Computer Problems - How to Prevent Common PC Errors

Computers can have issues and errors. These many times happen because there are security flaws in the system, malicious software, and some poor computer habits that the user is causing. Learn what you can do to help prevent computer errors on your machine as much as possible.

One of the most common mistakes is filling up the hard drive. A Windows machine needs at least a few gigabytes of space to correctly save settings when shutting down the machine. The extra space will also help your computer run faster since when you are using it, you need some space for your temporary files. There are variety of issues that you can avoid by deleting a few files or moving them to an external hard drive and leaving a few gigabytes of space. An external hard drive is a worthwhile purchase, not only will you help keep your computer's hard drive clutter free, but you will have a back up of all your important files.

Another step that needs to be taken is to always shut down the computer properly. Many times people might just hold down the power button to make the machine turn off. This is not good for the computer on the hardware side or even the software side. It's important to properly go through the shut down procedures to prevent possible complications.

One thing that should always be done regardless of what type of machine you are using is to update the operating system. There are many security patches that are there for your protection. Whenever there is an operating system update, be sure to get it as soon as possible.

The same goes for your applications that you are running on your machine especially those that are connected to the internet. The browser is attacked all the time regardless of which one you choose to use. You need to update the browser whenever there is patch available because it will help keep your machine more secure.

Following these steps will help prevent a variety of issues that you might have otherwise had to face. It is not fun to have any type of computer failure and many times failure happens because of something that could not be prevented. However, for peace of mind it is important to do what you can to keep your computer healthy and help to avoid any issues. You will be glad you did!

Cecil is a freelance website designer as well as a home improvement junkie! He loves to spend time tinkering in his workshop and finding ways to save energy around the home. You can read his reviews on the different types of radiant space heater on his website: http://www.radiantspaceheater.org.

Computer Hard Drives - Hard Drive Problems and Symptoms

Is your hard drive acting up? Do you fear the loss of data, downtime, and possible loss of revenue this could bring? Let's take a look at diagnosing hard drive problems, and what the symptoms are.

The surest sign of a major problem is this: when you write data to the disk, and retrieve it later, errors pop up. It might take the form of small amounts of data going missing, or being turned into gibberish. If this happens in more than one program, disk failure looms in the very near future.

Some users "cure" this problem by reformatting the drive, then re-installing the OS and all programs. Unfortunately, this doesn't correct the root cause of the trouble, and it will only be a matter of time before it pops up again, perhaps fatally.

Strange noises, particularly high pitched squeaks, are often attributed to the hard drive. In the majority of cases, these squeaks aren't coming from the drive, but from a case fan, or power supply fan.

Listen closely with one of the side panels removed to zero in on the sound. If necessary, unplug the drive's power cable, then turn the computer on. If you still hear the squeak, you know it's a fan. But if the squeak goes away, only to return when you boot the hard drive, you have a very serious problem.

If your hard drive seems to be working too much, constantly chugging away, always sending data to and from RAM, the problem isn't your drive. The odds are you need more RAM. Today's giant programs are memory hogs, immense in size, creating multi-megabyte files.

If your hard drive is slowing down there are a number of different causes. These won't lead to disk failure, but they can be frustrating.

The first, and easiest to deal with, is drive fragmentation. In XP and Vista it's easy to defragment a drive, requiring only a few mouse clicks, yet most users let months go by without doing it. They wait until their machines have slowed to a crawl before performing this most basic act of computer maintenance.

Another cause is the volume of data stored there. The more data on the disk, the slower retrieval and write-to rates become. The cure is obvious. Either do a bit of house cleaning, removing unneeded files, or add another drive.

Sometimes, a sluggish hard drive can be a symptom of spyware, adware, or a virus. A good security program can scan your drive, and tell you if you have one of these problems.

Michael Quarles is the author of "Building a PC for Beginners" and "Speed Up Your Computer". His website is http://www.monkeyseemonkeydobooks.com .

Computer Repairs - The Secret to Solving the Easiest and Most Difficult Problems

A computer is a complex device with hardware and software components. Although modern computers are generally pretty reliable, almost everyone will face some sort of computer problem or issue eventually.

How to Handle a Computer Problem

The following discussion applies mostly to Windows based computers

The first step in solving a computer repair issue is to find the cause of the problem. This is known as troubleshooting.

Windows computers provide an event viewer. This is a record of all errors that the system detects. You should review any error reports in your event viewer to see if they identify the problem and suggest a fix. To use the event viewer, click start->run, type eventvwr.msc and enter. Click on system and look for any error reports in the right column. If there is a link in the error report, click on it to get the details. The link will often provide you with a possible solution.

Do the same for application and the other choices on the left hand side until you find something that applies to your problem.

Your operating system also provides help from the start menu. It provides step by step guidance on a great number of problems.

