Ictsas308 SW 1of1v1.1 PDF

Student workbook
ICTSAS308
Run standard diagnostic tests
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Version: 1.1
Date created: 02 September 2019
Date modified: 12 November 2019
For queries contact: Technology and Business Services SkillsPoint
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The content in this document is copyright © TAFE NSW 2019 and should not be reproduced without the
permission of TAFE NSW. Information contained in this document is correct at time of printing: 27 February
2020. For current information please refer to our website or your teacher as appropriate.
Document title: ICTSAS308_SW_1of1

Resource ID: TBS_19_005_ICTSAS308_SW_1of1 Page 2 of 73
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Contents
Icon legends................................................................................................................................ 6
Getting started ........................................................................................................................... 7
What will I learn by completing this workbook? ................................................................... 7
Topic 1: Working in IT ........................................................................................................ 8
1.1 Overview............................................................................................................................... 9
1.2 Why are policies important? .............................................................................................. 10
Activity 1.1: Research policies ............................................................................................. 11
1.3 Service Level Agreements .................................................................................................. 11
1.4 Incident management policies and procedures ................................................................. 12
Activity 1.2: Principles of ITIL ............................................................................................... 12
1.5 Why follow procedures?..................................................................................................... 13
Activity 1.3: Research procedures ....................................................................................... 14
1.6 Communication skills.......................................................................................................... 14
Video: Communication foundations ................................................................................... 15
1.7 Planning tasks ..................................................................................................................... 15
Video: Getting started with Trello ....................................................................................... 16
Topic 2: Troubleshooting .................................................................................................. 17
2.1 Overview............................................................................................................................. 18
2.2 Common symptoms ........................................................................................................... 18
2.3 Desktop applications .......................................................................................................... 19
Uninstall unused applications ............................................................................................. 19
Update installed applications .............................................................................................. 19
Compatibility ....................................................................................................................... 19
Mobile device ...................................................................................................................... 20
Laptop .................................................................................................................................. 21
Printer .................................................................................................................................. 21
Operating System ................................................................................................................ 22
2.4 Troubleshooting techniques ............................................................................................... 22
Investigate ........................................................................................................................... 22
Tools and utilities................................................................................................................. 23
Simplify ................................................................................................................................ 23
Process of elimination ......................................................................................................... 23
Asking questions .................................................................................................................. 24
2.5 Planning troubleshooting processes .................................................................................. 25
Gather information .............................................................................................................. 25
Analyse................................................................................................................................. 25
Eliminate .............................................................................................................................. 25
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Formulate a hypothesis ....................................................................................................... 26
Test the hypothesis ............................................................................................................. 26
2.6 Preventative maintenance techniques for common symptoms with devices ................... 27
2.7 Documenting symptoms, issues and solutions .................................................................. 31
Activity 2.1: Short answer questions ................................................................................... 31
Activity 2.2: Using safe mode .............................................................................................. 33
Activity 2.3: Exercise ............................................................................................................ 33
Video: Windows 10 troubleshooting................................................................................... 35
Activity 2.4: Group discussion ............................................................................................. 35
Topic 3: Maintenance and schedules ................................................................................ 37
3.1 Overview............................................................................................................................. 38
3.2 What is maintenance? ........................................................................................................ 38
Preventative maintenance .................................................................................................. 38
Reactive maintenance ......................................................................................................... 38
Software maintenance ........................................................................................................ 39
Redundancy ......................................................................................................................... 40
3.3 Protection from environmental conditions ........................................................................ 41
Temperature ........................................................................................................................ 41
Humidity .............................................................................................................................. 41
Dirt and dust ........................................................................................................................ 41
3.4 Scheduling maintenance activities ..................................................................................... 41
Activity 3.1: Scheduling backups ......................................................................................... 42
Topic 4: Diagnostic tools ................................................................................................... 45
4.1 Overview............................................................................................................................. 46
Activity 4.1: Performing scan disk ....................................................................................... 46
Activity 4.2: Performing disk defragmentation ................................................................... 50
4.2 Using task manager ............................................................................................................ 52
Activity 4.3: Using task manager ......................................................................................... 53
4.3 Using Windows diagnostic report ...................................................................................... 57
Activity 4.4: Using Windows diagnostic report ................................................................... 57
Topic 5: Anti-virus software .............................................................................................. 61
5.1 Overview............................................................................................................................. 62
5.2 Types of viruses .................................................................................................................. 62
Hard disk-based viruses ....................................................................................................... 62
Executable file-based viruses .............................................................................................. 62
Document file-based viruses ............................................................................................... 63
Web-based viruses .............................................................................................................. 63
Email-based viruses ............................................................................................................. 63
5.3 Detecting and removing a virus.......................................................................................... 63
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5.4 How does anti-virus software work?.................................................................................. 64
Scanning for viruses ............................................................................................................. 64
5.5 Reporting the virus infection .............................................................................................. 65
5.6 Removing viruses................................................................................................................ 65
Activity 5.1: Run anti-virus software ................................................................................... 66
Video: Malware ................................................................................................................... 71
Summary .................................................................................................................................. 72
Image attributions .................................................................................................................... 73

© TAFE NSW 2019
Icon legends
Icon Description
Practice activity
Learning activities help you to gain a clear understanding of the

content in this resource. It is important for you to complete these
activities, as they will enhance your learning. The activities will
prepare you for assessments.
Collaboration
You will have opportunities to collaborate with others during your

study. This could involve group activities such as mini projects or
discussions that will enable you to explore and expand your
understanding of the content.
Self-check
An activity that allows you to check your learning progress. The

self-check activity gives you the opportunity to identify areas of
learning where you could improve. If you identify these, you could
review the relevant content or activities.
Resources (required and suggested)
Additional resources throughout this workbook such as chapters

from textbooks, online articles, videos etc. These are
supplementary resources, which will enhance your learning
experience and may help you complete the unit.
Assessment task
At different stages throughout the workbook, after you have

completed the readings and activities, you may be prompted to
complete one or more of your assessment tasks.
Video
Videos will give you a deeper insight into the content covered in
this workbook. If you are working from a printed version, you will
need to look these up using the URL provided.

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Getting started
What will I learn by completing this workbook?
This workbook has been developed for the unit of competency ICTSAS308 Run standard
diagnostic tests.
Successfully completing this unit of competency will give you the skills and knowledge to
troubleshoot problems, identify and implement preventative maintenance techniques, and
conduct diagnostic tests on a range of platforms.
Each topic includes opportunities to check your progress and understanding as well as
activities that will help you to complete the formal assessments.
The activities throughout this resource will assist you in your learning. These activities do not
form a part of your final assessment however they will contribute to your understanding of
the topic area.
There are five topics to complete within this workbook. They are:
1. Working in IT
2. Troubleshooting
3. Maintenance and schedules
4. Diagnostic tools
5. Anti-virus software.

