Computer Repairs

Another common cause of failure is software. We are talking about our operating system and the programs we install. A large part of our population works on the WINDOWS system, and everyone knows that from time to time it is necessary to reinstall the system. The reason for this is the constant "garbageing" of the systems with sometimes completely unnecessary files. This is connected with e.g. longer waiting time for the system to start up or not to start up. It should be remembered that uninstalling any program leaves a trace in the form of the above mentioned "rubbish". We are setting up a new system and after a case.

The most common cause of monitor failures is so-called dead pixels. These are single "dots" that shine in different colours. In this case, our monitor must be taken to warranty service immediately in order to replace the entire matrix. However, not always the service under the "guarantee" will do this to us, because depending on the model, size and class of the matrix, the service in question sets a minimum number of "burned pixels" to replace us with a new one. You will find this information on the warranty card of our monitor. So we either have to wait for the next pixels or simply "pay" for the new one, which in some cases involves high costs.

Hard disk failure can always happen to anyone. The number of causes of damage to hard drives varies. These include sudden voltage spikes, user action, mechanical damage, damage caused by viruses. Check if your drive is visible in the BIOS. Most often, if it is not visible, our system will simply not boot up. If you experience any hard disk failure or messages that indicate an imminent computer failure, back up important files. You can try the so-called deep formatting. There are many programs that enable this kind of "format". It is not recommended to repair the drive yourself as this may cause permanent damage. There are many ways to repair your hard drive, but these are very expensive. Most often you should replace it with a new one or take it to the warranty service if you have it still under warranty.

Diagnosis in this case is simple. After inserting the disc, the device does not react or reads the data for a very long time. Check that all cables on the rear panel are properly connected and clean from dust. You can also buy a so-called "cleaning plate". Thanks to it our laser will be cleaned. If our actions have not been successful, you should simply replace our reader or bring it to the warranty service.

Another case is our motherboard. It is here that we mount all the components of our computer. There are many reasons why motherboards fail, from badly selected compatible components to power and dust. You can try to remove all the components by leaving the graphics card, the processor, and one memory card. If the computer boots up, then we know that we have a working motherboard and we should look elsewhere for the causes of the malfunction. However, if it does not start, we know that it is damaged. When we have it under warranty, we bring it to a service, where it is most often replaced with a new one. It doesn't pay to repair yourself at all!

A common problem, especially in computers that have been in use for some time now, is the overheating of components. A typical symptom of this problem is that the computer switches off automatically after a long period of work. We should always ensure that our "machine" is well ventilated. For this purpose it is worth to consider buying an additional fan, which is mounted at the back of the housing and connected to the mainboard. This solution is cheap and easy to install, and will certainly improve the air circulation inside the enclosure. Another typical procedure worth considering is the purchase of a new CPU cooling system. These boxed kits with CPUs are not top-of-the-range equipment and it's worth thinking about buying a good cooling kit. Overheating of components can often be caused by dust, so we should clean our computer from time to time, not only from outside but also from inside the enclosure. By the way, it is worth to think about buying thermally conductive paste and lubricating CPU with one. This will improve the heat transfer to the heat sink. There are also cases of overheating of graphics cards. In this case, too, you should carefully unscrew the device covers and apply a new layer of paste to the GPU. Remember, however, to remove the old paste before applying a new thermal conductive layer.

If your graphics card is damaged, your computer will usually boot up, but it will give a few beeps and the screen will remain black. If your computer boots up normally and you hear the sounds of your operating system from the speakers, but you can't see anything on the screen, simply connect the monitor to your graphics card. A common mistake made by inexperienced users is that the monitor is plugged into the graphics slot on the motherboard and not into a separate graphics card. A typical mistake is also the inaccurate mounting of the card on the motherboard. Try disconnecting the graphics card from the motherboard and reinstalling it by making sure it is seated securely in the slot (Note: to remove the graphics card from the slot on the motherboard, usually pull out the plastic lock - it's easy to forget about it and break this delicate piece). If the simple procedures described above do not fix the problem, we can do no more than Only contact the service center.

The RAM memory is a component of the computer that is often damaged. A typical symptom of such a failure is a few times, a short squealing signal of the computer, after which our machine will not start. These "squealing signals" are in fact information for the service technician, who says what the general cause of the failure is. Unfortunately, for each manufacturer these so-called POST test signals are different from each other, and the ordinary user does not tend to have a special card that shows these signals in a more user-friendly way than audio signals. However, nothing lost, we can check ourselves whether the problem with our computer is caused by damaged RAM components. To do this, open the casing and locate memory slots. If we have only one chip installed, let us try to move it into another socket to eliminate the possibility that this component of the motherboard is damaged. If we have several RAM bones, let's try to remove one of them and boot up your computer. If the hardware still doesn't boot, we exchange memories in places and try again. With a bit of luck, the computer running with only one RAM in memory will boot - this means that the removed RAM is defective. Fortunately, most RAMs are covered by the manufacturer's lifetime warranty, so we take the damaged item to the shop where we purchased it and wait for its replacement under warranty.

If our computer does not boot up at all, the power supply will probably fail. To make sure we're right about the source of the fault, try unscrewing a running power supply from another computer. If the computer starts up with a new power supply, we can be almost sure that our PSU (power unit) is faulty. If, on the other hand, the computer still does not show signs of "life", there may be other components, e. g.: burned mainboard or, what is worse, failure of our PSU caused damage to other components of the computer. However, let us not panic - the power supplies are equipped with a fuse to protect our computer in case of PSU damage. In many cases, a defective power supply can be easily repaired by replacing the fuse. However, we do not advise people who are not familiar with at least the basics of repairing electronic equipment. In addition, when buying a power supply, let's make sure to buy a good model recommended on specialist forums - this gives us increased confidence that in the event of a possible failure, other computer components will not be damaged, exposing us to high costs.