6 WAYS TO TROUBLESHOOT A COMPUTERS

When your computer misbehaves, it's useful to know how to troubleshoot problems yourself. That way you won't have to run to the computer repair store for every issue that arises. There are a variety of things that could be going wrong with your computer, but you can usually track down and fix the problem on your own.

METHOD 1
Reboot your computer

1  It may seem like a simple suggestion, but rebooting your computer will fix many of the problems you may be having. Press the Power button or use the Shut Down command to safely turn the computer off. If the computer is not responding, press and hold the Power button for about five seconds to force the computer to power off.

• Allow your computer to sit for about thirty seconds after being turned off before you turn it back on again.

  Try to determine what caused the problem you are having

2 Think back to when the computer started having issues. Was a certain program installed, or a change made to the hardware? Was something suspicious downloaded, or installed with a program you got? Was there a power outage and now things aren't working correctly? Narrowing down the possible cause of the problem will make it much easier to determine how to proceed. 

 Check all of the cables

 3 A loose power cable could be preventing your computer from booting up. A bad surge protector could be the culprit. Your keyboard or mouse may have come unplugged. Your monitor cable might be loose. Checking all of your connections will only take a moment

  Perform a Google search for the problem you're experiencing

4 There are countless issues your computer could be experiencing. Problems can occur with your programs, operating system, hardware, or network setup. While it would be impossible to cover every problem in this article, there's a very good chance that someone else has had the same problem that you're facing. Searching Google for possible solutions is often the fastest way to get your computer working again.

• Be specific with your search. Include the program's name and your operating system. Search for the exact error message along with any error codes. Focus on keywords that describe your problem. Try to narrow it down to your situation as much as possible.
• Focus on tech forums when browsing through the search results. You will often find the most in-depth guides and most useful suggestions from these sites.

 Install any available updates

5 Updating your programs, operating system, and hardware drivers may solve the problem's you're having. The update process varies depending on what it is you're trying to update.

• Click here for a guide on installing Windows updates.
• Click here for tips on installing updates on a Mac.
• Click here for a guide on updating your hardware drivers. This is especially useful if you are having display or networking problems.

METHOD 2 

Speeding Up a Slow Computer

1 Avoid downloading any programs that claim to speed up your computer. These are nearly all scams or vehicles for adware. You can boost your computer's speed on your own without the help of these programs. 

 

2 Close any programs that you aren't using. The more programs you have running on your computer at once, the slower it will run. Your operating system will often load several programs in the background when it starts as well.

• In Windows, a lot of the programs running in the background will have icons in your System Tray. Right-click on these icons to close the programs.
• Make sure you save any work before closing a program.

3 Force-close frozen or background programs. The only way to close these programs may be by forcing them to close. There are several ways that you can do this:

• Windows - Press Alt+F4 to force the active program to close. If Alt+F4 isn't working, press Ctrl+⇧ Shift+Esc to open a list of all the running programs. Select the program you want to force to close and click End task.
• Mac - Press ⌘ Cmd+⌥ Opt+Esc to open a list of your open programs. Select the program you want to force-close and click Force Quit. You can also hold ⌘ Cmd+⌥ Opt+⇧ Shift+Esc for three seconds to force-close the active program.

  4 Reduce the number of programs that start with the computer. Many programs will set themselves to start immediately when your operating system boots. When you try to launch too many programs, the startup process can take a long time. Removing programs that you don't use from your startup list will help speed up the time it takes your computer to boot. It will also reduce the general load as you use the computer.

 

5 Free up some hard drive space. In order for your operating system to run efficiently, you'll want at least 15-20% of your total storage space free. This allows the operating system to write temporary files that will allow it to run more smoothly.

• One of the quickest ways to free up space is to sort through your Downloads folder and delete anything that you don't need anymore. This could include old installers for programs, downloaded music and videos, and large documents.
• Deleting programs you don't use anymore can also free up a lot of space. This is especially true with some video games, which can take 30 GB or more of your hard disk space. For information on deleting programs in Windows, For Mac, 
• The Disk Cleanup tool in Windows will scan for files that you no longer use. It can free up a large amount of space.