Top 3 most annoying IT problems and how to easily solve them

Is this you?

As an IT support provider we know just how frustrating it can be when something doesn’t work and stops you from doing the most simplest of tasks. So, we thought we would write a blog on the most common, most annoying IT problems there is out there and the easiest way for you to solve them. And yes, sometimes this does involve just turning it on and off again ….

My machine is running really SLOOOOOOOW

Forever is a long time. This is by far the most common issue we assist our clients with. One of the first things our IT tech team do is to run a report to check the performance of every machine/device our client has. We then continue to monitor that on an ongoing basis. This tell’s us exactly why their machine is running slow. Here are the most common reasons …

– Not enough memory (the memory is like coal in a train, it makes your PC go faster, the more you have the faster it performs)

– There is a virus or malware on the machine

– The machine is outdated

– Processor isn’t up to the job, meaning the processing power of the machine isn’t capable of the tasks you’re trying to perform.

– Application Saturation – trying to run too many applications on a machine that isn’t capable of running them all at the same time.

To avoid this blog being way to long and going too in-depth, our solutions to the above issues are simple. Actually try turning it on and off again making sure you actually take the plug out for 2 minutes! Sometimes it can be that simple – and here is why it works. By restarting your device, you allow the device to reset its temporary memory space, giving the software a clean slate to run normally again. By removing the plug, you allow the device to completely switch off. Normally, flicking the power switch off and immediately back on does not allow the power to completely drain. For a reset to work, it must be fully depleted and leaving it two minutes allows this to happen.

Other solutions we advise are to get more memory, install some antivirus software and always keep your software up to date by installing new updates when they are recommended to you. Alternatively we offer a free, no obligation IT health check which will actually tell you which one of the above is causing you the problem. Our tech team have over 50 years of IT knowledge under their belts and will know exactly what to recommend to you to fix your problem.

I’ve lost ALL my data

One of the most common things our Helpdesk hears is ‘i’ve deleted the wrong file’ or ‘all my data is missing’. There may not be a simple solution, if any, to get it back if you haven’t backed this data up. It may be possible with the help of our technical team if the data is backed up as we would be able to locate where these files are and restore them for you.

Although it doesn’t help you restore the data you have lost at this point you do need to take preventative measures so this does not happen again. Here are our top ones to consider …..

Back up your data: Whether this be in the cloud or on an external hard drive, we can advise of the best way to do this depending on what data you are storing.
Partition your hard drive: This means creating separate program and data zones. This means that if the program portion of a hard drive crashes, you may be able to recover the data because it is stored in a separate location.
Perform disk defragmentation: The process of saving and deleting files naturally creates gaps on the hard drive that other files are then filled into. When data is split into segments for storage it takes longer for the computer to access the data and also makes file corruption more likely if the hard drive crashes. Defragmentation arranges files more contiguously to lower the risk of data loss and speed up computer processing time.
Use anti-virus software: Anti-virus software is essential to prevent viruses and malware from infecting your computer. Be sure to keep anti-virus software updated so it runs properly and effectively.
Keep your computer clean and dry: Dust or moisture collecting in a computer can cause the hard drive to crash or computer to overheat. Store all computers and laptops in dry, ventilated areas.
Keep computers in a safe location: Computers should be kept stationary and in a location where they are not likely to be jostled or damaged. Keeping your computers out of the way will also reduce the risk of theft.
Control employee access: All employees working with company data should be properly trained about confidentiality or how data can be shared. It is in the best interest of your company to control who can access different levels of data to protect from accidental or intentional data loss.

If you want to speak to one of our tech team in relation to data loss and advice on which back up solution is best for you, book an appointment using the meeting link below …

I keep getting hooked

Another one of the main calls our Helpdesk receives is along the lines of ‘I’ve clicked on a dodgy email’. Phishing has become one of the most longstanding and dangerous methods of cyber crime. It tricks its victims into clicking links, downloading attachments or sending sensitive information through deceptive messages. Now, you may think you know how to spot a fake email, but just like you so do many others, and they still fall victim. Here are 3 easy ways to spot a fake email …

1. Is the email address legit? Now listen, no legit organisation will contact you from an email address that ends in lets say ‘@gmail.com’ – not even Google themselves!

Okay, so. Lets take this eBay email for example: eBay@notice-access-765.com. A genuine email from eBay would of had the organisations name in the domain name and this would then of indicated that it would of come from a genuine member of staff from eBay. The fact that eBay doesn’t come after the ‘@’ symbol gives you a huge indication that this email address is in fact, fake.

Now, to throw you even further, some email addresses can have words misspelt and you probably won’t recognise this straight away! Check for random capital letters and letters misplaced for example exBay@notice-access-765.com. The best way to check an organisation’s domain name is to type the companies name into a search engine. If you do happen to get a random email address the end of the email will always give you some sort of identification of the legitimacy of it.

2. Is there a suspicious attachment? They come in many forms so be aware of this however, the one thing they’ll consistently have in common is that they’ll contain a payload. This could be anything from an infected attachment that you’re requested to download or a link to a website that requests something like a login or other sensitive information. Please ensure you don’t open any attachments unless you’re fully confident that the email is legitimate- even so you still need to look out for a suspicious attachment or link. If you’re unsure, just contact the sender! You can also hover your mouse over the link. This will show you the destination web URL. For example; eBay will have eBay.com so be aware if this doesn’t match the email! Please be aware that some scammers hide the email address so this isn’t always possible to see.

3. Is there a sense of urgency? This next key thing to look for in a scam email is probably going to be the biggest giveaway! As a human being, when we’re sent an email that doesn’t contain any urgency we tend to leave it. Scammers know this and will ensure the fake email requests you to ‘act now’. In the workplace, scammers know that you will drop everything for a higher member of staff’s request so, they’ll create a scam email in the form of a request of lets say a manager or boss. You need to make sure you’re very aware of this.

If you have noticed the signs spoken about above then please let us know as soon as possible. We’ll assist with resetting passwords, checking for signs of a hacked account, checking your email flow and advising you on who to alert in the case of them being sent fake emails!

Alternatively we offer an ethical hacking service where a member of the team will send an email to your staff members to test their knowledge on fake emails and see if they’re alert upon receiving it!

We hope you have found this blog useful, if any of these solutions have not worked or we can help with these or any we have not mentioned give us a call on 0800 01 999 34, email us on support@pcparamedics.it or book a meeting with us on any of the meeting links provided above.