Troubleshooting 101 – Simple Fixes for Everyday Tech Problems

Frank Bravo 0:08
Welcome to Your Tech Makeover, the podcast that gives you tips and tricks to help you simplify and get more out of the technology in your life. I'm your host, Frank Bravo. Today's topic comes from a client of mine, Sandy. She has asked me to dive into something that every single one of us has to deal with at some point, and that's troubleshooting. Yep, that dreaded moment when your computer freezes, your Wi-Fi disappears, or your phone just refuses to cooperate. Here's the thing I hate to say, but you don't need to be a tech wizard to help to solve most of these problems. In fact, the simplest solutions are often the most effective. And in just a minute, I'm going to tell you the support person's dirty little secret to help you troubleshoot your problems. With that, I'm going to break down and go into basic some troubleshooting steps, stuff that applies whether you're on a desktop machine, a laptop, a tablet, or a smartphone. And trust me, these are all practical, real world tips that you will actually use. Let's start with one of the oldest and still gold standard items of troubleshooting, and that is restart your device. I know, I know, it sounds ridiculous and it's super simple. But here's the thing. A restart clears out the temporary glitches, frees up your memory on your device, and resets things that might be stuck. Whether it's your computer acting sluggish or your phone apps just crashing, a quick reboot can work wonders. I've never actually measured this, but I think it solves like 80% of all issues, and it's truly the dirty little secret of tech support. Admit it. There's been times where you've spent 30 minutes trying to figure out why something didn't work, and then you restarted the device. Problem solved. Happens to all of us. So the first rule of troubleshooting before you dive into the weeds and do something that is way more complicated, try restarting your device. If you call me for help, that's usually the first thing that I'll ask. So the next thing that you want to look at is, is internet issues. We've all been there. You're in the middle of something important, and then suddenly your connection drops before you throw the router out the window or you call your service provider. Here's a few things to check. First, the most obvious is your Wi-Fi turned on on the device that you're trying to use, or if it's hard wired, did the plug come out? Yeah, sometimes I've had calls where this is the culprit. The plug just kind of comes out of the device and it disconnects, or the Wi-Fi has been turned off on the device. Are you connected to the right network? So this may be a strange question, but if you have wireless, there might be lots of networks named very similar to the to the device that you're trying to connect to. And your machine may see that and you may select the wrong one. And the next thing to check is to see if other devices are connected. This helps figure out if the problem is your device or a broader issue in your location, or maybe something with your service provider. If you're still stuck, you could try running a quick speed test. Something like speed test net will allow you to check if your connection is slow or dead. With all that you, it's. You could also go the route of just restarting your modem in your router. I usually tried some of these other things first before I go to that step. A quick shout out to listeners like you help make your tech make over possible. Your support helps keep this podcast going and I truly appreciate it. Want to contribute? Just click the link in the show notes or visit your Tech makeover.com plus as a special thank you, supporters who give $25 or more will get $25 off a one time consultation with me to help you simplify your tech. Thanks for being part of the Your Tech Makeover community. Now back to what I was saying. So let's talk about storage now. Both computers and mobile devices can get bogged down with junk. Maybe they're duplicate files, old downloads, or apps that you haven't used in years. Or maybe you just haven't taken out the trash on the computer. You can use the recycle bin or the trash bin, and sometimes people put stuff in there and then forget about it. But if you're low on space on your device, you can empty the trash and potentially free up a lot. Another trick is to go through your downloads folder. Trust me, unless you're actively managing it, you'll be shocked at what's lurking in there. Throw away files from the trash and then remember to empty that trash to make sure that they go away. You could also go through the process of deleting files you no longer need, or move files to an external driver, even up into cloud storage. And again, if you delete them, make sure you empty the trash. Maybe that should have been my last hit on your mobile device. You may want to try removing unused apps. You could also clear your video or photo library by backing them up to the cloud. Or you can clear app caches. So to clear your app cache. This is probably easiest done by going into your phone settings or just restart your device. A lot of times the apps get cleaned up that way. It's kind of a digital decluttering, and it not only frees up your space, but can speed up your device and prevent crashes. So another thing that you want to remember is doing updates. Updates might feel annoying, but those little pop ups, they seem to appear at the absolute worst time. But they are so important. I've talked about that on this podcast before, and have talked about how updates patch security holes, fix bugs, and improve your