PPT ch12

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th
Edition
Chapter 12
Supporting Customers and
Troubleshooting Windows
Objectives
• Support customers in the non-technical ways that

they want and expect, beyond your technical skills
• Apply general strategies and steps to troubleshoot
and solve any computer problem
• Troubleshoot application problems using
appropriate Windows tools
A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

2
What Customers Want: Beyond the
Technical Know-How
• Commit to providing excellent service and to treating
customers as you would want to be treated in a
similar situation
• Important to be prepared
– Includes knowing what customers want, what they
don’t like, and what they expect from an IT technician

3
Becoming a Competent and Helpful
Support Technician
• Traits of a competent and helpful technician:
– Trait 1: Be dependable and reliable
– Trait 2: Keep a positive and helpful attitude
– Trait 3: Listening without interrupting your customer
– Trait 4: Proper and polite language
– Trait 5: Show sensitivity to cultural differences
– Trait 6: Take ownership of the problem

4
Becoming a Competent and Helpful
Support Technician
• Traits of a competent and helpful technician (cont’d):
– Trait 7: Portray credibility
– Trait 8: Work with integrity and honesty
– Trait 9: Know the law with respect to your work
• Observe the laws concerning use of software
– Trait 10: Look and behave professionally

5
Planning for Good Service
• To provide good service there must be a plan that

covers the entire service situation
– From the first contact with the customer to closing the
call
• Most good service for customers of IT support
begins with entries in call tracking software

6
Call Tracking Software
• Call tracking software – tracks support calls and

gives technicians a place to keep their call notes
• Initial call for help starts the process by creating a
ticket
– A record of the request and what is happening to
resolve it
– Stays open until the issue is resolved
– Support staff assigned to the ticket document
progress in the call tracking system
– As an open ticket ages, more attention and resources
are assigned to it
7
Initial Contact With a Customer
• Customers expect both technical and interpersonal

skills
• Beginning a phone call professionally
– Identify yourself and your organization
– Ask for and write down name and number of caller
– Follow company polices to obtain further information
– Be familiar with your company’s customer service
policies
– Open up the conversation for the caller to describe
the problem

8
Initial Contact With a Customer
• Technicians should be prepared to:

– Know:
• The problem to be addressed
• The urgency of the situation
• What computer, software, and hardware need servicing
– Arrive with a complete set of equipment needed
– Greet customer in a friendly manner and shake hands
– Listen and ask questions

9
Interview the Customer
• As you ask questions:

– Take notes
– Keep asking questions until you thoroughly
understand the problems
– Have customers reproduce the problem
– Use diplomacy and good manners

10
Set and Meet Customer Expectations
• Important to create an expectation of certainty with

customers
• Establish a timeline with your customer for
completion of a project
– Keep customer informed of progress
• Give the customer an opportunity to make decisions
about repairs
– Repair or replace?
– Help them decide which is to their advantage

11
Working With a Customer On Site
• Avoid distractions
• Don’t accept personal calls on your cell phone
– Or use social media
• Answer calls from work, but keep call to a minimum
• If you must excuse yourself, explain to the customer
and return as soon as possible
• When working at a user’s desk:
– Be as unobtrusive as possible as you work
– Keep tools and papers out of customer’s way
– Protect customer’s confidential materials
12
Working With a Customer On Site
• When working at a user’s desk (cont’d):
– Don’t take over the mouse or keyboard without
permission
– Ask permission to use the printer or other equipment
– Don’t use the phone without permission
– Don’t pile your tools on top of user’s papers
– Accept personal inconvenience to accommodate the
user’s urgent business needs
– If user is present, ask before making a software or
hardware change
– Don’t disclose information on social media
13
Working With a Customer On the
Phone
• Requires more interaction with customers
• Must be able to visualize what the customer sees
• Patience is required if dealing with novice user
• If call is disconnected, call back immediately
• Don’t eat or drink while on the phone
• If caller must be put on hold, tell them how long it
will be before you get back to them
• Speak clearly and slowly
• Keep small talk upbeat and positive

