Troubleshooting
What to do when something goes wrong and how to ask for help with useful details.
- It is slow or will not loadStart hereHow to tell in two minutes whether it is you, your network, or us.
- It will not let me do somethingStart hereA greyed-out button, a warning, or a screen that is missing: the four causes.
- There are two identical documentsStart hereDuplicates: why they appear, which to keep, and when they are not duplicates at all.
- They tell me the link does not workStart hereFive causes, and the commonest has nothing to do with the link.
- Something appeared that I did not uploadStart hereDocuments that appear from nowhere: where they really come from and what to do with them.
- The document will not open or looks wrongStart hereFive causes, from the silliest to the most awkward, and what to do about each.
- I uploaded it to the wrong fileStart hereA document in the wrong place: what to do, in what order, and what not to touch.
- They ask me for a document I do not haveStart hereBefore saying it is missing, three checks. And if it genuinely is missing, how to answer.
- Something we already renewed still shows expiredStart hereThe new paper is there, but the alert stays red. It is almost always one of four things, and none is a bug.
- The alert reached me too lateStart hereIt fired when there was no time left to act. It is rarely a fault: it is a margin set by the wrong clock.
- They say they sent it and you have no recordStart hereNearly always you are both right: they sent it and you have no record. What fails is in between.
- Was it sent or not?Start hereIf it shows in the file with a timestamp, it was sent. What you do not yet know is whether it arrived, which is a different question.
- I've uploaded it — is that it?Start hereIf it shows in the list with its name, it is uploaded. If data was also requested, check nothing is left unsaved.
- Did they get it? Did they open it?Start hereTwo different questions, and the second matters less than it seems. What counts is whether they replied.
- I made a mistake — can it be undone?Start hereIf it has not left your company, nearly always yes. If it went out or was sealed, it is not undone: it is corrected and flagged.
- I sent it to the wrong personStart hereCut the access first, then tell people. In that order, and without waiting to find out whether they opened it.
- I can't find where to do itStart hereBefore hunting further, check whether you simply cannot do it. What is not yours to do does not appear — and that is not a bug.
- The link doesn't work for meStart hereAsk whoever sent it for a new one. It is not your fault and it takes them a minute to fix.
- What happens if I don't send it?Start hereIt depends what they need it for, and you find that out by asking. What never helps is not replying.
- Can I see what I already sent you?Start hereWhile the link is live, usually yes. And if not, ask: it is what stops you sending the same thing twice.
- My document was rejectedStart hereRead the reason before uploading anything again: half of all rejections are fixed by the same document, better scanned.
- We're asked for papers and we're not their supplierStart hereReply that it is not yours. One line, and it stops someone waiting for something that will never arrive.
- My emails are not arrivingGoing furtherWhy they land in spam, and the three things that fix it for good.
- I cannot sign inGoing furtherPassword, second factor or closed account: how to tell which of the three it is.
- I cannot upload a fileGoing furtherIt stalls, errors, or refuses the file: the causes by frequency.
- I got an error with a codeGoing furtherWhat that code is, why it is worth copying, and what to say when asking for help.
- I cannot see what my colleague canGoing furtherIt is almost always permissions, and it takes two minutes if you check the right thing.
- I sent something by mistakeGoing furtherWhat to do in the first ten minutes, while it can still be fixed cleanly.
- Deciding whether a problem is seriousGoing furtherWhen it can wait until tomorrow and when to write immediately.
- What to do when something goes wrongThe most common failures, how to fix them and what support needs to help you fast.
- System limits and what to expectSizes, formats and timings: worth knowing before you run into them.