How
to identify the hardware problems
with the computer beep.
How familiar does
the following sound? Your computer
was working fine, but then suddenly
started locking up (hanging
or freezing), rebooting itself
(crashing) or shutting down
spontaneously? If you know only
too well what I am talking about,
then read on! Performing the
simple steps below can fix the
majority of lockup cases.
1. Check
for recently installed software
or hardware.
If the lockups started to happen
after you installed a new peace
of hardware, new software program,
or new drivers, uninstall it
and see if the problem goes
away.
2. Check
for free hard drive space.
When no viruses are found, check
out free hard drive space on
drive C:. Make sure there is
more than 20% of free space
available; low disk space can
lead to random lockups.
3. Check
for overheating.
Overheating is another known
cause of lockups. It can be
caused by problems with fans
inside the case, dust buildup,
or other cooling problems. Make
sure the power supply fan and
CPU fan are running and free
of dust buildup. You can check
the temperatures inside the
case by running Motherboard
monitor. - make sure the temperatures
are within the preset limits.
Be very careful while cleaning
inside the computer case (use
plastic vacuum crevice tool)
and NEVER OPEN THE POWER SUPPLY
CASE as it contains high voltage.
4. Check
the hard disk.
Check the hard disk - it is
possible that its logical structure
is corrupted. To check the disk
for errors, right-click on the
disk C: icon in "My Computer",
select the "Tools"
tab, check all check boxes in
the "Check disk options"
field, and press the "Check
now" button. It should
ask whether you want to schedule
the check next time you restart
your computer - answer "Yes"
and restart your PC. The check
will be performed automatically
after startup; it can take a
while, so be patient. The program
will attempt to fix some problems
automatically – however,
if the hard disk is failing
physically, it will need to
be replaced. It is also a good
idea to run Disk Defragmenter
(located in Start Menu >
Programs > Accessories >
System Tools) to optimize data
placement on the hard disk for
increased performance and reliability.
5. Check
the memory.
Sometimes random lockups can
be attributed to the computer
memory (RAM) starting to fail.
You can test the memory by running
Windows Memory Diagnostic that
can be downloaded from http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp.
If memory problems are found,
try re-seating the RAM (pull
it out and plug it back in).
If it doesn't work, replace
the defective RAM.
6. Check
for other hardware problems
(advanced users).
More hardware-related problems
can be diagnosed by running
hardware tests from the Ultimate
Boot CD that can be downloaded
from http://www.ultimatebootcd.com.
However, you should only use
it if you know what are you
doing - some programs on that
CD can be dangerous when used
inappropriately (for example,
some of them can wipe the contents
of your hard disk).
7. Run
your antivirus program.
One of the first things to do
in the case of sudden lockups
is to run your antivirus program.
Check your antivirus manufacturer's
website for updates and latest
virus definition files. (This
is absolutely necessary, outdated
antivirus is not going to be
of any use!) If you don't have
antivirus software installed
- or if updates are unavailable
- run one of the web-based antivirus
scans that some major antivirus
vendors like Trend Micro are
offering for free.
8. Update
Windows and drivers.
Some lockups can be caused by
outdated software components
- update your windows and drives
by running a windows update:
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
(it's good idea to run it regularly).
The above steps
will help diagnose and eliminate
the most common causes of lockups.
Hundreds more of other possible
scenarios need to be dealt with
on a case-by-case basis, as
it all goes down to your particular
computer configuration. Asking
on PC troubleshooting forums/newsgroups
should help you figure out solutions
to not-so-obvious lockup cases.
| 
