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User Support
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Is your service bench static safe?
Lax precautions against electrostatic discharge can reduce the effectiveness of your support team. Here's a checklist to help you set up an ESD-safe workshop.
Posted by William Jones | October 30, 2009, 6:52 AM PDT | Latest comment by Roc Riz
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System Mechanic results mixed: Boosts Internet speed
We're always looking for ways to increase our computer's performance, and here's a look at one product that might help.
Posted by Joe Rosberg | October 30, 2009, 6:49 AM PDT | Latest comment by JCitizen
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Mastering the seven phases of a service call
Fixing the problem is only one part of the support visit. Jeff Dray outlines the seven phases of a service call. Following the same method for each ticket will help you tackle each task efficiently.
Posted by Jeff Dray | October 27, 2009, 6:48 AM PDT | Latest comment by mohammed.poonawalla@...
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What Windows 7 means for support professionals
Does Windows 7 totally flip support upside down? Not entirely, according to IT pro Rick Vanover, who presents these Windows 7 support decision points for organizations considering an upgrade.
Posted by Rick Vanover | October 23, 2009, 6:29 AM PDT | Latest comment by reisen55@...
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Road warriors need mobile backups
Frequent travel is no excuse for risking data loss. Here is how your users can keep their files safe when they are away from the office.
Posted by William Jones | October 22, 2009, 11:20 PM PDT | Latest comment by genethomas@...
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Providing home user support
Although there are a lot of similarities, supporting those in an office environment is vastly different than supporting home users. Here are some things to consider when providing support for home...
Posted by Joe Rosberg | October 21, 2009, 8:09 PM PDT | Latest comment by pdr5407@...
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Beware of carefully engineered, manipulative customer service surveys
Have you ever thought that you have been manipulated into answering survey questions to reflect a predetermined outcome? Be careful how your help desk surveys are worded.
Posted by Jeff Dray | October 19, 2009, 12:40 PM PDT | Latest comment by Lee77
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Microsoft's new antivirus is fair game for home businesses
Many free security utilities are restricted to personal or non-commercial use. Microsoft bucks that trend by giving license to home-based enterprises.
Posted by William Jones | October 15, 2009, 10:47 PM PDT | Latest comment by SmartAceW0LF
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Remote access sites: Blessing or curse? Take the poll
We all hear them advertized, and millions of people use them. Are remote access sites a blessing or a curse to user support professionals?
Posted by Joe Rosberg | October 14, 2009, 4:22 PM PDT | Latest comment by AmuroMax
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How do you keep in touch with colleagues when you work from home?
Jeff Dray addresses the challenges of returning to work after a long absence. How do you get back in the swing of things?
Posted by Jeff Dray | October 12, 2009, 11:06 AM PDT
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Be stingy with Administrator privileges in Windows 7
If you've been too liberal in giving admin rights to XP users, the improved User Access Controls in Windows 7 should help break the habit.
Posted by William Jones | October 8, 2009, 9:33 PM PDT | Latest comment by CharlieSpencer_Palmetto
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The biggest challenge in a one-person IT shop
What do you consider the biggest challenge in a small - or even one-person - IT shop, and how do you handle it?
Posted by Joe Rosberg | October 7, 2009, 6:00 PM PDT | Latest comment by mleuck@...
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Users in the wild: Some new species
Jeff Dray loves to dissect the quirks and foibles of the customers he runs into during his support rounds. Here are a few "types" to add to the mix.
Posted by Jeff Dray | October 5, 2009, 1:16 PM PDT | Latest comment by Royc_1
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Items to address with a PC tune-up
How often do you perform periodic maintenance on the PCs you support? My guess is that most answers will fall between one year and never. Nonetheless, what maintenance steps do you perform? Here's...
Posted by Joe Rosberg | September 30, 2009, 3:13 PM PDT | Latest comment by JCitizen
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Will Linux ever be a popular desktop system? Take the poll
Linux versus Windows has been the subject of debate for quite some time, but will it ever achieve the status of a popular desktop product that we'll have to support? Share your opinion and take...
Posted by Joe Rosberg | September 30, 2009, 12:47 PM PDT | Latest comment by HAL 9000
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Can you rely on the tech support your OEM provides?
LAPTOP Magazine has rated computer manufacturers based on the support resources they offer after the sale. How does the maker of your machines measure up?
Posted by William Jones | September 28, 2009, 11:44 PM PDT | Latest comment by rockstararmyof1
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Coping strategies for difficult customers
Sometimes I have to give myself a little more motivation to face the customers. Here's one of my coping strategies.
Posted by Jeff Dray | September 28, 2009, 12:07 PM PDT | Latest comment by kevaburg@...
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How to own up to mistakes and follow through with users
Support pros are celebrated when we solve the customer's problem, but sometimes it takes more than one try. If you don't get it right the first time, you can still be the hero.
Posted by William Jones | September 24, 2009, 10:34 PM PDT | Latest comment by Betageek52@...
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How to troubleshoot a computer problem
What steps do you go through in order to diagnose a computer problem? There's more than one correct answer, of course, but here's one way to work through the troubleshooting thought-process.
Posted by Joe Rosberg | September 23, 2009, 9:17 AM PDT | Latest comment by DKeith45
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Are you in favor of password management software? Take the poll.
No one is supposed to use passwords in more than one place, but even techs that should know better sometimes break this rule. Is password management software a good solution?
Posted by William Jones | September 21, 2009, 10:39 PM PDT | Latest comment by LarryBoy2
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Change the OEM information in the Windows System Properties panel to your own
If you want to add your own contact information to the Windows System Properties panel, or change the OEM information that's already there, it's a pretty easy process.
