Plain-English steps for the problems I get called out for most. Nothing here will make things worse if you follow it, and every guide says when to stop.
Someone rang "from Microsoft", the bank or the NBN, and you gave them access — or a link took over the screen. Do these things now, in this order.
Read the steps →A loud page saying your PC is infected, with a phone number to call, that won't close. It's a web page, not a real warning. Here's how to get rid of it.
Read the steps →"Your subscription has expired — renew now for $199" pops up constantly. Some are genuine (and overpriced), some are scams. How to tell, and how to cancel a real one you don't want.
Read the steps →Nine times out of ten the printer has lost the Wi-Fi network or Windows is stuck on an old job. These steps fix most of it.
Read the steps →The trick with a new printer is to get it onto your Wi-Fi before you touch the computer. Do it in this order and it usually just works.
Read the steps →First work out whether it's the email account or Outlook on the computer. That one check saves a lot of time.
Read the steps →When Outlook itself won't start — spinning wheel, "Loading profile", or it opens and freezes — it's usually a stuck add-in or a corrupted profile. Two safe things to try.
Read the steps →Windows 10 stopped getting security updates in October 2025. Here's how to check whether your PC can move to Windows 11, and how to do it.
Read the steps →If the computer powers on but never gets to the login screen, Windows has a built-in repair menu you can reach — and its first two options are safe to try.
Read the steps →Most modern PCs sign in with a Microsoft account, which means both the password and the BitLocker key can be recovered from any other device.
Read the steps →Before assuming it's worn out, try these. Half of "slow" computers just haven't been restarted in weeks or are out of space.
Read the steps →Two commands from Microsoft that check Windows' own files and repair any that are damaged. Safe — they don't touch your documents — but you'll be typing at a black command window.
Read the steps →"Working on updates — 37% — don't turn off your computer" for half a day. Here's how long to wait, and what to do when it really is stuck.
Read the steps →The screen worked yesterday and now it's blank or "No signal". Almost always a cable, an input button, or Windows deciding to show on one screen only.
Read the steps →YouTube's playing but you can't hear it. Nine times out of ten Windows is sending the sound to the wrong place — a monitor with no speakers, an unplugged headset, or Bluetooth headphones in a drawer.
Read the steps →Most of the data-recovery calls I get would have been a non-event with one of these switched on. Pick either — or both.
Read the steps →Recycling an old PC or laptop? Get the photos, documents and email off it first — and wipe it before it leaves the house.
Read the steps →Tell me what's going wrong and when suits — I'll confirm a time, usually the same or next day.