News

by Brett Preston.

Most of the time when you need help with an IT issue, you are at the end of your rope. The best case scenario when calling a help desk is a friendly voice who can help. The worst case scenario is someone who does not understand your issue and is hard to talk to for one reason or another. The Encompass IT Help Desk strives to offer fast, courteous service at all times. We understand that you called because you need our help and we are your IT experts. Don’t get me wrong, we love talking to you but, here are a few tips that could help save you time and headaches.

If you are having a problem, try these steps before calling the Help Desk:

• Reboot your computer (or your phone if you are having cell phone problems).
• Check all wires and connections – make sure they are all snug.
• Ask around and determine if you are the only one having the issue. If so, it’s specific to your computer or your user id.  If not, there may be a system issue that we need to know about right away.
• If you are receiving an error message take a screen shot of the error or leave it on the screen when you call the help desk.
• If you are having problems with an Internet site, try another browser (Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, etc.).

How to prevent problems before they occur:

• Make sure you have an antivirus running on your computer.
• If you are on the Internet and it looks suspicious, you should be suspicious – don’t click on it.
• Use a secure password tool to store your passwords. This will prevent the frustration of forgetting passwords or getting locked out.  Here are some options from PC Magazine: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2407168,00.asp.
• Replace PCs and laptops every 3 to 4 years. Resolving issues with old hardware is time consuming and costly.  Replacing your laptops and PCs regularly will keep them running smoothly and prevent decreased productivity.

As the ever changing IT world evolves, we will be here to help!

Brett Preston is EMP’s Director of HIT Security and Management.