Five things to try before you call

Plenty of everyday problems clear up with a few simple steps. Trying them first can save you a wait, and if they do not work, telling us you have already tried them saves time on our side too. If you are ever unsure, or the problem affects more than one person, skip straight to contacting us.

Restart properly

Many computers are never truly switched off: closing the lid or choosing Shut down can leave parts of the system asleep. Choose Restart from the Start menu on Windows or the Apple menu on a Mac. A restart also finishes installing any updates that are waiting, which on its own fixes a lot of odd behavior.

Check whether it is just you

Ask a colleague whether the same thing is happening to them. If everyone has lost email or the internet, the cause is shared and you should contact us straight away rather than trying fixes on your own computer. It is also worth checking a service's status page: Microsoft publishes the health of its services at status.cloud.microsoft.

Close and reopen the app

If one program is misbehaving, close it completely and open it again. In Outlook or Teams, signing out and back in can clear a stuck connection.

Check the cables and the power

For a printer, a second screen or a desk phone, make sure the power is on and the cables are firmly in at both ends. A cable knocked loose by a cleaner or a chair is a common cause of "it just stopped working".

Try a different browser or device

If a website will not load or keeps asking you to sign in, try it in a private browser window or on your phone. If it works there, the problem is in your browser's saved data, and we can clear it for you.

When to stop

Do not install software, change settings you are unsure about or follow fixes from websites or forums. If none of the steps above help, email hello@bitnode.tech or call 855-248-2637 and tell us what you tried. Anything that looks like a security problem, such as a strange pop-up asking you to call a number, files you cannot open, or a sign-in prompt you did not expect, should come to us immediately without any troubleshooting on your part.