We all know that feeling. The one when your body fills with fear, your heart rate accelerates, and your blood pressure increases. You want to scream. You stare into the dreaded darkness, or brightness, or blueness, looking for signs of life. Holding your breath, you try to remember everything you’ve been taught back in I.T. classes at school, because your computer has crashed!
Don’t stress, keep a level head and simply apply some first aid. This guide might just be the answer to resuscitating your computer.
1. Off and On
It’s simple and sometimes effective. Try restarting your computer. Use your mouse or keyboard to shut down, then turn the power button off. Give it a minute or two to rest. This gives you a chance to either pray, or perform some magical voodoo that will help bring your computer back to life! Seriously though, this really gives you a chance to double check all the cables and connections before you restart your computer.
2. Ventilation
Just like humans, computers need to breathe too. Is there any dust or grit that may be clogging the fan and blocking air flow? Is there adequate space for ventilation around your computer or laptop? Make sure it is not pushed up against a wall, and check that the vents are not blocked by any nearby objects.
3. Repair and Restore
If using a Windows computer, restart it and enable Safe Mode. This should bring up the ‘Automatic Repair’ or ‘Repair your Computer’ window. If so, simply wait for Windows to diagnose itself and perform its own repair. Cross your fingers. Another option is to run a ‘System Restore’ – if this function has previously been enabled. Think of this as a time machine that travels back to a certain point that was automatically set by your computer when it applied an update, or when a system change was made.
4. Uninstall Apps
Computer still not working? The next step to try is to uninstall the program that you last used right before the crash, or undo the most recent software changes that were made. You can do this through the Control Panel under ‘Add/Remove Programs’.
5. Call for BackUp
Hopefully, good foresight led you to back up your data. After all, it was drummed into us at school how critical it was to have a backup system! If you never got around to arming yourself with a backup system, there is a solution. At times like these, technical support can feel like your best friend who is there to give you reassuring hug. Experts such as Jim’s Computer Services offer a data recovery service. Why not give them a call on 131 546?
In fact, Jim’s Computer Services provide just that – a complete range of computer services! From backup services and computer repairs, to email setup, network security and more, Jim’s is your one-stop computer shop! Click here to see the full list of computer services, and you never have to fear a computer crash again.