I like a clear desk. The things on it are intentional and fall into the ‘commonly used’ designation. [ok, sometimes I get a backup of stuff to clear off...what can I say?]

One of the info management tools I keep handy is the Tech Issue log. Mine is a small, spiral bound notebook that is reserved for logging computing issues, the dates they happened, & notes about installations or other processes that may have an effect on the computer. [what?? problems with a Mac?? There actually is very little in the book re: Mac stuff—There are a few program specific errors, esp. for Quickbooks.]

This log is especially useful when something is amiss that doesn’t quite warrant a call to tech support. When I finally do run into something justifying the time spent to call tech support, I ask them about any other issues logged.

I also record the results of each tech call. I make sure to include notes about any process done to diagnose or fix the problem. This is for future reference so that I can refer to these notes in the future, should a similar problem arise without having to call in again.