A good fix follows a method, not guesswork. Use these steps for any IT malfunction.
1. Understand the problem
- Read the report and confirm what’s actually happening.
- Get the user and device context — who, which device, when it started, what changed.
- Reproduce it if you can.
2. Gather diagnostic information
- Note the exact error message or behaviour.
- Check whether it affects one user/device or many — that narrows the cause fast.
- Run the obvious checks for that type of problem (queue, connection, permissions, version).
3. Research possible solutions
- Check the knowledge base for a known fix.
- List the realistic options, with the effort and trade-offs of each.
4. Recommend a solution
- Choose the option that fixes the cause, is maintainable, and is proportionate.
- Avoid quick fixes that just hide the symptom.
5. Seek approval if needed
- Some changes need approval first — granting access, buying or reinstalling licensed software, or anything outside standard support. Use an IT access request or check with your Team Leader. Use the approval-request template from the templates library.
6. Plan and implement
- Write a short implementation plan — the steps, in order.
- Make the change carefully and keep the user informed.
7. Evaluate the result
- Test that the problem is actually fixed (ideally with the user).
- Confirm it didn’t cause anything else.
- Record the cause and fix on the ticket, and close it.
See worked examples on the troubleshooting case files page.