How to Fix Your Computer at Home

Having a computer problem? Well, you shouldn't really worry. Most computer problems (if not all of them) can be fixed right in the comfort of your own home. Common computer problems include crashing, viruses, registry problems, boot problems, computer freezes and the list goes on and on. If your warranty has run out on your computer, some pricey manufacturer will tell you that you need to shell out 50 to hundreds of dollars to get some sort of tech support.

This tech support will take hours as you wait for the techy to diagnose your problem. And if you're doing any kind of troubleshooting over the phone, you could spend a lot of money in cell phone minutes as you wait on hold for the techy to solve your computer problem. But hey, as I said before, you really shouldn't go through all of that if your computer starts acting up. You can fix computer problems at home. You really can. Here's how.

Know the basics.

OK so a computer is made up of some basics. There's the hard drive, the program folder, the Windows registry, and the Windows program itself. Most computer problems have to do with either Windows, or the windows registry. For instance if you have a virus, it's probably done something malicious to your Windows program and embedded itself in your Windows registry where you have to try really hard to get rid of it. Or you may not be able to find the virus at all at.

If you windows is ruined, your computer may not even be able to start up. If your registry is full of malicious things, you computer will freeze, crash and do all sorts of other things. So that's why you must have the following things on hand at all times.

Recovery disks, virus disks, and the Windows CD.

If after having the computer for years and years, you misplace the recovery CD (as I have done many times) you at the very least have to have a Windows CD.

That means if your computer is running Windows XP, you need the Windows XP CD. And when I talk about the Windows CD, I don't mean the Windows upgrade CD, but the full CD that should cost you anywhere from a hundred to two hundred dollars. But this CD is worth its weight in gold.

That's because every time your computer has a major malfunction, you can just pop the Windows CD in and use its repair function. Or if you have to, you can reinstall Windows all together. If you have your recovery disks, you don't have to risk losing any of the drivers your computer came with such as the DVD drivers or wireless drivers. However, even if you do lose these drivers, more likely than not, you can just go on your computer manufacturer's website and download them for free.

Make use of other people who talk about their problems over the Internet.

The Internet is useful for many things. But if your computer breaks down, remember this one thing: There is no problem that you are having that somebody else hasn't had already. So Google it, and see what kind of solutions you get. Try typing in "How to fix a short in a computer cord" or any other computer problem. Don't be afraid to try solutions others have tried. If you make a mistake, hey you've got the Windows CD don't you?

Well, that's the basics of fixing your computer at home. I've never had to take my computer to the shop. You shouldn't have to either.