Got a slow PC or your computer randomly restarts or shuts down?
Before you whip out that wallet to upgrade or buy a whole new PC,
note that a simple software solution may be all the fix you need.
So, let’s troubleshoot—- together. This is DIY in 5!
Hey everyone! Welcome to DIY in 5 - the show where we take common tech struggles
and make them simple enough you can do it yourself.
I’m Trisha Hershberger and today, we’ll be talking about common PC software problems and how to fix them.
Since we've gone through most hardware issues in the last few episodes, today is all software focused.
PC problems are never fun, but if a software fix could save you a costly hardware repair, that’s a win in anyone’s book.
So let’s dive right in!
As always, if you find a fix that works for you, please feel free to like this video
and subscribe to this channel so you don’t miss out on any future tech tips.
Before we start any actual troubleshooting, let’s go over some common issues you may be having
and both software and/or hardware problems they may point to.
So, you’ve got a slow computer... this could be caused by malware, too many start-up items if you are on a Windows PC,
or a buildup of temporary files, which are all software issues.
This could also mean a hard drive is fragmented or starting to fail, or that you don’t have enough RAM
or perhaps need to upgrade your CPU— - all hardware based.
If your computer is randomly restarting, software causes include an OS update problem (thanks Windows Update!)
or you could have an adware, virus or malware issue.
Conversely, you may have a hardware issue with your GPU, motherboard or network card drivers.
Slow internet? That could be an app in the background eating up all your precious bandwidth OR it could be a hard drive failing.
You see my point here. These are very common issues,
and fortunately there are some simple steps that may save you in the long run.
Before we mess with anything on any PC - please backup your data.
The Kingston XS1000 and Kingston XS2000 are fantastic options
for making sure your files are safely stored away, just in case.
Next, put on your detective hat and start gathering clues.
Check any error messages or codes that may have popped up recently.
Run a system and malware scan.
Use the task manager or resource monitor to check your CPU, RAM, storage and network usage
and see if anything looks... off.
Google search the issue and see if anyone else has had similar problems.
Hopefully, one of these clues will point you in the correct direction.
If your clues are pointing towards a hardware issue,
feel free to visit one of our previous episodes in this series for your specific problem area, linked below.
If your clues turn up nothing useful, sometimes the most basic solutions are the most effective!
Don’t get mad at me but try turning it off and on again.
For real. Modern PCs can self-repair during reboot and it’s at least worth a try.
Next, make sure all your drivers, software and operating system are up to date.
If that doesn’t fix it, and this is going to sound like a complete contradiction BUT try rolling back recent updates.
Sometimes updates conflict with each other and one update could totally bork something else.
Especially if you notice that the problem has been worse since you did your update.
Then, and I like to do this every so often, but go through and disable any unnecessary startup programs.
By trying to get your system as clean as possible,
you’ll hopefully be able to figure out the problem by process of elimination.
If you have a system restore point that worked properly, you can try to restore your system to that state.
Another great suggestion to do every so often is to clear your cache, cookies, and temporary files.
As a last resort, you can always do a fresh install of your oOperating sSystem.
The upside here is, if this works you don’t have to spend money on a new computer!
The downside is it will erase all data and settings, which can be annoying.
Remember that backup we did earlier? Now you see why.
If you’ve been facing PC software issues, hopefully, one of these solutions worked for you.
I’m Trisha Hershberger and you’ve been watching DIY in 5. See ya next time!