There are very few things more frustrating than technical issues when you’re trying to get things done. Fortunately, the vast majority of issues with devices can be quickly and effectively resolved if you know what you are doing.
With that in mind, this article aims to highlight some quick and useful things to know if you want to try and troubleshoot your own tech issues. So settle in and get ready to learn something new!
Turn It Off and On Again!
Computers and the software that they use are in essence big, complicated collections of code that work in unison with one another in order to do what you want them to. For the most part, these amalgamations of code run fine, interacting with one another as they are intended to.
However, these are incredibly complicated machines made and maintained by people, which means that they can at times fall victim to human error, or mechanical errors, or it could just be hot. The point is that in these large, interconnected systems, a small issue can wreak havoc if it pops up in the right place.
By turning your device off and on again, you can cancel out the current version of the code and get it to start again fresh, making it very unlikely that you’ll run into the same issue unless something is more significantly wrong.
The Same Advice By Many Names
In fact, turning it off and on again is such an effective way to deal with these issues that this advice saturates the discourse on troubleshooting any kind of issue. It even crops up across a range of other issues, but not necessarily in the same way:
- Close the application and re-open it;
- Try uninstalling and re-installing;
- Restart your router;
The same philosophy is ubiquitous across the field of IT support. This is because there might not be a particular “issue” to fix, and the quickest way to test that is to see if the problem persists beyond being restarted.
Consult the Professionals
If you’re running into a persistent issue with the device, then you should probably consider getting in touch with professional assistance – particularly if your device is one that has active support available online.
For example, if your MacBook won’t connect to WiFi, then there are a few options available to you through which apple can help to solve your issues, from online support forums to IT call centre options. This is often the primary benefit of investing in a product that has a strong brand behind it, since they will be able to afford the cost of providing consistent technical support.
Crack It Open!
Finally, if the issue you’re having with your device is a hardware problem rather than a software one, it is often far easier than you would think to address those issues.
If you’re decent at following instructions and confident in your hands-on capabilities, then there are plenty of guides online that can talk you through performing technical repairs yourself. For example, issues with wires can often be resolved through the careful application of a soldering iron and a screwdriver.
However, even if you aren’t comfortable attempting these repairs yourself, it can still be beneficial to open up a device to see if you can find the cause of your issue. That way you can seek out support that will deal with your problem directly.