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Laptops are incredibly versatile devices. That versatility can lead to frustration when things break or just don’t work right. If you’ve invested a lot of time into your laptop (whether through buying it new or used), then there’s no reason to have it fail on you.
You can easily get distracted by everything around you and easily get behind schedule on things that need doing. Your laptop shouldn’t let you down, but it should also let you know when things aren’t going as planned. For these reasons and more, Common laptop problems should be avoided at all costs. Stay focused by making sure you have a clear picture of what needs to be done. Once you’ve formulated an objective for where you need to be next and have taken the necessary actions toward achieving that goal.
Common laptops problems can sometimes be frustratingly difficult to diagnose and fix. If your computer won’t boot or simply won’t start up, replacing the hard drive isn’t a simple task. Laptops most susceptible to problems are those with Intel processors, as many laptops are designed to use the faster and more integrated processors. Problems with the memory or hard drive could also prevent programs from loading properly and become a time-consuming hassle to deal with.
Some common laptop problems and how you can fix them
Why does my laptop get so hot
If you’re using an open or un-cluttered case, your laptop may be getting hot. There are a number of factors that may be contributing to this, including the components in the case itself and how it is assembled. Some laptop fans run quieter when their cooling fans are in full force. This is something you should consider if you are looking to save energy on your device or have a particularly finicky case that allows for plenty of air flow.
There is a sensor inside your laptop, called the core temperature sensor, which will measure the heat coming out of your laptop. If it gets to hot and exceeds 120 degrees Fahrenheit you may notice that it feels like there is something wrong with your computer. One way you may be able to tell that it’s too warm inside of your laptop is if you notice air coming out between the keyboard and screen or from any other part in between. If you have an air duster, use it now to clear any dust buildup that may be present. Turn off the laptop and use compressed air to blow out the dust from the fan.
The best way to cool your laptop is by using just one fan. Put the laptop on a fanless base and plug in an external fan or a USB fan. Place the laptop on a stand or hold it with one hand and use the other hand to push down on the bottom part of the case so that air flows through more quickly.
How do I fix a black screen on my laptop?
If your laptop is booting up to a black screen, it could be because of some of the following reasons.
- 1. Power source problems due to power supply or voltage issues.
- 2. Defective display cable or no connection between display and motherboard chip.
- 3. Internal software or hardware errors related to RAM/CPU/GPU and keyboard/touchpad/trackpad etc..
- 4. External tools causes by virus infections or malware in the system files, which can be easily fixed by using scan services such as Worry-Free Antivirus (for Windows) and Malwarebytes (for Windows).
- 5. Corrupted system files, can be fixed by reinstallation of the operating system or repairing the partition with certain software.
- 6. Corrupted BIOS settings are also a cause for a blank screen
Here is the fix;
Uninstalling Third-Party Graphics Drivers & Reinstalling Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM)
If your black screen issue is resolved by disabling hardware acceleration in Settings>Privacy>System then one of the most likely cause is a third-party graphics driver.
Disabling hardware acceleration through the graphics driver for temporary solution was well documented by many enthusiasts over the years. But recent reports reveal that this may mess up your computer’s main system files and you may be left with only a black screen.
So instead of trying to disable hardware acceleration, I would recommend uninstalling third-party graphics drivers and reinstalling our native drivers (Graphics Device Interface – GDI or Windows Display Driver Model – WDDM).
The display driver is a part of the OS – Windows Driver Foundation Tools. You can check where it’s located (C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore) in Task Manager below.
Why is My Laptop so slow when it’s plugged into an outlet?
When you plug in your computer, its battery no longer provides the power it is capable of providing. This means your processor or “brain” (CPU) now has to rely on the much weaker power supply that comes from the wall outlet. It doesn’t have enough juice to run as fast as it normally does on the battery alone, so you may see a slower response time when playing games or opening and closing applications.
