subject: 8 Good Steps to Fix Your Computer Before you Call a Pro [print this page] 8 Good Steps to Fix Your Computer Before you Call a Pro
A lot of the time, a few simple steps are all that is needed to put a malfunctioning computer back into order. There is no sense in paying a professional to look at your equipment until you have tried some, if not all of the following basic, but sometimes forgotten steps to help your PC get back on track.
1) Sit on your hands for at least 30 seconds! Sometimes computers, especially older ones, can get really bogged down and appear to freeze up if you ask them to do too much at once. Before you yank the plug, or take any other measures, you should give the computer a fair chance to catch up with you. Pulling a power plug, or forcing a shutdown when it is not absolutely necessary can cause substantial damage to your operating system. A lot of the time, simply waiting for a little bit will get your computer back to a state where you can close your open windows, and re-boot it in an orderly fashion.
2) Re-boot it! Sometimes issues with a computer can be caused by a small hiccup within that is easily fixed by erasing your computers RAM (Random Access Memory,) and starting over... That is a very simple procedure, because all you have to do is re-boot your computer.
3) Run the CheckDisk utility. A lot of basic errors and overall weirdness can be fixed just by running a check on your computer's file system. In order to do this, simply follow this path:
Start>My Computer>Right Click on C:>Choose Properties>Choose Tools> Choose Check Disk For Errors.
You should check the box that says "automatically fix file system errors" and then hit yes when the next window appears. Re-start your computer, and it works automatically from there.
4) Check your switches and cables! We have taken many calls about either broken mice, webcams, or other attached devices, as well as wireless internet, and found that the reason that things were not working properly is that either the cables were not plugged in, or the switch on the device was turned off. Most computers have a wireless internet switch that is usually small, and easy to bump. If something is not working right, it can never hurt to give these things a good once over.
5) Run a virus and a spyware scan! Many problems with internet browsing, internet access, and overall funkiness can be solved by simply allowing a virus scan and a spyware scan to run, and using the automated prompts to fix the problems that are found. Another good scan to run is from Spybot, as their program is one of the best overall computer protectors we have seen, and it is free!
6) Try a system restore! If your computer started acting funny all of a sudden, try rolling back your settings by a few days with the system restore utility. Go to Programs>Accessories>System Tools> System Restore, and choose a point a day or so before the problem showed up. This option will effect your installed programs, but never your documents, pictures, and other stored data, and it can do a great deal of help!
7) If your problem is internet related, reset your router and modem. This can be done as simply as pulling the power cable out of the back of both of them, and waiting about 20 seconds before plugging them back in. It also does not hurt to call your Internet Service Provider to see if they can see anything wrong with your connection.
8 ) Search for it! Although some issues with a computer are unique, many have been experienced before, and using a major search engine to check for the key parts of your issue (an error code... Screen flickers, etc) could give a solution that works, and is fairly easy to put into place.
Varnes Computers, LLC provides high quality computer service and IT consulting to the Denver area, and beyond. Please contact us with any questions or concerns at http://www.varnespc.com
