Computer on the fritz? Diagnostic tools every PC owner should know about
When you buy a brand new computer, it’s like Christmas morning. That sparkly, shiny new machine runs lightning-fast and puts the latest technology at your fingertips.
Everything is grand until it ages a few years and suddenly starts acting up. But don’t give up hope. There might be a simple solution. You just need to find it.
If your computer isn’t working as you want it to, here are three diagnostic tools every PC owner should know about, brought to you by our sponsor, Dell.
Keep an eye on your hardware
If you want to see the big picture, HWiNFO is for you. When you download HWiNFO onto your computer, it keeps an eye out and automatically reports any issues. The tool is entirely free, which is always a nice bonus.
What makes HWiNFO different is that it monitors only your hardware, not your programs. Think CPU and hard drive. It currently works with Windows Vista and above.
It gathers details from different parts of your computer and summarizes what is happening. It also includes network information, including driver details and the MAC address, which identifies the physical address of a computer and the devices on the network.
View crash and error reports
If you have Windows 10, you can quickly check your computer’s recent crashes and error reports through Event Viewer. Here’s how:
- Type Event Viewer into the search box in the lower-left corner of your Windows PC.
- Tap Event Viewer to open the app.
- Select Windows Logs on the left side of the window.
- Tap System > Open.
- If you see any errors under the Number of events section, click on them for an error description.
Follow these steps to see what crashes and errors are occurring and why. If you want a solution to the issues, you can check for an answer next to the errors.
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