Trying to Resurrect a Dead Computer

Even the unthinkable may happen one day. This is especially true when using a computer. Simple or complex problems such as a faulty hard drive or a major system crash may hamper your ability to work with the computer.

As computer users are humans, and humans make inherent mistakes, user error is the most common cause of computer malfunction. The problem can usually be traced to addition or deletion of new programs or files to the system, or removing or exchanging hardware components.

Sometimes, the user error that caused the computer problem may be quite easy to solve. You may only need to ask the last user if he/she installed any new software or reconfigured any hardware or software.

Another common cause of computer malfunctions are environmental factors such as lightning-caused power surges and over-voltages.

Often, the room temperature where the computer is in, may be too high or low. Dust, dirt and sunlight may be other causes. If you use your computer for business purposes, factors such as room temperature, sunlight and power surges are of the utmost importance to ensure the well-being of your computer, and cannot be overlooked. A UPS is a must these days to protect from over-voltages.

One problem with a defective PC is when you can't access your PC at all. When you turn on the computer's power switch, NOTHING SEEMS TO HAPPEN.

If you do encounter this problem, here's a quick checklist of troubleshooting procedures you can follow to solve the problem. There are also many videos available on the Internet, to help you perform troubleshooting procedures to revive your computer.

Try to use the Power Switch again, two or three times in a row.

Check the electrical wall outlet if it has power.

Check the power cord itself, for physical damages, from the outlet to the computer.

Check the Power Supply inside the System Unit.

Try replacing the Power Supply itself.

If the system makes some starting noises, but the screen is blank, check the Monitor.

If the monitor seems to be good, check the Video Card, even if it is a new system.

Another usual problem with faulty computers is that Windows may fail to load, or the system's POST (Power on Self Test) may fail to complete. Various preventive maintenance procedures can be done regularly to help your PC running smoothly.

Regularly running such Windows utilities programs such as Scandisk, Disk Defragmenter, and Disk Cleanup will help your computer to keep performing at its best.

There may be dust buildup inside the system case, and can lead to short circuit. Use a can of compressed air to remove cobwebs and dust.

If the computer starts up but the hard disk drive light doesn't come on, the Master Boot Record on the hard disk may have become corrupted. In such a case, boot from a bootable floppy disk that contains the FDISK program and type the DOS command "fdisk /mbr" to restore the Master Boot Record on the hard drive.