When a laptop starts to randomly turn off, it can be very annoying and time-consuming. There are many reasons why this may occur and in some instances, you may be able to solve the problem yourself.
Failed Motherboard
If your motherboard has failed you either need to call a reputable computer repairs business or consider the purchase of a new laptop.
Faulty Fan
If your fan has died, it can be quite inexpensive to have a computer repair company install a new one for you.
Power Adaptor
An AC power adaptor may cause your machine to turn off if it senses an overload of power drain. The power adaptor may also be faulty. If the problem does not occur when you are using the battery or another power adaptor, then this will be the cause and you will need to purchase a new power adaptor.
Memory Failure
It is quite possible that you could have memory failure caused by your laptop turning off and on. You will need to reset the memory modules to ensure that the connection is good. It might be an idea to remove the memory modules one at a time and then test the laptop with each module to determine where the problem is as you may need to replace one or more of the modules.
Virus
A virus on your laptop may be the cause of the machine intermittently turning off. You need to ensure that your antivirus software is up to date then run a full scan and remove any malware that might be on the system.
Overheating Processor
An accumulation of dust and participles on your machine can cause problems with your fan which can lead to overheating of the processor which in turn leads to your machine randomly turning off and on. In this instance, you need to clean all the dust etc off your machines internal working – or call a repair company to do this for you.
Poor Cooling
With an older laptop, it may just be that it is too hot. Try using the machine in an air-conditioned room and see if this resolves the issue.
You may suddenly find that your laptop keyboard is no longer responsive or a particular key(s) no longer work. There are several potential solutions to this type of problem which are provided below.
Please note that having a key on your laptop or your laptop keyboard stop working altogether doesn’t necessarily mean you have to replace your laptop with a new one. As stated above, there are some solutions to this problem that you can attempt before calling in an expert or buying a new laptop.
Warranty
If you are one of the lucky ones to still be within the warranty period for your laptop, you need to call the manufacturer’s support line as they can replace a defective keyboard. You will probably have to take it to their service depot and maybe without your laptop for a while. Please make sure that you back up all your data before you take your laptop in to be repaired.
Reboot your Laptop
You may be extremely lucky and find that all you need to do to solve the problem is to reboot your machine. Hold down the power button for around 15 seconds and turn the laptop off, reboot and cross your fingers!
Compressed Air
Buy a can of compressed air and spray the keyboard this will loosen and clean any dirt stuck under the keys which may be preventing your keystrokes from working.
Check your Connector Cable
If your connector cable is loose it can cause your keyboard to malfunction. Open your laptop and push the cable back in very firmly to ensure that it is securely connected.
Temporary Fix
If you are in urgent need of getting some work done and you have a USB desktop keyboard then plug it in and use it until you resolve the problem properly.
Laptop Membrane
There is a membrane under the keys in the keyboard and if the keys were pressed too hard, the membrane may have been destroyed for several keys. If you have experience in laptop repair and are confident enough to open up the keyboard, you can buy a membrane that fits your keyboard and replace it or else call in the professionals to do it for you.
Shake your Laptop
You may have food crumbs under the keys which are preventing them from working properly. Hold your laptop upside-down and give it a good shake – this works best with older laptops but worth a try if you have a newer model.
A Bad Connection
It could be that the keyboard has lost connection with the laptop’s motherboard which can cause the keyboard to only work occasionally or not at all. Unless you have a lot of computer repair experience, it is recommended for this job that you phone a reputable repair company to disassemble your laptop and reconnect the ribbon cable.
Driver Problem
You may have a driver problem if you consistently turn off your laptop without using the shutdown command or if you install third-party software. You need to check the device manager – is there is a yellow exclamation point on the keyboard line or if the keyboard icon doesn’t show at all you need to install the latest drivers for your keyboard.
Pop off the Keys
Firstly check in your manual to see if this is allowed. If it is okay, then you can pop off the keys with a flat-head screwdriver, clean then and put them back on – be very careful as you don’t want to compound the problem.
Summary
Please note that some of the solutions provided above do require some expertise and we do not recommend that they are undertaken unless you have experience in laptop repair.
A layman can install a fan in a computer, however, we recommend that this task is undertaken by an experienced repairer to avoid any costly mistakes. You can always call us at Affordable Computer Repairs and Service to install a fan in your computer for you – we would charge you $145 for the labour and then the cost of the fan.
Why is a Working Fan important?
A working computer processor fan is important for the efficient and effective use of your machine. A processor fan plays a critical role in keeping the various components of the PC or laptop cool when the computer is running. An overloaded or overheated fan can result in damage to other computer components. So, if you get any symptoms that lead you to think that the fan is failing, you need to check it out quickly or take the machine to a reputable computer repair business.
