7 min read
The FAA Has Twice Ordered Airlines to Turn Their Boeing 787s Off and On Again
A computer freezes, a program stops responding, and the first suggestion is almost always the same: turn it off and back on…
Because It Worked Yesterday
What stopped working? Let’s find out why.
Most breakdowns come down to a handful of usual causes, and plenty of them cost nothing to fix. Find out whether yours is a five-minute job before you pay for a new one.
What’s Acting Up
8 min read
The Furnace Keeps Turning On and Off Every Few Minutes- What Is Making It Short-Cycle
Your furnace starts, blows warm air for a few minutes, shuts off, and then starts again. For a machine designed to heat…
How we troubleshoot
Our editorial policy →-
Step 01
We start with what you can observe
Symptoms first, then the likely causes behind them.
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Step 02
Quick, reversible checks come first
Steps that could sign you out or erase data are flagged before you reach them.
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Step 03
Know when to call someone
When it’s time for a professional, we say so.
New This Week
Cars9 min read
Cold Mornings Switch On the Tire Pressure Light Even When Nothing Is Leaking
You start your car on a freezing morning, and there it is. A yellow horseshoe-shaped warning light with an exclamation point in the middle. Yesterday, everything…
Updated
Home7 min read
The Furnace Is Running but Blowing Cold Air, What Is Stopping the Heat?
Your thermostat says “Heat.” Your furnace is humming. Air is coming through the vents, just as it should. One small detail has apparently escaped the system’s…
Updated
Home8 min read
Wi-Fi Works Near the Router but Barely Reaches the Next Room, What Is Killing the Signal?
Your phone loads everything perfectly while you are sitting beside the router. Walk into the next room, and suddenly the spinning loading icon gets a promotion…
Updated
Home7 min read
The Dishwasher Ran a Full Cycle and the Dishes Are Still Dirty – Why Is This Happening?
Cycle complete. Door opens. Plates still have dried food attached, a glass looks cloudy, and a frying pan has somehow come out almost as greasy as…
Gadgets5 min read
When GPS Tells You to Drive Into a Lake. Some Drivers Listen
Sabine Moreau meant to make a routine drive to Brussels. At 67, she left her home in Belgium to pick up a friend at a train…
Updated
Home2 min read
Why Your Smoke Detector Always Chirps at 3 a.m.
Your bedroom is quiet until a small, sharp chirp breaks it. You wait, hoping it was something outside. Thirty seconds later, it happens again. Nothing sounded…
Updated