How to use computer troubleshooting to fix common problems

Errors, hardware malfunctions, virus or spyware problems are some of the things that can cause you to have problems with your computer. Some of the problems you can have are slowness, errors, computer won’t power on, etc. There are many different troubleshooting steps you can take to resolve them, which can save you time and money. The following troubleshooting tips and the repair guide will help you get started.

Restart computer

Restarting PC Click the Start button at the lower left corner of the screen, click the arrow to the right of Shutdown, and then click Restart to restart your computer. Many problems will correct themselves when you reboot your computer.

Check the cables

Checking the cables
If your keyboard, mouse or monitor is not working, you should check the cables. Check that all cables are connected securely on the back of your computer.

Check the electric power

The electrical power outlet
If your computer will not turn on, check the electrical power outlet. Plug something else into the outlet to see if it works. Plug your computer into another outlet to see if it will turn on. Make sure that the monitor is plugged into the back of the computer.

Disconnect peripheral devices

Disconnection of devices Disconnect any peripheral device, such as a printer or external zip drive, and restart your computer. Some problems will correct themselves if you disconnect peripheral devices before you restart your computer.

Listen for sounds

Sounds in the hard drive in order to check out for any hardware problem Can you hear the fan running inside of the computer? Is the hard drive making weird noises? If your hard drive is making loud noises, for example, it could indicate that it is going bad. If you do not hear the fan running at all, it could be bad.

Look inside the computer

Checking the inside of the computer Open the computer and look inside and make sure that all cables are securely plugged in, and that memory cards are seated properly.

Boot into safe Mode and run virus and spyware scans

Going on the safe mode for virus scanning Click the Start button in the lower left corner of the screen, click the arrow to the right of Shutdown and then click Restart. Tap the F8 key repeatedly as the computer is booting up to go into Safe Mode. Using the arrow keys on your keyboard, select Safe Mode with Networking and log in. Run a virus scan with your antivirus software. Update the software before you run a scan. Update and run the spyware software that you have on your computer.