If you decide to try to install a new fan yourself the first step is to purchase a fan that correctly meets your system requirements. On the fan, you will find the model number which will help you identify the correct fan to buy.
Removing the Old Fan
Step one involves disconnecting all sources of power from your machine – also take away any connection to supporting equipment like keyboards, mice or monitors. Please take note it is very dangerous to work on a live computer and all the power supply connections need to be disconnected.
Next, using a Phillips screwdriver, remove the hard computer cover from the machine.
Now to the fan, using a Phillips screwdriver again, unscrew the existing fan and take it out of the computer. Put these tiny screws somewhere safe as you will need them again.
Disconnect the faulty fan by removing the power-supply cord from the pin port.
Carefully remove the faulty fan.
Installing the New Fan
Next, plug the power cord from the replacement fan back into the pin port where the old fan had been plugged in.
Once you are sure it is in the right place screw back in the screws that you carefully set aside. Once you have done this, make sure that the fan is secure and can’t move.
Now it’s time to reconnect the power supply and all other equipment cables. Then boot up the computer and make sure that the fan is fully functional – that it is rotating and drawing in cool air.
Replace the computer cover (this usually slides in and out) and with the Phillips head screwdriver screw the screws in to make it secure. Power up your machine and keep your fingers crossed!
Affordable Computer Repairs and Service
If you have followed the steps above and your new fan is not working, it might be time to bring your computer in to our workshop in Coorparoo. Please call first on 3397 1215 or 0409 974 707.
What to do if you spill liquid on your laptop keyboard
It is possible to repair a laptop that has had a liquid spill – the outcome is basically dependent upon how big a spill and what type of liquid. Water is best, fizzy drinks and anything containing sugar is much more problematic as they often leave a residue and are more difficult to remove.
You need to act fast!
Firstly stop the spill – and then quickly unplug the laptop and network cable from the wall. Next, very carefully – as some power sources have capacitors in them that store a charge – disconnect the power cable from the laptop. Don’t use wet hands!
Now remove the battery and turn the machine upside down to drain excess liquid and hopefully prevent the liquid from reaching the motherboard.
It is important to now leave the laptop alone for about half an hour in the event that the laptop is smouldering and a fire may occur.
If after half an hour there is no fire, you need to get rid of the excess liquid by dabbing (not rubbing!) the laptop with an absorbent cloth – preferably a lint-free cloth. You can use an earbud between the keys and ports to help remove the moisture.
DO NOT FOLLOW ANY OF THE STEPS BELOW UNLESS YOU ARE AN EXPERIENCED REPAIRER!
We don’t recommend you open the laptop case unless you have experience in laptop repairs. If you are confident to do this, you should take out the hard drive and RAM and dab the connections to remove liquid. You can use rubbing alcohol to help with this.
If the spill is a sticky liquid such as soft drink, it may be necessary to remove the residue with WD-40 on a cotton bud to prevent corrosion.
If you have successfully done the above (and assuming that you are confident that you can put the laptop back together again) leave the machine to dry out. Put the laptop somewhere where there is good airflow and leave it for at least a day, preferably two. We don’t recommend that you use a hairdryer to dry out your laptop as it may do more harm than good.
For those really experienced repairers, you may need to remove any keys on the keyboard that are no longer functioning and clean them underneath, possibly with rubbing alcohol or methylated spirits and a soft toothbrush to remove sticky residue. Make sure the board and keys are totally dry before reinstalling them.
Once your laptop is completely dried out you can power it up using the battery and see whether or not it will work. If the laptop powers up but the keyboard no longer works try plugging in a USB keyboard which if it works will allow you to back up your data. Then you may need to purchase a replacement keyboard and install it.
Prevent this from happening again
Be super aware in high-risk environments such as busy coffee shops and on the bus or aeroplane
Use a sippy cup
Raise your laptop using a riser at home and work and consider plugging in a cheap USB keyboard.
We hope this article has been of some benefit to you. Please we re-state that unless you have expertise in repairing laptops we recommend that you only undertake the drying steps, not the more difficult tasks of laptop dismantle.
Over time, new programs and updates have greater system requirements. If your computer is more than five years old, it is difficult to have the machine running at an acceptable rate. If thinking about whether to purchase a new machine or repair your current computer, we have written a blog on the pros and cons to help you decide.
Browsers
Different web browsers can perform differently and by changing to a different web browser, it could have a faster loading speed.
