Which of the following is the next step in the troubleshooting theory after identifying the problem?
This chapter is from the book Show Troubleshooting ProcessNow that you are so well equipped, you are ready to embark on the systematic journey. There are two major stages in the troubleshooting process. The first stage is identifying the issue. The second stage is performing the actual repair (or taking other steps that identifying the issue has made clear). To identify the issue, you must:
After you have identified the issue, you must:
We will review these processes in detail in the following sections of this lesson. First, we'll give you the overview in chart form. General Troubleshooting FlowchartKeeping the steps of the troubleshooting process straight is sometimes difficult for new technicians. Apple has produced a General Troubleshooting Flowchart that you can use as a reference. Gather InformationIt is important to know as much as you can about the situation before you jump headlong into trying to fix it. Gathering information is the first step in successful troubleshooting. If the Mac is functional, run System Profiler (discussed in Lesson 2, “Software Tools”) to compile useful technical information on the Mac and its components. In some cases, the customer is available to explain the nature of the situation. In those cases, the following tips will assist you in getting accurate and useful information from your customer. Ask Probing QuestionsWhen you question a customer, it is very important to understand that the customer is generally not happy with his or her situation. Your courtesy and professionalism will make the circumstances better for the customer and enable you to gather information needed to repair the customer's product. Be patient. Be polite. Be constantly aware that you are there to help the customer. Furthermore, be aware that a customer coming to you for help with a situation probably will not share your level of technical expertise and may therefore use incorrect or imprecise terminology. Try to talk to customers at their level rather than attempt to impress them with your knowledge and mastery of all things technical. The following are tips you should follow when gathering information from customers:
Verify the IssueVerifying the issue is extremely important in successful troubleshooting. It gives you a chance to objectively confirm the extent and the nature of the situation. In the long run, it saves time since you do not waste time working on the wrong issue. Eliminate Third-Party ProductsThird-party product incompatibilities can be the source of the issue. Before starting to isolate the suspected issue with Apple equipment or software, eliminate third-party products from the system. To the extent that you are able, make the system “all Apple” by:
If the issue does not occur with your “all Apple” system, the issue is most likely with the third-party products you removed. You can proceed with troubleshooting, but be aware that additional technical assistance may have to come from the third-party manufacturer. Remember, the reason you are taking the third-party products out of the equation is simply to be able to analyze an isolated “all Apple” system that is similar, if not identical, to the systems presumed throughout this book. The goal is not to point the finger at the third-party product and walk away from the situation. Customers bought the third-party products for a reason, and they expect to be able to use those third-party products in conjunction with their Apple equipment. It's your job to help customers achieve that goal. Attempt to Re-create the IssueUsing the information you have gathered, set up the system and try to re-create the issue. Here is an example: “When I am using my spreadsheet program and try to print in landscape mode to my inkjet printer, the Mac OS 9 system stops responding halfway through the first page. It doesn't matter what else the system is doing or what spreadsheet I try to print—the same thing happens every time. It first occurred yesterday. I used to be able to print this way without any trouble.” Start up the system, open the spreadsheet program, and try to print. Does the system truly stop responding or could it be something else, such as:
For every issue, there can be other explanations for the system's behavior. Make sure you aren't trying to troubleshoot a nonexistent issue or an issue that has not been well defined. If you are helping someone troubleshoot, the act of verifying the issue is crucial. Sometimes the issue can be solved merely by watching a person go through the process of re-creating it and observing that he or she is operating the system incorrectly. In other cases, watching a person re-create the issue yields additional information about the circumstances under which the issue occurs (that is, the person forgot to tell you some things about when and how the issue occurs). Or, your observation of the issue may be quite different from the description you are given. Try Quick FixesA quick fix is not necessarily the most likely solution to the issue, but because it is easy to perform and involves little time or expense, it is worth trying. There is nothing more frustrating than spending hours isolating an issue only to find out later that a quick fix solves it. A quick fix is defined here as a repair action that:
An experienced, efficient troubleshooter will try one or more quick fixes before taking on the more time-consuming tasks involved with isolating the issue. Let's take another look at the printing issue we just considered. Possible quick fixes in this situation include:
