Tips Before You Call a Computer Technician
Hey there! Ryan from Techli here. I wanted to run you through some useful tips that might actually help you save a service callout and keep some money in your back pocket. As much as I’d love to come out and help straight away, there are some things you can try first.
Before I jump into the list, I also want to put a disclaimer out there that if you are uncomfortable with technology and would just prefer to get someone to come and help – please do definitely call. There is no such thing as a stupid question or job.
If you’re feeling confident though, let’s run through some common quick fixes, starting with the simplest physical checks and moving into the software.
1. Make Sure It’s Plugged In Correctly
Okay, now this one sounds simple, but I’ve had a couple of jobs where the cable simply wasn’t plugged into the device properly – or at all.
Between pets running past, vacuum cleaners bumping into things, or just moving a device slightly on a desk, cables can wiggle loose just enough to stop working without actually falling out.
- Check the connections: Pull the cable out and push it back in firmly. You’d be surprised how often a printer “failure” is just a loose USB cord.
- The Phone Test: If your phone isn’t turning on, check the charger with another device to ensure it’s delivering a charge, and then try another charger with your phone.
- The Power Point: Don’t forget to check the switch at the wall. I’ve seen power boards get switched off by accident.
2. The Reboot AKA Turn it off and on again
This is the oldest trick in the book – and for a good reason! This is the first step you should try on any device including your TV, computer, phone, printer etc. All of these devices share something in common, they have a ‘brain’ (the CPU) and they have ‘short term memory’ (RAM). Both of which need to be in sync for your device to work properly.
The Kitchen Bench Example
Imagine your computer is like your kitchen bench (hopefully you cook). Every time you cook, you pull out a cutting board, a knife, ingredients, a pan, and whatever else you need. The same logic applies to your computer; you’re opening apps, printing documents, browsing Facebook, and sending emails.
What do you do every time you finish cooking? You clean the bench and the utensils!
Now, imagine you don’t clean your kitchen bench. The next evening, you go to cook and the bench is covered in yesterday’s mess. You can’t find a sharp knife, so you try to use a butter knife to cut an onion instead. You just wouldn’t do it! It’s inefficient, frustrating, and eventually, you simply run out of room to work.
What to Do
The same concept applies to your devices. When you leave your computer on for weeks, “digital crumbs” from old tasks start cluttering up that short-term memory (the kitchen bench). Eventually, the device can’t find the “tools” it needs to run properly, so it freezes or slows down and simply doesn’t know what to do.
When you hit restart or pull the plug, you’re essentially doing a “deep clean” of the kitchen. You’re wiping the bench down and putting all the tools back in the drawer. When the device turns back on, it has a fresh, clear space to start working again.
How to Do It
What I like to do first is restart the device using the software options or by holding the power button down.
If that doesn’t fix your particular issue and your device relies on a powered connection, safely turn the device off and then pull the plug from the wall for about 30 seconds. If you think about it simply, your device needs electricity to hold onto that short term memory – when you drain the power from the device the memory clears.
Pro Tip: For desktop computers and printers, once you’ve unplugged them from the wall, hold the power button down for a few seconds. This drains any residual power left in the machine’s components and ensures a 100% fresh start.
3. Make Sure Your Device is Up To Date
Many people ignore update notifications because they seem like a hassle or too time consuming, but these updates are often the exact fix you’ve been looking for. Software developers from operating systems (like Apple or Microsoft) are constantly finding little bugs or security holes that cause devices to crash or slow down, and they send out the solution via an update.
The House Maintenance Example
Imagine your house has a loose floorboard that sticks out and makes a loud creak every time you step on it. You know it’s there, so you’ve learned to walk around it. But eventually, you forget, trip over it, and you hurt yourself. It may not always cause issues for you, but once in a while it will. A software update is essentially the manufacturer coming in and nailing that floorboard down for you. If your device or application is acting up, it might just be because it’s running on old instructions that have already been improved.
What to Do
If you are experiencing a weird glitch – like your camera not opening or your Wi-Fi dropping out – check for updates first. Go into your settings and look for “Software Update” or “Windows Update.” If you see one waiting, run it. It might take 10 minutes, but it can sometimes resolves the very issue you were about to call me for.
4. For When Your Printer Just Won’t Print
Printers are notoriously the most frustrating piece of tech in any home – you may feel like throwing them out the window. Usually, they haven’t broken, they’ve just become confused. 9 times out of 10 it’s going to be one of two things, the print queue or the printer driver/connection with the computer.
The Bottleneck & Translator Example
For the print queue scenario, imagine a narrow hallway where everyone is trying to get through at once. If one person stops to tie their shoelace, the whole line grinds to a halt. This is your “Print Queue.”
