It happens to all of us at some point. You turn on your trusty computer that has not failed you in the past 4 years and all you see is a black or maybe blue 
screen. In some cases the screen might even be white. In yet other cases, you might not see any activity at all. Your first response is a sense of severe frustration or even a slight sense of panic. This can be especially true if you rely on your system for your job. The only comforting thought is that you have all your information backed up on an external drive. You did back up your system, didn’t you?
The next thing racing through your mind is knowing you have to call Ring A Geek to find out exactly what is going on and what are my options. Well depending on what has exactly happened will determine what measures need to taken next.
Although you already might be thinking the worst, many times a blank screen at start up is recoverable. It is important to look back and recall exactly when your system worked as expected and what you might of added or did just prior to the crash. In many cases, a computer will work perfectly one day and after starting up the next day your problems will start.
One of the most common issues that can cause a no start for Windows is your anti-virus program. You heard right. The very thing that is supposed to protect you can turn into your worst enemy. Even though anti-virus companies check their new virus definitions to be sure they work properly, sometimes you can have conflicts within the computer system that causes your computer to not start up properly.
In other cases, the cause can simply be a USB device that is plugged into the computer that is present when the computer boots. Sometimes these devices cause a conflict when the computer is booted up. In a case such as this, simply removing the device at boot up will solve the problem.
Another issue that can cause boot up issues is when your CMOS battery on your motherboard becomes weak or dies. This can cause a situation where you will have to press F1 when the system boots. This small battery looks like a small watch battery and it sits right on the motherboard. In addition, when this battery goes bad, your time and any custom BIOS settings will not stick.
Probably one of the scariest scenarios is when you start your computer and nothing happens at all. No power, no sounds, just the eerie silence of a dead computer. In many cases, this is caused by a bad power supply. The power supply is the lifeblood of your system. It distributes the various voltages to different components of your computer. Sometimes all or just part of the power supply will go bad. The only way to know for sure is to put the power supply on a tester.
With all these scenarios mentioned, how do you decide if you should fix the computer or trash it and buy a new one? Well the first thing to do is to get your system evaluated. If your computer is using at least Windows 7 and your system is not more then a couple of years old, it is often worth getting the system repaired if hardware is the issue. If software is to blame, it is almost always worth getting fixed. For example, if you have a 5-year-old computer running Windows 7 and your computer operating system fails, it is always best to simply have your system fixed. In another example if you are running Windows Vista or XP and your power supply or motherboard fails, it is best to replace the computer. A system running an old operating system is not worth fixing.
Even with the retirement of Windows XP, many folks still have XP machines that run perfectly. I am one of those. The severe security issues that many experts talked about never materialized. In fact, we are seeing no more threats on XP machines then we see on newer operating systems. The bottom line is that if your machine is running satisfactory enough for your needs, keep using it. Just be sure you have up to date and properly working security. Once you start to experience hardware failures such as video cards or motherboards, it is then time to replace and not to repair.
A lot of people often ask us if a virus infection can damage the computer. The answer is absolutely not. If you get a virus infection of any caliper, the only repair that needs to be made is to the operating system. The virus infection will most likely be able to be removed without any major consequences.
In short, if you are happy with your computer and it serves your needs, the only time you need to really replace the system is if you have a major hardware failure. Hardware failures are much easier to repair on a desktop then a laptop. If a motherboard goes on a laptop, unless you are under warranty, it is always a good bet to replace it. If the computer is a desktop and a video card fails, it is usually more cost effective to simply replace the video card. Different scenarios will call for different decisions. If in doubt, call us at Ring A Geek 1-888-901-4335 and we can clearly and concisely recommend what action you should take based on what issues you are experiencing.
By, Tech Joe
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