These quick fixes take only a moment, involve very little risk of harm to the system, and involve no expense. If the issue is not solved after you try these quick fixes, you can confidently move to the more time-consuming task of logically and methodically isolating the issue. Here are some more examples of quick fixes:
This is only a partial list. The situation and your experience will determine which quick fixes make sense for troubleshooting the issue you are working on. A good source of quick fixes is the troubleshooting symptom charts in the Troubleshooting lesson of the product's service manual. You should consider any steps that fit the criteria for quick fixes. As you gain experience, you will develop your own collection of quick fixes. The following section lists other quick fixes that might be appropriate for systems running Mac OS X. Some of them can affect data on the customer's system, so you will have to consult with the customer to determine whether he or she has a current backup and weigh the advantages of the quick fix against the possible inconvenience or time required. Quick Fixes for Mac OS XMac OS X has a lot of settings and toggles that you can work with to help quickly determine and isolate issues. There are so many, in fact, that you might not have discovered them all. To help you keep your tests as low-impact as possible, we've broken the Mac OS X quick-fix tests into three categories, which you should try in order. Level 1: Innocuous/No Impact
Level 2: Moderate Impact
Level 3: Invasive/High Impact
Use Appropriate DiagnosticsDiagnostic tools are software packages you can use to check the performance of a system, determine whether the system components are functioning correctly, and pin down the cause of a system issue. See Lesson 2, “Software Tools,” for an overview of the Apple primary diagnostic programs, as well as others from Apple and third parties. Use Additional Resources to Research the IssueAt the start of this lesson you learned that, along with good troubleshooting technique, product knowledge and experience are the basis for efficient, professional troubleshooting. If you have completed the steps described so far and still can't determine the source of the issue, it is time to research additional resources. In situations in which you may not have in-depth experience or product knowledge, you can use such references as Service Source and the Knowledge Base. These resources are collections of the best information assembled by Apple. There is a good chance that solutions to your issues are documented in one or both of these references. Escalate the IssueIf you still cannot troubleshoot an issue despite your best efforts, you may need to escalate your problem to Apple. How you do this depends on where you are located and the practices and policies of your business or agency. Repair or Replace the Faulty ItemAfter determining the source of a service issue, it is time to repair or replace the faulty item. There are several steps that you must take before starting to replace software or hardware.
Verify the Repair by Testing the Product ThoroughlyMake sure that the computer is functioning correctly before you return it to the customer. Sometimes you may fix one issue only to find another, or you may have fixed the right module but left a cable unplugged when reassembling the product. To ensure a positive customer experience, thoroughly test every product you repair before telling the customer it is fixed. You need to make sure that:
Verifying the Repair ExerciseAnswer the following questions. If needed, refer to the previous section of this lesson as well as Service Source, MacTest Pro, and the General Troubleshooting Flowchart.
Verifying the Repair Exercise Answer Key
Inform the User of What You Have DoneOnce you have returned the computer to normal operation (or escalated the issue), inform the user of the work that you completed. Keep in mind the following suggestions for giving your customer the best possible information:
The basic idea is to give customers information to improve their computing experience. Taking time to teach customers how to avoid future issues adds value and improves their experience. Complete Administrative TasksEach Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) has different administrative procedures for documenting service and handling parts. How you complete the administrative tasks for servicing an Apple product depends on where you are located and the internal policies of your business or agency. What are the 5 steps to troubleshooting?The troubleshooting process steps are as follows:. Identify the problem.. Establish a theory of probable cause.. Test the theory to determine the cause.. Establish a plan of action to resolve the problem and implement the solution.. Verify full system functionality and, if applicable, implement preventive measures.. What are the 7 steps of troubleshooting?The steps are: identify the problem, establish a theory of probable cause, test the theory, establish a plan (including any effects of the plan), implement the plan, verify full system functionality, and—as a final step—document everything.
What is step 4 of the troubleshooting process?4 steps to troubleshooting (almost) any IT issue. Step 1: What exactly is the problem? ... . 2) Gather more details, eliminate variables. ... . Step 3: Reproduce the problem, develop hypothesis of root cause. ... . Step 4: Attempt a fix based on findings. ... . Problem Solved?. What is step 3 in the troubleshooting theory?Step 3. Establish a theory of probable cause. Eliminate the simple and obvious possible causes. Consider factors that can indirectly cause problems.
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