performance. I'm talking about everything from your computer's operating system to the apps and browsers that you use every day. And so here's a pro tip before you hit the update, make sure you back up your device it just in case something goes wrong. Backups are so important. You've heard me say that again and again and again on this podcast, but especially when you're doing an update. Because if something goes wrong, you can use that backup to restore where you were. And remember that the updates are not just for your computers, phones, tablets, and even some smartphone smart home devices. They all need regular updates to stay secure and functional. So what about your power and battery basics? What if your device isn't turning on or it keeps shutting down? Here are some things that you can check first. If you're trying to charge something and it's not working. Is your charger actually working? This may seem simple enough. You can try a different outlet, or a different cable, or maybe a different device, just to make sure that that charger is working for laptops. Make sure the battery isn't completely drained. Sometimes when that happens, it takes a long time for that device to get recharged. And on phones, check your battery health settings in both Apple and Android. They both make this pretty easy to do. So make sure that that battery is healthy. And if not, you may consider either replacing the device or just replacing the battery. And if your phone or tablet feels unusually hot, make sure you close all background apps and you give it a break from charging for a bit. This way, it just doesn't overheat. So you've probably also heard about the classic hey, I can't hear anything coming out of my device, or why is my screen so dark? Again, these are some simple troubleshooting steps that you could take to make sure that those things don't happen or when they do. What to check. So the first thing to check about sound is start simple as all of these things are, and check that your volume isn't muted. Again, totally guilty of doing this myself where I expect music or something to come out of the computer and I look and I see that I have muted the speakers. Then make sure that your headphones aren't plugged in when you're expecting sound from your speakers. A lot of devices will default to your plugged in headphones instead of the speaker on the device. If you are plugged in, make sure it's plugged in and that volume is turned on and on. Computers. You can also check your audio output to confirm that they are being sent to the correct device. For display issues such as screen brightness, make sure your screen brightness is actually up. There's buttons on the keyboard or devices in the control panels to allow you to change that. If the device isn't coming on at all so there's nothing on your display and it's separate from your actual computer. You may want to make sure that the screen is connected to the computer. Sometimes just unplugging that cable and plugging it back in will work. And if your screen is glitchy or shows weird things, a restart. Yeah, again, restart can often fix that, either restarting the computer or the monitor. So when do you know to call in backup? Sometimes you're despite your best efforts. The problem is just bigger than basic fixes, and that's okay. If you've gone through all these things now, it's time to pursue another path. If you've tried everything and your device is still under warranty, you may want to check to see about that. Sometimes the easiest, cheapest way to get things done is by dealing with the warranty. Can online, phone or tech support help? I help a lot of people at this stage of their their troubleshooting problems. Sometimes they've tried things and sometimes they just don't know where to start. I can help get things moving in the right direction. Like the Allstate commercial says, I know a thing or two because I've seen a thing or two. Chances are your problem. I've seen somewhere or somewhere like it. Or if there's a trusted repair shop that you can call on. You may want to go there. You know, even I know my limits. And there are things that I just can't fix or won't fix because I just don't have the tools to do that. But I do have local shops that I can refer people to. It's important to know your limits, and there's totally no shame in calling in reinforcements. So let's recap. First, restart. Check your connections. Clear out your cut clutter. Stay updated. Double check that power and sound settings. And don't be afraid to ask for help. Remember, troubleshooting isn't about knowing everything. It's about staying calm, working through simple steps, and knowing when you're out of your depth. You've got this. And when you need help, you can always call on somebody else. So what's your go to troubleshooting tip? Is there other weird tech glitches that you've encountered that you just can't understand and you need help? I would love to know about these things. And as always, if you have topics for an idea you'd like me to cover on this podcast, please feel free to contact me like Sandy did via email at Frank at your tech makeover. Com. That's it for now. Thanks for listening to your tech makeover, if you haven't already. Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast platform so that you don't miss an episode, and I'd appreciate you leaving your review as well. You can also check out your Tech makeover.com, where you can see more information about this episode and all the episodes that I've done. And if you want to find out more about me, visit Bravo. It's until next time. I'm Frank Bravo, and this has been your tech makeover.