Most Common Laptop Problems and Tips for Troubleshooting

Laptops have become essential to most of our daily lives. Whether they are being used for business or pleasure, our computers make everything easier to do. And regardless of how careful we are, sooner or later most seem to develop some issues. Persistent laptop problems can be very frustrating. Unfortunately, many still think they can only be repaired by a professional, but there are few repairs that are pretty easy to complete yourself. The article discusses common laptop problems, and offers suggestion on how to repair or troubleshoot what may be going wrong.

Slow Computer

This is one of the most common problems. A slow computer can make you frustrated, but there are a few things you can do to solve the issue. The main causes include corrupted registry, spyware, fragmented data, or dozens of unnecessary programs running at the same time. The solution is to clean your registry with either free or paid-for programs. Run disk defragmenter systems to stop unwanted programs from running and to keep track of all programs at once. If you aren’t sure what programs to use, try a professional electronics repair company, like Contec Direct, to see if they have any recommendations for improving speed.

Computer Turns Off by Itself

This issue is usually due to a dying power supply of a defective battery, bad cable connections, or simple overheating. The tips for solving the problem include checking first that the cables are well connected. If the cable is OK, then it is important to check if the computer is very hot, or if the fan is working as it should. Sometimes you might need to clear away dust or debris from the fan. For a laptop, the battery could have deteriorated over time, and unplugging from power means the computer switches off. In this case, it’s best to just buy a new battery.

Booting Problems

The operating system inside a laptop has many things that could potentially go wrong, especially for many laptops that have software that are aligned to their needs. A laptop may not complete a booting process, or just complete and reboots instead of taking you to your desktop page. One way to solve this problem is to try booting using safe-mode by pressing F8 right after pressing the power key. As the computer is in the safe-mode, it will clean up any viruses or software that may have infected the computer.

Laptop Hibernate and Standby Problems

Standby and hibernation use low power consumption mode, and should be able to preserve all content. Problems can arise when the power management features and BIOS of the laptop disagree. The solution could be solved by trying different settings in the BIOS. Be sure to configure the BIOS to suspend the computer when it's on hibernation.

To get most out of our laptops, they need to be maintained, protected, and setup correctly. Often we shy away from diagnosing problems ourselves since these complex machines can be intimidating. However, with a little basic knowledge, it is easy to navigate some simple repairs and troubleshoot common problems.