Computer Diagnostics Made Easy

As computers age they can develop errors and slow down; even if this is just an annoyance now, these issues may eventually leave your computer unusable due to freezing and instability. Many of these symptoms are quick and easy to pinpoint and repair using antivirus and PC tune up software like Norton's 360 All-in-One Security Suite and Cheesesoft's Registry Easy.

If you experience any of these symptoms, and have recently installed a piece of software, especially from the Internet, you may be the victim of a virus. Even with proper security measures and keeping your virus scanners definitions up-to-date, sometimes new threats can slip through. If you suspect, you may have a virus, dealing with the situation quickly can make the difference between success and finding your back up discs. You should run a manual virus scan as soon as possible, if nothing comes up in the scan, be sure that you are performing a full-system scan. Many virus scanners use quick scans by default, only checking important and commonly infected places for viruses. Sometimes, viruses will disable your virus scanner and important system functions to impede your progress. If this is the case, simply put the computer into safe mode, by rebooting the computer and pressing 'F8' while the system boots. Many times, this will prevent the virus from loading and allow you to clean any infection present.

Another frequent cause of freezes and blue screen errors is corrupted or invalid drivers and registry errors. Using Registry Easy, you can often perform a registry repair and registry cleaning and resolve many issues. If this does not work, however, the fix may be as simple as updating the drivers on your system, either from the manufacturers' websites or through Windows Update. As a last resort, and you are dealing with a blue screen issues and the earlier fixes did not work, there should be a file listed on the screen at the time of the freeze. Often, if you have Internet access and search the filename, you will find other people with the same issue and how they solved it.

If none of these steps have helped you find and fix the issue, you may be dealing with a hardware issue. An important thing to consider when trying to diagnose hardware issues is whether you have any coverage through the manufacturer of your PC. While you may be able to fix the issue yourself, most major manufacturers include measures to let them know if anyone has opened the case and modified the hardware in any way. Doing so may void any coverage the manufacturer may offer. If you are in doubt, calling the customer service number for your PC's maker should give you a quick answer.

I'm an expert in computer repair and its overall performance. Read more here.