Current Events
Current status
As of 1:00 p.m. ET today, over 4,000 USPTO computers remain offline due to the faulty CrowdStrike code.
Resolution Status
We have quadrupled technical support and technicians are currently providing in-person and virtual support to those with appointments. Affected employees are able to make an in-person or virtual appointment based on their duty location. Guidance is further below.
- Onsite appointments (for those local to Alexandria, VA): USPTO Onsite Repair booking page
- Virtual appointments (for those outside 50-mile radius of Alexandria): TEAPP Virtual Repair booking site
Guidance on accounting for time will be shared with all employees later today, Monday, July 22. This guidance will ensure you can complete your timesheet appropriately for any down time while your workstation was impacted.
Walk-In Support Available
If your duty station is within the 50-mile radius of Alexandria headquarters (Remote 50, routine, or situational telework programs, or a non-teleworker assigned to Alexandria) and DO NOT have a confirmed appointment, you may receive same day service today, Monday, July 22, until 4 p.m. ET, and tomorrow Tuesday, July 23 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. While we anticipate it could change quickly, as of this posting, there is no wait time. This is subject to change so if you arrive before 4 p.m., we will be able to fix your machine today. Walk-in support will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
Additional Appointment Times and Locations
We know many employees have not been able to make an appointment. We are working to increase the number of IT technicians available to open more appointments. There are appointments currently available for Tuesday and Wednesday. Once all available appointments are booked, please check back later today after 6 p.m. ET or tomorrow morning after 10 a.m. ET for additional availability.
At this time, in-person appointments are not available at any other USPTO locations, including regional offices. Again, more in-person and virtual appointments will be added as more IT support personnel become available. We ask for everyone’s patience as we continue to work to mitigate this issue.
Scam Caution
We understand some employees are being contacted by scammers impersonating IT personnel. To avoid being scammed, please ask the technician to confirm your workstation ID before proceeding with the call. Our IT technicians will NOT charge you for assistance, so please do not provide payment information.
In-person appointments for Alexandria vicinity employees*
If your duty station is within the 50-mile radius of Alexandria headquarters (Remote 50, routine, or situational telework programs, or a non-teleworker assigned to Alexandria), you are now required to make an in-person IT technical support appointment to resolve the issue. In-person resolution is anticipated to take less time and will allow virtual technicians to assist colleagues further afield.
To reserve an in-person appointment, please visit the USPTO Onsite Repair booking page using your mobile device or personal computer.
Upon making an appointment, you will receive confirmation via the email address you provided.
In addition to the confirmation email, please bring your computer and PIV badge to the appointment. Support personnel will be available in the Jefferson Building lobby to direct you to your appointment location.
*Limited exceptions will be made for employees who are sick or working elsewhere. Employees with an exception should book a Virtual appointment using the directions below.
Virtual Appointments for TEAPP Employees
If your primary duty station is outside the 50-mile radius of Alexandria headquarters (TEAP, Remote 50 to a Regional Office, or assigned to a Regional Office), you are now required to make an appointment for virtual support. In-person appointments are not currently available at any regional office location.
To reserve a virtual appointment, please visit the USPTO TEAPP Virtual Repair booking site using your mobile device or personal computer.
Upon making an appointment, you will receive confirmation via the email address you provided. You will need access to your computer during your appointment.
During your virtual appointment, confirm your call is legitimate. When your virtual appointment begins, please have the IT technician read you your workstation ID.
If your meeting time passes without the IT technician joining, they are likely behind schedule. They will call you as soon as they are available via the phone number you provided in your appointment intake.
What you need to book an appointment
You do not need access to the USPTO network to book an appointment. To book, you need to provide:
- Your workstation ID (see green sticker on your device, for most employees, the ID begins with the letters “EGU”)
- Confirmation that you have rebooted your computer before your appointment (we need to confirm that the blue Recovery screen persists upon a reboot)
- An email address you can access without your work computer
- Personal phone number where you can be reached if needed
Please only book one appointment. Because the process to fix the problem is complex, we need all employees local to the HQ area to work with an IT technician in-person, while virtual appointments are prioritized for those employees outside the HQ area.
Service Desk voicemails
If you have already called the Service Desk and left a message about this issue, we ask that you now please make an appointment to repair your computer. Please do not leave additional voicemails.
We are focusing all available IT personnel on assisting employees via the appointments system.
Next Update
We will publish our next update today Monday, July 22,
around 6 p.m. ET to the System 411 page.
Posted at 06:26PM Jul 22, 2024 in Current Status |