5 Signs it’s Time for Some Computer Maintenance
We all love our computer when it’s working perfectly.
If you don’t have to think about it, it’s doing its job just fine.
Unfortunately, there comes a point in every computer’s life when something goes wrong.
When this happens, maintenance is usually required.
It can be scary to think about the time, costs, and effort required to repair your computer. This fear may even prevent you from getting the computer maintenance that is needed for a particular problem.
Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be this way. The maintenance you need can be pain-free and inexpensive if you know how to fix the problems early.
To do this, you need to know what to look for.
Read on to learn about five of the most common signs that it’s time for some computer maintenance.
The Nature Of Computers
Computers are just like anything else: they eventually wear out.
While good care and maintenance can drastically extend the life of your computer, its performance will still be affected by the following factors:
Old Age
All good things must eventually come to an end. This is especially true for your computer. If your computer is getting up there in years, you might be seeing signs of its old age.
Keep in mind that computers age in months and years instead of decades. If your computer is two years old or more, it will start to show signs that it requires maintenance soon if it hasn’t already.
Thankfully, you don’t have to toss that old computer out just yet. There are plenty of options for maintenance that will extend the life of your computer.
Heavy Use
A computer is a lot like a car: the more you use it, the more it wears out.
The hardware or the inner guts of a computer will likely show signs of wear and tear after heavy use.
Cheap parts are usually the first to go.
Inexpensive power supplies, hard drives, motherboards, CPUs, and other important parts that keep your computer running will be the early warning signs that you need some computer maintenance.
Planned Obsolescence
The computer industry is designed to evolve over time. What is new today isn’t meant to stay the best forever. All computers are susceptible to planned obsolescence; computers are meant to die eventually.
Since computer manufacturers are often concerned with turning out new models of computers and other technology, they don’t build computers to last. They may use cheaper components and software or encourage you to upgrade or replace your computer after a certain amount of time.
Five Warning Signs For Computer Maintenance
Being on the lookout for a computer that isn’t functioning properly is the best way to keep computer maintenance costs down. If you ignore the signs or wait too long, the problems will only multiply.
Maintenance and repair costs quickly grow with the number of problems. Thus, you should act sooner rather than later.
Stay vigilant and take action if you notice your computer showing any of the following signs:
Slow Computer
A new computer will seem like it runs faster than anything you have ever used before. Then, after a while, you will begin to notice the speed will slow down.
Any computer will naturally slow down in their performance as you install more programs, save more files, and generally get more use from it.
If your computer slows down suddenly, or you notice programs and web browsers take forever to load, it may be a sign of something wrong.
Computers rely on software and hardware to run fast. It could be a sign that your operating system has a virus, or that specific parts like the CPU or RAM are beginning to fail.
Incomplete Startup Or Shutdown
A healthy computer will startup and shutdown consistently every time. New computers typically take only a few seconds to start and stop.
If a computer contracts a virus or develops a hardware issue, this startup or shutdown sequence may be affected. Quite often, these issues prevent the computer from taking the necessary steps it needs to finish these processes.
If you turn on your computer, and it fails to display the logo of your operating system, this can be a sign that maintenance is required for the hardware.
If the computer fails to shut down or simply doesn’t respond when you turn it off, the operating system may be affected as well.
In both cases, computer maintenance may be required to replace affected parts or to reload the software/operating system.
Mysterious Noises
Unless you have a computer designed for heavy gaming, it should remain relatively silent through normal use. You will hear the occasional hum of a fan or hard drive, but anything else could be a sign of something wrong.
Typically, issues with the computer’s hardware will cause unnatural, almost disturbing sounds. If you notice anything out of the ordinary coming from the computer’s case, it may be time for some computer maintenance.
If you notice an unusual sound, take note of when it occurs when you use the computer. Sometimes if it is only present during the start up or shut down phase, it’s probably just a single part that may need replacing. If it is persistent when you use the computer, it may be a sign of a bigger issue that requires immediate attention.
