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Run this checklist whenever you need to troubleshoot a client's computer in person.
1Introduction:
2Preliminary data:
Introduction:
IT support is all too often taken for granted; along with expectations of general expertise come
the widely-distributed assumptions that you have memorized the ins-and-outs of each-and-every
system under the sun, whilst being magically prepared to resolve any support ticket at the snap of
the customer's fingers.
"Being a support tech often means being invisible until something goes wrong. Ironically, if
you're doing an awesome job... you're less likely to be noticed" - Becky Roberts
You're some of the most unsung, seldom helped heroes of the tech world, so isn't it about time
someone made your job a little easier, rather than harder?
Thankfully, instead of furiously Googling for the solution or wracking your brain for that elusive
solution, this time you can scroll through this checklist and find the answers, whether you're a
newbie or a seasoned pro. (That's because we've already done the furious Googling.)
Without further ado, let's get you started battling buggy systems and quelling user complaints.
Preliminary data:
As a managed service provider, you'll likely be dealing with a variety of customer profiles.
You can easily navigate case-specific support requirements with conditional logic - just select
the profile that matches the support ticket and the relevant tasks will be shown automatically.
Once you've determined the client profile, record some basic information about the support
request in question.
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Slow startup
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Unnecessary programs
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Overheating
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Cable connections
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System updates
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System display
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Application error
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Unsure
Common issues:
If you're not sure what might be causing the problem, or the client is having difficulty explaining
the situation, have them recreate the issue for you.
This will help you to understand what's going on and provide key insight into how to deal with
the support request.
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You'll then want to perform a system reset to make sure all updates have been initiated.
Macs are simple to update; just follow the simple steps below:
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To check for system updates on a Windows device, navigate to their Settings app either through
their Start menu, then their "All apps" list, or by typing "Settings" straight into the search bar.
These simple instructions will guide you through the update process:
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Select "Install"
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If the computer in question is running pre-Windows 10, the only difference is how you need to
navigate to the Windows Update app.
Instead of the previous method, Windows Update should be available through either the
programs list in the Start menu, or by typing "Windows Update" into the search bar.
Whilst serving as one of the longest-running jokes of the IT Crowd, resetting the client's
computer can easily solve many problems the average user experiences.
Although they may have already done this, go ahead and turn their machine off and on
again once more to be certain that this basic check has been completed.
Remember to shut the system down properly, as a forced shutdown can both create new
problems and worsen existing ones.
If you can detect high temperature in any part of their device, inform them that it is likely the
component simply needs to cool down.
Turn off the hot component and ensure that no vents are blocked or clogged up with dust.
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Ensure no vents are blocked
Did regulating the computer's temperature resolve the issue?
Application support:
If your client is experiencing problems with one of their applications, you can use the following
list of best-practice troubleshooting responses to determine the cause and hopefully resolve their
issue.
Try each solution in the following sub-checklist one by one, and check them off as you go.
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DuxWare has a comprehensive online database to address common problems and customer
issues.
If your client is experiencing difficulties with DuxWare, you may want to first query the
official online manual to see if an answer to their problem already exists.
Have the client recreate the error for you so that you can assess what else might be
contributing to the problem.
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Autodesk has a comprehensive knowledge-base designed to assist with support of their range of
architecture and engineering-focused software products.
Check in here and see if you can find a solution to the client's problem off-the-bat.
If the solution is not obvious, then you should ask them to provide additional details so you
can get a better understanding of what's going wrong.
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Salesforce has lots of resources readily available to aid with support requests. First, have them
recreate the error and try checking it against their Troubleshoot Processes page; many
common issues and their solutions are listed.
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Ultimately, the problem may lie elsewhere. Once you've finished basic Salesforce
troubleshooting, continue on with the checklist to make sure you've got all the bases covered.
Quickbooks has designated help pages designed to deal with common customer issues - you
should be familiar with the extensive troubleshooting documentation available online for
Quickbooks products.
Make sure to take down any additional notes relating to what you think the problem could be -
and check the Quickbooks resources in case a solution to their problem has already been
documented.
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Ask the user if they have any unnecessary folders and files which you can delete to make space
on their hard drive. If either you or they are unsure as to the purpose or function of a particular
file or folder it should not be deleted.
Another feature which can damage a computer's performance (although mostly upon booting up
a computer, rather than a lasting effect) is the number of programs which attempt to start as soon
as you turn on the computer.
