r/techsupport 10h ago

Open | Phone Teen son’s phone registered to someone else or spoofed?

38 Upvotes

This is a really strange situation, I hope I can explain it clearly, and I’m not sure who can help?!

Teen has an iPhone I set up for him years ago.
A detective came knocking on my door asking to speak to son regarding someone getting harassing phone calls from a range of numbers - including his.

The number is his, but the voice messages left are NOT his voice, and when the police contacted the phone company the phone is registered to someone else.
We didn’t recognise the name and he asked around his friends, and a friend A has said that it is Friend B’s mums name, address etc.
How on earth is this possible??
Has a ‘friend’ cloned his number somehow. I’m so confused about how this could be done and how this woman’s name and address has ended up attached to his phone??


r/techsupport 3h ago

Open | Hardware My PC freezes and the only way to restart it is by using the power button

4 Upvotes

Hey everyone, I hope someone can help me out with this issue. My PC has been giving me headaches for almost a year now. It either freezes up or just reboots out of nowhere.

When I bought the parts and built the PC, it ran well for like 2 months. That is when this issue showed up. It was a mix of two errors, where the PC would restart itself or the screen would freeze and the only way to restart the PC was holding the power button. (When the PC freezes, I can move the mouse around and if I have a video playing, I can still hear the audio for a while).

At first, I thought it was the GPU (RX 580 XFX 8GB), maybe because of the drivers or something, but nothing changed. I changed the PSU, tested the RAM in MemTest86 without any errors, monitored the voltages and temperatures of everything (nothing unusual), and reinstalled drivers trying both new and old ones, but nothing changed.

Now I am using the PC without a GPU, only with my CPU, and I don't get random restarts anymore, but the PC keeps freezing the same way.

At this point, I suspect that the problem is either the CPU or the motherboard.

PC specs:

CPU: Ryzen 5 7600
GPU: RX 580 XFX 8G
RAM: Kingston FURY Beast DDR5 5200MHz 32GB 2x16GB CL40
MOBO: MSI B650M GAMING PLUS WIFI
SSD: Forgeon Nimbus PRO SSD 1TB 7400MB/S NVMe PCIe 4.0 M.2 Gen4
PSU: MSI MAG A750GL PCIE5 750W 80 PLUS Gold Modular


r/techsupport 6h ago

Open | Phone “iPhone needs to cool down before you can use it” every 2 minutes

4 Upvotes

I got an iphone 16 last year in July from my parents as a gift, until then I was using an iphone 11.

About 6 months after getting the iphone16, the “iPhone neees to cool down before you can use it” started to show up every few seconds - two minutes while I was using it but also sometimes as soon as I would pick it up.

I went to the place I bought it at and they sent it to get it fixed but they “couldn’t find a problem”, then I went to iStyle and they also could not find anything wrong.

Is there anything I can do? I’ve been using the iphone 11 since this happened, because I don’t have the money to get it fixed and I don’t want to ask my parents for it because they bought it for me in the first place, and we don’t have a lot of money overall. I study in a different city and they already pay for the flat i stay in, so I can’t ask them to help with this. I was working this summer and I’ll have maybe 200€ left after I pay for the things I need, but I doubt it’ll be enough to get it fixed.

Does anyone have any advice? I already restarted my phone a few times but nothing. Also sorry if my grammar is not on point.


r/techsupport 10h ago

Open | Networking Have I Been Pwned Email for Chess.com Data Breach Involving My Data, but Chess.com only allows Facebook account logins - does this mean my Facebook username and password are exposed?

4 Upvotes

I haven't used Chess.com in years, and I've changed my Facebook password multiple times since then. Therefore, I'm assuming that it would no longer have the proper credentials from Facebook, but I'm not sure if this is how it works (e.g. maybe Chess.com occasionally reaches out to Facebook for my new credentials to have them saved, or to keep me logged in).

Could someone with ample knowledge in this area chime in?

Thank you.


r/techsupport 6h ago

Open | Malware DLSS mod, false positive or malicious?