Inconsistent Performance
Consistent performance is one of the most important things a computer can offer. You need a computer to perform the same thing the same way every time.
If you ever notice that your computer no longer performs simple tasks like opening programs, browsing the Internet, editing documents, or other daily activities consistently, it may be a software issue requiring computer maintenance.
You will typically need to repair or reload specific software or your operating system to fix this kind of issues. The good news is these issues are rarely caused by hardware issues that require expensive replacements.
Error Messages
Depending on your operating system, you may begin to notice certain error messages popping up. It may be hard to understand what these messages are actually about, but their presence alone may be a good indicator that computer maintenance is required.
Error messages typically show up when your computer is starting up or shutting down, or when you are opening and using a program. If an error message consistently shows up during your normal routine, this may suggest a software issue.
Once again, error messages can be a good sign since the faulty hardware will typically prevent these messages from appearing in the first place. You can usually rule out hardware issues when you see an error message.
Computer Maintenance Options
If you conclude that computer maintenance is required, you have several options depending on your experience and budget. You can either hire someone to do the maintenance for you or try to make the repairs yourself.
Software Issues
If your computer is failing to perform correctly while you are using a program, you can always try uninstalling and reinstalling the program. This is easy to do by yourself if you follow the instructions provided along with the program.
If the problem persists, you may want to bring it to a professional to diagnose the issue.
This may require reloading your operating system (which is something you can do alone but requires experience) or change the settings and drivers the program uses to run correctly.
In both cases, having an experienced professional can help you avoid having further issues with the computer.
Hardware Issues
Fixing a computer’s hardware can be more intensive than software since these repairs usually require a complete replacement.
If you have previous experience with installing and upgrading computer hardware, you can do this type of computer maintenance by yourself. However, if you’ve never even touched or seen the inside of a computer, it’s best to leave it to the professionals. Otherwise, you may do more damage to your computer.
Most computer technicians will start by trying to diagnose which part requires maintenance. If they can’t repair it, they will probably recommend replacing the part with another identical one or replacing it with a better version.
While this kind of computer maintenance can be expensive depending on the type of repair required, this can also be a good time to upgrade the computer. New and better parts will increase the computer’s performance and speed.
A worst-case scenario might be the complete replacement of the computer, but this is very rare. Most computers are customizable enough to be modified and restored for years into the future.
Take Action
Stay on the lookout for these warning signs on a regular basis. If you can notice a warning sign early enough, you can fix the problem early as well. This will keep your computer running smoothly and efficiently as possible for years to come.
If you want further guidance or help with all your technology needs, feel free to contact us.
We’re happy to help you with computer maintenance issues and laptop repair and tuneup work.
President of Computer PRO Unltd. Loves arts and is family oriented.
Good read!
I think it’s important for people to understand the signs associated with your computer having issues so that they can take care of the issue before it turns into something bigger. In the article it states that inconsistent performance is usually a sign that there is some software or operating system malfunction that can usually be fixed. My son is going to be starting college soon and will need a computer, so I think it would be good for him to read up on an article such as this one so he can recognize when his computer needs maintenance.
Computer maintenance is very important. If we will not get it maintained, it means we are decreasing the life of our PC day by day. Most of the time, we ignore some warning signs like overheating, slow running of the PC that results multiplying the problem. But after reading this post, people will get aware to take action for computer maintenance when they will notice that computer is giving any warning sign.
It does sound like my computer could use some maintenance. However, I fall into that category of never even touched or seen the inside of a computer. That’s the main reason why I’ll probably take that suggestion and leave it to the professionals.
I really like what you said about how computers slow down over time as you use it and install more programs. Someone told me that it’s because of my hard drive and that I should get a solid state drive. It would be interesting to look more into that and possibly find a good computer support guy that could help me to properly diagnose my computer and fix the problem.