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PC Troubleshooting 637 638 Computer Service and Repair This sample chapter is for review purposes only. Copyright © The Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. All rights reserved. 636 Computer Service and Repair shareware to systems costing several thousands of dollars. The more expensive PC programs include a diagnostic board that plug into the PC’s expansion slots. 15 Most problems can be diagnosed without expensive system diagnostics. The value of expensive diagnostic tools is they can be used to save time and money when trying to identify problems that may be caused by two or more Troubleshooting components. For example, it can be diffi cult to determine if a problem is caused by a troublesome CPU or a bad motherboard. When this situation arises, a simple solution is to substitute a known or good CPU for the suspect CPU. However, this substitution alone can be a very expensive proposition. After studying this chapter, you will be able to: ✔ State commonly practiced troubleshooting steps. Common Sense Practices ✔ Identify the three stages of computer operation. ✔ Remember, when troubleshooting and repairing PCs that “time is money.” Recognize common startup problems and understand their causes. When diagnosing PC failures and problems, always take the quickest and easiest ✔ Restart a PC in a variety of troubleshooting modes. path fi rst. When troubleshooting, there are some common sense practices you ✔ Identify the appropriate diagnostics utility to use given a specifi c problem. should follow: ✔ ✔ Step through a PC’s boot sequence. Determine the major area at fault. ✔ ✔ Explain basic data recovery methods. Determine what action occurred just prior to failure or problem. ✔ Write down settings before you change them. ✔ Go slowly. A+ Exam—Key Points ✔ Think, think, think! The A+ Certifi cation exams place a great deal of weight on knowing the Determining the Major Fault Area basics of troubleshooting. You need to become familiar with the tools, A+ The fi rst step is to try to determine what major area is the most likely source their limitations and their purpose. The best way to become familiar with of the fault. There are three major fault areas to be considered: troubleshooting tools is by using them. Study the menu options, such as ✔ Hardware failure. Safe Mode, and how to access them. ✔ Software failure. It is very important to study the setup readme.txt fi les that come with each ✔ User-generated problems. version of Windows installation CDs. They contain a lot of information The most common error or problem is the user-generated problem. Some that is used on the A+ Certifi cation exams and that is usually not found in users like to tinker with Control Panel, and others will try to solve their problems textbook material. alone. Users with a little technical knowledge can be the most dangerous. They often attempt to fi x a problem alone before calling the technician. When this happens, you may very well be faced with more than one problem. First, the Key Words and Terms original problem likely still exists, and then there are additional problems created by the user. Repairing computers in a school setting can be the most frustrating. The following words and terms will become important pieces of your Some students love to experiment on the settings on a school’s computer before computer vocabulary. Be sure you can defi ne them. trying the activity on their home computer. blue screen error kernel mode clean room Microsoft Dynamic Link Library (DLL) What Happened Last? differential backup startup problem incremental backup user mode It is critical to determine from the computer user what the last action on the computer was prior to the problem occurring or before computer failure. Often, Troubleshooting a PC requires a combination of the technician’s knowledge, the last action taken by the user can lead the technician directly to the problem. intuition, and experience. There are many diagnostic tools that are included Find out if the user recently installed some new software. Perhaps, there has been as standard programs for Microsoft software systems. There are also many a recent hardware upgrade to the problem PC. Has the user recently downloaded diagnostic tools available from third-party vendors that can assist in the a fi le from the Internet? Ask as many questions of the user as possible. This can troubleshooting process. Third-party vendor programs range from freeware and save valuable time. Ch15.indd 635 2/28/2008 3:21:56 PM Ch15.indd 636 2/28/2008 3:21:57 PM Chapter 15 PC Troubleshooting 637 638 Computer Service and Repair Proceed Carefully Troubleshooting Overview Do not rush when diagnosing problems. Operating in a hurry will lead to There is no one foolproof method to troubleshooting. There are too many sloppy work. This can create new problems or cause you to overlook something variables that can cause a computer to fail, but there are recommended important. In contrast, do proceed in a methodical yet constant pace. Customers procedures that can be used to help you organize your approach to solving a will not appreciate a technician who is standing around drinking coffee, talking, computer problem. The causes of failure discussed are not all inclusive and socializing, or any other activity that appears to be a nonproductive use of should be interpreted as a guide to solving a computer-related problem or energy. Customers are typically paying a premium price for service and are complete system failure. losing the use of their computers while they are inoperable. Don’t waste their When troubleshooting computer problems, the fi rst thing you must do is money, or, next time there is a problem, someone else will be called. isolate the problem. You must determine if it is a hardware problem, software problem, or user-generated problem. This is easier said than done. The best way Write Things Down to go about this is to decide when the problem is occurring. In other words, at Do not rely on your memory alone while performing troubleshooting. Before what stage of computer operation is the problem occurring? Did the failure or you change a setting, write down the current setting. If you are going to delete problem happen during the POST, during the loading and initialization of the a fi le, write down the fi le name. You can make the problem much harder to fi nd required operating system fi les, or after the logon and running the services and if you create another problem along the way. If a problem is not cleared after application software? This section discusses the common causes of failure related changing a setting or deleting a fi le, you should return the system fi le or setting to the three stages of computer operation. The fi rst stage is the POST. The second to the way you found it. Do not simply move on and try something else. stage is loading the required operating system fi les and initializing the hardware system. The third stage is after the logon. It comprises loading the startup Think programs and running applications and services. Think the problem through. Don’t try operations out of desperation. Desperate technicians will often run the same test twice knowing the results First Stage from the fi rst test were valid. These are acts of desperation, and they occur when If the problem occurs during POST, it is most likely a hardware failure. In this a technician is stumped. stage, no operating system software or allocation software has been loaded. The When you run out of tests—stop and think about the situation. Writing things post may fail to complete if a damaged hardware device fails POST or fails its down in a list helps. Make two lists. First, make a list of what you know is not own diagnostic routine. For example, a telephone modem that has been damaged the problem. Then, make a list of possible problems that could still exist. Check during a thunderstorm may cause the computer to lock up during the POST or the Web site of the manufacturer of the PC, the BIOS, and the operating system. immediately after. There could be corrections posted for exact symptoms you are encountering. If you just built the computer system and it fails to successfully boot the fi rst Many times, a problem is discovered that affects a particular setup or particular time during POST, chances are you have improperly installed the RAM, CPU, or combination of hardware and software programs. CPU cooling device. A high-speed CPU that has an improperly installed cooling Don’t hesitate to contact the manufacturer of the hardware or software in fan and heat sink may generate excessive heat in a few seconds, causing the question by e-mail with a description of the problem. Most questions will be computer to freeze while performing the POST. Improperly seated RAM may answered in 24 to 48 hours at no cost for the service. You can get much faster also cause the computer to fail during POST. When memory is improperly seated, replies by calling, but that service is seldom free. a beep code typically will be issued, indicating a problem with RAM. Go back Your fellow technicians are another very important source of information. As and reinstall these devices and remove all unnecessary devices, such as adapter you progress in the PC repair world, you will make many friends. It is a standard cards that are not required for system operation, and reboot the system. practice to share information with a colleague who may have encountered a If the problem still persists, you can either substitute parts to determine similar problem.
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