The best advice I can give is to add liquid flux, a lot of it too, for any of the methods. I even add it to braid because the braid often dries out when opened and often has insufficient flux on it to begin with. When using an auto pump desolderer, make sure you are using the proper size tip to fit the via pad to get the best results. The third suggestion is to keep your tools clean and change traps and filters often.

Another thing you can do is get some electronics education at a local trade school or college. Then you won't be a newbie anymore!