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Sajal Manjhi
Sajal Manjhi

Posted on • Edited on • Originally published at techotn.com

Top Laptop Problems

After purchasing a laptop, you expect to have a performing device that will not run into various issues. This might be true early on, but a laptop is no different from other similar devices. It is only a matter of time before you experience performance problems and struggle to work on the laptop efficiently.

Of course, a lot depends on how much effort you are putting into the computer’s maintenance.
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Purchasing a second-hand laptop to save money is also worth mentioning, as used laptops are more prone to problems.

Knowing what to expect and how to counter the problem is one way to circumvent potential issues before they snowball. Let’s take a look at common laptop problems and cover methods to deal with them.

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Loud Noises

Loud noises coming from a laptop are not a good sign, particularly when you are not running resource-heavy applications.

The first thing you want to do is to check the situation with the dust inside. If you have been using the laptop for a while and never bothered cleaning the dust inside, it is possible that too much of it has accumulated over time.

Cleaning the dust should solve loud noises and overheating. In case you are reluctant to do the work yourself because taking a laptop apart is too risky, leave it to an experienced computer service worker.

In case removing the dust does little and the internal fans still struggle to cool the laptop and are overworked, consider getting a cooling pad.

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Unresponsive Keyboard Keys

Overall, a laptop’s keyboard should function properly so long as you take care of the computer. However, there are times when one or multiple keys become unresponsive or difficult to click.

The most likely reason is something stuck inside the keyboard, such as food particles. A worn-out key is also one of the possibilities, though it is less likely.

Replacing individual keyboard keys can be tricky for a laptop because you might not find the right key separately. Purchasing an external keyboard does not sound like a decent option either because of the money you would need to spend.

Try cleaning the keyboard and see if it fixes it. If not, you will need to take one of the two options mentioned in the previous paragraph.

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Battery Drain

The problem with fast battery drain is that you cannot really prevent it after a while. A laptop’s battery will start to underperform eventually, and what you can really do at that point is to take some measures to slow the drainage.

Keep an eye on background processes. If you notice a random application running for no reason, quit it.

Then, avoid cluttering the desktop with random shortcuts and documents. Not only do desktop icons take more from the battery, but they also put a toll on the system since it has to render each icon when users switch between the desktop and other tabs.

Finally, avoid having the charger cable plugged when the battery is at 100 percent. Overcharging is also a common cause behind the poor battery lifespan problem.

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Screen Flickers

Random screen flickers might not feel like a significant issue if they are not too frequent. On the other hand, the fact that this problem exists in the first place is an indication that there is something wrong with the laptop.

In addition, once you notice screen flickers, expect that the frequency will only increase with time if you do not solve the problem.

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More often than not, a laptop’s screen starts to flicker because the GPU becomes incompatible with the operating system. In case you noticed the issue after installing an OS update, try going back to a previous operating system version.

If the solution does not work, you will need to seek help from a computer service store. Laptop screens require knowledge to fix, and tinkering with them without the necessary experience will only make the problem worse.

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Audio Problems

Audio issues range from scuffed sound quality to unresponsive microphones and no audio at all.

The internal speakers should function, and it is common to connect external speakers or headphones for better sound quality.

However, if the audio problems, you should start by checking whether you have given permissions to applications. Some software asks to access the system audio to operate properly.
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Tinkering with sound settings is also worth a shout. Sometimes, the settings get all over the place and even get disabled.

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Conclusion

All in all, you should be more careful with how you use a laptop. A proper maintenance routine is one of the best ways to prevent potential issues from ruining the device’s performance.

At the same time, some problems are more or less inevitable, and it is necessary to know how you can deal with them. And if not, you still have the option to rely on a computer service store

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Top comments (4)

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vorsprung profile image
vorsprung

My laptop has had 3 problems that you don't mention

  • there was a fault with one of the internal ribbon cables. I found an online video and fixed it
  • this is a common thing: the power lead plug wore loose. So when the plug went in it didn't firmly connect and it wouldn't charge. I fixed this with Sugru
  • the lid hinges are too loose and occassionally flop back more than they should. Still figuring a fix for this, but can live with it

Laptops are difficult to take apart but it is worth investing in a set of precision screwdrivers with various heads (cross, torq etc) to get started!

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sajalmanjhi profile image
Sajal Manjhi

Yeah you are right

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brandonwallace profile image
brandon_wallace

I never had any of those problems with my laptop and I have owned it for 6 and a half years.

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astorrer profile image
Aaron Storrer

I used to repair laptops during college. (Couldn't tutor during my off semester.) The best thing anyone can do for a laptop is stop eating food over the top of it. No question.