5 Simple Troubleshooting Tips for Beginners
The Bane of Troubleshooting
We are so often reliant on our computers and technology, we use them to order shopping, work, book holidays, get the news, we are so reliant on them that when something goes wrong with them, we are so stuck, and we panic.
Of course, you want to get it fixed as soon as possible, but that’s frequently easier said than done. Limitless amounts of things can go wrong with a computer, as everyone’s system and settings are different, how we use our technology is selective to the individual.
So, how do you troubleshoot an issue when something goes wrong? Well, let’s go over some top tips to prepare you for the inevitable.
When your Word Document Plays Havoc
Word documents are one of the things we do not want to go wrong, writers especially, students too. You have the fear of losing a tonne of work. We are sure that before Word’s autosave feature came into place, there must’ve been a writer who lost countless words from a Word document error.
It is such a popular program and when something happens, and you get something like a kernel security check failure you might panic. However, there are so many ways you can get your work back.
Simply define if it is a damaged document or a deeper problem, and go from there.
Tips
Now, we will give you some top tips to help you troubleshoot tech issues. These apply for Word documents, all the way to any other tech issue, from your Microsoft account playing havoc, to your browser acting up, or even a gaming console, such as an Xbox giving you that horrible Error code e100.
#1. Stay calm
First and foremost, don’t panic. Take a breath, have a glass of water, and then look at the problem with a clear head. Many tech issues appear to be much more serious than they are, and error codes, when they come up, always look much scarier than they are. It might look like your hard drive has crashed, or you’ve lost all your progress, but most of the time it is just one of a whole host of issues that is easily fixable, sometimes in just a few simple steps.
Catastrophic issues can happen, and they do, but it is so rare, and it’s very unlikely that’s what you’re experiencing.
#2. Be prepared- Always back it up!
One thing you can do to keep yourself safe is to back up your online data. Using Microsoft Word? Make sure you are online and that it will autosave to your online Microsoft account. So, even if Word does crash, it is backed up.
Backup your important data, as most applications can be reloaded from installation discs or programs, so there is no need to back them up, just focus on your documents.
#3. Look at error codes and figure if there really is an issue
Ensure that you really are facing a problem. Examine your computers cables, connectors, power cords and internet connection. Always check these things first, starting from the most basic issue it could be and work up from there.
If you are presented with an error code, you are already ahead of the game. Look it up, and you may be presented with a fix online. Every error code will be noted online, as well as information on how to troubleshoot it. If not, all tech companies will have a contact line to help in the case of product issues.
#4. Know your computer/ program
If you do have to contact the computer/ program company, then you may need to provide information. So, make sure you know the brand and model of your pc, or the edition of the program you are using. Sometimes it can be as simple as requiring to update your program or pc, so make sure you have the latest version, and if it still isn’t working, contact tech support and ensure you have all this information on hand- they will need it.
#5. Never be afraid to try the old ‘turn it off, turn it on again’ fix
It sounds silly, but sometimes your pc or document just needs a refresh, so sometimes the best thing you can do is just turn it off and turn it on again. This works more time than you may think. Turn it off or close the program, then turn it on/ restart it again. If this doesn’t work then you best get onto further checks, however for some issues all it requires is this restart to get it working again.
