Transcript title

CTS 217:
Computer Training
& Support
CHAPTER 4
Common Support
Problems
2
Chapter Objectives
In this chapter, students will learn about:
 Categories of common support problems
 How to apply problem-solving processes to
typical support problems
3
Common End-User Problems
 Hardware
problems
 Software problems
 User problems
 Documentation problems
 Vendor problems
 Operating environment problems
 Network problems
4
Hardware Problems
 Installation
and compatibility problems
 Configuration problems
 Malfunctions
5
Hardware Installation and
Compatibility Problems
 Hardware
problems can occur:
During installation of new systems
 During upgrades of existing systems

 Incompatible
components are unable to
operate together in the same system
May be due to incorrect installation
 Example: Incompatible RAM memory modules

6
Hardware Configuration Problems
 Hardware
configuration problems result
when hardware component settings are
incorrect for a specific environment
Were more common before Plug and Play
standards
 Example: Incorrect graphics display card settings

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Plug and Play Standards
 Plug
and Play standards: industry-wide
agreements among hardware and operating
system vendors about hardware installation
and configuration options
Specify the communication methods an operating
system uses to recognize and incorporate
hardware components into an operational system
 Can help load appropriate drivers, but do not
always automatically adjust software settings to
take maximum advantage of new hardware’s
capabilities

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Hardware Malfunctions
 Actual
malfunctions are a small percentage
of hardware problems
 Can be reduced with a burn-in test period
A 48- to 72-hour period during which a new
computer is operated continuously
 Can discover obvious problems and identify
components whose operation is:
 Marginal
 Temperature sensitive
Example: Inoperative keyboard keys


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Hardware Malfunctions (continued)
 Most

Electromechanical devices that have moving parts
 Examples: Hard disk drive; printer
 Least

likely to fail
likely to fail
Electronic components
 Examples: CPU; RAM memory
 Hardware
diagnostic tools can help identify
system burn-in and hardware malfunctions

Example: Hardware diagnosis utilities from PCDiag
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Effective Hardware
Problem-Solving Steps
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Check availability of updated device drivers
Use Windows troubleshooters
Check Windows device manager for
problems
Examine README files
Search Internet for problem reports
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Software Problems
 Installation
and compatibility problems
 Configuration problems
 Software bugs
 Performance problems
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Software Installation
and Compatibility
 Not
all software installs automatically
 Vendor solution: Installation software, a utility that
aids in the installation of other software packages
Examines hardware configuration to determine whether
hardware and software are compatible
 Creates folders with correct path names
 Sets configuration options in software to match hardware
 Copies files to correct folders
 Updates Windows Registry and other start-up files
Example: Applications software incompatible with new
operating system version


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Software Installation
and Compatibility (continued)
 Shareware


Evaluation or trial period of 10-45 days before
purchase
May produce conflicts with other software
 Freeware


Free for personal use (may charge for commercial
version)
May not be exhaustively tested for compatibility and
conflicts with other software
 Open



Source
Free for personal or business use
Designed and developed collaboratively by
programmers
May carry OSI design certification
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Software Installation
and Compatibility (continued)
 Conflict
occurs when two software packages
use systems resources (CPU, memory,
peripheral devices) in different and
incompatible ways
 Result of conflicts:


Inoperable system
Poor performance
Software Configuration
Problems
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 Result
when software options are not set for
the specific operating environment or
hardware
 May occur when users:
Install or upgrade new hardware or software
 Attempt to use a software feature for the first time
 Attempt to modify configuration information in
the system Windows Registry or other startup files
 Example: Installation of new application changes
default file associations in operating system
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Software Bugs
 Bug:
a major error in a program due to:
Programmers’ coding mistakes
 Inability to anticipate every situation
 Occur more often in custom-written programs and
programs written for a limited market segment
 Occur most often in infrequently used features of a
program
 Reduced through extensive beta testing
 Example: Incorrect format of large dollar amounts in
accounting program

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How Vendors Fix Bugs
and Upgrade Their Software
 Patch: a replacement for one or a few modules in a
software package that fixes known bugs
 Usually designated by adding a digit or letter to a
version number
 Update: a bug fix software release
Repairs known bugs in a previous version
 Some vendors offer automatic updates via the
Internet to keep programs up to date

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How Vendors Fix Bugs
and Upgrade Their Software (continued)
 Service
Pack (or Service Release): contains
both updates and patches to fix problems with a
version of a program
 New
release: an updated version of a program
Contains new features the previous release did
not have
 New version: contains significant new features
 Usually the result of a substantially rewritten
program
 Upgrade: a new version of an existing program
 Sold at a lower price to owners of a previous
version of the program
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Example of
Software Release Numbering
 2.0
First release of a new version
 May
be offered as an upgrade for purchasers
of version 1.0
 2.1
An update release with new
features
 2.11
A bug-fix release; alternate: 2.1A
 2.1 SR-1 An updated version with a service
release
installed
 Some vendors use year of release as a
primary version designation (e.g., Office
2007)
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Installing Software Patches
 Prior
pack
to installing a software patch or service
Verify that the patch applies to the software on a
user’s system
 Install patches in sequence specified by vendor
 Make a backup copy of the original program

