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Be your own tech support

Be Your Own Tech Help

by Anya Martin Monster Contributing Writer

Office workers can be divided into two groups: "Those who believe in the promise of technology and those who are perennially disappointed; the users for which everything goes wrong," says Gini Courter. As partners in Traverse-City, Michigan-based TRIAD Consulting, LLC, Courter and Annette Marquis have been training administrative assistants to neutralize their fear of technology for more than a decade.

As firms become more cost-conscious and increasingly track tech-support calls, Courter predicts that less tech-savvy workers may find their promotions stalled or even their jobs terminated.

In an effort to increase your knowledge and capability of using computers the Information and Technology Departement at Concordia University asks that you complete the following questions and steps before coming in for help. This will not only help you in your computer knowledge outside of Concordia but will also help us help you faster.

Start with the Obvious

1. Check your computer's power source and cables, and test all the connections.
2. Are all components switched on? Have others used your computer and, perhaps, changed its settings?
3. Could your computer have been exposed to viruses, worms or Trojans?

Follow Your Footsteps

1. When was the last time everything worked well?
2. Have you recently installed or upgraded software, downloaded files off the Internet, or added or relocated a hardware component?

Isolate the Problem

1. If a new hardware device, such as a keyboard, printer or video circuitry has recently been installed on your computer, check to see if it conflicts with existing hardware. You can do this by walking through the following steps:
   1. If you are a Windows user, click on the System icon in the Control Panel, found under Settings on the Start Menu.
   2. Then select the Device Manager option to review the Properties of your computer's hardware components.
   3. Then check to see if the problem recurs with all software applications. For example, if the printer won't print a Word document, will it print a Web page? If the issue happens in only one application, you may be able to solve it by repairing or reinstalling that application.

Windows Troubleshoot

If none of this makes sense to you, the Windows' Troubleshooting option offers a step-by-step guide for resolving numerous problems.

1. From the Start Menu
   1. Click Help
   2. Click Troubleshooting
2. Then, choose from the list of dilemmas.

Record the Errors You Recieve

Always write down or print out every error message you see. To record screen messages:

1. Simultaneously hit the Control and Print Screen keys. The Print Screen key on the R52 model of laptops is directly to the right of the power button. This will copy the screen to your clipboard.
2. Open a new Word document, click on Edit and then Paste and print the page.

Get Assistance

If you've followed all of the above steps and the problem persists, please feel free to contact the Help Desk.

Other key information that you will want to share with Help Desk will include: version and license numbers for your software and model, serial numbers and installation dates for hardware.

Know the Lingo

A Help Desk Technician may not always know what you mean when you say you "clicked the thingie" or "plugged the printer into some socket." Something that may help you with this is visiting our Technology Terms page.

Be Proactive

You may also seek solutions online. Use a search engine like Google to find information related to your dilemma, including newsgroup postings of others who've experienced a similar situation. Explore your computer's manufacturer's Web site, and look for related online product tours and online training. You should try to learn about and attend manufacturer-sponsored training events. How-to books may also assist you with common problems as well as help you hone your computer skills.