Essentials of Troubleshooting / Tips For Tech

Table of Contents

Common Hardware Issues

Computer Not Turning On?

Ensure device is plugged in
Ensure monitor is turned on and plugged in
Check individual cables to ensure they each work properly
Attempt using different power sources for your pc
Verify that the PSU (power supply) is on

Monitor Not Displaying Anything?

Try turning the monitor on and off again and ensure that it is plugged in.
Test the cable to make sure it's still functional.
Reboot your PC and wait a few seconds before powering it on again.
Borrow or try a different monitor to ensure the problem is only occurring with your monitor/connect your monitor to a different computer to see if it works there.
If your monitor is working with other computers but not your own you likely have a motherboard issue - some useful tools for checking your motherboard or cpu (besides a visual check of course) would be PC-Doctor or Ultra-X.

Monitor Displaying a Distorted Image?

Turn the monitor off and on again as well as your PC, if you have a laptop try just turning the whole laptop off and back on.
Ensure that the display cable is not faulty, damaged, or not fully plugged in. Try unplugging the cable and plugging it back in.
Check that display settings and display resolution is set to the correct standard of the monitor.
Check that display drivers are up to date and are not corrupt.
Ensure that (if you have one) your GPU is not damaged or not fully plugged into the socket.
Ensure there are no viruses on your system.

Peripherals Not Being Detected/Working?

Make sure all cables and connections are plugged in properly and in the right slot.
For wireless devices, make sure the peripheral isn't dead / needs to be charged.
Test known good spares by taking peripherals from other computers that are working and plug into the system with an issue, if the known good spares work then your original peripherals are the problem, and if the known good spares don't work, then your computer, either your IO shield or drivers, is the problem.
Plug the peripherals in and check your device manager as a driver could need to be updated or reverted to a previous version.

Your Mouse Jumping Around?

In settings go to "troubleshoot" and then "other troubleshooters" from here you can troubleshoot your hardware devices including peripherals.
Going to the devices manager and updating the mouse's driver can also help. Searching automatically for the updated driver software and then following the on screen directions will easily update it.
Disabling the touchpad in "device manager" could also help. "Device manager" > "Mice and other pointing devices" > right click the touchpad > set the startup status to disabled > "apply".
Disable "pointer precision" in the "mouse properties tab".

Strange Scary Noises Coming From Your PC?

Your disk drive may be failing. Download software to check the status of your disk drive.
A fan may have interference. Check to see if there is something or a wire in the way of your fan.
A component may have loosened or have fallen off. Components can vibrate against the frame of the PC creating noise.
Dust out your PC, fans can become clogged and make unnessecary noise.

Consistent Overheating?

Overheating can be caused by hardware or the users own mistakes
One of the most common reasons for overheating is that the heatsink on the cpu isn't strong enough, or their isn't enough fans in the case. In this instance, either add a stronger heat sink and fan to your cpu or add more input and output case fans to your computer.
Having unresponsive applications open or too many applications running can be excessive on the computer and cause it to slowdown and overheat.
Clean your case of any dust buildup that is in or around any piece of hardware.
Check your computer for viruses and malware, and also check your task manager and event viewer to see what is taking up most of the resources.

Computer Being Slow to Carry Out Basic Tasks?

A slow computer could be caused by a plethora of different issues. So we'll make sure to go over the most common.
Insufficient amounts of RAM. Necessary to upgrade especially if you have only 8 or below.
Overheating CPU (removing dust or installing new fans or a heatsink could prevent this).
Still using a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) rather than an SSD

Computer Keeps Blue Screening

Read the error code and look up a solution online.
You might see a message that says, "Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer." If so let the restart occur.
If you added new hardware to your PC before the Blue Screen error, shut down your PC, remove the hardware, and try restarting. If you're having trouble restarting, you can start your PC in safe mode.
If you have recently installed software that could have caused the error, try uninstalling the software and see if that resolves the issue.
Do a scan on your computer for malware and viruses, as these can often get into the Windows kernel and cause the blue screen.
When all else fails, do a system restore to a date when you know the computer was working properly. From there you can determine what made the change that caused the problem.

Computer Keeps Restarting On its Own? (hardware-wise)

Check the physical hardware of your computer by looking at drivers but also opening the computer case and checking by hand.
Check your RAM for any damage to the sticks or slots they are put in and make sure they are inserted properly and the slots are clean of any dust buildup.
Check your CPU by cleaning any dust out of the heatsink and fan and any surrounding areas around the CPU.
Unplug any external devices to see if the computer shutdowns with them not connected. If the computer runs fine without them, then the external device could be at fault.
Update all your drivers that may be out of date in device manager.

Common Software Issues

New Applications won't Install?

