Solve PC problems remotely

Solving PC problems can be tricky at the best of times but the real difficulties start when the computer in question belongs to someone else. This is the situation technical-support lines deal with every day, of course, but what happens when the person at the end of the support call is you?

If you are the acknowledged computer ‘expert’ in your family and wider social circle, then you will be familiar with taking calls about technology troubles.

The simpler issues are usually easy to resolve but coping with more complex problems when you cannot see the computer concerned – and only have what the user tells you to go on – requires rather more time, effort and patience.

Fortunately, there are ways to simplify remote troubleshooting, so read on to find out how to keep your unpaid technical-support hotline running smoothly.

What’s the problem?
Telephone technical-support services have two advantages over amateur PC troubleshooters. First, they tend to deal with a particular product or service, rather than just any piece of technology that happens to be causing trouble.

Second, professional support people have a wealth of reference material at their fingertips and follow a series of scripts that lead callers through a methodical troubleshooting sequence, before arriving (hopefully) at a clear diagnosis of the problem.

When someone calls you to say “my computer isn’t working”, on the other hand, it’s unlikely you will have such resources to hand. So the first step is to ask a few questions to establish what the problem is.

This may seem unnecessary, not least since a whimpered “I’ve deleted all my documents!” sounds pretty clear-cut. But dig a little deeper and a situation like this could be the result of anything from looking on the wrong disk to accidentally moving a folder – neither of which will be undone by the reply “just look in the Recycle Bin”.

However, don’t attempt this initial diagnosis by email. Getting a computer novice to clearly explain a problem in writing is difficult – a phone call is often better for both parties. We will insert one proviso here, though: if there is something on screen that is causing confusion, an emailed screenshot will simplify things considerably.