by anthony w. hill & course technology1 troubleshooting computer problems
TRANSCRIPT
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 1
Troubleshooting Computer ProblemsTroubleshooting Computer Problems
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 2
*What Is Troubleshooting?*What Is Troubleshooting?
The process of defining, diagnosing, and solving computer problemsUses several thinking and communications skills, information resources, strategies, and methodsAn iterative process
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 3
*Thinking Skills Used in Troubleshooting
*Thinking Skills Used in Troubleshooting
1. Problem solving2. Critical thinking3. Decision making
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 4
Problem SolvingProblem Solving
An activity where there is a current state X and a goal state Y and alternative paths to get from X to YObjective is to get from X to Y quickly, accurately, effectively, or efficiently
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 5
A Problem-solving ModelA Problem-solving Model
State X: Current State
State Y: Goal State
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 6
Critical ThinkingCritical Thinking
Cognitive skills used to:– Analyze a problem– Search for underlying logic or rationale– Find alternative ways to explain an event or situation
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 7
Critical ThinkingCritical Thinking
Includes– Creativity: The ability to find a novel or innovative
solution to the problem– The ability to design and test hypotheses– Metacognition: The ability to think about your own
thought processes
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 8
Decision MakingDecision Making
The ability to:– Define effective alternatives– Weigh the pros and cons of each alternative against
predefined criteria– Reach a decision
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 9
Tools Troubleshooters UseTools Troubleshooters Use
1. Communication skills 2. Information resources3. Problem-solving strategies4. Personal characteristics
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 10
Communication SkillsCommunication Skills
An important tool because most troubleshooting situations require at least some communication with an end user about a problem
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 11
How Troubleshooters Use Communication Skills
How Troubleshooters Use Communication Skills
To get a basic description of a problemTo learn the user’s perspectives on the problemTo probe for additional informationTo effectively communicate the solution back to the user
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 12
* Types of Communication Skills* Types of Communication Skills
1. Listening skills2. Paraphrasing3. Critical questions4. Probes5. Explanation
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 13
Listening SkillsListening Skills
Listen to the words the user chooses to describe the problemAllow the user enough time to explain the problemTry to obtain as accurate a description of the problem as possible
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 14
ParaphrasingParaphrasing
An active listening skill in which you restate in your own words what you heard the user say about the problemUsed to resolve misunderstandings and get a clear problem descriptionExample– End user description: “I don’t know what happened, but the
program doesn’t work.”– Support specialist paraphrase: “So, the program used to
work, but now it doesn’t?”
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 15
Critical QuestionsCritical Questions
Elicit important information from the user Challenge assumptions a support specialist might makeOften reveal information the user wouldn’t have thought to relateExamples– “What were you doing just before you first noticed the
problem?”– “Have you ever had this problem before?”– “Is the problem repeatable?”
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 16
ProbesProbes
Follow-up questions designed to elicit additional information about a problemA sequence of probes often clarifies a problem situation
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 17
ExplanationExplanation
A communication skill in which a support specialist describes the solution to a problem so the user understands:– Why the problem occurred– The steps required to resolve it
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 18
Information ResourcesInformation Resources
Personal experienceScriptsKnowledgebasesColleaguesVendors and contractors
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 19
Personal ExperiencePersonal Experience
Based on background and previous experiencesSearch personal knowledge for information about the problem or related problemsSuggestion: Make notes after a problem is solved and organize them by symptoms, equipment type, etc.
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 20
ScriptsScripts
List questions to ask and follow-up probes to askAre arranged in a logical sequenceCover all possible known paths to solve the problem
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 21
KnowledgebasesKnowledgebases
Organized collections of facts, information, articles, procedures, tips, and prior problem solutions
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 22
Types of KnowledgebasesTypes of Knowledgebases
Vendor manuals– Often contain chapters on troubleshooting and
frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Trade books– Fill vacuum for well-written information about popular
hardware and software products
continued
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 23
Types of KnowledgebasesTypes of Knowledgebases
Online help– Available with most software products
CD-ROM databases– Permit searching for information about a specific
product or problem
Faxback services– Offered by some hardware and software vendors
continued
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 24
Types of KnowledgebasesTypes of Knowledgebases
Internet Web sites– Maintained by product and service vendors
ListServs and Newsgroups– ListServ: An automated e-mail service that
distributes e-mail messages posted to the ListServ to every member who has subscribed to the ListServ
– Newsgroups: Internet discussion groups where participants with common interests in a topic post messages in a bulletin board atmosphere
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 25
ColleaguesColleagues
Provide a different perspectiveGive new insights into the problemEscalation: Referral of a difficult or complex problem to a higher support level for resolution
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 26
Vendors and ContractorsVendors and Contractors
May have seen a baffling problem before and be able to offer suggestions to resolve itOutsourcing: An agreement with a computer services support organization to provide problem-solving assistance for a fee or by contractual agreement
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 27
* Problem-solving Strategies* Problem-solving Strategies1. Look for a quick, obvious fix
– For example ; if a monitor doesn’t work, check the cable connection first
2. Try to replicate the problem yourself– Is a process of trying to repeat a problem in a different situation or
environment– Example; test the Application at another computer with the same
configuration if it gives the same error message3. Examine the configuration
Some problem may occurs due to incompatible combination of hardware and software
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 28
Problem-solving StrategiesProblem-solving Strategies4. View the system as a group of subsystems
– Divide the computer to a different parts to check the interconnection where the real problem is
5. Use a module replacement strategy– Try to replace the hardware/software component to check either its working or not– Example; test the CDROM at another computer if it can work
6. Try a hypothesis testing approach– Test for hypothesis to check the cause of the problem– For example : if wrong username or password, user cannot login
7. Restore to a basic configuration– Restore back to basic to eliminate any interaction problem between hardware and
software
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 29
Personal CharacteristicsPersonal Characteristics
Patience and persistenceEnjoy the problem-solving processEnjoy working with peopleAbility to learn
By Anthony W. Hill & Course Technology 30
What Is a PersonalProblem-solving Philosophy?
What Is a PersonalProblem-solving Philosophy?
Includes an understanding of the strengths a support specialist brings to each problemRecognizes that selected tools and skills have been successful to solve past problemsRelies on information resources that have proved useful in past situationsIs improved by the metacognition process where a problem solver carefully examines his/her own thought processes