Computer repair issues: they affect the best of us.
From slow computers to computers that spontaneously restart or display annoying error messages, there are dozens of challenges out there. Unfortunately, many people don’t have a clue how to fix them.
Luckily, it’s not nearly as hard as it sounds. In fact, there are several common computer repair issues you can address on your own.
Read on.
Be Your Own IT: 3 Computer Repair Issues to Fix at Home
While some computer repair issues will always require a specialist (think virus removal or hard drive replacement), there are some simple yet annoying problems you can address from the comfort of your home. Here are the top three:
1. Your computer is so slow
Slow operation is probably one of the most common computer repair problems. It’s also one of the most frustrating. When your computer runs at the pace of cold molasses, it’s impossible to do anything. Downloads take hours, web pages freeze, and you can forget about seamlessly hopping from site to site. No matter what, it’s a problem that needs to get fixed.
Fortunately, you can do it on your own!
To address a slow operating system, the first thing you’ll need to do is make sure your computer isn’t overloaded with stored data. Take a look at your hard drive data to determine how much spare room it has. If it’s at or near its limit, delete some files you no longer need to boost its operating speed.
Pro Tip: Downloaded videos take up a massive amount of space, and are one of the biggest culprits for computers running slowly. With this in mind, delete videos you no longer need or move them to the cloud for easy viewing.
2. Your computer is running hot
Computers produce heat as they operate, so they’re equipped with fans (in the bottom of most laptops, and at the back of desktop computers) to help them stay cool. Sometimes, though, your computer’s fan just runs and runs at high speed, and the computer still seems hot (this is a common problem in Mac laptops).
What’s the deal?
While the problem could be a virus or outdated software, it’s likely something much more straightforward: that your computer is running at the maximum RMP, and it’s stressing CPU or GPU.
Here’s how to fix it: on your Mac, open the Activity Monitor (Finder -> Applications -> Utilities).
From there, identify which apps are taking up the most CPU. In this case, the culprits are the Google Chrome Helpers.
Once you’ve identified the programs claiming the most CPU, select them and click the “force quit” button in the upper left-hand corner of the window.
Pro Tip: If you go through this process several times, but your fan is still running, take the computer to a Mac repair specialist.
3. Pop-up ads are destroying your online time
Pop-up ads are incredibly annoying. While Google just announced that it will start punishing websites that display intrusive pop-up ads (Starting January 10, 2017), you can stop the flow on your own.
By enabling your computer’s pop-up blockers, you can save yourself from intrusive ads and enjoy your online time more.
Here’s how: If you use Chrome, click “more” at the top right-hand corner of the browser. Navigate to “Settings,” head to the bottom of the page, and click “show advanced settings.”
Head to the “Privacy” tab, click “Content Settings.”
From there, navigate down to the “Pop-ups” tab, and choose the tab that says “Do not allow any site to show pop-ups.”
Once you’ve done that, your pop-up problem should be ancient history!
Pro Tip: Pop-ups that continue after enabling pop-up blockers could be signs of a virus. Contact us about virus removal services if this tip doesn’t fix your pop-up problem.
Become a Computer Repair Expert From the Comfort of Your Living Room
No matter how good your computer or operating system is, glitches happen, and knowing how to fix them on your own can save you time and money. While some more serious computer repair issues will require the help of an expert no matter what, these three simple fixes can help you keep your computer in good running order – all on your own!
