Whether you are a person who has been using a computer for half of your life or you just picked up a Macbook six months ago, there is always the very real chance that you are going to experience some problems with your personal computer. And if you do not really know what to do when this happens, then you might be in for a few unpleasant days of stress if you don’t start protecting yourself from the common problems that your computer will encounter during its lifetime. The first rule when your computer does something out of the ordinary is to not panic. No matter what your first instinct is, it really isn’t the end of the world. The worst-case scenario is that you have to buy a new computer because all of your important files are already backed up on an external hard drive, or it is safely being stored online right?
If this isn’t the case, quickly stop doing what you are doing and quickly back up all your important files that you would hate to lose online this minute. If you don’t do this, you risk losing everything on your computer including all the memories of your family that you have been storing on it. Backing up your files should be a common practice that you should be doing every once in a while. If you have a Mac, then time machine will do it for you if you have an external hard drive.
If your computer does happen to crash, there are a few things you can do before taking it to the nearest IT store. Getting some computer diagnostic software can be the first step if your PC is having problems. If you can still run windows, then you can run the software easily. It will go through your computer and find what the problem is. You usually can fix it before the computer completely breaks down. The software will pinpoint the problem and you can tell your friendly local technology professional what your computer is going through.
Computer diagnostics are commonly performed in your local electronics store as well. If you don’t want to buy the software, then going to them can also be an option although they are a little more expensive. But when your computer is in dire straits, then you are probably better off doing that instead.
Caitlina is a freelance writer.