Computers have become a basic necessity in every home and with the emergence of the internet; seeking vital information and researching were made easy with just a click of a mouse. Most of us use the computer for long hours on a daily basis, just like me for instance. Working on an online job needs a computer for extended hours, from day till night most of the time. However, there are times when we encounter pc boot-up issues thus, we need to have a little know-how on troubleshooting in order to get our tasks done.
It is usually my eldest son, JM who does the computer troubleshooting in our home computers. During our ICafe business days I learned a lot in doing a hands-on experience in troubleshooting workstations that suddenly do not function. Big thanks to my dear techie friend Bien who never cease to guide me to put the computers in working order whenever my son is not around.
The following are guides in determining common boot-up issues.
No Power
- Maybe caused by a poor power cord
- Faulty power outlet
- Malfunctioning casing power switch
PC power is on, but no display
- Check monitor connections
- Clean module slots (vga, memory slots, lan card, hdd, etc) with a contact cleaner spray, and let dry for several minutes.
- Change the memory module with a known good one or swap the video card
- Reset BIOS
- Replace the keyboard to know if it’s caused by a defective or incompatible keyboard
- Damaged or defective motherboard
- Defective adapter or power cord
PC power is on with display, but shuts down immediately
- Low-resistance connection or stuck up Power or Restart button
- Faulty Power Supply Unit or PSU
- For defective LCD users, system unit is on but monitor only turns off. Have the LCD monitor inverter circuit be checked by a technician.
PC power is on with display, goes to Windows logon, then hangs or restarts.
- Damaged or defective memory
- Defective harddisk
- Corrupted device driver
- Corrupted system files which may have been causes by a virus
- Run “repair Windows” in Windows setup
- CPU’s heatsink may be overheating, apply a heatsink compound
- Defective PSU or Power Supply Unit
- Defective lan card, or video card
- Check all cooling fans, including vga card, it may need cleaning and oiling.
It is important to have a background and knowledge when you try troubleshooting. Hardware and software familiarity is essential, if in case you have no experience or understanding with the above mentioned troubleshooting guide, do not try. The least you can do is just check on the cords’ connections if they are properly attached to the sockets, if the problem persist, call for professional help.
Photo credits: Stuart Miles – FreeDigitalPhotos.Net
