We’re going back to the basics with this week’s Blog topic: Troubleshooting your Computer. Some of us are relying completely on our computers to carry out our normal day-to-day, especially if we’ve been working from home. However, with all technology comes issues. Do you know what to do if your computer screen goes blank? What if a window freezes up? Or all of them? There is an abundance of basic troubleshooting techniques you can try to fix common computer issues. No matter what’s causing the issue within your computer, troubleshooting will more than likely be a process of trial and error. In fact, in some cases, you may need to use several different approaches before you can find a solution; other problems may be easier to fix.

 

Before you start diving into the details of troubleshooting your computer, keep these tips in mind:

1. If you are dealing with a reoccurring issue, make sure you write down the steps you will be taking to fix the problem! This will come in handy in the future. ]
2. If you have recurring error messages, write those down too!
3. Check your wiring and cables. Sometimes a problem could be the result of a loose cord or plug.
4. When all else fails, restart your computer.

 

Now let’s dive into some of the most common computer issues that people encounter.

 

Basic Computer Issues & Troubleshooting Them

 

Slow Loading Application

This might be one of those recurring issues, and there is a good reason for it. Apps are constantly being updated, so if you missed a recent update, that could be what is causing your application to run slower than usual. Updates are launched to fix bugs and enhance security for applications, so ensuring that yours is up to date with the latest is important in ensuring it runs smoothly.

To check your application updates on Mac, you can search “updates” in the search bar to open your App store. For Windows, you will also open your App Store and in the top right corner select the account menu, there will be a drop-down where you can select updates.

 

Want to set up automatic updates? We’ll be covering this in a future blog! Stay tuned!

 

Frozen Windows

We’ve all been there. In the middle of working and all of a sudden, the windows or applications you have open freeze up. Now what?  When your applications freeze or get stuck,  you won’t be able to close the window or click any buttons within the application. The first step you can try is to force quit the programs you are currently running, there are a few ways to do this whether you are using a Mac or Windows system. Pressing Ctrl + Alt + Delete on most PCs will open the Task Manager. For Mac, press Command + Option + Esc. From there, an then select the unresponsive application and click End task (or Force Quit on a Macs).

 

If you are unable to open your Task Manager, try restarting your computer.

 

Slow Running Programs and Load Time

If all of your applications are updated and you are noticing that your computer or laptop is taking quite a bit of time to open windows or is running slowly altogether, it may be an issue with a virus attack or a lack of storage that is slowing your system down. The first step you can take is run a  Virus Scanner to check for any malware that may have made its way into your system. If your Virus scan comes back clean, it could be a storage issue. You may be running out of hard drive space, and in order to combat this, sort through any files you no longer need and delete them, along with any unused applications you have downloaded. If you don’t want to permanently delete files, you can always choose to upload them to a Google Drive folder through your Google Account.

 

If these don’t help resolve your slow load time, reach out to our team for more intensive troubleshooting tips.

 

Reach out to I.T Reboot

Technology is great, but it isn’t perfect! Especially given the fact that we rely on it on a day-to-day basis. If you are experiencing more and more issues with your computer or laptop, reach out to the expert at I.T. Reboot to help troubleshoot all your tech problems.