Top 5 Tips on Repairing Your own Computer: PC and Mac

37 Responses (Add) | Thursday, November 29th, 2007 at 12:05am

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Brandon is a community member who works for Geek Squad. He sees customers come in every day with nearly the same problems, and came up with his top five tips for getting your own machine back up and running, whether you own a PC or a Mac.

Google is your friend Knowledge is power, even when working on a computer problem. There are thousands of websites and resources out there in Internet-land that can help you decipher that odd error message, sound or whatever problem you are experiencing.

Ask the dumbest questions possible Start from the ground up. Many times, the simplest fix can be the one that works. Don’t try to over-think the problem, or assume it’s something awful and too hard to fix.

Read the Manual… especially when it comes to add-on devices such as a sound card or modem. You will usually find the answer you need simply by reading the manual that came with the product. An addendum to this is that you can go to the manufacturer’s website, and read their “FAQ” or similar page. Many vendors have these with the answers to the most common/frequent questions and complaints. Remember: RTFM. (Read the FINE Manual).

Backup BEFORE you begin This is imperative… especially if you’re going to open the case to work on something physical. Regular backups outside your machine are always a good idea, anyway. You can backup to another machine, a CD or DVD, or even to an online service.

Be patient and calm This is the biggest tip I can give you. Computer repair can be a long process, especially when it comes to software. Most people have the capacity to fix their own machine, but aggravation often causes them to just give up. Stay calm, walk away when you need to. You might be surprised what you can fix on your own with some patience and research.

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37 Comments

Windows Vista Torrent

November 29th, 2007
at 9:57am

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Ed Pfeiffer

November 30th, 2007
at 11:36am

One important tip missing for troubleshooting and repairing your own PC:
“READ ANY ERROR MESSAGES CAREFULLY AND THINK ABOUT IT !”.

Having worked in the computer support area for many years i have many calls where the client has an error msg on their computer and the computer will not function. They do what the msg indicates and it still will not work.

Client> I get this msg X12345 , I’ve done what it says and it doesn’t work
Tech> Read the message to me.
Client> Error x12345, The computer Blah Blah Blah

Recognizing what the error is, I ask them to read it again, because they did not read what the message said exactly but what they think it says.

Tech> Please read the message again, s-l-o-w-l-y this time.
Client> Error x12345 The computer Blah Bla…(Long Pause)
ooooh, never mind.

People have a tendancy to read between the lines.

mauriciomblog

November 30th, 2007
at 12:38pm

Only 26 Shopping Days ’til Christmas TechSay Says IT Surveys Pay Top 5 Tips on Buying Technology: Hardware and Software Top 5 Tips to Avoid Viruses and SpywareTop 5 Tips on Repairing Your own Computer: PC and Mac

dmethoxibit

November 30th, 2007
at 5:51pm

who the hell is the quick bunny?

lolchrisisfunny

November 30th, 2007
at 6:23pm

i’ve used all of those tips before, and they all are the best things to have when repairing, or sometimes upgrading your pc

Snakeyes11

November 30th, 2007
at 8:56pm

these are great tips. I see a lot of people who bring in computers and they dont even bother to tell the assoicate what is wrong. Then the assoicate turns it on and it they fix it. but they could of fixed it there selfs.

SilverCondouloBoy06

November 30th, 2007
at 9:02pm

Another tip is to find tech-savvy friends who would be willing to help you before paying for help!

Dustin

November 30th, 2007
at 9:27pm

It’s amazing how much people actually don’t do these before asking for help.

I’m known as the tech type guy in my general area and when asked for help it’s usually something that can be easily fixed by following these tips.

Evilspngebob34

November 30th, 2007
at 9:35pm

Well, these are good tips, also sometimes a computer cant be fixed and you’ll just need to buy a new one. Like NEVER ever flash your BIOS if you dont know what your doing my good friend did that on his brand new board . He’s a dumbass. lol

Jean Costa

November 30th, 2007
at 9:51pm

Great tips, I would definitely agree that Google is your friend. Try to use quotes, so that you can get the exact match, that helps at times.

TheBritishHero

November 30th, 2007
at 10:44pm

google,google,google!!! Lol!

SharpieWoW

December 1st, 2007
at 1:12am

They can still get a virus dude….

jpgarcia6

December 1st, 2007
at 3:50am

that brown bunny for that chocolate milk

myspacecashkid

December 1st, 2007
at 5:09am

yeah but it not as easy! i know someone who has a mac they have had it for 10 years and more and it still works like its branned new! alot of people are down grading to xp cause vista sucks!

myspacecashkid

December 1st, 2007
at 5:11am

yeah thats a lie the internet is not your friend thats why there is virus and spyware cause it hates us!

nickjuly004

December 1st, 2007
at 8:27am

lol, my dad asks me for help on every little tiny peoblems, and ironically my dad’s name is Joe too. Also I backup every once in a while to my external hard drive, but one time I forgot to backup this prank program I was making for my dad and brother fot April fools day so now I lost the source code, but luckly my friend had a copy of the exe so I can still use it.

nexonsd

December 3rd, 2007
at 2:53am

Mac or Pc

ruempire

December 3rd, 2007
at 5:58am

wow this guy is a homo sexual

peanuts7779

December 3rd, 2007
at 10:42am

hay dude get some contact lenses have a good shave get rid ov the side burns spike ya hair up wiv gell WAALLAA your now a good lookin tech guy
thats intelligent just so ya know im not *** im straight from uk my names Carl good vid-ish

DjStatiCo

December 4th, 2007
at 4:14pm

why did i watch this? how sad r u really? get a life get mates live life! talking to your pc lmao.. how did u get a g/f hahaha.

sjones72751

December 9th, 2007
at 3:02pm

Honestly, I have hated the geek squad ever since the time I purchased a tower and when I asked them if they knew what socket the amd processor was (am2 or 939) and the employee replied with his knowledge on video cards O.o