Troubleshooting Your Computer

I’ll end this with a checklist, a number of things that you can easily check/do if you ever encounter any computer problems. You’ll find the list below can solve many computer problems.



  • “First of all, ask yourself what changes you have made to the computer recently (changed settings, adding or deleting programs, and so on.

  • Second, ask others who use the computer if they did anything to it recently.

  • Make sure the inside of the computer isn’t full of dust or the fan / filter isn’t blocked.

  • Make sure all connectors to and from the computer are on solid – even if you’re already sure.

  • Make sure no computer cables run under foot, and that you’re not stepping or pulling on them without knowing.

  • Check BIOS settings.

  • Try starting with the “last known good registry”

  • Check the Windows task manager. This will tell you if there are memory problems (or too little memory) and what the processor usage is – if you see 40% to 100% processor usage at idle, you might check what program is running in the background. You can also use the Windows task manager to shut down programs that could be the problem.

  • Check the Windows start folders. A program that Windows loads at start may be the problem. Try taking out programs that may be the problem.

  • Make sure your computer isn’t too close to another computer or a video monitor.

  •  Make sure the computer isn’t close to any strong electrical or radio frequency sources.

  •  Try moving the computer to another location.

  • Make sure your monitor isn’t too close to another computer.

  • Check the internal power source. Varying voltages can cause weird and intermittent problems. Like overheating, voltage changes can cause the computer to simply freeze. [Warning, the power cage in your computer and monitor has enough voltage to kill you, have an experienced tech check this. Many computers list the voltages on screen at boot, you can check these].

  •  Make sure internal connectors haven’t come loose, many need to be “snapped” closed. Make sure that all internal components and boards haven’t come loose. [Again, safety first, completely disconnect your computer, unplug it, for a few minutes before opening it. Then still avoid reaching into the power cage/section. Residual charge can last for quite a time if the safety ground gets disconnected].

  • Ask for help at http://forum.pcmech.com.

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  • Carlos B.

    when I turn on my P.C , every thing star normal but, after type my log in password to load windows, log me off over and over.
    I was firing with virus, I thing that I deleted some win32 the night before.
    What should I do now?
    Please help me!!

  • michael

    just get a lighter and burn it as i did to my computer

  • bill

    When i boot my computer it won,t open windows it reads diskette drive o seek failure press F1 to continueF2 to enter setup. how do i fix this?

    • Vasanth

      Disable floppy drive in bios…..

  • Angells

    That login loop is caused by the virus you still have a dll file in windows that is causing the problem. Do a inplace re-install of windows, it will not delete your programs. You can look up inplace install for your particular windows.

  • gen

    im glad i found this site,,,,sure it will be useful ,,,,can u help me wd my prob,,,,if i start pc,,sometimes it goes blue screen and says system halted,,,error..what will i do? pls , help me….

    • phil

      just format your computer….

  • Tammy

    When I turn my computer on, it will start up windows but at different points it will just shut itself off. It doesn’t happen at the same point everytime. Sometimes it stays on for a few seconds or maybe a minute. And then the computer shuts itself off and the monitor goes into power saving mode. Any idea?

    • phili

      @ tammy

      its better to reformat and reinstall your os. virus has something to do with it….

  • Boniface

    The “standby” {on start turn off} mode of my Computer is inactive, what shall I do to make it active

  • nick

    HELP! My comp was working perfectly when all of a sudden it made a continous beep sound and the screen went blank. naturally i rebooted my comp but it wouldnt go past the HP screen and it still made the weird noise. It wont even let me press F1 etc or go to the start up menu. ?????? what do i do>>>>

    • Vasanth

      Reseat the memory sticks…………

  • http://www.laptopshop.vn may tinh xach tay

    I think disable floppy drive in bios

  • TSb

    after my computer sets for a while it go
    es black and the green power light starts flashing what would cause this? I have recently performed a destructive recovery reformatt.

  • Alycia

    When i turn on my computer it goes to the windows didnt shut down properly screen and than it goes to the Windows xp screen and then to the motherboard screen and starts all over… is it fried ??? how do i fix it!!!???

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