Session 4: Troubleshooting and utilities

Common Troubleshooting Steps :

When you switch on the system, the power supply detects the CPU and the peripherals (the
other connected devices). The system boots, and if all peripheral devices have been
successfully detected, most systems will produce a beep. If any connected device (such as
monitor, keyboard, mouse, and printer) does not switch on, try the following:
Close running programs that are not being currently used Check the Cables:
Check the cable of the specific computer hardware which is not working. Ensure that all
connections are tight, correctly plugged in, and the Power button of these devices is ON. For
wireless devices, make sure it is turned on and the batteries are charged.
For example, a laptop’s battery may not be charged. Plug the AC adapter into the electric
socket, wait a few minutes, and then try to turn on the laptop.
Repeat the Steps to See if the Problem Recurs: Repeat the sequence of steps that you
performed before the problem occurred. Observe if it causes the same response from your
computer.
Use Help: Access the Help window by pressing the F1 key. This window helps to find a solution
to the problem.
Record Error Messages: Record the full error message for future reference. Restart the
Computer: Restart the peripheral device. If the device still does not switch on, shut down the
computer and start it again.
Troubleshooting Hardware Problem
1. Monitor is not Showing any Display/ The Screen is Blank The System is in Sleep Mode:
The computer may be in Sleep mode. Click the mouse or press any key on the keyboard
to wake it up. Check All Connections: For a desktop, ensure a proper connection of a cable
connecting the monitor and a computer cabinet. Check that the power cables of the
monitor and cabinet are plugged into the electric socket and the power is turned on.
Laptop’s Battery is Low: The laptop’s battery could be very low, causing the laptop to
switch off. Connect the charging cable to the laptop and plug it into the electric socket.
The laptop will start charging, and in a few minutes, the laptop can be switched on.
2. Keyboard Troubleshooting If the keyboard is not responding, try the following: Check
Connections: Check the connection of the keyboard to the computer. If it is not connected,
or the connection is loose, connect it properly to the computer. Check for any Damage:
Inspect the keyboard cord for any damage. If any damage is found, the keyboard may
need to be repaired or replaced. Change Batteries: For a wireless keyboard, the batteries
may have discharged. You may need to change the batteries
Keys are stuck: If one of the keys on your keyboard is stuck,
you need to clean the keyboard. You will have to first turn off the computer. As the
keyboard is stuck, you may need to use a mouse if required. Remove dust with the help
 of a brush, and wipe the keyboard clean with a damp cloth (water should not be dripping
from the cloth).
3. Mouse Troubleshooting In case the mouse is not working, try the following
troubleshooting options: Check Connections: Make sure that the mouse is securely
plugged into the computer. Check for any Damage: Inspect the mouse cord for any
damage. If the damage is noticed, the mouse may need to be replaced. Check the Cordless
Mouse: For a cordless mouse which is not working, switch off, and then switch on the
cordless mouse. This should re-establish a connection with the system. Clean the Mouse:
Try cleaning the mouse with a damp cloth. Clean the area around the button located on
the underside of the mouse.
4. Troubleshooting Printer Problems Printer is Not Responding (Not Printing) The printer
could not be responding due to a number of reasons. Check for each of the following
causes, taking necessary action as required: The Printer is Not Connected Properly or Not
Switched On: Ensure that the printer cables are connected properly. If the printer is not
switched on, switch it on. The Printer is Out Of Paper: If the printer does not have paper,
put paper in the paper tray and try printing again. The Printer Paper Jam (Paper is caught
in the Printer): Open the printer and remove the paper caught in the printer. Close the
printer and try printing again. The Ink Cartridge of Printer is Empty: Most printers give a
warning message when the ink levels are low (insufficient for printing). Change the ink
cartridge and try again. Incorrect Printer Driver: The printer driver may be incorrect. You
would need to install a new printer driver. The latest driver can be downloaded from the
manufacturer’s website. Some printers, when connected to the internet, give a message
when driver updates are available.
Consult your system administrator before installing any new software. The Printer and
Computer are Communicating Properly: This problem is more common when a wireless
connection is being used to connect a PC/ laptop to a printer. Check that the IP address
configured on your computer matches the Dynamic IP address allocated to the printer (If
the printer is connected through WI-FI (a wireless network) the configured IP Address
could be different from the one stored on your PC). Before troubleshooting the printer’s
IP address, you need to ensure that both your system and printer are connected by means
of a network – through a wireless connection or through Ethernet.

