If you’re having trouble on your computer, sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start to resolve your problem, especially if if seems that your computer won’t work no matter what you do!
We’re here to help with ten different ways to fix it so that you can save time and find the solution you need.
How many have you tried?
1. Google It. Cliché as it may sound, going to Google to find advice is often a good first step. Try searching for your specific problem- e.g. ‘how do I find a file I downloaded?’ Google will often highlight the best result and break down the solution for you. Don’t forget, you can always browse through more than one result to see which answer is most helpful.
2. Ask Someone. If you have a particularly tech-savvy friend or family member, now is the time to use their knowledge! Whether it’s in person, or via phone call, people will be more than happy to help talk you through a difficulty on your computer- and you’re likely to find that they have encountered the same difficulties in their own lives.
3. Contact Customer Service. If your difficulty relates to a specific company or product, it is a good idea to contact their customer service. You can find the customer service contact number or email address for most companies using Google, or directly through the company website.
4. Call Tech Relief. We wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t suggest giving us a call! Tech Relief is on hand to help you with any difficulty on your computer. Our team of friendly advisors can talk you through a problem step-by-step and give you the skills and advice to help you feel empowered on your computer.
5. Turn it Off and On Again. Yes, really! If everything has frozen and your computer won’t work, it might be time to try turning your computer off and back on. Often, this involves holding down the power button for between three and seven seconds, until the screen goes black and the indicator lights turn off. Once your computer turns back on, there is often an option to open your desktop in recovery mode, in order to find out what happened.
6. Use the ‘Search’ Function. If you’ve lost a document or folder, you can use the search function to try and find the file. On Windows, the search bar can be found in the start menu- from there, begin typing the name of a file or folder and a list of options should appear. The same goes for a Macbook, where the search function can be found in the ‘Finder’ or at the top right hand side of the screen, with the magnifying glass icon.
7. Look for ‘FAQ’ in the Menu Bar. If you’re looking for the answer to a commonly asked question- whether you’re trying to find the returns information for an online shop, or the contact information for customer service, you will often find this in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section of the website. You can usually find this in the menu bar or the footer at the bottom of the page.
8. Close Your Browser and Re-Open It. If you’re online and a website has frozen, or is doing something unexpected, it’s often a good idea to simply close the browser if safe to do so. If you’re using Google Chrome, when you re-open the browser there may be an option to restore your recently opened windows and get back to where you were.
9. Try a Different Browser. Computer won’t work with the internet? Websites sometimes run differently on different browsers, so you may find that closing your current browser and opening an alternative one solves your problem. If you’re using Google Chrome for example, you have the option to open websites in a pre-installed browser instead (Mozilla on Microsoft computers, or Safari on Apple products). Switching browsers can solve issues with unresponsive websites, errors caused by browser extensions, and difficulty with downloads.
10. Open the Task Manager. If your screen is frozen, or a page isn’t responding, you can open the task manager by pressing Control, Alt, Delete. You should then be able to manually click on the programme which isn’t responding and close it by choosing ‘End Task’.
Have you tried all of the above and you’re still stuck on your computer? Join Tech Relief for free so that we can troubleshoot it with you – our aim is to add the friendly element to your everyday tech issues so that you leave feeling elated (not frustrated!).