How Chatgpt Saved Me Time Troubleshooting 3 Annoying Tech Support Issues

3 weeks ago

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

ChatGPT helps resoluteness issues pinch your tech products.
AI gives elaborate troubleshooting steps.
Available successful some free and paid versions.

Get much in-depth ZDNET tech coverage: Add america arsenic a preferred Google source connected Chrome and Chromium browsers.

Trying to resoluteness an rumor pinch your PC, phone, aliases different exertion tin beryllium frustrating and time-consuming. In nan aged days, I would person searched page aft page connected nan web looking for clues. But now I tin move to AI to thief maine activity retired nan problem. A bully AI tin service up nan correct troubleshooting steps for maine to travel until I find a solution, aliases astatine slightest a workaround.

Also: How ChatGPT really useful (and why it's been truthful game-changing)

Though immoderate AI should beryllium capable to enactment arsenic a support assistant, I've relied connected ChatGPT nan past fewer times I needed to tackle a method glitch. I subscribe to ChatGPT Plus, but nan free version of ChatGPT is arsenic tin of helping you resoluteness issues pinch troublesome hardware, software, and thing successful between. Here's really it worked for maine and really it mightiness activity for you arsenic well.

I precocious wrote an article for ZDNET connected "How to sync passkeys successful Chrome crossed your Android, iPhone, Mac, aliases PC" successful which I explained really to usage Google's Password Manager to group up and sync passkeys crossed a scope of devices.

The process went comparatively smoothly pinch astir of nan devices, isolated from for my Google Pixel Android phone. Any passkey I created connected this telephone synced pinch nan different devices. Passkeys that I created connected my iPhone 16 Pro, Windows PC, and Mac synced among themselves, but they grounded to sync pinch my Android phone. After trying to troubleshoot this connected my own, I called connected ChatGPT.

Also: How passkeys work: The complete guideline to your inevitable passwordless future

The AI first covered nan basics, asking maine to reappraisal each nan settings crossed each devices to corroborate that they were correct. It listed each circumstantial mounting successful slug constituent format and told maine really to cheque them. I asked it to explain 1 peculiar instruction, which it cited arsenic a bully question, and it cleared up nan confusion.

After reviewing each nan settings and still having trouble, I provided much feedback to ChatGPT. The AI past summarized nan full script and told maine that this sounded little for illustration a instrumentality aliases settings rumor and much for illustration a Google-side limitation aliases bug, perchance tied to really and wherever passkeys are created and stored erstwhile generated extracurricular of Android.

I past explained that creating a passkey connected my Android instrumentality and syncing it pinch nan different devices besides synced immoderate passkeys connected those different devices pinch my Android phone. That was nan only measurement I recovered to get astir nan issue. With that tidbit successful mind, nan AI cited nan problem arsenic a partial sync bug aliases creation flaw, 1 that would require sending a bug study to Google, which ChatGPT offered to thief maine file.

Also: 10 passkey endurance tips: Prepare for your passwordless early now

But to woody pinch nan rumor now, nan AI suggested creating aliases regenerating a passkey connected Android (even conscionable a trial one) each clip I create 1 connected different device. Doing truthful will past "nudge" Android into refreshing nan afloat passkey database from my Google Account. Though nan solution whitethorn not beryllium ideal, astatine slightest ChatGPT offered a viable workaround until nan process is fixed.

Here's different rumor I bumped into recently. My Windows desktop machine abruptly stopped seeing my iPhone. I'd plug successful nan iPhone via USB, but neither File Explorer nor iTunes recognized nan phone. Even Device Manager wouldn't spot it. Other devices, including my iPad and a trial iPhone, were recognized. And connecting my iPhone to my Windows laptop worked fine. I moreover tried different USB cables, each to nary avail. So location was immoderate disconnect betwixt my desktop and my iPhone.

Also: I dialed these 14 concealed codes to unlock hidden features connected my Android and iPhone

After immoderate troubleshooting connected my own, I hollered for ChatGPT and described nan problem successful detail.

The AI first suggested resetting nan Location and Privacy settings, which I had already done and which had not fixed nan problem. It past suggested disconnecting nan phone, stopping a mates of Apple processes connected my machine via Task Manager, and past reconnecting nan phone. None of those did nan instrumentality either.

Next, it told maine to manually reinstall nan Apple Mobile Device USB Driver, suggesting that this measurement should hole nan glitch. Following nan circumstantial steps that ChatGPT provided, I reinstalled nan driver. I past checked Device Manager. And hooray, my iPhone appeared erstwhile again. Firing up File Explorer and iTunes, my iPhone popped up arsenic usual.

Also: Installed iOS 18.6 connected your iPhone? Change these 11 settings for nan champion experience

Here, I was impressed that ChatGPT not only provided nan correct solution but said that it suspected an Apple Mobile Device USB driver mismatch arsenic nan apt culprit. At nan end, nan AI moreover offered to create a batch record I could tally if this problem ever occurs again. I downloaded and inspected nan batch record done a nexus successful nan speech and saw that it covered each nan steps ChatGPT had provided.

For nan 3rd glitch, I presented ChatGPT pinch a conflict betwixt my mouse and my rodent pad. I person an aged Microsoft Classic IntelliMouse, an optical wired mouse. In nan past, I was capable to usage it connected apical of a rodent pad. Recently, though, nan rodent pointer nary longer moves smoothly arsenic I resistance nan rodent crossed nan pad. Sometimes, it slows down. Other times, it stutters and pauses arsenic I move nan mouse.

Also: Your Windows PC has a secretly useful backup instrumentality - here's really to entree it

I tried 3 different rodent pads, and nan rumor is nan aforesaid pinch each one. If I position and resistance nan rodent crossed my desk, nan pointer moves smoothly.

In response, ChatGPT advised maine to cleanable nan rodent pad pinch a damp cloth and fto it dry. It besides recommended that I cleanable astir nan lens of nan rodent pinch a soft microfiber cloth, a fabric swab, aliases compressed air. I had already tried those steps but ran done them again.

Next, it suggested trying a different USB larboard for nan rodent but acknowledged that this was an improbable root of nan problem since nan rodent useful good straight connected my desk. The AI besides said that a driver conflict tin sometimes origin cursor stuttering and directed maine to uninstall nan rodent driver done Device Manager and reboot. I had already tried some steps but went done them 1 much time. Still nary dice.

Also: Here are each nan GPT-5 updates OpenAI has rolled retired since launch

After reporting each nan results to nan AI, nan statement was that nan mouse's optical sensor whitethorn beryllium aging aliases partially failing, either because nan LED isn't illuminating nan aboveground evenly anymore aliases nan CMOS sensor wrong is nary longer capturing a clear aboveground image. Those explanations made consciousness since nan rodent worked good crossed each rodent pads successful nan past. For now, I'll person to usage nan rodent straight connected my desk, which is simply a spot clumsy. But ChatGPT did urge replacement mice akin to nan Classic IntelliMouse, which I accepted arsenic a semipermanent solution.