How to Become A More Effective Technology Troubleshooter

*Keep Calm & Carry On:

Marissa RoseStaff Development Day October 24, 2013

*Ever felt like doing this?*

*everyone has!

*What’s the difference?

* Effective troubleshooters:

*Are willing to explore problems hands-on.

*Know where to turn for help.

*Work together with others to both share and gain knowledge.

*Ask non-stop questions.

* Effective troubleshooting isn’t:

*Memorizing every detail of every device and software you come across.

*Always having all the answers.

*Being born with innate technical ability.

*Assuming you can’t do it.

* Three types of troubleshooting:

*Working with hardware

*Working with software

*Working with the internet

*Hardware

*Hardware are the physical components that make up a machine:

*Mouse

*Keyboard

*Smartphone device

*Software

*Software is a program that enables a computer to perform a specific task.

*Microsoft Word

*iTunes

*Angry Birds

*Internet*A giant collection of electronically connected

networks.

Remember these ladies?

Computer Server Other servers

Hello, server? I’d like to go to facebook.com, please.

* Troubleshooting hardware:

What’s the most important thing you can do?

Keep a calm head. No, really.

*Use your senses to gather information: *Take a careful visual inventory of the equipment in front of you.

*Feel the computer with your hand. Is it running hot? Is it sticky?

*Listen—do you hear any strange noises? No noise at all?

Start fiddling:Check cables, turn on/off, plug in/unplug.

Use the process of elimination.

*Utilize tech reference. *Online searching

*Manuals

*MPL tech troubleshooting database

*Call in reinforcements.*Other staff members

*eKeeper

*Insist on hands-on experience, when possible

Write it down. Record what you did, and share for future reference

http://geeks.munpl.org

*Troubleshooting software

*These tips still apply:

*Keep a calm head.

*Utilize tech reference.

*Call in reinforcements.

*Record & share what you did for future reference.

Review your program’s settings & preferences.

*Need to learn your software?

*Learn4Life (ed2go)

*Webinars

*Online support sites (support.microsoft.com)

Consider incompatible versions/formats.

Check for updates.

Find the “Help” page.

*Troubleshooting the Internet

*These steps still apply:

*Keep a calm head.

*Utilize tech reference.

*Call in reinforcements.

*Record & share what you did for future reference.

*Check for updates.

Check the connection.

Switch browsers.

Refresh/reload the page.

Consider user errors.

*Look deeper*Could it be a virus?

*A system problem?

* Internet research

* Call in reinforcements

*Practice time: What would you do?

* Scenario 1

You are typing up a Word document at your work

computer. When you’re all finished, you click “File” and

then “Print” in the main menu. After waiting a few

minutes, you realize your document still has not printed

out of the machine. You look through the settings in

your Word document and realize that everything is

correct (you’ve selected the correct printer to send it to,

you really clicked the “Print” button, etc.). You are also

certain that the printer isn’t out of paper.

*Scenario 2

A patron brings her laptop into the library to use

the internet. She approaches you and says that

she has been unable to connect to her favorite

webpage, and insists that she is always able to

connect to it on her internet connection at home.

*Scenario 3

A co-worker in your department is having trouble

completing a work assignment in Adobe Photoshop.

He asks you if you have any idea how to help. You

have never used Adobe Photoshop before.

* In conclusion:You can do this!

*Check out your reference sheets

E-mail me any time: mcoon@munpl.org