I haven’t solved the problem yet, but I was doing another test. I am trying another computer and things have resolved, at least temporarily. That means that the problem is either with the version of Windows or the browser.

I suspect that it is Windows because on my other computer I have the same problem with four different browsers Edge, Chrome, Brave and Mozilla. This computer that I am working on today has been off for several weeks and I have not run any recent updates at this point.

I am not going to get too deep today, but it is probably worth talking about troubleshooting for a little bit. As a software engineer and specifically in support, when diagnosing problems it helps to have a little methodology.

  • Systemic Execution- I have yet to open a support case because I don’t completely understand all of the variables yet. Unfortunately, I have learned that most consumer level support is rarely going to solve the problem for me. It is going to take effort on my side as well and I want to be as thorough as I can be with information before doing so.
  • Repeatable – What are the variables that cause this to occur? Can the problem be recreated reliably? Ideally, the problem is not intermittent (at least in appearance). Most problems are truly not random, but the unknown and unseen variables are in play and we are trying to solve a problem without all the known variables.
  • Isolation – Just like repeatability if possible, it is important to try and isolate the problem. In my case here, I have isolated it to at least one computer. So, I have a part of the problem identified.
  • Root Cause- This is the most important aspect of preventing the problem again as well as assuring the issue is really solved. This is also the step least likely to be completed. It is difficult to determine the root cause in most cases without a technical investigation. Most people are not disciplined enough to do it properly as well.

You could probably make the same case for using calculus to solve a math problem. Sometimes, it is really important to have the right and accurate answer and it is worth the effort to setup the equations and run through all of the math. Many times a close guess is almost as good and it certainly is a lot quicker and easier to do so. It depends on the depth of the problem and the risk of not solving quickly or completely.

End Your Programming Routine: It doesn’t matter if it is working on a vehicle or a problem with the computer, the steps are quite the same. It is what allows an amateur with gumption to solve complicated problems. If you find yourself with a difficult problem, try applying some discipline to your approach and you are more than likely going to learn some things as well as probably solve the issue if you don’t give up.