From not being able to login to struggling to print, during our many years of experience we have noticed a trend with the most common IT problems our customers face. We have created this article so that we can provide you with some possible solutions to the problems listed below.
I am Having Issues Logging in
This is a problem that many people face at least once in their working life and is probably the most common issue we come across daily. The cause of this is usually due to caps lock being on or the user has inputted an incorrect password numerous times, resulting in their account being locked down. If you have been locked out of your account, contact your IT administrator and they will help you reset your password.
The Printer isn’t Working
In quite a few cases the user hasn’t turned the printer on. You may be thinking that just sounds outrageous, but often some users don’t use the printer regularly and just assume that it is switched on, this is usually the case early in the morning when that individual is the first to use the printer. Additionally, when being the first to use the printer, it may take a while to print as it has been on standby for some time. Other issues may include the printer’s paper tray being empty or the ink has run out. Finally, ensure that you have sent what you wish to print to the correct printer if there is more than one in the building.
My Computer is Performing Slowly
Many users like to keep their workstations running for weeks on end without properly shutting it down. Having numerous tabs or programs open at the same time slows your machine down drastically. If it has been on for a while, give the computer a break and shut it down. If it is necessary that you work on the machine, then close some tabs and programs that you are not using, to ease the machines workload. At the end of the day, once you have finished working on the machine, we recommend that you shut it down. If this does not help, then malware may have infected your device, there is no simple solution to identifying where the malware resides therefore contacting your IT administrator is crucial.
I Accidentally Deleted a File
In many instances, the deleted file has ended up in the recycle bin and has not been permanently deleted from the machine. If this is the case, you can simply restore the file from the recycle bin and continue working on it. If the recycle bin has been emptied or the file has been permanently deleted then contact your IT administrator to investigate if the file can be restored and potentially restore it for you.
USB Device Not Recognised
There can be numerous solutions to this problem, firstly it could be the USB port, and not the USB stick itself, to see if this is the case, place the USB device into another available port on the workstation. Furthermore, try it in a different workstation, if one is available. If you cannot get it to work on your machine, but you can get it to work on a colleague’s, ask them to e-mail you across the files you require from the device so you can continue to work on them in the meantime.
My Computer is Making a Noise
Various hard drives make a noise when something goes wrong with them, if you hear a noise, you should stop using your machine and ensure that everything is in working order before continuing. Ensure you take regular back-ups, so if there is a fault with your hard drive, you still have access to all your files via a back-up.
The Internet Performance is Poor
If you are connected via the Wi-Fi and not an Ethernet cable, then it could be your signal that is weak, if this is the case, then you need to reposition either yourself or your router to create a stronger connection. If you use file synchronising services, such as Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive, then they may be transferring data in the background, file transferring uses large amounts of bandwidth and slows down your internet connection. If the problem persists, speak to your IT administrator as it may be time to change your ISP (Internet Service Provider).
The Blue Screen of Death
A sudden Blue screen on your PC can be terrifying, but in most cases, it is not as bad as it seems. Firstly, reboot your computer, in most cases this will resolve the issue and you can continue working again. If the error reoccurs, there could be a larger problem with your machine, in this case contact your IT administrator.