Computer Troubleshooting Guidelines: Antonio V. Alberto JR

COMPUTER TROUBLESHOOTING
GUIDELINES
ANTONIO V. ALBERTO JR.
B.S. COMPUTER ENGINEER
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
SAMPALOC, MANILA
Objectives
 Learn how to identify computer

problems
 Be able to identify components
causing problems
 Basic problems associated with
computer hardware
WHAT IS COMPUTER TROUBLESHOOTING?
 means solving the Computer problems,
in a systematic manner, also known as elimination
process of the problem. It is a very important process
especially in the fields of system administration.
 It is based on the process of finding the problem in the
simplest manner
COMPUTER TECHNICIANS/IT
 It is the troubleshooter responsible for using
the right techniques and solving the problems.
 A person who repairs and maintains computers
and servers.
 Technician’s responsibilities may extend to
include building/assembling or configuring new
hardware, installing and updating software
packages, and creating and maintaining
computer networks.
BEFORE TO PERFORM THE BASIC
TROUBLESHOOTING CONSIDER
THE PERSONAL SAFETY AND
SAFETY OF THE EQUIPMENT
 turn off the computer and peirpherals
 disconnect or unplug the equipment
 touch on the unpainted metal surface
on the case / use grounding wrist or
strap
Safety Note
 Protect yourself
 Power off
 “One hand rule”
 Don’t open a
monitor
 Protect the
equipment
 Power off
 Grounding strap
Use the Scientific Method
/ Troubleshooting Process
Identify the Gather Propose or
problem Information Develop
Solution
No
Problem Test or
Solved? implement
Solution
Yes
Document
the Problem
& Solution
Identify the Problem
 Describe symptoms as completely
and accurately as possible.
 Date, time.
 Scope of problem.
 What you were doing when problem
occurred.
Gather Information
 Is the problem
reproducible?
 Recent changes
 Current
configuration
 Assemble
resources
Troubleshooting Resources
 Plan ahead.
 Get copies of software, etc.
 Find vendor sites for your
hardware/software
 Find internet support communities
Propose a Solution
 Easiest solutions
 Most likely solutions
 Use a strategy:
 Process of elimination
 Divide and conquer
Test the Solution
 Test only one thing at a time!
Problem Solved?
 Yes
 Congratulate yourself
 Document the solution
 No
 Undo the solution
 Gather more information
 Propose and test another solution
Methodology Summary
 Get in the right frame of mind
 Try a quick fix
 Use the scientific method
 Use your Internet resources
 Use the right strategy
 Consult other person that
knowledgable
Initiation!
 Demonstrate your knowledge of the
secret world of troubleshooting.
Common Troubleshooting
Strategies and Techniques
There are five common-sense techniques and strategies to
solve common computer hardware problems.
1. Trial-and-error
The most powerful trouble-shooting technique

is to isolate the problem to a specific
component by trial-and-error.
Swap compatible components and see if the
system still works.
Try different peripherals on different machines
and see if the same problem occurs.
Make one change at a time.
2. "It’s the cable, s—–."
More than 70% of all computer problems are related to
cabling and connections.
Ensure all cables are connected firmly.
IDE and floppy ribbon cables and power cables can often go
loose. Ensure microprocessor, memory modules, and adapters
such as video card and sound card are inserted correctly and
didn’t "pop-up" during transportation.
3. Don’t be frustrated!
Don’t be afraid of computer problems. It is often the best
opportunity to learn.
Trouble-shooting is part of the fun of owning a computer.
Imagine the satisfaction you could get by solving a problem
yourself.
Of course the fun could ran out quickly once you are
frustrated and have spent too much time on the same
problem. If you feel frustrated, it’s time to leave it for a while
and go back with some new ideas or call someone who can
help. Rule of thumb: You shouldn’t spend more than three
hours on the same problem at one time.
4. Take notes!
Take notes of what you have done and all the error messages.
You may need to use them later. In many situations, that
message may point to the right direction in getting the
problem solved quickly.
5. Take a look?
It’s OK to open a computer case and take a look inside. There
is only 5V and 12V DC voltage supplied to the components
outside the power supply.
Diagnose And Repair Computer Errors
There are two main causes of computer errors on PC :
 hardware devices installed on the system and

 software programs installed on the system.
Hardware Troubleshooting
Objectives
 Recognize the main
components and
understand their basic
function.
 Understand that there
are different types of
components.
 Get familiar with how
the components are
installed.
 Understand common
hardware problems.
Take It Apart
 Motherboard overview
 Hard drive/CD/DVD
 NIC/expansion cards
 Memory
Put It Back Together

WHAT IS POST, AND WHAT DOES IT
DO FOR YOU?
POST is the Power-On Self Test which your computer
performs when you turn it on and/or re-boot.
Below is listed what POST checks:
 100 Series: Motherboard checks

 200 Series: Memory chip checks
 300 Series: Keyboard checks
 400 Series: Monochrome monitor checks
 500 Series: Color monitor (CGA) checks
 600 Series: Floppy Disk Drive checks
 700 Series: Math Co-processor checks
 900-1000 Series: Parallel Port Adapter Checks
 1100-1200 Series: Serial Port Adapter Checks
 1300 Series: Game Port Adapter Checks
 1400 Series: Printer Checks
 1700 Series: Hard Disk/Disk Controller Checks
DOS Audio Error codes POST error
beep codes mean:
Code:
One beep
Description:
System ok / normal operation
Code:
No beep
Description:
No display, short, no power, bad cpu, motherboard, loose
peripherals.
DOS Audio Error codes POST error
beep codes mean: (continue)
Code:
Two beep
Description:
Post CMOS error
Code:
1 long, 1 short beep
Description:
MB problem
SOME STEPS ON DIAGNOSING COMPUTER
PROBLEM BEHIND A HARDWARE ERROR.
 Turn off your PC.
 Check and ensure that all the power chords and data
cables used to connect peripheral devices to your
system are properly seated in their sockets.
 Open up the box of your computer and ensure that all
the adaptors, data cables, CPU, and memory chips are
properly seated in their slots.
 Use a vacuum device to clean-up any dust that might
have accumulated on the CPU components—do not use
the vacuum too close to the components, otherwise,
you might damage them.
 Restart the computer.
If The Error Still Remains, follow
these some steps:
 Open the Start menu, select Run, type sysdm.cpl,
and then select OK button.
 Open the Hardware tab on the System Properties
dialog box and then click on the Device Manager
button.
 In the Device Manager window, locate the faulty
hardware—this will be depicted as a yellow triangle with
a black exclamation mark within it.
 Double-click on the faulty device to open its properties
box.
 Check the Device status section on the General tab to
ensure that a problem with the device driver is not
causing the hardware error.
 If the driver is causing the problem, open the Driver
tab.
On the Driver tab, you can perform the following task to
repair driver errors:
 Update Driver: If the error indicates that the driver

files are incorrect or outdated select the Update
Driver button to update the driver of your device.
 Uninstall Driver: If the error is occurring because
the currently installed driver on your PC is corrupt or
damaged, select the Uninstall button to remove the
current driver and then reinstall it to repair your
error.
 Rollback Driver: If the error started occurring soon
after you have updated a driver, it is quite likely that
this new update is buggy. In this case, select the
Rollback Driver button to restore your old driver on
the system.
Software Errors

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COMPUTER TROUBLESHOOTING

 Learn how to identify computer

The most powerful trouble-shooting technique

 hardware devices installed on the system and

Put It Back Together

Below is listed what POST checks:

 100 Series: Motherboard checks

 Update Driver: If the error indicates that the driver

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