5 Warning Signs Your Computer is Starting to Fail

computer failing

A computer’s life expectancy can depend on a number of things such as its hardware, the environment it’s in, and how often it’s used. A computer that is stored in a typically dry climate will generally last longer than a computer in a humid environment due to less corrosion and damage. In the same way, a computer that is turned off after each use should last longer than a computer that is left on all of the time.

There are a lot of other factors that can affect the life expectancy of your computer including dust accumulation, heat/high temperatures, and lack of care. While we can’t control all of these things, taking care of your computer by cleaning it out and maintaining it can be a great way to extend the life of your computer and its hardware.

Utilizing a professional computer repair service such as Dave’s Computers to maintain and ensure your computer is running optimally can add a considerable amount of time to the life of your PC and potentially save you hundreds of dollars on buying a new one. Watch for these signs to know when your computer is struggling and beginning to fail.

The computer gets noisier

As a computer slowly begins to fail, it will generally become noisier due to parts malfunctioning or not working like they should. Fans that get filled with dust and hair will slowly burnout their motors which leads to much more sound generation while they struggle to perform their job. Hard drives can also begin clicking and your computer will being to “think” louder as it becomes more difficult for it to accomplish its tasks.

Sudden reboots or shutdowns

If your computer has been suddenly shutting down or rebooting for no reason then your computer is probably beginning to fail. Random shutdowns or reboots can happen when there is a critical error that is usually due to a hardware failure or corrupted memory.

Tune-ups and repairs no longer help

If you’ve been maintaining your PC pretty well and have regularly tuned it up by cleaning out the dust and decluttering the hard drive then you’ve taken good care of your computer. However, if the computer is slowing down despite these tune-ups then it may be time for a new computer. While you can extend your PCs life expectancy through maintenance and repair, eventually your hardware will grow too old and fail on its own.

Operating system upgrades are unavailable

If there is a new operating system upgrade available but your computer is too old to use it then it might be time to get a new computer. OS upgrades provide a lot of security fixes and performance enhancements to your computer, so not being able to upgrade can put your system at risk while it becomes obsolete.

Computer repair trips are a common occurrence

If you find yourself making regular trips to a computer repair shop or electronics store like Best Buy, then it might be a sign that you need to save yourself the time and money and just purchase a new computer. While repairing your computer can help save some money and extend the life of your computer, at some point the computer is just too beat up to fix without replacing a considerable amount of parts.

If you’ve noticed any of these signs then it might be time to get to a computer repair shop. Even if you don’t plan on repairing your computer, a professional IT expert can help save the data on your hard drive so you can import it onto your new computer or put it on an external drive. Visiting a computer expert like Dave’s Computers can be a great way to evaluate your options and see if repairing your PC is worth it, or if it’s time to get a new one.

If it’s too late and your computer has already failed, check out this article on how to salvage data from your dead hard drive

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