Help Your Tech Help You

Who we are and what we do…

• Desiree Caskey & her minions– Shelly Stanton & Ann Brucker

Resources after today

• www.bpstis.org

Click on Tech PD

Behind the scenes

• Burke• 281-5151

Help Desk Tickets

• Visit billingsschools.org• Click on Quick Links• Click on HelpDesk • Login• Click on Create a New Ticket• Fill in Blanks & Submit

• NOTE: attach a screenshot if possible

Know Your System• Mac – Go to the Apple Menu

and select About this Mac• Windows – Open a window. • From the sidebar, right click

on Computer and choose Properties

Know what you did RecentlyBelieve it or not, the smallest details of your actions on your computer can be a big help to your computer tech in solving problems. Even if you don’t think anything you did was significant, share it with your tech.

• Did you install software or load a file onto your computer recently

• Did you download anything from the Internet or save an attachment from email

• Did you delete a file or program from your computer recently

• Did you visit a website you don’t normally visit

• Did you bump or unplug anything recently

• Did you visit your computers Control Panel recently

• Did you try any solutions to fix the problem

The more information you can share with your tech, the better he will be able to help you

Attach a Screenshot - Mac

• Command-Shift-3: Takes a screenshot of the screen, and saves it as a file on the desktop

• Command-Shift-4, then select an area: Takes a screenshot of an area and saves it as a file on the desktop

• Command-Control-Shift-3: Takes a screenshot of the screen, and saves it to the clipboard

• Command-Control-Shift-4, then select an area: Takes a screenshot of an area and saves it to the clipboard

You can attach a screen shot to your HelpDesk ticket so that the tech knows exactly what the problem is.

Attach a Screenshot - Windows

Windows XP or Older• Click the window you want to capture. Press Alt + PrintScreen. • Click Start, Accessories, and then click Paint.• In the Paint window, click Edit, and then click Paste.• When the image appears in the Paint window, click File, and then click

Save As.• In the Save As dialog box, in the File name box, type a name for the

screen shot, and then click Save.

• Note: You can take a screen shot of your entire desktop rather than just a single window by pressing the Print Screen key without holding down the Alt key.

Attach a Screenshot - Windows

Windows 7 or Newer• Launch Snipping Tool from the Start Menu > All Programs > Accessories >

Snipping Tool

• Free-form Snip. Draw an irregular line, such as a circle or a triangle, around an object.

• Rectangular Snip. Draw a precise line by dragging the cursor around an object to form a rectangle.

• Window Snip. Select a window, such as a browser window or dialog box, that you want to capture.

• Full-screen Snip. Capture the entire screen when you select this type of snip.

• After you capture a snip, it's automatically copied to the mark-up window, where you can annotate, save, or share the snip.

Network Settings - Mac

Know how to get to Network settings. This might be information your tech will ask for when assisting you.

• Go to the Apple Menu > System Preferences• Click on Network

Network Settings - Windows

Open Network Connections:

• Go to Start > Control Panel• In the search bar, type “adapter”• Under Network and Sharing Center, click View

network connections• Select an active connection• In the tool bar, click View status of this

connection• Click Details

Your computer’s IP address appears next to IPv4 Address

Before you Contact HelpDesk

Always check the cables: Many computer problems are related to an issue in the cables and connections. The easiest first step you can take to troubleshoot most problems is to check all related cables and connections.

Isolate the problem: If possible, try to isolate the problem. For example, if you can't get the cursor to move on the screen, try to determine if the issue is with the mouse. If you have an extra mouse, you can alternate devices to see if the one plugged in is the issue, or use the arrow keys on the keyboard to help determine if the mouse is the source of the problem. When trying to isolate the problem, only make one change at a time.

Remember the steps you've taken, or write them down: Once you start troubleshooting, you will want to remember what you have done, so you don't repeat yourself. If you can't remember it, then write it down. If you end up asking someone for help, it will be much easier if they know exactly which steps you've taken.

Before you Contact HelpDesk

Run Software Updates: Many software updates are to fix problems with your computer. You should always run the updates on your computer when they pop-up.

Run Disk Utilities on your Mac (this always helps, never hurts): • Disk Utilities can be found in Applications > Utilities• Click on the hard drive in the window• Click on Repair Disk Permissions

Run Error-Check on Windows: • Go to Start > Computer• Right-click on your hard drive and choose Properties• From the Tools tab, select Error-checking and click on Check Now (you will need password)• Click Start

Ask GoogleDon’t be afraid to search for an answer.

Type in an error message, symptoms, or problems.Chances are, you are not the first or only person that has encountered this problem.

QUESTIONS?