Chapter 1: Introduction to Desktop Support

Exam Objectives in this Chapter:

• This first chapter serves as an overview to the desktop support role and environment; it does not specifically cover any exam objective.

Why This Chapter Matters

As a desktop support technician (DST), your job is to isolate and solve problems. To do this, you must understand your role in the support environment. You must also know how to talk to users with different levels of experience—how to ask questions, how to interpret what users say, and how to suggest changes. You must know where to search for answers to problems and how to apply and document the solutions to those problems.

The goal of this chapter is to introduce you to desktop support and common network configurations and to teach you how best to support the end user in these varied settings. The chapter begins with an introduction to supporting users and then discusses corporate environments, the help and support tier structure, and common job titles and duties. A discussion of workgroups, domains, and reasons for multiple domains is also included. Noncorporate environments are introduced, including Internet service providers (ISPs), call centers, and large and small repair shops. This chapter also introduces you to basic troubleshooting techniques, including how to gather information about a problem, research and implement solutions, and document your activities.

Lessons in this Chapter:

• Lesson 1: Introduction to Supporting Users

• Lesson 2: Overview of Corporate Environments

• Lesson 3: Overview of Noncorporate Environments

• Lesson 4: Overview of Basic Troubleshooting

Before You Begin

The purpose of this course is to teach you to support end users who run Microsoft Windows XP Professional in a corporate environment or Windows XP Home Edition in a home or small business environment and to prepare you for the 70-271 MCDST exam. This course assumes that you have approximately six months of hands-on experience and the following prerequisite knowledge:

• Basic experience using a Windows operating system such as Windows XP

• Basic understanding of Windows accessories, including Microsoft Internet Explorer

• Basic understanding of core operating system technologies, including installation and configuration

• Basic understanding of hardware components and their functions

• Basic understanding of the major desktop components and interfaces and their functions

• Basic understanding of Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) settings

• Basic understanding of using command-line utilities to manage the operating system

• Basic understanding of technologies that are available for establishing Internet connectivity