Computers are great! They can save us time and money, connect us with long lost friends and relatives and provide us with endless hours of entertainment. But sometimes, they don’t do what we want them to do, and we don’t always know how to fix that. That is why I created this guide to help you solve some common computer problems with ease.
(PSST! There’s a printable cheat sheet at the bottom!)
1. Did you delete a file by accident? Right click your recycle-bin, select “restore”.
2. Having difficulty exiting a program? Hold the Alt button and press the F4 button.
3. Is your keyboard or mouse not working? Try unplugging and plugging them back in. If that doesn’t work – reboot your computer.
4. Is your computer’s Start button gone? Use the “windows” button on your keyboard.
5. Is there no sound on your computer? First, check that windows is not on mute, and that the volume is all the way up. Then, check if your speakers/headphones are plugged in. If all else fails, try rebooting.
6. Is a menu command grayed out? Push the “Esc” key 3 times. (This won’t always work, as some commands are disabled during certain processes).
7. Have you forgotten today’s date? Hover the mouse over the clock at the bottom right of the screen.
8. Missing your Taskbar? Move the mouse pointer all the way down until you find it, then drag it up.
9. Desktop icons are a mess? Right click and select “Arrange Icons”.
10. Is The computer stuck? Reboot it.
11. Program frozen with a notification window? Close the notification. It will either unfreeze the program, or close it.
12. Program frozen with no notifications? Right click its name on the taskbar and close it.
13. Accidentally erased some text or even a file? Click Ctrl + Z to go back in time and cancel your last action, whatever it was.
14. A program closed down? Check if it’s still in the taskbar – if not, start it up again.
15. Your browser is all over the screen and you can’t find anything? Press F11, this takes it into, and out of, full screen mode.
16. The text on the internet browser is too small? Hold Ctrl and press “+” (Use “-“ to make it smaller again).
17. Double-click isn’t working? Try pressing “Enter”
18. LETTERS ALL COME OUT IN CAPITALS? Press the “Caps Lock” key.
19. Is the text you’re typing going over the previous text? Press the “Insert” key.
20. Your document is set on “read only”? Choose the “Save As” option and rename it.
Remember – if all else fails, rebooting the computer usually solves the problem, but make sure you save everything first.
As promised, a Super-Helpful Cheat-Sheet:
