When you hear the word “Gremlin” what images does it conjure?  Anything like these?

None of these images connect with what we will look at in our next few blog posts. Chasing Gremlins is a phrase coined by our company CEO, Mark Wheatley. What it refers to is the process of discovering the nature of an issue or failure within our customers IT systems. A Gremlin can range from hardware, software to all forms of malware, spyware and viruses. This could be on a workstation, a notebook, their network, a phone system, servers…whatever systems they need to  carryout business, if it’s not working, we want to find the cause (the Gremlin) and nip it in the bud.

While this is a solution (something we have blogged about for the past month) this process is more about a break/fix model, “Something isn’t working and we want it working.” It involves the Techs going toe to toe with the Gremlin, whatever it may be. We still need to ask our customers questions, but once we have done that it gets down to poking through the different internal systems of a machine to discover the exact nature of the problem.

Let’s walk through an example:

We get a call from a customer who says “I can’t get email!” At this point one of our highly skilled and great smelling technicians will begin to chase the Gremlin (troubleshoot). You may or may not be able to do this yourself, depending on your level of technical knowledge. Consider this diagram as we walk through a simplified, generalized version of Gremlin chasing/troubleshooting.

We need to determine the nature of the problem. If you can’t receive email the first place we might look would be the hardware quadrant; is the computer physically connected to the switch (hardware)? If not, that’s an easy fix, plug it in! If it is, does the switch seem to be operational; is it on, are all the lights the correct color, are they blinking?

If all of the hardware appears to be on and connected, we pop into the upper right quadrant of our diagram and check out the configuration for the hardware.

If this all checks out we move in to the lower half of the diagram, the software portion.

We would look at the app you use to access your email…which I have personally witnessed our technicians do (there is a lot of clickity-clackity on the keyboard and the tech making approving or disapproving sounds). If we see that the app itself it in good shape we then move into the software configuration quadrant to correct any issues we discover.

If none of these steps resolve the issue then it is probably a “Nasty”… a particular type of Gremlin used by hackers, spammers, and people who talk in the theater.

How do we deal with Nasties? Tune in next post and see the carnage…that’s a little to dramatic isn’t it? Just come on back and read about Nasties next time, O.K.?

Have a great day!

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Solutions Review. Sound like a musical number doesn’t it? Well you don’t want to see me in a dance get up singing show tunes, I can tell you that right now. Besides I’m a blues man, I hate show tunes which is a totally different blog…moving right along.

Before we move into a new set of blog posts, let’s look back at what we have covered about Solutions.

What is a Solution?

We took a quick look at what the word “solution” implies in the corporate/IT industry. Our team at CSI Onsite view problems as new opportunities to learn, and discover the best method of arriving at your desired outcome.  We looked at some of the processes we use to create good solutions.

Hardware Solutions

This post covered some of the most common hardware issues and solutions we typically run into as well as defining a hardware solution.

Software Solutions

Of course we can’t talk about hardware solutions without examining the other part of computing, the apps we all depend on to work, play and navigate through life.

Funny Things That Can Happen

With this post we wanted you to see some of the funnier things that have happened to our Techs as they have worked so very hard to keep the world safe from bad & evil IT issues. Really, you should read it, its fun and there are some great links to skits that will make you giggle.

Solutions That Make You Smile

Get a behind the scenes view of an actual support phone call and learn how we operate as a company. This is what I called the epitome of customer service for CSI Onsite as well as the standard your IT provider up should meet. And this was pretty entertaining as well.

 Backup Solutions

A brief yet succinct overview of a crucial component to maintaining your company’s viability. We looked at the reasons for backup solutions and the different methods available.

Until next time I hope you enjoy the post set before you. As always we invite your feed back and enjoy your communication.

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An important and completely necessary Solution that you need, if you have any mission critical data that resides within your IT infrastructure, is a Back Up Solution.  What is interesting about this type of solution is that it’s not in response to a failure. Rather it is an assumption that a failure will occur at some future point in time, and taking the appropriate steps to be prepared for a timely recovery.

Create a Back Up Solution.

