How do you know if the computer problem is hardware or software?
In case you didn't know, computer problems are divided into two types: hardware or software. The first type indicates a physical defect in the components that operate the device, such as a burned-out power supply , a scratched hard disk platters, broken RAM, damaged processor, and other direct damages. Such types of problems are difficult for the user to fix on his own, but rather require technical intervention, which is somewhat expensive.
While the second type refers to software problems such as a program malfunctioning, an error appearing when running a game, or a Windows system crashing, and so on. These are problems not related to any part of the computer components, so they are easy to fix as the user needs to follow some simple instructions.
Although they are two different aspects, sometimes you may encounter problems that you cannot identify because they have the same software and hardware symptoms - for example, the blue screen of death problem may occur as a result of a software glitch or a defect in one of the components connected to the device. For this reason, in our article today we will review a group of common cases that will make it easier for you to determine the type of computer problem you are facing.
If your computer is slow
The problem of slow computer occurs for countless reasons, perhaps the most prominent of which is the result of installing many programs that in turn consume resources intensively, but they also prolong the computer startup time. We do not rule out infection with a virus or malware as factors affecting the decline in performance. Usually, people who face this situation think that the computer is slow because it is old, so they buy a new computer . But they are likely wrong.
If the computer becomes slow, the problem is in the software and can be fixed. Hardware problems should not cause the computer to slow down - although there are some rare exceptions, for example, when the processor temperature rises above the maximum, the processor speed is reduced to maintain the continuity of work and on the other hand to avoid damage to the processor . But this does not deny the fact that the most common causes of computer slowdown are related to software.
In case of blue screen
The blue screen in modern versions of Windows indicates that there is a "major" problem with your device and that it must be fixed. This may happen after installing a new program that is not compatible with your device's capabilities, or when tampering with Windows settings or when the device is infected with a virus; it is clear that the problem here is software. It may also appear due to differences in some BIOS settings, such as the blue screen when installing Windows XP
But there is a big chance that the blue screen may appear due to hardware as well. For example, when installing a driver for one of the computer's internal components, if this driver is old or incompatible with the operating system or not programmed well by the manufacturer, it will lead to many problems, including facing the blue screen.
The solution in this situation is to uninstall the driver or use the System Restore feature to restore Windows to its previous state. While if the blue screen appears suddenly and you have not done anything recently, this is a sure sign of a hardware problem in the computer.
If the computer does not start
If you click the power button on your computer and after waiting a long time the desktop does not appear where you can start working, there may be a software or hardware problem.
If the problem is software, you will see the Windows startup screen that you see every day, but at some point the boot process does not complete and the computer restarts itself and repeats the same process again, and so on. The reason is most likely due to corrupted system files, so you must reinstall Windows to solve this problem.
On the other hand, if the computer turns on and instead of displaying the boot screen, you get a message stating that the computer does not recognize the hard disk, then the problem is hardware. You should check that the hard disk wires are properly connected to the motherboard. If the situation persists, this may mean that there is a fault in the hard disk itself and you will need to replace it.
See also: Learn the difference between Demo and Beta software versions
When do symptoms of hardware problems appear?
In the cases described above, the causes were related to both hardware and software, but let us list below some of the computer parts most susceptible to damage and the problems that may occur as a result:
Hard Disk: If any type of damage occurs to the hard disk, it may affect all the files stored on it, but this is not the only scenario. Sometimes symptoms of this damage appear in the form of a delay in the time to access files, or the Save command takes longer than usual, or Windows may stop booting completely.
Processor: If the CPU starts to fail, your computer will stop working at all. If it gets too hot, it can cause blue screens or a significant drop in computer performance, especially when playing games that drain your computer's resources heavily. You can read this article " The most effective way to reduce the temperature of your computer's processor "
RAM: Programs write data to RAM and use it for temporary storage, where they re-read this data later, so if RAM stops working at any moment, it will cause the program to crash, blue screen to appear, or files to be corrupted.
Graphics card: Graphics card issues can cause graphical errors during gaming, such as frame drops. If your graphics card overheats , it can cause your graphics card driver to crash or your computer to freeze when it's under relatively heavy use—for example, when playing 3D games that require a lot of graphics processing power.
Cooling fans: If any of the cooling fans in your computer stop working, the temperature of the internal components may rise, which reflects problems with the processor and graphics card, as we mentioned in the previous points. The computer may also shut itself down automatically so that the temperature does not continue to rise.
Motherboard: Motherboard issues are very difficult to detect and diagnose, but should be considered when facing a blue screen or similar issue.
Power Supply: It is also difficult to diagnose a faulty power supply and find out the cause of the malfunction, but if it stops working completely, the computer will not turn on and there will be no reaction when you press the power button on the computer case.
Any other issues not mentioned are likely software related. Note that software issues can also cause many of the symptoms listed above.
The only solution to know if the problem is hardware or software
In the previous lines, we tried to give you an idea of the difference between common software problems and hardware problems with examples. But it is often difficult to identify the real type of problem, and this is especially true if you have an intermittent problem, such as the blue screen appearing several times a week.
Although you can try scanning your computer for malware and viruses, or running System Restore to restore your computer to its previous state, these are not guaranteed ways to fix software problems.
The best way to determine whether the problem you are facing is hardware or software is to restore your computer to its default state, which means reinstalling a copy of Windows or performing a factory reset of Windows if you are using Windows 8, 8.1, or 10.
After you do, check to see if the problem still persists - if it's the same as it was before you reset your computer, such as if the blue screen keeps appearing - this is a clear sign that the problem is hardware and you need to repair or replace your computer. If your computer crashes or freezes while you're reinstalling Windows, this is an even clearer sign that the problem is hardware.
However, in some situations this method cannot be considered completely ideal - for example, you may reinstall Windows and install the same (incompatible or poorly programmed) drivers that caused the blue screen to appear.
Conclusion: Blue screens don’t appear when your computer is working normally, but if you’re experiencing them frequently, your computer is likely suffering from a hardware problem. On the other hand, common issues like “slow computer” are software issues and can be easily fixed. In either case, you can back up your important files and reinstall Windows to see what kind of problem you’re experiencing.