A user returns to work after a two-week vacation and cannot connect to an internal server. The remote drives were working the last time the user accessed them. Which of the following steps should the technician take next?

According to the CompTIA troubleshooting methodology, after identifying the problem, the next step is to establish a theory of probable cause. Given that the user's connection was functional before a two-week absence, the most logical and efficient action is to investigate if any changes occurred during that period. IT environments are dynamic; server updates, network reconfigurations, security policy changes (such as disabling inactive accounts), or hardware replacements are common. Determining if such a change has been made is the most direct way to form a probable theory for the sudden connectivity failure.

A. Conducting external research is premature. This step is appropriate only after a specific theory, such as a known software bug, has been established.
B. Referencing vendor documentation is not the immediate next step. It becomes useful once a more specific symptom or error code points toward a particular hardware or software component.
C. This step, "Confirm a theory," occurs later in the troubleshooting process. The technician must first gather information to establish a theory before they can test or confirm it.

1. CompTIA. (2022). CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1101) Exam Objectives. Version 6.0. Section 5.1, "Given a scenario, use the best practice methodology to resolve a problem." The second step listed is "Establish a theory of probable cause (question the obvious)," which inherently includes investigating recent changes as a primary diagnostic question.

2. Eberly Center, Carnegie Mellon University. (n.d.). Solving Problems and Troubleshooting. This academic resource on problem-solving outlines a systematic approach where gathering information is a critical early step. It states, "Consider what might have changed recently... New problems are often the result of recent changes." This directly supports investigating infrastructure changes as a primary step.

3. Microsoft. (2023, September 26). Troubleshooting methodology. Microsoft Azure Well-Architected Framework documentation. In the "Diagnosis" section, the guide emphasizes the importance of understanding the timeline and asking, "What changed in the environment?" as a fundamental part of diagnosing the root cause of an issue.