Unresponsive Applications

Summary

This will apply to most Windows applications including websites, connectivity, and services like printing. There are several reasons why programs and hardware become unresponsive, but the main causes in most situations are computers not being rebooted for several days to weeks, a recent update, or software corruption. Most of these issues are simply resolved by just restarting the computer. Shutting down isn't necessary but it adds an extra step of manually pushing the power button. Signing out doesn't count since the Operating System is still up and running.

Sometimes it's nothing on the computer that is the issue but the website itself and the IT department can't do anything about it other than report it to our vendors. Please note the IT department will work with vendors we administer like WellSky, CarePort, eRehabdata, etc. For websites utilized outside our realm will be the responsibility of the user to contact IT support from that company.

Software updates are "supposed" to fix known issues, but they can break certain things during the process. This is why it's important to reboot so the update wraps up the update. Sometimes compatibility issues arise from updates causing certain functions not to work.

Troubleshooting

1. The very first thing to do is reboot (restart) the computer. If there are any updates, allow them. This will resolve almost all issues. Navigate to the Windows Icon on the taskbar. Logging off or signing out is NOT the same thing.

Right-click on the icon and click "Shut down or sign out." You may see options to "Update and Restart." Please do.
If you don't see any updates, you can force Windows to check for an update. Type "Update" in the search bar of your taskbar and click on it. Run updates.

2. If the problem persists, try running driver updates for the computer. Since the company uses Dell computers, there is a program called "Dell Command Updates" that is installed on the computers. If you're missing this program, please let us know and we'll install it.

Click on Windows Start and look for it or type "De" and find it. When the program opens, click on "Check" and follow the prompts. It's advised that laptops are plugged in because some of the updates require firmware to be flashed. If you don't do this, then the update may skip this important step.
Click on the "Check" button and then follow the prompts for installation. It's advisable to be connected on power as critical updates require this. Avoiding critical updates can cause issues with your computer.

3. Sometimes the program itself requires updates. Open the program and look for anything that says check for updates. Some are automatic and it will do it for you. Some program updates may require you to reboot.

Some updates may require administrative permissions. If this is the case, create an incident with IT and we'll remote in and run the update.

Worse case scenarios are when updates don't work or your IT department can't fix the issue because the software corruption is so severe that any actions performed don't work. This may require a re-image of the computer. Your IT department will let you know if this needs to happen if all of the above actions don't work. It's important that you make sure you save your work. If you haven't done so, make sure you've signed into One Drive.

If you require any assistance, please create an incident or reply to your ticket.

Rebooting your computer at least once a week could help prevent problems. Updates are necessary to fix bugs or security updates. It also flushes the memory closing out any programs causing issues.

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