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Electrical Gremlins And Old Homes


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Electrical Gremlins And Old Homes

When I bought an old house because I fell in love with the charm, I was completely unprepared for some of the issues that come along with homes of that age. One of the biggest surprises to me was the electrical issues I experienced. Everything from having to unplug everything in the kitchen to use a compressor in the garage to tripped breakers from a single air conditioner left me frustrated and confused. I called an electrician and learned a lot during his inspection. If you are thinking about buying an old house, this blog is for you. I hope that my knowledge and first-hand experience can help you avoid some of the disasters that I faced.

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Uh Oh. Time To Call IT. Tips For Better Interactions Between IT And Users

Computers are getting easier to use by the day, but that doesn't mean that every little problem that comes up is easy to solve. IT (information technology) support continues to play a vital role in regular, day-to-day office tasks. For many users, however, dealing with IT can sometimes feel like an uphill struggle. Technical instructions may be difficult to follow, or IT staff may use terms that they are unfamiliar with. On the other side of the coin, IT staff are often frustrated by users who cannot fully describe a problem or how to reproduce it. These tips will help your office staff to better communicate with your IT staff.

Never Ignore Error Boxes

When an error pops up, it's tempting to immediately click that "OK" button and just make it go away. Unfortunately, this is one of the best ways to guarantee that your IT staff will be unable to help you with your problem. If an error pops up, your first instinct should be to stop and read the error. The message may actually just be alerting you to something you are doing wrong in the application that you are using. If the error is an actual problem, then either write down the error message (along with any codes that may be present) or take a screenshot. This information will be invaluable when it comes time to diagnose the problem.

Pay Attention to What You Were Doing

Reproducibility is one of the most important aspects of all forms of troubleshooting. If you are getting an error repeatedly or having some other problem, then it is important to remember the situations where that error pops up. Is the error message appearing when you click a particular icon? Does it only happen right after opening an application? Along with the actual content of the error message, the circumstances where the error occurs are a key clue to its underlying cause.

Fully Describe Problems

Try to avoid describing problems with simple phrases such as "it doesn't work" or "an error pops up." Without more information, it's impossible to get to the root of the problem. No one expects users who aren't computer experts to be able to describe a problem in detailed, technical terms, but explaining the basic steps that caused the problem to occur will be helpful. If your computer is behaving oddly in any other ways, then describing these will be helpful as well.

Communicate

While detailed error messages and problem descriptions are helpful, ultimately the most important aspect of dealing with your IT staff is simply to communicate. Many problems can only be properly diagnosed and solved through many troubleshooting steps, so it is important to understand that the process may take some time. Even if you working with a member of your IT in person, don't be afraid to provide more information as you remember it or to ask questions. With proper communication, just about any computer problem can found and solved.

For more information on IT repair, contact a resource in your area.