Common IT issues may seem insignificant, but that might be costing your business more than you think. Not only do “small” IT issues frustrate your team or even your clients, but they can disrupt billable hours and slow down your processes.
But several common problems are easier to fix than you think. In this practical troubleshooting guide, we’ll discuss some of the common issues that used to be a daily source of irritation for our clients, so that you don’t need to worry about them, either.
Your Microsoft 365 Email Account Suddenly Starts Sending Spam
When a Microsoft 365 email account starts sending spam without your knowledge, it’s not usually a random coincidence. Instead, it is often a sign of compromise. And that means you need Microsoft IT support. In most cases, outbound spam from your account means someone has gained access. This can quickly escalate into a data breach or business email compromise incident, because emails often contain sensitive data, approvals, and client communication.
When this occurs, attackers can impersonate legitimate email users to request payments, access confidential documents, or mislead your clients or vendors. This typically happens through:
- Phishing or credential theft: Legitimate email users are tricked into revealing login details via fake emails or login pages.
- Malware or malicious apps: Attackers might have installed hidden integrations that allow them to send emails without needing your password again.
- Mailbox takeover activity: Once they’ve got access, they can use your account to send bulk spam or phishing emails to your contacts.
Thankfully, it is possible to spot this kind of threat. Compromised accounts often show subtle, but critical, indicators. These include your clients or colleagues reporting suspicious emails coming from you, unusual login activity (like access from foreign locations or unknown devices) and emails in your “Sent” folder that you didn’t send. You may also notice new or altered mailbox rules (such as auto-forwarding or hiding replies), and unexpected password resets or login alerts.
How to fix it
If you suspect foul play in your emails, try this:
- Reset your passwords immediately.
- Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).
- Revoke suspicious sessions and access.
- Audit your mailbox activity.
- Run endpoint and security scans.
OneDrive Sync Suddenly Becomes Slow or Disconnects
When OneDrive sync slows down or disconnects, it’s usually a fixable issue. But it’s also a problem that can significantly disrupt your workflows, especially for teams that rely on real-time access to shared documents, or when accuracy and timeliness are critical.
Sync issues often present with a few early indicators. Perhaps your files get stuck on “sync pending” or “processing changes”. You might also get frequent sync errors or disconnection messages, or notice missing, duplicate or outdated files across team devices. Or you may see a noticeable lag when you’re opening or saving shared documents.
Remember that OneDrive sync problems are usually caused by a combination of factors, including:
- Sync conflicts or large file loads: When multiple users edit the same document or when large volumes of files are syncing simultaneously, OneDrive may slow down or stall to reconcile changes.
- Poor internet connectivity or unstable networks: Since the platform is cloud-based, inconsistent bandwidth or high network latency can interrupt or delay syncing.
- Misconfigured sync settings: Incorrect configurations, such as selective sync issues or paused syncing, can prevent files from updating properly.
- Outdated OneDrive client or operating system: Older versions of OneDrive or Windows may contain bugs or lack performance improvements.
How to fix it
Most OneDrive sync issues can often be resolved with the below actions:
- Restart the sync process. Pause and resume syncing, or restart OneDrive to clear temporary glitches.
- Check your file size. Ensure that your files are within Microsoft’s recommended size limits.
- Update OneDrive and Windows. Install the latest updates for performance fixes and improved stability.
- Review your folder structure. Simplify complex hierarchies and reduce the number of files syncing in a single directory to improve performance.
- Check your network performance. Switch to a stable, high-speed connection where possible, especially when syncing large files.
Excel Becomes Slow on Your Business Laptop
Performance issues in Microsoft Excel are a common frustration in professional environments, particularly in accounting, finance, and advisory firms where complex financial models are part of daily operations.
As your files grow and get more complex, the program’s performance can become a challenge. This is because Excel slowdowns are typically the result of both file complexity and system limitations. Workbooks with hundreds of thousands of rows, nested formulas, or extensive use of array functions can significantly increase calculation time. Also, complex functions need to be recalculated frequently, slowing down performance across the entire workbook. Multiple active add-ins can also consume memory and processing power, even when they’re not actively in use. Finally, business laptops without adequate memory or modern processors struggle to handle large Excel workloads, especially when running alongside other applications.
These factors can result in common Excel issues like slow file opening and saving times, lag when entering or editing formulas, frequent “Not Responding” messages, as well as delays and even program crashes.
How to fix it
The below steps can help you overcome Excel speed issues:
- Disable unnecessary add-ins to reduce background resource usage.
- Optimise your formulas and workbook design and limit excessive conditional formatting.
- Reduce your file size and complexity.
- Upgrade your hardware.
- Leverage cloud storage, with tools like Microsoft Excel Online or integrate with data tools to offload processing.
What to Do When Your Outlook Mailbox Is Almost Full
Running out of space in Microsoft Outlook is an inconvenience that can also disrupt your communication, delay workflows, and even prevent critical emails from being sent or received. Mailbox limits in Microsoft 365 are typically reached thanks to large attachments accumulating over time, high email volume, lack of archiving, and hidden storage consumption from deleted items or sync folders.
But how do you know when your mailbox reaches its limit? There will be signs. These include notifications that you’re near to or exceeding space, emails stuck in your outbox or failing to send, not receiving new messages, and slower Outlook performance or sync delays.
