The general process for bringing your computer to the ITS Help Desk for software repair or troubleshooting is as follows. Please note this service is only available to enrolled students at the university.
- Call the ITS Help Desk at (319-384-HELP) or e-mail us to have the problem diagnosed and an appointment scheduled if necessary. For instance, it is important that we rule out a problem with your computer’s hardware before you bring it to the Help Desk. If we are unable to resolve the issue for you over the phone, we can schedule an appointment
The ITS Help Desk does not offer computer hardware repair services. We can refer you to hardware repair service providers.
- Once the Help Desk consultant diagnoses the problem, they may recommend that you bring your computer into the Help Desk for further troubleshooting. The consultant will provide you with a tracking number for your case. If the consultant thinks the issue is severe enough that your computer may need to be reformatted, you should back up your important data before bringing in the machine. See the Help Desk's Data Backup Policy for more information.
- After scheduling your appointment with the Help Desk, bring your desktop or laptop machine to our walk-in location, located on the second floor of the University Capitol Centre. If your computer is a desktop machine, only bring in the tower/desktop unit; do not bring in the monitor, keyboard, mouse, or any cords. If your computer is a laptop, bring in the laptop and the power adapter.
- When you bring in your computer, the Help Desk consultant will check in your machine and have paperwork for you to complete, authorizing the Help Desk to work on your machine. They will then place your computer in the work queue, and it will be worked with on a first-come, first-served basis.
Note: The ITS Help Desk strives to service and return customer machines in under 2 business days. However, the turnaround time may be longer during extremely busy periods, such as at the beginning of the semester, or if the issue with your computer is complicated.
- The Help Desk will contact you if we need any further information about your computer and/or the problem you were experiencing. Otherwise, the Help Desk will contact you once we have completed work on your machine and it is available for pick-up. You are required to present your ID when picking up your computer.