3 of the most common PC issues and how to fix them yourself

Technology is great, but it certainly doesn’t come without its problems. Hardware failures, software glitches, and miscellaneous issues are pretty much “expected” at this point.

In fact, if you go an entire week without a PC-related issue, you’ll probably start to wonder if you’ve accidentally stepped into an alternate reality.

Either way, we’d like to help. To do that, we’ve compiled a short list of the most common PC issues and a few suggestions on how you can fix those issues yourself.

My computer is running slowly.

We’ve all been there before — quietly cursing at a slow computer, wondering what you ever did to deserve such a terrible fate. However, while a slow PC can sometimes be a big deal, it usually isn’t.

In most cases, a slow computer is something you can easily fix yourself. Here are a few tips:

   Restart your computer

If you’re anything like the average computer user, then you may not turn your computer off … ever. Believe it or not, this can and will slow down your computer. So if you’re starting to notice that your computer is running slower than usual, then close down all running programs and restart it.

 

    Check out task manager

It’s not uncommon to have programs or applications running in the background of your PC that you aren’t even using. These can take up resources and cause your computer to run slower. In this situation, visit your task manager and see which processes are absorbing the most resources. If it’s a task like OneDrive or Google Chrome (and you aren’t currently using it), go ahead and end it.   

(While you’re at it, you can also stop programs and applications from running on startup. For example, do you need OneDrive to automatically load every time you turn on your computer?)

 

    Uninstall old programs

Again, programs and applications can take up a lot of your PC’s resources and slow down processes. So if you have a lot of stuff on your computer that you aren’t using, then uninstall that stuff. There’s no reason to have anything camping out in your PC and leeching off your supplies if you don’t even need it on your computer to begin with.

My computer won’t connect to the internet.

Things get real annoying when you can’t connect to the internet. You might not even need to get on the internet, but it’s the simple idea that you can’t. What if you get bored at work later and want to Google recipes for dinner?

But in all seriousness … if you can’t connect to the internet, then, in all likelihood, you can’t work. So when you find that connection drip-drip-dropping, here’s what you can do:

    Check the power source

First and foremost, make sure everything is turned on and connected to a power source. You don’t want to go around blaming your computer for connection issues if it’s really your router’s fault.

 

    Update your drivers

In some situations, you may need to confirm that your drivers are up to date and that you have the most recent updates installed on your computer. If not, your network’s adaptor might fail to connect.

 

    Check your coverage

Like an unplugged router, it’s usually the really obvious things that tend to affect your internet coverage. So if your connection is lagging (or entirely nonexistent), call up your ISP and check to make sure that everything is okay. There could be a larger issue at play or it could just be a tiny issue with your account (which can typically be cleared up with a quick 5-minute phone call).

 

My computer keeps freezing.

A frozen computer is probably one of the most frustrating things ever — mostly because you’re always in the middle of something important when your computer suddenly decides to stop working. While a frozen computer can mean something very bad (like failing hardware), it doesn’t always.

     Ctrl, Alt, Delete

Ctrl, Alt, Delete is a basic computer function every end user should know. When applications or programs start to malfunction and your computer freezes on you, just hit “Ctrl, Alt, Delete.” After you do this, hit “Start Task Manager” and click to end whatever task isn’t responding.

Keep in mind, this method is usually pretty effective at unfreezing your computer; however, this shouldn’t be a frequent default reaction. If it is and you find yourself ending unresponsive tasks quite often, then there’s probably a larger issue at play.

 

     Run a scan

Your computer might start running poorly if it’s infected with malware. So if you can, run a quick scan of your PC to see if anything malicious has latched onto it. If you don’t have a network security solution installed on your PC, that’s your first problem. In this case, you might want to consider partnering with a provider who can manage endpoint security for you.  

 

These are just a few very simple and very common issues that end users experience on a regular basis. But for a business as a whole, there are much larger issues you need to be aware of. Take a look at this 5-step checklist to knowing your SMB’s technology better.