How a Writer Can Resolve a Software Issue and Meet a Deadline

by Yvonne Ortega @YvonneOrtega1

I sat at my laptop to work on a PowerPoint presentation for a speaking engagement, but the software program wouldn’t open. Too early in the morning for me to function. I’ll have to type the password again. I typed it a second and a third time to no avail. That program I bought wouldn’t let me in.

I felt the urge to pound my way into my software. Where was the hammer when I needed it? However, if my fingers hit the keyboard too hard, I would split a couple of keys in two. Ask me how I know. In disbelief, I walked outside to breathe fresh air and consider options. In the end I decided on three.

Search YouTube for advice to resolve a software issue and meet a deadline

I looked for the most current information on Microsoft PowerPoint for Mac. I watched three YouTube videos, but they weren’t about the same version as my software. In a frenzy, I watched them again and took notes to search for similarities. Afterward, I returned to my software program with my notes. They didn’t help. How could I meet a deadline?

I needed fresh air, another walk, and a protein drink. Perhaps those things would stimulate my brain cells before I tackled the other two options.

Brave it on a live chat

I thought Monday would be marvelous, but it wasn’t. I was also locked out of Word. I grew up talking in person with people. I had accepted online events, but the thought of a live chat left me frazzled. Most of the time, it took too long, and afterward, I felt drained. 

Now, I had no choice. Drenched with perspiration, I worked with the first technician for one hour, but the process felt like three. She said, “If you can wait for half an hour, I can have an advanced technician” join you on the live chat.

“Yes, of course, I can wait. I have a deadline to meet.” The advanced technician showed up on the chat in half an hour and typed that she would do all the work. I could watch. She would prompt me if she needed me to do something at my end. Relief flooded my weary body.

One hour later, she had unlocked PowerPoint and the other programs in Microsoft. In a marathon, I completed the script for the slides and the “freebie” for the audience. I kept my third option open. It was scheduled for three days later.

Work with a home technician

At last, Fabulous Friday arrived with a home technician. She took up where the live chat dropped off and worked side-by-side with me. She assured me that my previous PowerPoint presentations remained on the external hard drive and on my laptop. Timid Techie that I am, I insisted that she open and close each program so I could see the work and once again feel empowered. 

After that, the fun began. The home technician showed me how to change the color on the text to go with my website colors, how to fill the background color, and how to insert and delete graphics on the updated PowerPoint program. 

“Please explain what I did wrong to lock myself out,” I said. 

The technician replied, “You didn’t do anything wrong. About every six months, that software backs up. We need to uninstall it and then reinstall it. After that, everything works fine again.” And it did. I had a Hallmark ending with the software mystery resolved and my deadline no longer an issue. 

If you don’t have a home technician available, what steps do you take in a similar crisis?

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How a Writer Can Resolve a Software Issue and Meet a Deadline, tips from @YvonneOrtega1 on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Yvonne Ortega walks with a small footprint but leaves a giant imprint in people’s lives. This power-packed package is a professional speaker and the author of the Moving from Broken to Beautiful® Series through cancer, divorce, forgiveness, and loss. Learn more at WWW.YVONNEORTEGA.COM

Yvonne speaks with honesty and humor as she shares her life and struggles through presentations that empower women to find peace, power, and purpose through God’s Word. 

Yvonne’s background as a licensed professional counselor brings a unique perspective into the heart of women. She’s a speaking and writing coach and the owner of Moving from Broken to Beautiful®, LLC. She belongs to the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, the Christian Authors Network, the National Speakers Association, and Toastmasters International.

She celebrates life at the beach, where she walks, builds sand castles, blows bubbles, and dances.