Ethiopian TVET-System

 Unit of Competence: Provide first-

level remote help-desk support
 LO 1: Determine the user support
issue (direction to; be an influence on)
 Providing good IT supports for clients is
vital (direction to; be an influence on) to the
effective operation of any organizations, so
you may find there are established
procedures for determining and addressing
client support issues.
  User support may include: -
 Customer contact center by phone
 Email
 Real-time website support.
1. Customer contact center by phone
 Contact center - A centralized place where
messages in a variety of media are sent and
received.
 A contact center would typically be provided
with special software that would allow contact
information to be routed to appropriate people,
contacts to be tracked, and data to be gathered.
 A contact center is considered to be an
important element in multichannel marketing.
2. E-mail :- can be distributed to lists of
people as well as to individuals. A shared
distribution list can be managed by using an e-
mail reflector. Some mailing lists allow you to
subscribe by sending a request to the mailing list
administrator. A mailing list that is administered
automatically is called a list server.
3. Real-time website support is
different from real-time computing in that there
is no knowing when, or if a response will be
received.
 The information types transmitted this way are
often short messages, status updates, news
alerts, or links to longer documents. The
content is often and it is based on the social
web - people's opinions, attitudes, thoughts,
and interests - as opposed to facts.
 A web application, to communicate
continuously with the corresponding real-time
server, during every user connection.
 As a fast pic of the client/server model,
imagine each client object (each web module
of the web GUI of an application) having its
object class alive as a sub process (of its user
session) in the server environment.
 Many medium and large organizations
provide a centralised First Level help desk
support service. Clients with IT problems
report these to the help desk.
 In Organizational guidelines may
include: -
 Problems of Communication methods
 Networking problems (including login
problems)
 Hardware and software faults
 Installation and configuration of hardware
 Printing problems
1.problems of Communication
methods
 Some people communicate brilliantly over
the phone but jumble/unwanted item
everything up by e-mail. Others do great with
sketches but never understand your written
descriptions.
 When in doubt, try a different format: Write
it out, talk through it, draw sketches, give
examples, or do whatever you can to make
the concepts in your head translate into
something the other person can understand
and vice versa.
2. Networking problems (including
login problems)
1. Connection closed by remote host A user
has established a connection to a remote
host, and the connection closes before the
user logs out.
  Cause:-
 This usually occurs because the remote host
performed a shutdown and severed the
connection, or the user process for the
associated supernatural being was dismissed.
 Solution:-
 Use the ping(8) command to
determine/regulate whether the host is
running. Determine whether the remote host is
down by contacting the host network
administrator.
 If the host is not down, use telnet(1) to
reestablish the connection.
  Problem 2: Connection refused
 Users cannot connect to a remote host. The
remote host is up, and the interface is up, but a
connection cannot be established. Several
possible causes and solutions for the problem
follow.
 Possible Cause A:
 The wrong port number for the program is listed
in the /etc/ services file on the local or the
remote host.
 Solution:
 Check the protocol's port number in the network
services file (/etc/services) on the local host.
 It must agree with the port number shown in the
default network services file. If these numbers
match, ask the network administrator on the
remote host to perform the same check. Assume
that the result of the check is as follows:
 Possible Cause C:
 The server is not enabled
 Solution:
 If TCP/IP users can connect with other network
services but cannot connect with a particular
service on a host, contact the network
administrator for the remote host to determine
whether the guiding force on the host are
 If remote users cannot connect to a
particular service, but can connect to other
services on the local TCP/IP host.
 Problem 3: Network is unreachable
 The user attempts to connect to a host
outside the local area network (LAN) and
cannot establish the connection. Both hosts
are known to be up.
 Cause:-
 The local network hardware interface is
down. If the remote interface is down, the
error message Connection refused is
returned.
 The local network hardware interface is up,
but the Internet address associated with it is
incorrect. The interface is on a network that
is different from the one for which it was
intended.
 The route was deleted for the local interface.
 A route was not set up for the destination
host.
 An incorrect route was set up for the
destination host.
3. Hardware and software
faults
  Power Supplies
 A part of the computer that converts the
power from a wall outlet into the lower
voltages.
 The +5V level is used by the IC devices on
the system board and adapter cards.
 The +3.3V level is used by the
microprocessor.
 The 12V level are typically used to power
the motors used in the Hard drive, CD
drive and Floppy disk drive.
  Cause:-
 The power supply is not work
 check typical symptoms
 The first step in power supply diagnostics is
determining whether or not the power comes
on.
 Check the external connections of the power
supply.
