CIT 111 2.7.3 Practice Questions - Troubleshooting Process

You've just installed a new USB card reader on your Windows computer. Every time you perform a certain action using the card reader, you get an error message that you've never seen before. Which of the following actions should you perform FIRST?

Check the manufacturer's website for information about the error.

You are the manager in charge of maintaining desktop computers. A user reports that she can't turn her computer on. After some investigation, you find that the power supply is malfunctioning. Which of the following actions should you perform next?

Create an action plan.

A user reports that the projector in the conference room has display issues when it is connected to his laptop. After identifying the cause and completely resolving the issue, the projector displays the images perfectly both on his laptop and on the projector. Which of the following troubleshooting strategies should you perform next?

Document the solution

A user sends a print job to a network printer, and it prints page after page of random characters. He calls the help desk, and a technician discovers that the wrong printer driver had been loaded on the user's workstation. The technician loads the correct driver, verifies that the system works correctly, and documents the resolution. Which of the following actions should the technician perform next?

Educate the user as to how the problem was resolved and verify that they are satisfied with the results.

Asset Management Benefits

Enables IT equipment inventory control. You know exactly what you own, how much it costs, how long you have owned it, and when it will need to be replaced. Reduces costs. Because you know what you already have, you avoid accidentally purchasing duplicate assets. Ensures that your organization remains in compliance with software and operating system license agreements. Ensures that obsolete equipment is accounted for and disposed of properly after it is taken out of service. Helps you plan IT budgets. You can estimate when assets will need to be replaced and how much they will cost.

Technical issues can be detected in several different ways including:

Help desk call, chat, or email In-person request Monitoring and detection software

User information

If an individual is reporting the issue via email, chat, or in person, you should record his or her name and contact information.

Assets come in many forms, some of which are:

Information assets, such as files or databases that contain valuable information. Infrastructure assets or physical devices, such as routers, firewalls, and servers. Support services for information services.

Issue Management

Once the IT department has received notice of an issue, the ticketing system can be used to help manage the progress of the problem resolution. Issues are often organized by category. These categories can include: The department a ticket should be assigned to. The severity level of the ticket (low, medium, high). Escalation level (2nd tier, 3rd tier). Each ticket will also include a place to record progress notes. These notes are important for problem resolution for the existing ticket. They can also be used as a reference point if a similar problem occurs in the future. Notes should be clear, concise and include descriptions of: Fixes that have been tried. Research or follow-up conversations. Next steps that need to be completed. Exactly how a problem was resolved.

Disposal Phase

Several important tasks should be addressed during the disposal phase: Ensure that any sensitive or proprietary information is thoroughly and permanently removed from the asset before disposal. Determine whether the asset can be sold to the public as surplus, destroyed, disposed of in the common trash, or recycled. The asset should be disposed of in a responsible manner and in compliance with all local laws.

Problem description

The problem description should be clear and concise. Document it so that other IT team members can understand exactly what problem has occurred.

The first step in handling a new ticket is to record all relevant information into the ticketing system. Information should include:

User information Device information Problem description

Decommissioning

When an asset is no longer required, it needs to be decommissioned. During the decommissioning process, several important tasks should occur: Determine whether the asset needs to be replaced, if its functions can be reassigned to another existing asset, or if it has become unnecessary. For example, a server's hard disk needs to be wiped using disk wiping software to erase any trace of the information it previously stored. Identify whether you can redeploy the asset somewhere else in the organization. Remove the asset from the production network. Record the removal in the asset management database.

asset

a resource that has value to an organization

sandbox environment

a secure, isolated space that allows for testing, execution, and analysis of code and application environments without affecting the live applications or network infrastructure of an organization

Deployment

the asset is added to an inventory management database. Important information about the asset is recorded, such as: Make and model Serial number Vendor Warranty information Location Asset tag information (An asset tag is a unique identifier that is assigned to a device by a manufacturer. It consists of a string of letters, numbers, and dashes.) Licensing information Configuration information

Procurement

the process of purchasing new equipment

Asset management

the process of tracking and managing an organization's assets.

operations phase

Assets will require periodic maintenance, including: Applying updates and patches, such as installing operating system updates on a server. Performing preventative maintenance, such as implementing an uninterruptible power supply. Repairing problems as they occur, such as replacing a malfunctioning network interface. Applying upgrades as they become necessary. For example, you may install a bigger hard drive on a server. Keeping the inventory management database updated any time one of those events occurs.

As an IT technician for your company, you have been notified that the Windows domain does not seem to be functioning properly. Being familiar with domains, you are fairly confident you know what the issue is. But just to be safe, you take the applicable time to gather additional information and to identify what, if anything, has changed. Which of the following is the BEST next step?

Create a hypothesis.

The procurement life cycle is a recommended sequence to follow when finding and purchasing new equipment. The six steps in the procurement life cycle are:

Determine goods and services required. Obtain a list of suppliers. Negotiate a contract with the supplier. Finalize the purchase order. Receive an invoice and submit payment. Deliver and audit the order.

You are a first-line desktop support technician. A user reports that he cannot access several network files. After some investigation, you determine that the problem is with a network server. Which of the following actions should you perform next?

Determine if escalation is needed.

Device information

Device information should include: Model number Network ID number (if a ticket has come from within the organization) Operating system Warranty status (if applicable)

As an IT technician for your company, you are in the process of setting up several servers in your network. During the process, one of the servers was misconfigured and is having trouble synchronizing information with the other servers. Which of the following is the BEST next step?

Gather information.

Issue Resolution A ticketing system can be used to verify resolution of an issue. Each ticket will include a place to track a problem's status. All tickets pass through several stages before resolution. These specific statuses can vary from one software to another but generally include:

Open - A ticket has been created and the problem has not yet been addressed. In-progress - A ticket has been assigned and an individual is working on resolving the issue. Solved - The issue has been fixed and is awaiting customer acknowledgment. Closed - The end-user or customer has verified that the problem has been solved.

A user reports that her system is running slowly when saving files. You determine that you'll need to upgrade her hard disk. You identify the components that are required and schedule the repair for later that afternoon. Which of the following steps have you forgotten in your troubleshooting process?

Perform a backup

A user reports that he is unable to access data on an external hard drive. You investigate the problem and determine that the USB cable connection to the hard drive is damaged. You replace the cable. Which of the following actions should you take next?

Test the solution.

A user reports that her monitor has stopped working. While troubleshooting the issue, you discover a bad video card in the system. You replace the card and connect the monitor cable to the card. Which of the following actions should you perform NEXT in your troubleshooting strategy?

Test the solution.