Ubuntu is even easier than Windows or Mac, as all you need to do is the following:
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Click on "Preferences"
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Another feature which can damage a computer's performance (although mostly upon booting up
a computer, rather than a lasting effect) is the number of programs which attempt to start as soon
as you turn on the computer.
As such, you need to check the client's list of startup programs and remove any that are not
useful.
Follow these steps to open up the "Login Items" menu and remove unwanted programs.
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If the client is running Windows 10, their startup programs can be examined from their Task
Manager.
From here, you can change the status of a startup program (enabled or disabled) by right-clicking
on the item within the Task Manager.
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Linux recognizes which packages it has installed that aren’t being used or depended upon, and
they can be removed with a simple command:
When removing an app from a Mac, all you need to do is drag the application icon to the
Trash and thenempty the bin.
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Empty the Trash
Did uninstalling unnecessary programs in macOS resolve the
issue?
To uninstall an unnecessary program within Windows, type "Programs and Features" into the
search bar, or do the following:
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Select "Programs"
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Remember to not uninstall or remove any programs which you are uncertain as to the purpose of;
this will avoid causing further damage to the machine.
Security problems:
Linux makes use of the kernel-based Uncomplaiced Firewall (UFW) to manage netfilter and
firewall set
You can check that UFW is running by inputting the following into the terminal:
Whenever ufw is active, you’ll get a listing of the current rules that looks similar to this:
Status: active
To Action From
-- ------ ----
22 ALLOW Anywhere
For compatibility reasons, you should make sure only one antivirus program is running at any
one time.
From here, you will be able to check which antivirus programs are active, and Force Quit all
but one.
To give an example, if the computer is running McAfee and Norton antivirus at once, any
problems they are experiencing are likely to at least partially be caused at the points where they
meet.
Thus, you should deactivate (and preferably uninstall) all but one of their antivirus
programs.
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Whichever antivirus software is installed, you'll want to perform a complete system check.
If there isn't already an antivirus program installed, you can use ClamAV.
sudo freshclam
Make sure you go to “Settings” and check off the following before the full scan:
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After returning to the main menu, select the directory that you want to check. If you want to scan
the whole drive, select "Filesystem."
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sudo clamtk
After the scan is complete, Clam will give you the option to either delete or quarantine the
threats it has found.
Be wary, as deleting certain system files infected with malware could lead to further system
errors. Make sure you fully understand what you're doing before deleting anything.
Contrary to widespread belief, macOS is in fact just as susceptible to viruses and malware as a
Windows operating system.
With whatever antivirus software that is left installed, perform a full system check.
After the check, you'll want to deal with any threats the software has detected by removing
or quarantining them.
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Perform a full system check
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Next on our list of security measures in the IT support process to open and run the remaining
antivirus program.
This is exactly what is says on the tin, quite frankly. Open whatever antivirus program is
installed and perform a full system check through it.
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Connection issues:
You need to confirm that their router is working, so follow through with the sub-checklist
below.
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Make sure the antennae are vertically positioned
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After you check that the router is working properly, make sure the computer has a good
connection, whether wired or wireless.
The computer will be connected via ethernet cable or via wireless connection, so the first step
will be to determine which.
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Check that the computer has a working wireless connection (if applicable)
Did checking the network connection resolve the issue?
Thankfully, Linux Ubuntu has the Network Manager graphical interface for easy network
troubleshooting.
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ping -c 5 google.com
Doing so will send five Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo request packets to the
domain specified.
If your connection is working as it should be, you will see five responses from
google.com.
If there are no responses, then your computer can’t reach google.com, meaning there is a
problem with the internet connection.
If there are some (fewer than five, greater than 0) responses, then your computer is
experiencing "packet loss", which could mean that the problem is with any of your router,
modem, Internet Service Provider (ISP) or Google itself.
Did configuring Wi-Fi settings in Linux Ubuntu resolve the
issue?
Everything you need for network troubleshooting can be found in Apple's Wi-Fi menu, which
you can access by clicking the Wi-Fi icon located in the top right hand corner of the screen.
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Select "Network"
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Select "Wi-Fi"
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Check all additional Wi-Fi menu tabs as well, to verify everything looks acceptable.
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Network problems can be frustrating to deal with, as there are a multitude of points at which the
connection can fail.
Thankfully, by running the client's network troubleshooter, many connectivity issues can be
automatically solved.
