AMEN my Brother AMEN!
Happy Friday
On Apr 24, 2009, at 12:16 PM, Buenz, Tim wrote:
Hi,
I thought this article was very good and wanted to share it with you.
Have a good weekend!
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When you encounter problems with your computer or with specific
applications, it is often necessary to call the information
technology help desk to resolve them. As dozens of jokes attest, it
can often take a while for the help desk to accurately diagnose and
correct the problem. To assist in the process as much as possible,
following are five easy steps you can take to help them in the
situation.
Investigate. Before calling the IT help desk, do a little
investigative work on your own. It is truly amazing how many errors
disappear, never to be seen again, simply by rebooting the computer.
If you are having trouble with basic hardware issues, like turning on
the monitor or connecting to a network, take a few seconds to unplug
the monitor or network cable and then plug it back in, ensuring that
the cable is firmly pressed into the outlet or jack.
Recreate. After you have tried basic solutions, try to recreate the
problem. For example, run the same application again and try to
perform the same task that originally caused the problem. If you
cannot reliably cause the error message to show again, then the IT
help desk will probably not be able to assist you. They will not
doubt that you did have an error, but they cannot fix an error if
they do not have the opportunity to identify the cause of it.
Record. If you can recreate the error, then take a few minutes to
write down as much information as you can about the situation. Write
down the exact text shown in the error message, and be sure to
include an error number if it is shown. Note which application is
generating the error, as well as other applications that are also
open. Do some quick testing to see if the same error is generated by
other applications or only by the one you had open. All of this
information will help the help desk workers more quickly identify the
problem.
Explain. When you do call the help desk, politely explain to them
everything that you have already tried and also share all of the
information that you have gathered about the problem. They will
likely want to begin their examination by asking you to perform some
simple tasks or check application settings. Follow all of their
instructions exactly, even if the tasks repeat something that you
have already tried or seem trivial or silly. They have specific
reasons for each step they ask you to follow.
Understand. Finally, always try to be patient with the help desk. In
many businesses and schools, the IT help desk is understaffed and
overworked. They have to deal daily with many people who are each
convinced that their own problem should be top priority. Remember
that the help desk workers are very much like you-regular people
trying to make it through each day.
Following these basic steps can ease the stress of technological
problems, both for you and for the IT help desk employees.
-----
Tim Buenz
Director of Technology
Jefferson-Scranton Comm. Schools
204 W. Madison Street
Jefferson, IA 50129
(515)386-9256
Fax (515)386-3591
http://www.jscsd.org
"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or
present are certain to miss the future" -John F. Kennedy
--
A: Yes.
>Q: Are you sure?
>>A: Because it reverses the logical flow of conversation.
>>>Q: Why is top posting frowned upon?
--
Lance L. Lennon
District Technology Director
Eagle Grove Community School District
515-448-4749
