Computer instability may have any of several causes, but one we seldom consider is that it may not have enough energy any more. While computers don't get tired, tech industry insider Marty Winston tells us that they can get overloaded.

Your computer's power supply was big enough to power it when you got it, but if you're having stability problems, it may be because you've since outgrown it. If you upgrade or add drives or memory or even plug in a lot of USB peripherals, you can be drawing more power now. Ask your local geek for advice.

A new power supply is much less expensive than a new computer, even if you pay the store to install it. If you do that, it may also be worth a few dollars more the have the tech check out the whole PC.