After you have determined which data/processes are crucial to the organization, you then need to plan on a method of backing it all up in a manner that allows you to retrieve it in a timely fashion.  For recovery from the complete loss/ destruction of your hardware, you will need an off-site backup strategy. This can be achieved a couples of ways and is referred to as a disaster recovery plan “DR”.  (Disaster Recovery/Fault Tolerance, Fault Tolerance, Disaster Recovery)

You can mirror your entire IT infrastructure off-site to another location. This option is accurate with a very quick return to full service; however the cost for such a solution could be prohibitive. I have been in consult meetings with our CEO guiding an executive team through these decisions. Here is one of the word pictures he used to explain why this complete mirroring solution was not need for their company.

“Imagine if one of the major Airlines guaranteed that they could get you from your point of origin to your destination within 1-2 hours of the flight time –no matter what… Now think of the resources it would require being able to maintain such a guarantee. What would it take? There would have to be a redundancy of every airplane they have in service, available in multiple locations. This could increase their cost of operations exponentially making this type of solution un-sustainable. The same is true for XYZ Company, to have an exact replica of your IT infrastructure off-site puts you into the position of diminishing returns on your investment”

Most businesses don’t need to have quite this extensive solution, but you and your team will have to decide that through some good strategy sessions.

For those who wish to back up data and have a solid DR plan, there are less expensive methods. One option is to purchase at least two external hard drives, write your backups to it, and swap off site as often as desired. We recommend at least once a week but depending on how long the business can operate without your data, will necessitate a more aggressive swap schedule. You can also use tapes or a host of other types of media, but we’ve used USB drives so we can fairly easily access the contents from a different system if needed.

Then have your IT professional create a script or process to run the backups to the external hard drive (scheduled at days/times that work into your companies timetable). At predetermined intervals the hard drive with the most current backup is taken off-site until the next backup.  In doing this you will have an up to date backup ready for recovery should disaster strike.
Advantages:   Quick recovery. The data will be in your physical possession almost              immediately

Disadvantages: More labor steps, dependent upon you /employee to carry out the HDD swap (more room for human error)

You could also choose to work with companies such as Egnyte, Backup Assist, Barracuda, Mozy, and Carbonite… These are organizations that will back up the data you chose to their own off-site locations, or “the cloud”. Once you have installed the service on your computer, it is fairly automated. You will want to confirm on a regular basis that the backups are working and you are getting the backups you desire.  One thing to keep in mind is that your backups will be done over the internet, which means there could be implications concerning amount of time to back up certain types of data and how long retrieval could take (uploading from the off-site location). The size of the data and the size/speed of your internet connection play a role.

Advantages:                       Instantaneous backup. Automated – less room for human error.

Disadvantages: It is much harder and costly to get a physical copy of the data backup, could take a longer amount of time to get certain types of data recovered and your business up and running.

I can’t over stress the importance of having a reliable back up solution for both your work/company and personal computing.  Without one in place you run the risk of losing critical parts of your work or personal life. Do you want really want to risk that??

Trust your Uncle John, trusted IT advisor to the stars,
Get a back up solution in place today!

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p.s.  -  bonus points if you can guess what I am holding

If this is your first visit to our blog – welcome! We hope you find what you need to increase your time and use of all things IT related. You will also find (in our other posts) tips on efficiency, productivity, ergonomics, and some tid-bits about the stuff we are passionate about. There are also a few funny things in these blogs if you pay attention. We have been looking at some basic ideas behind IT Solutions (please read our last few posts to see what we have been discussing: New Year’s Solutions, Hardware Solutions, Software Solutions, Funny Things That Can Happen)

In the last blog, I promised to those who would return that I would share about a support call that I by chance got to hear during one of our many daily phone calls here at CSI Onsite. I said to myself “that was a great way to support our customer(s)!” I listened to one of my co-workers help a customer create a solution in a manner that was respectful, timely, and very fun. As I only heard the person in our office, I interviewed the Tech after he was off the phone to hear the whole story.