Check Your Hard Drive
It is important to check if there is an issue with your hard drive disk. Running programs such as Run SanDisk as well as Run Defrag (for data storage) could assist with speeding up your computer. It may be an idea to upgrade to a faster hard drive if your computer is running quite slow.
CPU
The CPU may slow down to prevent overheating.
Defrag
It is important that you close all programs on your computer before undertaking a defrag. Defragging your PC can be time-consuming, so we suggest running this application overnight. Here are the instructions for completing a defrag;
Click on the start menu, select Programs, Accessories, System Tools, then click on the disk Defragmenter icon.
Display
In older machines, that is those with an old graphics card, adjusting the display setting can help to speed up your computer.
Drivers
Drivers which are out of date can slow down a computer. If this is the case for you, we suggest considering purchasing the latest driver for your machine. Old video drivers in particular can create more issues for your computer.
Free Hard Drive Space
The hard drive disk becomes overloaded over time due to new programs and applications as well as any upgrades. If your computer has between 200 to 500 MB of free hard drive space or less, this could be the reason that your computer is running slow. To increase your free storage, you can delete program files that are no longer in use as well as any unimportant an unused documents, photos and movies. The control panel lists all the program on your machine, which makes it easy to select and delete unwanted programs. It is also recommended that you remove all temporary internet files listing in the Windows Temp directory on the C drive.
Hardware Problems
It is possible that the tips and tricks on how to speed up your computer we have provided have not assisted you. This could be that your machine has one or more hardware problem. These are generally more expensive repairs but can still be cost-effective depending on the age and nature of your computer. For most users, the best way to determine the problem is usually to take the machine to a reputable computer repair business and have a diagnostic done on the computer.
Memory Upgrade
It is likely that you will need to upgrade the memory of your computer, even if your machine is two years old. It is relatively inexpensive to upgrade your machine memory and it can significantly increase the speed of your machine.
Adding more RAM to your machine is a cost-effective way of increasing the speed of your machine. At Affordable Computer Repairs and Service, we can do this for you at an affordable rate.
Operating System
Sometimes the best way to speed up your computer is to reinstall the operating system and start afresh. This can be a lengthy process so this should be completed when you are not needing to use your machine.
Overheating
Overheating of your machine can impact the performance and speed of your computer. Our blog on how to keep your machine free of dust may be of some interest to you as this can be a cause of overheating computers.
Programs Running In The Background
Several different programs can run in the background when you are using your computer and working on a particular application. The easiest wat to speed up your computer is to disable programs that automatically start up when opening your computer.
Speed Up Start-Up
Your computer will run slower if there are more programs opening up during computer start up. Disabling those that are use infrequently should assist with your laptop loading speed. This can be done by running MSConfig and withdrawing applications in the Home tab. You should also disable all indexing and accessories of the internet to further improve the speed of your computer.
Two Or More Anti-Virus Programs Running At The Same Time
Anti-virus programs can significantly slow down the speed of your computer. It is important to only ever have one anti-virus program running automatically at any time. You can also have another couple that you can manually run weekly or fortnightly.
Virus – Any Type Of Malware
Viruses and spyware can significantly slow down your machine. Check for malware by running more than one anti-malware programs and delete any malware you find. It is very important that your virus software is up to date and running frequently. Some malware can be extremely difficult to remove, such as the Federal Police Virus. If there is a particularly malicious virus that you can’t remove, give Affordable Computer Repairs and Service a call. For $190, we can remove the virus from your computer and provide additional protection.
Windows Indexing Service
It is likely that you do not require this service, and that it is currently slowing down your machine. Windows indexes all your files to allow you to do a file search. If you do not use this service, you will need to disable the Windows Indexing System.
How to speed up your computer
Affordable Computer Repairs and Service
48 Octantis Street, Coorparoo, 4151
Ph: 3397 1215 or 0409 974 707
Email: markkc@affordablecomputerrepairs.com.au
If you want your computer to perform as best it can it is important to maintain it. Over time, it is likely that your PC, Laptop or Mac will not run as well as when you first got it. This decline in performance can be the result of not maintaining your computer – as well as the increased system resources required for newer programs and applications – but that is a separate topic.
Back to maintaining your computer, there are several things that you should do to assist your machine to perform and these are provided for you below.
Data Backup
We have many, many customers coming to us with a computer that won’t boot – and they have not backed up their data for a significant period of time. Usually, we are able to retrieve their data but there are instances where years of family photographs and the like are lost. We cannot stress enough the importance of backing up your data and keeping the back up stored away from your machine in another location or using cloud storage.
Storing your files
All your documents should be kept in a single folder with subdirectories. The Windows default folder called Documents is a good way to go. This is particularly important when you want to back up your files as it is a much easier job than if they were stored all over the place.
