Common PC

Hardware Problems
and Their Solutions
Prepared by: Kevin D. Caratiquit
Hardware Issues - Desktops
Unusual noises
Failing fans
Hard drive dying
Power supply dying or underpowered
Consumer-level machines usually have
small supplies
Bad capacitors
Electrical issues
Hardware Issues – Desktops
Environmental issues
Dust
Pets
Food particles
Vermin
Usually through missing slot covers
Tobacco stains mixed with any of the
above
Hardware Issues – Desktops
 Preventative Maintenance
 Use canned air periodically to dust out
insides
Depending on environment, you might take want
to take PC outside for its dusting
 Usea good surge suppressor or better, an
Uninterruptable Power Supply
 Usepower saving functions responsibly and
turn off (or Standby) computers when not in
use for more than a few hours
Hardware Issues – Laptops
Environmental issues
Dust
Pets
Food particles
Accidental abuse
Cracked display most common
Hardware Issues – Laptops
Preventative Maintenance
Get a good carrying case or
knapsack with adequate padding
Keep it away from environmental
hazards
Pets
Short-tempered people
 Windows OS issues
 Blue Screens Of Death (BSOD)
 Viruses, Spyware, Ad-ware (Malware)
 Make sure security program’s definition/ pattern files are up-
to-date
 Beware of drive-by downloads!
 Recommend ad-blocking extensions
 Cryptic Error Messages
 Plug error message into search engine; somebody else is likely
to have experienced it and inquired about it
 Application errors
 Driver errors
 Check manufacturer site for any possible updates
 Windows OS issues
 Preventative Maintenance
 Periodically run a cleaner utility such as CCleaner
 Periodically defrag the hard drive(s)
 Run virus scanner on some type of schedule
 Install ONE antivirus program
 Storedata files somewhere under Documents or My
Documents folder
 Delete obsolete data
 Uninstall trialware from system
 Develop backup regimen
 Blank monitors
Blankmonitors are
among the most
common computer
problems.
 Blank monitors
The first thing to do is
to check the supply
cord and power
systems. 
 Blank monitors
Sometimes, the video cable
may be loosened.
In this case, push the video
cable into place again. If you
can access another monitor,
connect it to the CPU and see if
it works. If it does, the problem
is in the monitor or its wire.
 Hard drive is dead
Adead hard drive is a major
hardware problem because it
usually involves considerable
expenses.
 Hard drive is dead
The only possible thing you can do
is to try and recover as much data
as you can from the hard drive.
There are specialized software
available that can do this.
 Alternatively, you can also take it
to a hard drive recovery expert.
Error when booting
Errors on boot usually
happen during reboots.
Some error messages will
be self-explanatory but
others may be technical. 
 Error when booting
Make sure that all the wires that lead
to the computer are properly pushed
in. 
Sometimes, floppy disks and external
hard drives can also cause error
problems. Remove them and try to
reboot.
If
Starting problems
you are unable to start your
computer, the best thing to do then is
to restart the system and choose an
existing configuration like Safe Mode
or Last known Stable Configuration. 
The Safe Mode is the best option to
choose because it will give the
computer a chance to analyze the
problem as well as adjust to new
settings.
 Shutdown problems
It can happen that the computer
shuts down suddenly or it takes a
long time to shut down. 
If you are facing these situations,
it is best to look into the problem
deeply. There may be a serious
and bigger problem involved than
just the computer shutting down.
 Freezing computer
It has been seen that excess
heat can cause the computer
to freeze and even lock up.
The internal temperature of
the computer is controlled
by a fan. 
 Freezing computer
This fan is prone to accumulating
dust and will not cool the system
properly when it does. 
Removing this dust can work
wonders. In fact, this is one of the
first things you must do before you
decide to buy a new heat sink or a
fan. 
 Freezing computer
Ifthe system still hangs, cut the
load on the hard drive and the
CPU.
You can do this by stopping
applications you don’t need (go to
the task manager to find out which
are the applications).