Summary of the Case Study (Problem Description)

PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING
Project (Sample) Model
Prepared by Dr. Nancy S. Grant
CCAC – South Campus




Summary of the Case Study (Problem Description)
Recently, I needed to purchase a new computer and after researching various computer systems, I decided to purchase a laptop computer system running the new operating system- Microsoft Vista. Additionally, I decided to purchase an antivirus program in order to protect my computer system from viral attacks. The product that I purchased not only protects against virus and worm attacks, but it also blocks spyware, includes Rootkit production to remove threats to the operating system, as well as prevents e-mails infected with viruses from spreading to other users and computer systems.

As I proceeded to install the anti-virus program under the Microsoft Vista Operating System (simply by inserting the CD into the CD-ROM drive), I choose the first option which was to Install the Antivirus Software. I then received the following message: The program has known compatibility issues (see Figure One). In essence, I could not install the antivirus product under the Windows Vista Operating System.

Figure One

Summary of References and Materials Used

Help Menu of Windows Vista:

The help menus of Windows Vista provided general information regarding antivirus software, as well as how to check the status of antivirus software via the Windows Security Center. Although the help facility did not offer any technical solutions to the installation problem, I encourage you to use the help menus for it is an excellent resource not only when locating information, but also making inquiries as to commands and their usage.

www.microsoft.com

When I encountered the compatibility problem in installing the antivirus software, I was directed to Microsoft’s website for possible solutions to the problem. The site did not offer any solutions at the time of this writing and directed me to www.symantec.com (writer of the antivirus software) for possible solutions.

www.symantec.com

At this site, I was directed to the Update Center for Windows Vista in order to determine which products could be updated to work with the new operating system. After following the instructions on this page, I still could not install the product on the site. At that point, I decided to contact the company via the support page and received an e-mail back from an Executive Escalations Product Support Analyst. After explaining the problem to the analyst, he indicated that the way to get around the compatibility installation problem was to download the trialware version of the anti-virus software from the website and, when prompted for the product key code, to enter the product code that came with the software that I purchased. This process resolved the problem.

Derene, G. (2007). Windows Vista: Should you switch?. Popular Mechanics, 184(3), 27.

This article indicated the different versions of Windows Vista (Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate), as well as general hardware specifications required to run Vista on your computer. Additionally, because of the current problems regarding device driver and software conflicts, the author recommended that users wait for at least six months before updating to Vista.
Perera, D. (2007). Scaling mount vista. Government Executive, 39(3), 15-18.
This article indicated the usage of various operating systems being used by the government, hardware specifications needed when running Windows Vista, application access via network servers, as well as code patches via Fiji (code name for Windows Vista Service Pack 1).

Solutions Derived from Applying the PBL Model

As displayed in Figure One, I clicked on the Check for Solutions Online button which directed me to Microsoft’s company website. At the time of this writing Microsoft’s website did not offer any solutions in solving the compatibility problem with Windows Vista and the anti-virus software and directed me to contact Symantec Corporation, the writer of the antivirus software. At the Symantec website, I tried downloading a product file in order to proceed with the software installation but this process did not allow me to install the software under the Windows Vista operating system.

Additionally, after a search on the website, including reading articles for possible solutions to the problem, I could not find any other solutions to the software compatibility installation problem. Of course, I could have asked the company for a full refund but since I needed added protection for my computer system, I decided to keep the product and contact the help and support department at Symantec via e-mail.

Within two days, I received an e-mail from a product support analyst via the Executive Consumer Relations Team at Symantec indicating that I should call him concerning the software installation problem at my earliest convenience. Once we discussed the compatibility problem, he indicated that the way to handle this problem was to download the trial offer (apparently the 2007 version I purchased at a retail outlet at the time was not an updated version with updates for the Windows Vista Operating system) at the Symantec website and to use the product code of the software that I purchased when asked to enter the product code during the installation process. This solution solved the problem; I was able to successfully install the software onto my computer!

Observations, Team Interactions, and Personal Comments
With the recent release of Windows Vista, software developers are scrambling to update their products in order to run under this new operation system. And although software products introduced in the marketplace go through rigorous testing procedures and processes (beta testing) prior to their release, it is not unheard of for new software to have computer bugs. Additionally, in order to handle computer bugs most software developers will typically make code patches available to the software users via company websites. So if you are faced with a computer glitch, you may want to review the company’s website for further direction on solving the problem.

As an added comment, because of the difficulties I experienced in installing the antivirus product, the company offered me a one-year subscription to another product for usage with my computer system. I was very satisfied with how this situation was handled by the company.

Not only did I have a problem in installing newly published software under the Windows Vista operating system, but I could not use my printer until the updated print driver was made available by the printer manufacturer. I checked the website of the printer manufacturer and I downloaded the print driver when it became available. It was released and made available in late March.

I also encountered another problem when working with the college’s e-mail system via remote access while using the Windows Vista operating system. Apparently, I could view e-mail but I could not send any e-mails while using Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (graphical browser). This was a technical issue that needed to be addressed by the Information Technology department at the college. I then contacted a team member of the IT department and he indicated that he would look into this technical problem. And until this problem was resolved, it was suggested that I use a different Internet Browser to send and receive e-mails. I downloaded Mozilla FireFox from the Internet and this resolved the technical issue temporarily.

Upon further investigation by the IT staff, one member indicated that there was a compatibility issue between Windows Vista and the e-mail system being used by the college and that a patch (at support.microsoft.com) needed to be applied to the e-mail server in order to the correct the problem. This procedure corrected the problem for I was able to send and receive emails via the Microsoft’s Internet Explorer graphical browser.

Again, it is not uncommon for newly introduced system and application software products to have computer bugs and through the usage of various resources, one can resolve these problems. Additionally, software publishers are continually working to update their products (via service packs) so that the impact of software conflicts are minimized to computer users.

Thoughts in Applying the PBL Model
By implementing the PBL model, I was able to solve a real-life problem from various perspectives. The systematic implementation of the model allows one to understand the problem, use research and various materials in order to solve the problem, view multiple solutions, and then choose the most optimal solution(s) to the problem. Although my technology problem was on a smaller scale, this model can apply to large-scale projects as well. Additionally, through the implementation of this learning model during the learning process, it will help students in sharpening their critical thinking and problem solving skills.
References

Derene, G. (2007). Windows Vista: Should you switch?. Popular Mechanics, 184(3), 27.

Perera, D. (2007). Scaling mount vista. Government Executive, 39(3), 15-18.
LexMark Support Page. Retrieved April 12, 2007, from http://www.lexmark.com
Microsoft Support Page. Retrieved March 2007, from http://www.microsoft.com
Symantec Downloads Page. Retrieved March 2007, from http://www.symantec.com