 This is the first step in checking any electrical
equipment that shows no signs of life.
 Can you hear fans turning and drives motors
spinning up, see little lights on the front of the
CPU case or hear any beeps?
 Confirm that the power supply cord is
plugged into a functioning outlet.
 Verify the position of the On/Off switch.
 Check the setting of the 110/220 switch
setting on the outside of the power supply.
 Check the power at the commercial
receptacle using a voltmeter.
  RAM Faults and Errors
 After RAM fault occurs your monitor shows
a blue screen with a memory reference like as
a boot interruption.
 RAM faults cannot be prevented but you can
fix them. There may be frequent PC restarts.
This is due to faulty RAM chips.
 These Faulty RAM chips are unable to store
the boot loader or NT loader file therefore
the OS cannot find it and hence it shuts down
all the processes, due to non-availability of
the boot loader file in the RAM as a result
the PC restarts again and again.
 This problem can be fixed by replacing the
old RAM with a new one. You must know
the model compatibility of you motherboard
before buying a new RAM.
  Computer Freeze
 Heat is the measure Reason for PC hardware
problems. Ensure if it’s computer freeze or
lockup. Generally, your computer temperature is
controlled by the internal fan called the Heat
Sink.
 Dust is another enemy of PC hardware as it
sticks on motherboard and electrical
components. You can control overheating by
removing dust from around the internal fan.
 System Error Blue Screen
 Often it is seen that a blue screen appears
suddenly while you are working or when you
 This is usually due to either a hardware
failure or a driver problem. Reinstalling the
driver or correcting the hardware problem can
help to solve the issue.
 If nothing seems to work, you should
consider backing up and re-formatting your
Hard Drive, then reinstalling your operating
system.
  Noisy Computer
 It means that the computer system is making
noise while running. The reason of Noisy
Computer is Dirty Fan.
 The dust particles sticks on the Fan
including the Heat Sink and other parts such
as Motherboard and other electrical parts of
computer .This dust Blocks the smooth
action of Fan and causing the fan to make
noise.
 Clean your system completely by removing
motherboard from its place and also clean the
Fan and Heat sink with a brush or soft cloth
  Liquid spilled on laptop
 For some careless guys, it’s easy to spill
something on the laptop and it’s stopped
working. Liquid spills are very dangerous and
unpredictable.
 If it happened, turn off the laptop ASAP, (As
soon as possible) remove the battery and do
not use it until all internal parts are inspected
for liquid damage. It’s still possible the laptop
will work again after you clean the damage.
  Common Software problems and
solutions
 There are numerous computer software issues
that are elementary to fix, but hard to diagnose.
When you successfully identify the appropriate
problem, it becomes easy to iron out the pitfall.
 Now, let’s share the common software
problems and solutions according to experience.
 Viruses
 It is a very generic problem with your
computer. Your computer gets this problem by
merely visiting a website.
 Some of the symptoms of PC viruses are
strange behavior in the OS, non-responsive
applications and slow performance.
 However, do not get scared because the
solution to this problem is not hard. You can
install antivirus program in your computer to
get rid of this problem.
 Installation and Configuration of
Hardware
 Computer Hardware
 Primary secondary storage technologies
 Magnetic disk:
 Hard drives, USB flash drives
 Optical disks
 CD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD
 Magnetic tape
  Input devices:
 Gather data and convert them into electronic
form.
 Keyboard
 Computer mouse
 Touch screen
 Optical character recognition
 Pen-based input
 Digital scanner
 Audio input
 Sensors
  Output devices:
 Display data after they have been processed.
 Monitor
 Printer
 Audio output
 Printing problems
 Printers, like most machines, require proper
care and maintenance for optimal
performance. Sometimes, though, a tricky
problem may pop up.
 Some issues will be specific to either inkjet
or laser, but others will be common to all
types of printers.
 It’s also important to realize that more
complex problems may need the expertise of
professionals, so make sure you’re confident
before opening up your printer.
 First, check the basics
 If your printer isn’t printing, check the –PC,
paper, power and connection.
 Make sure the printer has paper, that it’s
plugged in and that it’s connected, either
by cable or wirelessly to your computer.
 Paper Jams
 Paper jams annoying and they will occur
occasionally(infrequent or irregular
intervals), but if your printer is jamming
more often than it should, there are a few
simple ways to reduce or eliminate the
issue.
 The following factors can cause paper jams:
Foreign objects (such as paper clips, coins, or
rubber bands) might have fallen into the input
tray.
 Paper loaded incorrectly in the paper tray.
