He can give a lot of technical advice to the client in various things like Internet security, data storage, right use of various computer applications etc. This will work out to be a mutually beneficial relationship between the client and the service giver. All those who own a PC are bound to need PC repairs now and then, and for these repair requirements they would need a PC technician. While this is an indisputable fact a technician can do much more than repair a PC. So far as he has got a good rapport with the PC owner, he can forestall a lot of repairs by helping him to maintain the computer well.

One of the ways in which a PC technician can help is by emphasizing to the client the need for data protection. With relation to the Internet, there is a lot that a client has to know about firewalls, securing of passwords, problems with an unsecured router etc. If his PC technician can explain to him all these and guide him on how to use the Internet in a secure way, the computer owner will be able to prevent data exposure to a great extent.

In most cases, computer users try to get the help of a PC technician only when there is an emergency need for some PC repairs. Instead of that they can tie up with a technician, which can involve technical advice as well. Even if he charges a little extra for it, it will work out as a mutually beneficial package. Under this agreement, the technician can give his client detailed advice on the need for surge protection, power backup requirements, registry cleaning, virus protection, and the need to continuously back up data to save data.

The need for data backup can never be overemphasized. Data can be stored in external storage devices like eSATA or a USB flash drive. For those who find even this inconvenient, there are online provisions for data storage. A PC technician can obviously guide a computer owner on the advantages and disadvantages of using different data storage facilities and on the cost effectiveness of each.

Online data storing facilities have many advantages over external data storage devices. When the data is stored online, the user does not even have to carry a thumb drive in his pocket. There is no risk of mechanical injuries to the storage device as well. The data can be accessed from anywhere in the world and the user can work on any other computer if his own one is non-functional and in need of PC repairs.

Many of the online storage arrangements allow free storage of limited amounts of data and charge an annual or monthly fee for more storage. The computer can be programmed to back up data and store it at the site on a daily basis. Lots of computer users may not be aware of even such a provision, while others may not know how to program the computer for it. All these are arenas where a PC technician can help.

Another arena where a technician can help is in guiding the user to take advantage of the many inbuilt programs that a computer will have. Many users are either not aware of, or are not conversant with the programs. In short, a PC technician can help a computer owner in many more ways than doing PC repairs.

How familiar does the following sound? Your computer was working fine, but then suddenly started locking up (aka hanging or freezing), rebooting itself (crashing) or shutting down spontaneously? If you know only too well what I am talking about, then read on! Performing the simple steps below can fix the majority of lockup cases.

1. Check for recently installed software or hardware.

If the lockups started to happen after you installed a new peace of hardware, new software program, or new drivers, uninstall it and see if the problem goes away.

2. Run your antivirus program.

One of the first things to do in the case of sudden lockups is to run your antivirus program. Check your antivirus manufacturer’s website for updates and latest virus definition files. (This is absolutely necessary, outdated antivirus is not going to be of any use!) If you don’t have antivirus software installed – or if updates are unavailable – run one of the web-based antivirus scans that some major antivirus vendors like Trend Micro are offering for free. You can find a comprehensive list of available web-based scans and free antivirus programs on http://www.free-antivirus.info.

3. Run some good spyware removal tool.

If your machine is not infected with any viruses, it is still possible that it has some harmful adware or spyware is present. Download and run some good spyware removal tool such as AdAware or Microsoft AntiSpyware. Check http://www.free-antivirus.info for a list of free spyware removal applications.

4. Check for free hard drive space.

When no viruses are found, check out free hard drive space on drive C:. Make sure there is more than 20% of free space available; low disk space can lead to random lockups.

5. Check for overheating.

Overheating is another known cause of lockups. It can be caused by problems with fans inside the case, dust buildup, or other cooling problems. Make sure the power supply fan and CPU fan are running and free of dust buildup. You can check the temperatures inside the case by running Motherboard monitor
http://mbm.livewiredev.com
- make sure the temperatures are within the preset limits. Be very careful while cleaning inside the computer case (use plastic vacuum crevice tool) and NEVER OPEN THE POWER SUPPLY CASE as it contains high voltage.

6. Check the hard disk.

Check the hard disk – it is possible that its logical structure is corrupted. To check the disk for errors, right-click on the disk C: icon in “My Computer”, select the “Tools” tab, check all check boxes in the “Check disk options” field, and press the “Check now” button. It should ask whether you want to schedule the check next time you restart your computer – answer “Yes” and restart your PC. The check will be performed automatically after startup; it can take a while, so be patient. The program will attempt to fix some problems automatically – however, if the hard disk is failing physically, it will need to be replaced. It is also a good idea to run Disk Defragmenter (located in Start Menu > Programs > Accessories > System Tools) to optimize data placement on the hard disk for increased performance and reliability.

7. Check the memory.

Sometimes random lockups can be attributed to the computer memory (RAM) starting to fail. You can test the memory by running Windows Memory Diagnostic that can be downloaded from http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp. If memory problems are found, try re-seating the RAM (pull it out and plug it back in). If it doesn’t work, replace the defective RAM.

8. Check for other hardware problems (advanced users).

More hardware-related problems can be diagnosed by running hardware tests from the Ultimate Boot CD that can be downloaded from http://www.ultimatebootcd.com. However, you should only use it if you know what are you doing – some programs on that CD can be dangerous when used inappropriately (for example, some of them can wipe the contents of your hard disk).

9. Update Windows and drivers.

Some lockups can be caused by outdated software components – update your windows and drives by running a windows update: http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com (it’s good idea to run it regularly).

The above steps will help diagnose and eliminate the most common causes of lockups. Hundreds more of other possible scenarios need to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, as it all goes down to your particular computer configuration. Asking on PC
troubleshooting forums/newsgroups should help you figure out solutions to not-so-obvious lockup cases.

Here is a quick checklist on how to fix XP errors:

1. Restart the PC. No jokes here. A fair amount of PC errors are once-off occurrences. A reboot often solves the issue. The only problem here is that you stand, at the same time to lose a few hours’ work. Another reality is that if the problem is caused by a serious issue on your PC, chances are the error will crop up sooner or later.

2. Google the error. Paste the XP error text onto your search engine and what results come up.I usually just do a copy-and-paste when I get some unintelligible error.

3. Visit XP support forums. When it comes to computer errors, the old saying “there is nothing new under the sun” holds very true. If it has happened to you, then it has definitely happened to someone else before. And they’ve found the solution and made sure to post it somewhere in the thousands of online support forums. All you have yo is go in and get it.

4. Be safe, have a registry cleaner. A registry repair tool is very important to keep your computer running and optimum level. A registry cleaner will scan your PC registry and remove all the clutter that’s been building up in there.

5. Leave your antivirus and and firewall alone. Issues crop up when you’ve been fiddling around with your antivirus or firewall settings. If an application requests special access, be sure that you don’t at the same time leave your PC exposed to malware invasion.

6. Remember what you were doing when the error happened. You’re already halfway towards solving the issue if you can pinpoint what happened when the error occurred.

7. Get into the habit of backing up on a regular basis. You don’t want to be caught with your pants around the ankles here: computers don’t fail every day, but they eventually fail. Be sure that when this happens your vital data are safe somewhere else.

8. Know beep codes. Most BIOS manufacturers have hardwired in their firmware beep codes to give you a clue on the cause of the error you’re having. Get to know those codes. They will save you time when you need to fix XP errors.

9. Ask for remote assistance. If you’ve got a geek among your friends, ask them to assist your to fix your PC through remote assistance. He will show you how to set that up.

10. If everything else fail, call a technician to fix XP. After all they’re trained to fix computers.