Basic Troubleshooting before calling Tech Support

Designed by Freepik

This is a True Story

An employee arrives to work and finds that his computer is totally unresponsive with a black screen. He goes through his usual “power on” steps for his computer and still nothing but a black screen. He reaches out to his local MSP (contracted tech support company) and they say that they will be able to send someone out the next day. That work station is down for the entire day.

The next day, the MSP dispatches a technician. The MSP is located over an hour away from the computer that isn’t working. Upon arrival, the technician immediately finds the issue. After a day and a half that the workstation was down and two hours of road time for the MSP Tech…

The monitor was never turned on.

The technician and the employee shared some good-natured laughs and the tech went on to his next job as usual. 

It does make you wonder though, what are some basic troubleshooting steps that everyone can take before calling tech support or while waiting on tech support?

Disclaimer

• This guide is geared toward folks in an office environment using company computers. Folks at home working on their own computers will glean some good information from this guide, but the steps will be limited since you shouldn’t remove any screws on a company laptop. We aren’t planning on pulling out any multimeters today.
• Make sure you are following the policies and procedures set in place by your employer and your tech team. They may prefer to be more hands-on in their approach to tech support.

My computer doesn’t turn on…

Step 1: The First Thing

The first thing to check when things go wrong is always power. If you don’t see anything on your monitor screen, check the power starting from the wall going all the way to the monitor. Follow this order every time.

1. Wall outlet
2. Extension cords (could be ups, could be extension cords, could be nothing)
3. Computer power
4. Monitor power

When troubleshooting each power junction, perform the following:

1. Perform a quick inspection of the cables to ensure that no internal wiring is exposed. If any part of the plastic shielding has been torn or chewed off, it must be replaced. Do not continue troubleshooting. 
2. Make sure that all power cables are snug and not wiggly. Unplug and plug them back in again to shake the dust off. Try plugging everything into a different outlet. If you have a spare charger/power cord (that is approved by the manufacturer) try that. 
3. Make sure that all power switches are turned to the on position. With your extension cords, switch them off and back on again, in case they got tripped. If you can tell that they were tripped, consult and electrician to figure out what is drawing too much power..
4. Press the power button. Take note of any lights or LEDs that turn on. If they do turn on, what do they do? If they blink, how many times do they blink?

Step 2; Take Notes

Take a quick note on what you see, touch, hear, smell, and taste.

• See
  • Do you see lights or LEDs on or blinking?
  • Do you see that your monitor was illuminated and then turned off?
  • Do you see nothing changing at all?
  • Do you see any bent prongs on any of the connectors?
• Touch
  • Do you feel something on the computer getting hot?
  • Do you feel a lot of resistance when trying to plug in cords?
  • Do you feel any odd dents in the computer case or monitor?
  • Do you feel air blowing out of the computer?
  • Are there any harsh kinks or knots in any wires?
• Hear
  • Do you hear the fans inside of the computer?
  • Do you hear any weird clicking noises?
• Smell
  • Do you smell any chemical smells?
  • Do you smell anything burning?
• Taste
  • How was that Pumpkin Spice Latte?

This reminder that it’s PSL season was Designed by Freepik

Step 3: What is Happening

If nothing happened (no air movement, no fans turning on, no lights on computer)…

• Double check that you went through all the power steps
• If you still don’t get anything happening, you probably have a RAM issue. Give your tech support team an update. If you are working on this yourself, reseat your RAM. If that doesn’t work, replace it.

If you smelled something chemical or burning or hear a grinding sound, cut the power and notify tech support.

If it acted like it was booting up and then suddenly cut off or if it intermittently boots up and then powers off, it is likely a power issue. Notify tech support.

Other Basic Issues

My monitor isn’t turning on…

• Check the power steps again for the monitor itself.
• Unplug and reseat the connector for the monitor.
• If you use an adapter (VGA to HDMI, etc.)…
  • This is probably your problem.
  • Unplug and reseat. Consider replacing.

My mouse or keyboard (or other device) won’t work…

• Try plugging your USB device into a different USB port.
• Try plugging a different device into that USB port.
• Unplug the device and then reboot the computer. Once it boots up, plug the device back in.
• If none of these work, call tech support.

My internet is really slow

• If you are connected by ethernet (looks like what a phone cable used to look like), try unplugging it and plugging it back in.
• Check to see if your computer has a Wi-Fi switch or button. Make sure it is on.
• Try unplugging your router and leave it unplugged for about 30 seconds.
• Make sure no “radiant” devices like Bluetooth speakers, phones, microwaves, or other Wi-Fi devices are close to the router or your computer.
• Try changing your Wi-Fi password – this will boot most devices off the network.

Concerning Slow Internet

Bandwidth is a limited resource that exists in the physical world. If you are relying on a hotspot or 5G connection, your family or neighbors could be using up so much bandwidth that there isn’t enough left for your Wi-Fi activities.

Your router will automatically divert more resources toward video streams (YouTube and Netflix) and downloads. If your internet is running slow, make sure your family isn’t watching a movie or downloading something in the background.

If you are working on a work computer with a VPN, your organization will do a check to make sure that your computer is within compliance. This is done automatically as soon as it connects to the internet. It’s making sure there are no files out of place and that it has the most recent security patches. This process can be demanding on bandwidth. If you notice that your computer is slow when you first log in, leave it on and leave it alone for a few minutes before doing work. When working remotely, it is good practice to log in about 30 minutes before your day starts to make sure these updates are handled. You don’t need to be at your desk during this time.

My computer is acting funny

• My mouse is moving on its own
• The names of all my files have changed and I cannot read what’s inside them
• I don’t have any programs open, but my computer is running slow, and the fan is loud
• I’m getting weird pop-ups on my desktop
• I opened an email attachment and now nothing is working

These are all indicative of malware on your computer. Immediately turn off your computer (don’t just close the lid) and remove the battery if you can. Call support.

If you don’t have a cybersecurity solution in place or if you need help with remediation, give us a call.

Orcannus Solutions

As always, here at Orcannus Cyber Security, we believe that everyone should be able to access the internet safely and confidently. We provide comprehensive threat prevention, detection, and remediation services for small to medium businesses. Don’t hesitate to reach out for a quote!