Signs a Computer is Broken

When you rely on your computer to put food on the table, and a roof over your head, you want to do your best to preserve the machine. Routine maintenance for a computer is as important as routine maintenance for an automobile. Especially considering that many of us put more mileage on our computers these days, than we do on our cars. Unfortunately, within the realm of computer technology, they have yet to develop a machine smart enough to adapt to every variable presented, and thus, they sometimes poop out. Fizzle. Fade. Die. In order to better care for the friend you have in your computer, it’s helpful to understand a few signs of a broken computer that is in need of some fixing.

Signs a Computer is Broken – Hard Drive Issues

Let’s start with an example of a computer that’s really broken. Does your computer sound like a screeching cat when started up? Or like an old vinyl record that is in need of a new needle? Even worse, do you get a windows prompt that states, “Drive C: Could not be located,” or something to that effect? This is most likely an issue with your hard drive, and yes, you can consider your computer broken. Broken beyond repair? Not necessarily.

If you can, back up any and all information to discs or an external hard drive, and then check to see if your broken computer is still under warranty. If it’s under warranty, and you have never pulled it apart to see how it ticks, you can send it in, and let the manufacturer do what they can to repair the problem.

Without a warranty, you’ll want to rely on the services of a local shop, such as the Best Buy Geek Squad, or a local specialty store. The most important thing is that you’re able to retain your data. At that point, the hard drive can be replaced. If your computer is broken on a significant level, you can recycle it and begin shopping for a new investment.

Signs a Computer is Broken – Freezing and Slow Performance

When your machine starts freezing consistently, you may have a broken computer. There a number of reasons this can happen, one of which could be a virus that has infected your operating system, certain software programs and associated applications. The best way to fix this broken computer issue is through a quality anti-virus program that can heal the infections.

Other freezing issues may be caused by CPU issues, OS issues or not having enough RAM to power the applications you are attempting to use. A professional tech can probably help identify the problem.

Signs a Computer is Broken – Laptop Screen is Defunct

Laptops and ultra-portables are great. They are the perfect take-along tool for many professionals, unfortunately, they’re not invincible. If you fire up your laptop computer, and the monitor doesn’t offer an image, you can try to change the monitor settings with the Function key. If that doesn’t work, you may have a broken computer monitor on your hands.

Another way to test this is by connecting a laptop to another monitor or TV via VGA cable, and setting the laptop to output to the external source. If you still get no image, your computer is broken to some degree, and will need some professional attention.