Some of the commonest problems referred to IT support staff are easier to solve than you think, here are our top 5 IT issues and tips for what to do if you encounter them.
My computer is running very slowly
There are a number of reasons why your computer may be running slowly, some are quite simple to rectify, whilst others may need some attention from an expert.
The first thing to check is how many windows you have open. If you’ve not closed anything down in a while and there are lots of applications running all at once, try closing down everything you’re not using, your computer may just be struggling with keeping everything going at once.
If this isn’t the problem, you could be running low on memory. Check how much memory you have remaining free on your hard drive. If it’s looking low it could be time to have a clear out and delete old files and applications or move them to the cloud.
If you can’t find any obvious reason why your computer is running slowly, then you could have picked up some malware online, which you’ll need help from an expert to remove.
My computer is showing a blue screen
The dreaded blue screen often sends people into a panic, but in most cases it can easily be fixed by simply restarting the computer.
I forgot to save my Word document, can it be recovered?
If you’ve accidently forgotten to save your Word document, all is not necessarily lost! If you have the AutoRecover option switched on then your document will have automatically been saved (if you don’t have this switched on, then now is a good time to do so!) Without the autosave feature you may still be able to retrieve your document from a temporary file. You can find instructions on how to do this here.
I can’t print
Sometimes printer issues occur if a printer has disconnected from your network, in this instance you may need some help from IT support to get things up and running again.
In the majority of cases, there’s usually a simple reason why the printer isn’t working though, so before you call for help check:
The printer is switched on.
There isn’t a printer jam.
The printer has paper and toner.
The ‘use printer offline’ box is unchecked in the printer settings.
Once you’ve checked all of the above, try turning the printer off, unplugging it, plugging it back in again and switching it back on. If you’re still having problems, call for help!
The internet is very slow
If you’re connected to wi-fi, slow internet could be caused by your location. If you’re confident this isn’t the problem, try checking whether there is a problem with your network provider.
If there aren’t any network problems, you may have spyware or a virus on your computer that is slowing things down and could potentially cause far more serious problems, so have an IT professional check it out for you.
Stop employees wasting time on googling how to fix computer issues by outsourcing your IT support to the professionals, to get things running more efficiently and maximise your workforce’s productivity.
For further information about our IT support packages here at Everything Tech, speak to one of our experts by giving us a call on 0161 826 2220.
