When troubleshooting computer errors, I will often ask myself, “Did I overlook something?” Sometimes a solution is so obvious that it’s nearly impossible to see. I’m not going to double check the power cord because of course it’s plugged in. I’m smarter than that, right? Recently, minor computer problems struck close to home, clearly illustrating how important it is to consider obvious causes.
First, I have a two-year-old boy in my house. Anyone with a toddler underfoot knows that everything is fair game. A few months ago, about six keys from my daughter’s keyboard had mysteriously disappeared. It doesn’t take an ace detective to figure out who made off with them.
But when my wireless network and Internet access went down last week, the antics of my little guy where a distant memory. I’m a “Tech Jock” by golly and I was on the job. I rebooted my cable modem and wireless router as that often solves these issues. I went into the Networking and Sharing Center and “refreshed” the network. I double checked my network protocol settings. You name it, I did it.
Next, I checked the other computers on the network to see if they were experiencing network connectivity problems. They could connect just fine. Since my other computers could connect, I knew the problem wasn’t with my ISP. Plus, I had Internet access! This meant I could further research my problem. Just as I was getting ready to dig in and figure out my problem, guess who toddled in and plopped himself down in front of my computer?
Was the solution really as obvious as it looked? Yes. My two-year-old son had flipped the wireless access switch (which is conveniently located on the front of my laptop with a pretty orange indicator light) to the “off” position. All I had to do flip the switch back to “on” and I was back in business.
Computers don’t care how young, old, or experienced you are; they affect everyone. Last week, my 70-year-old father had a problem resetting his wireless keyboard after the batteries died. He replaced the batteries but couldn’t re-establish wireless communication. He fiddled a bit before calling tech support. After 45 minutes of checking device drivers and other troubleshooting steps, he finally gave up and called his favorite local computer repair tech.
The tech arrived and spent at least one, if not two, billable hours fiddling with the system, checking settings and drivers, and running diagnostic tests. Finally, he decided to check the obvious: the batteries. Yes. The solution was as obvious as it looked. My father had installed the batteries upside down.
Let my father’s $200 plus computer repair bill be a lesson to you all. Don’t be afraid to check the obvious. In fact, whenever you’re faced with a computer error, check the obvious. Is the computer plugged in? Is the switch in the “on” position? Are the batteries installed correctly? Are the batteries any good? Am I logged on with the correct privileges? Did I recently make a change to the system? Is the printer connected on both ends? Do I have an ink cartridge installed? Is a floppy disk inserted in the drive?
I’m a “Tech Jock” and I overlooked the obvious. Want to know what my father is? He’s a detective! If we can miss these basic clues, so can you. When computer problems strike, start with the obvious. You may just crack the case!
Celeste Stewart | July 18th, 2008
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