Theory Crafting, Theory Testing, and Escalating (1200 CompTIA A+ Part 4)
This is Part 4 of my series of blog posts where I am preparing for the new CompTIA A+ 1200 series. These are the first 3 parts:
Preparing for CompTIA A+ 1200 series (Part 1)
I Eat Tacos Every Valentine’s Day (CompTIA troubleshooting acronym, Part 2)
Identifying the Problem (New CompTIA A+ Part 3)
Theory Crafting
By now, you have questioned the obvious. You paid attention to the details of the problem, and you systematically eliminated what the problem isn’t.
Maybe you tried replicating the issue by stepping through the steps of what should happen, and perhaps you found the spot where the error occurred.
If that doesn’t work, then you can narrow it down to the components of the system and ask these questions as you continue troubleshooting:
is it a hardware issue? What piece of hardware?
is it a software issue? What piece of software is it?
Is it an issue with the connectors, or the cables?
The key thing is: pay attention to the details, approach it systematically.
Establishing a New Theory (or Escalating)
If your theory is not proven by the tests you did or your research, you need to establish a new theory.
But you need to manage your time too. There are other problems in the business, and before you go down the rabbit whole of doing lengthy tests that can disrupt the workday, try to see if there Is there a simpler workaround.
(Like if a problem is only affecting only one person’s computer and there are spare computers, give them a spare and repair the broken one later.)
If a problem is particularly intractable, you can take the system down to its base configuration (the minimum needed to run). When this works, you can then add peripherals and devices or software subsystems one by one, testing after each, until eventually the problem is located. This is time-consuming but may be necessary if nothing else provides a solution.
If you cannot solve a problem yourself, it is better to escalate to your manager than waste a lot of time trying to come up with an answer. Formal escalation routes depend on the type of support service you are operating and the terms of any warranties or service contracts that apply. Some generic escalation routes include:
Senior technical and administrative staff, subject matter experts (SMEs), and developers/programmers within your company.
Suppliers and manufacturers via warranty and support contracts and helplines or web contact portals.
Other support contractors/consultants, websites, social media.