 Damaged or dirty paper rollers.
 Torn, wrinkled, or damp paper loaded in the
paper tray.
 The access door (on the rear or underside of
the printer) might not be closed securely.
 Paper was added to a stack already in the tray
while the printer was printing.
 The tray contains more than one type of
paper.
 The paper is jammed inside the HP product
where you cannot see it.
 An obstruction is blocking the paper path.
 Torn pieces of paper from a previous jam are
stuck in the product.
 The tray is too full.
 Check for these common jamming causes
and then follow these steps, in order, to help
reduce paper jams.
 Turn the printer off and on again
 Make sure that the printer rests on a flat
surface.
 Clear the jam from the printer
 Clean the paper rollers
 Reset the printer
 Service the printer
  LO 2: Identify the hardware or
software being used by the
customer or client
 Hardware may include:
 Modems or other connectivity devices,
including digital subscriber line (DSL)
modems
 Personal computers
 wireless connections
  Personal computers
 Common Computer Problems &
Solutions
 You're working away at your computer when
suddenly, up comes an error message or
worse, your computer comes to a screeching
halt(Cause to stop).
 Blue Screen of Death (BSD)
 Many people think of blue as a calming
color; however, when it comes up on your
computer screen with a bunch of white text, it
probably has the opposite effect.
 However, all your computer may need is for
you to Reboot it. This STOP error appears on
your screen for a variety of reasons: failing
hardware, damaged software, corrupt DLL
files, problems with drivers and more.
 The screen provides you with codes that can
help you identify and fix your computer
problems.
 Applications That Won't Install
 If you're having trouble with an application
not installing, it may be because your
computer doesn't have enough hard drive
space.
 If this is the case, you need to free up some
space. This is one of the computer problems
that's, well, least problematic.
Solution :-
 You can free up some hard drive space by
getting rid of files and folders you don't need.
These may be temporary files, duplicate files
or data for software you've uninstalled.
 Applications Run Slowly
 There are several reasons software might be
running at turtle speed.
 You may have computer problems that involve
your operating system or an application.
 your operating system might be missing
updates or your computer doesn't have enough
hard drive space.

Solution :-
 If you don't have enough hard drive space,
you can scan, clean and optimize your hard
  wireless connections
 The most common wi-fi problems and
there solution
 Wireless Internet networks afford us the
luxury of browsing the Web cable-free, but a
connection that relies on radio waves is
subject to failure due to interference, signal
range limits, hardware problems, and operator
error.
 With that in mind, we've put together a quick
guide to the most common Wi-Fi troubles and
how to fix them.
  Reboot Your Computer and Your
Wireless Router
 If you still can't connect a computer or
device, reboot it. This step sounds simple, but
your router, your PC's Wi-Fi adapter, or your
operating system may have a software or
firmware problem that a simple reboot would
fix.
 If some or all of your devices refuse to
connect, try unplugging the router for 5 to 10
seconds and then plugging it back in.
  Slow connection
 If your Internet connection is still working
but the speeds are slower than normal, there is
usually a logical explanation that can usually
be fixed.
 Cause: The most obvious problem with Wi-
Fi speeds slowing down is being too far from
the router.
 Fix: If the router is located in a different
room, try going into the room where the
router is located and see if that fixes the issue.
 If this is a consistent issue, try to position
your router higher (up on a shelf), away from
other devices, which can interfere with it, and
in a central location in your home.
 Software may include:
 Application software
 System software
 Application Error 0xc0000005 (Access
Violation) error is caused by your computer
not being able to correctly process the files &
settings that it requires to run a particular
program or installation.
 Despite the error showing when you try and
use particular pieces of software, or when you
try and upgrade Windows, it has many
different causes including the likes of faulty
RAM problems, errors with the files of your
PC and issues with the settings of your PC.

 You get the application

error 0xc0000005 message when you try to
start one of your programs in windows or
install software.
  Bad RAM Memory
 The application error occurs from a faulty
RAM memory. This is most likely the reason
if you started getting the 0xC0000005 error
message after installing a new RAM memory.
 To check this you can remove the new
memory and see if the 0xC0000005 error
disappears.
 Don’t forget to do the following before you
start removing the memory:
1) Turn off your computer and remove all cables
(power, network, etc.)
2) Remove the battery (if you have a laptop).
3) Ground yourself out before you touch the
memory.
 Changes to computer settings: Undo
any recent changes to your computer's
settings, and try launching the software again.
 For example, the Windows Control Panel
includes an option to "Set Program Access
and Defaults," which allows you to disable
access to certain applications.
