PCs are wonderful tools that occasionally refuse to work the way they should. When something does go wrong, you can avoid frustrating and costly by learning to fix your own PC. Use the basic troubleshooting techniques and step-by step instructions in this website to solve hundreds of common hardware and software problems.
WHAT DO I DO?
When my PC won’t start
Trace the source of the problem
As the days goes by, PCs continue to increase in complication and our reliance with time.
People across the globe turn their PCs on each day to use them for research, leisure, entertainment learning, etc. Since we rely on the PCs to do our day to day activities, so there is equally needs for maintenance to avoid break down, cost, frustration especially when the PC just doesn’t work, and we don’t know why. The process of restoring the computer back to standard state is called troubleshooting, this process diagnosis the computer to get it back on the right truck
Although it’s tempting to start troubleshooting your computer as soon as it displays symptoms, you’ll save yourself a potential headache if you back up your files or document on a removable media like, pen drive, etc. so u can do away with the fear of losing your data.
It’s not always easy to determine whether your hardware or software is to blame, but it’s a good place to start troubleshooting: If you’re fairly confident that the problem is one or the other, you’ve eliminated several troubleshooting steps.
Look for common hardware symptoms.
Hardware problems, such as damaged components or loose cables, generally cause obvious, dramatic problems. For example, if your computer won’t power on at all, you’re looking at a hardware problem, rather than software. You should also suspect a hardware problem if your computer powers on, but no images appear on your monitor. If you can’t access any software (even the BIOS [Basic Input/Output System]), you’re not looking at a software issue. Of course, not all hardware issues display such obvious symptoms, and some hardware problems exhibit symptoms similar to those caused by software problems. For example, if your PC runs slowly, it may have too many unnecessary programs running at once or a virus or adware may be crippling your system; obviously, these are software problems. On the other hand, these same symptoms can be caused by an overheated processor, something that’s just as obviously a hardware issue.
Look for common software symptoms
A conflict between two programs, for example, may prevent you from accessing certain applications, but may not crash Windows itself. In many cases, the software that’s experiencing trouble will display an error message. Unfortunately, many error messages don’t offer much immediate help: The message will likely display a cryptic warning or a bunch of numbers and letters that don’t mean anything to anyone other than a programmer. Unless you receive an error message saying that hardware is to blame, the error message is a good indicator that you’re facing a software problem.
Find The Source Of The Problem
Once you know (or think you know) whether you’re dealing with a hardware or software problem, you can really dig into the next question: Which hardware component or program is the source of the trouble? If you can answer this question, you won’t have any trouble finding an article in this issue that addresses your problem. Here are some tips for narrowing the troubleshooting field.
Hardware problems.
Once you suspect a hardware problem, list the components (internal or external) that might be the cause of the problem and then check each component, one at a time. In some cases, this may mean checking external and internal hardware. For example, if your print documents don’t reach the printer or you see error messages that say your printer isn’t connected to the computer, you’ll want to check the USB cable that runs from your computer to the printer to make sure neither of the connections is loose. You’ll also want to be sure that your computer’s USB port is functioning. (You can test this by plugging another USB device, such as a USB flash drive, mouse, or external hard drive into that port.).
In some cases, you may suspect that an internal component is damaged, but not be in a position to confirm the defect. If you think that your computer’s lost network connection is due to a damaged or incorrectly configured Ethernet NIC (Network Interface Card), you probably don’t have an extra Ethernet card that you can swap out. This is where the Device Manager, a built-in Windows tool, can help you identify problems without opening your PC or bumming spare parts from your friends.
To open the Device Manager, right-click the My Computer icon on the Desktop, and then click Properties. When the System Properties window appears, select the Hardware tab and then click the Device Manager Button. The Device Manager displays a list of your PC’s components by category, such as Disk Drives (hard drives),
The Device Manager lets you quickly determine whether your PC’s components are working properly. A red X indicates a problem.
Processors, DVD/CD-ROM Drive
Things to Check First
Although a list of things to check won’t catch every PC problem you encounter, you’ll be surprised at how often the simple steps below can lead to troubleshooting success. Whether you’re kicking off a troubleshooting session or at your wits’ end after hours of fruitless research, here are some good tips to try. Is the PC’s power supply switch turned on? Some PCs have a power switch at
the back. Make sure it hasn’t been switched off.
Are all cables connected? Loose connections regularly cause headaches. Remove and reconnect each plug firmly, even if you’re sure it’s connected.
Are all peripherals turned on? Make sure a powered-off print server isn’t preventing your printer from working.
Does the Device Manager display any problems? Check this tool for red Xs,
Which indicate a malfunctioning or disabled device?
Is there a new driver? Updated drivers often fix hardware problems. If you can’t find new drivers (check the manufacturer’s Web site), try reinstalling your existing driver.
Have you installed software updates? Software publishers sometimes release
patches via their Web sites. Also, check to see if your software recently installed
updates automatically. In rare cases, a software update may introduce problems.
Software problems.
If you’re fairly certain you’re facing a software problem, but you haven’t been able to identify the offending program, your best bet may be to use Windows XP’s System Restore. This feature is especially useful if you’ve installed multiple programs recently. System Restore reverts your computer to the condition it was in few days or even a few weeks ago, without destroying any of the documents, emails, music, or video files you’ve created. Thanks to System Restore, any programs you installed after the Restore Point (the date in the past to which you restore Windows) won’t appear on your PC. Once you complete the restore, you can reinstall the applications
one at a time and check your PC for problems after each installation.
System Restore is enabled by default in Windows XP, which means
that System Restore has already created Restore Points automatically, even if you’ve never used the System Restore feature before. To access System Restore, click Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and System Restore. Once you click the Restore My Computer to an Earlier Time radio button and click Next, System Restore will display a small calendar with several of the dates in bold. All bold dates have at least one Restore Point. (Note that Windows refers to automatically created Restore Points as System Checkpoints; you can create your own labels for Restore Points that you create yourself.) Select the Restore Point and then follow System Restore’s instructions to restore your system to this earlier date. Finally, make sure your PC is operating without trouble. If it is, you’ve narrowed the problem to one of the programs that System Restore just uninstalled (or to another program on your PC that conflicted with one of these programs). Now you’re ready to hunt for the problem program.
Troubleshooting
As we mentioned earlier, troubleshooting is largely a matter of eliminating parts or programs that are working until you find the part that causes the problem. Consider this scenario: You pressed your PC’s power button this morning only to find that it didn’t start. The PC worked just fine last night, and you haven’t recently performed any maintenance on the system’s interior. If you start by making sure your PC truly isn’t powered on, you’ll save yourself several troubleshooting steps. Check the monitor’s light: Is the monitor on? If not, you’ll want to check its power cords. Once the monitor is on, take a second look at your PC. Do any lights appear when you try to power on the system? If you see lights, or if you can see or hear running fans at the back of the computer, the system doesn’t have a power problem. Instead, the PC may be having trouble sending an image to your monitor, which could indicate a problem with your motherboard, video card, or memory. If the PC doesn’t power on at all, check the power cord and the surge protector. Many surge protectors have switches that let you kill power to any of the devices that plug into them: Check to make sure your pet didn’t accidentally trip that switch. Next, check the wall outlet by plugging a different device into the socket your PC’s power cord occupied.,
Accra Time
Ghanaian Cedi Exchange Rate
No comments:
Post a Comment