Repair, don't Despair

We've all been there before, working on your beloved PC running Windows or Linux (Mac OS users, I'll talk about you later) and suddenly your PC starts to act up. And before you know it, the whole system is slow, much slower than what you used to. Here is the point where a lot of people think "-Right, this machine is old now and I need to buy me a newer one!". Sounds familiar? OK maybe not for you, but surly you've heard  it before, a friend of a friend of a friend... etc. 


Now here is what you should and shouldn't do in such situation:

You should not:

1. Panic.
   
2. Call a newbie and ask them for help.
   
3. Cry.
4. Start digging up your savings to buy a new pc.
5. Brow your brother/father/mother or partner's pc.
6. Start punching the keys and clicking like a "pro".
7. Swear.
8. And most important, you shouldn't give up on your beloved PC.
   

You should:

1. Restart: most problems can be solved by a simple restart. Think of it like a good night sleep. After you wake up, you will feel fresh and ready to do work. Your PC is no different. 
2. Backup: once you restarted and your PC is alive again, backup your important files (pictures, music, movies, documents... etc)
3. Figure out what is the problem: determine exactly what are the symptoms so that you can find the solution faster and efficiently.
4. Google: once you figured out your problem, google it. If you received an error message, don't just ignore it and click OK. Note it down instead and google it. You will find tons of help. Remember: You are not the first person to receive this particular error message.
5. Join a forum: if google didn't help, join a forum and ask there. Be as prises as possible and you will get an answer.
6. Clean your PC: dust is a PC killer, no need to say more!
7. Delete cookies and Internet history: cookies are small "tracking strings" that tracks your surfing habits. After working for one year surfing all kind of websites, a huge number of cookies will accumulate in your system and they can really slow down your PC.
8. Reinstall your system: Windows users should have by now made a system recovery CDs or DVDs which comes very handy here. After backing up your files, pop the recovery CD in and reinstall your whole PC. This should do it! Linux users have no problem, you can download your favorite Linux flavor and reinstall your system.
9. Enjoy: the whole process of fixing your PC should be a way to learn and enjoy. The more you do it, the better it gets. Think of the joy at the end when you can brag about it and say "-I can fix my own PC"