 If you accidentally disable access to a
program here, the program may not run.
 System software
 Check for a firewall conflict.
 Some organizations may choose to install
personal firewall software on each computer,
rather than a centralized hardware or
software-based firewall.
 Personal firewalls can be an important line of
defense against hackers and other security
threats, but they can also cause software
conflicts.
 Firewalls frequently display messages asking
whether it should allow a program to run or
block it.
 Therefore, it's possible to accidentally tell the
personal firewall to block a program from
running.
 LO 3: Confirm Resolution of
User Support Issue
 In order to be successful in a customer-
centric(Having or situated at or near a
center) company, User Support center agents
must be skilled at resolving both the routine
issues as well as finding effective solutions to
more complex problems.
 Problem solving may seem like a good-
looking straight-forward process at first look.
 However, in order to be skilled at problem
solving, User Support center agents must
receive proper training and be allowed a
certain degree of self-support; as
more self-directed (action and judgment)
agents are often more capable of effectively
resolving customers’ issues by being
flexible, responsive and personal.
 This post will describe the 10 steps to
effectively problem solve.
 It’sa great resource for any user support
center agent looking to be the best on their
team, call center manager seeking to
enhance the skills of their agents, or call
center executive aiming to enhance the
quality of service they provide their
customers.
1. Identify the problem
 The first step in problem solving is to
identify the problem. This may seem
simple, but as any experienced call center
agent knows, sometimes isn’t so
straightforward.
 To help with this first step, ask yourself the
following questions:
 Is there another issue that is causing the
problem that they are not aware of?
 What would the customer like us to
advancement?
 Is their issue presence compounded by a
known infection?
 Is this issue specific to this customer, or have
other customers called in about the same
issue?
 Once you have clearly identified the
problem, summarize the problem to the
customer and get verbal confirmation that
they agree that the problem you identified
and give the solution for existence
problems.
 This will make your job much more
efficient and will also go a long way to
improving the quality of service you
provide.
2. Find out why the problem happens
 Once you have identified the problem and
confirmed this with the customer, find out
why the problem exists. To accomplish
this, you should:
 Understand how this customer perceives (To
become aware of through the senses) the
problem and try to gain a better understanding
of their needs.
 Check your systems, ask other agents if they
have fielded calls about the same issue and
analyze your data to see if the problem really
exists.
 Ask them what they have already tried to
resolve the issue.
 Decide whether or not the benefits of solving
the problem will be worth the effort that
you’ll put into solving it (to effectively
accomplish this, you must move on to step 3).
3. Find out how the problem impacts the
customer.
 As a user support center agent aiming to
provide top-notch service, you must have an
understanding of how the issue impacts the
customer.
 Understanding how the issue impacts the
customer will help you to prioritize tasks and
also connect better with your customers.
4. Clearly define the problem
 Once you have completed steps 1-3, it is time
to not only clearly define the problem but also
to define what the customer wants or needs.
 At this stage you should already have a
comprehensive (Including all or everything)
understanding of both, but you should check
in with the customer to make sure you are on
the same contact as them.
 If the problem they would like solved is
still too general (i.e., “better product”), it
might take some more work on your part to
shape it down to a material problem that
you can work towards resolving.
5. Generate possible solutions
 Once you have identified a tangible
problem, it is time to brainstorm (idea)
possible solutions.
 To help with this, ask yourself (manually)
the following:
 what have other agents done to solve
 what have our challengers (contestant you
hope to defeat) done to resolve similar
problems?
 while going through this thinking process,
generate a list of possible solutions.
6. Evaluate each solution and select the
most appropriate
 Once you have identified possible solutions,
evaluate each one. Ask yourself the following:
 Do we have the resources to outbreak the
problem from this angle?
 How much is this going to cost to
implement?
 How long is this going to take to
implement?
 Is there a low-priced, faster, more effective
way to do this?
 what could go wrong by implementing this
solution?
 what would be the impact on other
customers, the company, other agents and
my team if we implement this solution?
 Once you have evaluated each possible
solution, select the most appropriate and move
on to the next steps.
7. Plan the implementation of the
solution
 Some solutions are very straightforward to
implement. For those that are not, think about
the following:
 who – who from our team will implement the
solution?
 what – whatever will the implementation
need, cost, etc.?
 when – at what time will we start the
implementation process and when should it be
completed?
 How – in what way are we going to
implement?
8. Ground the solution to the customer
 You should walk through the details of your
solution and be open to their feedback.
 It is important to go into the pitch with an
open mind, ready to make adjustments to your
well-thought out plan. After all, the customer
comes first!