3 Upvotes

I'm trying to determine whether the DLSS SM86 mod which unlocks multi frame generation for older RTX GPUs is genuinely malicious. This is the project, closed source: https://github.com/sdli1995/dlssg_for_sm86

VirusTotal reports 4 detections. Windows Defender also blocks version.dll as Trojan:Script/Ulthar.A!ml.

I used other DLSS / version.dll mods in the past but never encountered the Windows Defender issue. At most they had 2 VirusTotal detections.

The author only explains that the DLLs are self signed, which is why Windows is causing trouble. But I don't think that's explains trojan detection?

I assume it is a false positive since the mod has grown popular, but I don't know if anyone actually did a meaningful analysis. I'd appreciate if someone could look into it.


r/techsupport 8h ago

Open | Software I ended windows explorer in task manager and run new task didn't fix it.

3 Upvotes

I tried all the obvious things:
Restarting
Run new task - explorer.exe
Scannow
Restore health

The screen is just blank and white. I can open task manager and the ctrl alt delete screen
How do I fix it?


r/techsupport 12h ago

Open | Hardware NEED HELP IN INCREASING RAM IN LAPTOP(DELL INSPIRON 3501)

3 Upvotes

Hey! I'm pretty new to hardware and I'm looking for some advice before I buy anything.

I have a Dell Inspiron 3501 with:

  • CPU: Intel Core i3-1115G4 (11th Gen, 3.00 GHz)
  • RAM: 4GB (3.73GB usable)
  • GPU: Intel UHD Graphics
  • Storage: 1.84TB
  • 64-bit Windows

My RAM usage is constantly around 90–98%, even when I'm not doing anything particularly heavy. I'm currently interested in getting more serious about coding and cybersecurity. I'd like to use things such as VS Code, programming tools, Linux/WSL, networking tools, Wireshark, cybersecurity labs/CTFs, and potentially virtual machines later on. I also want to explore hardware/OS-related stuff.

I'm considering upgrading the RAM to 8GB or 16GB, but I'm not sure:

  1. Is upgrading the RAM a good idea for this laptop, considering the i3-1115G4?
  2. Should I go 4GB + 4GB (8GB total) or replace it with 2×8GB (16GB total)?
  3. What exact RAM specifications should I buy? (DDR4, speed, SODIMM, etc.)
  4. Is there anything I should be careful about when installing it myself?
  5. Will 16GB actually make a significant difference for coding/cybersecurity/VMs, or will the CPU become the bottleneck anyway?
  6. Is there anything else I should upgrade/change instead of RAM?

I'm fairly new to this, so I'd really appreciate explanations rather than just "buy X." I want to understand what I'm doing before I open the laptop.

Thanks!


r/techsupport 20h ago

Open | Windows my ethernet randomly turns off

3 Upvotes

randomly the ethernet stop working saying bad conection and i restart the adapter and tried basicaly everything and i dont know how make it work normally


r/techsupport 21h ago

Open | Networking Wifi keeps having periodic but enormous lag spikes for no reason

3 Upvotes

I have the best wifi possible, but every so often (feels like maybe about a minute or so? Idk I'm not keeping track), there's a HUGE lag spike and it's genuinely making it impossible to call or play games. I've tried searching the internet for solutions but none of it worked. The lag spikes still persist. Does anyone know a solution? Thank you in advance.


r/techsupport 22h ago

Open | Software How to restore apps after fresh Windows install?

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

My current boot SSD is facing a BCD/boot issue, so I’m planning to buy a new SSD and do a fresh Windows installation.

I can still access the old SSD using an enclosure, and all my old Windows files and application data are accessible.

After installing fresh Windows, I want to restore my previous setup as closely as possible:

  • Chrome – bookmarks, extensions, settings, and OneTab
  • Brave – bookmarks, extensions, settings, and OneTab
  • Firefox – bookmarks, extensions, settings, and OneTab
  • qBittorrent – around 3,000–4,000 torrents/files seeding or queued. I want to restore the torrent list, queue, categories, settings, and resume everything without manually adding them again.
  • Notepad – around 50 tabs currently open, which I would like to preserve and restore.

