Work through the steps in order and stop as soon as the problem is gone. None of them will damage your computer or your files.
Network
The Wi-Fi keeps dropping
Check another device in the same spot. If it drops too, skip to step 4.
Turn Wi-Fi off on your computer, wait ten seconds and turn it back on.
Forget the network, then join it again with the password. This clears a bad saved profile. On Windows, go to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks. On a Mac, go to System Settings > Wi-Fi.
Move closer to the access point. If the connection holds there, the problem is coverage rather than your computer. Thick walls, metal cabinets and microwaves all weaken the signal.
Restart the router or access point if you're allowed to. Unplug it, wait thirty seconds and plug it back in. Give it a few minutes to come back up.
If you have a choice of networks, try the 5 GHz one when you're near the access point and the 2.4 GHz one when you're far away.
Email us if several people are affected, or if a network cable works and Wi-Fi doesn't. Tell us where you sit and what time the drops happen.
Network
Video calls freeze or sound robotic
Close other video tabs, large downloads and cloud sync, then turn off your camera to see if the audio recovers.
Plug in a network cable if you can. A wired connection fixes most call problems caused by Wi-Fi.
Ask the others on the call whether they hear you the same way. If only one person sounds bad, the problem is probably at their end.
Check the microphone and speaker selected in the call app. A docking station or a monitor can quietly take over as the audio device.
Install any pending updates for the call app, then restart your computer.
Email us if calls are poor on a wired connection. Include the app you use, the time of a bad call and whether others in the office had the same trouble.
Printing
The printer says offline or does nothing
Look at the printer's own screen for paper, toner or jam messages. Clear anything it reports.
Turn the printer off, wait thirty seconds and turn it back on.
Check that you're sending the job to the right printer. Old entries and copies such as "Printer (Copy 1)" are a common cause.
Open the print queue and cancel any stuck jobs. One failed job can hold up everything behind it.
On Windows, open services.msc, right-click Print Spooler and choose Restart. On a Mac, remove the printer in System Settings > Printers & Scanners and add it again.
Print a test page from the printer's own menu. If that works, the printer is fine and the fault is between your computer and the printer.
Email us if nobody can print, or if the test page fails. Include the printer's name and any error shown on its screen.
Accounts
I can't sign in to my account
Type the password somewhere visible to check for Caps Lock or the wrong keyboard language. Then clear it.
Stop retrying after two or three attempts. Repeated failures can lock the account for longer.
Use the service's "Forgot password" link if it has one. Check your spam folder for the reset email.
If your authenticator codes are rejected, check that your phone's date and time are set automatically. Codes depend on an accurate clock.
If you've lost the phone you use for sign-in codes, use a saved recovery code, or email us.
If you didn't cause the lockout, or you got a sign-in code you didn't ask for, email us now. Someone else may be trying to use your account. Send the request from another address if you can't reach your own, and never include your password.
Files
I deleted or overwrote a file
Stop saving new versions of the file. The less it changes from here, the easier it is to recover.
Check the Recycle Bin or Trash on your computer.
If the file was in cloud storage, open the service in a browser and check its deleted items. For an overwritten file, look for version history.
On Windows, right-click the folder and look under Properties > Previous Versions. On a Mac, open the folder and enter Time Machine if it's set up.
For Word, Excel and similar apps, reopen the app and look for autorecovered documents.
Search for the file by name. It may just have been moved by accident.
Email us soon, because backups and deleted items are only kept for a limited time. Include the file's name, its folder and when you last knew it was correct.
Computers
My computer is painfully slow
Restart it, even if you think you did recently. Many computers don't fully restart when they're shut down or put to sleep.
Finish any pending system updates. They can slow everything down until they complete.
See what's using the most memory and processor. On Windows, press Ctrl+Shift+Esc for Task Manager. On a Mac, open Activity Monitor. Close anything you don't need.
Check your free disk space. Performance often suffers when the system drive is nearly full, so empty the downloads folder and the bin.
Reduce the apps that start automatically. Use Task Manager's Startup apps tab on Windows, or System Settings > General > Login Items on a Mac.
On a laptop, plug in the charger and check that a battery-saving mode isn't on.
Email us if the fans run constantly, unknown programs appear, or the slowdown began after you opened an unexpected attachment. In that last case, disconnect from the network first.
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