How To Fix a Computer that won’t Start or Work

Computers are made up of different components which work together to give you the output you want. It is therefore necessary to make sure all the components of computers are working properly. Common basic start-up problems are;

1. Power supply failure

2. Keyboard problem

3. Corrupt software

4. Display settings and failures.

5. RAM failure

6. Hard disk failure

7. motherboard problems


How to Fix it:

1. Click the power button of your computer. If it fails to start ,check if there is electric power in the socket. Switch the power socket on. test your socket functioning with another device like tv or radio. Check if when you press the computer power button the power indicator shows on. If not, fix or replace the computer power cable. If the power is still not on again check if the motherboard power indicator is on. If not there is a problem with your computer power supply.

2. If your computer screen is off. Check the power supply as that of the computer CPU above. Try to check the setting of your screen if they are set to be dull.Adjust the brightness or change your screen. check if it's cable is connected to the computer. if still not working , connect to another computer.

3. If it shows keyboard error messages then connect the keyboard to your computer or try to connect another keyboard.then restart your computer.

4. Your windows software may be corrupt and cannot boot your computer.

• You can remove any additional non bootable disk to your computer.
• Press F8 when your computer starts and select last known good configuration using the arrow keys.
• If you installed a new software then press shift at startup and when windows load remove the software.
• You can also start from safe mode by press F8 on startup. This will enable you to remove all the newly installed software and hardware that are causing startup problem.
• Repair or reinstall your windows software using bootable windows software installation disk.

5. RAM or memory failures can be due to bad RAM. Try to reseat or change your RAM.

6. Hard disk failure usually is indicated as a red or other light in the indicator. If HDD is running it will be green. Replace your hard disk or check if the power supply and data cable are properly connected to your HDD. if not working there are bad sectors on your hard disk and it may need to be replaced or repaired.

7. Motherboard failures are hard to detect since all computer components are attached to it and it is therefore hard to single out a problem since it can be due to processor, memory, graphic card, memory board etc. It usually gives beeps during start ups. Consult a computer repair technician.
Get more startup repair tips here http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/support/nostart.mspx

How To fix hanging / freezing / slow start up computer

Working with a hanging / freezing / slow start up computer can be time consuming as programs/ applications take a long time to starting up and loading. This problem is more pronounced in computers which have been used for 6 or more months.

How to fix it

1.Check the programs running in the background. Most computer users need only a few basic programs but many other programs are loaded as a default by the computer/application manufacturer. Many antivirus programs run in the background and slow down the computer. you need to stop them by following these guideline below. go to

Start==>Run==>type "msconfig" ==>and remove all programs which are not oftenly used or in the boot up unecessarily. You will have to reset the computer. Also go to control panel==>add/remove programs ==>and remove all non-essential software. Use LIUtilities.com to check for files that you don't understand there function. some are system files and very necessary for your computer to run.

2. De-fragment your computer hard drive. Click on the "My Computer" icon on the desktop. (for Windows XP) and run disk cleanup first. Then go to Tools and Defragment the hard disk drives (HDD) on your computer.

It is advisable to defragment the HDD at least once a week, (It is automatic in Windows Vista). especially if large amounts of data eg video are being downloaded from the internet. Delete all cookies and downloaded files.

3. Ensure that there is sufficient free space on the hard disk (HDD ) where the operating system is loaded. Free space is required as virtual memory. Delete all unwanted files and transfer all large files / folders to other data storage media.

4. You may have a virus, spyware, trojan or adware on your computer. First remove all spyware, adware and virus by running antivirus program or manually . Most viruses can be cleaned or quarantined by antivirus programs

5. Ensure that the latest device drivers are installed on your computer. The latest device drivers are usually available at both the computer and component manufacturers website. You can update windows too. If you are not using a particular device, you can disable it too.

6. Add more memory. If your computer does not have sufficient memory or the memory is damaged, your computer will become slow. Windows XP needs at least 128 MB RAM, Vista require more than 256 MB RAM and 512 MB RAM is recommended for optimum performance.

7. Reformat hard disk.If none of the above options work, you may have to reformat the hard disk and install the operating system again.

8. Clean your computer from dust and corrosions. concentrate on cleaning RAM,fan and motherboard since dust build up causes the computer to heat up fast.