Computers are a wonderful invention, aren’t they?
Whether you use one for work purposes, internet shopping, or…erm…looking at cat videos online, you are probably glad you have one in your own home. Well, until your computer goes wrong, that is. At which point, rather than celebrate the computer you have in your life, you might be tempted to throw the blasted thing through your window. Of course, that isn’t the correct solution to whatever computer problem you are having.
In this article, we will look at just two of the computer problems that frustrate many of us. While we can’t guarantee we will solve the issues you’re having (you might want to get tech support on the case), you might still give our ideas a try.
Frustration #1: Your computer is running at a snail’s pace
Are you suffering with slow-loading web pages and buffering videos? Does it take an age for your computer’s word processor to kick into action? These are problems common to many of us, and while frustrating, there are solutions.
Possible solutions
Firstly, check your broadband connection. When it comes to slow internet issues, it might not be your computer’s fault at all, so run a speed test to check your internet speed, and call your provider if it’s slower than it should be.
If the internet isn’t to blame, you need to check how much free space you have on your computer hard drive. If it’s full up, your speed will suffer, so declutter your drive of any unwanted files and programmes to clear up some space. Remember to check for hidden files too, as while some of them are integral to your computer’s operating system, some are merely remnants of files you thought you had long deleted. Mac users should read this guide on how to do this; https://setapp.com/how-to/show-hidden-files-on-mac.
Finally, scan for viruses. Especially if you have noticed an abundance of pop ups or redirects to dodgy sites, you might have a malware problem. There are loads of free virus-scanning tools online, and once something nasty is found, they will remove it for you.
Frustration #2: Your computer freezes up
One moment your computer is working perfectly fine, the next the screen is frozen, and you can’t access the web page or document you are working on. This is annoying, especially when working and you haven’t backed up your document to the cloud or to an external hard drive.
Possible solutions
For starters, it could be an issue with a particular program you are using. If your computer locks up every time the program is running, then this is probably the case. After rebooting your computer, visit the developer’s website and download any updates. This might fix the problem.
Alternatively, you might have too many programs running at the same time, and this might cause your computer to freeze as it struggles to process everything it needs to do. Therefore, try running one program at a time to see if this solves the issue. Mac users can use the Force Quit option to close down unneeded programs, and Windows users can do this from Task Manager. You might also use this idea to pinpoint problematic programs that could be causing your computer to freeze.
Unfortunately, the issue might also be related to problems with your computer hardware. If any of the components within your RAM, Motherboard, or CPU are malfunctioning, you might need to replace them. In which case, check your warranty, as you may be eligible to get your computer fixed for free.
Finally
We have only given you possible solutions to the computer problems we mentioned, but know that there may be others. Do your research online, or get in touch with Geek Squad for their invaluable support.
Let us know too if you have any technical advice for our readers!
Thanks for reading.
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