The bad news: software problems happen all the time. The good news: in most cases, you can avoid them fairly easily! We’ve all heard “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. If we never change your car’s oil, the car will eventually break down, and we rely on software as much as we do our cars, so let’s take a minute to tune up your digital processes.
Here at WillDom, we solve software problems daily so we know what to look for. Read on for 7 of the most common software issues, the causes of software problems, and how to solve them. Together, we can avoid that engine breakdown.
- Security
Cybersecurity is the most pressing of our software problem examples. Your company loses sensitive information, its reputation, and the money spent trying to remedy the breach. Hackers and malware are an unfortunate reality and they are improving and evolving every day. Your security needs to be on the cutting edge to stay ahead.
Cause: Not staying up-to-date.
Solution: Often, the most cost-effective method is to hire a third party. Their whole business revolves around security. They eat, sleep, and breathe it. This isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it matter. Leave security up to the experts – it’s well worth it.
- Blue Screen of Death / Freezing / Not Starting
This could be a hardware issue, ranging from power supply failure to overheating to a litany of other misfires. But if it’s software related then its cause could be:
1. Your drivers.
2. Incompatible software attempting to run.
3. Damaged system files.
Solution: If you can get into boot mode, disable or uninstall programs that might be interfering until you find a combination that works. Likely the culprit is something you’ve just added or updated. But keep in mind that sometimes a windows/system update will cause compatibility issues with a program you’ve used forever. If all else fails, revert to a previous backup.
- Data Loss
Sometimes a program crashes, or a hard drive fries, and you’re left with an empty space where all your hard work used to be. It’s less common now that we use cloud backups for most projects, but you should still have a backup and recovery plan for your important information. And full system, website, and server backups are just as important and often forgotten.
Cause: System or program error, connection loss, or login loss.
Solution: Always use an automated cloud backup. If it isn’t instant, schedule the backups frequently. Don’t leave it up to yourself to remember to do it – we have computers for that!
- Error Messages
Error messages should not be part of your life. An error message is the check engine light for your system. Don’t just click them away or get used to them. Solve them before they get worse.
Cause: Corrupted files or drivers or two programs that can’t communicate correctly.
Solution: Write down exactly what the error message says and google it. Someone has had this problem before and they solved it. Worst case scenario, uninstall that program and reinstall it.
- Slow Speeds
Downloading, uploading, or processing slowly is not the way to go. If clearing space on your hard drive and hardwiring the internet didn’t help, you might have a software problem.
Cause: aA rogue app using up bandwidth in the background.
Solution: After you clear cookies and temporary internet files, take a look at what is actually running on your computer. Is there something you don’t need or recognize? Get rid of it and check your speed again. It could also be malware slowing you down so run your antivirus again (…and we’re back to security!).
- Drivers
Is something not working how it should? Visual glitches? Not printing? A general sense of “something -isn’t -right”?
Cause: aAuto-update for your drivers either failed, wasn’t enabled, or wasn’t compatible.
Solution: If you need to update your drivers, go straight to the company’s website and get the latest update for your operating system. Then enable auto-updates so you don’t have to think about this it again. If the newest driver update caused the problem, go back to the version that worked. Then contact someone at both companies about compatibility issues.
- No Longer Supported / Outdated
Sometimes your favorite software just isn’t supported anymore.
Cause: A new version is available. , Aa vendor dissolved or was bought out, or the technology changed.
Solution: Hopefully the vendor gave you a heads-up that this change was coming. Ideally, they also give you steps (and a sales pitch) about another product to fill your needs. Don’t wait until the last minute to upgrade. Change is hard for all of us but outdated software is an extreme security risk. And no one will be there to help you when it crashes.
Tech problems can be frustrating when they happen, and quite terrifying to worry about. We hope this list of software problems and solutions helped you pinpoint your system’s weaknesses.
If you want assistance with breakdown prevention, reach out to us at WillDom or on LinkedIn, anytime. We’ve seen and fixed it all. And nothing makes us happier than our clients zooming along their digital path to success. So go boldly into your secure, speedy, and sensational software future.
