Category: Computers

This article provides tips regarding how to troubleshoot your computer. Please keep notes on steps you have taken. If the tips listed below do not solve your PC problem, it may be time to call tech support 1(603)573-9221. At minimum, you’ll be able to help NH Helpdesk narrow down the problem by describing the troubleshooting steps you’ve already taken on your own.

Make Sure Your Computer Cables are Properly Seated
It’s possible that the power cord might have been pulled from the socket, or there was a blackout. Many devices, especially laptops, can be charged without being switched on and won’t function when connected to an outlet. If this turns out to be the case, then recharge or replace your battery.

As for desktop PCs, unplugging and plugging back their primary cords could solve some problems with booting up, such as loose or faulty RAM modules.

Is there a light on the monitor that indicates power is running through it? If not, then you might need to replace or fix your monitor. Be sure that all cables are plugged into their corresponding ports. No loose cords remain unplugged behind computer as this can cause short circuits, which will damage components such as motherboard, graphics card, RAM modules, and hard drive very quickly.

“Have You Tried Rebooting”
Shut down your computer, unplug the PC, then hold the power button for 30 seconds. By holding down the Power button, you release all of the residual power left in the PC. Please wait at least 30 seconds before restarting it by pressing the same button. Turn your system back on and see any improvement in its performance or behavior.

If you’ve already turned off your machine several times within a short period without success, then something else might be wrong with your PC; maybe hardware failures such as broken RAM modules or faulty CPU.

Do things you usually do on your device make it freeze, crash or shut down unexpectedly? If so, then there might be something wrong with your operating system, and you should reinstall the operating system. On the other hand, if you see error messages during startup such as “Inaccessible Boot Device,” “Unable To Load Operating System,” or similar messages that indicate hardware problems like broken hard drive, corrupted files in the boot sector, then most probably some of the PC components are failing and must be replaced immediately.

Check for Viruses
If you’re experiencing computer trouble, there is a chance that your PC could be infected with viruses. It’s always best to remove any malware as soon as possible; they can cause serious damage and make it difficult or impossible for you to use the internet normally.

Update Your Drivers
Outdated or incorrect drivers can cause computer problems, so it’s important to keep them up to date at all times. If you experience issues with the sound card in particular or perhaps other components, there are some steps you can take before replacing your drivers.

Fixing a Slow Computer
If your computer is slow, the first thing you should think about doing is restarting it. This will force all of its components to shut down and start back up again in sequence, which can solve some small problems if they’re causing your PC to be sluggish. Another way to fix a slow computer is by running an antivirus scan.

Recovering Data
If you accidentally deleted some important files or want to recover data from a damaged hard drive, some tools can help. Some of them work better than others, depending on what type of problem is causing the file loss. It’s best to research whatever software will be used and how it works before using such programs so that you know exactly what to expect when they’re finished running.

Sometimes your computer will try to run a file that’s no longer there, which can cause an error message or other problems. If you notice this happening often, it might be time to look into data recovery tools; they scan the hard drive for missing files and act like temporary storage locations where any affected files are placed until they’re recovered from their new location. It’s important not to use these programs on damaged media because doing so could make matters worse instead of better.

Check if Your Computer has Enough RAM
Check the memory usage by opening Windows Task Manager. If it shows that more than 50% of RAM is being used, you might add additional modules. Is there any software installed on your machine which could be using up a lot of processing power and slowing down its overall performance? This can also happen if too many programs are opened at once or even running in background mode on some operating systems like Windows.

This option is enabled by default for all applications after installation. In such cases, it would be best if you considered closing unnecessary apps or programs before launching others because they’re not currently active but only running in the background. Also, try disabling services that start automatically with Operating System booting up as this can cause the same problem.

Consider if You Have Installed New Software or Hardware
Try booting your system in SAFE MODE to see if this solves the issue. If it doesn’t, then uninstall any newly downloaded programs before restarting your computer. Make sure no other devices have been left plugged in after uninstalling drivers or software for them even when not currently using them. Also, try disabling startup items that launch automatically with Operating System bootup. These can also cause similar issues.

Uninstall Programs You Don’t Use
If your computer is running sluggishly, it might be because you have too many programs on there. Think about how much memory each program uses and whether or not you use the program often enough to justify keeping it around. Removing unused apps will free up some space that can also improve performance.

Your Computer maybe Overheating
If you’re unsure, try going into SAFE MODE and opening up the System Configuration Utility from START or RUN or by hitting F11 while booting up. Once open, go under BOOT and uncheck “Load Startup Items” before clicking APPLY & OK. Then restart your system but keep an eye on it for any unusual noises or symptoms that could indicate heat damage like loud fan whirring or repeated reboots without warning, resulting in permanent hardware failure.

Defragmenting Your Computer (Only if you hard drive is NOT a Solid State Drive. If you are unsure, skip this step)
If your computer has been running slower than normal lately, there might be an issue with the hard drive. Defragging will organize data on the disk so that it runs faster by making sure all of the pieces of information are together in one place. It’s not always necessary to defragment a hard drive; if it’s not yet fragmented enough to slow down performance, then don’t bother doing anything about it right now. (Types of hard drives)

Check for Viruses
If you’re experiencing computer trouble, there is a chance that your PC could be infected with viruses. It’s always best to remove any malware as soon as possible; they can cause serious damage and make it difficult or impossible for you to use the internet normally.

Update Your Drivers
Outdated or incorrect drivers can cause computer problems, so it’s important to keep them up to date at all times. If you experience issues with the sound card in particular or perhaps other components, there are some steps you can take before replacing your drivers.

Fixing a Slow Computer
If your computer is slow, the first thing you should think about doing is restarting it. This will force all of its components to shut down and start back up again in sequence, which can solve some small problems if they’re causing your PC to be sluggish. Another way to fix a slow computer is by running an antivirus scan.

Fixing Blue Screens of Death
If your computer has been giving you blue screens or error messages, it might be having trouble reading the hard drive; this can happen for several reasons. If you see any blue screen errors on your PC’s startup menu or if they pop up while you’re using Windows, restarting will resolve most issues that are causing this problem to occur. However, if the issue persists, there may be more severe problems with either hardware or software. You should seek help from someone who knows what they’re doing.