Posted by Joe Rosberg | August 12, 2009, 5:43 AM PDT
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Boot a sick Mac into Target Disk Mode for troubleshooting
William Jones shows you how to use one Mac to access the internal drive of another -- no screwdriver required.
Posted by William Jones | October 3, 2008, 12:16 AM PDT | Latest comment by williamjones
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The right way to format Windows disks using a Mac
A quirk in the Apple Disk Utility allowed me to create a FAT32 volume that would not mount in Windows. Avoiding the same problem is easy once you have an understanding of how Apple's formatting...
Posted by William Jones | May 7, 2009, 5:34 PM PDT | Latest comment by martygoleta@...
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The care and feeding of Li-Ion batteries
Lithium-Ion—or Li-Ion—batteries are in everything, and while they may not last forever, they'll benefit from a little tender loving care. This time, five strategies that will help your users...
Posted by William Jones | November 2, 2007, 3:39 PM PDT | Latest comment by batterynotebookcomau
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How to troubleshoot a computer problem
What steps do you go through in order to diagnose a computer problem? There's more than one correct answer, of course, but here's one way to work through the troubleshooting thought-process.
Posted by Joe Rosberg | September 23, 2009, 9:17 AM PDT | Latest comment by DKeith45
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Keep Thunderbird from building too big a nest on your hard disk
Mozilla's Thunderbird is a great cross-platform alternative for reading e-mail. I've found that the software can require some tuning to provide the best possible experience, though. Here's a tip...
Posted by William Jones | July 10, 2008, 11:53 PM PDT | Latest comment by libskrap
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Hijacked Address Book: How did it happen and what to do?
Most of us have seen those spoof e-mails, when a personal e-mail address has been commandeered for the purpose of sending spam, but in this case, to everyone in your address book.
Posted by Joe Rosberg | April 8, 2009, 3:35 PM PDT | Latest comment by SteveOfLA
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Reasons to have dual monitors
If you had two monitors, what would you use the extra desktop real estate for? Joe Rosberg has some ideas -- try them at your own risk.
Posted by Joe Rosberg | February 29, 2008, 10:38 AM PST | Latest comment by Dr Dij
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Advanced partition management on your Apple computer
All operating systems come with some means of creating partitions and formatting disks. Too often though, the included tools will come up short, omitting support for advanced tasks and non-native...
Posted by William Jones | May 29, 2008, 5:12 PM PDT | Latest comment by stuartbell
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Tips on avoiding hand and wrist pain while keyboarding
If you're like me, you spend hours at the keyboard. You probably, though, don't think of yourselves as classical pianists such as Andre Watts, Lang Lang or Phillipe Entremont. Nor do you likely...
Posted by Calvin Sun | December 5, 2007, 6:39 AM PST | Latest comment by waltjohnson35@...
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Vista's recommended system requirements were not realistic
Did Microsoft sell itself short when it listed the recommended requirements for Vista? Would it have been better received had Microsoft originally presented Vista as requiring a powerful hardware...
Posted by Joe Rosberg | August 6, 2008, 5:59 PM PDT | Latest comment by JCitizen
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A review of Sony's PlayStation 3 repair service
Video game systems are computers designed for a very specific purpose. What can support techs learn from Sony's PS3 service process?
Posted by William Jones | August 27, 2009, 11:05 PM PDT | Latest comment by StefDenis
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What's in your desktop support toolbox?
Joe Rosberg is looking for the perfect support desk toolkit. He lists some of his favorite items for everyday tasks and is open to suggestions from TechRepublic members. What are the tools that...
Posted by Joe Rosberg | April 15, 2008, 10:28 AM PDT | Latest comment by XnavyDK
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Getting it all done, the art of time management
Have you got a brain like a sieve or can you remember every little thing you are supposed to do? Do you have methods that help you to keep up with work or do you lurch from one crisis to the next...
Posted by Jeff Dray | December 8, 2008, 12:04 PM PST | Latest comment by webtips@...
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Who owns corporate e-mail? Is there a right to privacy?
Does a user have a right to privacy when it comes to corporate e-mail? Or is e-mail corporate property, subject to the whims of the company? Here's one story, what's yours? And take the poll.
Posted by Joe Rosberg | May 13, 2009, 7:00 AM PDT | Latest comment by Forum Surfer
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Best Buy's recycling program does not accept storage media
Before the company will recycle an old computer, Best Buy's policy says that the hard drive has to be removed. While it is prudent to make sure that there is no data on a machine destined for a...
Posted by William Jones | February 19, 2009, 11:13 AM PST | Latest comment by TonytheTiger
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What are your most common desktop support issues?
We'd like to know what you’ve found to be the most common, important, or recurring desktop support issue.
Posted by Joe Rosberg | February 18, 2008, 6:04 PM PST | Latest comment by szlzezezpzzz
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Be S.M.A.R.T. about your hard drive's health
Given enough time, all hard disks will fail. Thankfully, most drives support a feature that could give users an early warning before the bitter end. Here's how support pros can introduce...
Posted by William Jones | June 18, 2009, 5:00 PM PDT | Latest comment by cquirke
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Never judge people until you have walked a mile in their shoes
I believe that it is important to gain experience in a variety of departments. Maybe we should try out a few other jobs to help us do our own.
Posted by Jeff Dray | October 27, 2008, 4:31 AM PDT | Latest comment by azra.rizal
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Ten ways to ensure that you finish work on time
Working life is about surviving the 9 to 5 and making sure that there is some of you left for the next day.
Posted by Jeff Dray | September 7, 2009, 1:06 PM PDT | Latest comment by Chief-Tiff
