Common ICT problems/issues in Schools (1st/2nd line)

[SYNACK]

has some numpty put too much paper in it!

 

Or a sandwich

[Driftingashore]

Never agree to PAT testing.

 

I was a chump and foolishly made this mistake. It's a biggie. Endless hours of boring, monotonous work await you, as you unplug everything, test it, document & stick it, then put it all back the way it was. Don't do it unless you're going to get paid on top of your wage, and even then, I'd seriously consider saying no.

 

Here the biggest repeat offender is sound on the smart board PCs. Between headphones being plugged in, cables yanked out for whatever reason, software mutes, speaker power, and a fiddly little input switch on the faceplate, there seems to be too much troubleshooting for most, who just decide that it isn't working and send for help. To be honest, sometimes that's better, because they haven't caused chaos and broken something else in the process of trying to fix it.

 

Over easter I left some printer toner by a printer that was going to be in use and was running low. One the first day back a member of staff told me that she'd changed the toner, but it still wouldn't print, so it was probably broken - it must be if it ran out of toner so quickly. On examination, I found the old cartridge and drum unit in the bin, and the new toner sitting completely unconnected to anything, in the middle of a vast chasm inside the printer which the drum unit used to fill. Apparently the toner attaches to the paper by some sort of voodoo magic.

 

The biggest piece of advice I can offer is that if you can, ask someone to demonstrate the problem to you, because the chances are they'll use any mishmash of terminology they can think of, and it won't make very much sense until you see it. e.g. You're told that "Windows isn't installed. The computer must be broken." Okay, sounds like something serious. On examination, you see that Windows is quite obviously installed and the computer is working perfectly. Turns out they meant Office. I didn't make that example up.

[nab]

There's been some brilliant and quite frankly humourus examples dotted about this thread... Thanks to everyone for the tales of woe!

Its been great to get an idea of what to expect.

 

Tomorrow is my last day at my current job and then I start my new one on Monday -I'll of course let you know how it goes and indeed, share any tales of woe I myself may have to endure!!

 

I hope anyone else starting out as a techie finds the thread as useful as I have!

 

Cheers all!

 

nab

 

P.S keep them coming!!

Edited April 18, 2013 by nab

[w-clarke101]

Good luck and welcome to the IT crowd:) One thing I don't see! or maybe missed! is have you tried turning it off and on again......

[X-13]

have you tried turning it off and on again......

 

From my experience here, it's more a case of "have you checked it's plugged in?"

[mac_shinobi]

From my experience here, it's more a case of "have you checked it's plugged in?"

 

And if mains or power related is it switched on ( mains on / off switch ) and on / off switch of the device whether a laptop , copier or whatever. Are all cables firmly seated ie vga, ethernet , mains

[RjMaJay]

we have an ongoing problem with one room failing to get its printers (even though the policy is identical to another room!)

 

THIS NEEDS TO BE KILLED WITH FIRE! Its my life at the moment

Edited April 25, 2013 by RjMaJay

[Garacesh]

THIS NEEDS TO BE KILLED WITH FIRE! Its my life at the moment

If you find a solution, let me know.

The policy in Room A (fault) is the exact same policy another room has (Room B). Not a duplicate. Same policy.

The Room B gets the printers 100% of the time. The Room A room doesn't always get them.

Room A and Room B (along with others) share this printer.

Tested all the cabling, no faults there, either.

[Gibson335]

People will blame 'the network' when in fact they mean a single piece of software... the 'network' will unilaterally decide to delete a student's file, at random, more likely when it is a piece of coursework due in that day...staff will refer to the network cable as the Internet cable...printers will be 'broken' when in fact they are simply out of paper or, at times, not even switched on...you will be expected to manage Google, Yahoo and Hotmail when 'their' systems fail...the help you get from a user is usually disproportiante to the help you will be asked to provide...

 

Not that I'm a cynic, or anything...

[mdench]

The lamp has died in my new lampless LED projector is it possible to get another lamp? = Loose cable connection on the wall made the picture look dim

[RjMaJay]

Just had a net book passed to me, " The Keys are sticky " pull it apart Blue tack has been placed under 6 of the keys......