9. Implement the solution
 Once your customer and your team are all
on the same contact about the solution, it is
time to achieve.
 During this time it is important to
continually check in on your progress to
ensure that you are meeting your goals and
are within your reasonable.
 If you need to re-work you plan, make sure
that you appropriately manage the
potentials of all get-togethers involved.
10. Analyze the results
 Once you have finished the implementation
process, you should analyze the results.
 Consider in detail analysis in order to
discover essential features or meaning.
 Do this by collecting quantitative and
qualitative data. Ask the customer how they
feel about the solution, if it happened their
potentials, if it has better-quality the way they
use your product or service, etc.
 LO 4: Maintain communication link
 Application may include:
 system browsers
 Internet browsers
 Email programs
An application
program (app or application for short) is
a computer program designed to perform a
group of coordinated functions, tasks, or
activities for the benefit of the user.
 The term application is a shorter form
of application program.
 An application program is a program
designed to perform a specific function
directly for the user or, in some cases, for
another application program.
 Examples of applications include word
processors, database programs, web
browsers, image editing programs, and
communication programs.
  System Browsers
 Internet Explorer is a part of system
software that is planned to users to use
easily internet.
 Everyone experiences problems from time
to time. Some of our problems are big and
complicated, while others may be more
easily solved.
 Problem solving and critical thinking
refers to the ability to use knowledge, facts,
and data to effectively solve problems.
 This doesn’t mean you need to have an
immediate answer, it means you have to be
able to think on your feet, assess problems
and find solutions.
 The ability to develop a well thought out
solution within a reasonable time frame,
however, is a skill that employers value
greatly.
 Problems:- Internet Explorer Has
Stopped Working.
 Solutions:- Internet Explorer isn’t
working’ with some information saying
about ‘some problem caused this program
to prevent performing correctly & windows
will close the program and notify you if a
solution is available’.
 These solution works for all of
your Windows or Internet Explorer versions.
 Normally this error will show you some
troubleshooting options like this:
 “> Check online for a solution and
close/restart the problem”
 Or maybe sometimes it will only show you
the “Close program” message.
 Problem – Crash While Opening Of
Browser
 Sometimes this problem does stick with our
Computer’s browser and appears right after
when we open our Internet Explorer and the
worst part is, this type of errors having
multiple reasons to create the approach and
shows the error message on your computer’s
screen.
 Solution No.1 – Virus Scan
 The virus can be the main reason for this error
to get stuck on your computer’s screen and it’s
always better to use a best in class Antivirus in
your computer if your computer is suffering
from this kind of approach problem.
 Solution No.2 – Resetting Internet Explorer
 This is the last fix what we do in the internet
setting and most of the times, first of all, it’s not
your browser’s fault, and I think this problem is
happening because of some corrupted file of
your computer’s Operating System.
  Internet Browsers
 Internet browsers is a part of system software
and application software that is designed to
users to use every things' easily by internet.
 Problem # 1
Opening photos all day takes way too long.
 Solution: a Chrome extension that enlarges
thumbnails whenever your mouse waits over
them.
 That means no more clicking on the
Facebook photos of that person.
 Outdated Browser Detection
 If your code does not run in more modern
browsers check if maybe your browser
detection is outdated and does not handle the
more current browsers that well.
 Or even better remove the browser detection
and detect features instead! You can use the
handy library Modernizer for this.
  Email programs
 Common email problems
 I can receive, but I can't send
 Sometimes you’ll open your email client and
your email will arrive in your inbox, but when
it comes to sending a message you get an
error message.
 There are many possible causes for email
problems, some of which are easily
recognizable and others which will require
further investigation.
 Below are some of the most common email
issues and their solutions.
 Slow email and Disk Quota errors
 If your inbox loads very slowly, or it is
extremely slow to send and receive, start here.
A Disk Quota Exceeded error is a definite
indication of a mailbox size problem.
 If you are unable to send or receive emails,
there are a few possible causes.
 The first step is to make sure that you
can connect to the internet. If you are unable
to access any webpages then the issue lies
with your internet connection.
 Try unplugging your router and restarting
your computer. If this does not solve the issue,
please contact your internet service provider
(ISP) who should be able to tell you are any
issues in the area.
 If you can access the internet, the next step is
to check your email settings within your email
program. These are usually accessed by going
to File > Account Settings.
 Clicking on your email address should bring
up the settings for your account. The settings
should look something like this:
 Username: This should always be
your full email address
 Password: This is the password that was
created when the account was created.