There are many reasons an application may refuse to be installed. Some common solutions include:
Ensuring you have enough storage space by checking "storage" within your settings.
Making sure you are connected to the internet via an ethernet cable or the Wi-Fi.
Making sure the application is compatible with your device.
Cancel the download and try it again.
Restart your device
Uninstall any previous versions of the application that you may have had.

Device Drivers Not Working Correctly?

Restart PC and try installing again.
The device driver might not be the correct type of driver.
Try uninstalling and reinstalling the device drivers.
If all else fails, contact the device manufacturer.

Malware Attacks

Malware is software that can be installed on your computer without your knowledge by viruses or hidden programs that are designed to look like safe regular files. Malware comes in many forms and can be dangerous to your system, files, and personal information. The most common forms of malware come in emails designed to scam, malicious files from untrusted websites and drive-by downloads from scam sites.
Always run scans on your system using windows defender, but we recommend getting something stronger like Malwarebytes which is a paid software, but is able to do real-time monitoring to keep you and your files safe.
Some malware can lock your files and force you to pay for them. To counter this, backup important information in your cloud constantly and if possible, backup and copy them onto external hard drives that you can store safely for this instance. In the case, your files are locked, do not pay the hacker, instead call professionals that can come to your site and fix the problem for you.

CPU or GPU are Suspiciously Being Used far More than they Should Be?

Your CPU or GPU being dramatically used can be very concerning most of the time. It can shorten the life or effectiveness of the component if this continues.
Ensure your device isn't infected with malware that's using your CPU for its benefit.
Ensure you aren't stressing your CPU and GPU by running too many background processes or high demanding applications such as games.
Update you graphics driver
Update Windows
Underclock your GPU

Windows Won't Boot?

If booted into safe mode, Click Troubleshooting> Advanced Options> Startup Repair.
If you're using a laptop, battery issues can cause boot problems. It's worth testing an alternate charger cable to see if that solves the problem.
A serious issue with Windows 10 updates is that sometimes your computer won't boot because of a conflict with a USB device. You can solve this problem by unplugging all USB devices (and any other unneeded peripherals) and restarting the computer.
There's a setting inside your BIOS or UEFI called Fast Boot that allows Windows 10 to start faster by preloading drivers. Attempt turning Fast Boot off.
A misconfigured BIOS/UEFI can prevent your desktop computer from starting. Try checking them.
Malware is a major cause of an unbootable computer. The best method for dealing with malware is a bootable antimalware rescue disk. Try running a virus scan.

Computer Keeps Restarting On its Own? (software wise)

First disable the automatic restart feature by booting your computer into safe mode. After booting, click Windows key + R and type "sysdm.cpl" in the run command. Click OK. Click on the advanced tab at the top and then open the settings button under startup and recovery. Uncheck automatically restart and check there box saying "write an event to the system log". click OK to save. This will allow you to see what happens when it shutdowns and also allow you to explore the device without it shutting down.
Update all your drivers using required software for each one. This includes audio, video, graphics, and any other peripherals.
Run a virus scan to search your system for any bugs and problems that can cause the issues.
Check event viewer for any error messages and if found, search up the specific error and find what the problem is.

Recovering Corrupted Files

Perhaps some files you really care about have become corrupted and you desperately want them back. There are some useful steps to take in order to maximize your chances at retrieving these files.
Restore previous versions of the file by right clicking the file or folder that has been corrupted and looking at the "previous versions" tab. If the previous version of the file you want is present select "restore" to retrieve it as if nothing ever happened.
If you have any saved points of your system from the past you can use "system restore" to load back into a previous state of your pc before your data was corrupted.
A corrupted image can even be recovered by using something such as a DISM tool.

Unable to Access Your Email?

Turn your computer off and back on and check again
Check to see if you have an internet connection.
If using Gmail, Check that you're using a browser that works with Gmail, Check your browser extensions or applications, and Clear your browser's cache & cookies
If using Outlook, check that Work Offline is not toggled. Work Offline allows Outlook to appear like it is online but you will only have access to mail that has already been saved.
If using Yahoo mail, Use the Sign-in Helper to locate your Yahoo ID and regain access to your account by entering in your recovery mobile number or alternate email address.

Audio Isn't Coming Through Your PC?

Select the speaker icon on your taskbar in the bottom left. select the up arrow to open up your output device selection screen and choose whatever speaker or headset you are using.
Run the audio troubleshooter by typing "audio troubleshooter" into your search bar and select find and fix problems with playing sound and click next. In the pop-up menu select the device you want to troubleshoot and the continue through the troubleshooter by clicking next.
Update your windows to the newest version by going to your windows update menu and click install now if there is an update available.
Check to make sure all your speakers or headsets are plugged in the right slot and all the way in.
reinstall or update your audio drivers in device manager,
Check your sound settings and change your default device.

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