When to Call IT Support
An individual might call for IT support for one of many reasons. However, they are all for virtually the same symptoms. Either their computers have stopped working, sites are showing error messages, or the users cannot access crucial applications or data. For those who feel that these scenarios are familiar, they are not alone. Computers and devices have become intertwined in people’s day-to-day lives, both in their personal lives and in their businesses, to the extent that if something were to go wrong, there would be reason for panic.
Below is a look at some examples of when to call an IT support person.
Often it can seem as though the issues are major however most of them can be sorted out with just one IT support session.
A slow running computer is among the reasons to seek IT support. When someone first starts his or her workstation, laptop or tablet, he or she may notice how fast/slow it is working. Applications loading in a flash and documents start printing the moment the user clicks on the print button are all good signs that your computer/tablet is up to speed and working well.
However, when things start slowing down abruptly, the user may not notice it immediately, but at a certain point everything slows down to a crawl. A computer slowing down can be caused by a number of reasons. They include more programs, viruses, more processes, malware, spam, improper installation, and so on. Possible solutions include cleaning it up, minimizing the number of running applications, or clearing out some space. The user should ask his or her IT support technician how to go about this without affecting productivity.
If a computer restarts all of a sudden, then it may be time to call for IT support. Abrupt restarts can be rather devastating. An example of this is when someone is working on a project and forgets to save his or her work. The computer then restarts, causing the entire project work to be lost. If the user had taken some precautions, the work may still be recovered. Otherwise, he or she would be forced to start from scratch. Prior to calling for IT support, it is advisable for the user to first check whether the computer is running a scheduled support that he or she had ignored. Should this be the case, all the support technician can do is assist the user setup a better update schedule. If the PC is restarting constantly, it could be due to adware or a virus. Also, the computer could be overheating due to a faulty fan or too many processes. In such cases, serious IT technical support is needed immediately.
Website certificate issues can also necessitate IT support. If a computer user notices that certificate issues keep popping up from trustworthy sites, then the system clock may be out of whack. Certificate errors usually reveal themselves in the form of a dialogue box warning that the website the user has attempted to access may contain malicious data. In some cases, the user can acknowledge the risk posed and continue to the site. In other cases, he or she may be completely locked out. Should such errors occur suddenly on many websites, the user has to check the clocks on those systems. Security certificates usually sync up with a system’s clock. If it fails to match, the web page may fail to load. The individual can check the clock by opening it within the system folder and observing to find out if it has the correct time, time zone and date. In case the time has been changed, it could be an indicator of a malware, virus, or another problem that requires IT support immediately.
Excruciating long download speeds is another cue for calling IT support. A user’s ISP (Internet Service Provider) may boost a high Internet connection speed of 25mps or higher. However, he or she may notice that accessing remote servers are quite slow. Sites failing to load may be observed, while file downloads may be taking too long. The problem may be in the computer rather than in the Internet connection. An IT support technician can analyze and sort out the issues either through remote processes or via an on-site visit.
A computer user may notice pop-up ads all over his or her desktop. As much as excessive pop-up and malware may not be as irritating as they were a few years ago, they may still affect numerous business computer systems. The user may have unintentionally downloaded certain adware or something more harmful. In addition to being annoying, such pop-ups can present a major security breach. A computer user should not wait to repair the issue. They should have the PC checked and then cleaned as soon as possible.
If a person tries to connect a printer to a PC only to find out that it is offline, maybe it is time to call IT support. Nowadays, setting up a printer is virtually plug and play. However, the printer is still capable of breaking down just as well. In case the printer often goes offline on its own, or the user’s default printer changes, there could be a serious problem, particularly if he or she does not know what has to be fixed. An IT support technician can check the printer and network for any problems, and then troubleshoot anything he or she finds; getting the user back online and printing efficiently in no time.
Certain computer programs may fail to launch at all. For proper operation, each application depends on the PC system’s registry. Should the registry become corrupted, go missing, or get damaged, the user’s applications or even the entire PC may fail to load. Restarting the computer may be the first test and solution that comes to mind. If that fails to resolve the issue, the user needs to contact IT support in order to figure out the cause and then repair the system. Unless the user has the expertise to do that, he or she will just have to consult IT support.