Desktop support engineer interview questions and answers pdf free download

What are enhancements in Windows from Windows ? What does DHCP stand for and why it is necessary? What are enhancements in Windows from Windows NT? What is Active Directory?

List types of firewall. Define scope and superscope with respect to IP addressing What is a default gateway What is the difference between hardware and software firewall? Name the seven layers of OSI model. How to enable Firewall in Windows XP? How to disable Firewall in Windows XP? What are the minimum system requirements of Windows XP, Vista, , and ? Explain ping command. Explain cookies. What is an. What is is. How do you boot the computer in Safe mode?

Why is ipconfig command used for? What is tracert command? What are the types of printer? What is a safe mode in Windows OS Explain last known good configuration. What is disk clean up, disk defragmentation, device manager, and system restore? Explain the differences between USB port and Firewire port?

How do you install a printer in Windows XP? What is a browser and name any 5 browsers? What is a Serial port What is a parallel port What is the difference between a serial port and a parallel port?

What is an A record? What is a PTR record? Define RAS server What is a port number? Explain different RAID levels. What is an IAS server? What is packet data? Explain the difference between IP v4 and IP v6. Explain a group with respect to network administration Explain child domain and its uses. What is an organizational unit with in terms of a domain? Expalin rights, policy and permission in network administration. What is a domain controller?

Explain what is additional domain controller What are the types of active directory partitions. How do you make a computer run faster? What is attrib command? What is edit command? How do you copy a file or folder using copy command?

How do you format the hard disk using command line utilities? Explain mkdir , rmdir, and chdir commands. What is the path of host file in Windows OS? Explain the types of hard disk. What is a router? What is a bridge router? What is the difference between primary and secondary partition? What is a backup? What are the types of backups in Window OS? Explain methods used to assess future computer needs in the organization. Have you interacted with the IT staff?

Answer: Communicate your ability to handle different tasks and challenges. Show how you are well versed with special systems and communicate with professionals in your area of expertise. Include coordinating with Information Technology professionals to enhance system communication, peripherals and network operation.

You may also relate your experience in installing computer performance monitoring equipment. General job description of desktop support engineer: Desktop engineers typically maintain hardware equipment and responsibility for software configuration and licensing information. The most important competencies required are: Customer service, problem solving, communication skills and multi-tasking.

Requires at least minimal experience in problem diagnosis and fault resolution. How do you learn new technologies? Learning is an inherent part of the job. Hiring managers are looking for someone who enjoys learning technology on their own and who has the foresight to look for training opportunities.

Besides the traditional books and manuals, dont forget to include user groups, eLearning subscriptions, and IT professional sites such as CramSession. How do you prioritize tasks and manage your time? What hiring managers want to know is whether you have time-management skills. Everyone manages their time differently, but think about how you handle e-mail, when you check voice mail, how you respond to pages, when you research and document, and how you pick up new trouble tickets.

Imagine the following situation: you receive three simultaneous calls from three vicepresidents who need assistance immediately. How do you manage these conflictingpriorities? Obviously this is a trick question. What the hiring manager is trying to assess is how you set expectations with each of the individuals, knowing very well that you wont be able to assist all of them at the same time. They are also looking for how you will prioritize each of these incidents, including seeking assistance from peers and supervisors in order to meet user expectations.

Dont allow the tyranny of the urgent to divert you from managementestablished support priorities. How would you handle a user who continually misdiagnoses their PC issues?

By asking this question, the hiring manager is assessing your customer service skills. In this situation, you may want to discuss that the key is to not offend the user and turn them off to your support services. In handling this situation, you would pay particular attention to ways you can build trust with the user and lead them to the right resolution to their problem.

These components may include: Acknowledging the users diagnosis Asking the user to reproduce the problem Finding a solution that works Q. How do you handle setting up new employees? This question is used by the hiring manager to assess your knowledge of common practices within the IT department, such as setting up new users. Obviously, the IT department plays a critical role in the productivity of the new employee. The role of the desktop technician is to help ease the new employee into the resources available to them and get them up to speed quickly.

In responding to this question, you may want to talk about some of the tools youve used in the past to help users acquaint themselves with their new environment. Some tools that help are: A new-user welcome letter that is customized to the specific user with all their relevant information including telephone extension, how to access voice mail, and how to log in.

It might also include a FAQ on getting help. A Getting to Know Your Helpdesk document that provides an orientation to helpdesk service, such as how to contact the helpdesk, its hours of operation, what is and what is not supported by the helpdesk, and answers to common new-user questions. Technical Questions Q. What questions would you ask to help isolate a users problem? This question is used by the hiring manger to assess your problem-solving abilities.

