HP Computer Problems

Every computer will have its share of problems whether you bought an HP or any other brand available. This is because nothing stays perfect forever. Just the wear and tear of everyday life will ensure that eventually you will need to buy a new computer. Luckily there are a number of troubleshooting actions you can take to keep most of your HP computer problems at bay for as long as possible.

If you have been grappling with HP computer programs your first instinct might be to jump onto the phone and call customer service. Before you do this, and subsequently spend what will feel like days before you get to talk to a technical services representative, why not see if you can fix the problem yourself?

Obviously you have already checked the basic stuff: is your hp computer plugged in? Are the cables connected correctly? Are the cables in working order? Make sure that none of the cables are split or frayed and that the connectors are in good shape. Sometimes all it will take to restore the system is to jiggle the various plugs a little bit. It sounds silly, but it’s true! After that, make sure that your power sources are in working order. Sometimes the outlet that your computer is plugged into is faulty or the surge protector (always plug your computer system into a surge protector!) might have a short in its system. If you have a wireless keyboard and/or mouse, make sure that the batteries are charged. You can usually tell the batteries are going out because the keyboard and mouse will stop functioning properly.

After checking all of the external problem sources, you will want to do some checking through the internal structure of your hp computer. First, to test your hardware, you will want to run your device manager. The device manager checks all of the hardware you have installed and makes sure everything is functioning properly and that the drivers are still doing their job. Anything that needs attention will be flagged.

If your hp computer problems aren’t hardware based, you will want to check your computer’s resources. Learn how to run the msconfig and how to clean out your start up program menu. Many programs are installed in such a way that they automatically turn on when you turn on your hp computer. This means that they are running during the entire time that your computer is turned on, whether or not you use them. This will eat up all a great deal of your computer’s resources. Make sure that only the programs that are essential to the functioning of your computer are selected. This will help your computer start, run and shut down much more quickly.

Once you’ve done that, take a stroll through your hard drive. Delete any superfluous files and defragment your hard disk. Run a virus and spyware scan and delete any potentially malicious files.

It’s amazing how just following these simple steps when those hp computer problems pop up will save you a ton of money in computer repair fees!

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.