Troubleshooting and Maintenance

Notes

14
TROUBLESHOOTING AND
MAINTENANCE

While using computers many times we face problems. Sometimes, the computer
runs very slow, sometimes the system is not turning on, sometimes some external
device is not working. These are the common problems while working in computer
system. This lesson gives the knowledge and competency to diagnose the basic
faults of computer peripherals, software and also secure the computer system. It
will provide knowledge that will enable you to identify and rectify the computer
hardware, software and network related problems.

Objectives
After reading this lesson you will be able to:
z troubleshoot hardware;
z troubleshoot software;
z network troubleshooting;
z secure your computer system.

14.1 System Recovery

System restore is system utility provided by Microsoft Windows, which can be
used to recover the windows faults or errors. While operating Windows, if a
serious error occurs then, you can restore the data by using ‘system restore’
option. To use the option, you must use a Windows installation disc for restore.
If you don’t have a Windows installation disc you can use a system repair disc to
restore the Windows.

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To Create a System Repair Disc

z Open backup and restore option from ‘Control Panel’ (refer Fig. 14.1).
Notes

Fig. 14.1: Control Panel Window

z Click on create system repair disc (refer Fig. 14.2). You may be asked for
username and password for authentication.

Fig. 14.2: Create a System Repair Disc

z System repair point will be created.

For reinstalling the windows, a ‘System Image’ can be used as a copy of drive. A
system restore image can be used anytime for restoring the windows if the hard disk
or Windows operating system stops working. System restore option can be used
for the complete restoration of the system. You cannot choose a specific file for
restoration, all your current data will be backed up in one go.
‘System Restore’ option can be used to restore the system to a point where the
current setting of the system was running. You can actually restore your system to
an earlier point by using the systems restore point, which was created in your
system by default. The restore point is always created automatically for the events
such as Windows update etc.

To Restore System Files and Settings use a Recommended Restore Point:

1. Click to open ‘system restore’.
2. If prompted enter the password and username for authentication.
3. Choose the recommended restore point.
4. Review the restore point and click ‘OK’.

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Limitations and Complications

Some documents in specific areas on the system volume are checked. Doing this Notes
undesirable programming and particularly set-up programming updates may not
be completely returned by ‘System Restore’. Certain issues might emerge when
endeavouring to run or totally uninstall that application.

14.2 Control Panel

Its purpose is to change the features of Windows Operating System in respect of
display, security, handling peripherals, settings of networks, etc., (refer Fig. 14.3).

Fig. 14.3: Control Panel Window

Table 14.1:Control Panel Options

Category Uses and Options
System and Security To set and change System and Security settings.
System settings include:
z Action Center System
z Windows Update
z Power Options
z Backup and Restore
z Administrative Tools

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Security settings include:

Notes z Windows Firewall
z ‘BitLocker’ Drive Encryption

User Accounts To create, maintain, and delete user accounts. This

category includes:
z User Accounts
z Windows CardSpace
z Credential Manager
z Mail (32-bit)

Network and Internet To change the network and Internet settings such as
creating new network group or joining an existing
network group, adding new Internet connection or
removing an existing one.
This category includes:
z Internet access Network and Sharing Center
z Homegroup
z Internet Options

Appearance and To change the wall paper, screensaver, Folder options

Personalization etc. This category includes:
z Personalization
z Display
z Desktop Gadgets
z Taskbar and Start Menu
z Ease of Access Center
z Folder Options
z Fonts

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Hardware and Sound To add or remove hardware devices and to change

sound settings. This category includes: Notes
z Devices and Printers
z AutoPlay
z Sound
z Power Options
z Display
z Windows Mobility Center

Clock, Language, and To change clock, date and region settings.This

Region category includes:
z Date and Time
z Region and Language

Programs To uninstall programs or Windows features, uninstall

gadgets, get new programs from the network or
online.This category includes:
z Programs and Features
z Default Programs
z Desktop Gadgets

Ease of Access To adjust your computer settings for vision, hearing,

and mobility and use speech recognition to control
your computer with voice commands. This category
includes:
z Ease of Access Center
z Speech Recognition

The Control Panel can also be displayed in other two views (i) Large Icons view,
and (ii) Small Icons view.

