We have all been there at one time or another. The blue screen of death, the dial tone of demise, the hum of your computer saying “I’m done”. Whatever you call a laptop breakdown, it sucks when they happen, but don’t worry. There are a few ways that you can get back up and onto your studies without too much hassle.
Reboot in Safety Mode
Sometimes, you can handle an issue by following a few simple start-up tips. One of them is to restart or reboot your device in safety mode. There are several ways to do this but it relates to what your laptop model is.
For Apple, restart your computer. As soon as you hit the power button, hold down the shift button. Log in and there should be a “Safe Boot” indicator on the menu.
For Windows, there are a few ways but the easiest way is to cycle through the power mode three times: turn the laptop on then off as soon as you see anything on the screen to cycle the power.
This then tells the computer that the next reboot is to be in repair mode.
Follow the options that appear to start in Safe or Troubleshooting Mode.
Both options for Apple and Windows tell the computer to open just the basics which helps you start troubleshooting and can also help you securely run anti-malware or antivirus.
Run Antimalware/Antivirus Twice
Not many people take the time to run specific antimalware programs on their computers. Most devices come with basic settings and firewalls that are pretty common. Average firewalls, quick scans, and basic updates. That’s it!
Download SpyBot (in our out of Safe Mode) and run the program twice on your computer. You can also use your normal scans, but SpyBot tends to find more issues than standard antimalware.
The reason that you run it twice is to make sure that after the first scan, all issues are fully removed. Most antimalware has the option to remove any viruses or malware after a scan is done. Make sure you remove anything that pops up before the second scan!
Restart Again
Sometimes, all a computer or laptop needs is a hard restart. You have to be very careful with a hard restart especially if you had unsaved progress. A hard restart can easily remove any autosaves of your work, or it can corrupt files if your computer has a bug.
Hard restarts are where you push the power button until the entire device shuts down, wait for ten seconds, then boot up again. Doing this can help the computer skip over and later repair the issue, or it can make it easier for viruses or malware to get into the system.
Restarting puts your computer in a vulnerable place. Only use restarting if you are sure that the issues aren’t due to bugs or viruses.
Take Your Computer to a Repair Shop
The word ‘break’ can mean many things. A computer shop is always an option if you aren’t able to troubleshoot the issues yourself. The employees are trained on how to repair computers and their issues.
Be prepared for the pricetag: most computer shops charge for services and fees like you find with going to a mechanic. The prices can be high depending on what is wrong with your computer.
Local Libraries
Most libraries have at least one or two computers that you can either rent or use freely. If your computer is completely broken and you have to invest in another device, then a local library will help out a lot.
Libraries have public services from printing to career and book workshops. Now, plenty of them have rooms for rent, additional resources such as whiteboards, desktop computers, laptops, and more. For example, one of my local libraries is combined with a park!
School Resources
Depending upon the district, some elementary through highschool facilities have extra computers for students to rent, or a computer room for students to use. This isn’t the same across the board, so make sure to double check what resources are available to you.
In college, there are several ways to access computers. Libraries have them, tutoring labs can have them, and there might even be a few computer labs around the campus. Fortunately, in college, the access to computers and stable internet is more stable.
Conclusion
Whether or not your computer has broken to pieces or has bugged out thanks to a virus, there are several ways to keep yourself on track. You can always find a way to get to resources around you.
Don’t forget that bus routes are available to get to a computer and maybe reach out to friends and family: Someone might have an old laptop you can use!
