Technical Support Interview Questions

Introduction

A job in technical support puts together the knowledge of computers & their components, skills required to solve problems, and customer service. The technical giants invest a lot in technical support and they receive huge benefits from it.

This quick guide on Technical Support Interview Questions is going to help a lot if you are preparing for an interview regarding the same in the future.

What is Technical Support?

Technical support is a service provided by technology companies to assist users in troubleshooting and resolving issues with their products. This support can cover a wide range of problems, from hardware to software glitches, and may include guidance on product usage.

Technical Support Interview Questions for Freshers

1. What are the roles of a Technical Support engineer?

Some roles a Technical Support Engineer is expected to perform are-

Installation and configuration of Hardware, Operating systems, and applications.
Maintenance and monitoring of systems and networks.
Analyzing and discovering hidden issues.
Testing new technologies and their evaluation.
Performing safety checks.

2. What has made you interested to work as a Technical Support?

I have always been interested in new technologies and enjoy working with people. The fascination to learn about new technologies, and use my knowledge to resolve issues of the customers has made me interested to work as a Technical Support Engineer.

3. Give some examples of the latest processors.

Some examples of the latest processors are Intel Pentium Quad-core processors of i3, i5 and i7 generations.

These technologies keep on updating and the knowledge regarding them needs to be studied from time to time.

4. Explain the process of troubleshooting.

The very first thing is to collect all the facts which will help to identify the problem and find the solution to it. Then, it is needed to follow all the necessary steps in a proper manner to rectify that problem. After that, a detailed and accurate troubleshooting plan should be put forward that is extensive and easily adaptable.

Now, this plan is implemented and the problem is solved.

5. Differentiate between API & SDK.

Some of the prominent differences between API & SDK are mentioned below in the table.

6. Do you have any idea about Ghost Imaging?

Ghost Imaging is also known as Cloning. It is a backup process that copies the content of the hard disk to another server in the form of one compressed file or a set of compressed files. If needed, a ghost image can be converted back to its original form.

7. Tell me about Disk partitioning. How many partitions can a hard drive have?

Disk partitioning is the process of defining a specified space for storage on a hard disk. This helps in organizing data properly, efficiently, and effectively. Generally, applications and Operating System data are stored in one partition, and the rest of the data, that is, the user’s data is stored on other partitions.

Primarily, a disk may have up to four partitions.

8. Do you have any experience in this field? What are your views regarding mistakes?

Yes, I do have a little experience in this field.

I think everyone makes mistakes in their career and there is no loss in admitting that. The main motive should be to learn and try not to repeat the same mistakes again.

9. Why should we hire you over other candidates?

With my hard work, skills, and interest, I have accomplished a lot in my career. I have knowledge of Installation, Scheduling, Maintenance, Communication, and Decision-making. I think I can be a valuable asset to your company and you will surely observe the results delivered to you.

10. Do you know of your duties as a Technical Support?

Technical Support has numerous duties. Some of them are mentioned below.

Stocks Management- Supplies, Equipment, etc.
Ensuring safety- Replacing and Repairing faulty parts.
Scheduling- Maintenance, and Upgradation.
Checking the records.
Attending support calls, logging, and processing them.

11. What are the qualities you should possess as a Good Technical Support?

Some key skills a Good Technical Support is expected to have are-

Detailed knowledge of the system, that is, its hardware and software.
Awareness of the latest IT and software trends.
Willingness to learn continuously.
A lot of patience and a logical mind.
Preparedness to work at odd hours.

12. How would you update your technical skills?

There are several proven ways to brush up on technical skills. Some prominent ones are-

Investing time to research technical skills.
Subscribe to newsletters and follow Twitter regularly.
Attend technical conferences every time possible.
Reading blogs and articles related to the ongoing projects.
Attend online classes and workshops.

13. What is Cache Memory? Mention its advantages.

A buffer-like memory between the CPU and the RAM is known as Cache Memory. It is extremely fast and makes the working of the system much faster as it stores frequently requested instructions and data, for easy and quick access.

Cache Memory comes in three different levels, that is, L1, L2, and L3.

14. Differentiate between RAM and ROM.

To acknowledge the differences between RAm and ROM, refer to the table below.

15. What are the steps followed to solve a technical problem?

The steps mentioned below are followed to solve a common technical problem.

Understanding the problem before proceeding further.
Come up with all possible solutions to fix that particular problem.
Find the best solution possible from all the possible solutions.
Implement the plan.
Prepare mechanism to receive follow-ups.

Technical Support Interview Questions for Experienced

16. What do you understand by BSOD? What can be the optimal fixes?

BSOD stands for Blue Screen Of Death. It occurs whenever a computer finds any issues with hardware or software and as a result, Windows stop loading.

The known optimal fixes can be-

Analyze the actions you did a few minutes before BSOD occurred.
If possible, undo those actions.
Check for free space left on the drive.
Scan for viruses.
Check for updates.
Update your BIOS. If you have made any changes there, bring it back to default settings.

17. How would you explain a relevant technology to a non-technical person?

To make someone understand that relevant information, I will use my communication skills. I will make use of real-life scenarios so that they can synchronize with what I am trying to make them understand. Still, if they will be having any problems in understanding, I will make use of information available online to make them understand.