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Small Icons view of the control panel is displayed in Fig. 14.4.

Notes

Fig. 14.4: Small Icon View of Control Panel

14.3 Hardware Troubleshooting

When the computer is working unusually, turn off the computer and restart after
a while.

Precautions Before the Diagnose or Troubleshooting

z Never replace a Computer peripheral near the main power supply.
z Never touch a Computer peripheral with wet hands. Make sure your hands
are clean and dry when you handle them.
z If you can, always use an anti-static computer repair kit.
z Always use proper tools.
z Never use your teeth to clean or cut wires or any other electronic and electric
parts.
z Always have good power cords/extension boards and earthing system.
Troubleshooting of Monitor
If your monitor is not working or not getting power, then first check the monitor
is ON. Then verify the power switch is ON and also check the monitor is power

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saving or sleeping mode. In case it is not getting on then check it whether all
peripherals are connected or not.
Notes
To change the display settings, select ‘Start’ menu and choose ‘Change display
settings’. The following window will be displayed (refer Fig. 14.5). Change the
resolution, orientation, text size etc., from this window.

Fig. 14.5: Change Display Settings

Printer Troubleshooting
There are lot of printers available in the market and the reason why printers may
not print vary.
z If your printer is not printing, then first check the printer cable is attached with
your computer or not and, also check your printer is ON. In case the printer
you are using is a network printer, then check whether it is accessible in your
network. Next you try to update the printer driver.

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z Load the paper in case your printer is not having papers on printer tray. Printers
may have more than one tray, load the paper accordingly and take print outs.
Notes
z Also, check is there any paper jam in the printer, if yes, then clear the paper
jam and restart the printer.
z To test printer is working properly, open ‘Control Panel’ → ‘Devices and
Printers’. It will display devices and printers attached to your computer. Now
right click on your printer name and choose ‘Printer Properties’. Printer
Properties dialog box will be displayed. Choose (refer Fig. 14.6) ‘Print Test
Page’.

Fig. 14.6: Printer Properties

It will display the message that ‘A test page has been sent to your printer’. It will
print your test page (refer Fig. 14.7).

Fig. 14.7: Print Test Page

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In case, the printer does not print the test page you can use Printer Trouble shooter
(Open Devices and Printers → select Printer → Right click on the Printer Name
and choose ‘Troubleshoot’ (refer Fig. 14.8). Notes

Fig. 14.8: Choose Troubleshoot

CD Troubleshooting
In case, if you have inserted any CD or DVD on the drive, and it is not working:
Remove CD /DVD from your Computer, insert it again and check.
z Verify whether the CD is placed properly.
z Verify whether the CD can be used on the CD drive of an alternate machine.
z Verify whether the CD is scratched or grimy.
z Verify whether the CD is a CD-R or CD-RW that was copied.

Keyboard Troubleshooting
If your keyboard is not responding, then try the following:
z First, check the keyboard cable is connected properly.
z Connect the keyboard into a different USB port.
z Disconnect your keyboard, clean it with dry cotton cloth. Connect it again and
check keyboard is getting power.

Mouse Troubleshooting
If your mouse is not responding, then try the following:
z First check the mouse cable is connected properly.

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z Connect the mouse into the different USB port.

Notes z Disconnect your mouse, clean it with dry cotton cloth.

If you are using wireless mouse, check whether you have placed proper batteries
correctly and the batteries are working.

Networking Troubleshooting
If you are unable to connect the network, then:
z Check to see if the network cable is plugged, if not then plug it.
z Check to see if the light is blinking when the network cable is plugged.
z Check to see if username, password and domain are entered correctly.
z Re-enter new username, password and domain and try again.
z If you still get an error message, then check the login credentials on other PCs,
if it works correctly then the problem is solved.

Video Troubleshooting
If you get a black screen on your Personal Computer, then check:
z Whether monitor’s light is on, if on, then check your screen’s brightness. If
your screen’s brightness is turned down, then turn it up.
z The power cord is unplugged, then plug the power cable.