You can access your printer settings and check the IP address and change the settings (if
required). Follow the following steps:

SOUND TROUBLESHOOTING :
When you are not getting sound from the speakers, troubleshoot using the suggestions given
below: Check Speaker Volume Check the volume level of the speakers. Click the Audio button
in Task Bar to make sure the sound is turned on and that the volume is up
Check Audio Player Controls Many audios and video players have their own separate audio
controls. Ensure that the sound is turned on and that the volume is set large enough to be
heard.
Check the Cables In case external speakers are used, ensure that the speakers are plugged
into the electric socket, turned on, and connected to the correct audio port or a USB port on
your system. If your computer has color-coded ports, the audio output port will usually be
green.
Check the Sound Using Headphones Connect headphones to the audio output port of your
computer, and check whether you can hear sound from the headphones. If you can, that
means there is something wrong with your speakers. Contact a Service Engineer.
An Application is Running
Slow Check for Available Updates If restarting the application does not improve the speed of
the application, check for updates. Click the Help menu and look for an option to check for
Updates. In case this option is unavailable, you can search online for application updates.

An Application is Frozen: Sometimes an application may freeze. When this happens, you will
not be able to close the window or click any button within the application. The following
troubleshooting options may be tried:
Forcefully End the Application : On a PC / Laptop keyboard, press (and hold) Ctrl+Alt+Delete
(the Control, Alt, and Delete keys). This will open the Windows Task Manager (Figure 7.13).
Open the Applications tab on this screen. You will see a list of applications. The applications
should have the status as Running. An application which is not responding would have the
status as Not Responding. Select the application which is not responding from the list and click
the End Task button. This forcefully terminates the application. Now restart the application.
Restart the Computer : If you are unable to forcefully end an application, close all running
programs and restart the computer. If you are unable to shutdown/ restart your system,
perform a hard reboot by pressing the Power button, i.e. manually turn off the computer. This
step should be performed in extreme situations, as a last resort. Remember that hard reboot
may cause data loss.
Once the system is responding, run the virus check to scan the system for viruses.
Utilities : Utilities are the special programs that help computer systems to work more
smoothly, efficiently and effectively. Utility software programs help in : - improving the
performance of computer - provide security from virus, - manage disk space - free disk space
on hard Disk - provide backup etc.
1. Check for Viruses :You may have malware running in the background, which is slowing
applications on your system. Viruses generally lower the system’s performance. Run the virus
scanner installed on your system.
2. Free Space on the Hard Drive Check Minimum Free Disk Space Required: There should be
at least 200-500 MB of free hard drive space on your system. Non-availability of free space
slows the functioning of the computer. To check the amount of disk space available, Open the
Windows Explorer Application and click on My Computer. This will show the different hard
disk partitions such as C, and D. To check the amount of disk space available on the C drive,
highlight the C drive and right click to get a pop-up menu . Select the Properties option from
this pop-up Menu. Choose ‘General’ Tab of this application.
Run a Disk Clean Up Application To get some more disk space, run the Disk Cleanup
Application. On the General tab , click on the Disk Cleanup button, to start disk cleanup. Once
the Disk Cleanup is complete, the Disk Cleanup dialog box opens Click on Clean up system files
button. This will delete any unnecessary system-related files from the local disk.
Delete Unused Files and Programs Periodically delete files and programs you do not need. This
will increase the free space on your disk, increasing the performance of your computer. Images
and videos take up a lot of space. These can be moved to an external drive. This will free some
space on the disk drive. Empty Your Recycle Bin This can be done by right-clicking on the
Recycle Bin icon (usually on the desktop), and then selecting Empty Recycle Bin.

Remove temporary files :

Open Disk Cleanup:
• Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog.
• Type cleanmgr and press Enter.
Select the Drive:
• Choose the drive you want to clean up (usually the C: drive).
Select Files to Delete:
• Check the boxes next to the temporary files you want to remove. This might include:
o Temporary files
o Internet files
o Thumbnails
o Recycle Bin
o Windows Error Reporting files
o Downloaded program files
Click OK:
• Disk Cleanup will calculate the amount of space you can free up.
• Click OK to proceed with the deletion

Defragmentation is the process of rearranging fragmented files on a hard drive to improve

performance. It's especially helpful for older hard drives.
Here's how to defragment a drive in Windows:
1. Open Control Panel:
o Click on the Start button and type "Control Panel."
2. Go to Defragment and Optimize Drives:
o Search for "Defragment and Optimize Drives" and click on the result.
 3. Select the Drive:
o Choose the drive you want to defragment.
4. Optimize Drive:
o Click on the "Optimize" button.
Additional Tips:
• Schedule Defragmentation: You can set up Windows to defragment your drives
automatically at a scheduled time.
• Check Drive Health: Defragmentation is less effective on solid-state drives (SSDs).
Check your drive type before defragmenting.
• Consider Alternative Optimization Tools: For more advanced optimization, you might
explore third-party tools like Cleaner.