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Topic 1: Working in IT

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1.1 Overview
An organisation and supporting technology need to be structured similarly to how computer
networks and systems have a structured architecture. Businesses benefit greatly when they
organise themselves in a way that assists them to achieve their goals and accomplish tasks
that are key to their success. For an organisation’s structure to be successful, its technology-
related operations, infrastructure and functions need to be considered and supported.
By grouping an organisation’s functions, positions and operations to form a structure,

processes can be clearly defined and applied. The structure of an organisation is usually
expressed visually on an organisational chart. The chart shows the different positions within
the organisation, the roles they play and how they relate to each other. This can be
extremely important, especially when it comes to establishing a line-of-reporting and
approval processes to ensure no actions are taken that could have a negative impact on the
organisation.
When designing its structure, an organisation must first clearly identify its goals and the
tasks required to achieve them. Common tasks include establishing effective communication
and managing information and security. When an organisation reaches a certain size it
becomes vital that employees understand their role and how it relates to the organisation as
a whole, similar to how the army has roles and a chain of command. Information
communication technology (ICT) plays a key part in the success of modern day organisations
and it is common for one person, if not a team of people, to be solely dedicated to the ICT
requirements of the organisation.
An organisation’s computers and network(s) not only provide a means of communication

but also typically store sensitive information such as financial records, company secrets and
personal information. Due to this, it is important that policies and procedures are
established to ensure the information is protected. Figure 1 is an example of an
organisational structure chart that shows how concerns can be grouped. A more real-world
example would show actual positions such as director, manager etc. The main point of
providing this example is to show how important it is to have clearly defined responsibilities
and lines of communication within an organisation. An employee that fills the role of Help
Desk may not have the expertise to complete networking tasks but would instead rely on
established policies and procedures for assigning issues to the appropriate technical
department.

© TAFE NSW 2019
Figure 1- High-level Organisational Structure
1.2 Why are policies important?

Every organisation that relies on ICT should have policies in place. It is important for
employees to be aware of what is required of them when using or managing any technology
provided by the organisation. It is critical for an organisation to protect itself by having
policies to govern areas such as personal internet and email usage, security,
software/hardware inventory and data management.
Consider the following scenario:
Bob works as a computer support technician for a large corporation. One of the company
employees has reported his computer isn’t working as fast as it should be. Bob has a friend
that has just finished a programming course and written some software that diagnoses and
fixes common problems with computers. Bob has great faith in his friend’s ability and
decides to install and run the software on his work computer. What could be the negative
consequences of this? Should there be a company policy that only software which has been
tested and approved can be installed on company computers?
Policies define a set of rules, constraints and principles used to direct any course of action
taken for a cause such as achieving a goal or resolving a problem. In doing so they protect an
organisation from avoidable and possibly costly incidents.

© TAFE NSW 2019
Practice activity
Activity 1.1: Research policies

Estimated duration: 45 minutes
Research organisational policies and list three common policies related to ICT. For each
policy, provide the name and a brief description of why the policy exists and how it benefits
an organisation.
Policy Description
The approval process checks all software to ensure it

Only approved
is not a risk to operations or security. By only
software can be
allowing approved software to be installed the
Example installed on
organisation minimises the risk of viruses, spyware
company
and faulty software that could cause a disruption to
computers
business processes.
1.3 Service Level Agreements

A Service Level Agreement (SLA) is a type of contract between a Service Provider and a
Client. The agreement can be with an external company that is dedicated to providing
support, or internal to an organisation. SLAs are commonly made between an organisation’s
ICT and business departments, such as accounting and marketing.
An SLA typically includes:
• services provided
• reliability
• responsiveness.

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1.4 Incident management policies and
procedures
Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a predefined set of practices and
principles that have been developed for IT Service Management (ITSM). Its purpose is to
assist with supporting an organisation’s ICT requirements by providing established
procedures for managing the support lifecycle.
For further information go to ITIL.
Practice activity
Activity 1.2: Principles of ITIL

Visit the link provided below and read the information on the ITIL Core Publications. Write
the names of the five core publications that illustrate the lifecycle model in the table below.
ITIL Core Publications:
# Core Publication

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1.5 Why follow procedures?
Procedures are a pre-defined set of steps for completing a task. Procedures assist employees
to increase productivity by providing clear instructions for completing activities in an
efficient manner.
As an example, an organisation’s procedure for installing software could include the

following:
• A request that includes that name and purpose of the software must be submitted to
the CIO.
• Licensing and legal requirements for the software must be verified to ensure the
organisation has or can purchase the appropriate license for using the software.
• The software must be tested on a computer that is isolated from the main network
to ensure stability and security concerns are met.
• The software must be stored in a central location and installed on all relevant
computers via a central software management mechanism, such as an application
store.
• The CIO must assign authority to the appropriate staff members for installing
software on company workstations.
• All installations of the software must be documented and recorded in the software
inventory log for future reference and compliance purposes.
Other important organisational procedures relating to ICT include procedures for:
• changes to a computer’s configuration
• data retention, back-up and restoration
• maintaining equipment.

© TAFE NSW 2019
Practice activity
Activity 1.3: Research procedures

Research and list three common procedures related to ICT. Provide the name of the
procedure and the main steps involved for completing the procedure in the table provided
below.
# Procedure
Upgrade hardware
1. Source new hardware and get prices from a minimum of three

vendors.
2. Verify the hardware is compatible with existing equipment.
Example
3. Schedule upgrade to take place outside of the organisation’s
standard operating hours.
4. Test and validate installed components.
Complete and submit update report.
1.6 Communication skills

When working in any organisation, you’ll need to have appropriate communication skills.
You may need to write reports or complete other documentation, send emails, have
meetings or present information.

© TAFE NSW 2019
Watch
Video: Communication foundations

The following video course from LinkedIn Learning includes information about
communication strategies that you can use when communicating with others at work. You
can watch the whole course, or just the parts that you need:
• Communication Foundations (LinkedIn Learning 01:24 hrs)
1.7 Planning tasks

At work, you have a responsibility to deliver the work expected of you, to the required
standard and within the required timeframe; this is what your employers employ you to do.
In some circumstances, an employee has no control over what they do and when they do it –
employees working on a production line in a factory, for example, have their work schedule
dictated to them by the pace of the production line they are working on.
In a different context, such as ICT support, employees may have varying degrees of flexibility
in terms of how they decide which tasks to perform and when. In some circumstances, it
won’t matter the precise order in which tasks are completed, so long as they’re completed
to the required standard and deadline. This is one of the factors that can be motivating in a
job role – the freedom and ability to decide when to complete individual tasks.
In other cases, the task order will matter and it’s important to know how to sequence those
tasks appropriately. This is where it’s important to be able to access the organisation’s
policies and procedures so that you have this understanding and knowledge.
Having established an understanding of what’s to be done in the work role, you should
assess and prioritise your workload. This will help you plan your tasks to ensure that the
most important or urgent priorities are tackled first and that time-sensitive activities are
completed within the required timeframe. A useful place to start is with a to-do list. This is
simply a list of tasks that are to be completed within a set time – this may be a day, week or
month, depending on the context of your role.

© TAFE NSW 2019
Watch
Video: Getting started with Trello

Trello is a free online planning tool that allows you to create to do lists, set up reminders and
create notes. Watch the following video to learn how to use this tool:
• Getting Started With Trello (YouTube 04:55 mins)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xky48zyL9iA

© TAFE NSW 2019
Topic 2: Troubleshooting

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2.1 Overview
Troubleshooting is the process of identifying and resolving a problem by systematically
following a set of steps and employing techniques, such as the process of elimination, to
analyse symptoms and determine the root cause of a problem.
The activities throughout this resource will assist you in your learning. These activities do
not form a part of your final assessment however they will contribute to your understanding
of the topic area.
2.2 Common symptoms

Symptoms are typically the first indication of an underlying problem and are not always
directly related to the cause of the problem. Analysing and collecting information on
symptoms is typically the first step when planning to troubleshoot.
Common symptoms include:
• Reduced performance – the computer is running slower than usual and applications
such as Microsoft Word are taking a long time to load or save files.
• Poor image quality – distorted images or crosshatched lines are being displayed on
the monitor.
• Start-up error – the computer cannot start (boot-up) and load the operating system.
• Applications not starting – after double-clicking the application’s icon the
application does not open.
• Computer freezing or not responding – the most common form of this is when the
mouse and keyboard just stop working and do not respond to any human input.
• Blue-screen error – this represents a fatal error has occurred with the operating
system.
• Peripherals not working – components such as speakers, printers or USB drives fail
to function.

© TAFE NSW 2019
2.3 Desktop applications
Uninstall unused applications
It is not uncommon for a computer to have installed applications that are no longer being
used. It is good practice to look at all applications and services installed and uninstall
anything that is no longer being used. This will free up a computer’s resources for other
applications that are in use.
Update installed applications

It is important to ensure all installed applications are updated regularly, this can usually be
achieved by configuring the applications to receive automatic updates or manually updating
the software. An application can never be determined as 100% error free and errors are
often identified after the application has initially be released. Application updates provided
by a software vendor are typically released in order to:
• fix reported or identified errors in the software (bugs)

• apply security patches for existing, or newly discovered exploits
• improve an application’s performance
• add additional features.
Compatibility
Applications that were originally developed to target versions of Windows previous to
Windows 10, such as Windows 7, typically run well on Windows 10. In some cases, however,
some older applications can have issues when running on Windows 10. Windows 10 has a
built-in tool called Program Compatibility Troubleshooter which analyses applications and
adjust the application settings to run using settings of earlier versions of Windows. The
compatibility tool can be run for all installed applications via the Control Panel or a single
application by right-clicking on the application icon and accessing the Alt menu.

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Figure 2: Windows Compatibility Troubleshooter (all programs)
Figure 3: Compatibility troubleshooter single applications (right-click on the application icon to access option in alt menu)
Mobile device
Battery depletion
A common problem experienced with mobile devices if the life of a battery. If the battery
power depletes quickly there could either be a problem with the battery or there may be
services or applications that are using a lot of power. Applications that require a network
connection are known for consuming a lot of power.
To prevent fast depletion of a batter the following preventative measures can be taken:
• Try not to continue charging the phone after the battery charge has reached 100%.
Modern-day batteries and phones are a lot better than they used to be but
continuously charging a battery after it has already reached 100% can contribute to
reducing a battery’s capacity and aging faster than usual.
• Turn off unneeded services and applications. Again this is much better than it was in
the past but services such as location can be a continuous drain to a phone's battery.
Screen calibration
Over time, the alignment of a touchscreen, can lose precision. There are applications
available for re-calibrating the touchscreen which makes the required adjustments for
ensuring the touch location is accurate.

© TAFE NSW 2019
Application and operating system updates
As with most operating systems and applications it is best practice to ensure all available
updates are installed as soon as possible. Updates for applications or the operating system,
such as Android or iOS, provide fixes for known errors and security exploits to ensure the
phone is performing as well as it can.
Laptop
Keep it clean
As with most computer hardware dust and grime can build up over time and if not cleaned
can eventually cause faults with the hardware. Cleaning your laptop on a regular basis can
increase the life of the laptop. Most electronic shops provide cans of compressed air that
can be used to blow out any excess dust in the laptop. This can be especially important for
the fans if excess dust builds up on the fans the laptop can overheat. Having a professional
cleaning service once a year is also good practice, the service provider will typically open the
laptop and thoroughly clean the internal component.
Handle with care

It is good practice to purchase and have a protective casing for a laptop where possible.
Especially if it is used in industrious workplace environments where it is likely to be bumped
and exposed to hard surfaces. Screen protectors are also available which provide an extra
layer of protection for the monitor and assist in preventing damage.
Shutdown
It is good practice to shut down a laptop via the operating system and not by pressing the
power button. Always use the option from the start menu and try not to leave the laptop on
overnight to prevent wear-and-tear.
Printer
Firmware or driver updates
As with other devices is it best practice to ensure the latest firmware and driver updates are
installed.

© TAFE NSW 2019
Clean print heads
Overtime dust and grime can build up in the print heads and eventually cause damage if not
cleaned on a regular basis.
Ensure ink cartridges are not depleted

Empty ink cartridges can lead to the print heads becoming damaged, it is best practice to
ensure there is always a sufficient level of ink in the cartridges.
Operating System
Updates
Perhaps more important than applications is ensuring the operating system has the latest
updates available installed.
Diagnostic tools
Running common maintenance and diagnostic tools such as disk defragmenter and disk scan
help ensure the operating system is running as best as it can.
Remove unused files

Removing unused files and freeing up space can significantly improve the performance of an
operating system and fix common systems such as the operating system running slowly.
2.4 Troubleshooting techniques

Investigate
Typically a log file will be available for inspection to assist with identifying the cause of a
problem. The log file entry may provide a clue or possible a detailed description of any
errors that have occurred. If the log file includes error codes you will need to reference
vendor documentation for a full description of the error. As an example, the link below
provides a detailed description of common system error codes.
Microsoft – System Error Codes

© TAFE NSW 2019
Tools and utilities
There are many tools available for assisting with ICT problems, some may only assist with
identifying the problem while others may also fix the problem.
A common tool used is diagnostics software which identifies what the problem is, just like a
doctor might diagnose an illness in a patient diagnostic software can diagnose problems
with software or hardware.
Other tools include utilities that provide additional functionality to assist with fixing a
problem, a common utility is a boot rescue disk or recovery tool that allows access to a non-
working system so it can be repaired or to recover files.
Simplify
The more elements involved the harder it is to determine the location and cause of a
problem. As an example, if a computer will not start, one of the first steps that can be taken
to troubleshoot the problem is to disconnect any non-essential peripherals such as a printer
or external hard drive. Doing so will eliminate the possibility that the problem is due to a
faulty peripheral. If the computer successfully starts after the peripherals have been
disconnected then reconnecting the peripherals one at a time will identify what is causing
the problem. Another common method used for computers running Windows is to start the
computer in Safe Mode, Safe Mode only start applications and services critical to the
operating system which could allow you to at least start the computer and check the log
files in order to further investigate the problem.
Process of elimination
Similar to the first technique of simplifying the problem using the process of elimination can
assist with breaking the problem down and testing each element of the problem separately.
A common cause of computer problems can be a fault with the computer’s Random Access
Memory (RAM), Network, Sound or Graphics Card. By swapping out these components
one at a time you will eliminate each one of them as the cause of the problem. This is an
especially useful technique when many components are involved, another common
scenario is when there is no internet connectivity which could be due to the modem
needing a reboot, a network cable is unplugged or an issue with your Internet Service
Provider (ISP). By breaking down the problem and looking at each component you can
eliminate them one by one as the cause of the problem.

© TAFE NSW 2019
Asking questions
What is the most obvious and simplest explanation?
• Is the computer turned on?

• Has the surge protector tripped?
• If it is a laptop is the battery depleted?
• Is it due to configuration settings, as an example, a monitor might be dim because
the level of brightness has been turned down?
Before disassembling components consider any obvious reasons that could be causing the
problem.
Has any new hardware or software been installed recently?
If so, this may be the cause and removing the hardware or uninstalling the software could
resolve the problem. Organisations typically have a ‘Change Request Form’ log that records
any changes in configuration or new hardware/software that has been installed. In this case,
a good place to start troubleshooting a problem is by looking for any recent changes.
Have any cables or connections come loose?
This happens more often than you might think if a component such as a monitor, keyboard,
printer or mouse stops working or only works intermittently, verify the connection to ensure
it is properly fastened and not damaged. It is good practice to use cable ties to ensure cables
are properly fastened and cannot unintentionally be disconnected.
Has this happened before and if so is there a known solution?
In most cases someone has experienced the same issue before and documented a solution;
the internet can be a wealth of knowledge and sites such as www.stackoverflow.com can be
of great assistance. If you are working for an organisation it is good practice to check places
such as the knowledge bank, frequently asked questions or log files for past issues that are
the same or similar to the issue you are troubleshooting.
Does the hardware need to be cleaned?
Hardware can accumulate dust and grime which can affect their performance and possible
be the cause of a malfunction. Ensuring equipment is cleaned on a regular basis can assist in
preventing unnecessary failure and degradation of hardware.

© TAFE NSW 2019
NOTE: If working with internal components such as the motherboard for graphics cards
it is important you wear an anti-static wrist band as static electricity can damage
components.
2.5 Planning troubleshooting processes

Gather information
After a problem has been identified information about the problem must be collected. This
can be done by examining log files, running tests or interviewing involved parties.
Information such as entries in log files, error messages and interview notes from involved
parties can greatly assist with planning troubleshooting processes. Examining maintenance
and testing logs can also assist by providing a history of services and problems related to the
equipment.
Example: An employee has reported that their computer is running extremely slowly, on
receiving the support request the following information was collected:
• CPU and Memory Utilisation

• Disk Activity
• Network Traffic
• Active processes (applications and services).
Analyse
After all of the information has been collected the next step is to analyse it by comparing
the information against existing benchmarks and knowledge banks in order to identify any
anomalies that do not fall in the category of normal behaviour.
Example: The information collected on resources was compared with baselines and
everything was normal except for disk activity.
Eliminate
After analysing the information and comparing it to normal behaviour, some of the possible
causes can be eliminated due to no related erroneous or abnormal activity being identified.
Example: Problems with the CPU, Memory and Network traffic were eliminated.

© TAFE NSW 2019
Formulate a hypothesis
After eliminating elements that are not the cause, develop a list of remaining possibilities
for further exploration.
Example: The following hypothesis were formulated:
• There might be a physical fault with the hard drive.

• An application or service might be causing excessive activity.
• The hard drive might be near capacity.
Test the hypothesis

Test each of the remaining possibilities to either confirm or deny if it is the cause of the
problem.
Example: After further investigation and testing each hypothesis it was discovered that the
cloud backup software installed on the computer had a bug that was causing the software
to continuously scan the hard drive for file changes. The troubleshooting techniques that
assisted with identifying the problem include:
• Monitoring and inspecting all processes associated with hard drive activity.
• Inspecting change for request logs and identifying an update to the cloud backup
software occurred just prior to the problem occurring.
Figure 4 — Troubleshooting process

© TAFE NSW 2019
2.6 Preventative maintenance techniques for
common symptoms with devices
While some issues may be complex and finding resolve is challenging, there are common
problems that can be resolved by applying preventative maintenance. The table below
provides information on processes, tools and maintenance techniques for some common
symptoms.
Table 1: Preventative maintenance techniques for common ICT problems with devices
Symptom The process used to Tools Preventative

identify the problem and maintenance
likely cause of the
problem
Computer beeps Identify and research any Start-up diagnostic Regular hardware
three times on error codes displayed on tools maintenance such
start-up the screen. as cleaning and
Most vendors of removing grime
If there are no error hardware provide and dust from
codes, sounds could be built-in diagnostic internal
used to indicate there is a tools that can be components.
problem. run prior to or on
start-up. These tools
Individually test and include utilities for
verify each of the testing the CPU, Testing and
following components: RAM, video, graphic verifying the
and network cards. functionality of
Random Access Memory components.
(RAM) Separate tools for
testing RAM also
Graphics card exist, these include
but are not limited
Sound card to MemTest86,
Windows Memory
Network card
Diagnostics and
Fans DocMemory.
Power supply NOTE: when

working directly
Check that each with hardware
component is properly components an anti-
seated, not overheated static wristband
and free from dust. should be worn.

© TAFE NSW 2019
likely cause of the
problem
The application Check for Disconnected Task Manager Select Regular software
does not start network drive. the Processes tab and operating
when and check the system
shortcut/icon on Check conflicting running programs. maintenance.
the desktop is processes running on the
double-clicked back ground. Check the CPU Remove unused
usage. programs.
Check CPU running at
100%. File Explorer and Keep Operating
look for the mapped System and
Check if the program has drive. programs up-to-
been date.
removed/uninstalled. Check Windows
updates.
Check if program files are
installed to the wrong
location.
Check for damaged user

profile.

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likely cause of the
problem
Monitor goes Check the video adapter Maintenance tools Regular hardware
black after the error incorrectly placed and utilities for and software
operating system video card. diagnosing monitors maintenance.
starts to load include:
Check the physical Ensure all cables
connection between the - Blur busters are properly
display and the video fastened.
- Dead pixel
adapter.
buddy
Check the monitor. - Eizo Monitor
Test
Verify display settings of
the monitor to ensure When checking
there are no incorrect hardware
values for brightness and remember to Use an
contrast. anti-static wrist
strap and hardware
Check the drivers for the tools.
monitor/graphics card are
installed and working
correctly in device
manager. If need be
update or reinstall the
driver.
Internet browser Verify network and Ping tool for testing Automatic
fails to show the internet connectivity. network updates.
homepage connectivity outside
Validate and reset of the browser.
browser settings.
Update browser software

to the latest version.
Uninstall or deactivate 3rd

party plugins.

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likely cause of the
problem
The printer did Check for error messages Printer diagnostic Regular printer
not print a test on the printer screen or tools, typically maintenance such
page software. provided by the as cleaning the
vendor. print heads,
Check if the printer update drivers
driver/software is Windows and software, and
installed correctly. troubleshooting calibration.
tool.
Check cartridges to
ensure they are not
empty.
Check for paper jams.
Run Windows
troubleshooting tool
The laptop cannot Verify Wi-Fi network is Network diagnostic Regular network
connect to a available and test the tools such as maintenance such
wireless network connection to it with Windows network as ensuring both
another device. trouble-shooter and the laptop and
ping. access point have
Verify Laptop Wi-Fi the latest version
network adapter is turned of firmware,
on (some laptops allow software or
for turning it on/off with drivers.
a physical switch located
somewhere on the
laptop).
Verify Wi-fi settings and

configuration by checking
the IP address,
credentials and SSID.
Reboot the laptop so the

network setting re-
initialise.

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2.7 Documenting symptoms, issues and
solutions
An important step when troubleshooting is to document the symptoms, cause and solution.
If a problem continues to occur, having a record of all occurrences can assist in improving
the efficiency for resolve and possibly identifying patterns of failure that indicate there is a
larger problem that needs to be resolved. As an example, if the power supply in a computer
continues to fail and has already been replaced multiple times, the pattern of continued
occurrences suggests the cause might exist elsewhere such as a faulty source of power
(power point or power board).
There are many systems available for documenting and managing ICT related issues. These
systems typically allow for managing the entire lifecycle of the troubleshooting process.
Self-check
Activity 2.1: Short answer questions

Read the following questions and provide an answer in the space provided.
1. List four techniques that can be used when troubleshooting an ICT related problem.
# Technique

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2. When first troubleshooting an ICT related issue, what are some questions that could be
asked to assist with determining the problem?
3. In your own words, briefly describe what troubleshooting is.
4. What are the five main steps when planning to troubleshoot an ICT related problem?
# Steps for planning troubleshooting
5. What are the six common symptoms that can be experienced when operating a
computer?
# Symptoms

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# Symptoms
Practice activity
Activity 2.2: Using safe mode

Safe mode can be used to assist with troubleshooting issues with a computer, the most
common scenario is when a computer will not start and load Windows. Visit the link
provided below and follow the instructions for starting a computer in safe mode.
Microsoft – Start your PC in safe mode in Windows 10
Practice activity
Activity 2.3: Exercise

Below is an example issue tracker which you’ll use to enter the details of an incident.
Research and select a common issue that could occur with a computer in a business
environment. Ensure all fields have been completed and the incident is resolved

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XYZ Issue Tracker Created By: E. Green Date Created: Last Update By: E. Green Last Revision Date: 6/1/2019
2/1/2019
Issue # Description Issue Type Identifi Date Assigned Targeted Status Date Resolution
Priority
e.g. ed By Identified To Resolutio • New Resolved Description
• High
network, n Date • Assigned
• Medium (if not resolved
website, • Closed
• Low provide details)
windows Resolved
• Closed Not
Resolved
ICT-1 Sales staff Windows J. Smith 3/1/2019 P. Grey 6/1/2019 High Assigned 5/1/2019 Active directory
are network group (sales staff)
receiving share file did not have
‘access permission correct
denied’ permissions to
message access network
when drive, correct
trying to permission have
access been granted and
shared staff can now
drive access the folder.
‘shared
resources’
ICT-2

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Watch
Video: Windows 10 troubleshooting

Watch the videos in the LinkedIn Learning course Windows 10: Troubleshooting for ICT
Support (LinkedIn Learning 03:42 hrs), which will help you learn about many tools and
techniques for troubleshooting.
Collaboration
Activity 2.4: Group discussion

Estimated time: 1 hour
Work in groups and complete the missing information in the table below collaboratively.
Provide information on the troubleshooting processes, tools and preventative maintenance

techniques that can be applied for each of the symptoms listed in the first column.
Symptom Process used to identify the Tools Preventative

problem and likely cause of the maintenance
problem
Computer
beeps three
times on start-
up
The
application
does not start
when
shortcut/icon
on the desktop
is double-
clicked

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Symptom Process used to identify the Tools Preventative
problem and likely cause of the maintenance
problem
Monitor goes
black after the
operating
system starts
to load
Internet
browser fails
to show the
homepage
The printer did

not print a test
page
The laptop
cannot
connect to a
wireless
network

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Topic 3: Maintenance and
schedules

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3.1 Overview
An essential function of any ICT department is to maintain its organisation’s ICT
infrastructure. This includes both critical and non-critical systems and includes both
hardware and software requirements. In this workbook, we will look at maintenance
procedures and requirements for different types of equipment along with different types of
preventative maintenance schedules that can help to avoid problems before they happen.
3.2 What is maintenance?

When talking about maintenance, the aim is to:
• preserve ICT systems to keep them in optimal condition

• fix problems as they happen
• upgrade existing systems to minimise future risks to the business.
This will require maintenance of hardware, software and data.
Maintenance falls into two main categories:
• Preventative.
• Reactive.
Preventative maintenance
It is usually better to prevent a problem than fix it afterwards. For example, you periodically
have your car serviced, which involves changing the engine oil, air filter, spark plugs and so
on. If you don’t do this, chances are at some later time your car’s performance will suffer,
and you may even be stranded at a great inconvenience to you! This is preventative
maintenance, and the situation is really quite similar to ICT equipment. We need to carry out
preventative maintenance on a periodic basis to prevent problems occurring in the future
that may interrupt business continuity.
A simple example of ICT preventative maintenance is changing the drum in a laser printer.
Reactive maintenance
Reactive maintenance refers to actions taken to fix problems after they have occurred. To
continue with the car example, when you get a flat tyre and have to replace it, this is a
simple example of reactive maintenance. You can probably think of many ICT examples.
Replacing a broken cable is one.
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Apart from preventative and reactive maintenance, there is another type of maintenance
that deals with upgrading the organisation’s infrastructure to minimise the level of risk to
business continuity.
Software maintenance
It is not only the hardware that needs to be maintained – software maintenance is also
required. An organisation that has custom-built software needs programmers to maintain it.
This will include:
• preventative maintenance to detect and correct code that may cause future errors
(e.g. to validate input data)
• adaptive maintenance to adapt the software in line with changes to business
requirements (e.g. to make it run on an Intranet)
• perfective maintenance to simply improve the performance of the software
• reactive maintenance to fix software bugs.
Apart from custom-built software, organisations need to maintain other software. There
may be patches, version updates and driver updates to be installed. Upgrading packaged
software across an organisation to standardise software versions is a good way of helping to
reduce the level of support and maintenance required.
Maintenance of a hard disk is really a form of software and data maintenance. A variety of
tools are available for ‘cleaning up’ a disk, removing unwanted programs, and backing up
data. Protecting the system from viruses and malware is also part of this sort of
maintenance.
Specific devices require different preventative maintenance procedures. However, there are
a few broad areas that can be considered which require preventative maintenance practices.
These include the following:
• Protection of equipment due to changes in electrical supply: Surges and ‘brownouts’

cause major damage to computer devices. Un-interruptible power supplies (UPS),
power conditioners and surge protection devices are all valuable preventative
maintenance tools for any computerised device.
• Protection from environmental conditions: Humidity, temperature variation and dust
are major causes of computer device failures. Actions taken to limit these factors in
the workplace are valuable preventative maintenance tasks.
• Protection of data using backups: It is vital that backups of both user data and system
configurations are done regularly.

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• Protection of data from threats: Data needs to be protected from viruses, malware,
hackers and so on, through the use of both hardware and software security
measures.
• Keeping software updated through service packs, patches and driver upgrades
• Checking integrity and performance by using diagnostic tools: Routine running of any
in-built diagnostics and/or checking for the display of maintenance messages
generated by the device.
Strategies must be in place to protect ICT equipment from water damage, fire,
contamination, power failure and theft.
Some of these strategies include:
• the implementation of early warning systems to detect water leaks, fire and air-
borne contaminants
• devices to continue power supply should there be a power failure such as an
Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) as well as on-site power generation
• security access to computer facilities such as swipe cards or entry of a security
number
• recording serial numbers, asset numbers, location and allocation details of
workstations.
Redundancy
If part of a network is interrupted, critical business processes need to be stored as soon as
possible. One way of doing this is by implementing and maintaining full or partially
redundant systems.
This means having an identical hardware infrastructure that can be activated should the
main hardware infrastructure fail. Redundant systems can range from the duplication of
entire networks to the duplication of cabling runs. Where entire networks are duplicated,
system backup facilities are not required. However, full network redundancy is extremely
expensive and, as such, not a commonly used option.
Partial redundancy is a common option for critical ICT hardware.
An organisation’s disaster recovery plan will include such procedures for recovering network
systems.

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3.3 Protection from environmental conditions
Temperature
The tolerance of computer components for extremes in temperature is limited — subjecting
them to temperatures outside this range is likely to reduce their life. The room environment,
as well as cooling and ventilation systems, are, therefore, important in maintaining
computer equipment in optimum operational condition.
Humidity
Computers are also sensitive to humidity and should be kept dry. Protective measures would
include keeping them away from windows and avoiding food and drinks spills. Ventilation
systems also help prevent problems with humidity.
Dirt and dust

Computers should be kept in a clean environment. Dust build-up around fans and on
electrical components becomes a problem because it tends to prevent heat dissipation, and
interferes with the fan’s cooling function. Regular cleaning is, therefore, important. If the
equipment is kept in an industrial environment, additional measures must be put in place to
protect it — the use of air cleaners is one useful strategy.
3.4 Scheduling maintenance activities

One activity performed to ensure equipment, software and data are maintained is
scheduling. Scheduling common maintenance tasks can reduce the likeliness of problems
occurring, such as data loss and faults with equipment.
Scheduling can either be a manual or automated process, as an example cleaning the dust
out of computers could be manually scheduled to happen on a monthly basis while backing
up data could be automated scheduled to happen daily.
Other ICT tasks beyond common maintenance also need to be scheduled to ensure
compliance within the organisation. Tasks such as installing peripherals for example; printers
need to be planned and scheduled to ensure it meets the compliance requirements of the
organisation.

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Practice activity
Activity 3.1: Scheduling backups

A common maintenance task is to ensure a backup of the important file is scheduled on a

regular basis (usually daily if not more frequent). This will enable you to quickly recover lost
files in the event of a system failure or accidental deletion etc.
Follow the steps below to configure the backup settings for Windows 10
1. Press the Windows Start button and select the settings icon as shown
below.
2. In the Settings window select ‘Update & security’.

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3. Select ‘Backup’ from the left-hand side menu, as shown below.
4. Select ‘Add a drive’ from the ‘Back up using File History’ section of the window
5. The program will take a while to search for drives when this has finished selecting the
drive listed, the name of the drive might differ from the example below.

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6. After selecting the drive click on ‘More options’ as shown below.
7. In the backup options change the frequency of ‘Back up my files’ to ‘Daily’ and ‘Keep my
backups’ to ‘1 Month’.
8. While in the Backup options, take some time to look at the other options that can be set,
such as included folders and where to back up to.

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Topic 4: Diagnostic tools

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4.1 Overview
When a computer is not working as expected and showing symptoms such as becoming
unresponsive, a special type of software can be used to identify and diagnose the problem.
This software is commonly known as diagnostic tools. In the past, this type of software
needed to be purchased separately from the operating system, but today operating systems
such as Windows have many diagnostic tools already included.
A commonly used diagnostic tool is scan disk; this tool will scan the computer’s hard disk and
look for any errors. If errors are detected it report them and attempt to fix them.
Practice activity
Activity 4.1: Performing scan disk

1. Open Windows File Explorer and navigate to ‘This PC’ as shown below.

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2. Right-click on the Local Disk (C:) and select ‘Properties’.
3. Select the ‘Tools’ tab in the Disk Properties dialog box.

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4. Click the ‘Check’ button in the Error checking section and select ‘Scan drive’.
5. The system will start performing a disk scan.
6. When the scan has completed a dialog box with the results will be displayed.

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7. Click the ‘Show Details’ link at the bottom of the dialog box, this will open the Windows
Event Viewer which is an application for viewing Windows Logs. It will automatically
open the log event of the scan disk and show additional details such as the stages of
scanning and how many files were processed.

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Practice activity
Activity 4.2: Performing disk defragmentation

Data stored on a hard drive can over time become disorganised and fragmented which can
cause a computer to run slowly. Performing a disk defragmentation gathers the data and
organises them in an efficient manner which improves retrieval time and the computer’s
overall performance. Follow the steps below to complete the process of defragging a
computer hard drive.
1. Open Windows File Explorer and navigate to ‘This PC’ as shown below.

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2. Right-click on the Local Disk (C:) and select ‘Properties’.
3. Select the ‘Tools’ tab in the Disk Properties dialog box.

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4. Click the ‘Optimize’ button, this will open the ‘Optimize Drives’ window. As seen below,
all the hard drives are listed along with their current status.
5. To defragment and optimize a drive click the ‘Optimize’ button, the analysing and
optimisation process will start, as shown below.
4.2 Using Task Manager

Another tool available in the Windows operating system is Task Manager, which provides
tools for viewing and managing a system’s processes, performance, start up, users and
services. Being able to view and, if need be, stop processes that are currently running can
assist with resolving issues.

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One common issue is when an application’s icon is double-clicked in order to launch the
program but it will not start. This can be due to the program already running in the
background and not being displayed or if too many processes are already running and the
computer’s Central Processing Unit (CPU) has reached capacity and can’t accommodate any
more processes. In this case, ending a process (application) can resolve the problem. For this
activity, we will launch the notepad application and then use Task Manager to end the
process.
Practice activity
Activity 4.3: Using Task Manager

1. From the Windows start menu either search or locate the icon for Notepad under
Windows Accessories and double left-click the icon to launch the application.

