Although most complex computer issues at work can
often be solved by the business IT support team,
there are many other small, but common, issues that occur on a regular basis on
a personal computer. The good news is that many problems with computers have
simple solutions, and learning to recognise a problem and fix it yourself will
save you a lot of time and money. The following are the top 10 common computer
problems that you shouldn’t panic over.
1. The Computer Won’t Start
A computer that suddenly shuts off or has difficulty starting up could have
a failing power supply. Check that the computer is plugged into the power point
properly and, if that doesn’t work, test the power point with another working
device to confirm whether or not there is adequate power.
2. The Screen is Blank
If the computer is on but the screen is blank, there may be an issue with
the connection between the computer and the screen. First, check to see if the
monitor is plugged into a power point and that the connection between the
monitor and computer hard drive is secure. If the problem is on a laptop, then
you may need to get a professional to fix it as some of the internal wires may
be worn.
3. Abnormally Functioning Operating System or Software
If the operating system or other software is either unresponsive or is
acting up, then try restarting your computer and run a virus scan. To avoid
having this happen, install reliable anti-virus software.
4. Windows Won’t Boot
If you are having troubles booting Windows, then you may have to reinstall
it with the Windows recovery disk.
5. The Screen is Frozen
When you computer freezes, you may have no other option than to reboot and
risk losing any unsaved work. Freezes can be a sign of insufficient ram,
registry conflicts, corrupt or missing files, or spyware. Press and hold the
power button until the computer turns off, then restart it and get to work
cleaning up the system so that it doesn’t freeze again.
6. Computer is Slow
If your computer is slower than normal, you can
often fix the problem simply by cleaning the hard disk of unwanted files. You
can also install a firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware tools, and schedule
regular registry scans. External hard drives are great storage solutions for overtaxed
CPU’s, and will help your computer run faster.
7. Strange Noises
A lot of noise coming from your computer is
generally a sign of either hardware malfunction or a noisy fan. Hard drives
often make noise just before they fail, so you may want to back up information
just in case, and fans are very easy to replace.
8. Slow Internet
To improve your Internet browser performance, you
need to clear cookies and Internet temporary files frequently. In the Windows
search bar, type ‘%temp%’ and hit enter to open the temporary files folder.
9. Overheating
If a computer case lacks a sufficient cooling
system, then the computer’s components may start to generate excess heat during
operation. To avoid your computer burning itself out, turn it off and let it
rest if it’s getting hot. Additionally, you can check the fan to make sure it’s
working properly.
10. Dropped Internet Connections
Dropped Internet connections can be very
frustrating. Often the problem is simple and may be caused by a bad cable or
phone line, which is easy to fix. More serious problems include viruses, a bad
network card or modem, or a problem with the driver.
