Welcome to Arnerich Massena’s newest blog column: “From AM’s IT Department,” where we will share some technology tips and tricks you might find helpful, because not everyone is fortunate enough to have on-call desktop support like we do! I’m the one who provides that desktop support, so this column will serve as a bit of remote desktop support for your home electronics. Here are today’s tips:

Tip 1: Reboot!

The first thing you will hear any technology support specialist suggest when there’s a problem is: “Have you rebooted?” Believe it or not, this is not a cop out, but a serious solution! Here are a few reasons why we say it:

• All things electronic need a reboot: iPhones, iPads, MACs, home modems\routers, browsers, TVs, furnaces, stereos etc.
• Operating systems (Windows, MAC OS, Linux, Android, and iOS) get slow as you use them. You move files, open multiple programs, and occasionally over click. A reboot will refresh the system.
• Rebooting cleans away the current state of the software, which includes any issues that have developed. This gives your PC or device a clean slate.
• A reboot fixes 80-90% of issues.

Aside from when your computer is being slow, we recommend rebooting your devices once a week.

Tip 2: Update!

Every device has software on it: your car, your phone, your laptop, your TV, and even your nanny cam. The software is what makes your device run. If the manufacturer has a new feature or a security hole to patch, they will release an update. For example, Java, Adobe, and Windows are all updated weekly or monthly. When you have an update available, you should get an email from the manufacturer, a letter in the mail, or an alert that shows there is an update available. Examples include:

• Your iPhone has a “badge”:

• Your computer or laptop has multiple pop up bubbles:

If your device doesn’t have a display and you HAVE registered your product with the manufacturer, you will most likely get an email letting you know how to update the software on the device.

If you get an update icon as shown above, you should update as soon as possible. Updates often contain security fixes and patches or new features.

Source: “Why Does Rebooting Your Computer Fix So Many Issues?” by Tina Sieber; makeuseof.com; January 31, 2014; http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/rebooting-computer-fix-many-issues/