14
Dealing With Difficult Customers
• When trying to solve a problem over the phone and

the customer is not knowledgeable:
– Be specific with your instructions
– Don’t ask the customer to do something that might
destroy settings or files without having them back up
first
– Ask customer what is displayed on the screen to help
track keystrokes
– Follow along at your own computer
– Give the customer plenty of opportunity to ask
questions
15
• When trying to solve a problem over the phone and

the customer is not knowledgeable (cont’d):
– Compliment the customer whenever you can
– If customer cannot help you solve the problem without
a lot of coaching, tactfully request that the caller have
someone with more experience call you

16
• When the customer is overly confident:

– Compliment the customer’s knowledge, experience,
or insight
– Slow the conversation down
– Don’t back off from using problem solving skills
– Be careful not to accuse the customer of making a
mistake
– Even though the customer might be using technical
jargon, do not use jargon back to the customer

17
• When the customer complains:

– Be an active listener, and let customers know they are
not being ignored
– Give the customer a little time to vent, and apologize
when you can
• Start conversation over from beginning
– Don’t be defensive
– Know how your employer wants you to handle a
situation where you were verbally abused

18
• When the customer complains (cont’d):

– If the customer is complaining about a product or
service that is not from you company, don’t say
“That’s not our problem”
– If the complaint is against you or your product, identify
the underlying problem if you can
– Sometimes simply making progress or reducing the
problem to a manageable state reduces the
customer’s anxiety
– Point out ways you think communication could be
improved
19
The Customer Decides When the Work
Is Done
• When you think a problem is solved, allow customer
to decide when the service is finished
• Complete these tasks before closing the call:
– Reboot computer to make sure you have not caused
a problem with the boot
– Allow the customer enough time to be fully satisfied
that all is working
– Ask user to verify any restored data
– Review service call with the customer
– Explain preventative maintenance to the customer

20
Sometimes You Must Escalate a
Problem
• Every technician does not know how to solve every
problem with a computer
– Sometimes, a problem needs to be assigned to
someone higher in the support chain
– If that happens, follow through to make sure the
customer and new support person have made contact

21
Working With Co-Workers
• Put business matters above personal matters

– Do not be personally offended when someone lets
you down or does not please you
• Keep negative opinions to yourself
• Practice good organization skills
• Know your limitations and be willing to admit when
you can’t do something

22
Strategies To Troubleshoot Any
Computer Problem
• Should first approach the problem as an investigator
– Be careful not to compound the problem through
actions before discovering as much as you can about
the problem
• Ask questions until you understand the source of the
problem
• A systematic method used by most expert
troubleshooters is introduced in this chapter
– Refer to the diagram on the next slide

23
Computer Problem
Figure 12-10 General

approach to problem solving
24
Computer Problem
• There are 13 rules introduced throughout the
chapter that might be useful when troubleshooting
• Here is Troubleshooting Rule #1: Approach the
Problem Systematically
– Start at the beginning and walk through it carefully
– If you find more than one problem on the same
computer, work on only one problem at a time
• Trying to solve more than one at a time can get very
confusing

25
Step 1: Interview the User and Back Up
Data
• Some possible questions to ask:
– Please describe the problem. What error messages,
unusual displays, or failures did you see?
– When did the problem start?
– What was the situation when the problem occurred?
– What programs or software were you using?
– What changes have recently been made to the
system?
– Has there been a recent thunderstorm or electrical
problem?

26
Data
• Some possible questions to ask (cont’d):
– Have you made any hardware, software, or
configuration changes?
– Has someone else used your computer recently?
– Is there some valuable data on your system that is
not backed up that I should know about before I start
working on the problem?
– Can you show me how to reproduce the problem?

27
Data
• Troubleshooting Rule #2: Establish Your Priorities
– Decide what your first priority is
– When practical, ask user for help deciding priorities
• Troubleshooting Rule #3: Beware of User Error
– If you suspect this, ask user to show you the problem
and watch what the user is doing
• Troubleshooting Rule #4: Keep Your Cool and
Don’t Rush
– A wrong move can be costly – carefully plan your
moves and research the problem

28
Data
• Back up any important data that is not currently
backed up before you begin working
– If computer won’t boot to Windows desktop, use
File/Windows Explorer to copy files to a flash drive
– If File/Windows Explorer can’t be used
• Remove the hard drive and connect to a USB port on
another computer
• Copy the data to the other computer

