Drop-off Instructions

The general process for bringing your computer to the ITS Help Desk for software repair or troubleshooting is as follows.

  1. Call (384-HELP) or e-mail (its-helpdesk@uiowa.edu) the ITS Help Desk to have the problem diagnosed.  This step is crucial.  You must talk with a Help Desk consultant before you bring in your computer.  The consultant may be able to solve your problem without the need to bring in your machine, or at least be able to help you determine where the computer problem lies.  For instance, it is important that we rule out a problem with your computer’s hardware before you bring it to the Help Desk.  The ITS Help Desk does not offer computer hardware repair or troubleshooting services.  (Click here for a list of local computer hardware repair service providers.) 
     
  2. Once the Help Desk consultant diagnoses the problem as something that he or she cannot fix over the phone or online, they may recommend that you bring your computer in to the Help Desk for troubleshooting.  The consultant will provide you with a tracking number for your computer.  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.
     
  3. Bring your desktop or laptop machine to the ITS Help Desk, located on the second floor of the University Capitol Centre (click here for location and hours of operation information).  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 and cords.  For both desktop and laptop machines, bring in any CDs that came with your computer, including operating system and driver discs.
     
  4. 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.  Then we will place your computer in line to be worked on.  The Help Desk computer software repair and troubleshooting service is a "first come first served" service, so your computer will be worked on in the order it was brought in. 

    Note: The ITS Help Desk strives to service and return customer machines in under 2 to 3 days.  However, the turnaround time may be longer during extremely busy periods, such as at the beginning of the semester or during widespread virus outbreaks.
     
  5. 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.

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