By John Carter
Hi Net Neighbors! Welcome to another episode of Tech Tuesday, where we explore the issues affecting you. Today we are going to start on a series focusing on Basic Computer Troubleshooting. We are not going super deep here, you will not need to know how to hack or anything. Instead we are going to look at some common issues and how to easily fix them. I view these tricks as vital since they can potentially save you a lot of time and money avoiding taking your computer to a specialist such as the Geek Squad.
So let’s dig down with today’s issue
My Computer Won’t Turn On
Believe it or not, this is a common problem I’ve addressed over the years. The solution is often a simple one and it starts with one question. “Is it plugged in?”
We both share a laugh and then I look at them and say, “Seriously, is it plugged in?”
When it comes to something like this never assume the answer is yes. Check all the plugs. Make sure they are firmly secured to your device. Make sure they are firmly plugged in to the wall.
Is it plugged into a power strip? If the answer is no, plug it into a power strip. Power strips have fuses inside that help protect your devices in the event of a power surge.
If the answer is yes, then there are other things you need to check. Is the strip plugged in? Is the strip active? You can usually tell by a light in the switch. If the strip is on, and your device is firmly plugged in, it can still be the strip. Unplug the device and move it to a socket on the strip closer to the switch. Depending on the power strip, sockets lower on the strip can fail while those further up still work.
Also, if you have just plugged the device into a wall socket and it stopped working, check the wall socket. Many houses have one or two outlets tied to light switches. It can be an easy mistake to make and is a simple one to fix.
Once you have checked these factors, another question I would have is, “Are we dealing with a laptop or desktop?”
Although both work the same, the power situation for one is slightly different from the other. Laptops have a power inverter and supply external to the device, that big brick you have to lug around. The external power brick is often a point of failure. If the wires are frayed that can interfere with power flow. If you did not have it plugged into a surge protecting power strip, then the inverter might have blown in a surge to save the computer itself. Thankfully, if the power brick fails you can often buy a third-party version at a decent price, usually well under a hundred dollars.
Meanwhile desktops have all the power stuff inside the metal case. In my long experience with computers, the power supply on a desktop tower is one of the least likely parts of the computer to fail, especially if you keep it vacuumed out and free of debris. Still, it can fail and if this is ultimately the culprit then, I’m sorry, you will have to seek out official help. Thankfully, as I said, they rarely fail.
Anything else?
When it comes to fixing common computer problems, the answer is an unequivocal yes. On this topic though we have reached our end. Anything beyond this requires money or technical expertise greater than the scope of our program. Still, this is a good start. Look forward to more Basic Troubleshooting tips in the future, with the next being: My Mouse/Keyboard/Device is Not Working.
An ominous omen or an interesting discussion. Find out next time.
Until then, have fun, find adventure, and stay safe.