A web search for the symptoms of your problems will come up with a number of sites that provide step by step guidance in determining the exact cause of your problem.

Fixing the Problem

Once you have determined what the solution is, you can decide if you want to tackle it yourself.

If you are handy, many common problems are not difficult to repair such as replacing or adding memory, replacing a DVD drive or replacing a video card.

Software problems can be fixed by downloading patches or running some repair programs.

The Most Serious Problems

The Windows operating system is the heart of your system. Just as in a human being, heart problems affect the entire body in the most serious and total way, similarly operating system problems can make your computer severely sick or totally unusable. If you have a serious virus infection, constant or crippling BSODs (blue screen of death), frequent crashes or extremely slow performance, operating system repair is probably required.

In the case of XP systems, Microsoft has provided for a repair install operation which can bring your computer back to new. The best source for information about how to do the repair is provide by Michael Stevens Tech.

However, this process can be complicated and you may need to be somewhat technical to pull it off. If you don't do it right, you might get your system back but you will lose all your programs and data.

There are paid programs that can automatically fix your computer without losing any of your programs or data. These can be a life saver and they are cheaper than going to a repair outlet.

Best of luck in solving your repair issue.

David Freitag

The Computer Doc

To find out all about computer repairs and service and the best way to get your computer fixed see computer repairs

If your Windows XP system needs serious help, see repair windows XP

Troubleshooting Computer Problems - How Hardware Failures Can Put Your Small Business at Risk

I can say that in my 18+ years of computing, one of the most frightening things about PCs are hardware failures. Nothing can take the bottom out your stomach as fast as the worrisome "click...click...click" sound of a dying hard drive. Or worst the "dead and ominous silence" coming from a lifeless power supply unit.

Despite all the advertising about how fast and reliable computers can be; the dirty little secret of the computer industry is that hardware failures are both common and expected. It is not a question of "if" your computer system will have a fatal "crash-n-burn" but of "when".

As a small businessperson, whether you are just starting out or a hardened vet of the "store wars", you simply can't afford to have your company crippled due to a hardware meltdown. Every hour you are down due to a computer failure is a lost hour of productivity.

Common Hardware Failures

That is why you should take the time to learn and understand how to prevent or reduce the most common hardware problems. In my experience, the following things cause the bulk of the hardware failures:

1. Under-powered, dead or failing Power Supply Units


2. Over-heating issues (dust bunnies in the equipment and under-ventilated computer boxes)


3. Corrupted or improper device drivers (which is really a software issue)


4. Power surges, lightening strikes, brown-outs and other electrical problems


5. Outdated BIOS (another software issue) or bad motherboard (a definite hardware issue) or an old, overworked hard drive.


6. Other parts: bad RAM, video cards, sound cards, network & modem cards

Not All Acts of Nature

Now some of these failures are "acts of nature" or the power company and you will have little control over them. But most of the above failures occur due to:

• A. Improperly installed parts (someone put in the wrong thing or used a "lemon" part)


• B. Improperly configured parts (bad or corrupt device drivers again)


• C. Damaged or defective parts (broken or dead components)


• D. Poor maintenance (ya didn't do your housekeeping)

A) Improperly installed parts can happen at the factory level, at the local repair shop or from parts coming loose just from the unit being banged around while moving. Sometimes you just get a lemon or an underpowered part that just plain won't work right in your PC. Your best bet is to determine the bad part and to have it replaced.

B) An improperly configured component happens when a device driver goes bad or becomes corrupt. The only thing you can do in this case is to download the latest driver software from the vendor and reinstall it. This is why you need to know where your computer came from or at least where the parts came from. Most reputable vendors keep device drivers available on their websites.

C) Truly dead parts must be replaced with similar or superior quality components. You can easily learn how to do this yourself or take it to your local computer repair place.

D) Good maintenance consists of cleaning out the computer case with canned "air" every six months or so; occasionally wiping down keyboards, mice and monitors with the correct cleaners; making sure the box is setup in a moderately dust-free environment and using the proper size surge-protector to prevent unnecessary power fluctuations.

Action Plan:
Here's what you need to do today:

• Download and run, Belarc Advisor (www.belarc.com/free_download.html). This free little utility will build a detailed profile of all the software and most importantly all the hardware devices installed (by brand/model if known) inside your machine.


• Using the info, you just collected, locate and download all your hardware device drivers. They should be on the Recovery/Restore CDs that came with your machine. If your CDs are lost or misplaced, go online to the computer's manufacturer (Dell, HP, etc.) and download your drivers from their support site.


• Make backup copies to all the device drivers and information you got from the Belarc Advisor.

Just remember that for hardware repair, you really only need to know how to do two things: reinstall something or replace something.

Sick of computer headaches? To learn more fast fixes for your problem PC, visit http://www.fixcomputerproblemsguide.com

From Chancer Reese - Your Small Business Tech-Diva.