As many of you know, I have a background in technology. Â I love technology and it is the only way I know to increase productivity without increasing hours. Â That being said, I certainly recognize there are times that technology doesn’t fit the bill or causes more trouble than it is worth. Â Regardless, we all use it and there are times things will go wrong. Â As many of my calls lately have been technology-related, I wanted to give you a quick guide to resolving technology problems.
The cardinal rule of tech support is Reboot and Err No More. Â We always joke that IT people tell you to reboot before anything else, but there are lots of reasons this is a smart move. Â Most importantly, if something has gotten corrupted or stored improperly, a reboot can often repair the problem as nothing else can. Â So if you are having a problem with your computer including slow, weird error messages (write these down first), email not working – sending or receiving or both, etc., reboot your computer. Â You’ll be amazed how often that fixes it.
The next step is to Google your problem. Â Type it in words you would use to describe it to someone else. Â Or, if you are getting an actual error message, enter the text of the error message. Â Generally you will find others with the same kind of problem and solutions. Â If a solution tells you to download an application or edit your registry, consult someone who knows about computers. Â If the software is downloaded from CNet, that is okay to load. Â Otherwise, you may be introducing a whole new problem.
Run a tool to clean up malware every other week or so. Â I really like malwarebytes which is a solid tool for removing these kinds of problems. Â Run the updates first and then run the scan. Â I generally start it as I’m going to lunch so when I get back, it is done. Â I also run a virus scan every other day. Â Viruses can give you all sorts of problems and good anti-virus software will knock them out before you ever have to deal with them.
Finally, run software updates and utilities. Â Windows has an automatic update setting that I turn on all my computers. Â This will automatically download and install bug fixes Microsoft finds with Windows. Â Office and other software can be checked under the Help menu so if you are having a problem with a specific program, you can check to see if there are updates. Â Microsoft Office also has a “detect and repair” function (Office 2007 calls it Office Diagnostics) that can help fix issues with Office programs. Â This generally takes between 15 and 25 minutes.
One other trick I can’t take credit for – my husband did this first. Â If you run a laptop and it seems to run hot, it may not have enough airflow underneath to let the fan do its job. Â An overheated machine will have all kinds of strange problems with shut downs and not doing what you want it to do. Â To see if that is the problem, find that roll of duct tape sitting around the house and put it under the back of the laptop. Â The laptop will get better air flow and technically you will type at a more natural angle. Â Yet one more use for duct tape! (You can use anything to prop your computer up but duct tape is a great height and most people have some they don’t need right that minute.)
If you are still having a problem, it is time to call in a professional. Â But, you will save yourself and the technician a lot of time by explaining you have rebooted, run anti-malware and anti-virus software, software updates and specific software utilities. Â At that point, they should be able to determine if you have a hardware or software program and get you to a solution more quickly!
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