 After

installing a software patch
Keep a record of patches installed in case software
needs to be reinstalled
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How Vendors Fix Bugs
and Upgrade Their Software (continued)
 Workaround:
a procedure or operation that
accomplishes the same result as an original
feature that does not work
 Example:
Same operation may be accomplished
alternately via:
 Keyboard command
 Menu command
 Toolbar icon
 Shortcut keys
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Software Performance Problems
 System
is operational but does not operate
as efficiently as it can or should
 Often involves the interaction between
hardware and software
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Software Performance Problems
 Performance
is:
Operational but performance is inefficient
 Often result from a combination of hardware and
software problems
Example: Slow read/write times on hard disk drive may
be due to:
 Lack of free space on drive
 Fragmented files
 Wasted space on drive
 Insufficient RAM memory results in disk accesses
 Malware infection


problems occur when a computer
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User Problems
 Mistakes
 Misunderstandings
 Wrong
products
 Inadequate information or training
 Forgotten information
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User Mistakes
 Account
for significant percentage of
common problems
 Example:
Inadvertent keystroke errors
 Solution: Well-designed computer systems
 Anticipate potential user mistakes
 Alert the user
 Provide corrective action
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User Misunderstandings
 Product
features or limitations not well
understood
 Example:
User expects a product to be able to
perform tasks for which it was not intended
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Wrong Products
 Users
may purchase or install the wrong
product to accomplish a task
 Examples:
Purchase of software package or hardware
peripheral that is incompatible with existing
system
 Purchase of software without:
 Understanding its capabilities and limitations
 Knowledge of alternative program

Inadequate Information or
Training
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 Many
problems occur because a user has not
been properly trained to use hardware and
software
 Quick start behavior: a tendency among
computer users to:
Skip the installation manual
 Attempt to get a new hardware or software
component installed and operational as quickly as
possible
 Translates into waste and lost user productivity

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Forgotten Information
 Users
forget important information such as:
User names
 Passwords
 PINs
 Operating procedures
 Solutions:
 Reference sheets are an effective aid to recall
procedures
 Tip: Users should be encouraged to write down a
reminder of their password instead of the
password itself
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Documentation Problems
 Common
problems
sources of documentation
Poor organization
 Incorrect information
 Incomplete information

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Components of
Good User Documentation
 Quick
start guide
 Tutorial guide for beginners
 Reference manual for experienced users
 Troubleshooting guide
 Online help
 Troubleshooting wizards
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Vendor Problems
 Common
vendor problems
Tendency to oversell products (promise
nonexistent features)
 Misrepresent product features
 Delivery of software with known bugs
 Late delivery of products
 Promise of purchase rebates
 Vaporware: hardware or software products that
are described in vendor ads or press releases but
that don’t really exist

Operating Environment
Problems
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 Problems
with computing facilities
Electricity, lighting, air conditioning
 Office furniture and equipment
 Workplace ergonomics

 Problems
with the computing environment
Data backup and recovery
 Security threats
 Disaster and contingency planning
 More on these problems in Chapter 9

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Network Problems
 Network
of

Hardware problems


problems are often a combination
Servers, hubs, routers, bridges, switches, gateways
Software problems


Operating systems
Workstation client software
 Example:
Use of network monitoring software to
detect network bottleneck due to inadequate free
space on server’s hard disk drive
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Troubleshooting Resources
on the Web
 General
troubleshooting
pcsupport.about.com
 www.askdrtech.com/default.asp
 www.smartcomputing.com/techsupport

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Troubleshooting Resources
on the Web (continued)
 Hardware
troubleshooting
www.pcguide.com/ts/index.html
 www.directron.org/howtobuilyou.html
 www.tomshardware.com/us
 www.macintoshos.com/troubleshooting/
troubleshooting.html

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Troubleshooting Resources
on the Web (continued)
 Software
troubleshooting
www.helpwithwindows.com
 support.microsoft.com
 guides.macrumors.com/Troubleshooting_
Software_Problems

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Troubleshooting Resources
on the Web (continued)
 Other
resources
www.google.com
 www.ask.com
 www.zdnet.com
 www.about/com/compute

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Problem-Solving Applied
to Typical End-User Problems
Problem 1: Sounds Like Trouble
Problem 2: The Problem with Modems
Problem 3: Give Credit Where It Is Due
Problem 4: Antivirus Protection Worth Every
Cent You Pay for It
Problem 5: The Path Not Taken
Problem 6: The Nonresponsive Network
Problem 7: The Big, Red, X
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Chapter Summary
Categories of common end-user computer
problems
1.
Hardware Problems
a)
b)
c)
d)
2.
Installation
Compatibility
Configuration
Malfunction
Software Problems
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Installation
Compatibility
Configuration
Software Bugs
Performance
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Chapter Summary (continued)
Categories of common end-user computer
problems
3.
User Problems
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
4.
Mistakes
Misunderstandings
Wrong products
Inadequate information or training
Forgotten information
Documentation Problems
a)
b)
c)
Poor organization
Incorrect information
Incomplete information
42
Chapter Summary (continued)
Categories of common end-user computer
problems
5.
Vendor Problems
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
Oversell product features
Misrepresent product features
Delivery with known bugs
Late delivery
Promised rebates
Vaporware
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Chapter Summary (continued)
Categories of common end-user computer
problems
6. Operating Environment Problems
a)
b)
7.
Computing Facilities
Computing Environment
Network Problems
a)
b)
Network hardware
Network software