As we work in IT support, we’re sure you can imagine that we get asked a wide range of questions! That’s why we’ve created the below list to help you tackle some common questions yourself. If you have an issue with your computer, then please look at our FAQs to see if your question has been answered.
Yes. A slow computer can be speeded up by upgrading certain components within it such as its storage drive, its Ram sticks or graphics card. Switching out a hard drive with a solid-state drive can improve the boot time of your computer from 2 min to about 10 secs.
Our charges vary depending on the problem at hand and the anticipated work load. We are only able to give a quotation once we’ve heard from you and accessed the problem.
Nothing is more annoying than when you’re working hard to get a deadline finished, and your computer suddenly crashes. There are so many reasons as to why your computer may crash or freeze, and you may not know the reason why. Your best bet is to wait a few minutes to see if it sorts itself out and resumes as normal. If it doesn’t, open the Task Manager (Ctrl-Alt-Delete à Task Manager) to see which programme isn’t responding, and close it. If your computer still isn’t working, then restart it.
Your hard drive will typically store all your files: word docs, videos, photos… if that fails and you don’t have a backup, then it can cause serious issues. Hard drives have a limited lifetime, so firstly it’s important that you always back up your important files. Using Microsoft One Drive, server shares (if you have one), or another cloud-based system means you’ll always have your documents available, should your hard disk one day pack in. Firstly (like with most computer errors), restart your computer, but if you need more help, then feel free to give us a call.
If you’ve stepped away from your computer for a while and you’ve found your screen has turned black, it’s likely just gone into sleep mode. Moving your mouse around will have it back up and running. If that’s not the case, then click the power button on the monitor to see if it’s turned on. You should also check the back of your computer to ensure your monitor and all cables, are properly plugged in.
If you have a desktop computer, then you’re most likely using an optical mechanical mouse; and the most common reason for it acting erratically is because it’s dirty. Clean your mouse with a sanitiser wipe and if it’s still acting erratically, then it’s likely to be defective and will need replacing. To confirm this, plug the mouse into a different computer to see if it behaves in the same way. It may be that the batteries need replacing, so it’s worth replacing them with new ones, to see if your mouse starts working again.
Sometimes internet can feel super slow even after paying for a high-speed connection. This can be caused by a number of issues such as the distance between you and the internet router or too many connections on the network. Connecting to the router using an ethernet cable often sorts issues caused by a week WIFI signal.
Safe mode is used when there’s a system-critical problem that interferes with the normal operations of Windows, whilst still allowing it to load. You’ll want to turn safe mode on, so you can do some troubleshooting, and determine what the problem is. Your PC will work in safe mode, but will have limited functionality – you may experience screen resolution issues and won’t have internet access. For Windows 7 – 10 safe mode, press and hold F8 whilst the computer is starting. That should bring up the Windows Advanced Options Menu. Use the arrow key to move down to Safe Mode and then press Enter.
Unfortunately, it’s a myth that Macs are bulletproof against cyber-attacks, and they can get viruses. To help prevent this, as a minimum you should invest in anti-virus software, and ensure your OS is kept up to date at all times.
One of the main reasons why you can’t send/receive emails, is because your computer isn’t connected to the internet. If your connection isn’t the issue, then check your email server isn’t encountering any issues – if that’s the case, you’ll need to call us. Another common cause of not being able to send or receive emails, is if your emails are set to the offline mode. Reconnecting is simple: just click on the Send/Receive tab, and check if the Work Offline button is shaded. If so, you will need to click it to get your email back online.
A print queue is a list of all documents that are scheduled to be printed, and you’ll want to clear this if you no longer want to print all of the documents. To clear your print queue, simply locate your printer settings, and right click on the correct printer. You’ll then see a list of all documents, which you can then right click and cancel.
