Case File: #041625-SC 

Client: Sarah C., Graphic Designer, Warner Robins 

Incident Date: Wednesday, April 16th 

Reported Issue: Erratic software behavior, jeopardizing critical deadline.

Resolved: Thursday, April 17th

Sarah reached out to Hey Nephew through Facebook when her cursor stopped working as she was in the middle of a big presentation that had a Friday deadline. In the initial diagnostic report, Sarah claimed that her cursor would leap across the screen, freeze, and then jump to another location altogether. Clicking precisely was impossible. She was losing precious time and at risk of losing the project entirely if she couldn’t get her cursor to act right.

In triaging, our techs went through some standard protocols that are the usual suspects when it comes to a malfunctioning cursor or peripheral device. This included:

• Making sure all programs were up to date and noting last updates.
• Documenting which programs were affecting the cursor (all or some?)

Next, our team successfully secured access to Sarah’s computer to review the system’s internal logs, interrogated system settings, and cross-referenced background processes, keeping Sarah informed as we prodded deeper under the hood. We reviewed cache files and any updated utility services that often compromise graphics functionality.

The payoff came later as the technician discovered the culprit causing the cursor chaos. A recently updated background utility conflicted with the software program’s preference files, causing the cursor to act out. Without coming to us, Sarah could have spent ages looking for the issue and may never have found the solution. Instead of loving her favorite graphic design software, she woul end up loathing it.

Conflicts creep up often in computers, especially when companies push new updates. Although installers try to envision every scenario that could happen, corrupted files or bad utility settings do occur. 

Like with Sarah, make sure any updates or software programs you intend to use are compatible with your operating system and hardware. Always back up important files before adding, taking away, or adjusting programs on your computer. Whatever you do, do not adjust system settings unless you are extremely confident in the result. It’s always better to check with a professional before altering any files directly related to your operating system.