Working from home opens you up to all sorts of security risks you don’t face in the office. When the IT staff isn’t right down the hall, these simple tips will help protect your company’s data, as well as your own. When you step into your office or cubicle and sit down to work at […]
How to keep your Zoom meetings safe and secure
Is it safe to use the videoconferencing app Zoom? Yes — if you know how to set it up properly. First, some background. As you may know, Zoom’s popularity has soared over the past couple of months as people stuck at home use its free version to stay in touch with friends, family, and co-workers. […]
Computer Begins Randomly Rebooting or Crashing
Check for overheating. Make sure the vents in the case are not blocked. Confirm that there is good air flow around the computer. Update your antivirus software and scan for viruses. Kaspersky antivirus
Windows Shutting Down Message Will Not Disappear
Sometimes Windows will freeze during the shutdown process. If this happens, the Windows is Shutting Down message screen will stay active on your screen. To finish shutting down the computer, press and hold the power button for about 10 seconds, or until the computer turns off. The Windows shutdown screen
Program is Completely Unresponsive
If a program has become completely unresponsive, you can press (and hold) the Control, Alt, and Deletekeys to open the Task Manager. You can then select the program that isn’t working and click End Task. If you are using a Mac, you can press Option, Command, Esc to open a similar dialog box. The Task Manager
My printer won’t print
Let’s assume that your printer’s drivers are up-to-date, and that it has enough paper and ink or toner to print. Try turning the printer off and on. Unplug the printer and plug it back in. Check your printer’s print queue by looking for the printer icon in the system tray and double-clicking it. The print […]
Pop-up ads are appearing on my desktop
If you’re not running your Web browser and are still getting pop-up ads on your desktop, you’ve most likely installed adware—a program that displays unwanted ads. Although benevolent adware exists, most of the time adware is up to no good. Getting rid of it isn’t easy. “There’s a ton of little system-utility tools out there […]
Downloads are taking forever
Speedtest.net is your best friend when you’re having connectivity problems. Run a speed test to see what your download and upload speeds are—ideally they should be at least 50 percent of your Internet service provider’s advertised speeds, with a ping under 100 milliseconds. If the speeds seem solid, make sure that you aren’t inadvertently downloading or […]
An application is running slowly
Solution 1: Close and reopen the application. Solution 2: Update the application. To do this, click the Help menu and look for an option to check for Updates. If you don’t find this option, another idea is to run an online search for application updates. Problem: An application is frozen Sometimes an application may become stuck, or frozen. When […]
Power button will not start computer
Solution 1: If your computer does not start, begin by checking the power cord to confirm that it is plugged securely into the back of the computer case and the power outlet. Solution 2: If it is plugged into an outlet, make sure it is a working outlet. To check your outlet, you can plug […]