Jmk Technical Services Inc.
Problems Caused By Viruses The most common computer problems today are viruses. They can affect hard drives, flash drives, MP3 players, cell phones and almost any removable media that connects to a computer. MalwareBytes is an antivirus program good at removing viruses if it is run soon after the infection occurs. If a virus is on the computer for very long, it is often faster and more effective to reformat the computer and do a complete reinstall of the operating system and software applications.
The best way to deal with viruses is to prevent them from infecting the computer in the first place. Installing a quality antivirus program like Avira is always a good idea. Keeping the antivirus program up to date and running a virus scan regularly will make it much more difficult for a virus to infect the computer and cause problems.
Problems Caused by Soldering Defects
The motherboard and graphics card are the two most likely pieces of hardware to create common computer problems because of soldering defects. Both use a component called a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). If the MOSFET is not properly soldered to the graphics card or motherboard, the system will become very unstable.
Faulty Capacitors
The PSU is one of the most important components in a desktop computer because it connects directly to most of the other components. If the PSU is faulty, all of the components it supplies power to are at risk and the potential for common computer problems increases significantly.
There are two types of
common computer problems; hardware and software. Most people are familiar with
software related computer problems because they present an error message
identifying a specific program as the cause. Viruses are another common
computer problem associated with software.
Common computer problems
caused by hardware are more difficult for the average user to identify.
Hardware components like the motherboard, hard drive and power supply unit
(PSU) are a much bigger cause of common computer problems than most people
realize.
Problems Caused By Viruses The most common computer problems today are viruses. They can affect hard drives, flash drives, MP3 players, cell phones and almost any removable media that connects to a computer. MalwareBytes is an antivirus program good at removing viruses if it is run soon after the infection occurs. If a virus is on the computer for very long, it is often faster and more effective to reformat the computer and do a complete reinstall of the operating system and software applications.
The best way to deal with viruses is to prevent them from infecting the computer in the first place. Installing a quality antivirus program like Avira is always a good idea. Keeping the antivirus program up to date and running a virus scan regularly will make it much more difficult for a virus to infect the computer and cause problems.
Problems Caused by Soldering Defects
The motherboard and graphics card are the two most likely pieces of hardware to create common computer problems because of soldering defects. Both use a component called a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). If the MOSFET is not properly soldered to the graphics card or motherboard, the system will become very unstable.
The ball grid array (BGA)
is another area where poor soldering can cause a component to fail. This is
frequently the cause of graphics card failures. The graphics card overheats and
stops sending images to the monitor causing it to shut down.
Faulty Capacitors
The PSU is one of the most important components in a desktop computer because it connects directly to most of the other components. If the PSU is faulty, all of the components it supplies power to are at risk and the potential for common computer problems increases significantly.
The capacitors are the
most common part of the PSU to fail. As they age, the capacitors dry out and
lose their ability to regulate the voltage output effectively. A qualified
technician will be required to replace faulty capacitors. Often the best course
of action is to replace the PSU instead of trying to fix it.
The best way to test
capacitors is with an oscilloscope. If the PSU is functioning correctly, the
line will be flat, as it appears in Figure 4. If the capacitors are faulty,
there will be spikes making the line uneven.
It is often possible to
identify faulty capacitors just by looking at them. If the capacitors are a
little bumpy, then they are faulty. Figure 5 shows faulty capacitors in a PSU.
Motherboards also have several capacitors. Figure 6 shows faulty capacitors on
a motherboard.
Problems Caused by
Overheating
The central processing unit (CPU) is the piece of computer hardware most susceptible to damage from overheating. A large heat sink helps keep the CPU cool. In order for the heat sink to work, it needs to have good contact with the CPU. A thin layer of thermal paste ensures good contact. After a few years, the thermal paste can dry out and will actually keep the heat in rather than allowing it to dissipate. The heat sink can also become clogged with dust and become less effective. It is recommended to clean the inside of the computer with compressed air and replace the thermal paste once a year. Arctic Silver is one of the most trusted brands of computer paste on the market.
Graphics cards are also very susceptible to overheating. When this happens, the monitor will not display anything. This happens randomly when the computer is in use and is much more frequent when used for graphics intensive activities like playing computer games.
The central processing unit (CPU) is the piece of computer hardware most susceptible to damage from overheating. A large heat sink helps keep the CPU cool. In order for the heat sink to work, it needs to have good contact with the CPU. A thin layer of thermal paste ensures good contact. After a few years, the thermal paste can dry out and will actually keep the heat in rather than allowing it to dissipate. The heat sink can also become clogged with dust and become less effective. It is recommended to clean the inside of the computer with compressed air and replace the thermal paste once a year. Arctic Silver is one of the most trusted brands of computer paste on the market.
Graphics cards are also very susceptible to overheating. When this happens, the monitor will not display anything. This happens randomly when the computer is in use and is much more frequent when used for graphics intensive activities like playing computer games.
A faulty capacitor or BGA
soldering can cause overheating. Faulty MOSFET soldering is more common on
graphics cards designed for gaming.
Common Hard Drive
Problems
Most manufacturers design their hard drives to last for decades. Unfortunately, there is a very good chance they will start failing after only three years. This is usually a result of the manufacturing process. Production of hard drives and other components is happing at a faster and faster rate. For example, a production plant that produced 300 hard drives each day five years ago might turn out 1,000 today. The increased speed of production results in a decrease in quality. This is especially true with the cheaper models.
All of the components in a computer work together and often power fluctuation trigger hard drive failures. The hard drive needs the power supply to stay constant. When it fluctuates, there is a high potential for damage to occur. The PSU is designed prevent power fluctuations to the various computer components. An oscilloscope can easily identify a PSU that is allowing power fluctuations to happen.
USB Ports Causing Computer Problems
It is often very difficult to identify damaged USB ports just by looking at them. When there is damage to the USB ports, the computer will suddenly shut down and restart. These symptoms often lead people to conclude there is a problem with the PSU because the computer can function fine for days with faulty USB ports. The most common USB ports to fail are located n the front of the computer casing.
Most of the common computer problems caused by hardware issues are difficult for the average user to identify. A trained computer technician with the right tools and knowledge can quickly identify the cause and fix it before the computer experiences more damage.
Most manufacturers design their hard drives to last for decades. Unfortunately, there is a very good chance they will start failing after only three years. This is usually a result of the manufacturing process. Production of hard drives and other components is happing at a faster and faster rate. For example, a production plant that produced 300 hard drives each day five years ago might turn out 1,000 today. The increased speed of production results in a decrease in quality. This is especially true with the cheaper models.
All of the components in a computer work together and often power fluctuation trigger hard drive failures. The hard drive needs the power supply to stay constant. When it fluctuates, there is a high potential for damage to occur. The PSU is designed prevent power fluctuations to the various computer components. An oscilloscope can easily identify a PSU that is allowing power fluctuations to happen.
USB Ports Causing Computer Problems
It is often very difficult to identify damaged USB ports just by looking at them. When there is damage to the USB ports, the computer will suddenly shut down and restart. These symptoms often lead people to conclude there is a problem with the PSU because the computer can function fine for days with faulty USB ports. The most common USB ports to fail are located n the front of the computer casing.
Most of the common computer problems caused by hardware issues are difficult for the average user to identify. A trained computer technician with the right tools and knowledge can quickly identify the cause and fix it before the computer experiences more damage.
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