How to fix it
There are a few simple ways to ensure you don’t have to deal with a full mailbox.
- Archive your old emails: Move older messages to the Online Archive (if enabled), which provides additional storage without cluttering your primary mailbox.
- Delete large or unnecessary attachments: Sort your emails by size and remove those with large attachments, or save the attachments externally before deleting.
- Empty your deleted and junk folders: These folders still count toward your storage limit until permanently cleared.
- Implement retention policies: Use admin-configured policies to automatically move or delete emails after a defined period. You can also set up automated archiving rules within Outlook or via Microsoft 365 compliance tools.
Your VPN Connects but You Still Can’t Access Company Drives
Having your Virtual Private Network (VPN) show as “connected,” but still not being able to access shared company drives is common in remote and hybrid work environments. But when shared drives holding financial records, client files, or legal documents become inaccessible, it can translate directly into lost revenue and operational disruption.
Note that a connected VPN only means you’ve authenticated successfully; it doesn’t guarantee full access to internal resources. And there are several reasons for this. You may have DNS or network routing issues, permissions or firewall restrictions, misconfiguration, or network profile mismatches. These kinds of issues could mean that you’ll be unable to access mapped drives, get errors when trying to access shared folders or servers, or be barred from internal systems (but not the internet).
How to fix it
A connected VPN doesn’t always mean full access. But if that’s the case, try these troubleshooting tips:
- Check network credentials and permissions: Ensure your user account has the correct access rights to the shared drives and that credentials haven’t expired.
- Restart the VPN connection: Disconnect and reconnect to refresh the session and routing paths.
- Flush DNS and reset network settings: Clearing your cached DNS entries can resolve issues with internal server name resolution.
- Verify the correct network profile: Ensure your device is set to a “private” or “work” network profile where required.
- Review VPN configuration: Confirm that split tunnelling and routing rules are correctly configured to allow access to company resources.
Outlook Shows Strange Characters Instead of £ Symbols
If you’ve ever seen odd symbols like “£” instead of the expected “£” in Microsoft Outlook, you’re dealing with a character encoding issue. While it may seem minor, it can undermine the professionalism of your communications. After all, currency symbols aren’t just cosmetic; they convey critical financial information. But what causes this issue? Typically, it arises from mismatches in how your text is encoded and displayed. So emails sent in one encoding format (e.g., UTF-8) may be interpreted differently by the recipient’s system, causing symbols to render incorrectly. Or, if your system isn’t configured for the correct region, currency symbols and formatting may not display as intended. Also keep in mind that some fonts or HTML email formats don’t properly support certain characters, leading to display issues across different devices or email clients.
How to fix it
- Adjust your encoding settings in Outlook: Ensure that your emails are composed and read using a standard encoding format like UTF-8 to maintain character consistency.
- Check your system locale settings: Verify that your operating system is set to the correct region to support proper currency formatting.
- Standardise fonts and email formats: Use widely supported fonts (like Arial or Calibri) and consistent HTML email templates across the organisation.
- Test across devices and clients: Send test emails internally and externally to confirm that symbols render correctly in different environments.
Your Company Shared Drive Suddenly Disappears
Losing access to a shared drive can feel like files have vanished overnight. However, the data is usually still there, but something has disrupted your connection or access. A disappearing shared drive is often due to connectivity, configuration, or access issues. And while it’s often just a technical glitch, a disappearing shared drive can sometimes signal a deeper issue, like failing servers or misconfigured networks, security concerns, or issues with your data governance.
With that in mind, you’ll need to watch out for your mapped drives no longer appear in File Explorer, as well as “access denied” errors or intermittent access, especially if your colleagues are experiencing the same issue across the network.
How to fix it
- Reconnect or remap the drive: Manually reconnect your shared drive using the correct network path or cloud link.
- Check network or VPN connection: Make sure you’re properly connected to the company network, especially when working remotely.
- Verify server or platform status: Confirm whether the file server, OneDrive, or SharePoint service is operational.
- Confirm user permissions: Check with your IT team to ensure your access rights have not been changed or revoked.
- Restart your device: This can refresh network connections and resolve temporary mapping or credential issues.
When These Issues Are a Sign of Something Bigger
Occasional IT issues are normal. But when problems like email spam, sync failures, slow systems, or disappearing drives start happening repeatedly, they’re often symptoms of a deeper underlying problem.
If your team is constantly troubleshooting the same types of disruptions, it could point to poor IT infrastructure, a lack of proactive monitoring, or even cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
At this stage, it’s essential to have a strategy that prevents future issues, rather than just fixing problems as they come up. And that’s where proactive IT comes in, taking your tech spend from a cost centre into a strategic asset.
If everyday IT issues are becoming a pattern, it’s not just bad luck; it’s a signal. Small issues can lead to big business risks. Proactive IT support helps you prevent disruptions, strengthen security, and create a more stable foundation for your business.
Need Reliable IT That Just Works?
If these issues sound familiar, it may be time to move beyond quick fixes and address the root cause. At Tristar Tech Solutions, we help businesses take a proactive approach to IT, reducing downtime, improving security, and keeping your systems running smoothly.
Get in touch today to find out how we can support your team and prevent these problems before they impact your business.
Book your free IT Review – we’ll take it from there.
Call: 01707 378455
Email: sales@tristartechsolutions.co.uk
