When your computer crashes or has an issue, it feels like your life flashes before your eyes. You suddenly remember all the documents you have stored there, the photos you uploaded and then forgot about, the scribblings in the notepad files. All the things you knew you should back up that you never did, because you’re human, and we have a tendency to ignore things like that.
The next worry is how to bring your computer back to life. Either through not knowing what you’re doing or being too scared to make things worse, you flee to the nearest repair store or person that you can find.
Hang on, though. Before you go rushing for help, there’s a few basic things you can do to see if the issue is one that you can fix for yourself. Unless your computer is completely unresponsive, there’s no need to go running for help just yet…
1. Run Antivirus Properly
How often do you run a full antivirus scan? Let’s guess - you’re more likely to see the popup telling you the scan is necessary, then defer it for as long as possible, right? That’s what we all do. We know we should have the software, that we need to be protected… but most of the time, we don’t use it.
So, get a good USB virus cleaner and go through everything. It might take awhile and, no, it’s not going to be the most entertaining thing you have ever done - but it might save you an expensive repair job.
2. Clear Files, Cache and Disk Partition
If you’ve just read that and immediately thought: “what?”, then that might be the issue. Go through your system and get rid of everything you don’t need. Then, go through your disk partition and make sure everything is in order. You’re not going to break anything if you follow the steps, so don’t worry.
3. Do A Full System Restore
If all else fails, do a full system restore back to a point when the computer was working well. Ideally, you will be doing manual backup points, but again… no one really does unless prompted to. Luckily, most computers create restore points automatically, so you can go back in and find one. When you have a date you know the system was working well, you can do a full restore and see if that fixes the problem for you.
4. Remove Any Recently Installed Programs
If you have downloaded or installed any new software or upgrades recently, then it becomes the prime suspect for what’s upsetting your computer. Go and remove it, then see if it fixes the problem you have been having. If it does, then you have your culprit. If not - and if you have followed the above steps - it might be time to ask for help.
Finally…
All of the above points work in unison. You can’t just do one and expect them to work, so try and keep that in mind if you really want to avoid an expensive repair job. Work through the steps in turn and then see if it fixes your issues. Picking and choosing whatever sounds easiest is not going to be the solution.