Find out which computer components are causing the problem.
Knowing whether your computer problem is hardware or software is just the first step. If you discover that the problem is software, you can intervene to solve it thanks to the presence of several methods that lead to this, for example, reinstalling Windows Or whatever operating system it is.
If you are dealing with a hardware problem and not related to the operating system or a specific program, the next step is to determine which piece of computer components is the cause and work on fixing it and getting the computer working normally.
You don't need to worry about this if you bought a new laptop or pre-assembled desktop computer from HP, Dell, or Lenovo and it's still under warranty, you can ask the manufacturer to repair that computer.
If not and you assembled a computer yourself or the machine is old and out of warranty, finding out which computer component is causing the problem is your concern.
If you need help, you are in the right place as we list for you a set of ways to test the computer components well and check the parts that generate problems and errors.
Facing Blue Screen? Find Error Code
The blue screen problem in modern versions of Windows is likely to be caused by a fault in one of the hardware components of the computer.
This may seem like obvious, well-known information, but searching the internet for the error message involved in the blue screen can go a long way in helping you solve the problem, or at least figure out which computer component is causing it to appear in the first place.
For example, let's say you encounter a blue screen while working on your computer and then you find that the problem code in front of the Stop code section is "SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED", this indicates that there is a problem with the graphics card driver , and by doing a quick search on Google using this code from any other device, you will be able to know the exact reason and how to solve it. As a result, you will now have a place to start solving the problem.
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Check hard disk status
Hard drives have a technology called SMART (short for Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) that aims to monitor and measure many factors and warn the user if the hard drive is about to fail so that he has a chance to save his priceless data from being lost; but like any other technology, it is not perfect, as the hard drive may fail even if it tells you that everything is fine.
However, if you suspect that the problem you are facing on your computer is related to the hard drive, you can use the specialized tools that read the information provided by SMART technology to find out if its condition is good enough or if it is suffering from problems that may be the main reason behind your problem currently and therefore you should plan to replace it with another one.
Perhaps the best of these tools is the free CrystalDiskInfo . After running it, it will give you a complete and detailed report on the status of the hard disk, in addition to information about the operating power and the technologies supported in it...etc., noting that it works on all types of fixed storage units, whether SSD, M.2, or HDD.
RAM Test
Any failure or damage to the random access memory, or as it is known as "RAM", can lead to a number of different problems, which of course hinder the normal operation of the computer.
This can happen if the computer writes data to the RAM but this data is not returned as required due to a defect in it. Then you may see an error message when running a program, or the blue screen may appear, or the operating system files may be corrupted, preventing it from booting as usual.
But how can we be sure of that? There is one way, which is to test the RAM by writing data to each memory sector and reading it back again. If they match, this means that the memory is working properly. We have previously reviewed how to check the status of RAM in the computer in several ways that you can review if you want.
Check the temperature levels of each piece.
One of the things that you should also take into account is the temperature level of the computer , because high temperature results in many problems, including the blue screen, complete failure of the device, or sudden shutdown during work.
There are many reasons that cause the temperature to rise, such as your computer being in a very hot place without proper ventilation, or because the internal cooling fan has stopped working, or because it is full of dust and dirt.
Fortunately, computers can monitor the internal temperature of components and the user can access this information either by entering the BIOS or through external programs such as SpeedFan or Speccy , which show you the actual temperature level of the most important parts of the computer. In turn, you must keep these degrees from approaching the limit recommended by the manufacturer so as not to completely destroy your computer!
If your computer is overheating, problems may start to appear when you are doing something that requires a lot of energy, such as playing a video game that puts a lot of load on the processor and graphics card. So make sure to monitor the temperature continuously whenever you are doing heavy work, not just when the computer is idle.
Perform a stress test on the processor.
You can use Prime95 to perform a stress test on the processor in your device and find out its capacity and the maximum performance that can be achieved. If the problem in the computer is due to the processor,
The program will not be able to perform any tests. The principle of operation of this program is based on directing the processor to perform complex calculations to work at maximum speed and generate heat.
If the processor temperature exceeds the allowed limit, you will start seeing errors, crashing and involuntary shutdowns of the system. This program is usually used after overclocking the processor to make sure that the new operating frequency keeps the processor stable, and if not, it is reverted to the last frequency where the processor was running without problems. Anyway, it is a good way to check if the processor is stable and working properly or if it is old and you should consider upgrading.
Perform a stress test on the graphics card
We do not rule out the graphics card as one of the reasons for the problem you are facing on your computer, especially if it is related to running games. For example , if the graphics card driver crashes while playing games, or crashes itself, or you see frame breaks and the graphics look strange, you can run a test on the graphics card to check its efficiency, with the help of a tool called 3DMark where you will run some tasks that require high effort from the graphics card.
If this causes excessive overheating or the test fails, you will see errors such as 3DMark crashing or a blue screen . If the test finishes without problems but you still can't run a particular game, the problem may be with that game.
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This is not a complete guide to what hardware problems your computer components cause and how to check them. One could write an entire book on identifying which hardware components are failing and how to diagnose them and it still wouldn’t cover everything. But we’ve at least tried to list enough tips to give you a head start on dealing with the most common hardware problems.