Is it a hardware or a software problem?

One of the major questions in troubleshooting a computer that does not start, is the question: "is it a hardware or software problem".

If your problem is equal to scenario 1 or scenario 2, you certainly have a hardware problem.

However all other problems described in scenario 3 to 7 can be caused by both defunct hardware or a software problem. Software problems include problems with Windows or any driver or application that might be installed on the computer.

If you reinstall your computer and you still have the problem, it is likely a hardware problem.
Check our "Hardware Troubleshooting Guide" for more information.

Is the computer in use for a long time? If you have been using a computer for more than two years without reinstalling Windows and it has been gradually becoming slower and slower, a clean install will almost always solve the problem. Other clues for a software problem are frequent downloads, software installations, viruses, multiple users using one computer.