Remove dust from your computer
A build-up of dust can cause your machine to overheat and this can cause quite serious problems with your machine – our post on dust and cigarette smoke and your computer may be of some interest to you. The first step is to keep your computer away from dust prone areas such as a dusty floor. Good maintenance includes cleaning the dust from your computer. We recommend that you use a can of compressed air to blow out the dust – you will need to take the sides off the computer.
A really thorough clean would include disassembling parts from your machines such as the fan, the CPU and video card heatsinks. Please, unless you are computer savvy, don’t attempt this as it may cause more problems than what it resolves.
Update and run anti-virus and spyware scans regularly
If you use the net it is essential that you have a good performing anti-virus program running. We also recommend that you have two other anti-virus programs loaded on your machine and that you manually run these about once a fortnight. Please remember to always update your anti-virus program before running the scan. Remember too, there is no point in running the program if you don’t delete the viruses/malware found – not all anti-virus programs do this automatically.
Check for errors
Use ChkDsk to check for errors on your hard drive and repair any problems that it identifies. We suggest that you run a back up before you use this application.
Clean up your cabling
Just about everybody has a mass of cabling running from the monitor, keyboard, printer and the house power points. The danger here is that this can cause stress on the computer ports and connections which could lead to some expensive repairs. It is a good idea to bundle up your cables using twisty ties for example which will also prevent snagging of wires and loosening of cords.
Startup
Some programs automatically configure to run when the computer is booted. This can significantly slow down the speed of your computer and in most cases, is totally unnecessary. Not only do they slow the boot time but they also slow the performance of your machine as they run in the background – you may not even be aware of this fact.
Reboot
If you close down your computer you should find when rebooting that the machine performs better. This is because a computer left running uses up system resources which are then returned when you reboot.
Delete unused software
Most people continually add programs and updates and never remove old unused ones. This takes up more and more space on the hard drive. It is good to regularly (say once a month or two) go through and delete and programs and files that you no longer need. Also, don’t forget those temporary files which after time can consume a significant amount of space on your machine.
Updates
Do not ignore messages telling you to update your software. You can also find updates and patches freely available on the internet. Updating is becoming more and more of an issue and is essential if you want to avoid hardware incompatibilities and software conflicts – also again we restate the absolute necessity of updating your anti-virus programs.
Defrag
We also recommend a regular defrag of your computer hard drive, this will help optimise the performance of your machine. When files are added and removed the hard disk becomes fragmented with pieces of files in various locations which slows the computers ability to access data swiftly. Always back up your data before running a defrag.
Nobody wants a failed hard drive – it is one of the more expensive repair jobs and there is always the terrible risk of loss of data through a corrupt drive. It is so important to do regular backups in the event of a hard drive failure.
Keeping an eye open for the symptoms of hard drive failure may in some instances give you some warning that the problem is going to occur and allow you the time to do a fast back up before the drive fails completely.
Symptoms of a failing hard drive
Below are some of the symptoms of a failing hard drive – they are however not exclusive to a failing hard drive, it could be another problem with your computer. Either way, you need to take action if you have one or more of these problems occurring with your machine.
Errors when booting your computer
Computer crashes when booting
Scrambled or changed file and folder names
Errors when performing normal operations on your machine
Loss of files and folders
Computer freezes for long periods when you are trying to access files or programs
You lose access to a device
Rubbish output when you print or open your files
You hear a clicking sound coming from your computer
The computer seems to be heating up more than it did previously
Corrupted data within your files
Chkdsk runs when you start up your computer
You hear a beep when booting that you didn’t hear before
Your computer runs really slowly.
Help your hard drive last longer
Generally wear and tear are the major causes of a hard drive failure, but you can help your drive to last longer.
One way to do this is to prevent overheating of your computer. This is usually caused by a build-up of dust within your machine. You should minimise dust build-up by keeping the area around your computer clean.
You should also consider regularly cleaning your machine yourself with a can of compressed air – or take it to a repair business for a routine maintenance job. Poor ventilation is also a cause of overheating, make sure that your machine is located in a position that allows airflow.
Over-use of your machine can also weaken your hard drive. If you never turn off your machine, you should consider changing this habit and if you don’t think you are going to use the computer for a period of time, turn it off.
Be careful with your laptop, a physical shock such as a dropped laptop can cause your hard drive to fail.
Hard drive repair
If the problem with your hard drive is related to software issues such as bad sectors on the drive this may be repairable.
However, if the hard drive is failing mechanically the only solution is to replace it.
We can help you with both repairing bad sectors on your disk as well as replacing your hard drive.
