Tech Tip of the Day: You were working in a program, let's say...Outlook, and it pops up an error. Call your service desk!!!!! Actually....let's wait a minute before making that call.
Applications rely on a lot of background things running correctly all of the time. If something messes up for just a moment, it can throw your program off - resulting in your error. Most of these types of problems can be corrected by just closing the program and relaunching it. It's similar to the "have you rebooted your computer?" question that those pesky Service Desk people ask you.
If at first you don't succeed, close that program and try again. It works more times than not. Of course, if it doesn't, you'd better call that service desk!!!!
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
But it's MINE!! It's my precious....
Tech Tip of the Day: You sit down at your computer after a week of vacation. It's turned on...wait, no that's not right...you made sure you turned it off before you left. Someone's sat in your chair...and used your computer....this can't be good!!! You boot it up, and see there's an email from your IT person...they*gasp* logged onto your computer and did something to it in preparation for a project coming up.
No...they had found in the logs that your computer was on a list of those that was infected with a virus and had to clean it up.
No...they needed to check their email and yours was the closest PC.
Whatever it was....This is unacceptable!
"I must speak with a manager." This is YOUR computer in YOUR office. Your name is on the deed to the building, and you personally purchased that workstation.....oh ....wait.
Though that desktop/laptop/tablet/phone might be assigned to you...it is NOT yours. The company - or an agent of the company - has every right to connect to, use, change, audit use of, remove software from, copy data from company owned equipment, unless that is a violation of policy(Think protected healthcare information.)
You most likely signed a computer usage agreement when you were hired before they gave you that computer...time to go back and read that baby!!
No...they had found in the logs that your computer was on a list of those that was infected with a virus and had to clean it up.
No...they needed to check their email and yours was the closest PC.
Whatever it was....This is unacceptable!
"I must speak with a manager." This is YOUR computer in YOUR office. Your name is on the deed to the building, and you personally purchased that workstation.....oh ....wait.
Though that desktop/laptop/tablet/phone might be assigned to you...it is NOT yours. The company - or an agent of the company - has every right to connect to, use, change, audit use of, remove software from, copy data from company owned equipment, unless that is a violation of policy(Think protected healthcare information.)
You most likely signed a computer usage agreement when you were hired before they gave you that computer...time to go back and read that baby!!
Sunday, June 29, 2014
It's all over
Tech Tip of the Day: Computers can be noisy. Fans are spinning, hard drives clicking. That's because, just like cars, DVD players, Ice Cream Makers, and everything else that breaks at the worst moment possible... they have moving parts.(Seriously!?!?! While it's only HALF frozen....give me my mint chocolate chip!!!!)
True, not all hard drives have moving parts now, but most still do. Things with moving parts wear out. Friction and dust(which increases friction) are the enemies of your computer components. This is part of why your computer slows down with age. Yes, you can have someone take it back to a clean slate of your Operating System, but it will never quite run the way it did out of the box.
But because these components/parts do wear out, they can fail, and cause other parts to fail because of it! So back your important documents up! There are services out there that can usually restore data from a fried hard drive...but they are expensive. A simple backup to an external drive, or even better an automated online backup(I use CrashPlan and love it) can save you money in the long run, and can give you peace of mind.
True, not all hard drives have moving parts now, but most still do. Things with moving parts wear out. Friction and dust(which increases friction) are the enemies of your computer components. This is part of why your computer slows down with age. Yes, you can have someone take it back to a clean slate of your Operating System, but it will never quite run the way it did out of the box.
But because these components/parts do wear out, they can fail, and cause other parts to fail because of it! So back your important documents up! There are services out there that can usually restore data from a fried hard drive...but they are expensive. A simple backup to an external drive, or even better an automated online backup(I use CrashPlan and love it) can save you money in the long run, and can give you peace of mind.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
I went somewhere else, and it's not there!
Tech Tip of the Day: Pretty sweet deal, workplace domains. You can go to just about any computer in the organization, sit down, log in with your own credentials and not have to share your information with every other person that sits there...oh wait, none of your stuff's on this computer!!! "But I saved it to my desktop!!! It should be there when I log in anywhere!"
