Argus IT Help Desk
You Have a Problem — First Steps
The one-minute checks that fix a surprising number of problems.
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Most computer problems are simpler than they look. Work through the relevant sections below before you submit a ticket — they solve a surprising percentage of issues, usually in under a minute. If a deeper article exists for your issue, this one points you to it.
🧠 First — the right mindset
Take a breath Frustration leads to frustrated clicking, keyboard mashing, and more confusion about what actually went wrong. Step back for sixty seconds — most of the time the answer becomes obvious. Stop hitting things Clicking twenty times does NOT make the computer go faster — you've just sent it twenty more instructions to process. If it's thinking, let it think. If it's been thinking for more than a minute or two it may genuinely be stuck, but more clicks won't unstick it. Think about what changed Computers don't usually break for no reason. Did this work yesterday? Did you just install, plug in, or unplug something? Did anyone else use the workstation? Is there a power outage or storm? The answers often point straight at the cause.
🔌 Universal first checks
Is it plugged in? It sounds obvious — that's why it's first. Cables get knocked loose by feet, cleaning staff, vacuums, and chairs. Every cable has three points of failure: at the device, at the power brick (if there's one mid-cable), and at the wall or power bar. Push each firmly back in, then confirm the outlet works (test with a phone charger). Is the power bar on? Power bars get switched off by feet under desks all the time. Check the little red or green light. Restart it A reboot fixes more problems than any other single action. Workstation: Start → power icon → Restart (not Shut down — Restart clears the system more thoroughly). Printer: off, 30 seconds, on. If you haven't restarted yet, restart before anything else. Look for loose cables Gently pull each cable to confirm it's seated — USB, network (the fat phone cord; it should click), HDMI/DisplayPort, and power.
🖱️ Mouse
- Not working at all? Wireless: check the on/off switch underneath, and the batteries — they don't last forever.
- Cursor jumping around? Wipe the sensor on the underside; try a real mousepad or a sheet of paper.
- Clicks not registering? Try a different USB port; unplug the USB dongle, wait 10 seconds, plug back in.
- No mouse at all? You can still navigate with Tab, Enter, and the Windows key while you wait for a replacement.
⌨️ Keyboard
- Wrong letters? Check the Caps Lock and Num Lock lights.
- Symbols instead of letters (é instead of e)? The layout switched to French — press Left Alt + Shift to toggle back.
- Dead? Unplug, wait 10 seconds, replug in a different USB port. Wireless: batteries.
- Sticky keys? Usually ends in a replacement — mention what was spilled (or wasn't) in your ticket.
🖥️ Monitor / display
- Black or "No Signal"? Check the monitor's own power button (light on the bezel), both ends of the video cable, and the monitor's Input Source (menu button — must match the port the cable uses).
- Sideways or upside-down? Accidental shortcut — press Ctrl + Alt + ↑.
- Everything huge or tiny? In a browser, Ctrl + 0 resets zoom. Windows-wide, it's a scaling setting — ticket us if stuck.
- Second monitor blank? Press Windows + P and choose Extend; then check the cable.
🔈 Sound
- No sound? The speaker icon (bottom-right) may be muted — click it and slide the volume up.
- Wrong output? Click the speaker icon, then the ^ above the slider to switch between speakers and headphones.
- Teams/Zoom call? Each app has its own audio settings — check inside the app too.
🌐 Internet / network
- Nothing loads? Check whether other workstations are affected. Whole property down = network outage (IT likely knows). Just you = restart your machine.
- Laptop or phone: right Wi-Fi? Don't work on guest Wi-Fi — it blocks business systems (email, Opera, file shares). Switch to the work network.
- One site broken, others fine? Try another browser (Edge vs Chrome) to see if it's the site or the browser.
- VPN? See Using FortiClient VPN (KB-40001).
🔐 Sign-in / password
- "Wrong password" but you're sure? Check Caps Lock, then try once more — slowly.
- Locked out? Lockouts clear automatically after a few minutes — wait 5, then try again carefully.
- Outlook password loop? See Outlook Keeps Prompting for Password (KB-130008).
- New phone, MFA broken? See Setting Up Microsoft Authenticator on a New Phone (KB-190001).
- Never include your password in a ticket — Argus IT will never ask for it.
🖨️ Printer
- Is it on? Is there paper, and no jam? Any red or amber lights or panel errors?
- Still stuck? Restart the printer (off, 30 seconds, on) and try again.
- Beyond the basics: Printer Not Printing — First Steps (KB-20001).
🧊 Frozen application
- One program "Not Responding"? Give it 60 seconds. Still stuck: Ctrl + Shift + Esc → Task Manager → select the app → End Task → reopen.
- Whole computer frozen? Wait two minutes. Then hold the power button 10 seconds to force off, and power back on. Unsaved work in open documents may be lost.
💾 "I can't find my file"
- Recently saved? Open the app and check File → Recent.
- OneDrive file? File Explorer → OneDrive in the left sidebar → search.
- Deleted? Check the Recycle Bin; OneDrive files can also be restored from its online trash for up to 30 days.
- Truly gone? Submit a ticket — backups exist, but the further back, the harder the recovery.
🐢 Computer is slow
- Close apps and browser tabs you're not using — a workstation can only juggle so much.
- When did you last restart? Days or weeks ago = restart it now.
- Just installed something? Mention it in your ticket.
🆘 When to submit a ticket
Worked through the relevant basics and it's still broken? Submit a ticket and: say what you already tried · include the asset tag (5-digit number on the blue or copper Argus IT label) · attach a photo or screenshot of any error. See How to Fill Out a Ticket (KB-10002) for the full guidance.
🔗 Go deeper
- Printer Not Printing — First Steps (KB-20001)
- Outlook Keeps Prompting for Password (KB-130008)
- Setting Up Microsoft Authenticator on a New Phone (KB-190001)
- Setting Up a Phone For Access To Email (KB-130005)
- Using FortiClient VPN (KB-40001)
- Add the Argus IT Help Desk App to Your Phone (KB-10015)
- How to Fill Out a Ticket (KB-10002)
ArgusIT KB# 10001 · Tags: computer · monitor · mouse · reboot · problem
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