My Windows 11 PC Keeps Crashing—Could This Be Hardware Failure?
My PC is only about two years old, but it has started crashing more and more often. During the first year, it would occasionally crash after long gaming…
computer repair
HP All-in-One Shows Standby Power but Won’t Turn On After a Brownout
My parents' HP All-in-One PC (model 22-dd0153w, product ID 7Z6V8AA#ABA) runs Windows 11 and suddenly stopped powering on after a brief brownout that caused the lights to flicker.…
PC Suddenly Died With a Burnt-Electronics Smell—Is the Motherboard Failing?
My 3–4-year-old self-built PC suddenly powered off a few days ago, and I noticed a faint burnt-electronics smell. After letting it sit and trying again, pressing the power…
PC Randomly Shuts Down and Sometimes Won’t Power Back On
My PC has been running for a little over a year, but during the past month it has suddenly powered off more than five times. The only recent…
Used PC shows power but won’t start—what should I check?
I bought a used desktop PC and connected it to mains power, a monitor, and Ethernet. A light near the Ethernet port turns on, so the system appears…
PC Crashed After Graphic Artifacts and Now Shows No Display
A few days ago, I noticed flickering and strange graphical artifacts while watching a video. The next day, the computer crashed, and ever since then the monitor has…
Dell PC Stuck on Logo After Update-and-Shutdown
I selected the option to update and shut down my Dell PC before going to bed. The update appeared to complete, but the computer then remained stuck on…
PC Powers On but Fails to Complete the Boot Process
I recently built a PC that sometimes powers on but does not actually boot. The liquid-cooler fans spin and its LEDs blink, but pressing the power button only…
A Small Water Leak Reached My PC and Now It Won’t Boot—What Should I Do?
While I was asleep, a pipe leaked onto the floor near my PC. The water did not appear to fall directly onto the computer or enter through the…
Is It Safe to Test RAM That May Have Been Exposed to Water?
A backed-up in-wall mini-split AC unit leaked roughly a liter of water into my PC case while I was away. The motherboard has heavy corrosion around the CPU…
USB ports have power but won’t recognize my keyboard or mouse after a Windows update
After a forced Windows update, two USB ports on my desktop stopped recognizing devices even though they still supplied power. My phone charges when connected, but a mouse…
Spilled Vodka on My ThinkPad—Can It Still Be Saved?
I accidentally spilled about 30 mL of 40% vodka on my five-year-old ThinkPad. It shut down roughly a second after the liquid reached it, and I immediately turned…
My Computer Fell and the Fan Started Rattling—Should I Have It Checked?
My computer fell while the room was dark, so I'm not sure how it landed. Afterward, I heard a strange noise from one of the fans, almost like…
Should I repair my slow 2019 MacBook Air or replace it?
My 2019 MacBook Air has become extremely slow and laggy, even shortly after startup. Browsing and basic tasks are nearly unusable, while streaming video works normally. The laptop…
Laptop crashes shortly after startup after installing games
I own this laptop and need it for college, but I can't afford professional repair right now. After installing Steam and Apex Legends, Windows started working for only…
Why Does My PC Shut Down After Running for a While?
My PC intermittently powers off without warning, and it usually won't stay on again until it has been left alone to cool or rest for a while. This…
What should I do with a graphics card that prevents my PC from booting?
My computer stopped turning on, so I took it to a technician. They found that it would only start after removing the graphics card, which I believe is…
Laptop crashes shortly after startup with a hard-drive-related error
I own this laptop and need it for college, but I can't afford professional repair right now. After installing Steam and Apex Legends, the computer started working for…
How Can I Restore an Old Surface Pro and Reinstall Windows?
I recently found an old Surface Pro that had been unused for roughly 10 years. I ran a large batch of Windows Updates, after which the operating system…
How Can I Restore an Old Surface Pro After a Failed Windows Reinstall?
I recently found an old Surface Pro that had been unused for roughly 10 years. I ran a large batch of Windows updates, and afterward Windows appeared to…