full hard drive. Remember that any computer needs enough room to run smoothly so if your hard drive is maxed out, a dip in its performance becomes inevitable. In this case, there may be no better time to clear up some space than now. Uninstall programs you\u2019re barely using or all those unwanted files and applications you forgot you downloaded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next, trim the unnecessary programs off your startup items. Several applications launch automatically as you turn on your computer and this may be why it takes too long to boot it up. To start trimming, open System Configuration by pressing the Windows key+R, typing \u2018msconfig\u2019 in the query box, and pressing Enter. Then check the Startup Item column and determine which of software you don\u2019t really need to run at start-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you\u2019re done with all the necessary changes, click OK and then restart your computer. Your boot time should be a little quicker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nowadays, troubleshooting PC problems have become a normal part of our computer life whether we like it or not. So whenever your equipment acts up, it\u2019s wise to do a little fixing yourself before you seek the pros. Besides, it\u2019d be embarrassing if you pay for professional help only to realize that your computer only needed a simple reboot.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Diagnosing and fixing computer problems is no walk in the park. That\u2019s why we often call upon professionals to perform such a complex task. However, the truth is that you\u2019re not totally powerless when your PC goes haywire. If your machine has been acting funny, there are immediate remedies you can do before a trusted technician comes in to finish the job. For five of the most common computer problems, we\u2019ve outlined some of the troubleshoots you can readily do […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8016,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17594,17586,17580],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6138","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-computers","category-editors-choice","category-tips-and-tricks"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n