Do It Yourself

So you are having issues with your system? The first step is identifying what the issue is. Pending on what the issue is, there are a few options to start with:

• Performance Issues – System running slower than normal, not stable (freezes/crashes), no longer running the apps it used too.
  • There are a few reasons for this;
    • The first is what OS (operating system) are you using? Is it current, have updates available, and supports your hardware? The same goes for any programs/apps you have installed.
      • If yes, then you will want to run the updates and any recommended maintenance routines. If that don’t help, resetting/reinstalling would be the next step.
        BTW: Back up your data to an external device before doing any servicing!
      • If no, time to upgrade. This may mean upgrading to the latest major version of the OS or program/app that you are using if your hardware is supported by it.
        BTW: Back up your data to an external device before doing any servicing!
    • What hardware are you using? Is it still supported by the OS or programs/apps you have?
      • If yes, does it meet the recommended requirements and not just the minimum requirements? As the OS or programs/apps mature, they tend to add more features that require more resources. If your hardware met the recommended requirements before, it might only meet the minimum requirements now. Here is where you may have to make a choice; Do you upgrade your hardware by adding RAM (Random Access Memory), replacing your HDD (Hard Disk Drive) with a SSD (Solid State Drive), or upgrade the CPU (Central Processing Unit)? Are the hardware improvements worth the cost? Do the research before making this decision, as this is a major step.
      • If no, the reason may be something simple like a hardware setting that is not enabled (ex: your hardware has TPM 2.0 and/or Safe Boot, however, it is turned off) and can be simply turned on. Or something major like a combination of hardware shortcomings (too little memory, slow or failing storage, overall system speed is not enough). Again, is the cost to upgrade worth it verses a new system? Or what you do does not require that new OS or program/app and can be done with an alternative OS or program/app that is perfectly happy running on the hardware you currently have? Again, do the research before making this decision, as this is also a major step.
    • Just what are you trying to accomplish with your system?
      • Are you doing office work, surfing the web, is your work primarily done in the cloud? If you answered yes to any of these, then you may not be tied to the OS or program/app you are using and have other more affordable options other than buying new hardware or software.
      • The other end of the scale is work you do that depends on specific proprietary software and hardware that leave no room for alternatives. Then there is no real choice and you may have to upgrade or buy a new system altogether. However, just because you buy a new system, doesn’t mean that what you have now is e-waist. It can be repurposed as a secondary system for things in the first category for yourself or others.
      • Somewhere in between, actually it is not very common that a system entirely falls into the first or second category. Mostly the first category with a little of the second category is what the majority of systems are comprised of. A good example is someone that uses their system for office work with an office suite software and some research using a web browser. However, also uses a video editor do make a presentation or YouTube video. Here, they might be used to a productive suite by Adobe. However, there are alternative software out there that can take the place of Adobe software. It might not work the same way, but are comparable in the ability.
      • Other categories – Not everyone falls under office productivity or content creator, there are systems used for gaming, scientific research, AI, and many other things that can be imagined. So your mileage may vary on what OS and/or programs/apps are available for your hardware and what hardware is available for your OS and/or programs/apps. The best advice I can give is to do your homework and keep an open mind to alternatives.
• It’s Broken – It is not turning on or not booting up.
  • If not turning on; Obviously something has failed…
    • If not powering up, don’t make the first assumption that the computer power supply or the computer itself is dead. Check for the simple stuff first. Check the power cord, is it loose in the wall outlet, power bar, UPS, or where it connects into the computer? Is the cord or any components between the outlet and the computer damaged or not working? Try or bypass different components (power bar/UPS), test the outlet for power or at least try a different outlet that you know is working. You want to eliminate the cheap/easy fixes first. After checking everything else and still not powering up, then it’s time to bring it to a technician.
  • Powering up, then powering down.
    • Try unplugging everything from the computer except the display and power, restart the computer. If now it boots up, it could be whatever device that was plugged in interfering with the power up process (ex: something shorting out). If still failing to boot, it’s time to get some outside help.
  • Powering up, but no display.
    • After a bit of a wait; same process as if it were not powering up, however, now you are checking connections between the computer and screen. If available, try a different screen. If more than one port for video out, try each. It’s all about process of elimination.
    • No display, but you hear something like Morris code coming from the computer. This is the system trying to tell you what’s wrong when it can’t display the error via the screen. Count the beeps and pauses. Check your owner’s manual or search the error codes on Google for your machine.
  • Powering up, displaying just a cursor or some error message.
    • If just a cursor, wait for a bit, it could just be taking a little longer to get into the OS (updates or other things going on behind the scenes). Check to see if a USB stick/drive/card reader is plugged into a USB port or a disc in a drive (yeah, that still could be a thing), if any of these things are, they could be interrupting the boot process. If not, go get a coffee or do something else for a little while, if still the same thing after awhile, then try unplugging everything else from the computer except the display and power, restart the computer. If now it boots up, it could be whatever device that was plugged in interfering with the boot process (ex: stuck key on a keyboard). If still failing to boot after awhile, it’s time to get some outside help.
    • Text is flying by then stopping – see if you can read any error messages. If there are any messages on the screen, it could provide a clue on what is going on. If you don’t understand the message, Google it on your phone or ask your friendly neighbourhood spider-man, I mean technician for help. 😉
    • The screen changes from text to a blank screen or a blank screen with a lone pointer and nothing else. Just like the cursor screen, wait for a bit, it could just be taking a little longer to get into the OS (updates or other things going on behind the scenes). Go get a coffee or do something else for a little while, if still the same thing after awhile, it’s time to get some outside help.
    • The blue screen of death (this is a Windows only thing), Google the error message on your phone. It might be something you can correct yourself, or at least help when explaining the issue to the technician.
      
      Note: If you are feeling adventurous, and your computer is turning on, however, just not getting to the desktop. You can try booting from a USB drive or CD-ROM (yeah, that still could be a thing). You may have to press F12 or some other key repeatedly to get to a boot menu (check your system manual or Google). If your system boots from the external device, then it is likely that the OS on the internal drive is corrupted or the internal drive is damaged.

I don’t expect the average user to know how to fix every issue with their system, however, doing some detective work before running for help can go a long way in saving time and money when needing help. Also, before we even have to get to diagnosing issues, always, I mean ALWAYS have a copy of your important data elsewhere other than on one system. Components wear out, systems can be compromised, mistakes can be made – Keep a copy saved (on the system), keep a copy offline (external drive), keep a copy elsewhere (the cloud).