By default your personal desktop, "My Documents", printer, mapped drives, and programs are all on your local PC ONLY. You save it to your desktop on your computer, or your my documents, and it saves it to that place, on that specific computer. Just because you are using your username and password on another computer does not mean that anything you've put anywhere will be there.
There are exceptions. If your organization invests in enough storage space to create "home drives" then you can be set to have your documents follow you from computer to computer. In the same way, there is a way to have a "Roaming Profile" that has your desktop, shortcuts, favorites and basic settings follow you from computer to computer. But once again, that requires an investment in storage space, as well as network bandwidth. Some companies even have a streaming/virtual desktop solution that keeps absolutely everything out there off the local machine, but these solutions aren't the norm.
By default your personal desktop, "My Documents", printer, mapped drives, and programs are all on your local PC ONLY. You save it to your desktop on your computer, or your my documents, and it saves it to that place, on that specific computer. Just because you are using your username and password on another computer does not mean that anything you've put anywhere will be there.
There are exceptions. If your organization invests in enough storage space to create "home drives" then you can be set to have your documents follow you from computer to computer. In the same way, there is a way to have a "Roaming Profile" that has your desktop, shortcuts, favorites and basic settings follow you from computer to computer. But once again, that requires an investment in storage space, as well as network bandwidth. Some companies even have a streaming/virtual desktop solution that keeps absolutely everything out there off the local machine, but these solutions aren't the norm.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Sorry, I'm not very technical
Tech Tips of the Day: "You want me to do what? Sorry I'm not very technical." This is a valid excuse for not understanding what that gibberish error message on your screen means. Some IT Professionals tend to forget that just because it seems like an obvious answer to them - sometimes what they might even consider common sense - that doesn't mean it is the actual obvious answer for someone who has less experience dealing with these "mundane computer issues."
Even though computer and tech use is more prevalent, the computer savvy level of the population as a whole really hasn't. They may feel like they are since they use technology now more than ever, but they really still have no idea what to do when things go wrong. And that's OK.
But the lack of technical skill or aptitude is NOT an excuse for not being able to comprehend a standard sentence or paragraph, just because it's displayed on a computer screen.
"Your password has expired and must be changed. Please input your information into the following boxes."
This sentence just told you what happened, and what you need to do. There is no ambiguity.
"Your attempted new password does not meet the minimum requirements. Please click here to view the requirements."
Once again, straightforward. Tells you what to do if you don't know what it wants....all you have to do is read.
Even though computer and tech use is more prevalent, the computer savvy level of the population as a whole really hasn't. They may feel like they are since they use technology now more than ever, but they really still have no idea what to do when things go wrong. And that's OK.
But the lack of technical skill or aptitude is NOT an excuse for not being able to comprehend a standard sentence or paragraph, just because it's displayed on a computer screen.
"Your password has expired and must be changed. Please input your information into the following boxes."
This sentence just told you what happened, and what you need to do. There is no ambiguity.
"Your attempted new password does not meet the minimum requirements. Please click here to view the requirements."
Once again, straightforward. Tells you what to do if you don't know what it wants....all you have to do is read.
Monday, January 27, 2014
It's only required
Tech Tip of the Day: So you are filling out a form and you try to submit it or save it...and it doesn't let you!! The nerve!!! That message saying that a field is required doesn't apply to you. Obviously.
Nearly all web forms, or applications have fields that are required to be completed before you can move to the next screen or submit the information. Those fields usually have some kind of indicator, such as being bold, Having an asterisk(*) next to them, or the field be highlighted in another color. If you try to submit the form without these fields completed, then it's not going to allow you. If you expect your IT professional to be able to help you complete the form without the required fields, you're going to be disappointed. We do not have a magic button that we can circumvent an application or web form's programming.
Nearly all web forms, or applications have fields that are required to be completed before you can move to the next screen or submit the information. Those fields usually have some kind of indicator, such as being bold, Having an asterisk(*) next to them, or the field be highlighted in another color. If you try to submit the form without these fields completed, then it's not going to allow you. If you expect your IT professional to be able to help you complete the form without the required fields, you're going to be disappointed. We do not have a magic button that we can circumvent an application or web form's programming.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Microwhat?
