Technical Support on Using Windows XP's System Restore Function

Recently, Microsoft has launched their Windows XP suite together with a function that should have been integrated already in its predecessors. Now, both Home and Professional versions boasts of the System Restore feature, a technical support tool proven to be useful in altering or reversing the damages made to your computer.

If you know how to use this feature of the operating system, you can have the option of going straight to the system settings before any kind of damage has been done to your computer. Another good thing about this is that you also have the chance to build a restore point and reverse the latest restorations made on your system. The recent restorations may have no significant or subsequent effect on the performance of the computer. Without prior knowledge on the matter, your computer system may experience frequent crashes or contain more unusable files, thereby having your computer in a bad, if not worse, shape. However, if you have the System Restore feature on your Windows XP, there is no need to panic and you can rest with the knowledge that your restore points would be made automatically. The better thing is, you can also customize the restore points on the System Restore function for the flexibility you need from your computer system.

The System Restore function of the Windows XP operating system can actually be found on the Start Menu tab. Navigate on the Programs tab within the Start Menu, then click on the Accessories tab located within it. This action would lead to the appearance of another pop-up. From the menu of the pop-up box, choose the System Tools option. A new pop-up menu selection would appear, containing the System Restore control. Clicking on the System Restore directs you to one dialogue box, which in turn contains a document-styled interface located inside an Explorer window. If you are a newbie in need of computer help and would like to know how to go about the System Restore settings of Windows XP, the aforementioned steps should be simple and easy enough for you to follow.

In this window, there are three options for you to choose from. The first option is to functionally restore the computer system to an earlier time. This option is labeled with maximum readability in mind. The second option on the radio button selection is the function to "Create a Restore Point" and it is labeled just so for maximum usability. The last option on the radio button selection is the "Undo" your last restoration feature. This particular feature is very helpful if you have restored your computer system to an earlier time without any changes being made unto it or if you have a restoration that has worsened your computer system's state.

The System Properties dialogue box has a menu tab labeled System Restore. On this tab are the features for customizing the System Restore settings of each drive. This tab provides you with a list of all the disk drives or disk partitions, that you have on your computer. If you want to monitor all the drives and access the System Restore function in the future, you could go to the default setting of the operating system. It is important to be wary of the system partition because this is the disk partition where the Windows XP is installed. Disabling the monitoring feature on this area subsequently disables the System Restore feature of the operating system. This is not advisable to do so, for the System Restore function of your Windows XP Operating System is very useful in times of viral infections and the like.

You should turn off the System Restore monitoring feature on all disk partitions except on the system drive. This step would bring about the reversal of your entire computer system, excluding the disk partitions. This means that even though there have been changes made to these partitions on the computer, switching off the System Restore of the operating system would not reverse the changes.

Carefully select all your important files on your system partition. Copy them and put all these files in a single folder on another disk drive. From this time on, you should save all your important documents and other equally important files the selected disk drive. This would prevent any document corruption or other file losses after restorations have been made on your computer system.

If this is your first time to access the System Restore function of Windows XP, it is highly advisable for you to create a restore point when your computer is in A1 condition. Just follow the procedures as explained above, and check on the "Create a Restore Point" radio button. Click the Next button to resume. This step would lead you to a new web document styled Explorer window. This window has a text box where you can label the restore point you have chosen to create. Labeling your chosen restore point with something that you can easily remember is highly advisable. After doing so, click on the Next button again. This would take you to the confirmation window, which tells whether your System Restore point creation has been successful or not.

Armed with a restore point that you yourself have created, your computer system is now safe from most, if not all, malware infections and harmful changes that are typical when installing programs. Just remember to regularly create restore points when your computer has new programs and updates installed on it and when the machine itself is still in tiptop condition. If ever your computer system encounters and experiences any malware infection, regular system crashes or speed and performance deterioration, all you have to do is restore the computer to the most recent restore point you have created.

Regularly deleting past restoration points should also be done so as to save precious disk space on your system partition. This could be done by accessing the Disk Cleanup function of your system partition. Go back to your desktop and double click the My Computer icon. This would open an Explorer window, which displays the disk drives and other removable data storage devices on your computer. Right click on your system partition, which is usually a C: or the C drive, and click on the Properties option. Click on the Disk Cleanup button on the Properties tab of your system partition. This would provide you with a new pop-up dialogue box. Click the More Options tab, and select the System Restore Cleanup button. Follow the instructions on the succeeding pop-up dialogue boxes. After doing so, your computer system is now clean from the past restore points that both you and your Windows XP operating system have created on your system partition. You are now left with the most recent restore point you have created, the only computer help function you need to reverse harmful changes that might have an affect on your computer system.

Also remember not to change your computer system's date and time settings before accessing the most recent restore point you have created. Make sure that before establishing a new restore point using the System Restore feature of the operating system, the time and date settings have already been adjusted. Altering these settings in your computer after accessing the most recent restore point you have created would confuse the system and not give you an actual list of the most recent restoration points made.

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Open Source Helpdesk Software - Ways By Fast Reporting And Quick Filtering?