The call began with a customer needing help to set up a scan to a folder within their shared printer tied to her work station. The Tech did a fantastic job and quickly had the job finished.  As I went about my task of keeping the IT world safe from boring social media, I noticed the conversation begin to change. Here is what I heard…

“…yes. That is correct my friend.  No problem…don’t feel bad about that, that is a tricky little bugger to configure. Sure- no really you can ask about your personal computer, what’s the issue? O.K. (15 seconds of quiet on my end pass). It said “low memory error?” What were you doing when this happened? About a minute passes with the Tech saying “O.K….yes…really…”  He continued in to this…” Well I can see why you’re frustrated and I think we can help you wi –what’s that?…You bought a new hard drive. Yes we can put that in for you but I don’t think that is the solution you need…O.K….you were? You did… well what do you know? When did you do that?  I understand, however I really don’t think us putting in a new hard drive will solve your issue.  What’s that? …Yes I believe that is what the error message said but there is a difference… I don’t want to throw (insert National Chain store name) under the bus but I respectfully disagree with their diagnosis…yes I actually have run into this before. (Insert computer game name) is notorious for being a hog on RAM. Yes I remember the error message, RAM is mem… O.K. Luanne, (name changed) what are you good at? At work what are you good at, what do you do for (business name)?  Excellent, I actually have heard that from Wyatt (name changed). And what do I do (I could hear the smile in his voice). And who am I…10 seconds of silence then I hear the Tech say “I am Your Trusted IT advisor, and I’m the one you turn to when your system blows a gasket.” Then they both started to laugh…I could hear her (through the phone!) in the other room.

Have you kept up with the changing technologies? No don’t feel bad, this is what I do every day and it’s hard for me to stay current. No, no I’m not offended I just thought that would be a fun way to get you to see that I really do have some knowledge that can help you and you can trust me to steer you in the right direction.”  45 seconds of silence on my end…”O.K. do you know the difference between RAM and your hard drive? That’s fine; can I give you my tried and true explanation about RAM and how it works?

From there I listened as the Tech shared a brilliantly accurate yet easily understood explanation of a RAM and how it works. I might add that this particular technician is one of the most intelligent people I know. I’m talking genius level brain power with a vocabulary and plane of thinking that matches. Yet he took a very humble approach and treated the customer in accordance with our values; that our customers are also our partners and we need each other to do this job. The customer came away from the phone call with more than an IT solution. She learned how an integral part of her computer system works, she now understands that we (CSI Onsite) really know what we’re doing and she learned that she can trust us.

In my book I’d say that is a text book “win, win” situation. Don’t settle for anything less from your IT professional…or you could just work with us.

Have a great week.

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Welcome back to our blog! I hope you are doing well. In my home state of Minnesota we have had snow, freezing rain, and more snow in a three day stretch turning our highways into a combination parking lot-bumper car zones. We sure hope you’re safe and warm with an un-dinged vehicle!

Our last few posts have explored IT Solutions. You can read those blogs by clicking on these hyperlinks; New Year’s Solutions, Hardware Solutions, Software Solutions. In these posts you can discover what we at CSI Onsite deem to be some basic standards to be met when considering solutions to IT issues. Please give them a read, I hear the writing is inspired and the blogger has rugged good looks…well that‘s what my wife said.

I thought I could share with you some of the more interesting challenges I have witnessed the Techs face while they were creating/ implementing solutions in my tenure at CSI Onsite. Often IT Techs are characterized as aloof and somewhat denigrating toward customers (watch these 2 clips  clip 1 clip 2 to see what I mean). That’s just not the case with CSI Onsite. Our Techs really do enjoy helping people and we really like people, period. I know – kinda strange for a Tech company, but it’s true. Keep in mind these are little tid-bits that I happened to catch in my various roles at CSI Onsite; these aren’t staged for a weblog. I think they give you an insider’s view of how you can have IT support from very capable, very smart, but very human/humble people.
One of our highly skilled technicians was implementing a solution for a customer that involved both hardware & software components. He probably put in hours of research, project scope analysis, and customer interviewing…a lot of details to synthesize into an economic, robust solution. This tech then ordered the appropriate hardware, software, CALs, etc…and awaited the word that everything was assembled and ready for pick up at our vendor. After my co-worker picked up the product (a rather sizable server) he made his way back to our office to configure everything to maximize his onsite time at the customer’s business (we don’t like to cause y’all downtime if we can help it).
On the return trip, he needed to refuel his vehicle so he stopped at a Holiday Store. As he was filling his vehicle he noticed that it was pretty dirty and proceeded to run it through the carwash after he was finished refueling.

