When things break: the beginner's repair kit

You do not need to be technical to fix most computer problems. You need a short checklist and the confidence to try things.

Nothing here can break your computer.

Rule 1 — Restart it

Genuinely. It fixes a large share of problems, and IT departments ask it first for good reason: software leaves things in a stuck state, and restarting clears them all at once.

Try in this order: restart the app → restart the computer → restart the router.

Rule 2 — Narrow it down

Before panicking, find the boundary of the problem. One question does most of the work: what still works?

• Does the website fail in another browser? → problem is the browser
• Does it fail on your phone too? → problem is the website or your internet
• Does another person have the same problem? → problem is the system, not you

The eight common ones

1. "The internet isn't working." Try another website first — one site being down looks identical to your internet being down. Then check whether other devices work. Then restart the router (unplug 30 seconds).

2. "The computer is really slow." Too much open. Close unused browser tabs — each one uses memory. Restart. Check free disk space: below about 10% free, everything crawls.

3. "The file won't open." Usually you don't have the app for that file type. Check the extension. .pages needs a Mac; .psd needs Photoshop. Ask the sender for a PDF.

4. "The printer isn't printing." Is it on and connected to the same Wi-Fi? Is there a stuck job? Open the print queue, cancel everything, then print once.

5. "I lost my work." Word and Excel keep autosaved copies: File → Info → Manage Document → Recover Unsaved Documents. Google apps have File → Version history which keeps everything forever.

6. "The screen is frozen." Windows: Ctrl+Shift+Esc → Task Manager → select the app → End Task. Mac: Cmd+Option+Esc → Force Quit.

7. "It says my password is wrong." Check Caps Lock. Check your keyboard language. Then use "Forgot password" rather than trying a ninth time — most systems lock you out after several attempts.

8. "A window is asking me to install something." Stop. Don't click. See the safety note below.

Asking for help properly

How you ask determines how fast you get fixed. Give three things:

1. 1What you did — "I clicked Export in the sales dashboard"
2. 2What you expected — "a CSV should download"
3. 3What actually happened — "a red banner says 'session expired'" (with a screenshot)

❌ "The system isn't working, can you help?" ✅ "When I click Export in the sales dashboard, I get 'session expired' (screenshot). I've tried logging out and in, and Chrome and Edge. Same both times."

The second one gets fixed today. The first one starts a twenty-minute conversation before anyone can begin.

Two habits that prevent most disasters

• Ctrl+S every few minutes. Make it a nervous tic.
• Keep your work in a synced cloud folder. Then a dead laptop is an inconvenience, not a catastrophe.