- Troubleshooting common issues with the Windows platform is a simple process.computer system on blue circle ground image by patrimonio designs from Fotolia.com
No one wants to lose pictures, music collections, documents and other important files stored on a PC. So when something goes wrong with the Windows operating system, it can be frustrating and even a little scary. However, if your operating system starts to act strange, you can take some troubleshooting steps to remedy common issues. This checklist covers basic issues common to all versions of Windows. - Although Windows is a very stable platform, isolated incidents can cause momentary issues with the operating system. To see if your problem is an isolated incident, try shutting down the computer, unplugging the power, and then waiting a few minutes. Then plug the computer back in and restart it. If Windows was having a momentary issue, the system should start up normally. Although this sounds like a very simple fix, a restart is often all that is needed to fix isolated problems with Windows.
- To keep your computer at peak performance, conduct regular maintenance. If you have not performed maintenance on your computer in a while, your computer can become sluggish and may even crash. Two main maintenance routines should be performed to get Windows back in working order: Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter. Both of these utilities are found in the "System Tools" section under the "Accessories" tab. The Disk Cleanup utility deletes temporary and cache files from your computer, and the Disk Defragmenter moves files so that your computer can access them quicker. If it has been a long time since you have performed maintenance, these operations may take several hours to complete.
- If your computer continues to act sluggish after you have performed maintenance, you may have a memory problem. To run your favorite programs, your computer uses RAM (random access memory). When it runs out of RAM, then Windows creates "Virtual Memory" from your hard drive. If your program needs to max out the virtual memory, then your computer will slow to a grinding halt and may even crash. To free up memory, close all nonessential programs, and see if the speed improves. If not, check your "Startup" menu and see if there are too many programs launching when the computer powers on. Delete these programs from the startup menu, then restart your computer.
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