Computers do provide us with many tools, but sometimes they can be very frustrating!  Most of our clients are expert in their business, but don't have a full time computer technician to assist them with computer problems. So, what do you do when one of your employee's email accounts "stops working"?  Or you can't access your web site?  This guide will help you determine the cause for email and web site problems. These problems could be due to many factors, so follow these steps to help you decide who to contact for assistance.

Check: Is your connection to the internet working?

First, check to make sure you have a working internet connection.  You computer may have a way to assess this for you, but here is a tip:

If you can access web sites and perform other tasks via the internet, your internet connection is OK.  If not, there is a problem either at the computer (or mobile device), at the router, or with the internet service.  Contact your internet service provider or mobile phone service if you need assistance to correct this issue.

Check: Is the web server, where your web site is stored, working?

Before you test this, make sure you can access the web and can view other web sites on your computer/ mobile device.  This confirms that your internet connection is OK.

Also, before you test this, you must first clear the temporary files (cache files) on your computer's web browser (IE, Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.).  Clearing the temporary files ensures that you are not looking at a copy of previously stored web pages on your computer:

1. First, clear the web browser's temporary files.

• Go to this instruction page by Google, and look for instructions for your specific web browser (IE, Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.)
  
  
• Here is another instruction page, by wikiHow.com

2. Now, type in the web address to your homepage.  Can you see your homepage?

• If yes, you can see your web site's homepage on the computer, then the web server is OK.
• If no, and you get an error page, but you know you have a working connection to the internet, then there is likely a problem at the server level.

If the web server is not working, contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and explain the problem you are having.

Problem: The web server appears to be working, but your email is not working.  You are not able to either receive or send email (or both).

By following all previous steps, by now you should have an internet connection and have confirmed that the web server is working.  If not, these must be corrected before your email will work.

Check: Is your web-based email account working properly?

1.  Go to your webmail account.

• Your webmail account will be located at one of these two addresses:
  • mail.yourdomainname.com - or .net, .org
  • webmail.youdomainname.com - or .net, .org
• Your  username is your entire email address.  For Google Apps users, your username is only that portion before "@".  Your password is the same password you use on your computer and mobile device to send and receive email.

2. View your inbox. 

Can you see your email there?  Can you send a message from the webmail account?  If you send a test email from another email account (such as your yahoo or gmail account) to your email, does it show up in this inbox?

If you cannot send and receive emails in your webmail account, then contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and explain the problem you are having.

If you can send and receive emails at the webmail account, then the webmail function on the server is working.  This isolates the problem to the computer.

Final Steps: Before you call a local computer technician to look for the issue with your computer, try the following steps yourself.  This may fix the problem, and thereby save you some money!

• Have you recently changed the email settings on your computer?  Is that when this problem started?  If so, confirm those settings.
• Close your email program on your computer (for example, Outlook).  Reboot (restart) your computer.  Check to see if your email is now working OK.
• If you've forgotten your email password, contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and ask for a new password.  Please be sure to tell us which email account needs the new password.