​I.T. techs love new technology but buying the newest hardware and software can get expensive. If you're using old workstations, monitors, and software, it's probably because those that control the I.T. budget don't like spending money on new tech. 

​Multiple clicking, (having a happy finger), will only cause 50 windows to pop open once your computer decides to start responding again. 

Within reason, your I.T. team will do everything it can to assist you. However; don't expect I.T. to stop whatever they are working on because you have defined your issue as an emergency. Your definition of an emergency may be different than ours. It's not an emergency if you forgot until today that you needed something today.  We always work as quickly as possible to get all requests completed. We too have schedules and deadlines to meet, so it's likely you may not be next in line. 

The deleted items folder in Outlook and the recycle bin get automatically cleaned out from time to time. You may find it hard to believe, but many of you like to store your most important emails in there!  Instead, create a folder pertaining to the subjects or accounts of the important emails that need to be saved and you'll never have to worry about them being deleted. 

Once your request has been received, oftentimes your technician will need to ask a couple questions to either begin or complete the "fix".  It's important to be available to help expedite the process by answering any questions that arise. Leaving multiple phone numbers of where you can be reached could be the key to getting the work completed quickly. 

If you plan on leaving your desk for any length of time, always lock your computer. You are responsible for keeping company data safe and preventing anyone else from using your system without a password. Keep others from possibly copying or deleting your files, installing programs and malware, or sending emails that indicate they were sent by you. After-hours personnel; cleaning crew, part timers, and maintenance should never have access to your computer unless they have their own login. Whenever you leave your desk you should lock your computer. PC users- press the Window key +L, or press Ctrl+Alt+Del and lock. 

It may appear that we have infinite knowledge and can resolve all issues with no effort; however sometimes resolving your problem involves researching tech forums, trial and error to discover potential known issues, and even “Googling”.  We’re always learning.

One thing that we do know for certain here at Just Call the IT Guy, is that I have been selected as one of 2 nominees for Wylie’s Small Businessperson of the year! If you’re an Alignable business member in Wylie you have until midnight Friday the 15th, to vote on Alignable for the winner on the home page in the Wylie Community insights section. If you’re not a member yet, you can sign up for free and then vote.  Thank you for your votes! 

Yes, it's true, rebooting your computer can resolve many problems that you are experiencing.  When issues suddenly pop up like running slow, or your apps won't open, try rebooting first. This quick and easy refresh closes apps that need to reset and allows patches and updates to take effect only through restarting your computer. We suggest rebooting your computer once a week to help maintain optimal performance. This also works on your phones, which we often times forget to restart.

If you're wondering about the picture? This is from the amazingly funny Brittish TV series called The IT Crowd, where they answer the help desk phone with "Hello IT have you tried turning it on and off again"?The show originally aired in 2006 and ran 4 seasons, 6 episodes per season.  It can be found onNetflix and will show you see the lighter and funnier side of IT.