Another problem is related to how current flows into your laptop . You may have noticed that when you’re plugged in, there’s a small amount of current that flows through your computer even when it’s on stand-by. This is due to the fact that the power plug and outlet are made of metal, while your computer is made of plastic. This little bit of current coming from all the wires running between the wall power outlet and your laptop adds up over time.
The most likely culprit is that you have a cheap power adapter for your laptop. While it’s better to get a good quality adapter, it may have been a painful real-world lesson for you in why you should not buy an Apple computer . A lower quality adapter can degrade your battery life drastically, which will decrease responsiveness when plugged into an outlet or plugged into a dorm room with poor outlets.
Plugging your laptop into a wall outlet instead of a regular power outlet may help give your computer a performance boost but will also drain more power from your laptop which could lead to slower performance. If you find that your laptop is powerful but be very careful when plugging it into an outlet as it could cause damage to the laptop or even short-circuit it.
Why is my laptop fan so loud
As laptops have become more popular, their hardware has also increased in power, creating new problems for the user community such as heat production from CPUs and GPUs. The latest release of Windows 10 has now increased temperatures because it uses an AMD Ryzen CPU with liquid cooling. It’s vital that laptops are dealt with properly or they will overheat at higher levels than before with a high chance of malfunctioning equipment and data loss if left untreated.
Heat Island Effect. This is when the laptop runs hotter than it actually needs to be, creating an upward flow of heat that can be felt by the user’s hands and face, as well as being annoying for others. It’s important to use laptops on a cool level to prevent this issue from happening. Heat production from both CPU/GPU and HDD can cause this problem. (Read more about Heat Island Effect here. )
Dust Build Up. A non-cleaned laptop fan will inevitably turn into a dust magnet which creates high resistance on the blades, causing them to work harder and make more noise in the process. It is wise to use compressed air to clean fans after usage, or a vacuum cleaner if there are enough vents to reach every crevice of the fan.
Loud laptop fans still happen despite taking precautions. If this is the case, it’s helpful to make sure that both CPU and GPU have throttled down their operating frequency temporarily during overheating (usually -12%) and then gradually increasing it back up when used normally (usually +12%). This ensures for less heat production from either processor.
Why does my laptop keep going to sleep
One of the most irritating problems with most laptops is that if they go to sleep, you find yourself entering a world where everything’s dark and all you can hear is the sound of your own voice. Laptops are programmed to automatically sleep after a fixed period of time, but there might be some reasons why your laptop might keep going to sleep. Here are some possible reasons for this problem:
Your laptop has been on for an extended period without being put into hibernation or standby mode. Your battery life is too low for your laptop to stay awake through normal use; let it rest and charge up before using it longer. Disable unnecessary power-consuming features and programs. Update the system if the software is not up-to-date.
The most common reason why laptop computers would go to sleep is because of a common problem that occurs on many laptops after prolonged use. Some laptop users have reported that their systems are set by default to automatic shut down after 30 minutes of inactivity, and this can be a problem for those who do not take advantage of the hibernate option when they are done using their laptops.
The computer shuts down automatically for two reasons: either because the computer cannot tell that you are present at the keyboard or because your battery is running low and you do not want your laptop to turn off completely (though asleep).
If your laptop is going to sleep after 30 minutes, and you have been working at the computer for a longer period of time, you can do one of two things: either wait for it to enter standby mode or shut it down manually. In either case, you may want to press the Ctrl+Alt+Delete keys together to see if anything unusual is going on with your laptop.
Why is my laptop not charging/ why is my laptop saying plugged in not charging?
Well there can be several different causes for this problem, which we will cover below so that you can remedy them as soon as possible!
First off, let’s talk about what the problem might be more generally. When you plug your laptop in and it doesn’t charge, there can be numerous factors that are causing your battery to not charge.
The first is a firmware problem. Firmware is software that helps control the hardware, it’s like the brains of the operation. If a firmware update was not properly installed or updated correctly, it could lead to charging issues.
Physical Issues: This is where the thing you’re plugging into it doesn’t fit correctly into your laptop and therefore isn’t getting a charge.