You can very easily access the network troubleshooter in Windows 10 by right clicking the
network symbol in the taskbar, then clicking "Troubleshoot problems".
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Visual problems can often be caused by having outdated graphics drivers, and so you now need
to go through the process of checking and updating their drivers.
To update video card drivers in Linux Ubuntu, start by opening the terminal and entering the
following command:
The text returned will include the client's graphics card's manufacturer's name (usually NVIDIA
or ATI).
Next, you need to check for the version of the driver they have installed. In the terminal, type
the following command:
This should return more data, of which the last series of numbers in the "OpenGL version string"
line is the driver version. Once you know both the driver version and manufacturer, go to the
manufacturer's website and download the newest driver.
NVIDIA - http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp
ATI - http://ati.amd.com/support/driver.html
Did updating video card drivers in Linux Ubuntu resolve the
issue?
Visual problems can often be caused by having outdated graphics drivers, and so you now need
to go through the process of checking and updating their drivers.
Macs are much easier to find updates for (indeed, most should have already been installed when
checking for OS updates). This time, all you need to do is follow this path
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Select "Software Update" from the drop-down menu
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First up, you need to find out what make of graphics card their machine is running. This can
be done bysearching "dxdiag" in their computer's search bar, and opening the resulting
program.
When the DirectX Diagnostic Tool opens, navigate to the "Display" tab and note down the make
of graphics card, which is displayed in the "Device" section under "Manufacturer".
Depending on the make of card, you must then go to one of the following websites and
download the latest driver (there will usually be a tool which you can use to automatically
detect the latest applicable driver, if you are unsure of which one to download).
AMD - http://support.amd.com/en-us/download
NVIDIA - http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp
Intel - http://support.intel.com/support/graphics/
The following sub-checklist will guide you through the process of updating the visual drivers.
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If a client is complaining of strange visuals, but not necessarily anything malicious (menus and
desktop shortcuts being the wrong size, the screen being blurry, etc.) you need to check their
screen resolution.
xrandr
This will show up a list of resolutions, from which their ideal one should be selected.
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If a client is complaining of strange visuals, but not necessarily anything malicious (menus and
desktop shortcuts being the wrong size, the screen being blurry, etc.) you need to check their
screen resolution.
Next, ask them what size their monitor screen is (if they do not know, measure the screen size
from one corner to its diagonal opposite; eg, the top right corner to bottom left).
From the size of their screen, assess what resolution their monitor should be:
13 inch = 640x480
15 inch = 800x600
17 inch = 1024x768
21 inch = 1280x1024
If their resolution is correct, then move on. Otherwise, you will need to change their
resolution with the following method.
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Select "Display"
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Select "Scaled"
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If a client is complaining of strange visuals, but not necessarily anything malicious (menus and
desktop shortcuts being the wrong size, the screen being blurry, etc.) you need to check their
screen resolution.
Next, ask them what size their monitor screen is (if they do not know, measure the screen size
from one corner to its diagonal opposite; eg, the top right corner to bottom left).
From the size of their screen, assess what resolution their monitor should be:
13 inch = 640x480
15 inch = 800x600
17 inch = 1024x768
21 inch = 1280x1024
If their resolution is correct, then move on. Otherwise, you will need to change their
resolution with the following method.
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Select "Apply"
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Select "Keep"
Did checking the screen resolution in Windows 10 resolve the
issue?
Finishing up:
Congratulations on completing the support process for your client! Now all that's left is
to forward a copy of the completed checklist report to the customer for archival purposes.
The following fields will be filled in automatically based on the details you input to the checklist
as you were working.
Sources:
Becky Roberts - 10 signs that you aren't cut out to be a support tech
Dan Gookin - Troubleshooting & Maintaining Your PC All-in-One For Dummies
Ben Kim - How to solve the 10 most common tech support problems yourself
Mike Bedford - How to fix a crashing PC
Chris Hoffman - How to Troubleshoot Wireless Router Problems
Virgin Media - What do the lights on a router mean?
WhatIsMyScreenResolution - Homepage
ComputerHope - What resolution should I set my monitor to?
Microsoft Windows - Change your screen resolution
Apple - OS X Yosemite: Adjust your display’s resolution
SketchUp Help Center - How can I update my computer's graphics driver?
UCSF Chimera - Update Linux Graphics Driver
TechSoup - General Troubleshooting
Related checklists: