What are the must have softwares that a help desk IT tech needs to have in its belt?
Hi, I work for an MSP and my job is to be the help desk IT tech for a law firm. It is also my first year in the IT world so I am still a noob lol!. I would like to know if somebody knows what software should I have in my belt to help me troubleshoot a computer (like to improve performance) or any other software that as an IT tech should be aware besides Wireshark and Putty?
Thank you for the help!
It's not so much as any one particular software for any one situation but as you work for a MSP you should become familiar with their management software and ticketing system. There are different ones out there that do the same thing but all work a little differently. With time and learning, you should be able to use any of time with a little ramp up time.
Troubleshooting is a skill you should continue to develop. Also, keep up on the technology that your MSP currently deploys.
Others' may have some other recommendations too.
@Miguel-Rubio
I agree with @Ronnie-Wong about getting to know your IT service management system that handles things like IT assets, Configuration management, Incident (tickets) management, and so on. There are quite a few out there, however the basic principles are pretty universal. I would also learn Powershell if you are in a Windows environment, at least the form and function of it. It's the secret sauce of Windows administration.
I'd say include Windirstat (Portable) in your list of useful tools. Just know what can safely be cleaned and use it more as a reference.
Also, every time I've worked at help desks I've ended up writing my own software for the team. Little apps to do basic things I do every call and attempt to automate my life and call even a bit more. A window that had a line to put the computer name in, auto-ping it, check immediately for certain services, kill Outlook.exe/Skype.exe/Teams.exe at the same time (for OST issues), reboot, etc. Things like that. Little bat files/powershell files/or .net apps.
I found it handy as well when setting it up for changing a users password. I set up a program to give me the user's name (so I could confirm it), check if the account was locked/unlocked, and showed when it was last reset. That way I didn't reset the wrong person or reset when it was just reset that day.
This way you also stay on top of powershell commands (if you use it where you are), and you can personally identify things you do often and start cutting away until your calls are super streamlined. You don't need to be an expert, just identify a need you see often and then start researching how to fix it. It will make you a stronger tech overall and help lead a way off the help desk.
Great ideas @John-Kelly-0 Thanks for sharing!!
Just a side observation on that (though I'm sure you're well aware of this). As always check to make sure your IT security folks are aware of the use of these apps and commands you run. Even though they can be innocuous and performing mundane tasks, the Information Security Policy of your organization might be a bit draconian in nature. ;-) When I was helping organizations with Unified Communications setups, I'd always work with the service/help desk folks to create a script the would help start up the Lync core services which tended to not want to start at bootup. PowerShell is definitely powerful and a great tool to have in your toolbelt.
Thanks again @John-Kelly-0 ! Your helpful post is what this forum is all about.