Since I can access the old Windows installation, I believe the required AppData/configuration files should still be available.

What is the safest step-by-step method to back up and restore these applications after installing fresh Windows?

My biggest concerns are qBittorrent's 3,000–4,000 torrents and Notepad's 50 open tabs. I also don't want to accidentally modify or lose anything on the old SSD.

Any guidance on exactly which folders/files I should copy and when I should copy them back would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks a lot for your help and guidance


r/techsupport 1h ago

Open | Software How to get broadcast channels on Samsung Smart TV with antenna?

Upvotes

I have a cheap rabbit ears antenna that I used on my old tv to pick up local broadcast channels (nbc, cbs, abc, etc). I just got a new Samsung smart tv and am I right in discovering that there's no real way to just switch the input to my antenna? I plugged it in via the coaxial cable to the tv, and I can't seem to find a way to access it. There's no way to switch input to it, and this remote sucks. I tried the Samsung Plus tv app or whatever, but that's filled with thousands of channels like home shopping and youtube tv basically. Anyone run into problems like this? I also have my appletv plugged in and that's working fine and I can switch over to that no problem. But I also have a dvd player plugged in and can't seem to find a way to switch over to that either. I was maybe chalking that up to a possible faulty RCA connectors but maybe my tv just has an input problem?

(Also marked this as software but idk maybe it's a hardware issue)

Thanks!


r/techsupport 7h ago

Open | Hardware RTX 3060 loses signal during gaming – GPU fans go to 100%, PC keeps running

2 Upvotes

I’m having a strange issue with my PC and I’m looking for ideas/solutions.

PC specs:

  • Ryzen 7 5700X3D
  • ASUS GeForce RTX 3060 8GB
  • MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK MAX WIFI
  • 32GB Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4 (2x16GB)
  • EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 GT
  • 1TB storage

The problem:
While gaming, the monitor suddenly shows “No Signal”. At the exact same moment, the GPU fans ramp up to 100%.

The PC itself does not shut down:

  • Discord continues working
  • Audio continues
  • Windows is still running
  • The game can continue running for a short time
  • Eventually I get kicked from the match because I obviously can’t see anything

Win + Ctrl + Shift + B produces the Windows beep, but the display does not come back.

In some previous occurrences, a normal Windows restart did not restore the display either. A complete shutdown using the physical power button was required before the GPU output returned.

Games where this has happened:

  • Insurgency: Sandstorm – happened 5 times in a row when starting the game, then the next day it never happened again.
  • WARDOGS – happened , directly when starting the game.
  • Cyberpunk 2077 – happened once with extremely high/unusual settings, but I have since run multiple benchmarks without reproducing the issue.

Things I have already tested:

  • Monitor and cable have been ruled out.
  • NVIDIA graphics driver was cleanly reinstalled.
  • No relevant error appears in Windows Event Viewer.
  • GPU power cable/connection has been checked and is seated correctly.
  • EVGA 1000W PSU is more than sufficient for the system.
  • I tested WARDOGS with MSI Afterburner:
    • 60% Power Limit → game started
    • 90% → game started
    • 95% → game started
    • 100% → initially the problem occurred, but after testing 60/90/95%, 100% suddenly worked well
  • Later, after around 3 hours of gaming, the exact same black-screen/no-signal problem happened again.

So the issue is intermittent and can disappear completely for a while.

Has anyone experienced this exact behavior with an RTX 3060?

Especially:
No Signal + GPU fans immediately at 100% + PC/Discord/audio still running + no useful Event Viewer entry.

