These recent days, I’ve been helping a lot of my friends with their computer problems. Some have complicated technical problems, while others have a pretty easy problem. I’m not that expert on troubleshooting, but I can understand computer configurations quite good so I can do some troubleshooting by myself. Actually, fixing a computer problem doesn’t require high expertise on computer. All you need to have is a basic knowledge about computer and some of the basic remedies I’ve listed here.
1. Restart.
Yes. It is just that simple. Some of the problems your PC experiences might just be caused by a newly installed software or a newly set configuration. Restarting your computer will reload Windows. Thus, this will refresh all your application and will apply the latest configuration that your system had previously made.
2. Ask Google.
Google is our bestfriend when it comes to finding answers to our questions. Try search Google for your problems. Just type in your problem and hit the search button. My personal advice is that try to be specific on doing your search, but not too specific. If you can’t play videos type in “Can’t play videos on Windows Media Player” or something like that. Don’t try to be too specific like: “I can’t play Titanic Movie On Windows Media Player, It stops at 2:03 Minute” It is stupid right? Also, don’t be too general.
Additional Tip: If you are experiencing a problem wherein an Error message appears, try to search for the error code or the error message itself.
3. Read Documentations.
If you cannot find a solutions on Google, sadly you need to read the Documentations provided by the software developer or hardware manufacturers. Read the table of contents first, because this will obviously help you find the scope of your problem. You can find these said documentations or manuals commonly on their websites, on the folder where the program is installed, or it is included in the package of the installer.
Additional Tip: You can access Microsoft Windows Help on the Start Menu.
4. Apply Default Settings.
Before doing complicated stuff, try to locate the software/hardware configuration and apply its default settings. Most of the programs and hardwares provide a button which will instantly reset all configurations to default. Default setting is the original configuration that is set by the developers themselves. So it is very much advisable to stick to the default setting if you don’t have prior knowledge about the software/hardware.
5. Reinstall.
One of the easiest remedy to solve computer problems is just reinstalling the software or hardware itself. Maybe the previous installation had some problems causing the program or the hardware to malfunction.
6. Uninstall Latest Applications.
You could also try to uninstall or remove those previously installed applications before you’ve experienced the problem. This is because, certain programs might have compatibility issue which causes their malfunctioning. You can go to Control Panel then open Add/Remove Programs, this can guide you on uninstalling applications.
7. Use the 1-2-3 Combo. (Anti-Virus , Anti-Spyware, Registry Scanner)
I just made up this so-called combo. But I knew that many users utilize this combo to fix problems on their system. Of course Anti-virus will surely detect if a virus is causing your problem. Then, Anti-Spyware will be the support of your Anti-virus on detecting malicious file in your system. And lastly, Registry Scanner will apparently scan your registry to correct some invalid registry keys.
8. Use Windows Utilities.
Window’s provide such utilities to fix our usual problem on our PC. You can run Scan Disk, to search and correct local errors on your hard disk. This is very useful especially if the problem is your hard disk itself. Then you can also Defrag your hard disk to organize all the data embedded on it. These said tools can be accessed by going to My Computer, right-click on your Local Disk, and choose Tools.
Additional Note: Check and update your drivers. Some drivers might be outdated. Thus it is incompatible with some of your hardware or software, which is causing the problem. You can check your drivers by: Right-click on My Computer, select Properties, go to Hardware, and choose Device Manager.
9. Reformat.
As far as I can do, I don’t want to reach the point where-in the only solution left is Reformat my PC. Although Reformatting is easy, it is still annoying to do this process. You need to reinstall the OS, Motherboard, Video Card, and everything. But even if it is annoying it is still one of the best solution to solve computer problems. It is like your computer was born again.
Additional Note: For those who doesn’t know how to format their own PC. Don’t be scared, trust me it is easy. Millions of manuals are available in the net; Use Google to help you.
10. Ask For Technical Support.
Okay, If all else fails, this will be your final choice. Call for help. Almost all software/hardware products provide technical support for their users. It can be via internet or via telephone line. Don’t be shy on asking help from them, except if and only if you are using illegal copies of the product.
Additional Note: You can also ask help from your Local Technician. This option is very much preferable for hardware issues.
No comments:
Post a Comment