Computer Crashes: 6 Signs Your PC Is Failing

Computer crashes happen all the time, but when do you know if it is symptomatic of a bigger problem? Computer Crashes that accompany any of the following six signs may indicate your computer is failing.

Poor Performance

General performance issues are likely the first sign that your computer is failing. However, because there are a variety of potential causes, this symptom alone may not offer conclusive proof. Cleaning up old, redundant, and corrupted files may help. If after cleaning and performing diagnostics your system remains glitchy, it may be time for professional computer repair and service.

File Corruption

Files or programs that previously worked fine suddenly do not open is a sign of a corrupted program. This can be the result of malware or the first sign of an impending hard drive failure. There may be an error message that accompanies the problem. However, more likely than not there won’t be any notification. The first step in troubleshooting is to check that your antivirus is updated with the latest definitions and then run a full system scan. If that doesn’t solve the issue check for hardware conflicts under Windows Device Manager.

Slow Hard Drive

If you notice that programs are taking forever to load, this may be the culprit. To troubleshoot you can check for firmware issues by running chkdsk. Use a disk cleanup utility to take care of any corruption issues. Be sure to backup your data before troubleshooting. If your computer remains sluggish, be prepared for an impending hard drive failure.

Noisy Hard Drive

Mechanical hard drives have improved in durability over the years but as with anything made of moving parts, it will wear out eventually. If you hear a metal on metal scraping noise, especially when you are starting your computer it is time to backup your files; the sooner the better. A noisy hard drive is a sure sign that your computer is failing.

Boot Errors

Occasional boot errors when starting your computer or a random message such as “device (drive) not found,” is a sign that your computer is failing. Often, your PC will start-up fine the very next time — but don’t let this fool you into a sense of security. Use that opportunity to backup your important data. This could be signaling a problem with your hard drive, or possibly that your Windows installation is corrupt. You may need to reinstall your operating system if it is the latter.

Loud or Continuous Fan

You may notice that you fan never shuts off or is louder than normal. This is a sign that the internal system is becoming too hot. While this can be a result of many issues from software to drivers, the end result could be damage to your system. You can use a tool like SpeedFan to determine the problem and find out the temperature of your system. If the problem is mechanical, you may find some improvement by opening up your case and cleaning out the fan compartment with a pressurized air canister.

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