Tech Tip of the Day: So your Word program isn't displaying your emails? Just a blank page? Oh, and PowerPoint just won't let you type your research paper out in full, putting it all in one little square?
Just like your kitchen appliances have their own use(you don't generally cook a casserole by putting it in the refrigerator,) all of the Office applications serve their own purpose.
Word - This is the word processing application. Think of it like a super featured typewriter.
Outlook - This is your email program, for sending and receiving emails, and keeping track of your calendar. It can also connect to RSS feeds and other things. But email is its primary purpose.
Excel - Keeping track of data. Rows and Columns to organize your data. It can use formulas to utilize the data you input to help keep up with your data as well.
Access - Database application, can help you keep track of large amounts of data in a more searchable format. This is generally for more advanced Office Suite users.
PowerPoint - Slideshow style presentation software.
Publisher - Great for making flyers, cards, stationary, etc.
Lync - Instant Messaging and meeting software
Yes there are other Office Applications, but those are the primary ones you will see and use. These applications can and will talk with each other and utilize each others features, but that does not affect their primary use.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Performance Anxiety
Tech Tip of the Day: Something's just not right on your computer. Everything's bogged down, more so than usual. You call the Service Desk and ask for them to take a look at your computer to see what the problem may be. Please put some forethought into this before calling them.
They are most likely going to remote into your computer in order to assess the situation. This means they are going to be looking at what is on your screen. They can see everything you have open....are you following me yet?
There may be a legitimate issue with your computer, but unfortunately the service desk agent will not be able to take this seriously when they open up the session and see Facebook, Pandora, ESPN, Digg, Slashdot, Twitter, Tickld prominently displayed on your screen.
Please close any non-company related websites and programs PRIOR to reporting an issue with your computer, unless of course the issue is that you can't get them to close. Chances are you are violating your company's IT resource usage policy with half of those pages/applications. They are also quite lkely the source of your issue. The longer you keep pages like those open, the more resources they use, the more likely you are to have performance problems.
They are most likely going to remote into your computer in order to assess the situation. This means they are going to be looking at what is on your screen. They can see everything you have open....are you following me yet?
There may be a legitimate issue with your computer, but unfortunately the service desk agent will not be able to take this seriously when they open up the session and see Facebook, Pandora, ESPN, Digg, Slashdot, Twitter, Tickld prominently displayed on your screen.
Please close any non-company related websites and programs PRIOR to reporting an issue with your computer, unless of course the issue is that you can't get them to close. Chances are you are violating your company's IT resource usage policy with half of those pages/applications. They are also quite lkely the source of your issue. The longer you keep pages like those open, the more resources they use, the more likely you are to have performance problems.
Monday, January 6, 2014
I have a computer
Tech Tip of the Day: "My computer wasn't working, so I turned it off and back on, and then logged in." Based on this explanation of your issue, I deduce that you want a cookie. Now why'd you call? The bakery's down the street.
A statement of what you have done doesn't necessarily translate to telling us what the issue is or what you need from us. If you were having problems, rebooted and they went away, that's great! If you'd like us to take a quick look to be sure everything's ok...that's what we need to know, please ask.
"I downloaded something on my computer."
"I dropped my laptop."
"I changed my password last week."
"There was a paper jam, and I pulled the paper out."
All of these are just statements of fact...please elaborate. Without context, they don't describe any issue at all, and you don't want an IT guy to use his imagination to fill in that giant hole in your story...we all have very odd senses of humor.
A statement of what you have done doesn't necessarily translate to telling us what the issue is or what you need from us. If you were having problems, rebooted and they went away, that's great! If you'd like us to take a quick look to be sure everything's ok...that's what we need to know, please ask.
"I downloaded something on my computer."
"I dropped my laptop."
"I changed my password last week."
"There was a paper jam, and I pulled the paper out."
All of these are just statements of fact...please elaborate. Without context, they don't describe any issue at all, and you don't want an IT guy to use his imagination to fill in that giant hole in your story...we all have very odd senses of humor.
Friday, January 3, 2014
My home computer runs much faster than this!
Tech Tip of the Day: That pesky computer of yours in the office is so SLOW! You can only run 12 excel sheets, 43 tabs in internet explorer, iTunes, and our main database application on it at once. My home computer runs so much faster!
