10 Most Frequent IT Support Issues and what to do about them

1. Blue Screen of Doom

Sometimes a computer will just give you the ‘Blue Screen of Doom’ because it hasn’t been rebooted for a while. Turn it off and back on again, it’s a cliché, but it works! Try that before you do anything else.

If you have recently installed software, boot into safe mode, uninstall and then reboot.

If you get repeated Blue Screen of Doom problems it may just be quicker to call us for IT Support.

2. Printer won’t work

One issue we regularly see. Before you call us check the printer is turned on!

Check your printer lead is plugged in and the socket is switched on.

Check the obvious before calling us for IT support.

3. Computer is making an odd noise

Stop and switch off IMMEDIATELY!

Check all the air vents are clear and obstruction free.

Have you dropped your device or spilled liquid on it?

DO NOT SWITCH IT BACK ON! Call us for and check your Hardware in for an IT support call-out.

4. Internet is slow

Before you call us for internet support, visit: https://www.speedtest.net/

Check that it is your Internet connection that is slow and not your computer.

If your Internet is slow, call your Internet provider.

If your computer is slow, scan for spyware and viruses.

These are the most common causes of Internet issues.

If you are unsure call us and we can scan and clean and then we’ll install software to prevent it happening again.

5. Cannot connect to WiFi

Is your router switched on?

Did you recently change your password?

Can you log into your router and change your password?

If you are at home and cannot find your router SSID (name) then your router might be switched off or broken.

If you can find your router but cannot log in, switch it off and back on again.

Still stuck? Call us, we’ll sort this, we see it a lot.

6. My USB device is broken

First, switch the computer off and on again.

If the USB device can be switched off and on again, do that too.

Install the latest drivers and software patches.

Try the device in another machine, if you have one.

If the device was working and is now not working then it probably needs advanced troubleshooting.

Call us for help and further advice.

7. Cannot Log In

Have you checked your “caps lock” is not on?

Have you checked you have the right user name and password combination?

Have you, or a family member, recently changed the password?

Try another keyboard if you can, if the device still refuses to let you log in, call us.

We have advanced IT login skills!

8. Accidentally deleted files

Check the recycle bin.

Have you “deleted” them or just moved them to the recycle bin?

If the files are not there then stop using the device immediately and call us.

If you emptied the Recycle Bin or “Shift-Deleted” files, there’s a chance we can get the files back.

The more you use the machine the less likely it is we can retrieve your files.

There are no guarantees when we try to get deleted files back, but we can try!

9. My computer is too slow

Have you rebooted recently? Try that first.

Have you got twenty browser tabs open?

Are you running twelve different programs?

Is your machine doing something with video whilst you try to do something else?

These are some of the reasons a machine might be slow but it can also be malware or a virus.

Call us and we can offer you guidance and support for what to do.

10. My computer shut down and won’t restart

Call us, we will get you back up and running as soon as possible.

If you have computer issues call Pinfields IT.