IT Support and Maintenance Course

Lesson 1 • The IT Support Role Defined

Defines the scope, tiers, and daily duties of IT support professionals. Establishes context for all subsequent technical and procedural learning.

Lesson 2 • IT Support Environments Overview

Surveys corporate, SMB, and managed service environments. Students identify how environment type shapes tooling and workflow choices.

Lesson 3 • Professional Communication Basics

Covers written and verbal communication standards for support interactions. Effective communication reduces resolution time and improves user satisfaction.

Lesson 1 • Core PC Components Identified

Covers CPUs, RAM, storage, motherboards, and power supplies. Provides the component vocabulary needed for all hardware troubleshooting tasks.

Lesson 2 • Peripheral Devices and Interfaces

Examines input/output devices and the ports that connect them. Students match peripherals to correct interfaces for installation and support tasks.

Lesson 3 • Preventive Hardware Maintenance

Establishes scheduled cleaning, thermal management, and firmware update routines. Preventive maintenance extends hardware lifespan and reduces unplanned downtime.

Lesson 4 • Hardware Diagnostics and Replacement

Applies diagnostic tools and POST codes to isolate failing components. Students perform component swaps and verify system stability after repair.

Lesson 1 • OS Troubleshooting and Recovery

Diagnoses boot failures, corrupt files, and profile errors using built-in recovery tools. Students restore system functionality without data loss.

Lesson 2 • Windows Installation and Setup

Guides clean installs, upgrades, and partition configuration for Windows. Students produce a fully configured, domain-ready Windows workstation.

Lesson 3 • OS Concepts and Architecture

Explains kernel functions, file systems, and process management fundamentals. This foundation supports all installation and configuration tasks that follow.

Lesson 4 • OS Configuration and Hardening

Applies security baselines, update policies, and access controls to installed systems. Hardened configurations reduce attack surface before deployment.

Lesson 1 • IP Configuration and DHCP

Teaches static and dynamic IP assignment, DHCP scope management, and DNS basics. Correct IP configuration is prerequisite to all network connectivity tasks.

Lesson 2 • Remote Access and VPN Basics

Configures remote desktop, SSH, and VPN client connections for remote support scenarios. Students enable secure remote access while maintaining network integrity.

Lesson 3 • Network Hardware and Topology

Covers routers, switches, access points, and cabling standards. Students select and connect appropriate hardware for common network topologies.

Lesson 4 • Network Connectivity Troubleshooting

Applies command-line tools and systematic methodology to isolate connectivity faults. Students resolve common issues from physical layer to application layer.

Lesson 1 • Licence Management Fundamentals

Explains per-seat, subscription, and volume licensing models and compliance tracking. Proper licence management avoids audit risk and budget overruns.

Lesson 2 • Software Deployment Methods

Covers manual installs, silent deployment scripts, and package managers. Students choose the appropriate method based on scale and environment type.

Lesson 3 • Patch Management and Updates

Establishes patch testing, staging, and rollout procedures for OS and application updates. Structured patch management balances security needs with system stability.

Lesson 4 • Application Troubleshooting Techniques

Uses event logs, crash dumps, and process monitors to diagnose application failures. Students apply a repeatable diagnostic workflow to reduce mean time to resolution.

Lesson 1 • Endpoint Protection and Antimalware

Configures antivirus, EDR tools, and host-based firewalls on managed endpoints. Layered endpoint protection reduces successful malware execution rates.

Lesson 2 • User Account and Access Control

Implements least-privilege principles, MFA, and password policies across user accounts. Strong access controls limit the blast radius of compromised credentials.

Lesson 3 • Incident Response for Support Staff

Defines the support technician's role in containment, evidence preservation, and escalation during a security incident. Proper first response limits damage and preserves forensic integrity.

Lesson 4 • Data Protection and Encryption

Applies full-disk encryption, secure file transfer, and backup encryption to protect data. Students align data protection practices with organisational security policies.

Lesson 1 • Cross-Platform Troubleshooting Scenarios

Applies diagnostic skills across Windows, Linux, and macOS in mixed environments. Students adapt tool sets and syntax to the platform without losing methodological consistency.

Lesson 2 • Escalation Decision Making

Defines criteria for escalating vs. resolving at tier, including time thresholds and risk factors. Correct escalation decisions protect SLAs and prevent technician burnout.

Lesson 3 • Performance Diagnostics and Optimisation

Uses performance monitors, resource graphs, and profiling tools to identify bottlenecks. Students tune systems to meet performance baselines without hardware upgrades.

Lesson 4 • Intermittent and Elusive Fault Diagnosis

Addresses faults that do not reproduce consistently, including thermal throttling and race conditions. Students use logging and stress testing to capture transient failures.

Lesson 1 • ITSM Frameworks and Principles

Introduces service management frameworks, incident, problem, and change management processes. Framework alignment improves consistency and auditability of support operations.

Lesson 2 • Service Level Management

Defines SLA, OLA, and UC agreements and the metrics used to measure compliance. Students design realistic SLA targets and build monitoring dashboards to track them.

Lesson 3 • Support Metrics and Continuous Improvement

Analyses ticket trends, CSAT scores, and resolution times to drive process improvements. Data-driven decisions elevate service quality and justify resource investments.

Lesson 4 • Knowledge Management and Self-Service

Builds and maintains a knowledge base that deflects repeat tickets and empowers users. Quality knowledge articles reduce tier 1 volume and improve first-contact resolution.