(Silly) Computer Boot Up Problems and How to Fix Them

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People who use a computer every day whether at work or at home will most likely encounter some sort of computer problem one way or another. Some of these problems will come from booting or turning on the computer. However, most of us (especially the not-so-tech-savvy-ones) will encounter problems that will leave us feeling somewhat… silly.

What are these usual problems encountered when booting a computer?

Electrical Error

Electrical error is one of the top causes of computer boot up problems, hands down. Often (yes, often!), the electrical problem is nothing more than you forgetting to plug the computer into the wall. People often forget that they unplugged the computer before they went to bed, during a storm, or perhaps the kids just fooled around and the cord accidentally got unplugged. Another reason (a more embarrassing one) is that you failed to notice that your wall socket or extension cord has a built-in on/off switch. This switch is often ignored because it’s always left on. However, it may have somehow been switched off, so check this out.

Furthermore, if you live in an older house (around 1970’s and earlier), you might need to check the circuit breaker or fuse box to make sure the plug for your computer has power and you’re not experiencing real electrical problems.

Power Supply is Dead

Closely related to the above; if your computer power supply dies, there’s not much you can do. One way to know this is by pressing the power button and the computer makes no noise and the lights don’t flash. If you’re sure you have no electrical problems, then you have a dead power supply that needs replacement.

Monitor is Dead

No electrical problems, no power supply problems, and all the lights and sounds are there. But, your monitor is dead blank. Computer monitors have a small light to indicate that they’re turned on. If the light isn't on, make sure your monitor is connected to your computer. Cords can unexpectedly come unplugged. Before blaming the two problems above, it might be wise to check your monitor first. If you have an extra monitor, or if you can borrow another, use that and boot your computer. If it works, then your monitor needs to be replaced.

Bad Disk Drive

If your main drive is dead, your computer won't be able to read the operating system, such as Windows, because your OS is stored in the main hard drive. The computer will start booting and then stop. You’ll get a displayed helpful error message or a cryptic error code. If you’re not tech-savvy or just not into techie stuff, then you need someone to fix the boot sector of your hard drive. Either that, or you need a new hard drive and reinstall Windows. A more minor fix is to simply recover all your data and reformat your drive.

Disconnected Hardware

Disconnected hardware is a frequently ignored problem. This happens when parts inside the computer aren't fully screwed or pushed in. When you move your desktop computer around while cleaning or moving to another room, the parts loosen up. They don’t fall out, but they’re loose enough that they don’t work. This might happen to your computer memory (RAM) or the graphics card. If you are able to, open the computer case, disconnect the power, and gently push in every removable part and cord. Hopefully, this might fix the problem.

If you've had unique problems when booting the computer, no matter how silly, we’d love to hear from you. Please do send us your experiences.

Speeding Up Your Computer's Performance Through PC Optimization

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PC optimization is a means to improve the performance of a computer system through hardware tuning, operating system settings adjustment, or through the use of computer system optimization software.

All computers may experience declining performance as time goes by due to wear and tear. Depending on your computer's specifications, you may notice that after some time, it will run slower than it used to. You may find yourself waiting anywhere between 30 seconds to several minutes for your PC to turn on.

And since most of us use computers for our day to day activities especially at work, the wasted time due to the computer’s slow performance will greatly affect the daily productivity. However, there are ways to speed up your computer’s performance. One of these is PC optimization.

Sometimes called PC tune-up, PC optimization services cover:

·         Registry investigation

·         Blocking sites on your browser

·         Hard disk management

·         Computer hardware and peripheral installation to improve memory and virtual memory usage

·         ISP troubleshooting and bandwidth management

·         PC diagnostics

·         Power management

·         Execution time

·         Adding user accounts and password

Check the PC Setup Program

Your PC's hardware can keep you waiting for a while before Windows has a chance to start. You can reduce the delay by changing a few settings in your PC Setup program.

Check for Viruses, Spyware, Adware, and Malware

Hidden malicious or annoying programs often load at system start-up, slowing down the process. Get rid of them by scanning for viruses regularly. If you don't have antivirus and spyware utilities, you are living dangerously.

Get Rid of Unneeded Start-Up Programs

In most Windows OS you can see what programs load at start-up by going to Start, Run, typing msconfig, and clicking OK.

Tune Up Registry

Programs like RegClean can sweep out defunct hardware and software settings that can clog up your Registry. For this and the unneeded start-up programs, you might need professional technical support.

Defragment Your Hard Drive

Your hard drive doesn't always save a file in one place. Instead, it saves parts of the file in different places where there's free space. Use Disk Defragmenter on each of your drives to make those files contiguous, improving both start-up and overall Windows performance.

Let us know your experiences with PC optimization in the comments section.