Basic PC Problems
While computers have made life infinitely easier in countless ways, they can also be quite the pain when they go awry. Most common PC problems are caused by simple things that can be fixed in a matter of minutes, so don't start thinking that it's time to buy a new computer just because yours is running a little slower than it used to.
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Random Crashes
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One of the most common problems that PC owners face is random crashes of the operating system. Windows owners have come to nickname this occurrence the "blue screen of death," due to the blue screen that displays information immediately before shutdown. While this can sometimes indicate that there has been a hardware failure (either because of outdated drivers or the device is physically damaged), more often than not this is caused by an overheating of the computer's core components. This can be fixed by simply cleaning the dust out of your PC tower every few months to allow better air flow.
Running Slowly
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The more you use a computer, the slower it becomes. This is just a fact of life and is caused by the increased use of programs and files. To help remedy this, at least in Windows, all you have to do is run a computer defragmenting. What this program does is, in essence, sort your files to make them easier to access when you try to load your web browser or music player or any other program on your PC.
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Failure to Boot OS
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If your computer turns on but fails to boot into the operating system, one of two things could be wrong with your computer. Either your operating system has become corrupted and you will have to reinstall the OS, or there is something physically wrong with the hard drive. Should this be the case, your only option is to buy a new hard drive to replace the old one. Depending on the damage, you may not be able to recover the data from the old hard drive. Keep this in mind when considering your options.
Avoid this problem by backing up your hard drive on a regular basis, either by storing important files on a thumb drive or by using an external hard drive that plugs into a USB port.
OS Is Slow to Boot
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If your computer does boot into the operating system, then you can rest assured that the hard drive is not the problem. Instead the issue may be with your RAM being overtaxed during the OS booting process. This is caused by having too many programs starting up when your computer first turns on. This problem can be addressed in two ways: either by going into the options menus of each program that starts up and turning off the option to boot at start-up, or by (in Windows) going to your Start Menu, clicking "Run" and typing "msconfig" into the bar. This will bring up a window which gives you the option to turn on and off any boot program you like.
Proper Drivers
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If you are having hardware issues, such as a video card not being recognized by your computer or a sound card not putting out audio, the solution is often times very simple: update your drivers. Many people hold the belief that once they install the drivers provided on the disk packaged with the video card, they are set. However, as operating systems and other programs are released that have advanced technology, companies that design these sound cards release updated drivers to ensure their products still work with the newer software and hardware.
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