Basic Troubleshooting - How to fix and prevent common problems

With each passing day, technology grows ever more prevalent in our lives. We use our smart phones, TVs, and computers on a daily basis for communication, homework, entertainment... you name it!

But alas, as we spend more and more time with our precious technology, there is a greater chance of running into frustrating problems. "Technical difficulties," if you will. These nasty problems come in all sorts of varieties - computer viruses, an inability to connect to the internet, or perhaps even a frozen screen.

I guess I won't be doing any homework or having any fun today.

Fortunately for you, there are a number of easy, tried and true methods to deal with the most common technological problems of our generation. Even if you don't consider yourself to be a technology person, following the tips on this checklist will make your devices much more enjoyable to use!

Tip #1 - Restart the Program/Application

One of the most common issues on phones and computers is when something goes wrong with a particular program or application. For instance, your web browser suddenly freezes up and becomes unresponsive. If this is the case, simply shut down the offending program and turn it back on! This usually resolves a lot of one-time issues.

PC - Press ctrl+alt+delete to open the Task Manager, then close the program from there
Mac - Press option+space and type "activity monitor" to open the activity monitor, then close the program from there
Smart Phones - This process varies from phone to phone, but all smart phones have an active applications page which is easy to navigate to. Simply turn the problematic app completely off and try to launch it again.

 

On iPhones, double-tap the Home button to see this screen, then swipe upwards

to close an app. This process is similar on other smart phones.

If restarting the program/app doesn't seem to solve the problem, however...

Tip #2 - Restart the Device

At DormNet, you wouldn't believe how many problems we fix on a daily basis by simply restarting computers and phones. Whenever you turn off your device, you essentially bring it back to a clean state - all open programs are closed, internet connections are reset, and temporary memory is cleared. When you turn your device back on, everything starts fresh!

Pressing the Power button will turn your device on or off. For reasons unknown to

man, it will also fix 99% of computer problems.

If restarting the computer/phone doesn't fix the problem...

Tip #3 - Uninstall/Reinstall the Program

Sometimes, flipping the on/off switch just isn't enough. Programs and apps will occasionally become corrupted or otherwise unusable for a variety of reasons, and the only way to revert them to a working state is to completely remove them from your device and re-download them fresh.

 

If you see this message, no biggie! Just delete Google Chrome and

download it again.

By now, you're probably noticing a pattern with this checklist - a lot of technology problems can be solved by returning your device to a fresh state and trying to run it again. This basic rule can be applied to a wide variety of issues - if a YouTube video won't load, refresh the page. If your WiFi isn't working, turn your WiFi off and turn it back on. You get the idea.

Remember - "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!"

Tip #4 - Check for Updates

Although returning your device to a fresh state will fix a ton of problems, it can't solve everything! Companies are constantly updating their software to increase security and provide additional features. Your device will usually check for updates and download them automatically, but sometimes it is possible to fall behind and miss a few updates. If this happens, you can manually check for updates and download them yourself!

Most programs/apps provide a way to manually check for updates. If you've already tried restarting/refreshing the app and it is still behaving strangely, it would be a good idea to check for updates you may be missing.

Sometimes, your device itself may need to be updated! If your device seems to be behaving slowly or strangely, it is probably time to check for an update. On Windows machines, this can be accomplished by going to "Windows Updates" and installing any "Important" updates. On Macs, users are usually prompted with a "Software" update.

An automatic update for Windows.

 

An automatic update on a Mac.

Tip #5 - Clean your Memory

Sometimes, computers run slowly simply because they are running low on available memory. If this is the case, three simple things may help your computer to run faster.

First, go through your Downloads Folder. A lot of people will download files from the internet, then forget to remove them from downloads. This results in a lot of wasted memory, since there are essentially two copies of every file ever downloaded from the internet!

 

Unless you have just downloaded something and have yet to make a copy,

this folder should be empty!

Next, empty the Recycle Bin/ Trash Can. Just as bad as leaving one's download folder full is failing to empty out the deleted files. If you haven't emptied the Recycle Bin/ Trash Can in a while, you'd be amazed how much wasted memory might be there!

Finally, download the free program CCleaner from Piriform. This nifty program will go through your computer and clean up all temporary memory without deleting important things such as saved passwords and bookmarks. If you have had your computer for a year or more, you will be amazed how much faster it will run after performing your first CCleaner scan!

 

In this photo, a person was able to free up 230 MB of memory. My friend ran his first

CCleaner scan after owning his laptop for four years, and he freed up 17 GB! 

Tip #6 - Run a Virus Scan (Even if you're on a Mac!)

When most people think of virus infections on their machines, they usually think of popups. While popups are certainly a sign of an infection, a lot of malicious programs may be more sneaky and try to hide themselves - for instance, a key-logger program that attempts to record your passwords. If you've tried everything else on this list and your device still seems to be running slowly or behaving strangely, it would probably be wise to run a virus scan - even if you're on a Mac!

In the past, it was commonly believed that Macs don't get viruses. The truth is, any device in the world that connects to the internet is susceptible to security exploits, no matter what an advertisement may have you believe. It is even possible to hack (and kill) certain people if they have a pace-maker heart that connects to WiFi! Therefore, whether you are on a Mac, a PC, or even a smart phone, it is a good idea to download an antivirus program as an extra layer of protection.

"I should have had an antivirus!"

It's up to you which antivirus program you want to use, but at DormNet, we typically give MSE to Windows machines and Sophos to Macs. Whichever antivirus program you decide to use, I would not recommend paying for one. There are plenty of free antivirus programs to choose from! It is also important to remember that you should only have one antivirus program on your machine at once. If you have more than one antivirus program at once, the antiviruses will tend to think that the other antivirus program is a virus and attempt to take each other out.

Looks like we found a few threats! Better remove them and scan

again, just to be sure.

Once you have your antivirus of choice, run a scan! If no viruses are found on your machine, great! Otherwise, make sure to remove all viruses found and scan again. Ideally, you want to keep scanning and removing viruses until no more can be found.

Tip #7 - Get Help!

If all else fails and you really don't know what to do, don't be afraid to ask for help! Try Google-searching your problem. Odds are, you aren't the only one who has encountered your problem. If you can't seem to find a solution at all and you've exhausted all other options, go to the professionals! Harding students can always come to the DormNet Helpdesk for free, and there are computer repair shops for the rest of us.

No matter what the issue is, follow this seven step process and you should be able to solve most, if not all, technology issues that come your way in life. That's how we do it at DormNet, and it can work for you too! God bless!