PC Upgrades

If you say you have never had computer problems then you are either
A: completely lying or
B: completely lucky.

I know i have had my share of problems. I won't lie. So it is important to go over a couple of computer problems you may have or have had. So let's get started.


The computer wont boot
First, check to see that all cables are in all the way, especially the video and the power cords.
Then see if the lights on the computer turn on. If they turn on, it should only be a loose video cord, a broken video card or monitor, or the video card was not installed properly. It could also be a BIOS problem. If so, jump to the BIOS step.

If they don’t turn on, check your power supply.
Try to see whether the power supply fan starts to spin. If it does, go back to the last step. If not, you have a power supply problem. Replace it.

As stated in step 2, the BIOS might not be working. Rub your hands over metal to discharge any static, unplug all cables, and open up your PC case. Look for the CMOS battery, which is a small, circular, and silver battery near the CMOS jumpers. Its best that you look over a motherboard manual to find the CMOS jumpers.

There are 2 methods to resetting - set the jumpers to another position for 30 seconds, or taking out the battery. Be careful around the jumpers, since they’re easy to lose, and if you lose them, you’re screwed. For example, on my motherboard, the jumpers are set on 1-2, and there are pins in the order of 1-2-3. Remember that the position of your jumper now is the default. Place the jumper into the order of 2-3, wait 30 seconds, and move it back to 1-2.

If jumpers aren’t available, refer to the CMOS battery. Unplug it for approximately 5 minutes, than plug it back in. Then set up the default settings, such as dates and stuff.

Now if the case is that it freezes all the time at the boot screen, try booting into Safe Mode. If that works, the partition has a problem, and you will need to repair the OS with your Windows CD.

If both crash, you might have to reformat your computer.


- You are connected, but the Internet does not load

It happens once in a while. Try resetting your DSL/cable modem and router, if you have one. If that doesn’t work, move on.
Check for loose cables, and reconnect them in case.
Try using another computer to test the Internet. If that one works, your computer has a problem, and it can easily be resolved by opening Command Prompt (type CMD in Run/Seach Prompt) and then type in ipconfig /renew. If this doesn’t work or if the other computer does not, then move on.
If you’re behind a router, perform factory resets on your modem and router - make sure you know what your ISP password and username are. Set them up again, and they should now work flawlessly.

-You’re being assaulted with loads of pop-ups.
Scan your system with antispyware/antivirus

-Your PC is just running plain slower than usual.
Check how much hard drive space you have. Usually, when you have less than 15% remaining, your computer will lag more due to less virtual memory space. If you have a clean hard drive, try defragmenting.
If these don’t work, scan for viruses and spyware, and then clean out your registry, and defrag it if possible. Also, uninstall anything that you don’t need anymore.
You’ll have to move on to more drastic measures if the above don’t work, such as replacing hard drive cables and updating your BIOS. Also, try replacing the hard drive, as those slow down after a period of time. At worst, sometimes a reformat will speed it back up again, and that will tell you that you downloaded some crap. If these don’t work, your computer has just aged, and is running slower than usual. That's natural, and all you have to do is replace your PC.

Forgot your password?

Easy - boot up in Safe Mode, log onto the Administrator account that should appear in the login screen, and reset your password. Usually that account has no password.
Now if you set a password for your BIOS, reset your CMOS, as demonstrated in the My PC wont boot section. Also, try finding a trustworthy password reseter or cracker, such as Ophcrack.
Otherwise, youre screwed big time, and will have to resort to a reformat.

Hope you enjoyed.Happy Upgrading!