The Most Common Computer Problems, Part 1: Hard Drive Errors

Over the years, I've had a multitude of clients with almost every type of computer problem imaginable.  Some of the problems were hardware issues.  Others problems were due to the user just not understanding the software or operating system.  Sometimes, the problem would very strange--for instance, one client brought me a netbook which would not work unless certain keys were pushed down before starting it up.

Still, looking back at all the computer problems I have encountered, the majority of them have been caused by three main issues that I am going to discuss today and in future articles.  If you are having computer problems, chances are they are being caused by one (or more) of these issues.

Issue #1: Hard Drive Errors  

Of all the computer problems I've had to fix, I'd say this is by far the most common (and easier) problems to deal with.

Inside the hard drive

Hard drives are the information storage depot for your computer.  As such, many critical files are held on the hard drive... everything from the programs that you use, photos and videos you create or download, and even the operating system itself.


Hard drives are very sensitive pieces of computer technology.  The computer reads and writes all the information it needs to store on the hard drive by using very small moving parts that sort of resemble a vinyl record being played on a record player.  A "needle" (or read/write head) moves across the "record" (or platter) portion of the hard drive in order to read or write data to and from the computer.  Whenever this process is interrupted, a hard drive error can occur.

There are quite a few reasons why a hard drive might develop errors.  Many people shut down their computer improperly by not waiting for the operating system to finish its operations before turning off the power.  A power outage may have a similar effect.  A faulty power supply (a completely different issue) may cause the computer to spontaneously turn on and off.  Perhaps the computer froze up and made it impossible to shut it down properly.  All of these issues can cause damage to the files on your hard drive.  And all of them have the potential to damage critical operating system files which are key to having the computer work properly.  Symptoms of this include slow or incomplete loading of the operating system, reduced performance, random crashes, data loss or all of the above.

Hard drive errors can cause frustration with your computer

The first thing I usually do (if possible) when a client gives me a computer to fix is check the hard drive for errors.  As a rough estimate, I'd say 65% of the computer problems I have faced have been fixed by simply repairing hard drive errors.  In a later post, I will show you how you can fix these errors yourself if you are having computer problems.  Even if your problem comes from a different source, fixing hard drive errors is a simple way of removing one potential issue from the list, which will help narrow down the search for what is really the problem.


I hope you will come back and visit my blog for part two of this three part series.  Next up: Viruses and Malware

Read Part 2: Viruses and Malware