People tend to discount the fact that your work PC has a much higher utilization footprint than your standard home computer used primarily for internet use and keeping track of your pictures. Your work PC generally is running:
People tend to discount the fact that your work PC has a much higher utilization footprint than your standard home computer used primarily for internet use and keeping track of your pictures. Your work PC generally is running:
- an enterprise antivirus with real time scanning on all newly created or modified files
- disk encryption constantly encrypting and decrypting your hard drive
- your office's messaging application
- database connections going across the network
- whatever other applications and connections you have to network resources
All of these take a much larger toll on your computer's resources than your home antivirus does. Also, unless you have a specialized job that requires a beefy computer for graphical media, design applications, or the like...your PC's hardware isn't top of the line.
Computers for business use use components that are made for lower power consumption, that create less heat, and generally are very much in the mid range when it comes to speed. The business gets computers that they can use reliably for a few years at an acceptable cost. As you move into higher end computers the prices go up at a more rapid pace. Your company is buying 200 of these...you bought one for your house, you could afford to splurge a little for the extra RAM, bigger hard drive, faster processor, larger display, etc.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
There's more than one
Tech Tip of the Day: SharePoint is a wonderful tool, but it can be HUGE as an organization begins to increase its utilization. Asking for "SharePoint" is about like asking for a "soft drink" at a gas station. They can give you access to a random SharePoint site, but it may be an R.C. Cola when you wanted a Ski(Greatest Carbonated beverage EVER).
There may be 3,000 individual SharePoint sites in your organization, you really will need to be specific. If you can get the URL(that http://blah.blah.blah thing) from another user, that's perfect! It would also be a good idea to ask your supervisor who gives access, as the site owner/administrator may be sitting across from you and you may not need to go through IT at all.
There may be 3,000 individual SharePoint sites in your organization, you really will need to be specific. If you can get the URL(that http://blah.blah.blah thing) from another user, that's perfect! It would also be a good idea to ask your supervisor who gives access, as the site owner/administrator may be sitting across from you and you may not need to go through IT at all.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Which one?
Tech Tip of the Day: "My password's not working." If you are in a larger organization, I guarantee this is not enough information to correctly resolve your issue. If you are in a smaller organization...it's still probably not enough information. Nearly every business out there at this point utilizes multiple systems with password security.
Because a lot of programmers are generally lazy and do not want to have to figure out adding LDAP authentication(using your domain credentials) to their program, you have a separate password for a lot of separate apps.
When you need a password reset, please be specific about what you are trying to access so that your IT professional can reset the correct password. This will include you knowing what the name of the program or service you are trying to access actually is. Otherwise, the wrong password may get reset, for another application, which will cause you to have to change that one, as well as the one you originally called about.
Help us, help you.
Slightly related note, your IT guy cannot reset your outside gmail/hotmail/facebook/yahoo/etc account...
Because a lot of programmers are generally lazy and do not want to have to figure out adding LDAP authentication(using your domain credentials) to their program, you have a separate password for a lot of separate apps.
When you need a password reset, please be specific about what you are trying to access so that your IT professional can reset the correct password. This will include you knowing what the name of the program or service you are trying to access actually is. Otherwise, the wrong password may get reset, for another application, which will cause you to have to change that one, as well as the one you originally called about.
Help us, help you.
Slightly related note, your IT guy cannot reset your outside gmail/hotmail/facebook/yahoo/etc account...
Monday, December 30, 2013
Are you having a dance party?
Tech Tip of the Day: Say your IT guy answers the phone, what would you like him to hear?
A) The pertinent information to help address your issue(i.e. who you are, where you are, what your issue is)
B) Your ten closest coworkers and the 80's hair band you have playing over Pandora
C) The traffic from the interstate right outside your open window
D) The industrial wood chipper you somehow fit into your office
Speakerphones are wonderful tools...when used appropriately. A one-on-one conversation in an open area, is not the definition of appropriate. Very few speakerphones are high enough quality to truly cancel out background noise and keep voice quality at a decent level. Those that are, are very expensive, and are generally used in conference rooms.