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2. You will notice an instance of the Notepad application has been launched, and its Icon
will be visible in the Taskbar.
3. Next, we will launch ‘Task Manager’ to do this press the key combination Ctrl + Alt + Del,
you need to first press the Ctrl key, keep it held down while you press the Alt key and
then keep both Ctrl + Alt pressed down while you finally press the Del key. When this has
been done a screen with menu items will be displayed.

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4. Click the last menu option ‘Task Manager’ to launch it, the Task Manager will open, and
you should be able to see that Notepad is listed as a running process.
5. Click the ‘More details’ menu option located in the bottom left corner of the window.

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6. As you can see a lot more details about the process that are currently running on the
computer are displayed, information on how much CPU, Memory, Disk and Network
resources are being used by each process and in total. You may also notice that the
processes are divided into two main categories, Apps and Background Processes. Apps
are programs that are currently open and being actively used, this usually means a
window for the application.
7. To end the Notepad process right-click on the Notepad icon and select ‘End task’.
8. You will notice that the Notepad application has closed and is no longer listed under
running applications. As mentioned, stopping processes can be used when an application
becomes unresponsive, or a computer’s CPU or memory has reached capacity causing
the entire computer to slow down.

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4.3 Using Windows diagnostic report
While Windows Event Viewer provides a good resource for tracking down issues sometimes
it can take a while to search through the logs to find what you are looking for. Windows also
provide a diagnostic reporting tool to assist with tracking down issues. For this activity you
are going to run the tool and view the results.
Practice activity
Activity 4.4: Using Windows diagnostic report

1. To start the diagnostics type ‘cmd’ into the search box for applications and the
‘Command Prompt’ icon will be displayed.

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2. Right-click on the icon and select ‘Run as Administrator’ as administrator privileges are
required to run the tool.
3. Windows will present a prompt asking ‘Do you want to allow this app to make changes
to your device?’, Click Yes.
4. The Command Prompt window will open and indicate that it is in Administrator mode in
the title bar, type the command:
• perfmon/report
into the command prompt and press the enter key. This command will launch the
‘Performance Monitor Reporting Tool’.

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5. When the tool is launched, it will automatically start collecting information about the
system. When the tool has finished collecting data for 60 seconds the status will change
to ‘Generating report…’

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6. Finally, the result will be displayed and any errors the tool has detected, in my case it has
detected that a driver (software for making a device work e.g. sound card) has not been
installed for a device.
7. Examine the result from your diagnostic test, are there any errors. If so investigate the
error further. You will notice the error is broken down and contains the sections
symptom, cause, details and resolution.

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Topic 5: Anti-virus software

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5.1 Overview
A virus is basically a computer program that has been written to perform a specific set of
tasks. Unfortunately, those tasks are often not the sort of things we would allow if we had a
choice. A virus may do any of the following:
• Install itself on a computer in a way that makes it difficult to detect and remove.
• Replicate itself from the infected computer to other computers.
• Perform routine system file management processes such as file deletion and boot
record modification.
• Copy information across a network link.
• Carry out its activities without any regard for the system or network resources it is
utilising.
5.2 Types of viruses

There are many types of viruses found in the ICT workplace. They are divided into different
categories related to how they infect a computer.
Hard disk-based viruses

These viruses infect the boot or partition sectors of a hard disk drive. They can be
particularly damaging, as they are capable of changing information about the logical drive
structure of your computer. They become active before your operating system as they form
part of the first area read on a drive when a computer is booted. Boot sector viruses are
based on the weaknesses of a particular drive format such as FAT, HFS, EXT2, or NTFS.
Executable file-based viruses

A virus can also attach itself to an executable file. An executable file is a program that is
designed to have instructions for the computer to follow. By adding itself to the code of
such files, a virus is easily activated every time that particular program is run. Executable
files in the Microsoft world normally have a ‘.exe’ file extension. A common target for a virus
designed to infect an executable file is the anti-virus software itself.

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Document file-based viruses
Normally a computer does not execute a data file. Rather, it is read and the contents of that
file are opened by another program for editing. However, a number of data files, such as
those made by word processors or spreadsheets, do have executable code in the form of
macros as part of their standard format. Macros are executed by the host program when
the data file is read. By attaching itself to a data file, in the form of a macro, the virus is then
executed every time the infected data file is opened.
Web-based viruses
The increased access to the Internet, combined with the increasing complexity of website
scripting has allowed many new areas for viruses. An Internet browser is designed to read
and execute scripts saved on websites. These scripts provide the content of web pages.
However, if a website script includes a virus script as part of the page, infections can occur.
This type of script is often in the form of a Java script, VB script or even an applet. Simply
visiting a site using a browser with low security settings will lead to virus infections.
Email-based viruses
Email viruses often appear in the form of an attachment. The simple act of opening an
attachment or even viewing an infected email may be sufficient to execute the virus code.
Email is quickly growing as one of the fastest transmission methods of viruses. When
installed on a computer, one of the first targets of an email-based virus is the address book
of the email client software. Viruses are capable of emailing themselves to every contact in
the address book of the computer.
5.3 Detecting and removing a virus

Unfortunately, the most common way of detecting the presence of a virus is through its
effects on an infected computer. While computers can never be completely protected by
viruses, most infections occur on computers that either has no anti-virus software or anti-
virus software which has not been kept up-to-date.
The use of anti-virus software, and the procedures to be followed if a virus is discovered will
usually be covered by policies and procedures developed by your organisation. It is
important to become familiar with these procedures so that you will know what to do, and
what not to do, in the event of a virus attack.

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5.4 How does anti-virus software work?
The three basic ways in which anti-virus software works are:
• scans for viruses

• removes viruses
• offers limited protection against the installation of new viruses.
All of these tasks are limited to the anti-virus software being programmed to identify the
virus. The latest virus will always be ahead of the anti-virus software. Anti-virus software
requires the user to download updates that list known viruses. This information is stored in
a data file, sometimes known as the Virus Definition File. This file contains a list of known
virus signatures.
Virus packages provide information about the version or date of the Virus Definition File. It
is vital that anti-virus software is kept up-to-date to maximise the computer’s protection
against a virus threat.
Scanning for viruses

Typically, an anti-virus program checks a number of items when it does a scan for new
viruses. It checks that the software itself has not been altered by a virus. It will also check
the computer’s Random Access Memory (RAM), hard disk drive (HDD) boot sector and each
file on the drive.
When your anti-virus program scans for viruses, it is looking for signs that a file has become
infected. Symptoms may be that a file has changed size unexpectedly or that the date may
have changed without user intervention. The anti-virus program will also scan for patterns
of bits, called signatures, which are known to match the program code of a virus.
These ‘bit patterns’ are stored in a database called a Virus Definition File. Since new viruses
are detected each day, it is important to keep your virus program up-to-date by obtaining
the latest versions of these definitions.
Some anti-virus software will check for viruses as you work. This means that when a file or
document is accessed, the anti-virus program will automatically scan it.
It is important for you to become familiar with the virus scanning software available on your
computer or used in your organisation.

