Google It!

I realise if you’re having IT problems then this may not be the most practical solution, however if you still have a device with internet access then it’s always worth trying out the technicians’ best friend.

I’m sure that you will have heard of Google, you may even use it to search for news, websites or shops, but the really cool thing that the internet search giant can do is offer you a helping hand.

However, finding help can be tricky. The best way of discovering exactly what you need is by typing in exactly what you need! So if your computer is showing an error message, instead of just typing “error message”, type in the specific text that is being displayed on screen. Often when you start typing Google will cunningly start giving you suggestions as to what you are looking for, if you click on the one you have it’ll speed up your search and give you the most relevant results.

Sometimes it is necessary to try a few of the different links to find one which actually tells you what you need to know, but the internet, being the source of all human knowledge, probably has it somewhere.

Google It

Call The Professionals

So your shiny, relatively new piece of technology has gone haywire with no warning and left you with a very expensive doorstop! The first thing to do is not panic!

Nearly everything comes with a warranty these days, and a lot of equipment is actually leased to you or has a contract attached to it. This means that your first port of call should always be the company that supplied you with the faulty kit.

Now I’m not saying that all the people who answer the phone at these companies are technical experts or even incredibly helpful, but if you have paid (quite a lot of) money for something which has then stopped working then they have an obligation to help you get it functioning again.

Sometimes you will be very lucky and immediately talk to someone who can fix the problem without further ado. Occasionally you will have less fortune and they will be unable to help. But it’s always a good way to start!

If you are uncomfortable with the idea of talking to someone about technical issues then give me a call and I can do it for you.

Turn It Off, Then Turn It On Again

It’s a cliché, but the thing about clichés is that they are often founded in truth!

If your PC, tablet or phone was misbehaving and you handed it to someone who knew about such things, it is quite likely they would hold down the power button until it turned off. They would then, most probably, wait about ten or twenty seconds, while whistling, tapping their fingers on the table, or making small talk. Then, when a reasonable amount of time had passed they would hold down the same button and wait to see what happened when it flashed back into life.

Often these simple steps will reinvigorate the device and help it complete whatever task it was trying to process before the reboot.

If the device doesn’t have a power button, as with things like routers which run your home network or land-line telephones, then pulling the plug out, waiting the obligatory ten or twenty seconds, then plugging it back in again will cure a host of evils.

For a very good explanation of why turning it off and on again is necessary go take a look at this article.

Friendly IT Support

Have you ever had problems with your computer? Or difficulty setting up your home network? Trouble with a tablet or a mobile phone? Or even issues setting up a new TV or recorder? Well, you’re not the only one!

In my eleven years working in IT and AV support I have been through all these and more, both at work and in the comfort of my own home. What this means is that I have undergone all the headaches and hardships so you don’t have to. If you come up against a seemingly insurmountable IT problem then odds are that I have had the same problem and solved it before.

So if you are faced with the terrifying Blue Screen Of Death, or are having trouble finding the “Any” key then a simple solution is to hand the problem over to me and let me deal with it for you.

Hit any key to continue!