Sound Troubleshooting
If you are unable to hear any sound from your computer system then:
z In case, if you are using external speakers, then connect them at the back of
the computer in the audio port.
z Check to see if the speakers are turned on, if not then turn them on.
z Check to see if the volume is turned up, if not, then turn it up. Also check
whether the speaker is mute, if yes then unmute it.
z Try unplugging and re-plugging the speaker again.

No Power
z If the computer doesn’t power up at all, Reset the BIOS first and try.

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z If still it does not power up, disconnect all the peripherals and wire harnesses,
except processor and power supply, then try to switch it on from the
motherboard’s front panel connector. Notes
z If still it does not power up, change the power supply and try.
z If still it does not power up, remove the motherboard with processor from
casing and lay it on antistatic surface and plug a power supply and again try.
z If same problem still exists, replace the processor and try again.
z If even this does not solve the problem, the motherboard itself is faulty.

Reinstall/Update Drivers
Numerous hardware related issues happen due to driver clashes, degenerate driver
parts and drivers that need to be overhauled for utilization. At the point when
something does not work, reinstall the driver that accompanied.

14.4 Software Troubleshooting

Keep Updated
One general guideline to remember while carrying out programming related
troubleshooting is to verify whether you have the latest adaptations of your
applications, drivers and working framework. Additionally, install good anti-virus
software which automatically scans and cleans your computer as and when
required.
To keep the updated software, you should look for and download ‘Application
Patches’. Recently launched applications may have bugs. When the application
developer gets to know about some bugs in the application, he/she develops and
posts patches, fixes, and administration packs on its site to rectify the same. When
you have programs that contain bugs, check the site of your product maker; they
may have posted the fix you require. You should download the patch(es) and install
them on your computer.

Preliminary Measures
When you have an issue with a Windows machine, the first thing you need to do
is to restart the machine.

Reinstall
If a specific program/software starts working in an unexpected manner and is not
working properly, even after a few attempts, reinstalling the particular program/
software is required.
Before re-installing a software, you have to uninstall it (through control panel).

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Eliminate Troublesome Programs

If you notice that consistent problems began after you installed a particular
Notes
software, then uninstall and re-install the software. If the problems again arise then
either uninstall the software permanently (if you think that the software is
unnecessary) or contact the software developer to get the issue resolved.

Defragmenting the Hard Drive

After a machine has been utilized for some time, the files on the hard disk get
fragmented. We don’t get to know about this fragmentation because we always get
the correct data from the files. But fragmentation slows down the performance of
the hard drive. Therefore, we should periodically defragment our hard disks.
Defragmentation software is usually supplied as a utility with the operating system.

Formatting Your Hard Disk (HD)

In the extreme situation, you may need to format your hard disk, and reinstall your
operating system, drivers, and programs from scratch. This is the situation when
machines have been hit by specific sorts of weakening infections, or in circumstances
where all other repair endeavours have fizzled. When you format your HD,
‘EVERYTHING WILL BE PERMANENTLY’ deleted.

14.5 Network Troubleshooting

The basic network troubleshooting tools are:

Pinging
Ping command is used to check the reachability of the host on an Internet protocol.
i.e., to verify that computer can communicate with other computers (devices) on the
network. It displays the time taken for the hop to connect, the number of packets
received, the number of packets lost, and the number of packets sent (refer Fig. 14.9).

Fig. 14.9: Ping Command

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Traceroute
Traceroute is a command used by a computer network administrator to check the Notes
number of hops and if the packet is being lost or the internet connection is unable
to be established. As the command suggests, it traces the route completely and
checks each and every hop of the route (refer Fig. 14.10).

Fig. 14.10: Traceroute Command

Ifconfig
Ifconfig is a system administration tool used for the configuration of interface
mostly in Unix like architecture. By using this command, a user can configure each
and every interface connected to the hardware whether it is input/ output interface
(refer Fig. 14.11).

Fig. 14.11: Ifconfig Command

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Netstat
Netstat command also known as the network statistics command is used to display
Notes
the network connections for transmission of packets. It also displays the routing
table with complete network protocol statistics (refer Fig. 14.12).