Did I mention that his vehicle was a pickup truck? Oh yes…it was, and you guessed it, the server was in the bed of the truck when he went through the car wash.  Horror struck as my friend and co-worker went to retrieve the server for configuration. But the card board box seemed to maintain its integrity as he gazed upon its soggy visage. However as he picked it up the card board seem to slough off much like a banana peel. Now you don’t need to be a Microsoft certified technician to know that is not a desired outcome. Ever. Fortunately, we have an amazing vendor who not only shock proofs their product, they also wrap everything in a water resistant barrier. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the server (completely dry!!) , the project went ahead on time and was a great success. And yes we did tell our customer about the once in a lifetime pre-install wash service that CSI Onsite was experimenting with that has since been discontinued-permanently…we hope.

See, even really smart people have oops moments. That’s something we always keep in mind when we get a call for help. We have probably already made the mistake with which you need our help resolving. Our President/CEO keeps this character trait (humility) in mind when we hire and train new team members. I thought you would not only get a giggle out of this amusing tale, but also see that you don’t have to settle for IT support that inspired Jimmy Fallon’s character Nick Burns, IT Guy. If you come back to this blog soon, you will get to read about a support call that I heard that I found to be a great example of how to partner with a customer. It was humorous, helpful, and honoring. How often do you hear about a customer service call being described like this?
Until next time, Happy Computing!!

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If I asked you to tell me the main difference in style between the Martial Arts of Kung-Fu and Karate what would your answer be? Anyone know? (Share your answers below in the comment section.)

The simplest answer is this; Karate is a “hard” style, Kung Fu is “soft.” If you would like to know what styles of Martial Arts I favor, come to CSI Onsite and try to steal some of our stuff…you’ll find out.

(Spoken with a Cowboy/Cowgirl accent) This here sentence is a segue, since I just couldn’t find a way to smoothly transition from the Kung Fu analogy to the topic of today’s blog. We have been looking at Solutions, how we solve problems with your computing experience to bring about your desired outcome. Our last post was about Hardware Solutions which I encourage you to read. Another type of solution we have in our IT tool box is a software solution. (Cowboy/Cowgirl accent again) “What in tar-nation is a software solution?” I’m glad you asked.

How to Create a Software Solution

A solution is a means by which one can achieve a desired outcome. In our field of IT this almost always involves hardware (defined in last blog post) and/or software. Software can be defined as the programs (also called Apps) and other operating information used by a computer. A software solution will be the method by which the desired outcome is achieved through the use of software (programs/apps) rather than hardware repair, maintenance, or replacement. Sometimes a solution may involve both new software and new/different hardware, something to keep in mind.

Say for example you came to CSI Onsite and said to us “we need a way to manage data storage, financial transactions, scheduling, ticketing, and communications tracking.” Let me take you through a sample line of thinking we might follow to create a solution.

1. What is your Desired Outcome (D.O.)?

2. Do you have any in-house resources that will satisfy 50-75% of the D.O.?

a.    Yes, go to question 3.
b.    No, move to question 6.

3. Can you tweak what you already have in-house to meet your need?

a.     Yes (and it is cost effective) let’s go with that resource.
The next step is to find the best solution for modification (question 5).
b.     No, then go to question 4.

4. Exactly what parts of the D.O. are not going to be met by the internal resource?

a.    With this list in hand go to question 5.

5. Begin to research companies that can create the modifications and or new software you need to achieve your D.O.

6. When all else fails or tweaking is not a viable option, research companies/software that offers the best solution for your particular set of needs.

