In this guide, we summarize the main problems that can occur on a computer, those that make the PC unusable. While in many cases this type of problem can be solved at home without having to go to a technician, it is still necessary to know what to do depending on the error or the type of damage that has occurred. In this guide, we see therefore the main problems of the computer when it breaks and the more immediate repairs for a Windows computer, whether there is a problem with the operating system, or when something is broken inside the PC or one of its parts is defective and needs to be replaced. The only requisite required is a certain amount of time available, necessary to investigate the causes of the problem and, possibly, to make the necessary interventions or, at least, to go to the technician with something in hand. Even if you were unable to repair your computer yourself, it is important to understand what is causing the problem.Most of the ways to repair your computer described below are related to a fixed and modular Desktop PC, where the parts can be easily replaced. For laptops, we will see that in some cases it is still possible to do do-it-yourself repairs, even if in some cases it will necessarily have to be taken to assistance.READ ALSO: Tools included in Windows help with every PC problem
The computer no longer turns on
If the PC does not turn on its own, in the sense that you press the power button but nothing happens, the screen remains off and no lights come on, the problem is necessarily related to the power supply that can easily be replaced without having to intervene a technician.
In another article, we saw how to change the computer’s power supply and it’s just a matter of plugs to be connected (on desktop PCs). If it turns out to be complicated or if the power supply is broken in a laptop (which can also be connected to the battery), you can go to a technician who, for this problem, should take a short time and ask for a fairly low rate.
READ ALSO: What symptoms if the PC power supply is broken or is about to break?.
In some rare cases, it could even be the motherboard being broken, but in this case, you should at least hear (and see inside) that the power supply fan turns.
The computer starts up but does not load Windows
There are two ways in which the PC can make an error when the computer starts up: immediately showing an error or a black screen or if the Windows loading screen appears but fails to complete, remaining at rest or restarting by itself.
If the screen remains black or with an error such as “disk not found” or “Operating system not found” or other types of errors that prevent Windows from loading, then there is a configuration or corruption problem in the sector called Master Boot Record. In other words, there is an error in starting the computer that can be corrected by itself even though it can be complicated. All you need is to recover the DVD or USB stick with the Windows 10 installation files, start the PC from it and then use the troubleshooting tools inside it by running some commands from the prompt.
We have seen the complete guide to repair the computer in case of error at startup in the following articles:
– Fix MBR on Windows to restore boot loader and computer startup
– Resolve the error “Cannot find an operating system” on Windows 10
– Solution “PC did not start correctly” or “BOOTMGR missing” in Windows 10.
If Windows doesn’t load at all, the problem can also be a broken hard disk or damaged RAM memory.
To check the RAM has no problems, you can download a tool called Memtest that should be burned to a disc and loaded by starting the PC from the CD player. Compared to the power supply, RAM and Hard Disk are parts of a computer that are simple enough to replace.
For more details on these do-it-yourself repairs, refer to the guide to add RAM and the guide to install a second internal hard drive.
While the change of the RAM does not give any inconvenience, in replacing the hard disk it is necessary to think of the data inside it which, probably, you want to recover (if you do not have a backup on another internal or external disk).
The trick is to mount the new SATA hard drive just bought, without removing the broken one that needs to be secondary.
To recover data from the damaged hard disk you can save everything on the new hard disk using a Linux Live CD or Recover files using a live backup program.
However, the best solution is to install Windows 10 on the new hard disk and then use the old disk as a secondary and transfer the data.
Keep in mind that the broken hard disk can cause computer crashes and blue screen errors. It is therefore advisable to check the health and performance of the hard disk.
READ ALSO: How to turn on the PC if Windows does not start?
Windows loads correctly, but nothing works
In this case, in 95% of the cases, the fault lies with a virus. Even if there are missing file errors or denied permissions, the cause can always be a virus. On this subject I can easily refer to other very precise guides:
– How to recognize if the computer is infected with viruses.
– What to do if the PC is affected by a virus.
Unless of a resounding case, it is always possible to remove a virus or malware, by itself, using recovery CDs if the computer becomes unusable.
The computer works, but shuts down or restarts itself frequently
This is the most difficult problem to identify because the causes may be different: the hard disk has some bad sectors, the temperature control sensors do not work, the fans do not cool enough, the RAM is ruined, Windows has a virus, etc.
Regarding these topics I have described several typical situations in the articles:
– Answers on the blue screen, computer shutdown or sudden restart
– Ways to repair Windows 10 and create a recovery disk.
The computer is fine, but errors appear and some programs do not start
In these cases, the problems are software and always solvable. It could be residual effects of badly treated viruses or problems caused by poor programs. To repair Windows from small errors there are some Windows 10 automatic resolution tools.
If the problems are widespread, you can reset Windows 10, which does not delete any data, but only removes the programs. This option is all automatic and is located in Settings> Update and security> Restore> Reset PC.
Thanks to this tool you can reinstall Windows 10 at any time without having to use the installation DVD.
In portable PCs and those that have a partition or a recovery CD, it is possible to restore to factory settings which, in some cases, solves any problem if the hard disk is not damaged.
Conclusions
I hope that this summary guide on all the things to do to repair a Windows computer will be useful, to know when it is possible to do it yourself and to be prepared when you bring the PC to a technician so as not to seem naive. When you bring a computer to the service, in fact, if the user has no idea about the cause of the problem, the technician will need much more time to investigate.
Keep in mind that when you bring your PC to service you don’t necessarily have to leave it for repairs, you can even ask for advice (even paid) so you know what’s wrong and how to put it (then go home and read How2do ).
While then the problems related to the configuration of the operating system can always be solved by searching for solutions on Google or starting from this guide, when there is to replace a piece of internal hardware then things can be complicated if it is a laptop. In fact, if a desktop PC is always easy to repair by yourself, even if you need to replace an internal part, the situation is different for laptops, where the replacement of a hardware part such as the disk or the power supply can be much more complicated.
READ ALSO: Portable Windows tools for PC repair and diagnosis