Saving Money on Easy Computer Issues

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Whether you?re part of a large corporation, you run a small business or even if you just work or play on computers at home, you likely have some reputable IT specialist on speed dial?or at the very least, you make frequent calls or visits to their headquarters. But IT help certainly does not come cheap. Even if you have an IT person on staff, they?re usually swamped with bigger tech issues, and your issue could really only be a minor one. Teaching yourself to go through a simple checklist of potential fixes to small computer problems can save you time and money.

1. Scan Your Computer

If your computer is chugging along, making loud noises as it struggles to boot up or run, the source of the problem could be any number of issues, from a virus to a cluttered hard drive to an issue with the hardware. Before you bring in that IT expert, search online for a free registry cleaner or computer scanner; a virus protection program you already installed may do the job, too.

• Follow the simple online directions and allow the program to search your computer for malware, corrupted files or other evidence of a simple fix behind the slowdown.
• If the solution is simple, follow the registry cleaner?s or virus protection program?s instructions to boost computer performance. It may be as easy as removing the virus or updating your operating system or browser.
• If there?s no real reason for the slowdown to be found or you?re not able to follow the instructions to fix it, then call in the IT specialist.?

2. Use a File Opener

If you download a file or attempt to open an old file you produced and there?s an error, don?t panic. It?s possible you either deleted or updated the program you used to create the file and the old version of the file can?t be read, or if someone else created the file, you might not have the program necessary to read it, especially if you and the creator of the file have different operating systems. There?s an easy way to check if the file is corrupted:

• Locate a free file viewer program online.
• Download and install the software.
• Launch the file viewer software.
• Open the file; if it was an issue of you not having the proper program with which to view it installed, the file viewer will open it, as it?s equipped to handle hundreds of file extensions. If the file still won?t work, there?s a chance it?s corrupt. Before you call in the IT specialist, though, try re-downloading the file if applicable, in case the corruption occurred during your initial download.

3. Seek Browser Updates and Add-Ons
The most popular browsers are evolving to run media and websites quickly with minimal chance of crashing. Updates are also a vital part of combating malware such as viruses and spyware you?re not even aware of that may have attached themselves to your computer. If you don?t have automatic updates selected on your browser, or you haven?t connected to the internet with that browser in a while, your browser may appear to run slowly. To figure out if the issue is browser update and add-on related, try the following:

• Confirm that the slowdown or crashing is unique to the browser. If the computer otherwise runs well, the issue likely is with the browser.
• Visit the official website of the browser provider and search for updates and add-ons.
• Follow the on-screen directions for allowing updates and add-ons to get your browser up to date.
• If this still doesn?t fix the problem, or you notice a slowdown in other applications as well, it could be a control such as ActiveX, which is a vital component of Internet Explorer and many Windows programs.
• Reformat Your Computer

If you can?t pinpoint the cause of your problem, there?s a simple solution: restoring your computer to factory settings. When you purchased the computer, you may have received DVDs or CDs containing the backup files for your computer, or you may have burnt them yourself. Backup copies of all of your files on a flash drive, external hard drive or online storage system; this is essential, as these files will be deleted once you reformat. Then use the discs to restore your computer to factory settings. Put the first disc in and follow the onscreen prompts.

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Lina Johnson is a contributing blogger and resident IT expert at a small business. She often is the first of her friends to have the newest technology and she is often the one in her friends group who is called to resolve any computer-related issues.

Source: http://www.aksindiblog.com/2012/10/save-money-on-easy-computer-issues.html

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