Sponsored White Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads
TechRepublic Resources
- The one terabyte disk: Is it reliable?
- About a year ago, when major manufacturers made their first terabyte disk drives available to the public, a storage capacity barrier had been broken, albeit a mental one more so than a technological one. I've wondered about reliability, so it's time to explore their popularity and levels of success. by...
- Tags: Disk, Terabyte, Moore, Petabyte, E-mail, Aerospace & Defense, Storage, Online Communications, Manufacturing, Hardware, Joe Rosberg
- Blog posts 2008-07-30
- Helping users optimize their Internet connection speed
- With users becoming more reliant on a speedy Internet connection, including file downloads and e-mail attachments, it might be worthwhile to test their connection speed and make upgrades accordingly. by Joe Rosberg
- Tags: Internet Connection, Kbps, Speed, Computer, Productivity, Internet, Processors, Networking, Semiconductors, Hardware, Components, Joe Rosberg
- Blog posts 2008-07-23
- Helping users remember their passwords
- Passwords: They should be made difficult to guess, you should change them periodically, you shouldn't write them down, and they're hard to remember. What advice should be given to users regarding password management strategy? by Joe Rosberg
- Tags: Password, Joe Rosberg
- Blog posts 2008-07-16
- The best thanks might be no thanks at all
- Is providing user support a thankless job, or is the best thanks to hear nothing at all? Joe Rosberg explores that question, and explains how he adheres to the axiom, no news is good news. by Joe Rosberg
- Tags: Internet Connection, Performance, Blog, Computer, Joe Rosberg, Productivity, Internet, Blogging
- Blog posts 2008-07-09
- Reviewing my backup strategy and a backup horror story
- Every now and then, you should review and revamp your backup strategy. Joe Rosberg explains his backup and storage process for an architectural firm that includes hard disk drives rather than tape. by Joe Rosberg
- Tags: Backup Strategy, File, Joe Rosberg, Backups
- Blog posts 2008-07-02
- Supporting (installing) financial software: My most difficult install
- A financial software installation proves to be a challenging series of hurdles for support specialist Joe Rosberg. What installations or migrations have been the most difficult for you? by Joe Rosberg
- Tags: Software, Financial, Installation File, Installation, Financial Software, Financial Software Installation, Financial Accounting, Finance, Joe Rosberg
- Blog posts 2008-06-25
- Computer Use 101: Rule number one
- What's the first rule of using a computer? I'd wager that nine out of ten support staff would agree on this one. We might all think it's a no-brainer, but for as long as I've been in this business (20+ years), rule number one was to save often. I'm amazed...
- Tags: AutoCAD, Computer, Productivity, Joe Rosberg
- Blog posts 2008-06-13
- Supporting user applications like AutoCAD
- I've written about many aspects and challenges of providing user support, but I've seldom if ever delved into the additional challenges of supporting the primary user applications -- specialized software that's vital for the function of the business. In my case, those applications are Autodesk products, specifically, AutoCAD MEP and...
- Tags: Software, Information Technology, AutoCAD, Hardware, Tools & Techniques, Strategy, Management, Joe Rosberg
- Blog posts 2008-06-04
- Build a computer for a Vista 5.9 Performance Rating
- The Vista Performance Index provides a visual and numerical representation of how well your computer might perform. Having to support users in a graphics-extensive environment, I've found it useful to help grade various computer components. It's not a coincidence to see the sluggish computers return a low performance score, 2.8...
- Tags: Processor, Performance, Memory, Microsoft Windows Vista, Graphics, Computer, Vista Performance Index, Productivity, Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn), Operating Systems, Microsoft Windows, Software, Joe Rosberg
- Blog posts 2008-05-27
- Fighting spam for thirty years
- One of the most common types of questions I get from my users concerns spam e-mail: how can you stop junk e-mail; how can you make sure legitimate e-mails don't mistakenly get trapped in various spam filters; how can one's own e-mail address be used to send that very person...
- Tags: Junk E-mail, Spam E-mail, Cyberthreats, Spam, E-mail, Security, Spam And Phishing, Online Communications, Joe Rosberg
- Blog posts 2008-05-15
- Assigning priorities: Which really is top priority?
