More and more people are beginning to learn how to fix their own PC, using the services of repair centre can be costly, especially if problem can be fixed relatively cheaply by the PC owner. Although some repairs will need to be undertaken by a qualified professional, there are whole host of smaller repairs that can be carried out by the end user. Below is a short checklist which has been designed to ensure that you are not paying for expensive repairs when you could fix the problems itself.
1. Check all cables - Although this may sound like a very basic thing to do, it is surprising just how many computer problems are caused by loose or disconnected cables. Of course, we are not speaking about just external cables such as the power cable and monitor lead; we are talking about internal cables such as hard drive ribbon cables. Always check that every cable is tight fitting and fully connected.
2. Try to isolate the problem - If you’re having problems that you feel relate to a particular system component then try to isolate the fault. This can be done by using a different monitor, trying a different keyboard or mouse, and a whole host of other possible devices that can be swapped in and out. This allows you to identify exactly which component is at fault.
3. Check your BIOS - If your problem is related to a PC which will no longer boot, then the BIOS is a great place to start your fault finding exercise. In some cases the BIOS can become corrupted, losing its settings. Try resetting the BIOS by draining the CMOS battery; this is usually facilitated by connecting a pair of jumpers on the motherboard. Consult your system board documentation for this.
4. Exploit safe mode - If your problem is related to the operating system or device drivers then you may find that you can identify the problem more easily if you boot your PC into safe mode. Safe mode is enabled by pressing F8 during the initial Windows start-up sequence, this presents the user with a menu allowing them to choose safe mode.
5. Listen to the problem - Most modern mainboards incorporate a system of error codes which are played through the system speaker. If your PC will not boot and there is no display on the screen, then often these beep codes are the only way to diagnose a problem. Consult your motherboard documentation the description of these codes.
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