Start with scope and version
Record the exact product name, version or build, Windows version, affected workstation, user role, and the time the problem started. A symptom in Dolphin Imaging is not automatically a Dolphin Management or Aquarium problem.
Ask whether the same action works on another workstation and whether another user sees the same issue on the affected computer. This separates workstation, user, shared-service, and practice-wide patterns.
- One workstation only: compare local application files, device drivers, user profile, and local configuration with a known-good workstation.
- One user only: check the user-specific workflow and permissions before changing machine-wide settings.
- Several workstations: investigate shared services, data locations, network access, recent updates, and vendor status.
Choose a branch from the symptom
Use the symptom to choose the next evidence to collect. These branches are a diagnostic map, not proof of a particular root cause.
- Installer or setup error: capture the exact error and failing action, installer version, Windows edition, and whether the installer was run with the required privileges. Do not assume every setup error has the same repair.
- Inconsistent settings or database selection: compare the affected workstation with a known-good one and confirm which configuration is authoritative before editing shared settings.
- Missing or inaccessible image: determine whether the image is absent, hidden by a filter, unavailable from a shared location, or still being written. Do not delete records or lock files as a first response.
- License or update issue: identify the product version and update stage, then follow the current vendor procedure for that exact release.
- Archive, backup, or restore issue: stop before overwriting or importing data. Confirm the source, destination, backup coverage, and recovery plan.
Keep the investigation reversible
Change one variable at a time and record what changed. Before touching shared configuration, confirm who owns it, what depends on it, and how to restore the previous state.
Collect application logs using the vendor-supported method. Limit collection to the relevant time window, and remove patient names, account details, and network identifiers from material shared outside the practice.
What to include in a vendor escalation
- Product, version, Windows version, exact error text, and timestamp with time zone.
- How many workstations and users are affected, plus what still works.
- Recent changes and the last known-good time.
- Relevant logs with sensitive information removed.
- Actions already attempted and the result of each one.