THE MOST
COMMON PROBLEMS WITH PERSONAL COMPUTER (PC) WITH POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
1. Malicious Software (a.k.a. Malware) –
This includes viruses, spyware, adware, Trojan horses, worms, rootkits and any
other piece of software designed to harm you or your computer without your
consent. These could be gotten through browsing the internet, email
attachments, computer networks (the collection of two or more computers to
exchange files), infected disk etc.
SOLUTION: Install
an updated antivirus, enable your windows firewall or install a third party
firewall with good antispyware protection and run the program time to time to
detect and eliminate any found virus. Make sure you update your antivirus
program and definition as required to patch up known holes.
2. Slow Computer – Your computer has a
limited amount of storage space, processing speed and RAM memory. The more
programs, documents, and toolbars you have, the slower your computer becomes. A
computer can also be slow if infected with viruses.
* Application programs have great effect
on your PC resources and performance, especially the applications that starts
up with the Operating System (antivirus, Bluetooth, messenger etc.). This seems
necessary as one cannot do with them but most users have 8 or more relevant and
irrelevant applications running at the same time. These applications are
usually found at the lower right corner of your computer screen to the left of
your system clock. You have to wait longer for windows to start as all these
applications are loaded next to your clock.
* Documents like files, music, pictures
etc. don’t cause much problems as they don’t run automatically but eat up
storage space and mess up the hard drive.
How do
they mess up the hard drive?
The hard drive is always
spinning when the computer is on. Files are written (saved) on the surface of
the hard drive in no particular order. The files are saved in sectors, which
mean there are gaps between the information. That is why it takes longer for
your computer to find your files and folders, especially after a few months of
saving new files on the hard disk. This is called FRAGMENTATION.
SOLUTION: Make
sure your PC is of good CPU family and speed specs such as 1.60GHz – 4.00GHz
and RAM specs such as 1gb – 8gb pending your pocket and reason. Defragment your
hard disk using “Disk Defragmenter.” (This is one of your system utility tools.)
Make sure you don’t use up your hard disk space for your computer to run
correctly. Stop all irrelevant programs from starting up automatically and
remove unwanted files from your hard disk. To do this, I recommend CCLEANER. Get rid of unneeded icons on
your desktop, install a firewall, install antivirus and Anti spyware tools,
schedule regular registry scans.
3. Internet or Network Connectivity Issues –
One day you are connected but the next day you can't connect. Nothing has
changed and you can't figure out what to do. A computer network is backed-up
with many internet protocols and devices; if any of the protocols or devices stops
responding then you will have a network problem. The problems can be with a
device, cables, network components, software problems or invalid IP Addresses.
SOLUTION: Make
sure that the modem or router is connected to the powered on and connected to
your computer. You can also reset the network by turning off the computer and
the network device, later turn them on and try to connect. Make sure the
necessary drivers are installed for your network adapter. Check if an
application is blocking the connectivity of the computer. Disable the firewall
just to be sure you are not prevented from connecting to the internet or your
network. If the problem persists, check your modem or router and network
settings. If not, call for an expert.
4. Dust and Cigarette Smoke – Computers
generate static electrical charges that attract dust and cigarette smoke when
present in the environment. This enters your computer through the several fans
installed to cool down the system. The fans pull air which may have been
polluted with dust and smoke from outside to cool down the system, this makes
the computer becomes hotter and eventually cause problems to the hardware.
SOLUTION: Since
air is present everywhere, always use dust cover to protect the computer from
dust and smoke. Close all uncovered expansion slot openings. Always clean the
computer surface and inside with a soft brush.
5. Hard Drive Failure – If you start
hearing loud sounds that you were not hearing before, be scared because those
sounds could be coming from your hard drive. A hard drive could stop working
for many different reasons but generally they crash due to mechanical failure,
electrical surge, a violent shake, or even a virus.
SOLUTION: This
can happen to anyone at any time, so it is necessary you have a backup of all
your important information on other storage devices. Run CHKDSK utility within
the windows to fix minor problems like bad sectors.
6. Dead Power Supply – When you press
the power button and your computer gives no sign of life, and all the lights
are absent, then the most likely cause is a power supply failure. This could be
that the power supply is being overloaded, bad power cord, basic voltages
needed by the power supply are missing, the system board has a defective
capacitor, or overheating caused by dust or smoke.
SOLUTION: First,
check the power cord. Confirm that it is good working condition and connected
to a working outlet. Check the position of the on/off switch and the 110/220
switch. Make sure it points at 220v. If the voltages are missing from the power
supply, replace it.
7. Missing CD / DVD Drive – If your
CD/DVD drive disappeared is not recognized by other applications, or just won't
play or access your CDs or DVDs. According to Microsoft, this can happen when
you upgrade the operating system, install a new application such a recording
program or when you uninstall the Microsoft Digital Image.
Solution: Visit
the Microsoft Support Website and run the Fix It utility based on your version
of Windows. If it a hardware problem, check the data cable connecting your
drive to the motherboard and make sure the power supply is OK. You can also
call for an expert to ensure you have the correct device driver for the drive
installed.
