Net Diagnostics - ICAT3025A Run standard diagnostic tests
Activity 1: Determine problems and make recommendations You have been called to a PC system that will not load the operating system. What diagnostic tool will you examine to help determine the problem? The Device Manager to look for resource conflicts A drive checking tool to look for file corruption A POST tool to look for errors in the booting process A system information tool to check on system updates You have been called to a PC system that will not load the operating system. When you turn it on the screen remains blank and you hear a series of beeps. You know the system has a gigabyte motherboard. What do you do? Turn the computer off and ensure all device cables are seated correctly Check for the documentation that accompanied the system Visit the manufacturer’s website and look for supporting documentation All of the above You have determined that the system has suffered from a user accidentally entering the CMOS setup tool and modifying settings. What would you recommend? Enter the CMOS tool and select ‘Restore Factory Settings’ Recommend protecting the CMOS with a password Educate the user about the computer’s booting sequence All of the above
Activity 2: Understand diagnostic tools Answer true or false for the following statement. True False The purpose of booting in ‘Safe’ mode is to minimise the chances of the operating system failing through only loading core services. Answer true or false for the following statement. True False The system log will record information about which system services have started and which have failed.
Activity 3: Use diagnostic tools A user complains that their USB memory stick is not recognised on their Windows XP system. It should appear as a disk drive in Windows Explorer. They suggest that the driver may need to be installed. What tool would you use? CMOS/BIOS configuration tool Device Manager Disk Manager Windows Explorer A new video card and monitor is added to a PC, but does not allow you to access the range of settings you expect. What diagnostic tools could you use to check the device?
The Device Manager
Activity 4: Interpret results On the computer you are sent to examine, the following information displays in the Device Manager and a properties box.
Figure 1: Device Manager Screen and a device properties box Select any of the following statements that are true (click in the box):
The Device Manager screen in the background shows no device conflicts. The system has an ‘Intel’ USB network card. The device properties box shows the device is currently configured correctly. The device properties box proves that the computer is working perfectly.
Activity 5: Check disk The computer you have been sent to examine is reported to have ‘lost’ and ‘corrupted’ files on its hard disk drive. Examine the boxes shown in the screenshot below (from the computer) then answer the following question.
Figure 2: Local disk properties The option selected for this disk check will not: Attempt to find ‘lost’ or ‘corrupted’ files Check the FAT entries against the contents of the drive Attempt to fix ‘lost’ or ‘corrupted’ files Identify a faulty hard disk drive
Check your understanding Do you think you already have an understanding of system diagnostic tools? Try and answer the following questions to check your understanding. Answer true or false: True False A diagnostic tool will tell you what is wrong with a computer system that is malfunctioning. The POST tool will tell you: What operating system is installed The software drivers of all devices are correctly installed The major hardware components of the system are functioning The printer is online and working
Answer true or false: True False The CPU type and speed is displayed after the POST is complete. The system log provides information about the: Loading of the operating system and its services Status of each device and the resources it uses CPU type and speed in Mhz Type and number of hard disk drives installed Answer true or false: True False A device driver is written for a specific device and a specific operating system. Answer true or false: True False A computer’s RAM is first checked by the operating system when it loads.
Tools and their functions Drag a line from each tool to the corresponding function. Power On Self Test Allows resources to be viewed or configured BIOS/CMOS Checks keyboard is present and no keys are stuck Device Manager Maintains hardware configuration of the system Disk Manager Checks FAT and media integrity