Troubleshooting Networking Problems

Unable to Connect to the Network

1. Checking for Network Connectivity: A common problem is that you are unable to open
a web page that you had requested. This could be because you are unable to connect
to the Internet. To check the internet connection, view the Network icon (triangular in
shape). This is on the Task Bar The screenshot in this figure shows that there is no
network connection (an orange star on the network icon).
2. An alternate method to check for network connectivity is to click Start button > Control
Panel > Network and Sharing Centre The red cross between the USER-PC and Internet
shows that the computer is not connected to the Internet. You would have to establish
an internet connection. You may need to run the diagnosis to find the cause of the
problem.
3. On the Task Bar, click the Network icon to see the available Internet connections. If you
have opened the Network and Sharing dialog box (Start button > Control Panel >
Network and Sharing Center), click on the link Connect to a network. This will open a
list of Wireless Network Connections in the vicinity of your system, . Click on one of
the connections and then click the Connect button.
4. Once you have requested for network connectivity, the troubleshooting application
will display a few screens while the system attempts to diagnose the issue: Windows
Network Diagnostics: Investigate router or access point issues, Detecting problems,
Resolving the problems, Detecting additional problems, etc. These screens will guide
you in establishing a connection. For example, while investigating router or access
point issues, it would ask you to turn off the router and restart it again.
5. If you are still unable to connect to the internet, the troubleshooting application would
report the Problem in network connectivity. ‘Problem with wireless adapter or access
point’. Try Switching Off and then Switching On the adapter. If that still does not work,
repeat the whole process again after some time. Your network connectivity issue
would probably be solved after a few attempts.
Check for the Validity of IP Address :
To check the validity of an IP address in Windows using the Command Prompt, you can use
the `ping`, `nslookup`, or `tracert` commands. Here’s how you can do it:

### 1. **Using `ping` Command**

The `ping` command helps verify if an IP address is reachable:

1. **Open Command Prompt:**

- Press `Win + R`, type `cmd`, and press `Enter`.

2. **Ping the IP Address:**

- Type the following command and press `Enter`:
```
ping <IP address>
```
- Replace `<IP address>` with the IP address you want to check. For example:
```
ping 8.8.8.8
```

3. **Interpret the Results:**

- If the IP address is valid and reachable, you'll see replies with the round-trip time in
milliseconds.
- If the IP address is invalid or unreachable, you'll see "Request timed out" or "Ping request
could not find host."

2. **Using `nslookup` Command**

The `nslookup` command can be used to find out if a domain name maps to a valid IP address:

1. **Open Command Prompt:**

- Press `Win + R`, type `cmd`, and press `Enter`.

2. **Use `nslookup`:**
- Type the following command and press `Enter`:
```
nslookup <IP address>
```
- Replace `<IP address>` with the IP address you want to verify. For example:
```
nslookup 8.8.8.8
```
3. **Interpret the Results:**
- If the IP address is valid, it will return the corresponding domain name (if it has one) and
server information.
- If the IP address is invalid, it may return an error or no results.
3. **Using `tracert` Command**

The `tracert` command shows the path packets take to reach a networked device:

1. **Open Command Prompt:**

- Press `Win + R`, type `cmd`, and press `Enter`.

2. **Use `tracert`:**
- Type the following command and press `Enter`:
```
tracert <IP address>
```
- Replace `<IP address>` with the IP address you want to check. For example:
```
tracert 8.8.8.8
```

3. **Interpret the Results:**

- If the IP address is valid, you'll see the route the packets take.
- If the IP address is invalid, the tracert may fail to complete or show errors.

These methods will help you determine whether an IP address is valid and reachable.

