Getting help in an IT Emergency
Like me you probably rely on your PC for your job. Computer failures are reasonably rare but what do you do when your PC stops working or gives you problems? This is what NASA, the space people, call a “mission critical” problem!
Most computer problems are caused by changes to the software or hardware rather than them suddenly developing a fault. I always try and think what may have changed, and if there is nothing I am aware of I will switch the computer off completely and then back on (don’t just do a restart).
If you still have a problem you need to start looking for help;
- Do you have a support contract with the hardware or software vendor?
- Do you have any friends or colleagues around that you could call? It may be an idea to write down exactly what the problem is and the text of any error messages to make life easier
- Do you have access to another computer? If so you could do a search on the web using the text of the error message. This may point you to a forum where the problem has been seen before
- Try your local computer store. Often they have a repair facility that can get these problems resolved, at a cost.
We have some guides that can help a bit further, maybe it would be an idea to print these out and keep them safe;
Getting emergency IT help
Remember that a lot of computer problems are caused by malware (i.e. viruses), so once your problem is fixed make sure your protection software is up to date.