18. What do you look for in a job other than salary?

Love for the job.
Satisfaction at the end of the day.
Provisions for work-life balance.
Recognition and Appreciation.
Opportunities for growth.

19. Name some qualities of yours that would be appreciated by your colleague.

An optimistic person.
A confident lad.
An excellent team player.
A Creative and Innovative person.
A good decision-maker.

20. Suppose that you want to access a file on a shared drive, but you are unable to do so. How will you fix that?

To fix the error mentioned above, you need to follow the steps below.

Firstly, check if the system sharing the drive is turned on.
Check other files to see if the same problem is occurring with all other files or not.
Check the permission panel and give access to permissions required to access that particular file.
Please make sure that the file you want to access is not being used currently by somebody else.

21. Do you have any knowledge about ‘BOOT.INI’?

A Microsoft Initialization file containing the boot options is known as BOOT.INI. This file is always found on the primary hard drive’s root directory, that is the C-drive. The two main sections of this initialization file are-

The boot loader section with option settings.
Operating System section.

22. Can ‘BOOT.INI’ be manually edited?

Yes, the ‘BOOT.INI’ file can be edited manually. But before doing any such editing, please make sure that you save a copy in case anything goes wrong.

To perform editing, go to the control panel and after that to the System option. In the properties window, under the advanced tab, make the desired changes to edit the ‘BOOT.INI’ file manually.

23. What is a Gateway?

A Gateway is a hardware device that functions as a gate between networks. It performs the functions of a gate, that is, decides how the data or traffic would flow across the networks. A Gateway is a node itself that is present on the edge of the network and protects every other node in the network.

24. What is overclocking? Mention its advantages and disadvantages.

The process of making the CPU run at a faster speed than the default speed by changing the motherboard settings is known as overclocking.

Some of its advantages and disadvantages are mentioned below in the table.

25. Differentiate b/w Motherboard and Chipset.

The motherboard is the largest printed circuit board inside the system. To hold all the components along with the expansion cards and CPU plugged, we use Motherboard. Also, connection to USB and all other ports is carried by it.

While Chipset is a part of a particular component integrated into the motherboard. It is further divided into two types, namely, Southbridge chipset and Northbridge chipset. Core System interconnections are handled by the Northbridge chipset, on the other hand, the connection between the components is handled by the Southbridge chipset.

26. Imagine if you are unable to see the display, what can be the problems?

If your display has blacked out, there can be many reasons for it. Some prominent ones are mentioned below.

The system has not started completely.
Faulty monitor.
Loose CPU or other components.
The system is unable to power up properly.
There could be an issue with the Heat sink or Jumper.

27. Why do you need a Jumper?

A jumper is a tiny plastic box with a set of small pins. We use it to close an electrical circuit, which will allow the flow of electricity to the required part of the circuit board. Also, it helps configure peripheral settings.

28. What is a Heat sink?

A heat sink is made up of copper or aluminum as these are good conductors of electricity and heat. These are suitable for the transfer of heat generated by a machine or an electronic system.

29. How would you fix a printer printing problem?

To fix any common printer printing problem, follow the steps mentioned below.

Check the selection of media and paper. Make sure these are proper are in accordance with the print driver.
If the problem continues, adjust the fuser manually. Be careful while doing this, as it gets hot.
If these don’t resolve the issue, there could be some problems with hardware or supplies.

30. Mention the difference between Motherboard and Processor.

Motherboard makes connection and connection possible for various components such as memory, peripheral connectors, processors, etc.

As the name suggests, on the other hand, the processor processes specific instructions for functions, such as performing logical, arithmetical, and control operations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Name some types of Firewalls.

Firewalls have been in light ever since their discovery for different cybersecurity reasons. There are many types of Firewalls available. Some known ones are Packet-Filtering Firewalls, Circuit-level gateways, Proxy Firewalls, Next-gen Firewalls, Cloud Firewalls, etc.

What is BIOS?

BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System. It is found on motherboards as a ROM chip. The four main functions performed by it are checking hardware, looking for all the OS available, providing basic operational control, and configuring the setting of hardware components.

What are the disadvantages of working in an Agile environment?

Some known disadvantages of working in such an environment are-

Only senior representatives are allowed to make big decisions. Consequently, employees in lower positions do not have much say even if they have better solutions.
If the customer is unclear about the project and its requirements, the process cannot go smoothly.

What skills are needed for technical support?

Technical support requires technical knowledge, problem-solving skills, effective communication, customer service aptitude, and adaptability to new technologies and updates.

How to prepare for a technical support interview?

Review technical basics, practice troubleshooting, research the company, engage in mock interviews, and highlight your soft skills and customer service experiences.

What made you get into technical support?

We enjoy technology and helping people, find problem-solving rewarding, and appreciate the continuous learning and variety of issues in technical support.

Conclusion

We believe that you gained some insights on Technical Support Interview Questions through this article. We hope that this will help you excel in your interviews and enhance your knowledge regarding Technical Support and related stuff. These Technical Support Interview Questions and answers are suitable for freshers as well as experienced candidates.

This set of Technical Support interview questions will not only help you in interviews but also would increase your understanding regarding the same.

Here are links to the interview questions on some of the famous topics: