Occasionally problems with technology happen. It’s true. We all know it’s true. But rather than panic, which is a likely response. Especially when the problem happens when you are in the middle of a big project, we encourage you to take a deep breath and try to troubleshoot the problem yourself. Wait, what? An IT company is encouraging people to troubleshoot on their own? Yep. Honestly, there are a number of issues that you can likely handle on your own that will not only solve the problem but might make you feel like you conquered the world (take that laptop!).
To help with troubleshooting, we’ve put together a list of common issues and common ways to try fixing the issue. Now, if you attempt to troubleshoot and it’s not working, or if you encounter a major issue, contact your IT Support team, and explain the situation.
Troubleshooting Common IT Issues
My computer will not start, or it shut down without warning.
It is possible that your computer ran out of battery? Make sure your computer is plugged in and charging. You should see a light near the charging port on your computer – this confirms that your computer is charging. Wait a few minutes, and try turning your computer on again (keep your computer plugged in until it is fully charged.
My computer is running slowly.
Your computer may need to be updated. Save everything that you are working on. Click on the Start button on the lower left side of the screen, then click the Power option. Click Update and Restart, Update and Shutdown, or Restart.
If your computer is still running slowly, run your virus scanner. There may be malware running in the background, causing slowdowns.
Or, you may be running out of hard drive space. Delete any files or programs you no longer need – this includes emptying your recycle bin.
My computer screen is blank.
Your computer may be in Sleep mode. Press a key on the keyword, or click the mouse to wake it up. If that does not work, make sure your computer is plugged in, the battery is charging, and the power button has been pushed to on. If you are using a desktop, make sure the cables to the monitor are plugged in properly.
My computer will not connect to the WiFi.
Left click on the internet connection in the lower right-hand corner. Click on the WiFi icon. Make sure you are connected to the correct WiFi. If not, select the WiFi account you would like to connect to and type in the password. If you would like to connect automatically to the specified WiFi, check the “connect automatically” box.
My sound is not working.
First, make sure headphones are not plugged into your computer. Then, click on the speaker icon in the lower right-hand corner of your screen. If there is an X by the speaker icon, then your sound is turned off – click the speaker to turn it back on. Use your mouse/arrow to increase the volume by moving the “button” to the left.
My computer will not turn on, even though I am pressing the power button.
There are a few steps to try to remedy this:
- Unplug your charger from your laptop
- Unplug anything else from your laptop (keyboard, mouse, headphones, etc.)
- Press and hold the power button for 60 seconds, then release
- Plug the charger back into the laptop
- Power the laptop on normally
- If it powers up and you have the option to “Start Windows Normally”, take that option and wait for Windows to load completely
- Restart the laptop (if you see “update and restart”, select this option)
My icons on my laptop are too small for me to see.
Right click anywhere on your desktop screen (not on a folder or file). Click on View, then select the icon size you would like (large, medium, or small).
My mouse pointer moves too fast.
Click on the magnifying glass at the bottom of your screen and type in “control panel.” Select Hardware and Sound, then click on the word Mouse (typically under devices and printers). Under Pointer Options, there will be a toggle bar that allows you to slow down how fast your pointer moves. Once you make changes, click Apply.
My printer is not printing.
First, make sure that the printer is turned on. If it’s not on, turn it on. Also, make sure there is paper in the printer and that there isn’t a paper jam. If needed, add paper or remove the paper jam. Try printing again. If you continue to encounter problems, make sure all printer cables are connected properly, then try printing again.
My computer is frozen, or a program is not responding.
Push the Ctrl, Alt, and Delete keys at the same time. Then, start the Task Manager, highlight
the program name, and hit End Task. If necessary, press and hold the power button to turn off the computer manually (this is a hard reboot). Note that a hard reboot is a last effort because it could result in data loss.
My keyboard or mouse is not working.
Make sure your keyword/mouse is connected to the computer. If it is wireless, change the batteries. If a key is stuck on your keyboard, turn off your computer, and clean the keys with a damp (not wet) cloth, then restart your computer.
My application is running slowly.
Save your work, if necessary. Close and reopen the application. If needed, update the application by clicking the Help menu and looking for an option to check for Updates. Update the application if needed.
If you are still having issues, or if you encounter a major issue, contact your IT Support team. Let the team know, in detail, what the issue is and how you have tried to solve the issue on your own. This will help give the IT Support team a baseline of the issue and potentially skip the solutions that you have already tried.