Conference rooms ARE an appropriate venue for a speakerphone. As is the quiet confines of a decently insulated office, with the doors and windows closed. If you work in a cubicle, open area, or outside, no one can understand you. Please get off the speakerphone, pick up the receiver, and have a genuinely more pleasant telephone experience.
A) The pertinent information to help address your issue(i.e. who you are, where you are, what your issue is)
B) Your ten closest coworkers and the 80's hair band you have playing over Pandora
C) The traffic from the interstate right outside your open window
D) The industrial wood chipper you somehow fit into your office
Speakerphones are wonderful tools...when used appropriately. A one-on-one conversation in an open area, is not the definition of appropriate. Very few speakerphones are high enough quality to truly cancel out background noise and keep voice quality at a decent level. Those that are, are very expensive, and are generally used in conference rooms.
Conference rooms ARE an appropriate venue for a speakerphone. As is the quiet confines of a decently insulated office, with the doors and windows closed. If you work in a cubicle, open area, or outside, no one can understand you. Please get off the speakerphone, pick up the receiver, and have a genuinely more pleasant telephone experience.
Friday, December 27, 2013
X Y Z B D Q
Tech Tip of the Day: Chances are if you work at a decent sized company, and use a computer for a good portion of your day, you utilize a "mapped drive." This is a folder that has been shared from another computer/server/etc, and then mapped to a drive letter on your computer. This could be a "T Drive", "F Drive", "Z Drive", or just about any other lettered drive.
"I need an M drive" usually contains zero useful information for your IT professional.
The letter of the drive is arbitrary. Very rarely does an organization use only one specific drive letter for one specific share company wide. There are only 26 letters, some of which are unavailable because your computer has to have them for other local drives like your hard drive, optical drive, or thumb drive.
We can map any share out there to any letter available, but it will not necessarily be the share you really want. I just shared a folder on my computer with nothing but pictures of kitties in sweaters, I'll make that your M drive, you can thank me later for the hours of cuddly viewing.
The information we really need is the "UNC Path." This is the actual location of the share, and is what input into the drive mapping so that the letter knows what the location is. It looks like \\SomeServerName\SomeFolderName. If you look at someone else's mapped drive for what you need you can get that information for us. It will look like "SomeFolderName on SomeServerName."
If you can get that information ahead of time, it will save your IT guy and you a LOT of time running around, trying to find this information.
In the meantime, here's a kitty....
"I need an M drive" usually contains zero useful information for your IT professional.
The letter of the drive is arbitrary. Very rarely does an organization use only one specific drive letter for one specific share company wide. There are only 26 letters, some of which are unavailable because your computer has to have them for other local drives like your hard drive, optical drive, or thumb drive.
We can map any share out there to any letter available, but it will not necessarily be the share you really want. I just shared a folder on my computer with nothing but pictures of kitties in sweaters, I'll make that your M drive, you can thank me later for the hours of cuddly viewing.
The information we really need is the "UNC Path." This is the actual location of the share, and is what input into the drive mapping so that the letter knows what the location is. It looks like \\SomeServerName\SomeFolderName. If you look at someone else's mapped drive for what you need you can get that information for us. It will look like "SomeFolderName on SomeServerName."
If you can get that information ahead of time, it will save your IT guy and you a LOT of time running around, trying to find this information.
In the meantime, here's a kitty....
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Why'd it do that!?!?
Tech Tip of the Day: Things happen. That's the way the world works, and IT resources are no exception. When a file shows as corrupt, or an error occurs on a program, or something on your screen has moved, an IT professional isn't always going to know how it happened. We can guess, sometimes there is an explanation.
How'd this virus or spyware get on my computer. I could make an educated guess, but you will most likely not like the answer...you are the only person who uses that computer after all.
Computers do have moving parts as well, and just like in a car, moving parts wear out. This is why files get corrupt, your computer slows down, things start making weird noises, etc. It just happens.
Just as in life, things in the IT world happen without explanation, we're here to fix them, and mitigate the negative effects when they do happen.
How'd this virus or spyware get on my computer. I could make an educated guess, but you will most likely not like the answer...you are the only person who uses that computer after all.
Computers do have moving parts as well, and just like in a car, moving parts wear out. This is why files get corrupt, your computer slows down, things start making weird noises, etc. It just happens.
