These are some tips that can help you get tech support faster as a teacher or employee in Billings Public Schools.

1. Help Your Tech Help You

2. Who we are and what we do…
• Desiree Caskey & her minions
– Shelly Stanton & Ann Brucker

3. Resources after today
• www.bpstis.org
Click on Tech PD

4. Behind the scenes
• Burke
• 281-5151

5. 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

6. 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

7. Know what you did Recently
Believe 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

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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.

14. 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

15. Ask Google
Don’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.

16. QUESTIONS?