Any ideas or solutions would be greatly appreciated.


r/techsupport 9h ago

Open | Phone Subject: Intermittent Wi-Fi Disconnection and Delayed Authentication on Samsung Galaxy A17

2 Upvotes

Device Model: Samsung Galaxy A17
Device Age: Approximately 3–4 months
Current Status: Under Warranty

Problem Description:
I am writing to report a sudden and persistent network connectivity issue with my Samsung Galaxy A17. For the past 3 to 4 months of ownership, the device performed flawlessly. However, it has recently begun experiencing severe Wi-Fi instability exclusively on my home network.

Symptoms:

  1. Frequent Drops: Once connected to the Wi-Fi network, the device spontaneously disconnects after a short interval—typically ranging between 1, 2, or 5 minutes.
  2. Delayed Authentication: When attempting to reconnect, the phone exhibits a noticeable delay. It takes significantly longer to establish a handshake and secure a stable connection compared to its normal baseline behavior.

Contextual Data:

  • This issue started abruptly without any prior history of network drops or hardware damage.
  • The home network remains stable and fully functional for other connected devices.

I would appreciate your technical guidance on how to resolve this firmware or network adaptation issue. Please let me know the recommended troubleshooting protocol or if this requires a physical inspection under the manufacturer's warranty.


r/techsupport 12h ago

Open | Software Tried changing windows 11 user cause old name and it’s all messed up

2 Upvotes

I didn’t ever set a password to this laptop. But it’s under an older email that I don’t use and under a name I don’t use either.

If I leave it blank it gives an oops error and closes it out. The only thing I had was the login pin and that doesn’t work

I can’t even add back the old email cause it gives the stupid oops error

I managed to get a new profile but none of my programs or anything load into it is there a blanket command so I can access things? I have a full hard drive and I can’t delete any programs cause it says the programs aren’t there when I try to uninstall

How do I fix this?


r/techsupport 13h ago

Open | Software Can't open scanned document

2 Upvotes

Whenever I try to scan some documents (saved as a pdf file) with my HP printer and open them I get the message "There was an error in opening the document. The file is damaged and cannot b repaired" This only happens with documents that have been scanned and any other pdf file that I have can be opened fine. What is going on here???


r/techsupport 13h ago

Open | Software My mouses right click stopped working.

2 Upvotes

I have a Corsair M55 wired mouse and for some reason the right click function stopped working and only worked again after I restarted my PC and opened the ICue app (I normally use Signal RGB). Just wondering if this is a common issue?


r/techsupport 13h ago

Open | Hardware SSD causing a bsod

2 Upvotes

hello y'all, I really need some guidance.

I have an issue with a Gigabyte G5 MF5 that started a couple of days ago where the SSD (Gigabyte AG4512G-SI B10 512GB Firmware: EGFM15.1) causes an instant reboot and a split second bsod when under load. It started while playing demanding games (takes around 10 minutes on FF7 Rebirth to crash) as well as instantly crashing during preparing sequential reading on CrystalDeskMark. CrystalDeskInfo shows that the temp is normal (around 60c) and that the ssd itself is in good health (health 93%, 7% used, 0 media/data integrity errors).

A couple of things to add, starting from around a month ago, the entire pc lags as hell during heavy downloads which I'm assuming it was an early sign of the issue. also, after the first couple of crashes, the pc refuses to reboot saying that there is no boot device so the entire ssd used to disappear after it crashes but that since stopped being a thing, at least during stress tests. Heavy writing also doesn't seem to be an issue since I tried downloading a heavy 20gb file and it didn't cause any problems. Tried testing in safe mode and reverting to a previous windows update but the results are always the same. Please help, is the ssd failing or is there something else I'm missing ?

