# Common IT Issues and Solutions

## Password Issues

### Forgot Password
If you've forgotten your password:
1. Go to the login page and click "Forgot Password"
2. Enter your work email address
3. Check your email for a reset link
4. Create a new password following the security requirements

Password requirements:
- Minimum 12 characters
- At least one uppercase letter
- At least one lowercase letter
- At least one number
- At least one special character

### Account Locked
Your account locks after 5 failed login attempts. To unlock:
1. Wait 15 minutes for automatic unlock, OR
2. Contact the helpdesk to manually unlock your account

## VPN Connection Issues

### Cannot Connect to VPN
1. Ensure you have internet connectivity first
2. Check that the VPN client is up to date
3. Restart the VPN client application
4. Try connecting to a different VPN server
5. Restart your computer and try again

### VPN Connected But No Access
1. Disconnect and reconnect to VPN
2. Clear your DNS cache: Open Command Prompt and run `ipconfig /flushdns`
3. Check if the specific service you're accessing is having issues

## Email Problems

### Outlook Not Syncing
1. Check your internet connection
2. Restart Outlook
3. Clear the Outlook cache
4. Remove and re-add your email account
5. Run Outlook in safe mode to check for add-in conflicts

### Cannot Send Emails
1. Check if you can receive emails
2. Verify recipient email address is correct
3. Check if your mailbox is full
4. Look for any error messages and note them for support

### Missing Emails
1. Check your Spam/Junk folder
2. Check if you have filters or rules that may have moved the email
3. Ask the sender to resend the email
4. Contact IT if emails are consistently missing

## Computer Performance

### Computer Running Slow
1. Restart your computer (fixes many issues)
2. Close unnecessary applications
3. Check available disk space (need at least 10% free)
4. Run Windows Update to ensure you're up to date
5. Scan for malware using the company antivirus

### Computer Freezing
1. Wait 2-3 minutes to see if it recovers
2. Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and try to open Task Manager
3. If unresponsive, hold the power button for 10 seconds to force shutdown
4. Contact IT if the issue persists after restart

## Printing Issues

### Cannot Print
1. Check if the printer is on and has paper
2. Verify you're connected to the correct printer
3. Restart the print spooler service
4. Try printing a test page
5. Remove and re-add the printer

### Print Jobs Stuck
1. Open the print queue and cancel all jobs
2. Restart the print spooler: Run `services.msc`, find Print Spooler, right-click and restart
3. Try printing again

## Software Issues

### Application Won't Start
1. Restart your computer
2. Check if the application needs an update
3. Try running as administrator (right-click, Run as Administrator)
4. Reinstall the application if issues persist

### Application Crashing
1. Save your work frequently
2. Update the application to the latest version
3. Check for Windows updates
4. Clear the application cache if available

## Network Issues

### No Internet Connection
1. Check if Wi-Fi is enabled
2. Try connecting to a different network
3. Restart your router/modem if at home
4. Run Windows Network Troubleshooter

### Slow Internet
1. Run a speed test to check actual speeds
2. Disconnect other devices using the network
3. Move closer to the Wi-Fi router
4. Try a wired ethernet connection

## When to Contact IT Support

Create a support ticket if:
- Self-service steps don't resolve your issue
- You see error messages you don't understand
- Multiple users are experiencing the same issue
- You suspect a security incident
- You need software installed or hardware replaced

When contacting support, please provide:
- Description of the issue
- When the issue started
- Error messages (screenshot if possible)
- Steps you've already tried
- Your computer name (found in Settings > System > About)