If it is too late and your hard drive has failed, we offer an affordable data recovery service.
Affordable Computer Repairs and Service, 48 Octantis Street Coorparoo. Call us today on 3397 1215 or 0409 974 707 for hard drive repair services.
How do I know if there is a problem with my RAM? Some of the symptoms of your computer’s memory may be another problem with your machine rather than the memory, however, we have provided the most common symptoms that could indicate a fault with your machines RAM.
Your laptop or PC crashes intermittently.
Computer freezes.
Files are randomly corrupted.
Blue screen of death.
Beeps occurring during booting.
The computer doesn’t boot at all.
Computer randomly reboots.
Distorted graphics on your computer screen.
Performance of your machine deteriorates over time.
You see a blue screen with white text as your computer boot.s
Installation of programs fails.
What can you do if you have a problem with your RAM?
Replace the RAM by trying another stick.
Test your ram with a diagnostic tool such as Memtest86+ or DocMemory.
How does your RAM get damaged?
Fault in the memory module.
A power surge – we recommend that you use a surge protector.
Excessive heat.
Fault in the memory slot.
Summary
The good news is that if you need to replace your ram on your computer it is a relatively inexpensive repair that we do all the time.
Please remember though that the symptoms provided above could be an indication of bad ram but may also be a symptom of another problem with your computer which may or may not be such a simple repair job.
When there is no sound coming from your computer there are many potential causes for this problem.
The Obvious
Check the sound settings on your speakers someone (one of your children?) may have turned the sound off.
Check the sound settings on your computer – it may inadvertently have been turned to mute. Depending on your operating system there may be a small sound icon on the bottom right of your screen, click on this and check the sound settings.
Make sure that your headphones are not plugged in – if they are your speakers will be disabled and this could be the cause of no sound.
See if it is your speakers that have gone on the blink by plugging in headphones or another set of speakers.
Check to see if your cables have become loose or disconnected. It may also be that the cables are no longer working properly, switch the sound cables with other cables to eliminate this as the issue.
Make sure the sound card is enabled in the Device Manager of your computer.
The Not So Obvious
Your audio drivers might be out-of-date, this can occur due to windows updates.
Codecs may be missing, in this instance, you need to install the audio codecs that are relevant for the version of windows that you are running.
A potentially relatively quick fix is to try a system restore – choose an earlier period when hopefully you didn’t have the sound problem and restore your system to that point in time. If it doesn’t work choose an earlier time point.
Check with windows audio service, this may solve the problem.
You could reinstall the audio drivers from the device manager.
Contact Us
If none of the above solves your problem, you may have a defective sound card which you will need to replace. Unless you are computer savvy you will need to obtain the assistance from a computer repair business. Contact us today on 3397 1215 or 0409 974 707.
When something goes wrong with your computer there are several troubleshooting techniques that you can do before calling us at Affordable Computer Repairs and Service.
Firstly, check that the cables are plugged in properly – all of them, you could unplug them and then reconnect each one to ensure that they are not loose. Make sure that you check the connections at both ends of the cable.
Check the power supply – plug a bedside lamp or other easily movable object into the plug that you use for the computer – if this appliance works, the house power supply is not the problem.
If possible, try to isolate the problem. When isolating the problem, make only one change at a time. For example, if you don’t have a cursor showing on the screen, it could be your mouse. Unplug it and if you have a spare mouse plug that one in. Or you could use the arrow keys on the keyboard to help you determine if it is your mouse that is the problem.
If you can, back up your data if you haven’t already done so. Backups to an external hard drive, CD or DVD should be part of a regular routine. If you haven’t done so and you have a hard disk failure, there is a chance that you could lose those valuable files and family photos. Remember to store your backups in a different location to your computer.
Reboot your computer – sometimes a simple rebooting of the computer is all that you need to do to rectify the problem.
If there is an error message, write it down. If you can’t find the solution to the problem this message will help the technician in repairing your computer.
When trying to troubleshoot, write down what you have done. This will ensure that you don’t repeat what you have already done. This information will also be valuable to any technician that you may have to call if you can’t get your machine to work properly.
Also, write down what you were doing last when your computer stopped working – if you need to get expert help providing this information will assist the computer technician and reduce the cost of the repair bill.
Finally, run a virus check. This is a lengthy process but could be the reason for a computer running slow, freezing or not working properly.
If you still have a problem once you have run all these troubleshooting techniques, give us a call on 3397 1215 or 0409 974 707 and deliver your computer to capable hands at Affordable Computer Repairs and Service.
Update and run anti-virus and spyware scans regularly
Delete unused software
How do I know if there is a problem with my RAM?
