FAQ: How to Quickly Solve Common Business IT Support Issues

Recently updated on August 8th, 2022

We’ve all been there. We are in the middle of building a presentation or having a video conference with an important client and technical issues rear their ugly head. While you may know the ins and outs of your clientele and services, odds are you never worked in IT support services. Don’t worry, Next Horizon has put together a short FAQ on the common IT support issues you may come across in your busy workday.

Common Business IT Support Issues

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• Forgotten Passwords
• Accidentally Deleting Important Files
• Setting Up 2-Factor Authentication
• Slow Internet Connection
• The Blue/Black Screen of Death

Forgotten Passwords

Everyone has forgotten their password at least once. In fact, 57% of full-time employees had to reset a work-related password in the last 90 days. With so many databases, platforms and software being used in a typical office, it’s fairly common to forget a password or two- especially if you follow the rule that you shouldn’t duplicate passwords.

Solution to Forgetting Passwords

There are a number of ways for developing memorable passwords. However, considering the average person has 100 passwords to remember, even a person with a great recall and password system can forget one from time to time.

Some businesses set up authentication portals. These portals hold all pertinent passwords and allow each employee to work through an authentication routine without the need for IT support. Not only is this more efficient for the employee, but building this system would also allow your tech support team to focus on higher priority items like security and network speed.

Accidentally Deleting Important Files

Even the savviest user might accidentally delete an important file. Whether it’s a word document you are currently working on or simply deleting the wrong file, it’s always a scary moment when we think we just lost quality work. Luckily, this is also one of the easiest issues to solve.

Solution to Accidentally Deleting Important Files

The first thing you should do is check your recycle bin. We can’t tell you how many people forget that this exists on their computer. Most businesses use cloud solutions like DropBox or Microsoft OneDrive to store their files. If so, the most recently saved version can usually be restored.

Unfortunately, sometimes these items can’t be retrieved. The best way to ensure that your files stay safe in nearly any event is by utilizing cloud backup solutions. This way, your files will be backed up regularly reducing the chance your good work disappears.

Setting Up 2-Factor Authentication

We know. All of a sudden, many online platforms are forcing 2-factor authentication on you. While this is simply a way to protect you from hackers, it can be a nuisance. The most common types of authentication are a fingerprint, password, SMS text, and answering a personal question. Any two of these can be used to authenticate your access.

Unfortunately, every platform utilizes 2-factor authentication a little bit differently. Simply follow the steps laid out by the platform you are using and you should be fine. If not, you can always rely on your IT support team to aid you along the way.

Slow Internet Connection

Whether it’s our home office or the office itself, slow internet connection seems to follow us everywhere and can be a frustrating and inhibiting part of our work lives. There are many reasons for this- an overextended network, router placement, viruses or even a simple upgrade to the network can slow it down temporarily.

Solution to Slow Internet Connection

The first thing you should do is run a diagnostic. Go to the bottom right toolbar where the internet connection symbol is and follow the troubleshooting steps. If that doesn’t work, go reboot your router. Remove the power cables. Wait 10-30 seconds. Plug it back in. It may take a few minutes for the internet to rebound.

Wifi is notoriously problematic. If you truly want to reduce 90% of slow internet issues, use an Ethernet cable to plug directly into the mainline. If that doesn’t work, it might be time to upgrade your internet connection.

The Blue/Black Screen of Death

You are working on building a presentation and your computer screen suddenly turns blue (or black in some cases). This is called the dreaded blue screen of death on Windows. In technical terms, it is called a stop error and indicates a system crash. While this can be scary for many reasons, most of the time, your computer can be resurrected without issue.

Solution to the Blue/Black Screen of Death

There are a number of reasons why you might get the blue screen of death. Typically, it occurs when you install new drivers or hardware onto the computer. Rebooting your computer can be enough to solve it.

You also may want to run system diagnostics and virus software on the reboot to see if there are any leftover issues to take care of. You may need to add more memory to your computer or update security patches or drivers.

When you encounter the blue screen of death, the screen provides you with information on what the problem truly is. That information should let you know whether you need professional IT support services to resurrect your system.

Don’t Want to Do It Yourself? We Got You!

If you simply want to focus on your primary responsibilities and leave the tech support to trained, reliable IT professionals, then call on Next Horizon. We provide extensive IT support and managed IT solutions for businesses just like yours.

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