Diagnosing Computer Problems

Diagnosing computer problems can be a nightmare at times. There are so many things that can cause similar symptoms to occur that eliminating them one by one to find the real culprit can be tedious and time consuming.

However, there are a few shortcuts that can make diagnosing computer problems a little easier. Certain problems have likely causes, and these are always the best suspects to check out first. In short, start with the easy ones and progress to the difficult ones if you have to.

Of course, in your haste of diagnosing computer problems you may overlook the obvious; a loose cable or a plug that has worked free. Maybe the cat nudged it out as she was slinking past, or the dog pulled it out as he squirmed under the desk. The obvious low-tech answers to computer problems are the easiest to fix. You just have to look!

If your computer freezes for no apparent reason, don't panic. Try hitting the escape key first. It sometimes works to free the system, though usually it requires more than that. If a particular program is obviously not responding, try the three-key simultaneous combination of Control, Alt and Delete.

This will bring up the Windows Task Manager listing all the programs running. And any program that is not responding will says so in the Status column. Highlight the offending program and click, End Task to close the program. Diagnosing computer problems can really be this easy sometimes.

It may take a few attempts to close some programs that are reluctant to close, and of course, you will lose any work that hasn't been saved, but at least you will be able to free the system again. After closing the program you should be able to re-start it again without a problem.

If the same program continues to cause the system to freeze, then there may be a software conflict, or an outdated driver, or just something that isn't quite right. Each individual case is different and there is no blanket answer. You may in extreme cases have to re-install the program or update the driver. This is not particularly difficult if it fixes the problem.

One way of diagnosing computer problems is to backtrack to the last time when everything was working fine. Did you do something that might have changed things adversely? Have you recently installed a new program? Have you deleted something that you shouldn't have? Ask as many question of yourself as you can, and you might stumble across the answer.

It is always possible that your problem is related to a computer virus or spyware program. Unfortunately the modern online world is a scary place at times. You can't be too careful. Check your entire system by scanning all the drives with a good virus scanner and a good spyware scanner. Let the proper programs be the ones diagnosing computer problems in this case; if you have picked up something nasty, the programs should locate it and eliminate it.

Slow Computer Problems Tip #1

Check your internet cache. Not only does every single page you look at on the internet get stored into a history folder in the depths of your computer, but every single part of those pages gets saved as a separate file in what is known as the cache folder. Yes, every single tiny graphic gets stored in its own file. That green dot that repeats twelve times as an illustration of bullet points? Twelve separate gif files in your cache. Make sure you clean out the cache often.

Slow Computer Problems Tip #2

Ad ware is the devil. Ad ware can be attached to your computer by any number of sites (though it is most famously used by sites of an "adult" nature). This ad ware keeps track of where you go online like a cookie does, but ad ware is typically a covert program that slows down the computer to make it easier to track where you go. Run a spy ware or ad aware program on a regular basis to keep these programs and files at bay.

Slow Computer Problems Tip #3

Defragment your hard drive regularly. Sometimes parts of your files get corrupted. The more files that are corrupted or "fragmented," the more slowly your computer will run. A defragmentation of your hard drive should be done on a regular basis. It is a long process, so the defragmenting program is best run overnight.