This is a simple representation of what can be a very short, somewhat lengthy, or something in between process. As you can imagine, creating an efficient, robust software solution requires both tenacity and creativity. But it is possible for you to do this for yourself if needed. At the very least you can now understand the process your IT providers should go through when you hire them to discover solutions (for both hardware & software). The value in you possessing this knowledge is that you now have an understanding of how a good software solution should come together. In the future this might save you some nasty headaches and wasted money.

Now, don’t ya just feel smarter?

Have a great day!! Find us on Facebook & Twitter we would love to hear from you.

p.s.  Barry sends his love ck! ck!

Welcome to the CSI Onsite weblog where our aim is to provide practical tips to increase your efficiency, productivity and enjoyment while using computers at work or in your own home. This could include ergonomics, hardware, software, IT trends, and productivity tips.

Our last blog, New Year’s Solutions, took a quick look at the word solutions and how we approach them here at CSI Onsite. In this post we will look at some of the most common hardware issues/solutions we run into.

What is a Hardware Solution?

A hardware solution simply put is the cure for any problem related to your technology’s hardware. Hardware (in the computer world) is a term that applies to any  mechanical, magnetic, electronic, and electrical device comprising a computer system,  such as the CPU, disk drives, keyboard, or screen.  Anything we develop a plan to return your computer to it optimum working condition related to hardware that is broken, nonfunctional, or displaced is a hardware solution.

Here are a few of the issues I have witnessed in my 3 plus years working at CSI Onsite.

Reported issue:
“My Computer won’t turn on at all!”

Possible cause:

-Failed power supply
-Power cord is loose or unplugged (believe me, it happens all the time)

Most common solution:             

-Replace failed power supply with a new power supply
-Check power cord connections to system & power source

Reported issue:

“I can’t hear any sound”

Possible cause:

-Person has muted the sound with the keyboard or internally (through the
onboard sound management)
-Speakers are NOT plugged in,  incorrectly plugged in, or have been turned off.
-Speakers have failed
-Sound Card has become disconnected or has failed
-Your computer refuses to play Barry Manilow

Most common solution:

-Push mute key on keyboard several times, check the volume keys & knob
(check the onboard sound management to make sure sound is not muted)
-Check all speaker connections, insure connection, proper connection, and
speakers is turned on.
-Replace failed speakers
-Insure sound card is seated properly in PCIe Slot on mother board, or replace failed sound card
-Leave your computer alone and pitch the Manilow!!

Reported issue:

“My computer runs for a while and then shuts down. After a while I turn it on
and it runs fine for a time, then it shuts down again.”

Possible cause:                                        

-The case vents are plugged with dust or covered
-Fans are dirty, coated with dust (because of the EMF generated by electrical current dust sticks to some equipment)

Most common solution:

-Open case and blow out with compressed air (from the inside out) the case vents.
-Move your computer in such a way that the case vents are not blocked.

Reported issue:

“The front of my computer melted!”*

Possible cause:                                     

-An infrared space heater was placed in front of the computer

Most common solution:

-Replace front of case with new, non melted front.
-Remove space heater from front of computer, snip the power cord with pliers
-Revoke the user’s space heater and/or computer use privileges.
-Give your IT services provider the melted case front so they can hang it in
their office
-Giggle a little and  pat your friend on the shoulder. When you are out of ear
shot guffaw out loud!!

* Honest to goodness this really happened. It was an easy to make mistake…and yes it is hanging in our office

As you can see depending on the piece of failed hardware there can be a wide variety of solutions to resolve the problem(s) at hand. This is why it important to understand what the different parts of your computer do, how to sleuth to find the proper solution, or to know a great IT company with “Techs you can trust.” I could recommend a few or one really good one if you need help.  We hope you have a great week.

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Greetings from the “Techs you can trust”, CSI Onsite! We hope y’all had a very good weekend celebrating the end of one year and the beginning of the New Year with family and friends.  Since most of you are thinking about New Year’s resolutions, I wanted to blog about New Year’s “comp-solutions”. I know LAME, but c’mon it’s been a crazy few weeks, my brain is tired.

In the world of CSI Onsite, the word “solutions” has various meanings leading down different paths. As a values driven company, we work very hard to creatively provide the best solution possible to meet our customers’ desired outcome-without selling the farm to achieve it. Sound impossible? It is not! This is what we love to do and you don’t have to take my word for it, look at our Buzz Page and read what our customers have to say in their own words.

