Electricity 101

Plugging in...

If you plug it in, it will work. If it LOOKS plugged in, it might not be. That's Electricity 101. A short lesson, a painful and potentially expensive lesson.

A recent client suddenly couldn't print. (It's always suddenly). She tried everything she knew before making the call for HELP.

Electricity working? Check.
All cords and cables plugged in? Check.
Power strips plugged in and turned on? Check.
LED lights glowing on all plugged in items? Check.
Turned off and on the printer? Check.

So what the heck??

The USB cable that connected the printer to the computer was not fully plugged into the computer. A USB cable isn't POWER so it won't give an indication with an LED light that it's not plugged in all the way. A slight push "in" and the printer woke up screaming and streaming print jobs that were just waiting for the OK to come out.

The most frequent question the Tutor is asked, no matter the computer problem, is HOW DID THIS HAPPEN and WHY? Many times the Tutor can answer, sometimes not. Like when a child visited and moved something on the desk. Like when an animal jumped across the desk and knocked things out of place. Like when the cleaning help shut off a switch on the wall, not knowing it was connected to an outlet. Among others.

So add this item to the checklist of what to do before calling for HELP. It may save you some money. And you'll feel very smart and satisfied for knowing the problem and the solution. Wish they were ALL that simple!

ALWAYS REMEMBER: before calling for help - is it plugged TIGHLY in, is it turned on?

Unplugged