29
Step 2: Examine The System and
Make Your Best Guess
• Troubleshooting Rule #5: Make No Assumptions
– Hardest rule to follow
– Do your own investigating after the user tells you
about the problem
• Troubleshooting Rule #6: Try the Simple Things
First
– Most problem are easy to fix
– Check simple things first
– Example: if USB drive is not working, verify the drive
works on another computer before verifying drivers

30
• Follow this process to form best theory and test:
– Reproduce the problem and observe for yourself what
the user described
– Decide if the problem is hardware or software related
– Make your best guess as to the source of the problem
• Example: if video does not work, a best guess is the
monitor cables are loose or the monitor is turned off
• Troubleshooting Rule #7: Become a Researcher
– Search the web, ask questions, read documentation,
make phone calls

31
Figure 12-11 Search the manufacturer web sites for help with a
hardware or software product

32
Step 3: Test Your Theory
• Example of a test:
– Video does not work and you suspect loose cables
• Check the connection and discover that it is loose
• Connect it securely and problem is solved
• Example that includes testing an incorrect guess:
– DVD drive won’t read a DVD, suspect a scratched
DVD
• DVD looks fine, no scratch
• Next guess, DVD drive is not recognized by Windows
• Check Device Manager and it reports errors
• Next guess, drivers are corrupted
33
• Troubleshooting Rule #8: Divide and Conquer

– Isolate the problem – Remove one hardware or
software component after another until the problem is
isolated
– Try the following:
• In Windows, perform a clean boot to eliminate all
nonessential startup programs and services
• Boot from a bootable DVD or flash drive to eliminate
OS and startup files on the hard drive

34
• Troubleshooting Rule #9: Write Things Down

– Take notes, draw diagrams, make lists
• Troubleshooting Rule #10: Don’t Assume the
Worst
– When working with a hard drive that is not working,
don’t assume that data is lost
• Troubleshooting Rule #11: Reboot and Start Over
– Take a break, walk away from the problem
– Come back and begin again

35
Step 4: Plan Your Solution and Then
Fix the Problem
• Troubleshooting Rule #12: Use the Least Invasive
Solution First
– Fix the problem so that they system returns to normal
working condition with the least amount of effort
• Troubleshooting Rule #13: Know Your Starting
Point
– Find out what works and doesn’t work before you take
anything apart

36
Step 4: Plan Your Solution and Then
Fix the Problem
• Plan your solution and fix the problem:
– Consider different solutions and select the least
invasive one
– Before applying your solution, determine what works
and what doesn’t work
– Fix the problem

37
Step 5: Verify the Fix and Take
Preventative Action
• After problem is fixed:
– Reboot the system and verify all is well
– Have the user check everything and verify also
– Ask yourself this question: Could this problem have
been prevented?
• If so, instruct the user on what to do, set Widows to
automatically install updates, etc…

38
Step 6: Document What Happened
• Reasons to document:
– Help when troubleshooting the next situation
– Train others
– Develop effective preventative maintenance plans
– Satisfy any audits or employer queries about your
work
• Many companies use Help Desk Software to record
this information

39
Troubleshooting Applications
• Problems with an application might be caused by:

– The application
– Hardware
– The operating system
– Data
– Other applications in conflict with the application
– User

40
General Steps For Solving Application
Errors
• Step 1: Interview the User and Back Up Data
– Ask the user to reproduce the problem while you
watch
– Try a reboot
• Step 2: Error Messages, the Web, Co-Workers, and
Logs Might Help
– Error messages and the Action Center
– Use Event Viewer and Reliability Monitor to look for
clues
– Find and ask for help

41
Errors
• Step 3: Consider the Data or the Application is
Corrupted
– Consider data corruption
– Application settings might be wrong
– The application might be corrupted
– Uninstall and reinstall the application

42
Errors
• Step 4: Consider Outside Interference
– Suspect a virus
– System resources might be low
– A service may have failed to start
– Bad memory
– Corrupted hard drive
– A background program might be conflicting with the
application

43
Errors
• Step 5: Consider Windows Might Be the Problem
– A problem with an application might be solved by
updating or restoring Windows system files
– Download Windows updates
– Use System File Checker to verify and replace
system files
– Boot Windows in Safe Mode
– Use System Restore

