Troubleshooting

Writing down symptoms, steps tried, and results is the single habit that separates good troubleshooters from guessers. A dedicated notebook keeps your logs organized and is way faster than opening a doc every time.

iFixit guides and real device repairs require the right bits — Phillips #00 and #000 are everywhere in phones and laptops. A basic set means you can open things safely instead of stripping screws and making problems worse.

Plugging in a wired connection is often the fastest way to test whether a problem is the Wi-Fi or something deeper. A cheap USB-to-Ethernet adapter is a real diagnostic tool pros use.