- We used to have an engineer at our office who would always turn in work requests claiming his job was the top priority. He would even evoke the name of the boss to give credence to his sense of urgency. However, I would never succumb to anyone's priority claim (especially...
- Tags: Priority, Request, Productivity, Operational Accounting, Finance, Joe Rosberg
- Blog posts 2008-05-06
- Treating users equally, but differently
- I try to treat all my users with equality, but sometimes equal doesn't exactly mean equal. What I mean is that I treat them all equally depending on the level of support required. One type of person, for example, might approach me and describe a problem or issue, and I...
- Tags: Recruitment & Selection, Human Resources, Workforce Management, Joe Rosberg
- Blog posts 2008-04-28
- What's in your desktop support toolbox?
- What are your most vital tools for providing desktop support? And I mean any kind of tool - literal, figurative, hardware, software, etc. Hand Tools: Of course, we all have the typical tool pouch with the screwdrivers, nut drivers, and those chip pullers - you know, the...
- Tags: Desktop, DOS, Tool, Productivity, Joe Rosberg
- Blog posts 2008-04-15
- Don't make assumptions when giving phone support
- During a brief visit to my hometown recently, I built a computer for one of my brothers. Actually, I instructed him on how to build it, since I wanted him to have a better understanding of his own computer. He and I went to the local computer mega-store armed with...
- Tags: DVD-drive, Phone, 64-bit, Microsoft Windows Vista, Computer, Productivity, Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn), Operating Systems, Microsoft Windows, Software, Joe Rosberg
- Blog posts 2008-04-08
- Helping a user with his home computer - a confusing conclusion
- An interesting discussion ensued when, in my last blog, I wondered about helping a user with a problem on his home computer (his wife's computer, actually). I also voiced my displeasure with a technician who charged him for two hours of time ($150), but couldn't fix a problem which was...
- Tags: Home PC, Password, Computer, Productivity, BIOS, Hardware, Components, Joe Rosberg
- Blog posts 2008-03-31
- Do you ever help a user with his home computer?
- There's a person working at our firm who asked me for some advice concerning his home computer - his wife's computer, actually. For some context, I'll say that he's a retired gentleman, a World War II veteran, a Purple Heart recipient, and an absolutely wonderful human being with a huge...
- Tags: Home PC, Computer, Productivity, Joe Rosberg
- Blog posts 2008-03-24
- Does your Desktop Support department offer flex time?
- The notion of the typical 8-to-5, forty-hour work week seems to have gone by the wayside with most Desktop Support departments. This seems to be the case regardless of whether the support is provided in-house or is outsourced. Personally speaking, my hours don't always fall into the 8-to-5 range, but...
- Tags: Hour, Flex-time, Desktops, Hardware, Joe Rosberg
- Blog posts 2008-03-19
- Supporting users' e-mail and hosting your own e-mail server: pros and cons
- My e-mail provider recently had to shut down their servers so they could install some major upgrades to both their hardware and software. It was supposed to be a three-hour task, one they planned to perform between the hours of 12:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. on Monday morning. By noon...
- Tags: Server, E-mail Server, E-mail, Online Communications, Joe Rosberg
- Blog posts 2008-03-11
- Reasons to have dual monitors
- In a recent blog in which I wondered about TR members' most common desktop support issues, I made a passing comment about how a user request for dual monitors might be one of those less serious ones, even suggesting that it might have been made in jest. Several TR members...
- Tags: Desktop, Monitor, Monitors & Displays, Real Estate, Hardware, Components, Business Operations, Joe Rosberg
- Blog posts 2008-02-29
- How invested are your users in their own computing experience?
- Joe Rosberg is a prince for drawing attention to Jessie's problem, and the challenges faced by the techs who provide support to schools. Let's face it, whether they're raised in an urban or rural setting, whether they attend a public or a private school, kids can be a handful. Even...
- Tags: School, Laptop Computer, Computer, Joe Rosberg, Help Desk, Productivity, Call Centers, Notebooks, It Operations, Hardware, Notebooks & Tablets, William Jones
- Blog posts 2008-02-28