But sometimes, the issue is how the printer talks to the computer and vice versa. Think of the Printer Driver as a translator. Your computer speaks one language, and your printer speaks another. If the translator gets confused or starts giving the wrong instructions, the printer will just sit there and ignore you.
What to Do
- Clear the Hallway: Go to your printer settings on your computer and “Cancel all documents” or “Clear Print Queue.”
- Power Reset: If clearing the queue doesn’t work, like above, turn the printer off and on again – ideally by powering the device off first and then removing the power cable from the printer for at least 30 seconds.
- Use the Official App: Sometimes your computer needs the proper toolbox to talk to the printer. Make sure you have the official application installed for your brand – like HP Smart, Brother iPrint&Scan, or the Canon PRINT app. These apps often have a diagnose and fix button that can jump-start the connection without you needing to do anything technical.
- Reset the Translator: If the queue is clear and the app isn’t helping, the easiest fix is to “Remove Device” in your printer settings. Once it’s gone, click “Add Printer” to set it up again. This forces your computer to find a fresh “translator” and usually solves those weird communication errors.
5. For When Your Internet Isn’t Working
Now this one could and probably will be its own blog post in the future, but before you spend an hour on hold with Telstra or Optus, read this first.
Quick Internet Explainer You’ve probably heard of the NBN by now – they provide the internet to your property in a few different ways. Don’t worry too much about the technical talk, but here is what you likely have in your house:
- FTTP (Fibre to the Premises): You’ll have a large NBN box (often with a cover) mounted on an internal wall, usually in the garage or a front room.
- HFC (Cable): You’ll have a small black NBN box with four green lights on the front.
- FTTN (Fibre to the Node): You won’t have an NBN box at all! Your modem plugs directly into a standard telephone wall socket.
From whichever box (or wall socket) you have, a cable runs into your Wi-Fi router. This is the device that takes that internet connection and transmits it wirelessly throughout your property.
The Handshake Example Your NBN box (or your wall socket) and your Wi-Fi router need to talk to each other constantly. Sometimes, they lose sync and start ignoring each other – like two people having a disagreement. They get stuck and the only way to get them to talk to each other again is to separate them for a bit!
What to Do
- The Full Power-Down: Find your NBN box and your Wi-Fi router. Pull the power cords out of the wall for both. If you have FTTN (no NBN box), just unplug your router from the power.
- The 60-Second Rule: This part is vital. Wait a full 60 seconds before plugging anything back in. This allows the electricity to fully drain and clears any digital crumbs from the memory of both devices.
- The Sequence (The Secret Sauce): 1. Plug the NBN box back in first (if you have one). 2. Wait about two minutes for the lights to settle and turn green or blue. 3. Then plug your Wi-Fi router back in.
This specific order forces a fresh handshake between the devices and the internet exchange, which often clears up speed issues or dropouts instantly.
Pro Tip: Occasionally your internet not working has nothing to do with either the NBN box or your router and more to do with the actual cabling to your property. You can check the status of your internet by going to the official NBN website and entering your address – https://www.nbnco.com.au/support/network-status
6. For When An App Isn’t Working
If Facebook is crashing, your banking app won’t open, or Netflix is freezing – but everything else on your phone or TV is working fine – the problem isn’t your device. It’s usually just that specific app tripping over a bit of bad data.
The Bad Book Example
Imagine you’re reading a book and one single page is torn or stuck together. You can’t read the specific page/s, but the rest of the library is perfectly fine. An app crash is usually just a “torn page” in that app’s code. No matter how many times you try to open it, it hits that same torn page and stops.
What to Do
- Force Quit: First, try closing the app completely (swipe it away on your phone) and reopening it. On a TV, there is usually a button on the remote that allows you to bring up the options for the specific app, you can then force close it from there. This is like closing the book and opening it to page one again.
- The Fresh Copy (Delete & Redownload): If it’s still playing up, the best fix is to delete the app entirely and download it again from the App Store or Play Store. This gives you a brand-new book with no torn pages.
- Check the Version: While you’re at it, make sure your phone’s software is up to date (refer back to Point 3!). Sometimes an old app simply can’t talk to a new phone system, and an update is the only way to get them back on speaking terms.
Conclusion
Still stuck? Let’s get it sorted. If you’ve walked through these six steps and things are still playing up, you’ve likely got a deeper hardware or software conflict. That’s where I come in.
I offer a quick fix session for $149, where I’ll spend up to an hour onsite at your home in Bracken Ridge, Sandgate, or the surrounding suburbs to get to the bottom of the issue. You can book your session on the website or by giving me a call on 0410 606 440.
