Helix Technical Services exist to help you get the most from Helix. You are always welcome to contact us if you are having trouble getting Helix to do what you want it to do, if you think you’ve found a possible bug, or if you need help determining the best way to accomplish the task at hand.
We have many ways to help you get the support you need. We try to make as much information as possible available via ‘self serve’ support services, such as this web site, the knowdgebase and techdb. Services that do not require our direct involvement (or minimal involvement) are always available at no charge to you.
Services that require our direct involvement are likely to incur technical support charges. Most technical support issues can be resolved at no charge, using the USU credits you receive with each Helix purchase. (See the User Support policy page for more details.)
Our telephone lines are manned from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern (US) Time, Monday through Friday. Email is checked during evening and weekend hours as well. Off-hours support (e.g: for collection repair) is available via prior arrangement.
An ever-expanding online volume of information that includes Tips & Tricks and answers to Helix questions for novices and experts alike.
Basic answers to basic questions, and some not-so-basic questions too.
Using the latest version of Helix Client, you can log directly in to the Helix Technical Support Server (techdb). There you can search our knowledgebase, look up Helix error codes, submit bug reports, and more. This resource is growing constantly and provides information taken directly from previous support calls as well as an online forum where Helix users around the world can share information.
Detailed instructions are found on the techdb page.
Techdb is also the site of our weekly HelixChat. Every Friday afternoon (US Eastern Time: -0500 GMT), members of the QSA ToolWorks staff and other Helix users log on and discuss the latest developments, technical issues, and other things related (or not) to using Helix.
Email support is available to for all Helix products under our User Support Unit policy. Basic questions are covered under our free support policy. Extended email exchanges may cross over into paid service. Please review the User Support policy page for more details.
The Helix File Server has sample collections, downloadable installers for most recent versions of Helix, and other useful files.
Being able to remotely access a Macintosh running Helix is useful in a number of situations, including advanced Helix technical support. The link at the left takes you to a page describing various methods of remote access in detail.
Our preferred methods of remote access are Skype (click the link in the upper left corner of this page to initiate a call), TeamViewer, and the built-in Screen Sharing functions of macOS. We also still support Timbuktu for older systems. We do not support GoToMeeting or LogMeIn.
Please contact us first via phone or email to arrange a remote access Helix technical support session.
If your company requires that connections be made through a VPN, you will need to send us the connection details.
Technical support via telephone is available for all Helix products under our User Support policy.
The technical support phone number is 570-662-8883. Tech support is generally available Monday-Friday, 9AM-5PM Eastern US Time.
Note: not all technical support calls automaticall result in USU charges. Short calls (typically under 5 minutes) and calls that turn out to be related to bugs in Helix — particularly ones that we have not published technotes about yet — are not charged. However, all tech support calls placed through the toll free number are subject to at least 1 USU charge. QSA ToolWorks reserves the right to waive USU charges on a call-by-call basis.
Extended or deeply technical email support is available for all Helix products under our User Support policy. Please be sure to include your Helix customer number or Helix product serial number in all correspondence.
The technical support email address is available here.
If you have a collection that one (or both) of the Helix Utilities say is damaged, our support staff can almost certainly repair it. Contact us via phone or email to arrange a collection repair.
Your time with Technical Support Services will be most efficiently used if you first follow the steps outlined here:
If you have received an error code:
- Know your Registration number and the version of Helix you are using.
- Write down the exact error code and what you were doing when you received the error.
- Make a backup of your Collection and run it through both diagnosis and repair programs: Helix Update Collection and Helix Utility. Be sure to write down any error codes reported by either of these applications.
- Have an updated list of your hardware, your Macintosh OS version and the names and version numbers of the other software you use.
- Know the names and version numbers of any third-party Control Panels or System Extensions you are using.
- If a developer created your application for you, call that developer first. If your developer cannot help you, be sure to send us the developer’s contact information available so we can inform them of the resolution of your problem.
If you have a technical question of a “How to…” or “What is wrong with…”:
- Know your Registration number and the version of Helix you are using.
- Clearly define the problem in your own mind before calling. Writing or drawing ‘specifications’ often helps.
- Be prepared to take the call at your computer, with a copy of your collection ready to test our suggested solutions.
- Be sure you are familiar with relevant sections of our documentation.