Troubleshooting Practice Questions: IT Support Best Practices

1. A user calls the help desk stating their computer won't turn on after a power outage last night. The LED lights on the monitor are blinking amber, and there are no beeps from the computer. What should the technician do FIRST?
(a) Replace the power supply unit
(b) Check all power connections and verify the power outlet is working
(c) Replace the motherboard
(d) Run hardware diagnostics

2. A technician is setting up a new workstation for an employee who handles sensitive financial data. The employee will be working remotely part-time. Which of the following is the MOST important security practice to implement?
(a) Install antivirus software and enable Windows Firewall
(b) Configure automatic Windows updates only
(c) Create a standard user account without password requirements
(d) Disable BitLocker to improve performance

3. An office manager reports that the shared network printer has stopped working for all users in the department. The printer displays "Ready" on its LCD panel and has paper loaded. Network connectivity tests show the printer has a valid IP address. What should the technician check NEXT?
(a) Replace the printer's network cable
(b) Verify the print spooler service is running on the print server
(c) Reinstall printer drivers on every workstation
(d) Power cycle all user computers

4. During a support call, a user becomes frustrated and begins raising their voice about repeated technical issues. What is the BEST approach for the technician to take?
(a) Transfer the call to a supervisor immediately
(b) Remain calm, listen actively, and acknowledge the user's frustration while focusing on the solution
(c) End the call and document the user as difficult
(d) Argue that the issues are the user's fault

5. A technician arrives at a user's desk to troubleshoot a reported application crash. The user is on an important video conference call. What should the technician do FIRST?
(a) Begin troubleshooting immediately to resolve the issue quickly
(b) Wait nearby until the call ends before starting any work
(c) Interrupt the call to ask diagnostic questions
(d) Reschedule for a time when the user is available

6. A small business owner calls stating that customer credit card transactions are failing at the point-of-sale terminal. The terminal displays "Connection Error" and was working fine yesterday morning. The owner mentions they recently rearranged the store layout. What is the MOST likely cause?
(a) The payment processor's servers are down
(b) The network cable was disconnected or damaged during the store rearrangement
(c) The terminal's software needs updating
(d) The merchant account has been suspended

7. Which of the following demonstrates proper documentation practices when closing a support ticket?
(a) Note only the final solution implemented
(b) Document the problem description, steps taken, solution applied, and follow-up actions
(c) Copy and paste the user's original complaint only
(d) Leave documentation blank if the issue was simple

8. A user submits a ticket reporting that their Windows 10 laptop is running extremely slowly since yesterday. They mention they clicked on an email attachment from an unknown sender that morning. The antivirus software was disabled. What should the technician do FIRST?
(a) Defragment the hard drive
(b) Disconnect the laptop from the network and run a full malware scan
(c) Upgrade the RAM
(d) Reinstall Windows 10

9. A technician is working in a server room that contains sensitive customer information and proprietary business systems. The technician needs to leave briefly to retrieve a replacement part. What is the appropriate action?
(a) Leave the door propped open for quick return access
(b) Ensure the server room door is closed and locked before leaving
(c) Ask a nearby employee to watch the door
(d) Place a "Do Not Enter" sign on the door

10. During a busy Monday morning, a technician receives five support requests simultaneously: a printer jam, a password reset, a complete network outage affecting 50 users, a monitor not displaying, and a software installation request. Which issue should be prioritized FIRST?
(a) The printer jam
(b) The password reset
(c) The complete network outage affecting 50 users
(d) The software installation request

11. A user calls the help desk speaking very quickly in technical jargon about registry errors and BSOD codes. The technician is having difficulty understanding the actual problem. What is the BEST approach?
(a) Pretend to understand and begin random troubleshooting steps
(b) Politely ask clarifying questions to better understand the symptoms the user is experiencing
(c) Tell the user they are wrong about the technical details
(d) Immediately escalate to a senior technician

12. A graphic designer reports that her dual-monitor setup stopped working after a Windows 10 update last night. The primary monitor displays correctly, but the secondary monitor shows "No Signal." The designer has a critical presentation in two hours. What troubleshooting step should the technician take FIRST?
(a) Roll back the Windows update
(b) Check Display Settings to verify the second monitor is detected and configured to extend the desktop
(c) Replace the secondary monitor
(d) Reinstall the graphics card drivers

13. A technician successfully resolves a user's email synchronization problem on their smartphone. Before ending the support session, what should the technician do to follow proper closure procedures?
(a) Hang up immediately after fixing the issue
(b) Verify the issue is fully resolved with the user and ask if they have any questions
(c) Send the user a technical manual about email configuration
(d) Schedule a follow-up appointment for next week

14. An accountant contacts IT support reporting that their Excel spreadsheets are opening with unusual characters and formulas are not calculating correctly. They mention they received a suspicious email yesterday asking them to "verify their account" by clicking a link. What should the technician suspect MOST likely occurred?
(a) Microsoft Office needs to be updated
(b) The files are corrupted due to hard drive failure
(c) The user fell victim to a phishing attack and may have compromised credentials or malware infection
(d) The Excel license has expired

15. A technician needs to perform maintenance that will cause a complete email server outage for approximately 30 minutes during business hours. What is the BEST practice before proceeding?
(a) Perform the maintenance without notification to avoid causing panic
(b) Notify affected users and stakeholders in advance with the expected downtime window and impact
(c) Wait until someone complains before explaining the situation
(d) Perform the maintenance only during lunch hour without notification

16. Which approach BEST describes the proper method for communicating technical information to a non-technical user?
(a) Use complex technical terminology to appear knowledgeable
(b) Avoid all explanations and just fix the problem silently
(c) Use clear, simple language and relatable analogies while avoiding excessive jargon
(d) Speak slowly and loudly assuming the user cannot understand

17. A remote employee calls reporting intermittent VPN disconnections while working from home on their company laptop running Windows 10. They state the issue started three days ago, and their home internet works fine for streaming video. The VPN software shows "Connection timeout" errors. What should the technician investigate FIRST?
(a) The employee's home router firewall settings and VPN port forwarding
(b) Replace the employee's laptop
(c) Upgrade the employee's home internet speed
(d) Reinstall Windows 10 on the laptop

18. A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer at a user's workstation and needs to test if the issue persists in Safe Mode. The user has confidential legal documents open on their screen. What should the technician do?
(a) Ask the user to close or minimize sensitive documents before proceeding
(b) Ignore the documents and proceed with the work
(c) Take photos of the screen for documentation purposes
(d) Read the documents to understand the user's work context

19. After resolving a recurring printer connectivity issue that required updating firmware and adjusting network settings, what documentation should the technician create?
(a) No documentation needed since the issue is resolved
(b) A detailed knowledge base article describing the problem, symptoms, and step-by-step resolution
(c) Only the ticket number in a spreadsheet
(d) A brief note saying "fixed printer"

20. A department manager emails the help desk demanding immediate assistance for a non-critical software preference change, but the technician is currently resolving a critical server failure affecting multiple departments. How should the technician respond?
(a) Drop the server issue and help the manager immediately due to their position
(b) Ignore the manager's request completely
(c) Politely acknowledge the request, explain the current critical situation, and provide an estimated time for assistance
(d) Tell the manager their request is unimportant