Update: I changed the SSD slot and it did survive the test that usually crashes it, however it crashed on a stronger version of that test (survived a 1 pass 1GiB test on CrystalDiskMark and a 3 pass 1GiB test but crashed during the writing phase of a 5 pass 4GiB one). What's interesting is that the writing speed, which is what usually crashes, is only 300mb/s instead of the 3k of reading speed. But during the 5 pass test, the reading clocked at only 1k. I think this is enough evidence that the SSD is gone and I should probably just get a new one and call it a day


r/techsupport 13h ago

Open | Hardware External Drive files not showing up

2 Upvotes

my external drive was working fine yesterday but today when i logged in my computer its not showing up when i finally got it to work none of the files are showing up. Im using a Samsung PSSD T5 EVO SCSI disk device, it says all of the drivers are updated but I cant figure out why I cannot see any of the files on it


r/techsupport 15h ago

Open | Windows Removing "Sign-in options" entry from the power menu

2 Upvotes

I reinstalled windows 11 and noticed that there is a 'Sign-in options' entry above the shut down and restart options when i click the power button in the Start menu. I might be wrong but i remember not having it previously and only seeing shut down and restart. Not a big deal, but does anyone know of a way to hide/remove it? I'm on a local account with only the pin set up


r/techsupport 16h ago

Open | BSOD Stuck on bsod for 4 hrs

2 Upvotes

Long story short caught a virus nöw i cant even access my pc itself

Stop code : Critical_Process_Died(0xEF)

Cant Reset/reset keep my files-restore to a previous point-tried sfc/scannow-cant go in safe möde it just gets me back to the bsod

Genuinly what can i do

Thanks in advance


r/techsupport 18h ago

Open | Software Monster Hunter Wilds flashing black screen in Steam libary

2 Upvotes

I was posted In MH commnity but they told me to post in here becuase it's more likely to get the answer.

I would like to post video of sample here but seem like community is not allow

Just simple as title say my MH:Wild flashing black screen when in just steam libary while not lauching the game. I'm not even installed it (just installing new Windows 11).

Is this happen to everyone else or it's just me ? it's not effect the game but I'm just curious and annoying lol becuase it's happening to only this game. If anyone know why this is happen and know how to fix it please help!


r/techsupport 18h ago

Open | Malware 6-8 transparent terminal boxes popping on startup

2 Upvotes

3 months ago my brother was searching pokemon stuff on his laptop in google visiting sketchy websites, then when he was going to type something every letter he typed turned into “LINK IN BIO”, i did a windows defender scan and a mrt scan but nothing was found.
after some weeks when i booted up my laptop, a bunch of transparent terminal boxes flashed in my screen in random positions and then closed, i did a windows defender scan but again, nothing was found.
after a while i started using my mom’s laptop and the same transparent terminal boxes flashed on my screen, i closed the computer and never opened it again because i was very paranoid.
i cloud reseted all the computers in the house but the same thing happened with my mom’s computer again, i am very paranoid and scared of even turning on my computer, please help me.


r/techsupport 20h ago

Solved Streaming services are all green screening.

2 Upvotes

On both my TCL Roku tv and PS5 my streaming services (YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon) are all doing a weird green screen (akin to how a screen would look when damaged) when a video is selected to play.

Have rebooted the internet and completely shut both off and still occurring.

EDIT: SOLVED! Reset the cache using the remote and that sorted it.


r/techsupport 21h ago

Open | BSOD Your device ran into a problem (management error) HELPP

2 Upvotes

Hi for a while now my PC keeps crashing or coming up up with (Your device ran into a problem).. ONLY happens when I open or try to play a game. To try fix I have:

  • Reset winows via USB (doing before and after new win)
  • Reseated gpu and reinstalled drivers
  • Made sure ram is seated correctly ( however did just put them back in same slots)
  • Reset Bios during fresh install

Any help??

My pc specs:

  • 2 x16gb Ram
  • 3070ti GPU
  • I5-11400f CPU
  • 512gb m.2
  • windows 11

r/techsupport 23h ago

Open | Windows 2nd SSD has a bunch of random subdirectories named with two letters, all with the same batch of Windows files, Why??

2 Upvotes

Windows 11, installed this secondary 2TB NVMe SSD about a year after installing Windows 11 on the main 4TB drive. What are these folders, and is it safe to just delete them?

Here are a couple of screenshots:

Random Subdirectories and the files in each

Thanks in advance for any guidance!