Abstract
This chapter is targeted primarily at someone studying for the A+ Certification exam. You will learn how to identify environmental problems that can lead to PC system failure, recognize the key indications of a major component failure, and identify the hardware and software tools used in troubleshooting. The chapter ends with a quiz and suggested activities.
This chapter covers hardware troubleshooting and optimization. Diagnosing problems requires you to combine your knowledge of PC architecture, the boot process, and the operating environment in a logical troubleshooting process.
The skill set you need for optimizing hardware is slightly different in that optimizing a system requires you to be able to determine where a bottleneck is, how to resolve it, and how to configure components for best performance.
Upon completion of this chapter, you will be able to
Identify environmental problems that can lead to PC system failure
Recognize the key indications of a major component failure
Identify the hardware and software tools used in troubleshooting
TROUBLESHOOTING
Using your knowledge
PC hardware
PC software
Using what you find and learn from
Users
The environment
Troubleshooting will require you to transfer your knowledge of PC hardware, software, users, the environment, and the normal operations of a PC to determine where a failure is occurring. If several components could be causing a problem, always start with the quickest, easiest solution, then work through to the most difficult item to replace.
An example of logical troubleshooting is looking at the PC that will not boot (see Figure 5.1). The first step in troubleshooting might be reviewing the environment, such as determining whether any other devices in the office are not working and whether there appears to be power to the PC. If the PC and monitor have indicator lights on, you can assume that power is available to the PC.
You could then ask the user if the problem has occurred before or if the PC has been acting odd. If the user can’t provide any indications as to the problem, you can attempt to boot to the PC, noting any audio or video indications, like beeps or flashing lights.
At this point, your knowledge of the boot process will help you determine which major component is not operating properly.
Note: When several components could be causing a failure, always attempt repair starting with component quickest to replace and work through to the component most difficult to replace.
Error messages can indicate a variety of problems, which are covered later in this chapter.
DEFINING THE PROBLEM
Use a major component checklist
Review the boot process
Use an operational checklist
When you are working on a problem, you should first determine which of the major components appear to be working and which ones are not. An easy way to do this is to fill in a checklist of the major components of the PC. A sample checklist is shown in Table 5.1.
Noting any audio or video indications from components on a simple list like this will help you quickly determine what appears to be working.
You might also create a second chart listing the steps of the boot process that can be checked if the system reaches that point in the boot. A sample boot chart is shown in Table 5.2.
A third checklist might list the major functions performed by the PC, such as booting, printing, and running an application. By noting all of these indications, you can partly define a problem. Use Table 5.3 as a guide for creating your own checklist.
Your list may vary from this one, depending on how PCs are used in your environment.
TALKING TO THE CUSTOMER
Put the customer at ease
Check out the environment
Fill out the customer questionnaire
When talking to the customer, let the customer know that PC failures do occur and you need to discover what events took place prior to the failure to help you troubleshoot the problem. You want to make sure you find out whether any changes to the environment, hardware, or software have been performed in the few weeks prior to the failure, and whether this problem is recurring or simply intermittent.
Some of the environmental issues that can cause PC problems include changes in the weather and physical placement of the equipment. If the weather gets cold, buildings’ heaters are turned on; heaters tend to take humidity out of the air. Dry air causes static electricity to be generated, which can cause monitors to blank out when touched by the user. Warm weather or a heater vent blowing directly onto a PC can also cause problems. If the PC is under the desk and the fan for the power supply is blocked, the fan cannot remove enough heat from the case, which could cause the PC to overheat.
Table 5.4 shows a checklist to help you pinpoint any recent changes that may affect the operation of the PC.
The user is normally happy to answer you if you have a standard checklist and don’t use an accusatory tone of voice. Users can be of great help in diagnosing a problem properly.
KEY INDICATORS
Indicators of component failure
Indicators/possible cause cross reference
Key indicators can help identify a problem quickly. You can look at these indications from two perspectives: beginning with the component or beginning with the symptom.
The first perspective begins with the component and lists common indications that the component has failed. Table 5.5 maps components and indications of failure.
The second perspective lists key symptoms of problems and matches to these symptoms components that can be causing these problems. You can use Table 5.6 as a guide for creating your own table.
The term crow-barring, as used in
Table 5.6, means that the power supply is sensing that a device has shorted to ground. The power supply shuts itself off so it won’t get damaged.
As you gain experience, you can create your own chart, adding indications and resolutions. Tracking your personal experiences will help you become the seasoned veteran that everyone wants when they need troubleshooting.
ERROR CODES
“Beep“ error codes
Numbered error codes
Two types of errors occur during the boot process and can lead you to the offending component — the beep error codes and the on-screen error codes. Typically, boot errors generate a message on the screen indicating a hardware error. You must then press the F1 key to continue the boot process.
“Beep” Error Codes
As you recall, the Power On Self Test (POST) checks the core components on the system. If a failure occurs, the program produces a series of beeps that can be decoded to identify the failure. Each of the many BIOS manufacturers has its own set of beep codes.
A good rule of thumb to follow is that zero, one, or two short beeps indicate that the POST was successful. Although the pattern varies among the different manufacturers, typically an error is indicated by a series of short and long beeps. A list of beep codes is available from each of the BIOS manufacturers.
Important: A series of short and long beeps indicates a POST failure.
Numbered Error Codes
If the POST is successful but a major component is inoperable, an on-screen error is often generated. Table 5.7 lists some of the more typical on-screen errors and what major component is failing.
You might also see a specific type of error listed on the screen, such as
Keyboard error — Press F1 to continue. Plugging in the keyboard usually solves keyboard errors. You may need to reboot for the system to detect the keyboard.
Parity error. If you see a parity error, either the system memory is bad or you are using the wrong type of memory.
Primary HDC failure — Press Del to enter Setup. HDC failure is a hard disk controller problem. Ensure that all cables are correctly connected inside the case, especially that the hard disk is connected to the controller. This problem can also indicate a bad disk controller.
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