Technology is one of life’s greatest assets—until it stops working, of course. Today, we’re going to cover some of the top signs that indicate your computer needs immediate professional attention.
Thermal Issues
Excessive heat is a strong indicator that there may be underlying hardware or performance issues within your system. These are the signs to watch out for:
Overheating – If your computer is too hot to touch or shuts down unexpectedly due to heat issues, then it’s time to seek specialist advice. Overheating can be caused by a number of things, from dust buildup and poor ventilation to aging hardware and an overloaded processor.
Loud or Constant Fan Activity – The fans in your computer are there to remove hot air and introduce cool air. They work to create the ideal temperature for optimal performance and to extend the lifespan of hardware. Sounds like clicking, banging, grinding and buzzing signify that there’s a major issue that needs to be looked at.
Freezing During Gaming or Video Editing – This is often due to the GPU, the graphics processing unit, overheating, or general cooling issues.
Burning Smell or Smoke – If you can smell burning or you see smoke coming from your laptop, there is a serious thermal and electrical failure that needs immediate attention.
Hardware Problems
Hardware problems can stem from faulty components like the hard drive, motherboard, RAM or cooling system. These issues often lead to major problems that require repair or replacement. These are the warning signs to look out for:
Unusual Noises – While light noise (like whirring) is normal with a traditional HDD (Hard Disk Drive), you should never hear grinding, clicking or buzzing sounds. An SSD (Solid State Drive) should be completely silent as there are no moving parts.
Random Shut Downs or Restarts – These issues are commonly caused by a faulty power supply, failing RAM (Random Access Memory), or a malfunctioning motherboard.
Flickering or Distorted Display – A fault within the GPU could be causing this to happen, or it could be an issue with the display hardware.
Battery Draining Rapidly – This is a telltale sign that you need to either replace your battery or improve your charging system.
Keyboard Typing Wrong Characters – A fault within the motherboard could be responsible for this issue, if not the keyboard itself. It’s best to get a professional to look at the internal components of your computer if this issue occurs.
Other Signs That You Need a Technician
If you listen carefully enough, your computer will tell you when something isn’t quite working as it should. Some other signs it could give you include:
Blue Screen Codes with Numbers – The Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) shows up when a Windows computer crashes. These error codes are there to diagnose system-level problems and are a major indication that something has malfunctioned in the system.
Boot Loop – Boot loop is probably the second biggest problem you could have (BSOD is number one). This happens when your computer keeps restarting over and over, without ever getting to the home screen. It can indicate corrupt files, faulty software, a power supply fault or a failed system update.
The Tech Doctor You Need
If you notice any of the above issues, it’s important to reach out to a professional and get your computer looked at. Ignore these signs above, and you could cost yourself a lot of time and money down the road.
