Software and hardware troubleshooting

You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Turn on more accessible mode. Turn off more accessible mode. Skip Ribbon Commands. Skip to main content. Turn off Animations. Turn on Animations. Before you call tech support, check out our step-by-step guide to troubleshooting software.

Free up RAM by closing other open programs. From the window that appears, click the Processes tab, then click the Memory menu item. This sorts all open processes based on the amount of RAM they're using. You can shut down a runaway process by clicking the End Process button.

Before you do that, you may want to do a bit of research on the process to ensure that you don't accidentally stop a critical process or program. Restart the software.

Shut down and restart your computer. Use the Internet to find help. Here are a few places to get started: Search for answers: In your search engine query, include the software program name and version, the problem you encountered, and the circumstances under which the problem occurred.

If you received a specific error message, enter the exact error message text, along with the name of the application. Check the vendor's website: Most software vendors provide some form of product help, such as answers to frequently asked questions, product documentation, or user discussion forums.

Check other websites: TechSoup's article Learning About Technology Online lists a number of other websites that offer technology tutorials, articles, and discussion forums. Undo any recent hardware or software changes. Changes to software and hardware can sometimes cause software problems, such as: Conflicts with other software: Newly installed software may conflict with other software.

For example, Symantec Norton Antivirus can conflict with competing antivirus products. So, if you recently installed another antivirus program and Norton Antivirus no longer works correctly, uninstalling the other antivirus product could solve your problem.

Changes to computer settings: Undo any recent changes to your computer's settings, and try launching the software again. For example, the Windows Control Panel includes an option to "Set Program Access and Defaults," which allows you to disable access to certain applications. If you accidentally disable access to a program here, the program may not run. Conflicts with new or improperly configured hardware, such as scanners and printers. If you've recently connected new hardware to one of your computers, try disconnecting the hardware and see if that corrects the software issue.

Some are definitely hardware problems. And some can be caused by one or the other. This chart lists 16 of the most common problems. Knowing where to start troubleshooting can save you lots of time. To keep problems away, keep your software updated. To keep your computer clean and in good shape , pay attention when things seem weird so you can start troubleshooting before it ruins your day.

If your company is a Leapfrog client, your first and only call should be to our super-smart and friendly Help Desk frogs at or Menu Contact. Note: Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. Send this to a friend. Send Cancel. Then in the first result is the product support page on the HP website, drivers and downloads.

Support items will be listed right on the page, you can search all supports. Troubleshooting items, user guide, software and drivers. The software and drivers link take you to the location where you can obtain the program that are needed to set up and install the device on your computer.

On some support websites, you may have to choose which windows you have installed on your pc, but most will be smart which will have only one link available. Some site offers feature forums. Forums provide a great resource. Your question might have been asked before, so you use the forum to search for your issue and see what other users have done as a solution. You might also see a link to technical support, this support could be for live chat, email or a phone call where the technical support could help you to find the solution.

Remember phone support need not be your first choice, because every manufacturer or developer websites might not be supportive always through phone call as online support and troubleshooting. In this article, I cover two common quick fixes available for computer troubleshooting.

They are:. The most common quick fix for technology is to restart, turn the system off, wait and turn it on again. For instance, you can unplug a stubborn peripheral wait, then connect it again, that may fix the problem. Turn the monitor off, wait, turn it on. Turn off the printer, wait, turn it on. In that case you must properly eject the media, before you turn it off. When the computer become stubbornly stuck, then you need to press and hold the power button until the computer turns itself off, wait a few moments and then turn the system on again.

Another place where you can get help in windows is the system trouble shooter. Tap the windows key and type trouble , choose the troubleshooting item to display the control panel list of trouble shooter.

For example, choose hardware and sound to view a list of specific trouble shooters you can run to help diagnose hardware issues. I have had mixed success with trouble shooter, occasionally result an issue but frequently the trouble shooter resigns without a resolution. I mentioned here the quick fixes tricks, a not so quick fix, that you might hear the people recommend is to reinstall the operating system. This solution was popular in years past, yet is unnecessary 99 times out of