Fig. 14.12: Netstat Command

Testing Speed
The broadband speed of the internet connection can be tested easily with various
applications such as speedtest.net (refer Fig. 14.13). It tracks and displays the
number of hops, the upload speed and the download speed. It works for both
symmetric and asymmetric internet connections.

Fig. 14.13: Speedtest.net Webpage

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Notes

Fig. 14.14: Pingtest.net Webpage

14.6 Indications of Commonly Found Problems

The following are some of the most well-known PC issues that are accounted by
the customers and users:
Computer Won’t Turn On
One of the most commonly seen errors is ‘PC not starting up’. When you start
your computer, it might not be starting up. Now you need to check your
computer’s power cable first. If the power cable is properly plugged, then you have
to check system’s power supply. If there is no power, then 90% chances are that
your power supply is not working fine. If the power supply is there, and your
monitor is on, then take out the RAM, clean it and plug it into your system’s
motherboard.Now, the system will start if there is no major hardware failure.
“404”/“Page Not Found” Error during Internet Browsing
You may get this error because the requested page is not available on the server.
Sometimes, this error will be solved by refreshing the page or ensuring the correct
spelling of the web page or open the page from some other machine. If you are the
owner of the website, then contact your hosting provider to solve.

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Notes

Fig. 14.15: HTTP 404 Not Found Error Page

Abnormally Functioning Operating System or Software

Sometimes your operating system or software is not working or responding
properly, then restart your machine and scan for virus in your system. If virus is
found in your system, delete the virus. To prevent this, install antivirus software
in your system.

Strange Noises
Sometimes your system makes strange noise due to hard drive problem or fan may
be making noise. In this case first check CPU fan and case fan are working properly.
If not, replace them. If hard drives makes noise, backup your data otherwise you
may lose your data.

Intext Questions 14.1

1. What is “404/Page Not Found” Error?
2. ............................ command is used to display the network connections for
transmission of packets.

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3. In Control Panel ............................ will help in adjusting your computer

settings for vision, hearing, and mobility.
Notes
4. ............................ command is used to verify that computer can communicate
with other computer (device) on the network.

14.7 Secure Your System

Computer system security guarantees that your machine does what is desired. It
secures the data from being lost or altered either intentionally or unintentionally.
Also, it ensures that no unauthorized person can access your data.

Encryption
Most tools encrypt the information kept in the secret word document. Encryption
guarantees that even if the data could be accessed by unknown means, the intruder
won’t have the capacity to peruse the passwords in the document; they will look
like babble. Most tools perform one-way encryption of passwords.

Data Access: Protecting Your Data

Who can read your records? Who can change your documents? Will you choose
to impart your information to different clients? How does the system settle on
choices about access control?
In the event that you work alone on a PC, you don’t have to stress over access
controls. When you start to work on a system that supports various clients, you
will need to be careful over information security and access controls. You may not
need each client to have the capacity to read your records.
A small flaw in the network can result in major financial damage or loss of sensitive
data. Network security consists of authorization of data access in network. Users
are assigned authenticating information which permits them access to information
and programs based on permissions.
Firewall enforces access policies for e.g., services which are allowed for accessing
by network users. Intrusion Detection and Prevention system helps in detecting
such intrusions. Networks are prone to attacks from malicious sources. Network
attacks can be of two types; ‘Passive’ and ‘Active’. Tools are to be used for
preventing the intrusion on networks.

What You have Learnt

z Purpose of Control Panel is to change the features of Windows operating
system in respect of display, security, handling peripherals etc.

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z Ping command checks the reachability of the host on an Internet protocol.

Notes z Traceroute is a command used by a computer network administrator to check

the number of hops and if the packet is being lost or the internet connection
is unable to be established.
z Ifconfig; by using this command a user can configure each and every interface
connected to the hardware whether it is input/output interface.
z Types of network attacks are passive attack and active attack.

Terminal Exercise
1. How to access the System Recovery options menu?
2. Discuss about the System Restore utility.
3. What are the various causes for having No Power in the system?
4. Discuss the steps to be taken if the power is there, but display is not coming?
5. What are the preliminary measures to ensure that system is working properly?

Answers to Intext Questions

14.1
1. Requested page is not available in server
2. Netstats
3. Ease of Access (Ease of Access Center)
4. ping

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