troubleshooting

Jose has been kicked off of Google and can't access anything on the internet. Leo says to make sure your computer's time and data is correct to start. If your motherboard battery has died, it can't backup any time data, and as such, the clock fails and you can't sync up with Google. That's the first thing to check. Leo says that security software may also be a culprit. He recommends sticking with Windows Defender and not a third party AVS app. He's also using Windows 8. Leo says that could be part of the problem.

Ron has a 40" Samsung TV with an Amazon Firestick. He can't raise the volume up or down. It's just stuck where it is. Leo says that it's likely an issue with the TV, not the Firestick. Leo says that he thinks that there's an issue with the TV's CEC option, which allows him to control the TV with the Firestick remote. What he suggests is to disconnect the Firestick and see if the volume issue persists. If it doesn't, then he knows there's an issue with the Firestick. 

Robert has a Dell Inspiron running Windows 10, but his restore point keeps getting deleted. Leo says that Microsoft deprecated System Restore recently, and Leo says it has never really worked when he needed it the most. He can still use it, but he will need to re-enable it. Windows Key + Restore. Here's a link from the chatroom about this issue, but it's a few years old.

Mark has a Samsung Note X. Sometimes, he doesn't get any internet access, even though he has full bars. He's tried going into airplane mode and back, but he still doesn't get data. Is it a dead zone? Leo says that the bars aren't for data; they are for voice. So your full bars doesn't really have anything to do with data access. But since Mark lives in LA, you should get data anywhere.

Dennis' 2011 iMac is showing lines on a white screen. Leo says it could be a failed monitor, or even the cable that connects to your monitor has failed. The OS may have been corrupted as well. Try booting into recovery mode. CMD+R. That will bypass the loading of the OS and will allow you to reinstall the OS. You can also try target display mode. If the problem persists, the Mac needs replacing., because it'll cost too much to fix.

Stan is having issues with his home theater system subwoofer. No bass at all. Leo says that there are two ways to connect your subwoofer.  A single RCA jack or an LFE connection (for low frequency).

But it could also be a setting in Netflix. Make sure you have your Netflix app set for surround. Make sure the highest quality is also selected. Also, check the settings in your streaming box. 

Jeff has a ViewSonic LED monitor, but recently the monitor has started hesitating waking up. It also flickers. Is that a computer or a monitor issue? Leo says it isn't unusual as a monitor that's HDMI driven goes through a "handshake" to determine the best resolution to display. But if it's a standard DVI or VGA connection, then the flickering could be caused by a bad cable or even power interference with the cable. Worst case, the monitor may be starting to fail. But that's unlikely. Start with the easy solution first and replace the cable. It could also be an issue with your video card.

Richard's old 2008 Mac will knock other devices off the network when he downloads something with it. Leo says to make sure each device has its own IP address.

While on Zoom, Karen has an issue where her image freezes while her audio stays the same. Leo says a slow internet connection can cause that. She had Spectrum come out and replaced the modem and router, and that's when it started. Leo adds that it could also be an issue with her webcam. Check using Facetime. If it freezes there, then it's not Zoom, it's a wider video issue. 

Don was using SpinRite on his computer and he's having a problem running it without a thumb drive. Leo says Windows may be getting in the way and he recommends trying a USB key that boots to FreeDos and add SpinRite onto that. You'll boot to it and then run SpinRite from there. Then you can run SpinRite on your hard drive.