Troubleshooting: This is where you might find your laptop taking longer than usual to charge up. If it’s been plugged in for more than two hours and it still doesn’t charge, then the problem could be with the charging port on the laptop. In this case, you should try another charging port, if possible.
Computer Hardware Issues: This is where your motherboard is not functioning correctly or that the device that is being charged (like a phone) has some sort of issue that isn’t being communicated properly to the computer.
If you’re experiencing the first two problems, then your laptop has a firmware problem. If you’re experiencing the last two problems, then your charging port on the laptop isn’t functioning correctly. Hopefully that makes things a little clearer now, but if not let’s go ahead and try to fix these problems!
Laptop troubleshooting
If your computer doesn’t start up the way it usually does, or if it starts up and then freezes or gives you an error message, it’s time to troubleshoot! But what does that mean? Read on for an explanation of the general process for troubleshooting any problem with your laptop.
A Troubleshooting Guide
There are two general approaches to troubleshooting a problem with your laptop: hardware and software. Hardware issues refer to those physical components which make up your device—anything from the battery to hard drives or keyboards. Software issues relate to things stored in memory such as operating systems, programs, or data files.
Hardware
If your laptop’s hardware isn’t working properly, you’ll need to perform a few general steps to narrow down the problem. First, make sure that everything that should be working is actually powered on and connected to the system. Depending on the problem you’re having, you might just have a loose connection or faulty wire—and in those cases, simply switching on or reattaching that part of your laptop will fix it! If nothing appears to be physically wrong with your device though, it’s time to start checking software.
Software
If you’re having a software issue, there are two main ways to go about fixing it. The first is to perform a simple restart of your device. Shut down your laptop, wait a moment, and then restart it again. This can be a good step to take if there’s something wrong with your operating system or programs—you might just need to restart the system for it to work properly again!
Another common fix is to perform a hard reset on the laptop. This is usually done by holding in one particular key combination at startup—the exact combination will depend on your individual model of computer and the age of your operating system. For example, in Windows Vista and 7, the key combo is held down while turning on your system. In Windows XP, 7 and 8, hold down the F8 key during startup. In Mac OS X 10.7 or later, hold down the Fn (function) and select “restart” from Boot Camp’s Utilities menu.
Why can’t my new Windows 10 laptop see all of the WiFi networks in my home even though they’re all working?
Your new Windows 10 laptop can’t connect to all the available Wi-Fi networks in your house even though they’re all working. This is a known issue with some drivers and it doesn’t appear to be a Microsoft issue. You can reliably connect to the 5GHz band without issue, but when you try to access other networks on the 2.4GHz band (like your neighbor’s house) you will experience disconnections. Loading new drivers or re-updating the operating system is often enough to solve this visual issue. But you might want to check your WiFi network’s policy.
What is a hybrid laptop?
A hybrid laptop is a computer with a CRT (composite display) screen attached to the mainboard. It has some of the attributes of a laptop, such as a rechargeable battery, built-in speakers and a lot of space beneath its ultra-compact design. Packed with great performance, portability and a high price-tag, these machines are ideal for students who do not want to carry around a large and unwieldy laptop in their bags.
How to troubleshoot laptop?
Troubleshooting can be tricky enough when you have an actual problem with your computer, but if you’re referring to something that only happens on your device, then it can be even more disconcerting. Laptops aren’t always the ideal solution for everyday computer problems because they tend to have simple and annoying problems, like software updates failing or your web browser crashing. But when you need help finding a solution, don’t rely on the laptop — instead, use your cloud-based desktop software or a good set of generic diagnostic tools.
Common problems of laptop?
1. Overheating
2. Performance problems
3. Noise and Fogged Windows.
4. Broken Touchpad Click Buttons
5. Bad Touchscreen Display
what to do when my laptop crashes?
When I have had a laptop crash, I have had the following experience. First I must record the error in the event that something like this happens again; then, I try to work out what has happened – whether my error was due to an operating system problem, hardware failure or software problem. While this may seem like over-reaction (it was), it is important to record the data so that you can recover your files if you need to.