Just as in life, things in the IT world happen without explanation, we're here to fix them, and mitigate the negative effects when they do happen.
Monday, December 23, 2013
I don't need it, I only asked for it
Tech Tip of the Day: "Oh, you don't need that, I just have a question." This is not an appropriate response when asked for information by an It professional. We generally do not ask for information we do not need, as that is just more paperwork/documentation that we have to do. Trust me, we have enough documentation already.
If we ask for your username, ID number, or some other identifier, we are not collecting them or playing user BINGO(I think I just came up with a new game). We have to be accountable for nearly all the time spent in the work day. You are utilizing some of that time, so we have to have a way to document how that time was spent. This is especially true is you are calling a service desk. They have to account for every call they answer, and their best way to keep track of calls is by whom called.
We also like to document as many specifics as we can about what your issue is, what you've done to try to work around or fix it yourself, and how widespread it is. All of this helps keep from redundant troubleshooting if the issue needs to be passed to someone else with a differing skill set to correct the underlying issue.
If we ask a question, please just answer it...
If we ask for your username, ID number, or some other identifier, we are not collecting them or playing user BINGO(I think I just came up with a new game). We have to be accountable for nearly all the time spent in the work day. You are utilizing some of that time, so we have to have a way to document how that time was spent. This is especially true is you are calling a service desk. They have to account for every call they answer, and their best way to keep track of calls is by whom called.
We also like to document as many specifics as we can about what your issue is, what you've done to try to work around or fix it yourself, and how widespread it is. All of this helps keep from redundant troubleshooting if the issue needs to be passed to someone else with a differing skill set to correct the underlying issue.
If we ask a question, please just answer it...
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Are we there yet?
Tech Tip of the Day: While they may be the primary part of the IT department that you speak with, the service desk does not know when your issue will actually be addressed. No matter how you phrase the question, the answer will be something to the affect of, "I don't know."
The different teams in IT have a constantly changing workload. They have to prioritize and re-prioritize their problems multiple times a day. I realize that making that one extra click to print from Word really does affect whether or not you can do your job, just like the fact that Pandora keeps cutting in and out prevents you from completing that TPS report.
They will get to you, and the service desk will be perfectly willing to check with another team to see if there is an updated status, but they rarely can give you an accurate time/date that someone will fix your problems.
The different teams in IT have a constantly changing workload. They have to prioritize and re-prioritize their problems multiple times a day. I realize that making that one extra click to print from Word really does affect whether or not you can do your job, just like the fact that Pandora keeps cutting in and out prevents you from completing that TPS report.
They will get to you, and the service desk will be perfectly willing to check with another team to see if there is an updated status, but they rarely can give you an accurate time/date that someone will fix your problems.
Saturday, December 21, 2013
It's dark in here
Tech Tip of the Day: Just as your IT department doesn't support everything that plugs into the wall, we do not support that magic thing that comes out of the outlet. If none of the computers, monitors, printers....or lights... will turn on, there's a good chance that your power is out. There's nothing that your IT guy can do about that. Computers need electricity to run, that's just the way it all works.
If you have a laptop and can run on battery, great! But don't expect your internet or other network resources to necessarily work. The networking equipment also requires electricity in order to work correctly. Some of it may be on a battery backup, or generator, but not all of it is. Your resources may be limited until full power is restored.
If you have a laptop and can run on battery, great! But don't expect your internet or other network resources to necessarily work. The networking equipment also requires electricity in order to work correctly. Some of it may be on a battery backup, or generator, but not all of it is. Your resources may be limited until full power is restored.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Baby it's cold outside
Tech Tip of the Day: Just as previously mentioned with plugged devices, not all things mechanical are the realm of your IT professional. The fact that your office is 42 degrees at the moment is very unfortunate, but alas the only thing we as IT can do for you is haul over about 40 old computers and let them run to generate enough heat to keep your outer extremities from falling off. If we had any old CRT monitors left, they might work a bit better.
Your facilities management/engineering/physical plant/maintenance department will be able to help you warm those toesies.
Your facilities management/engineering/physical plant/maintenance department will be able to help you warm those toesies.
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