44
Memory Diagnostics
• Identifies problem with memory
• Eliminates memory as problem source
• Use one of these methods to start the utility
– Command Prompt window command: mdsched.exe
– If you cannot boot from the hard drive, boot from the
Windows setup DVD, click Repair your computer
• For Windows 8, click Troubleshoot and then
Advanced options, click Command Prompt, enter
mdsched.exe
• For Windows 7, select the Windows installation to
repair, on the System Recovery Options screen, click
Windows Memory Diagnostic

45
System File Checker
• System file checker (SFC)
– SFC protects system files and keeps cache current
• Can refresh a damaged file
– Run SFC in elevated command prompt window:
sfc /scannow
• If corrupted system files are found, might need the
Windows setup DVD to restore files
– If SFC won’t run using the above command, try the
command sfc /scanonce
• Will scan files immediately after the next reboot

46
Responding To Specific Error
Messages
• When An Application Hangs:
– Use Task Manager to end it
– If Task Manager can’t end it, use the Tasklist and
Taskkill commands
• Tasklist command returns the process identify (PID)
• Taskkill command uses the process ID to kill the
process
– Example:
• use taskkill | more to list running processes
• Note the PID of the process you want to end (ex. 7132)
• Enter taskkill /f /pid:7132 to forcefully kill the process
47
Messages
• When a File Fails to Open
– Windows depends on the file extension to associate a
data file with an application used to open it
• Called a file association
– A program associated with a file extension is called a
default program
– When Windows doesn’t know which application to call
on to open a file, it displays an error message
– Solution: change the file association for the data file’s
file extension

48
Messages
• When a Service Fails to Start
– Can be caused by a corrupted or missing service
program
• Or the service might not be configured to launch at
startup
– Check the Services console to make sure the service
is set to start automatically
– Use the service’s Properties box to find the path and
filename to the executable program
• Next, use Explorer to make sure the program file is not
missing

49
Messages
• When A DLL Is Missing or a Component Is Not
Registered
– Most applications have many small programs called
components that serve the main program
– These small component services often have a .DLL
extension (Dynamic Link Library)
– When an error message appear about a missing DLL
• Reinstall the application
• Recover it from backup or from the application
installation files

50
Messages
• When A DLL Is Missing or a Component Is Not
Registered (cont’d)
– The relationship between the main program and the
component might be broken
• Use a Microsoft Management Console snap-in called
Component Services (COM+) to register components
• On older versions of Windows use the Regsvr32.exe
program to register the component

51
Messages
Figure 12-22 Use the Component Services window to register components used by an application

52
Messages
Figure 12-21 Use the regsvr32 command to register or unregister an application component

53
Messages
• When the Application Has Never Worked
– Update Windows and search the web
– Run the installation program or application as an
administrator
– Consider whether an older application is having
compatibility problems with Windows
– Verify that the application is digitally signed

54
Messages
Figure 12-23 Execute a program using administrative privileges

55
Messages
Figure 12-26 This program is digitally signed

56
Summary
• Customers want more than just technical know-how
• Customers expect their first contact to be
professional and friendly
• Know how to ask penetrating questions when
interviewing a customer about a problem
• Set and meet customer expectations with good
communication
• Deal confidently and gracefully with customers who
are difficult
• Find out how to escalate a problem you cannot solve

57
Summary
• Many technicians use a six step troubleshooting

process to help them solve PC related problems
• A problem with an application might be caused by
the application, the hardware, the OS, the data,
other applications in conflict, or the user
• Windows error messages and logs can help
examine a system looking for the source of an
application problem
• There are many tools and features available in
Windows to address specific application error
messages
58

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A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th

• Support customers in the non-technical ways that

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

• To provide good service there must be a plan that

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

• Call tracking software – tracks support calls and

• Customers expect both technical and interpersonal

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

• Technicians should be prepared to:

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

• As you ask questions:

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

• Important to create an expectation of certainty with

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

• When trying to solve a problem over the phone and

• When trying to solve a problem over the phone and

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

• When the customer is overly confident:

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

• When the customer complains:

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

• When the customer complains (cont’d):

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

• Put business matters above personal matters

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

Figure 12-10 General

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

• Troubleshooting Rule #8: Divide and Conquer

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

• Troubleshooting Rule #9: Write Things Down

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

• Problems with an application might be caused by:

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017

A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 9th Edition © Cengage Learning 2017