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To your definitive resource for all computer related needs. We are here to help.
To your definitive resource for all computer related needs. We are here to help.
Troubleshooting computer problems isn't always easy. There are all sorts of ways you can do it and all sorts of computer problems that can come up. Part of what makes troubleshooting computer problems so difficult is that they are usually problems that are compounded over time. So it is difficult to know exactly what caused the problem. Below we will go through a few scenarios like for example if the computer would power up in the worst case.
Ok so you sit down at your computer, ready for a long night of work, oh…..wait, duh, I mean trolling the Internet or playing games. Well either way whatever it is you had planned on doing is going to have to wait as when you hit your computers power button, yikes, nothing happens. So, now what? Panic? Calmly unhooking your PC and then heaving it out your window? All good options but I am here to perhaps offer a few (less expensive, and less crazy) options for you to try.
Before you hit the phone book for the crisis hotline number step away from the situation for a moment and think a little. I always start with the physical. What that means it to check all the cables, check your surge strip, and maybe grab something you know works and plug it into the wall outlet to make sure it all works. This is a true story; back in my IT days I took a phone call from a customer calling in a panic that their pc wasn’t on. After 30 minutes on the phone she mentioned she couldn’t see the cables behind her computer because the power was out. I nearly fell over in my chair.
7.Did you try physically unplugging the computer for a minute then trying?
8.There is usually a small switch next to where the plug goes on the back of the PC, did that get flipped?
9.Did you try a different power cable?
10.Try bypassing Your Surge Strip (if you are using one)
Now I am not saying you wouldn’t notice your powers out, but sometimes when you’re in a panic you forget some pretty basic stuff. You will also want to make sure the cable that plugs your computer is plugged securely in. Often times there is also a little switch on the power supply itself (right near where the computer plugs in) that may have gotten flipped to off. There are a whole lot of very common things that can lead to your PC not powering up that do not require taking it in somewhere and paying someone money. (check your fuse box even)
OK so this section is for those of you who can at least turn your computer on. So lets say for example all of a sudden programs stop working or things stop responding like they should and your not quite sure what to do. Here is where I would start. Download a Anti-Virus Program program like avg get it updated an scan your PC. It is best to scan from safe mode if you can. You can enter safe mode by tapping F8 as your computer boots up, and it should give you a list of options, one of them being safe mode. So update the software first, reboot your PC, enter safe mode and scan the heck out of it. If this comes up clean, there is always Windows Restore (winxp) however this rarely fixed the issue in my day; it is certainly worth a shot. It is also important to sit back and do a little thinking about perhaps if you have installed anything lately, programs, or something like a windows update that you may be able to undo.
This may be at the root of all your problems. Software problems are a little more difficult to troubleshoot; using a free forum like the one offered here isn’t a bad idea either. See also the video on MSCONFIG. Keep this stuff in mind before your calling in the tech support; it could end up saving you quite a bit of time and money.
Is this short article going to fix all your issues, unlikely. What it will do however is give you a few things to try before you have to call in a technician. I have seen a lot of these methods take care of a lot of issues that ended up still costing the customer about $100 not to mention a bunch of time. Also remember to hit our forum and ask your questions maybe it is something we have seen and we would love to help you out. If you have any questions at all, email me at support@beyourownit.com. Feedback welcomed.