Anyone who uses a computer should make themselves familiar with basic maintenance and repair procedures. This might seem unrealistic, and maybe that is so. However, the fact remains that all users will be better off by educating themselves. Although Windows is meant to be simple and easy to use, there are all sorts of technical problems that can easily ruin that convenience. Here are six of the most common issues and their simplest solutions. Note that all of this information applies to Windows 10 only.
1. Missing DLL Files
If you’ve ever received an error message that referred to a missing .dll file, you were probably a little confused. DLL stands for “Dynamic Link Library” and they are highly essential. Missing .dll files can cause your whole operating system to become useless. There is no need to go into all the details, but these are basically processing files that run specific things.
(TOP: Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels).
For example, the file known as fmodex.dll is meant to run a specific type of audio software (called Fmod Ex, naturally). It is an audio engine that is used in all sorts of software (particularly games). Thankfully, a missing .dll issue isn’t hard to fix. Just do a quick internet search for that file and you should be able to download it from a reputable source.
2. Inability To Boot
If your Windows 10 device simply won’t enter the login screen, you might have a corrupted boot sector. The boot sector is a section of the hard drive that is dedicated specifically to the task of booting the system. Obviously, any problem with this data will prevent the system from starting up properly.
However, you should not panic when this happens. All your data is still there, and it probably hasn’t been corrupted or damaged. You just have to get past that corrupted boot sector. To do this, simply restart the computer multiple times without allowing it to get past the logo screen. After 3-5 times, your device should enter recovery mode. When you get here, look for an option that says “boot repair.” In most cases, this will solve the problem.
3. Driver Issues
Drivers are programs that are meant to run specific devices. This includes external devices (like your mouse) and internal devices (like the hard drive and network adapter). Like DLL files, these are fundamental aspects of the system architecture. In other words, your computer cannot work properly without them.
In many cases, these drivers might simply be out of date. To update existing drivers or fetch new ones from the internet, go to the search bar next to the Windows button (bottom left). Type “device” and you should see a program called device manager. Click that and it will open a new window. Here, you can view the existing driver info for all devices and update them as needed.
4. System Is Using Too Much Power
You can obviously tell when a laptop or mobile device is consuming its battery too quickly. With a desktop computer, you can tell by listening to the cooling fan. When your system is using too much juice, it will also tend to run slower. This one, thankfully, is easy to fix. Just open up the control panel and find the section called “Power And Sleep Settings.” You will be able to tweak your usage in all sorts of ways.
5. Loss Of Hard Drive Space When Updating
There are times when you might notice that you have lost some hard drive space after a recent Windows update. This happens because Windows does save some old data when you update, and there is no real reason for you to keep this. To get rid of these old files, simply run the Disk Cleanup utility. If that doesn’t do the trick, download either Ccleaner or Bleachbit. Just be careful with that last one because it deletes things in such a way that they can never be recovered.
6. Computer Freezes Up Entirely
Unfortunately, this happens from time to time. It will most often happen when the device is trying to do multiple things at the same time. Video streaming tends to be kind of demanding on the system resources, so it can sometimes cause crashes of this type. Usually, however, all you have to do is restart the system. If it keeps happening, you’ll need to research ways to free up some RAM (memory) on your device.
Conclusion
As you can see, none of these issues are particularly hard to solve. You just have to understand the root of the problem and you can generally resolve it quickly. If you need more advice to solve your Windows 10 issues, we recommend that you check out some of our other materials.
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