What makes a Solution?

A solution is a means of solving a problem or dealing with a challenging situation. For us, we see problems as new opportunities to learn, and discover the best method of arriving at your desired outcome.  Before we even begin brainstorming possible approaches to find the best solution, we need to understand a few things. Let’s look at some of the questions we would ask you.

The Problem dictates the solution

CSI Onsite provides many different types of solutions. When we receive a request for help we have to determine what the exact nature of the issue, because there are different solutions based upon what the problem might be. Stephen R. Covey’s book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” gives a great example of what we try to keep in mind when we are working with people to provide solutions. Habit number 2 states “Begin with the End in Mind.”

We ask a lot of questions to help you define the desired outcome of a solution as well as express the problems you are experiencing. It’s important to us to include you as much as possible as part of the solution.  Some examples of questions you will need to answer:

• Are you having communication issues?
• Are the communication issues internet or telephony related
• What is the project you are working on?
• What are the problems keeping you from completing the project? Or as my Daddy says “What’s the hitch in your get-a-long?”
• What are you working with (computers, printers, hardware, software, project parameters, apps…)?
• In the best of all worlds, what do you want to see happen with this project, with the problem, with your company (future)?

Then we can determine whether the solution will be hardware, software, network, communications or telephony related.

Once we have achieved a good understanding of your challenges, your resources, and your desired outcome we can begin brainstorming valid solutions and set expectations.

Tune in next time as we explore how to begin understanding and diagnosing hardware problems and solutions. Until then have a great week!!

From all of the CSI Onsite team we wish you a that happiest of holidays. We look forward to serving you in the coming year!

The CSI Onsite Team…the Techs you can trust.

As we strive to broaden your knowledge base of PC technology and its best uses we will occasionally give you tid-bits on the hard ware we all use every day; such as the post on Hard Drive Innards.
Our goal is not to turn you into IT gurus; rather it is to keep you from feeling like an IT idiot. Hopefully with an increased understanding of certain aspects about computer technology you will be able to gain confidence as you move forward with your professional and personal computing (purchases, dealing with work IT Dept., etc…).

With today’s post we once again look to the innards of the personal computer. But rather focus on a single piece of hardware, we are going to look at the architecture of expansion cards used to add or expand functionality of your computer. The expansion card in computing is a printed circuit board that can be inserted into an expansion slot of a computer motherboard or backplane.

The most current form of expansion card architecture is called Peripheral Component Interconnect Express, PCI Express, official abbreviation PCIe.

PCIe is an expansion card standard (architecture) design to link motherboard mounted peripherals and as an expansion card interface for add-in boards.

In virtually all modern PCs, from consumer laptops and desktops to enterprise data servers, the PCIe bus (where you plug expansion cards into) serves as the primary motherboard-level interconnect, connecting the host system processor with both integrated-peripherals (surface mounted ICs) and add-on peripherals (expansion cards.)

What is a Motherboard? The motherboard serves to connect all of the parts of a computer together. The CPU, memory, hard drives, optical drives, video card, sound card and other ports and expansion cards all connect to the motherboard directly or via cables.

PCIe replaced the older PCI, PCI-X, and AGP bus standards. PCIe some of the improvements over older architecture include: higher maximum system bus throughput, lower I/O pin count and smaller  footprint (physical size), a more detailed error detection and reporting mechanism, better performance, and native hot-plug functionality.

Examples of PCIe expansion cards you may use as your computing progresses:

• Video Cards (Dual Head, HD, TV out…as you may wish to go to a dual monitor format, or watch internet TV)
• USB Cards (if you need more USB slots that you System comes with)
• Wireless card (for picking up WiFi)

There you a have a brief introduction to the underappreciated, highly utilized, PCIe architecture. If you get a moment see if you can identify an expansion card on your computer. Better yet use a friend’s…just in case you get curious and start pulling things apart and can’t get it all back together. If that happens, give us a call and we’ll fix y’all right up!