Computer Help Blog

Computer errors can be very difficult to fix. In some cases, the cause of the error might be very insignificant and seemingly easy. However, it may elude you and so you will be left clueless as to what to do next.

The best way to troubleshoot computer errors is to be systematic. Remember, Google is your best friend. Here are some pointers…

Don’t neglect error messages: Most of the time, when there is a computer error, you will see a dialog box appear with the error message (and in some cases, with an error code). Error codes are designed to assist you to troubleshoot and fix the error. What you have to do, is copy the error message/error code and search in Google. This way, you can find a fix to the problem in no time.

Use safe mode: In some cases, errors may be due to hardware drivers and other conflicting software. In such cases, you can use safe mode to identify the errors. In safe mode, only the bare minimum components and loaded and so conflicting software will not start automatically. Many errors can only fixed in safe mode. So, this is really a handy feature.

Use System Restore: Certain errors occur due to changes which you might have inadvertently made. It often happens that you make some changes and you forget what changes were made. Thus the resulting error cannot be easily fixed. In such cases, you can use System Restore to get your computer to earlier configuration.

Apart from these, you can also update your computer and apply all the hotfixes. Updating your software to the latest versions and applying hotfixes can solve many problems because bugs will get fixed. In fact, hotfixes are meant to fix bugs and vulnerabilities in your software.

There are several reasons why computers become slow over time. If your computer has become slow lately, you can restore its speed by using the following tips:

* Perform a registry scan: The windows registry is crucial part of the operating system. It contains important information to keep track of everything on your computer. When you use your computer, various dead keys start accumulating in the registry and cause your computer to slow down. The best way to remove these errors and restore the speed on your computer is to use a registry scanner. There are many paid registry scanners out there, but we recommend “CCleaner”. CCleaner also comes with many useful tools to make your computer faster.

* Use portable software: Installing and uninstalling software on your computer can make a mess out of the registry. The best way to prevent this is to use portable software. Almost all open source Windows applications have portable versions now. Just Google for “portable apps” for more information.

* Clean your computer: Spyware and viruses can make your computer sluggish and unstable by utilizing resources. Install a good antivirus solution and scan your computer. We recommend Avira Antivirus and Spyware Terminator. You can also download anti-virus software from www.download.com.

If none of these tips work, the best solution is to reinstall your operating system. If you have a branded computer/laptop, you can restore it to factory settings to reinstall the OS.