To Prevent Problems:

  • Make sure your computer meets the recommended computer settings:
  • Do not run programs your computer can't handle. If you have to get help, knowing what kind of computer you have will help troubleshooters find solutions.
  • Do not put assignments off until the last minute. A broken server or other technical problem is no big deal if you've left an extra day or two to finish the work.
  • Save your work frequently, including copies of papers, assignments, important email messages, and anything else you wouldn't want to retype should an accident occur.
  • Write down your passwords and save them somewhere private. The password that seems memorable today might not come to mind tomorrow.
  • Scout an alternate source of Internet access in advance. This might be a school, public library, or a friend's home. There are so many sources of access that one broken computer is not a good excuse for failure to work on a course.
  • Print contact information for your instructor, your Internet Service provider, and other sources of help. Having it on your computer is no good if the computer won't work!


When You Encounter Technical Difficulties:

  1. Determine the scope of the problem. This takes practice, but it will do no good to complain to your instructor if the problem is with your home computer or your Internet Service Provider. Here are some ways to tell.
    1. If you can't get your computer to work at all or if your computer frequently freezes, but not at times that seem to have anything to do with each other, the problem may be with your own hardware or Local Area Network. Whoever maintains that network or computer will have to find a solution.
    2. If your computer works, but you can't get online, are frequently bumped offline, or have access problems at a particular time of day, the problem is probably with your Internet Service Provider. Call the provider's technical help resources.
    3. If you can get online, can visit other Internet sites, but can't get to the course site (or can't get the course site to display correctly), the problem could be many things, but may be a problem with the server that the course is on. Consult the instructor or the technical support staff at the college immediately. They can help you determine if the server is down.
  2. Try these steps before asking for help:
    Write down the solutions to problems you encounter. They'll probably come up again and you may not remember how you fixed them. Learning to troubleshoot computers is a cumulative process.
    1. Save any work if applicable and possible.
    2. Write down what programs were open and what you were doing when the error occurred. Write down the exact text of any error messages.
    3. Reload (also called "refresh") the web page.
    4. Restart the web browser OR try a different web browser.
    5. Restart (also called "reboot") the computer.
    6. Make a short list of the things you've tried and the specifications of your computer. Call (or email if you can) for help.
  3. Inform the instructor of problems or mistakes in the course site such as broken links. He or she can't fix the problems if no one lets him or her know the problems are there.
  4. Let your instructor know if technical difficulties will prevent you from completing work. He or she might be able to help you find a place to work, solve your problem, or find an alternative.
  5. Don't be afraid to ask for technical help from a variety of sources, but be nice to the people who help. Their job is hard and you'll need them again. Don't blame them for the problems.
  6. There are many more technical help suggestions throughout this course site. Read the directions! It will make a difference. Print the directions that you think might be helpful if you encounter problems.
  7. Finally, accept that problems are going to occur. Computers are complex and complex things break in interesting ways. If you keep a level head and learn from the experience, you'll survive and be better prepared the next time problems occur.