Start by narrowing it down
Before touching anything, find out whether it happens in one program or in all of them, on one website or on every website, on this device only or on everything in the house. The answer tells you where to look. Then ask what changed, because a new program, an update, a new cable or a spilled drink yesterday is usually the culprit. Photograph any error message, because the precise text is what makes a search useful.
Restart properly
Choose Restart rather than shutting down and powering up again. On some computers a shutdown saves part of the system's state to disk to speed the next start, and the fault is saved along with it, while a restart clears everything. If a single program has frozen, force it to quit from the system's task or activity monitor instead of holding down the power button. That button, held for about ten seconds, is for a machine that ignores everything else.
The standard fixes
- For a slow computer, open the task or activity monitor and sort by processor and memory use, since one runaway program is often the whole story.
- Check the free space on the main drive and keep at least ten to fifteen percent of it empty, because a full drive makes everything crawl.
- For a dead internet connection, test a second device first. If that also fails, unplug the modem and the router for thirty seconds, plug in the modem, wait for its lights to settle, and then plug in the router.
- For a misbehaving website, try a private browser window, which runs without your extensions. If the site works there, an extension or the stored cache is to blame.
- For a dead accessory, swap the cable and then the port before you blame the device.
When to stop
Some symptoms mean you should do less. Clicking or grinding from a hard drive means it is failing, so copy your files off at once and stop using it. After a liquid spill, power down, unplug, do not charge, and take the machine to a repair shop rather than waiting to see. A bulging case or a trackpad lifting out of its frame points to a swollen battery, which is a fire risk and should not be charged again.
Tip Change one thing at a time and test after each change. If you try five fixes at once and the problem goes away, you have learned nothing for next time.
