When hammers aren't an option...

Let's face it: computers sometimes suck.

In the grand scheme of things, modern electronic devices are absolutely amazing. The digital assistant on your smartphone has about the same accuracy in recognizing the human voice as an actual human (around 95 percent). Yet our inability to feel empathy for a handheld amalgamation of circuitry almost seems to emphasize their shortcomings. Think about it: when was the last time you got upset with a co-worker because they asked you for clarification of a word they might've misheard? (Nevermind, don't answer that.)

And there is one universal, immutable truth: no matter how much it costs, no matter how powerful it is, and no matter how tech-savvy you are, it will eventually break. And when it does break, you'll most likely do the same thing as everyone else -- reach for the phone only to learn how overwhelmed your company's IT department is.

So before you wait on hold for an exhausted technician or send out a support ticket that seems to take forever to get a response, be sure try these basic troubleshooting steps first. Chances are help desk is going to have you do them anyway, so you'll not only save both of your time, you might even resolve the issue on your own!





1.) Reboot Your Computer

You knew this was coming. You knew before you scrolled down that this would be the very first thing on the list.

Here's the thing: rebooting your computer will almost always resolve 99% of your issues. Why? Rebooting your machine performs a myriad of functions. When you restart your computer, you're clearing off the current state of all of your software, and starting it over fresh again. You're basically dumping all of the problems in the trash and starting over fresh again. Any software errors that were causing issues are immediately terminated. This can also help you determine the root cause of a problem: if your computer crashes as soon as you open a particular program, let your technician know that. It tells us where to start troubleshooting, and saves everyone a huge chunk of time.

Also, know the difference between a soft and a hard reboot. A soft reboot isn't necessarily a true reboot. While it might alleviate the problems you're experiencing, it's not completely powering your device off and turning it back on. Example of a soft reboot: using the restart option on your start menu. A hard reboot usually involves holding the power button for 5-10 seconds until the computer makes a distinct "click" noise (removing the battery or unplugging the power cord will also achieve the same results). This will hard reset any and all software that is currently running on your machine (be careful when doing a hard reboot; make sure that you've saved everything you're working on to prevent possible data loss).

P.S., when we ask you to reboot, please don't try to avoid us and fib about it. I know it's a complete pain in the butt, but we absolutely need you to restart so system changes we've made can take effect. Just because you don't see us perform an action on your computer doesn't mean we didn't make a change on our end.





2.) Check Your Network Connection

I know, I know. What a ridiculous question, right? "Of course I'm connected to the internet, I'm using it right now! Why would you ask me such a stupid thing?"

But are you connected to the correct network?

Many enterprise environments have multiple wireless networks. For example, the company I work at has five: two for regular employee use, one for streaming media, one for guests, and one that only has access to the local intranet. The guest accounts do not have access to other computers on our domain, which means they won't have the ability to connect to remote ERP software, file sharing, and network printers. The local intranet network is for file sharing and doesn't have access to such as Google or YouTube. Nine times out of ten, when I receive a ticket where a user tells me they can't use the internet, and nobody else in the building is having issues, they're connected to the incorrect network.

If you can't connect to a network printer that you always use, or if your shared drives are showing big red X's next to them, take your mouse and hover over your wireless network icon in the system tray (the lower right corner of your taskbar). If the popup text shows a "guest" network, or anything other than your normal company network, you're might have a few connectivity issues. Click on the network you need and see if this resolves the problem.

If you're still having connectivity issues, try to find a wired connection to plug your computer into. This will help to eliminate whether or not your complications are related to your computer or the actual network itself. If plugging your computer into an ethernet cable alleviates your internet issues, we know to immediately being troubleshooting your wireless hardware.

If the above steps don't cure the ailment, try rebooting your computer. This will, by default, reset your network adapter and can solve several connectivity issues.

P.S., if your computer is already connected via a network cable, try making sure the cable is secure, or look into replacing the cable altogether. If this doesn't resolve the issue, the problem might lie with your network adapter.





3.) Check For Updates

Yes, that popup window is downright annoying (it's supposed to be). Yes, it takes forever sometimes (more like most of the time). And no, it's not going to disappear until you finally let it do its thing.

Updating your computer is quite possibly the single most important thing you can do to keep your PC or smartphone operating at peak (read: stable) performance. Even after the latest fiasco from Apple, updating your device is imperative. From bug fixes to virus updates, and even new OS features, updates are how you make sure that your device is operating to the best of its abilities. Updates are what keep your computer safe in today's hyper-connected online world. And depending on the issue, there already may be a fix that resolves your current woes.

Depending on your company, updates may be pushed out automatically from your company's server, and they may not be the latest and greatest version of whatever software or operating system you're using. There's a reason for this: enterprise updates are deployed with a focus on stability. System administrators will usually test new patches in a closed environment to make sure there are no mishaps or conflicts with company software that could cause crashes, system instability, or data loss, only to release them once they're known to be compatible with the company's systems. So if your home PC has a slightly different version of Windows than your work computer, don't be alarmed. This is by design.

P.S., to update your computer, simply press the Windows key on your keyboard, and then type "updates". Hit enter, and when prompted, click the "check for updates" button. It's that easy. Oh, and when they're done downloading and installing, you'll need to reboot (notice a theme here yet?).





4.) Ask Google for Help

I'm going to let you in on a little industry secret. IT departments around the globe use this one simple trick to help solve all of your computer woes and get you back up and running in no time at all.

That's right -- we Google it.

That being said, don't go running off believing I've bestowed upon you some hidden industry secret. And CEOs: please don't eliminate your IT department thinking that a search engine will solve all of your computer problems. The difference between an accountant and a seasoned IT veteran is simple; I know what to search for and how to interpret the results. Just like a doctor, they're able to listen to your symptoms and use differential diagnosis to determine the root cause of your illness. WebMD just tells you that you have cancer.

We do the same thing in the IT department. We take the time to understand what symptoms you're experiencing with your computer and using our previous experiences, our learned skillsets, and the knowledge available to us online, we can obtain a pretty good idea of where to begin troubleshooting your issue.

You can do this same thing yourself. Has your computer popped up a message box with an error code? Google that error code. Is a PDF file opening with strange looking characters? Type "PDF garbled characters" into Google. I can't guarantee that this will work even five percent of the time, but every now and then you find what you're looking for, and you'll feel like a total boss.

And if it saves you frustration and keeps you from recreating the printer scene from the movie Office Space, then it's a win for everyone.

Including the printer guy.





Timothy Bradford is a software engineer and systems and infrastructure consultant. He also moonlights as a freelance writer, authoring multiple articles that have been featured in LiveTrucking, Overdrive Magazine, and OOIDA Magazine. You can follow him on twitter here, or visit his webpage to learn more about him.