Defining your problem
Before asking for help you are reminded to first:
 

• Try the help facilities of the software applications you are using. Either press F1 or click on Help.
• Consult the Student’s Guides for the appropriate software application.
• Go back and read the relevant instructions for that week’s assignment.
• Ask someone working on an adjacent computer if it seems as if that will not disrupt their work.

If you are still having problems, before choosing where to find assistance, think about the nature of your problem.
 

• If hardware, this is a matter for the Faculty technician. Phone him on ext. 9005, if necessary leaving a message on his voice mail stating the problem and the number of the PC to which it relates. You can also e-mail him d.midwinter@bristol.ac.uk
• If disk, and in particular possible corruption by a virus, consult the Computing Service’s virus document. Only then consider going to the Computer Service help desk.
• How urgent: can it wait until a workshop session?

If none of these, where next?

If your problem falls into none of the above categories, or is not soluble by your own efforts, your next step is to consider:
 

• Is it sufficient of an academic problem (i.e. relates to completion of an essay) that you could approach the tutor to which the work relates? Is so be aware that not all of your tutors possess the IT skills that you are seeking to acquire or they have chosen to use non-standard computing equipment and, therefore, will not know your applications software.
• For software problems you might try the Help Desk in the Computing Service.
• FINALLY, and after having considered all of the above, you could e-mail Roger Middleton to ask for assistance.

If none of the above is relevant, available when you need it, or able to address the problem you will have to wait until the next workshop.

Those you must not contact
In seeking a solution to your problems do not disturb the secretaries in the departmental office, and this includes asking for the keypad code because they do not have such information.

Avoiding having to ask for help
In our experience the two major problems encountered are:

• Computer viruses: don’t lend other people your floppy disks and don’t use them on machines which do not have anti-virus software (if in doubt, be cautious).
• Corrupted disks: a situation in which you are unable to load your work into a word-processor etc. because the last time you worked on the file you took out the floppy disk before completing the saving and shutdown of the software. Get into the habit o f saving all open files and then closing all applications software before reaching for the floppy disk drive gate.

To  IT-MA home page
To Department of Historical Studies home page.

(c)R. Middleton 1997.    Last Modified 4 September 2000.