Having PC problems, and think you can't fix it yourself?

Has your PC been running really slow, or maybe barley running at all? Has is been locking up frequently, or programs take forever to load when not too long ago they ran just fine?

Aren't you just dreading taking your PC in to be fixed when you know it cant be that hard to fix? Don't you wish you knew how to do it yourself without screwing it up even more?

Well it might be easier than you think. Have you noticed that a lot of the time when you take your PC in for repair or a tune up, it comes back with nothing you had on it is there any more and you have to setup all your favorite stuff again, unless you pay a premium price for keeping all your favorite stuff on it or backing it up for you before fixing it?

You are about to learn the easy way they fix up most modern PC's factory built today and save you a lot of time and money.

First off, have you noticed they always ask you for your disks that came with your computer?
Did you know that most factory built PC's six ears old or newer don't even need all those disks, and usually don't even come with them? That's because the hard drives in todays computers have gotten large enough to store all of the info from those disks in a special hidden partition and still leave plenty of room for the operating system and all of your favorite programs and personal files.

Before you begin any PC fix, make sure you have backed up all your personal files on an external source, weather it be on cd's, usb flash drive, tape drive, external hard-drive, or even the online backup sites like Carbonite or Mozy. Also make sure you have driver disks for all of the devices you have installed since you purchased the system. If you cannot find a disk, you can always download the drivers for your version of windows from the device manufactures websites and save them along with your personal files backup.

This first fix only works if you can get into Windows and it only has minor problems. You may need the proper Windows CD available if required.

Click on the start button then click Run. In the text box type "sfc /scannow" (without the quotes) then hit the Enter key. The built in Windows "System File Checker" will check the important system files to make sure they are ok and replace them with fresh copies if needed. All personal files will remain in tact.

The next two fixes are known as NON-Destructive Restore. This is where important Windows system files are replaced with fresh copies and Windows Registry entries are updated or restored accordingly. Your private files will remain in tact, but the programs they rely on may not. For example a saved excel spreadsheet file will remain, but the Microsoft Office/Excel Program may need re-installed.

First, if your PC is just not running right or suddenly acting a little goofy, you might be able to easily fix it by using Windows built in "System Restore" which you can find in the start menu, or if you hit hit the F8 key a few times when the computer is first booting up (when the screen is still black and showing white text or the manufactures logo screen) then choosing safe mode. Then when the computer boots into safe mode it will ask if you want to run system restore or go ahead and run in safe mode, choose system restore. Once the system restore programs comes up, choose "restore my computer to an earlier time" and then pick a date a couple days prior to when you noticed the computer acting funny, then click next to start the process. Once its done,d the computer will reboot and hopefully its running better.

Second, if your computer is not booting into windows at all, or the Windows built in system restore just did not do the trick, then you can use the manufactures built in system restore feature. To access it, if your computer came with system restore disks, then put disk 1 into the cd drive then reboot the PC, if not, then as soon as you power on your computer and it shows the POST screen (either the black screen with white text, or the manufactures boot logo screen) you should see some text that says press f10 for system restore (all makes and models are different, some say f9, f10, f11, or f12) press the button that it tells you. Just keep in mind that you only have a couple seconds to catch it, and you may have to press it many times durring that time for it to acknowledge that you even hit it. Now it should boot into a special manufactures system restore software and then you can choose to restore/repair the PC. Most of the time you can just pres the next button through the screens untill the process begins. Once the process is complete the computer will reboot and hopefully the computer is running smoothly.

The final fix is known as a Full Destructive Restore. This will completely wipe out the entire system and replace it with a fresh new copy of Windows and extra software, and it will be just like the day you purchased it. Your private/personal files will not be saved. Back up First. I recommend doing this once a year just to keep the computer fresh.

To access this fix is same as the last fix. When you first power on the computer, press the f10 or what ever key is says then when it comes up, instead of just pressing next, you will either choose Full/Destructive restore, or you may need to choose the advanced option then choose the full restore. Once you get the process started, it will take a while and the system will reboot a few times, and it will more than likely ask you a bunch of questions, but once it is complete, it will be completely restored and ready to re-install all your favorite programs and restore your personal files from backup. Keep in mind you may need to re-install drivers for hardware or devices that you have installed since you purchased the computer. If you do not have your driver disks for the devices, you can always download them from the device manufactures websites.

I hope this has helped you as it has helped me for many years.