8. No Sound from Speakers – It may be
that the sound driver was not installed or bad sound card. Some system board
doesn’t come with the audio port which has no option than to use sound card.
Solution: Check
the back of the computer. Some computers may have sound card. You will need to
plug the single stereo speaker plug into the socket on the sound card usually
marked Audio Out. If found on the system board, make sure the correct sound
driver is installed. If no sound card or on-board sound output, go for USB
sound card – this converts USB connection to Audio port.
9. Computer Seems to Start Up as Normal but
Nothing Appears on Screen – It may be that the monitor power cord is bad or
the monitor power button being turned off. It can also happen when the VGA
(Video Graphics Adapter) card on the system board is bad or loose. The VGA cord
can also cause this problem. If all is well with the monitor and cords, then it
may be incompatible display adapter driver installed.
SOLUTION: Unplug
all the cables and replace them carefully. Check your VGA card on the system
board if any. If problem persists call for an expert as it may be that the CPU
refuse to send signal resulting from bad contact of the main memory or bad
driver installed.
10. Fuzzy Image on Monitor – Monitors are
sensitive to electro magnetic interference. They interfere with other
electromagnetic devices if near. This can cause the display unstable or blur,
even add different colours to your screen.
SOLUTION: Ensure
that your speakers are not too close to the monitor and that there is no other
source of interference, especially from TVs, radios, microwaves, dishwashers
and washing machines. Mobile phones are frequently the cause of this problem.
11. Modem Error Message Says, "No Dial
Tone" – Sometimes when you try to get access to the internet all you
get is NDT. This problem is always external to the computer; it can be a modem
or dial up settings or cable problem.
SOLUTION: Do not
attempt to change any COM port or other modem settings. Not all modem cables
are the same. Always use the one supplied with your modem. The telephone cable
from your wall socket should go into the modem socket marked Line In. Consider
that the telephone socket is faulty. It could also be a faulty telephone
extension line (just because it works on
a phone doesn't necessarily mean it will work on a modem - and don't ask me why),
or some other external factor. We repeat: Please do not change any of the modem
settings. "No- Dial Tone" is always an external problem.
12. Modem Cuts Off Frequently – Modems
cannot handle the beep on BT's call waiting facility.
SOLUTION: If you
have call waiting on your line you will need to disable it before using the
modem.
13. Colour on Screen is Limited to 16 Colours
– The default setting for Windows is 16 colours.
NOTE: You can
only get 256 or more colours if you have installed the video drivers correctly.
See device drivers on our previous post.
14. The Computer is Unable to Turn On – The
computer does not turn on when you press the power button.
SOLUTION: Check
if the computer is plugged in to an AC outlet properly. Plug another electrical
device into the outlet to be sure that the outlet is providing adequate power.
Check your power cord; ensure that it is in good condition. If problem persists,
then you have just fired your power pack.
15. Trouble with Video Card – The power
light of the computer and monitor is on and nothing comes up on the screen when
you start your computer then there must be something wrong with video card.
SOLUTION: Call
for an expert or change its VGA card with a new one. But make sure your
computer shows the sign of start up before condemning your VGA card.
16. Operating System or Some Software is
Functioning Abnormally – The Operating System (OS) or some other software
is unresponsive or responds abnormally.
SOLUTION: Restart
your computer and run a virus scan. For this purpose you should have a reliable
antivirus software or a software that can help you check your PC performance installed
on the computer to fix this issue. If problem persists, then you should back up
your files and reload your operating system and programs. In the process, make
sure you remove any previous operating system on the hard disk.
17. Windows Do Not Boot Properly – You turn
on your computer and it restarts immediately or it shows a blue screen telling
you a recent hardware change have caused your computer to shut down.
SOLUTION: Reinstall
windows with the windows recovery disk. Most of the times, this should help you
get rid of the problem of OS or software malfunctioning. Better still, format
your hard disk to correct bad head sectors and reload the OS.
18. The Computer is On but Not Responding –
You turned on your computer and it stops responding to software or keyboard
commands, then it must be frozen or halted.
SOLUTION: Press
and hold the power button for at least 5 seconds, it will be turn off. Now
restart your computer. This should fix things up. Or on the keyboard, press
CTRL + ALT + Del keys to activate the Task Manager then restart your computer
or end the non-responsive program and restart it.
19. An External Device is Not Working – You
plugged in an external device and it refuse to work or it works sometimes and
fail most times.
SOLUTION: Turn it
on according to the Manufacturers instruction; be sure that all device
connections are secure and receiving electrical power and compatible with the
operating system. Make sure that the correct drivers are installed and updated.
20. Slow Working Internet – While browsing
you have temp file, cookies, and cache being filled up which makes the internet
works very slow. This can also slow down your computer performance.
SOLUTION: To
increase your browser performance, you must frequently clear cookies and
internet temporary files. In the Windows Run Command – type “%temp%” and hit
enter to open the temporary files folder. You can use Ctrl + A to select all of
them and then press Delete. Please note that some of the files may not get
deleted if they are being used by the OS; but that is fine.
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