The following represent some of the common questions that you would ask the end-user to help diagnose a situation: When did the problem first start? Has the system ever worked properly? What was the last thing done to the system prior to the failure?

Are there any error messages? If so, what are the specific error messages? Has any new hardware been added to the system? Has any new software been added to the system, including downloads from the Internet? Has anything changed with the system for example, has it been moved since the issue presented itself? Has anyone else had access to the system? Are there any environmental factors that could be causing the issue? Have you done any troubleshooting on the system on your own?

What are the main differences between the following operating systems? Unfortunately, most companies have not been able to standardize the operating systems used by users. Its always critical that you know more than just the current version because there will always be a user who has a problem with an older version. By asking this question, the hiring manager is actually testing your knowledge of different operating systems that you may need to support. The following provides a concise summary of some of the major differences.

Windows and XP Overall, XP is a minor update with Windows designed to get Windows technology into the hands of consumers. The major changes include the following: Device driver rollback Remote control single-user terminal services New Start menu, control panel, and user interface elements Fast user switching Encrypted file system support for redirected folders Better support for roaming wireless networking Enhanced policies Credential Manager Personal firewall Q.

What are typical virus sources and how do you prevent virus attacks? This is virus protection just to ensure that you understand the basics of protecting against viruses. Possible virus sources include e-mail attachments, Internet downloads, and infected floppy disks.

To prevent virus infections: Use anti-virus software. Perform regular updates to the virus software definition files and scan engines. Verify updates have succeeded. Perform regularly scheduled virus checks. Configure software to check all files, not just program files. Educate users on virus attacks, their consequences, and how to prevent them.

Know where all software came from. Do regular backups. Develop reporting mechanisms to inform server administrators of observed desktop infections and how these could impact the server environment such as deletions or corruption of files on public shares, hidden payload files that might have been uploaded to servers, and so on.

What are some of the guidelines you would recommend for implementing security at the user level? Security is a major part of the desktop technicians day-to-day responsibilities.

As the closest point of contact to the end-users, technicians need to be savvy on the different methods for enforcing security. Some of the top techniques are included below.

Anti-virus software: Ensure that all users install and regularly use anti-virus software on their PCs. Instruct users to immediately notify the helpdesk when they suspect theyve contracted a virus. Password security: Instruct users not to give out their passwords. Instruct users not to write down their passwords. Instruct users to change their password if they think there is even a slight chance someone knows it.

Instruct users to ensure their password is at least eight characters long. Instruct users not to use a variation of their user ID. Instruct users to enable screen savers that automatically lock their PC when there is no activity on it for more than five minutes. Desktop engineers typically maintain hardware equipment and responsible for the software configuration and licensing information.

The most important competencies they should posses are: Customer service, problem solving, communication skills and multi-tasking. They must have the minimal experience to perform problem diagnosis and fault resolution. Desktop engineer who works in help desks is responsible to providing user advice, guidance, and assistance on common desktop applications. This article covers sample of job interview questions for technical desktop support engineers also called help desk engineers and provides tips on answering these questions.

Answer: Tell how did you provide help-desk support to the employees on their desktop systems such as network servers, desktop computers, printers, laptops etc? Question: What is your specialty? Have you provided desktop support for hardware, software or both? If you are, give details. Question: Have you used to test network and desktop systems Have you trouble-shouted computerized systems?

Answer: In your answer, describe the process you took to identify and solve problems that affect the computer systems. Provide examples if necessary.

Tell how you test computers to ensure they function properly. Question: Describe physical setting up of hardware and software systems installation for various applications and programs. Answer: Tell how you installed and test computer system an ensured they function properly. Question: Have you upgraded computer systems or offered recommendations on upgrades needed.

Answer: Describe a major upgrade that youve participated as a focal point. A success story. Something youre proud about. Explain the step taken to ensure smooth upgrade. Question: Have you trained or coached employees on computer systems? Question: Are you a team player? Did you work in a team to solve problems? Have you worked independently also? Answer: As a desktop engineer you must have the proper ability to work with others and alone.

Describe how you have worked with your staff members to figure out solutions to major issues. Tell also about your own individual assessments to identify minor failures and how youve used your communication skills to consult others for solutions to problems beyond your specialty.

Question: Have you been responsible for purchasing new computer systems to your organization? Answer: If you were responsible for these activities, explain how youve worked with vendors suppliers and with the procurement department How you assessed the future computer needs in the organization.

Question: Can you tell about other duties youd handled that were beyond the scope of your work? Have you interacted with the IT staff? Answer: You must present your ability to handle different tasks and challenges. Show how you well versed with special systems, communicating with professionals in your area, such as: Coordinating with Information Technology professionals to enhance system communication, peripherals and network operation. You may also tell about installing equipments for monitoring computer performance.

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