The Network Fly lead is Not Working Properly

The fly lead is the cable that connects the network card in your computer to a network point
(usually on the wall). A non-operational network fly lead could also cause failure in the
internet connection. The network fly lead is seated in the network slot on your computer. This
slot is located either at the back of the computer or on the side, depending on your PC/laptop.
Ensure that the fly lead is plugged securely into the network point on the wall. Check whether
the cable or point has been damaged. If so, seek assistance from a network administrator.
Your fly lead could be faulty or damaged. To check if your fly lead is faulty, borrow a working
fly lead from someone and repeat the previous steps with the borrowed fly lead. If this
borrowed fly lead works, your own fly lead is faulty. Seek assistance from a network
administrator. Sometimes, the network point on the wall may not be activated. A network
point will not work until it is activated. For this purpose, get help from your network
administrator.

The Network Card is Not Working Properly

A working network card is essential to connect to the Internet. The network card lights must
be flashing or lit up. If there are no lights, either the network card is broken, or there is no
network to connect to. A broken network card needs repair or replacement. Contact a Service
Engineer. Seek assistance from a network administrator to check whether the fly lead is
plugged into the correct network card. If the machine has more than one network cards, you
need to ensure that the cable is plugged into the network card configured for it (i.e. the fly
lead should connect the network card to the network point on the wall, for which it is
configured). To check whether the network card is working open a command prompt window
(Start >Run >type CMD). An MS-DOS window will open, type ping 127.0.0.1 at the prompt.
Alternatively, click Start and in the Search box type ping 127.0.0.1 and press Enter. This will
run the ping command in the command prompt window. If you get a reply the network card
is working.

Points to Remember

While working with a computer one comes across hardware, software and networking
problems. In this chapter, we learned how to diagnose and fix minor problems. The following
summarizes what we learned:

- Computer is an electronic device that takes input from the user, processes it and displays
output.

- The on and off signals denote 1 and 0 respectively. The binary language, also called machine
language.

- Commands given in high level languages need to be converted into binary language with the
help of translators.

- Speed, accuracy, memory, diligence, versatility are some of the features of computer

- Hardware are the physical components of a computer like motherboard, memory devices,
monitor, keyboard etc.

- Software is the set of programs or instructions.

- It is sometimes difficult to judge if the problem is hardware-related or software related.

Identify the part of the computer system that is not functioning properly.

- Before handing over your machine to an engineer, take a backup of important files to anothe
r source, like a pen drive or an external hard disk. This would ensure a copy of your data is
available, in case something unforeseen happens while your computer is being repaired.

- Most systems produce a beep when a system boots successfully (i.e. all peripheral devices
have been successfully detected). If any connected device does not switch on, try the common
troubleshooting tips: close running programs that are not being currently used; check the
cables; repeat to see if the problem recurs; use help; record error messages and restart the
computer.

- If the monitor is not showing any display or the screen is blank: the system could be in sleep
mode; check all the connections; the laptop’s battery may be low. If the keyboard is not
responding: check connections; check for any damage; try changing batteries in a wireless
keyboard; the keys may be stuck, replacing the keyboard.

- In case the mouse is not working: check connections; check for any damage and replace the
mouse if required; restart the cordless mouse; clean the mouse.
- The printer may not be responding because: it may not be connected properly or not
switched on; the printer could be out of paper; there could be a paper caught in the printer;
printer’s ink cartridge could be empty; an incorrect printer driver may be configured.
- The printer and computer may not be communicating properly when a wireless connection
is being used to connect a PC/ laptop to a printer. The IP address configured on your computer
should match the Dynamic IP address allocated to the printer.
- When the print jobs are being sent to the wrong printer: change the default printer or choose
an alternate printer for the current print job.
- To improve the printing speed, reduce the printing quality by using Fast Draft/ Fast Pri nting.
- When there is no sound from the speakers: check speaker volume; check audio player
controls; check the cables; check the sound using headphones
- When an application is running slow, check for available updates.
- Sometimes an application may freeze. Forcefully end the application or restart the computer.
- When all programs on the computer run slowly, check for viruses or try freeing space on the
hard disk.
- To free space on the hard drive: check minimum free disk space required; run a disk cleanup
application; delete unused files and programs; empty the recycle bin; remove temporary files;
run the disk defragmentation program; remove unused shortcuts and program services.
- Force System Restart when the computer freezes.
- When the computer is unable to connect to the network: check the network connectivity;
check the validity of IP address; the network fly lead or network card may not be working
properly