Top Twenty Computer Problems
Here's a list of the top twenty computer problems our users tell us; maybe your problem is on the list—or maybe it's not. First, let's all understand that computers are unquestionably the most dynamic and complex machines money can buy. Because every piece of hardware has to work with every other piece of hardware and all the programs have to play nice with Windows (not to mention with each other—and the hardware, too), there are a lot of things that can (and will) go wrong. If you have one or more of these issues, see our sister site at NextTech Home.
- BSOD—The dreaded Blue Screen of Death. Seen in Windows 95, 95 and Millennium, BSODs happen when something, hardware or software, disagrees with Windows; it's Windows way of saying, "I just can't take it any more—I'm going out of my mind." Actually, there's a fairly easy way to get rid of the BSOD these days.
- Windows Freezing & Crashing—Windows is experiencing a conflict with something, but is so overwhelmed it can't even reach the BSOD stage.
- Spontaneous Reboot—This is always, always, always a fundamental hardware problem: the power supply, CPU, RAM or motherboard is usually the main culprit here.
- Pop-Up Ads Appearing Even Though You're Not On The Internet—These are always caused by spyware, placed on your system by hackers who play the odds, hoping to find someone that doesn't think these things are intrusive and would actually buy their product. Closely related to…
- Computer Dials-Up The Internet By Itself—Also a symptom of adware; they're looking to load new ads for your perusal. Who do these guys think they're kidding?
- Boot Failure—Could be hardware, could be Windows; usually takes a thorough analysis of exactly what's happening inside your computer to determine the root cause.
- Your Computer is Painfully Slow—Again, this could be caused by any number of factors; you might have a lot of programs loading at startup, hogging all of your CPU's resources. Could be adware or spyware, a browser hijacker or any number of things—could be, you just need a tune-up.
- Your Computer is Acting Strange—This is a purposely-vague description that we often hear; users know there's something wrong, but they're not sure what exactly is happening. It's OK—we know what to do. Call us.
- Your Program Won't Open
- Your Program Won't Work
- Your Program Crashes
- Your Program Freezes
- Your Program Won't Close
- Your Program/Hardware/Accessory Doesn't Work As Expected
- Your Monitor's Screen Looks Funny—And not in the "Ha-Ha" way.
- Your Mouse/Keyboard Is Acting Funny Or Not Working At All
- Your Computer Has Caught a Malware Infection (Virus, Trojan, hijacker, etc.)
- Your Computer Can't Find Your Network
- Your Computer Can't Access the Internet
- Your Computer Can't Find Your E-Mail
Updated: December 14, 2005