Solving the Most Common IT Help Desk Problems

Nothing is worse than unplanned downtime at work due to a technical issue. We have all experienced it at some point or other in our careers. Murphy’s Law states that these IT help desk problems will occur just when you are in a rush to get a report out or need something done in a hurry. Worse yet, sometimes it happens at 5 pm on a Friday! 

Solving tech issues is what we love to do. Sometimes the fix is simple, while other times it takes some experience, ingenuity, and some know-how to figure out the problem. Since we see so many of these problems over and over again, here is another of our regular discussions on some of the most common IT help desk issues and how to solve them. 

Login Snafus 

Frustration is the only way to describe this issue. The problem starts out innocently enough when trying to log in – suddenly your login credentials are no longer working. The first thing you should always check is that the caps lock is not on. That could signal the wrong login username or password. Another potential cause of the problem is that your password may have expired. Usually, that is an easy fix where you reset your password through a series of steps linked to your email or smartphone. Be careful with attempting too many logins, which could potentially lock you out for a specified amount of time before you are allowed to attempt again. Lastly, if checking the caps lock, an expired password, or that you made too many login attempts are not the answer, get in touch with your IT specialist to be sure that you have not been hacked. 

Keyboard or Mouse Aren’t Working 

If your keyboard and/or mouse are battery operated and wireless, then the first thing to check is whether the batteries are working properly or they need to be replaced. If you have a wired keyboard or mouse, check that the connections are securely in the right ports. Another way to solve this problem is to confirm that the keyboard or mouse works with another computer or swap with a colleague to determine if the problem is with the computer or with the peripherals. 

Deleting Important Files 

After spending a full day working on a project or report, you get a little bleary-eyed and accidentally hit delete! Don’t panic. If you realize this issue immediately, hit undo (command+Z for Mac, CTRL+Z for PC). If a few minutes have passed or even longer, check the recycle bin to see if the document or data was put there. Most companies have a back up plan that saves data after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed. Hopefully, if your company is on top of their back up policy, you will be able to retrieve your data. Good outsourcing IT companies will have a back up plan that can get you out of a jam like this! 

The Wireless Network Keeps Kicking You Off 

Step one when this occurs (before thinking you need a new wireless system), is to check that all connections are secure. If the connections are not secure, then you will need to go through the process of connecting to the router, connecting to the modem, and then connecting to the provider’s website. In some cases, the connection may not be the root problem but, rather, there are too many people, thus overwhelming the wireless system. If this problem occurs often, you may need to evaluate your wireless and examine if too many people are overloading the system. 

What are your company’s most common IT problems? Drop us a line in the comments and let us know. In the meantime, if you need help with your IT support, call Spectra Networks today. Call Spectra Networks at 978-219-9752 or visit our website.