My computer is acting very strange. must be the devil.
Shut it off completely...pull the plug from the wall.  Let sit 10 minutes, plug back in & reboot.
Small errors creep in from programs, have a cumulative effect.  This allows your device (any device!) to correct things as it reloads.
 AnneWimsey
                                                
                                                Level 9
                                                Sep 28, 2018
                                            
                                                
                                                    AnneWimsey
                                                
                                                Level 9
                                                Sep 28, 2018                                            
                                        i got it working... but i chose to use expletives instead of the rebooting.   
@Lillyfield41 it doesn't have to be either/or, ya know......lol!
My wife's laptop shuts down at random times. I had a funky trackpad. I bought her a replacement (MacBook Pro) so I can have the old one out for diagnosis and service. The new one has a trackpad that's funky in a different way, such that you can't drag and drop and if you look at it the wrong way you think it's being clicked, with the resulting hilarity.
I can't keep up with the demons in those things. Haven't had any problem with MacBook Airs though.
 mordant
                                                
                                                Level 8
                                                Sep 28, 2018
                                            
                                                
                                                    mordant
                                                
                                                Level 8
                                                Sep 28, 2018                                            
                                        Autocorrect is the true SATAN!
 DavidLaDeau
                                                
                                                Level 8
                                                Sep 28, 2018
                                            
                                                
                                                    DavidLaDeau
                                                
                                                Level 8
                                                Sep 28, 2018                                            
                                        Did you mean Satin?
Don't forget God, he's responsible for everything after all
 thezekroman
                                                
                                                Level 5
                                                Sep 28, 2018
                                            
                                                
                                                    thezekroman
                                                
                                                Level 5
                                                Sep 28, 2018                                            
                                        Try some holy water....that usually works on possesed computers.
 FaisalKhan
                                                
                                                Level 2
                                                Sep 28, 2018
                                            
                                                
                                                    FaisalKhan
                                                
                                                Level 2
                                                Sep 28, 2018                                            
                                        Don't forget to give it last rites if it looks like it's going to die! My primary computer died on Monday, quite unexpectedly. Poor thing never got the last rites, so I fear for it may have gone to purgatory. I did take it to Wizard shop and they are going to try to revive it. If not, I will download it's brain using life support and curse it for eternity! LOL
 Barnie2years
                                                
                                                Level 8
                                                Sep 28, 2018
                                            
                                                
                                                    Barnie2years
                                                
                                                Level 8
                                                Sep 28, 2018                                            
                                        i have a laptop graveyard. i keep meaning to take them to dr. frankenstein and retrieve the useful pieces. i have remembered to back up data on my most current laptop. i'm getting smarter about keeping my work instead of having a metldown when the machine has one.
@Lillyfield41, thankfully I had my Quicken accounts backed up every time I sign out. Most of the rest of the stuff I can start over or do without if they cannot get it running. I have to start saving more files to thumb drives so I can use them on either computer. It’s good when we can learn from our mistakes! ?
@Barnie2years i write... and when i'm finished, sometimes i just click save and i'm done. the program i use to write does 'back up' the data... but i have found, it's not a true back up. i can't retrieve data when it's lost. i can only attempt to recreate. i have been (trying to remember) to make a copy of everything in my google drive. but memory as it is... ???
@Lillyfield41 have you tried just saving your work directly on a thumb drive or external hard drive rather than use them as your backup drives? I have certain secure files I keep that way. Then backup your portable drive on the computer drive if you want. If your computer blows up, you can continue your work on any computer until you get a new one.