Category Archives: PC Problems

Effectively Using Data Recovery Software

At Gillware Data Recovery, we have a bit of a complicated relationship with data recovery software. When used properly, it can rescue those family photos or Quickbooks files you’ve lost and save your computer a trip to a computer repair expert (or a data recovery lab). On the other hand, when used improperly, data recovery software can make your situation worse.

Effectively Using Data Recovery Software

Software tools for retrieving lost files can either be a help or a hindrance. Used in the right hands and in the right situation, an app to recover your lost files can be your white knight… or your bête noir. read more

Computer is Slow Except in Safe Mode

It is very frustrating when you are trying to use your PC and it is running sluggish. Recently, a friend had a problem where their PC was running slow, however, in safe mode it was running fine. After some research, this seems to be a pretty common problem for Windows users.

This symptom is a classic sign of one of 2 things. Either a driver is corrupt or some program, whether it be a malicious program or not, is causing problems. Let’s take a look at a few tips to help fix your computer if it is running slow except in safe mode. read more

Computer Turns Off By Itself: What To Do

A computer that just goes off without any error messages or warnings can be pretty frustrating. There are a few reasons that a computer is turning off by itself with no warning. A few of the most common reasons are overheating, a hardware issue, or even malware. Let’s look at how we can identify and fix these issues.

Overheating Computer

When a computer turns off by itself, one really common reason is overheating. If this is the case, then the only way to correct it is by first finding out what causes the overheating. In most cases, it’s the accumulation of dust and dirt over time inside the computer that leads to a degradation of the internal cooling system. As such, the next step at correcting the problem would be by clearing out the dust. Please note that your computer does not necessarily have to be hot for it to shut down unexpectedly. Manufacturers place several safety parameters when designing computers, and one of them is the coordination of the power system with the cooling system. So, if for any reason, such as the presence of dirt particles, the fan cannot run or runs slowly, the power supply may still shut off. read more

Computer Black Screen Problem

I often help friends and family when they have PC problems. Recently, I ran into a problem with a computer black screen. A computer black screen can be a pretty intimidating issue to tackle. However, there are definitely a few things you can do to diagnose the problem. Let’s take a look at a few things you can try to do to either fix or at least diagnose this problem.

First, you need to determine if the computer is at least booting up. If it is not, then a hardware issue is likely the culprit. When you boot the computer, do you see the BIOS? Are you able to get into Windows at all before it crashes? If the computer is not booting up at all, you may get a sequence of beeps. If so, these beep codes can give you a good idea of what the problem is.  You can simply search Google for the number of beeps you are hearing and your computer type and you should find some results. read more

Windows 7 Not Shutting Down Problem

So, recently, I had to help someone with an issue where their PC running Windows 7 would not shut down. Luckily, we were able to get the problem resolved. I figured that others might be having this issue so I thought I would share a few tips that could help you to fix this problem. Before we start looking into solutions, one helpful tip is that you can perform a hard shut down of your computer by holding down the power button on your PC. Under normal circumstances, you don’t want to do this, but in this specific case, you may have no other alternative. read more