1. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Operational Procedures Chapter 2

2. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Overview In this chapter, you will learn how to: – Present yourself with a proper appearance and in a professional manner – Talk to customers in a professional, productive manner – Discuss the tools of the trade

3. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. The Professional Tech Appearance – Proper dress – Attention to good personal hygiene Figure 2.1 Casual Ford Figure 2.2 Professional Ford

4. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. The Traits of a Tech Honesty/integrity – What’s the difference? Honesty is telling the truth. Integrity means doing the right thing. – Customer vs. in-house user Different standards apply to each Customer: “If it isn’t a felony, you didn’t see a thing” In-house user: Be “by the book”

5. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. The Traits of a Tech (continued) Honesty/integrity – Avoid prying into users’ personal files – Avoid learning passwords Or make the user change the password before you leave – Follow the Ethic of Reciprocity (Golden Rule) – Don’t touch users’ stuff without permission Figure 2.3 Don’t do this!

6. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. The Traits of a Tech (continued) Dependability/responsibility – What’s the difference? A responsible person is answerable for the acts he or she does. A dependable person can be counted on to perform those acts. – Take responsibility for your actions. – Make sure there’s a dependable backup of any system before you start to work.

7. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. The Traits of a Tech (continued) Adaptability/versatility – User advocate: A tech only fixes computers; a user advocate supports his or her users. – Be technically and situationally adaptable. Sensitivity – Be empathetic to your customer’s needs and expectations. – Avoid personal calls or other distractions. – Be culturally sensitive. – Use appropriate professional titles when needed.

8. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. The Traits of a Tech (continued) Paperwork – Most companies require a signed Work Authorization to perform work. Documents the name, billing information, date, and scope of work May also save one from worry and litigation

9. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Effective Communication Assertive communication – Avoid “you” statements. – Repeat the customer’s problem without being accusatory. – State what is needed to avoid the problem in the future. What are some examples of assertive communication?

10. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Effective Communication (continued) Respectful communication – Respect the user’s job and the person. – Always ask for permission to begin work. – Actively listen to the customer’s problem. Don’t interrupt as the customer describes the problem. Listen and take notes. – Stay professional; don’t take angry customer statements personally. – Avoid outside interruptions on customer time. What are some examples of respectful communication?

11. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Effective Communication (continued) Eliciting answers – Use non-accusatory communication. Not, “What did you do?” Instead, “When did it last work?” or “Has it worked in the past?” You're there to help, not accuse. – Ask fact-seeking questions. Explaining what you’re doing – Avoid jargon, acronyms, and abbreviations. – Use analogies and visual aids when possible. – Stay friendly.

12. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Effective Communication (continued) Figure 2.4 Never accuse!

13. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Effective Communication (continued) Figure 2.5 Keeping it friendly

14. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Effective Communication (continued) Expectations and follow-up – Timeline: How long is this going to take? Provide a best estimate, not a guarantee. If the estimate changes, let the customer know ASAP. – Options Provide alternatives and let the customer decide. – Documentation Always the document time, day, problem, and solution. Always offer the customer any replaced parts. – Follow-up Confirm that the customer is happy a day or two later.

15. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Tools of the Trade and Personal Safety Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is the passage of a static electrical charge into your PC or a PC component such as a RAM stick. – Static electricity can destroy sensitive parts of a PC. – ESD damage is much more prevalent in dry, cool environments.

16. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Antistatic Tools Cause of ESD – Two objects with different potential of static electricity coming into contact Antistatic wrist strap – Keeps you and the PC at the same electrical potential to prevent ESD Antistatic mat – Used temporarily to place parts taken out of the PC These antistatic devices use tiny resistors.

17. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Antistatic Tools (continued) Figure 2.6 Anti-static wrist strap in use Figure 2.7 Anti-static wrist strap and mat combination

18. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Antistatic Bags Antistatic bags – Specially designed bags that shed static electricity when touched – Should be used to store electrical components from your PC Always unplug a PC when you work on it. – Don’t just turn it off. Self-grounding is not as good as using a wrist strap. Figure 2.8 Anti-static bag

19. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) EMI is two or more magnetic fields interfering with each other. – Not as dangerous as ESD – Can cause permanent damage to some components and erase data on some storage devices What are some examples of EMI?

20. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) RFI involves radio waves that interfere with electronics. – Will not destroy electronics or stored data, but can disrupt communication PC speakers and wireless networks, as well as other components, are susceptible to RFI. What are some examples of devices that emit radio waves?

21. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Physical Safety IT techs live in a dangerous world and need to consider personal safety issues. – Cable messes are a dangerous tripping hazard. Alert the building supervisor. – Heavy items Lift with legs. Watch for tripping hazards/obstructions.

22. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Physical Safety (continued) Hot components – Usually hazardous if you open up a monitor, printer, or computer – Example: hot cooling fins on fans Computer repairs – Remove jewelry before working on a computer. – Be careful of loose hair when working on equipment. Carpentry work – building a server closet – Wear an air filter mask and safety goggles.

23. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Physical Safety (continued) Figure 2.9 Mike’s cable kludge

24. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Physical Safety (continued) Figure 2.10 What a strange, bad trip it’s been.

25. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Physical Safety (continued) Figure 2.11 Checking for hot cooling fans

26. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Physical Tools The basic tech toolkit contains a Phillips-head screwdriver and a few other items It’s a good idea to also include: – Magnifying glass – Small flashlight – Plastic tweezers Figure 2.12 Typical technician toolkit

27. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Software Tools Good techs bring essential software tools to every troubleshooting scenario. Mike’s Cool Tools are provided in the media accompanying this textbook. – These include tools for scanning for malware (malicious software, such as viruses), checking memory, and other diagnostic scenarios.

28. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Troubleshooting Theory CompTIA clearly defines their vision of troubleshooting theory: 1. Identify the problem. 2. Establish a theory of probable cause (question the obvious). 3. Test the theory to determine cause. 4. Establish a plan of action to resolve the problem and implement a solution. 5. Verify full system functionality and implement preventive measures. 6. Document findings, actions, and outcomes.

29. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Identify the Problem Ask the user about recent changes and perform backups before “fixing” anything. – Don’t be accusatory. – Offer to perform a backup of all critical information. Figure 2.13 Tech asking nicely

30. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Establish a Theory of Probable Cause Don’t overlook obvious solutions; apply your knowledge of the computing process – Research External research via the Internet Internal research by asking other technicians or checking company records – Outside the case Damaged or mangled connectors Broken/disconnected cables or wires Is the system running hot? Strange sounds or vibrations Smell anything odd?

31. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Establish a Theory of Probable Cause (continued) Figure 2.14 Ford the Tech misses the obvious.

32. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Test the Theory Test the theory to see if it fixes the problem. – Testing will verify that something is broken. – If a theory is not confirmed, develop a new theory.

33. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Establish a Plan of Action and Implement the Solution Once you’ve identified the cause, determine how you can implement the corrective actions. If it’s beyond your skills, escalate the problem. – Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Figure 2.15 Ford the Tech asks for help from Scott.

34. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Verify and Prevent Verify full functionality to ensure the customer is happy. – Watch the customer use the system for a few minutes. If applicable, educate the customer on how to avoid this problem again. Figure 2.16 Ford the Tech sticks around and watches.

35. Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ ® Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Fifth Edition Copyright © 2016 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Document Findings, Actions, and Outcomes The last step is to document. – Allows you to track a machine’s history, enabling long-term decisions. – Also helps fellow technicians if they have to follow up. An incident report for an accident provides details of what happened and where it happened. Figure 2.17 Ford documents a successful fix.