Tech Tips – March 2015

After years of writing and providing help desk support to end users, I’ve found that the simpler I keep the solutions, the more likely they are to be understood and followed.  Much I as wouldn’t understand a civil engineer’s schematic for an underground railway, many people have more important things to worry about than why their computer start-up is slower than evolution.

Not the common sense answer to all our technological problems.

Rather than offer solutions to complex technical solutions this month, we thought everyone might use some general advice to make their way through the technical jungle of the 21st century.

Common Sense Technical Advice

(1) Going to call a technical support hotline?  The best times to call are between 9 am and 11 am, as it the technician is still at the beginning of his or her day, and will have an opportunity to take action on your call that day should you require service or otherwise.

(2) Company not responding to your request for technical support or customer service? Posting your request and reasons for doing so on their Facebook page or Twitter site tends to get a quicker response than a complaint that hasn’t been made public.

(3) Reboot your computer.  Giving your computer a timeout often causes it to start behaving the way you’d like.  Like a disgruntled toddler, sometimes it just needs a moment or two to reset itself before carrying on with the day.  A reboot also lets your computer apply updates and other needed operation that can’t occur until restart (in case you were wondering).

(4) Hate remembering all your passwords?  Many computers and smartphones today have the option of letting you use biometrics (fingerprints, heart rate, eye scanner, etc) to log in.  While some scanners (notably the fingerprint scanner on the Galaxy S5) have a ways to go before they’re entirely useful, they have become very commonplace today.

(5) Take a break.  Sometimes technology is not going to respond no matter how many times you press that button.  Network outages, loose connections, and many other factors can contribute to your technological angst if you let it.

That’s it for March!  The weather has been unseasonably warm in the Northwest, so consider taking a few minutes to step outside and enjoy what nature has provided.  And leave your cell phone inside.