Can't get your PC to boot? Forgot your Windows password? Or just sent your boss a really embarrassing e-mail? Here's how to recover from these and nine other potential catastrophes, plus advice on avoiding trouble to begin with.
When it comes to computers, sometimes things go south...and sometimes they go to Antarctica. If your computer won't boot or your data's gone astray, panic is soon to follow, and you might find yourself making things worse in your haste to solve the problem.
To prepare for that inevitable day, save this article: The next time some piece of hardware or software decides to take an unexpected vacation, pull out and consult our handy guide to see how to deal with some of computing's most devastating debacles.
Of course, this advice won't solve every tech-related problem you may come across, but it includes some neat tricks that you may not have thought of, such as freezing a bad hard drive to get it to boot one last time so you can retrieve your data, baking your wet mobile device in an oven set on low to make it functional again, and putting a delay on your outbound e-mail so you have a chance to reconsider the flame you just wrote.
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If you're interested in a particular problem, here's a list of what we've included in the following pages:
If you're interested in a particular problem, here's a list of what we've included in the following pages:
- Your computer won't boot
- You just told off the CEO in an e-mail and instantly regret it
- No PCs show on the network
- Your identity has been stolen!
- Your Net connection is dead
- You're being sued by the RIAA/MPAA
- Your device just got doused with water--or worse
- You're inundated with pop-ups when you boot your PC (adware/spyware infestation)
- You deleted a critical file--and have no backup
- Your hard drive has crashed
- You forgot your Windows password
- Your presentation just croaked
Many PC troubles, of course, fall short of a disaster but remain real headaches, nevertheless. For some quick tips on them, see "10 Fast Fixes for Nagging PC Problems."
Finally, here are a couple of links to related site features on PC disasters:
Problem: Your computer won't boot.
Likely Cause: Could be anything. Determining whether the issue stems from hardware or software is part of the fix.
The Fix: You'll have to play Sherlock Holmes to figure out what's dead. Take it step-by-step.
- First thing: Check all cables (including the plug into the electric socket) to make sure everything is hooked up nice and tight.
- Next, see if the power supply turns on. Listen for the sound of its fan or of your hard drive spinning. If you hear nothing, your power supply probably needs to be replaced. To confirm, consider testing the voltage output with a power-supply tester such as PC Power and Cooling's $10 ATX). Of course, you should also check your home's circuit breaker before doing major PC surgery, and try powering another device from that outlet to make sure it's getting juice.
- If your power supply is okay but nothing appears on screen, plug in a different monitor (borrow one if you must) to ensure it's not your display that's blown. If the monitor proves to be good, try replacing the video cable. Still nothing on screen? If your drive is spinning normally, your video card is probably bad. To replace it, see our video guide, "How to Replace a Graphics Board," or use the video output integrated into your PC's motherboard, if it has that feature. While your case is open, make sure all the fans inside work when you power on the PC. You could have excess-heat issues.
- If your monitor is working but you detect no hard-drive activity and see no display (or you see a display but the PC can't get through boot-up), reset the CMOS. Shut down the PC, unplug it, ground yourself, and take out the battery on the motherboard (click on photo above). Wait 5 minutes, and consult your PC manual or go to the vendor's Web site for instructions on resetting the CMOS jumpers. Reboot and see if that fixed the problem.
- If the PC is still not functioning, bad RAM could be the culprit. Remove one memory module at a time (or replace each module with a known good one) and reboot after each test. Alternatively, create a free MemTest86 boot disk on another PC, and try using it to test the RAM.
- If none of this works, your motherboard or CPU is probably damaged, and will need to be replaced (cost: $80 to $300 or more). However, your data is probably still intact and can be recovered if you install your hard drive on another system. Consider going to a repair shop for an estimate on the repair; it may be more cost-effective to replace the PC. Also, a repair shop might be your best (and only) option if your PC is a laptop.
- Finally, if the PC's BIOS routine runs but the drive won't spin, your drive may have crashed. See "Problem: Your hard drive has crashed" for help with that.
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