Try these first.

The most common cause is the router needing a restart, but a few other things are worth ruling out first.

1. Check whether it is the internet itself, or just one website or app, try loading a different site.
2. Check whether it is every device in the house or just one. If it is one device, restart that device first.
3. Restart the router: unplug it from the power, wait a full 30 seconds, then plug it back in and give it two to three minutes to fully restart.
4. Check your provider’s app or website, using mobile data on a phone, for a known outage in your area.
5. Check the cables. A loose cable at the back of the router is a surprisingly common cause.
6. If you are on WiFi rather than a cable, move closer to the router, walls, floors and even large furniture weaken the signal more than you would think.

Slow performance usually builds up gradually, from too much running at once rather than one big fault.

1. Restart it properly, a full shutdown and start again, not just closing the lid or letting it sleep.
2. Check how many programs and browser tabs are open at once, and close anything you are not using.
3. Check how many programs open automatically on startup, these keep running in the background even when you are not using them.
4. Check you have not run out of storage space, a nearly full hard drive slows everything down.
5. Check for and install any pending updates, then restart again.
6. If it is a laptop, check it is not overheating, working hard on a soft surface like a bed or sofa stops it cooling itself properly.

Printer problems are almost always a connection issue rather than a fault with the printer itself.

1. Check it is switched on, has paper, and is not showing an error light or message on its own screen.
2. Restart the printer first, then the computer, in that order.
3. For a WiFi printer, check it is connected to the same network as the computer, printers can silently drop off the network after a power cut or router restart.
4. Try printing from a different app, or a different device, this tells you whether it is the printer or just one program.
5. Check there is not a stuck print job queued from earlier, an old stuck job can block everything sent after it.

Usually a connection or settings issue, rather than anything actually wrong with the email itself.

1. Check the internet connection first, on the same device, by loading a website.
2. Check the message has not landed in spam or junk, for emails you are expecting but have not received.
3. Check you have not run out of storage space in the mailbox, a full inbox can silently stop new mail arriving.
4. If it is one specific email that will not send, check the attachment size, most providers reject anything over about 20 to 25MB.
5. Send a test email to yourself, this tells you whether it is a sending problem, a receiving problem, or both.

Almost always a settings issue, worth checking the obvious things before assuming a fault.

1. Check the volume is not muted or turned down, both on the device itself and within whatever app you are using.
2. Check the correct speaker or headphones are selected in the sound settings, especially after plugging something new in.
3. Restart the device, this clears up more audio glitches than anything else on this list.
4. Test with a different app or a different video, to check whether it is the device or just one program.
5. If using headphones or external speakers, check the cable or Bluetooth connection is actually active.

Usually a permissions problem, or another app already using the camera, rather than a broken camera.

1. Check the video call app has permission to use the camera and microphone, in the device’s privacy or settings menu.
2. Close other apps that might already be using the camera, only one app can usually use it at a time.
3. Check the correct camera and microphone are selected within the call app itself, not just the device settings.
4. Restart the call app, or the device if that does not help.
5. Test the camera and microphone in another app first, to check whether it is the device or just that one call app.

Headphones, speakers, keyboards and mice all tend to fail in the same few ways.

1. Check the device is actually charged and switched into pairing mode, most need a button held down until a light flashes.
2. Turn Bluetooth off and back on on the computer, phone or tablet you are connecting to.
3. "Forget" or remove the device from the Bluetooth list, then pair it again from scratch, this fixes more than it should.
4. Check it is not already connected to another device nearby, most Bluetooth devices can only connect to one thing at a time.
5. Restart both devices if none of that works.

It is tempting to keep guessing, but that often makes things worse.

1. Use the site or app’s own "Forgotten password" link rather than guessing repeatedly, too many wrong attempts can lock the account for longer.
2. Check for a password manager, or a written note, before resetting anything.
3. Check you are using the right email address, it is easy to have more than one and try the wrong one.
4. If a reset email is not arriving, check the spam or junk folder before assuming it is broken.
5. Be wary of anyone who calls or emails offering to "recover" an account for you, that is a common scam, see our staying safe page.

These are designed to panic you into acting fast, so the first step is always to slow down.

1. This is not a genuine virus warning from Microsoft, Apple, your bank, or your internet provider, however official it looks or sounds.
2. Do not call any number it gives you, and do not click anything on the pop-up, including its own "close" or "X" button, they can be fake too.
3. Try closing the browser normally. If it will not close, or keeps reopening, force close it, or restart the device.
4. Do not enter any passwords or card details on the affected device until you are sure it is clear.
5. Full detail on this one: see our staying safe page.

Most freezes clear with a proper restart, the trick is knowing how to force one safely.

1. Hold the power button down for about 10 seconds, this forces a restart even when the screen is completely frozen.
2. Check it is actually charged, and that the cable and wall socket both work with another device, before assuming the fault is bigger than it is.
3. If it turns on but stays frozen or very slow, give it a few minutes before trying again, it may be partway through an update.
4. Still nothing after a force restart and a charge check? That is worth getting looked at, rather than repeatedly forcing it off and on.