Whether you’ve just installed a new component on your computer or your PC has suddenly started to act abnormally, it’s always useful to know how to troubleshoot hardware problems. If your computer’s hardware is performing abnormally, run through this simple checklist to try to solve the problem before taking it to a computer repair center.

• Is your computer assembled correctly? If you’ve just installed a new component, then you may have forgotten a screw or a connector somewhere. Take a second look around your computer case to ensure that everything is corrected the way it should be. And, even if you haven’t installed a new component recently, something inside your case may have come loose, and it never hurts to take a peek inside to see if there are any noticeable problems.
• Does your PC have power? Many computer problems are solved by the simplest of errors. Check to see if your power cord is correctly installed into both your computer tower and your electrical outlet, and ensure that the cords between your mouse, keyboard, monitor, and tower are all secured.
• Look for error messages: If your PC is starting up, but the hardware isn’t performing correctly, then it could be displaying error messages. If you search for these error messages on the internet, you may be surprised at the number of people who have experienced similar issues. Hopefully, these people will have already solved their computer problems, and you can follow the PC repair steps that they have outlined.
• Install, update, or reinstall hardware drivers: Every component on your PC needs a driver in order to communicate with other components. If you don’t have the latest drivers, it could cause problems. For that reason, you may want to check your motherboard or video card manufacturer’s websites for driver update information. These drivers often target specific problems that users have been experiencing and can be a very effective method of PC repair.
• Reboot your system: Rebooting your system never hurts, and you would be surprised at how many persistent PC problems can be solved by a simple reboot. After making any of the changes listed above, reboot your system to see if the problem disappears. If it doesn’t, carry on to the next step.
• Ask your question on a tech support forum, or search for others who have experienced the issue: The internet is huge, and it’s likely that somebody in the world has experienced the same problem that you are experiencing. If you can’t find any additional information on your topic, then you may want to sign up for various tech support forums and ask the question yourself. These forums are filled with PC repair professionals who should be able to walk you through a solution.

If you have tried everything on this list and your computer hardware still isn’t working properly, then you may need to take your PC to a computer repair shop. At a PC repair service center, you can rely on the experience of trained professionals to do the job for you.