I’m going to tell you something that might seem bad for business: a lot of the calls I get shouldn’t be calls.
Not because the problem doesn’t exist - but because the fix took three minutes and there’s no reason someone should pay me $100+ for that. A restart fixed it. The right cable was unplugged. The setting was in an obvious place.
At the same time, I also get calls where someone has been “fixing” something for two days, made it substantially worse, and what was a $150 job is now a half-day recovery. That’s the other failure mode.
Here’s a practical guide to the difference.
Handle it yourself
Computer is slow or “acting weird.” Restart first. Always. You’d be surprised how many problems disappear after a full shutdown and restart. If it persists after a restart, then it’s worth investigating further.
Printer won’t print. Check that it’s on, connected (USB or network), and that there’s no paper jam. Delete the print queue (in Windows: Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners → your printer → Open print queue → cancel all jobs). Restart the printer and try again. This solves 70% of printer problems.
Can’t find a file. Use Windows Search (Windows key + S) or File Explorer search before assuming it’s deleted. Check the Recycle Bin. Check OneDrive or SharePoint if you use Microsoft 365.
Forgot a password. Every major service has a “forgot password” recovery flow. Use it. That’s what it’s for.
A website isn’t loading. Check another website. If everything is down, restart your router (unplug it, wait 30 seconds, plug back in). If it’s just that one site, it might be a problem on their end - try again in 20 minutes.
Slow internet. Run a speed test at fast.com. If speeds are way below what you’re paying for, restart the router. If the problem persists, call your ISP - this is often their problem, not yours.
Call your IT provider
Ransomware or suspected malware. Stop what you’re doing, disconnect from the internet, do not restart. Call immediately. Every action you take on an infected machine risks spreading it further or overwriting forensic evidence. This is a professional emergency.
Data loss. If you’ve accidentally deleted something important, stop using that drive immediately. The more you write to a drive after a deletion, the harder recovery becomes. A professional can often recover deleted files - but not if the sectors have been overwritten.
Setting up a new server, firewall, or VPN. These have implications for your whole network and for your security posture. Misconfiguration here can open security gaps you won’t know exist until something goes wrong.
Email migration or domain transfer. Easy to get wrong in ways that cause mail to stop flowing or ownership to get stuck. Let someone who’s done it before handle it.
Business application errors with data. If your accounting software, CRM, or practice management system is showing errors, throwing exceptions, or behaving inconsistently - especially after an update - don’t experiment with it. Call first.
Hardware failure. If a drive is making unusual noises or a server won’t boot, shut it down and call. Continuing to run a failing drive accelerates data loss.
The “should I try to fix it myself?” test
Before you start troubleshooting something unfamiliar, ask:
- Is this recoverable if I make it worse? If yes, try the obvious things first. If no, call.
- Have I restarted it? Do this before anything else. Every time.
- Is there data at risk? If so, don’t experiment. Call.
- Is this something a five-minute YouTube search could solve? These exist for most common problems. Check before calling.
The goal isn’t to avoid ever paying for IT help. It’s to use that help for the problems that actually need it - and to not create bigger problems by troubleshooting things that were better left alone.
DarkHorse IT serves businesses throughout the Fargo-Moorhead area. When you do need to call, we’ll tell you straight what the problem is and what it’ll take to fix it.