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5.5 Reporting the virus infection
Your organisation will usually have procedures in place to control what actions are to be
taken in the event of a virus being discovered.
The first action will normally be to report the results of the virus scan to the appropriate
person, usually a Systems Administrator or member of the Information Technology Support
section. This person will initiate the appropriate response to the virus, which may include
quarantining the machine by disconnecting it from the network, as well as attempting to
remove the virus, or at least stopping it from spreading.
The job of removing the virus may come back to you, but by following procedures and
reporting the virus you will assist in maintaining the organisation’s virus protection.
The Administrator may also log the virus details, and conduct an investigation into the likely
source of the virus and the method of infection. This is particularly important if the
organisation has anti-virus protection systems installed, as it may indicate that either the
anti-virus systems are faulty, or that some member of staff is doing something that breaches
the security of the organisation and allows a virus to bypass the anti-virus systems. In either
case, the Administrator may be able to identify the cause of the infection and take action to
stop it happening again.
5.6 Removing viruses

Methods for removing viruses vary greatly. Many virus programs come equipped with
procedures to remove common viruses from the system. If they cannot remove a virus, the
next step taken by the anti-virus software is to quarantine the infected file for action at a
later date.
The support site of the anti-virus software company will also provide tools, such as
documents, detailing virus cleaning procedures or utility programs that can be downloaded
to the infected computer to clean it.
The type of actions required to remove a virus is different for each version of a virus. There
are too many variations of viruses to even start to describe every removal procedure here.
However, the most common methods of virus removal are:
• removal by the anti-virus program that detected it

• removal by a software utility from the anti-virus software support site
• manual removal following a written procedure.

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The support site should be your first point of contact if the anti-virus software on the
computer fails to clean the identified virus.
However, when all else fails and a virus damages the computer, there is no substitute for
accurate backups. Any system installed should have a backup of the original state of the
computer system as well as backups of data.
Practice activity
Activity 5.1: Run anti-virus software

Windows 10 comes with its own Anti-virus program, for this activity, we will perform a quick
scan to detect a virus.
To simulate a real virus we are going to use a file that is available that pretends to be a virus.
To do this:
1. Open Notepad
2. Copy the text below into the new Notepad file
3. Save the Notepad file as ‘virus.txt’ in the ‘My Documents’ folder
Type the text below into a new notepad file

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Once the notepad file (virus.txt) has been created follow the step below to run the anti-virus
software and detect the file.
1. Type the word ‘virus’ into the Windows start menu

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2. Select ‘Virus & threat protection’ for the search results, this will open ‘Windows
Defender Security Center’. Ensure ‘Virus & threat protection’ is selected in the left-hand
menu.

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3. Select ‘Run a new advanced scan’ and then select ‘Custom scan’, in most cases you a Full
scan will be scheduled to run on a frequent basis e.g. daily. To demonstrate the tool we
are only going to run a custom scan on selected folder i.e. the ‘My Documents’ folder
where the ‘virus.txt’ file was saved.
4. Click the ‘Scan now’ button and select the ‘Documents’ folder by navigating to ‘This PC’,
clicking on the ‘Documents’ folder to select it and then clicking the ‘Select Folder’ button

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5. When the scan is complete (it should be very fast) the result will be displayed indicating
that 1 threat has been found. If no threats were detected it may be that Windows
Defender had already automatically removed the file. In this case, be sure to save the
file to the ‘Documents’ folder again just before you run the custom scan. Contact your
trainer if you still have problems.
6. Select ‘Virus & threat protection’ again from the menu on the left side of the window.
You will notice that a ‘Threat history’ menu option is available along with a notification
below it stating that there have been threats found. Click on the ‘Threat history’ link

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7. The anti-virus tool lists all threats that have been detected and quarantined along with
the option to either remove them permanently or restore them.
Watch
Video: Malware
Watch the following LinkedIn Learning course to learn about malware and how it works:
Cybersecurity Awareness: Malware Explained (LinkedIn Learning 51:58 mins)

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Summary
As an ICT Support person, it is important that you should understand the threat posed by
viruses and the range of anti-virus software and virus prevention measures available to you.
In particular, you should be able to:
• scan a device for the presence of viruses.

• follow organisational procedures regarding virus attacks, including reporting the
virus information to an appropriate person for action.
• visit the support site for the anti-virus software installed on your computer.
• download updates from the anti-virus software support site.
• download virus removal tools from the anti-virus software support site.

© TAFE NSW 2019
Image attributions
Table 2: Image attributions
Image Page # Attribution
Cover 1 © Getty Images copied under licence
Topic 1 cover 8 © Getty Images copied under licence
All Microsoft- © Used with permission from Microsoft

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Student workbook

Date created: 02 September 2019

Date modified: 12 November 2019

For queries contact: Technology and Business Services SkillsPoint

© TAFE NSW 2019

This resource can be found in the TAFE NSW Learning Bank.

Document title: ICTSAS308_SW_1of1

Document title: ICTSAS308_SW_1of1

Learning activities help you to gain a clear understanding of the

You will have opportunities to collaborate with others during your

An activity that allows you to check your learning progress. The

Resources (required and suggested)

Additional resources throughout this workbook such as chapters

At different stages throughout the workbook, after you have

Document title: ICTSAS308_SW_1of1

Document title: ICTSAS308_SW_1of1

Document title: ICTSAS308_SW_1of1

By grouping an organisation’s functions, positions and operations to form a structure,

An organisation’s computers and network(s) not only provide a means of communication

Document title: ICTSAS308_SW_1of1

1.2 Why are policies important?

Consider the following scenario:

Document title: ICTSAS308_SW_1of1

Activity 1.1: Research policies

The approval process checks all software to ensure it

1.3 Service Level Agreements

An SLA typically includes:

Document title: ICTSAS308_SW_1of1

For further information go to ITIL.

Activity 1.2: Principles of ITIL

ITIL Core Publications:

Document title: ICTSAS308_SW_1of1

As an example, an organisation’s procedure for installing software could include the

• changes to a computer’s configuration

• data retention, back-up and restoration

Document title: ICTSAS308_SW_1of1

Activity 1.3: Research procedures

1. Source new hardware and get prices from a minimum of three

Complete and submit update report.

1.6 Communication skills

Document title: ICTSAS308_SW_1of1

Video: Communication foundations

• Communication Foundations (LinkedIn Learning 01:24 hrs)

1.7 Planning tasks

Document title: ICTSAS308_SW_1of1

Video: Getting started with Trello

• Getting Started With Trello (YouTube 04:55 mins)

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2.2 Common symptoms

Common symptoms include:

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Update installed applications

• fix reported or identified errors in the software (bugs)

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Handle with care

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Ensure ink cartridges are not depleted

Remove unused files

2.4 Troubleshooting techniques

Microsoft – System Error Codes

Document title: ICTSAS308_SW_1of1