Frequently Asked Questions Back to Top 0800 917 8605 Frequently Asked Questions How can I tell if my PC has caught a virus? My screen is blank; I can’t see my icons when I turn my PC on? My computer takes ages to load; it used to be much faster. I can’t connect to the internet; I could yesterday, what should I do? My laptop connects to my wireless, but internet explorer says "the page cannot be displayed". I need to backup my data, how should I do it? My laptop battery only lasts 10 minutes; do I need a new battery? I get an error message when I turn my pc on, it says a file is missing, and it’s got a blue background. My laptop gets very hot on the bottom right after about half an hour, what’s wrong with it? When I play games on my pc it crashes after a while, but it’s OK if I don’t play games. My DVD drive doesn’t open. The touchpad on my laptop doesn’t work, but my USB mouse does. I can see my desktop picture, but I don’t have and icons, or the start button, what do I do? Answers How can I tell if my PC has caught a virus? Your PC or Laptop might become slow, or do strange or erratic things.  You may find that some programs don’t work, crash or give error messages where they used to work correctly.  The PC or Laptop might not even load windows correctly, it may constantly re-boot itself, or you may get a Blue Screen with an error code. My screen is blank; I can’t see my icons when I turn my PC on? If your Monitor (screen) is blank / black first check the power is plugged in and the screen is turned on.  Most Monitors have a small LED near the power button on the front, if this is lit, then its not a power problem.  The usual colour of the LED is green / yellow when it is working correctly, and orange when it is not.  This could be a fault with the Monitor, the PC, the settings that the PC has been told to display at, or the data cable to the PC.  The data cable is easy to test, make sure it is plugged in.  Your PC may have more than one connector for the screen, especially if it has an add-in graphics card. My pc takes ages to load; it used to be much faster. If this problem has only just happened, your problem could be caused by many things, including a virus / malicious software, or a hardware fault with the PC itself.  If the problem has happened slowly over time, then chances are it just needs to have a good file clean-up. I can’t connect to the internet; I could yesterday, what should I do? Check your wiring connections, lights on your router / broadband modem, and that your wireless connection is connected if you are using one.  Your router / broadband modem should have a light indicating whether you have an internet connection available to use.  You can try contacting your ISP if your router / broadband modem still doesn’t show a connection, but remember they will ask you to check everything listed above.  Many problems will get fixed automatically after a short period of time by the ISP without even notifying them, but if the problem remains after a few hours contact your ISP. My laptop connects to my wireless, but internet explorer says "the page cannot be displayed". Your wireless connection to your router is a completely separate connection than the internet connection that the router also manages.  You should look at the lights on your router to identify whether you have an internet connection. I need to backup my data, how should I do it? There are various methods for backing up your data, this poses 3 questions.  The back-up software to use, the medium to back-up the data to, and the data that needs to be backed up. There are many backup devices to consider, such as; a second hard drive in the PC, an external USB hard Drive, a USB memory stick, or even directly to an internet backup service.  Each has advantages and disadvantages. We can provide all of the above options and services, all we will need to know is what data you need backed up and we can quote you for the most suitable method for your needs. My laptop battery only lasts 10 minutes; do I need a new battery? Yes.  Laptop batteries can last for years and still retain a good charge, others may only last months before needing to be replaced.  Many people don’t even use their laptop on battery at all, if you use your laptop plugged into the mains all of the time, there is no need for you to replace your battery.  If you use your laptop on the move regularly then we can give you a quote for a replacement battery. I get an error message when I turn my pc on, it says a file is missing, and it’s got a blue background. Your PC / Laptop has probably got a serious fault, this does not mean the end of your PC / Laptop, and many not even cost lots to fix.  There is no way of telling what the cause of the problem is, or how much it will cost to rectify without us looking at the PC / Laptop.  Please contact us for further information. My laptop gets very hot on the bottom right after about half an hour, what’s wrong with it? Chances are the Laptop is overheating due to dust and fluff clogging the laptops cooling system.  Vacuuming the vents will often not fix this problem, and in some cases can make it worse.  Our engineers can take your laptop apart, clean the necessary parts, and re-assemble the laptop.  This problem can also affect PC’s, but you will usually not notice that the PC is overheating. When I play games on my pc it crashes after a while, but it’s OK if I don’t play games. This problem can have several causes; it can be caused by a partially faulty component, faulty drivers, or the system could be overheating. My DVD drive doesn’t open. Your drive is very likely faulty, and can be replaced at little expense, please see our price list for replacement components; we will also remove a disc that may still be in the drive for you. The touchpad on my laptop doesn’t work, but my USB mouse does. Touchpad’s very rarely fail.  It is likely that your touchpad has an on/off switch, and someone has accidentally turned the touchpad off, the button should be listed in your Laptop manual, if you can’t find your manual it should be downloadable from your laptops manufacturers’ website. I can see my desktop picture, but I don’t have and icons, or the start button, what do I do? This is usually caused by a virus or malicious software, but can sometimes be caused by hardware failure.  We can rectify this problem, but we will need to look at the PC / Laptop to give you a quotation.