Companies with vast resources and capital have several options for choosing a help desk system. Meanwhile companies with a tight budget can opt for open source helpdesk software. A few such options are Liberum Help Desk, OS Ticket, OTRS, Request Tracker and HelpSpot. Liberum is a web-based help desk software solution for handling customer requests in a small company. To run Liberum, you need an MS SQL server or Windows NT/2000/XP with IIS. The application is written in VBScript/HTML for ASP. You need more than 6 MB of hard disk space (1MB for web pages+5MB for database) and a web browser. The functions available in Liberum, though less in number, are useful. Its automatic mail function allows customers to display and track problems themselves. Users can use its simple knowledge base to find solutions easily. An open source helpdesk software solution means you can copy the source code and customise it as per your requirements. You would need to know the coding language. For example, to customise Liberum, you would need to know VB/HTML/ASP. Open source solutions are ideal, if you want to construct a web-based helpdesk software solution on your own. Most such software can be used as is because these have the basic features of a helpdesk system. For software such as Liberum, you need a server.

OS Ticket is a simple ticketing system that you can easily setup and start using. Its code is mostly written in PHP. OTRS is a trouble ticket software system that can be used to monitor customer phone calls and e-mail requests. You can integrate your customer support services, pre-sales, sales, billing, in-house IT, and helpdesk in one system. It is coded using PERL and open sourced under the GPL.

OTRS has many search options and certain other desirable functions such as the ability to retrieve mails and send pre-defined replies, an option for closing the ticket if inactive and the POP3 checker. Request tracker is another open source helpdesk software solution written in object-oriented PERL. It can be moved to and used from any computer or any operating system. Because of its enterprise-grade characteristics, it allows a team of people to work smartly and efficiently to manage tickets created by a group of customers and users.

Apart from help desk, Request Tracker helps in project management, CRM, NOC ticketing, and software development. It does this by helping users to manage tasks implemented at enterprise-level such as the detection, classification, prioritization, assignment, resolution and notification. This platform has been used by support staff, systems administrators, software developers, IT managers, and sales departments of several Fortune 100 companies, government institutes, educational agencies, and global development organizations.

The open source helpdesk software solution, HelpSpot, helps you run your help desk by doing more than ensuring that customer requests are answered on time. It provides features such as real-time analysis and request tracking. It helps you view the help desk data in various useful ways by fast reporting and quick filtering.

If you need a powerful solution for your support make sure you check out the Premium Response Open Source Helpdesk Software for more info.

Web-Based Learning Management Systems Deployed in Customer Support Settings

In many respects, e-learning has matured as a technology and industry. Today we will look at how web-based learning management systems can and are being used as part of the customer support function in a company or organization.

What is a learning management system?

Learning management systems (LMSs) are web-based software application platforms used to plan, implement, and assess learning processes related to online and offline training administration and performance management. LMSs provide an instructor a way in which to create and deliver content, monitor learners’ participation, and assess student performance. They also provide learners with the ability to use interactive features such as threaded discussions, web conferencing, discussion forums, and other methods of communication.

Where and why are learning management systems being used in customer support settings?

LMSs are being used in business-to-business, high process, value added, and technology-oriented business environments in industries like telecommunications, advanced electronic technology, semiconductor manufacturing, insurance, banking, medical products manufacturing, and others. Learning management systems are being used in customer support settings because they can be a cost-effective solution to providing customer and performance support for a company’s products and services.

Why is it cost-effective to use an LMS for your company’s customer support operation?

Learning management systems can be used to create a library of custom online courses that demonstrate how to use your company’s products and services. The course can be updated at will, so you’re not paying every three months to print new product guides and support manuals.

LMSs can be used to track and monitor your customers, instead of using a bunch of spreadsheets. This is very effective in scenarios where customers must be certified in order to use your products and services. The learning management system can be set up to notify a user when their certification is set to expire using an email tickler so they can recertify on your product.

What other features in learning management systems can be used for the customer support function?

A good LMS comes with a help desk feature that can be used for 24/7 customer support. Learning management systems can have integrated web conferencing technology which can be used in a number of ways to support customers such as synchronous training used in product implementation; a web conference on a new feature set that can be archived for later viewing; actual, on-the-spot tech-support using the “share your desktop” feature so your tech can go in and fix any problems necessary; and more.

LMSs can have a built in survey tool that allows you to query your customers with the results stored in the learning management systems database for later use. Learning management systems can have a single sign-on/e-commerce registration feature that can be used to sell add-on features. They also may have events management/seminar logistics add-on application that can help you manage both your off-site and onsite customer support training, and much more.

A company can realize effective resource planning and substantial cost savings by using learning management systems in customer support settings. Even greater gains in productivity and cost savings can be achieved using a learning management system in hosted business model environment. The virtual customer support campus is created to have the same look and feel as the company’s web site. Since the customer support campus is hosted and maintained on the learning management systems providers’ servers, the company only pays for set-up, its level of desired functionality, and usage. In conclusion, web-based learning management systems can be a very useful, cost effective way to manage a company’s customer support function.

Dave Boggs is the founder and CEO of SyberWorks, Inc. He has been involved with computer-based and web-based training for more than twelve years. Before founding SyberWorks, Dave was the VP of Sales and Business Development for Relational Courseware. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Union College in Schenectady, NY, and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL.