1. First check to see if the cable connecting the network card into the network drop is connected to the drop and to the computer.
2. Check the back of the computer to see if the network card light is on.
3. Check to see if the site you are trying to pull up is at fault by typing in a common URL to see if it will make it out to that site.
4. Check to see if anyone else's machine is having problems. If everyone is, then it could be the network is having difficulties.
5. If the Internet connection is off on a particular hallway only, a hub connection could be down or bad.
6. If there is only one machine having problems and the light on the network card is not on, try plugging another machine that works into that drop. It could be that particular drop is bad, or plug the machine that doesn't seem to work into a different drop to see if it would work there.
7. Record all the data and call the Help Desk.
8. Only send a call in one way either by email, in person or by Phone. Sending it in more then one way can cause multiple trouble tickets and will slow down the time it takes to get the machine repaired.

Find out if anyone near you has the same problem. If there is a problem with one of our main services, then others will be having the same problem. If other people near you can do whatever it is and only you can't, that helps us narrow down the source of the problem.

Restart your computer. Often problems can fix themselves if you close down the program you are having the problems with and then open it again ¡§C save your work first! More extreme problems can often sort themselves out if you close all your programs (save your work!) then close down your machine completely, then start it up again. If you are having problems with a program freezing, try pressing Ctrl-Alt-Delete simultaneously and ending task on any programs that are freezing or have a (not responding) message after them. **Note you should not end task on Explorer, as this is the only program that is necessary for your computer to continue running.

Is the computer plugged in? This sounds simple enough, but you'd be amazed how often a power cord is the source of the trouble. Also check the power strip or surge protector to see if it somehow has been switched off.

Are you looking at the right cord? If the computer starts but the monitor doesn't, guess which power cord it is? That, or it's the monitor cable if the monitor turns on but there is no picture.

Plug and replug. And if the network, modem, keyboard, or mouse is on the fritz until proven otherwise, it is always a cable problem. Turn everything off and unplug and replug all the cords and cables, and many problems will amazingly work themselves out.

Have you checked your PC cards? Check to see if a cable has somehow wiggled one of the add-on cards out of its socket. If any of the cables attached to your PC want to wiggle around despite being firmly screwed in, this is likely your problem. You'll have to open the computer to fix this one.

Is there ink/toner in the printer? It's remarkable how a lack thereof can hold back your printing efforts.

Are you sure the phone jack works? When you plug a regular phone into your modem line, do you get dial tone?

What have you changed recently? Most problems have something to do with new hardware or software and occur shortly after installation. Does uninstalling, then reinstalling problem software fix things?

Does removing the hardware clear up the trouble? USB devices are a problem in this regard as the computer may not be able to provide enough power to the device. Trying uninstalling as many USB devices as you can and see if the problem goes away--some devices, for example, don't get enough power from a hub but work fine when connected directly to the computer.

Where are you booting from? If there is a diskette in the drive or a CD is trying to boot your computer, you can get really odd errors--so make sure all the drives are empty.

When in doubt, reboot. Finally, of course you've already rebooted the computer (more than once, if necessary) to see if it solves the problem. You have, haven't you? You'd be amazed how many people stare at a frozen computer waiting for it to come back to life. This sometimes does happen, but after about 10 minutes of waiting, consider a power-down reboot. Likewise, sometimes it takes multiple reboots to make a problem go away.

Cleaning Out Your Hard Drive.
Before you run ScanDisk and Defrag, you need to clean out the old files that you no longer use. These old files take up space on your hard drive and slow down your computer. Remember the rule of thumb should be that if you are unsure about a file, leave it alone.

Deleting Unnecessary Files.
Files you do not need include: .tmp files, cookies, cache files, file000.chk files, and Temporary Internet files. These files can be eliminated easily and should be cleaned out at least once a month.