 Effective troubleshooting

uses techniques to
diagnose and then fix
computer problems.
 A series of logical steps
speeds up the
troubleshooting process.
 Rarely will simply guessing
potential solutions for a
problem work.
 Troubleshooting is a cycle.
 This step should provide a clear problem
statement that defines the problem as a set of
symptoms and associated causes.
 This is done by identifying the general symptoms
and then determining the possible causes that
could result in these symptoms.
 The outcome of this step should be a written set
of ideas and possibilities.
 The information gathered here will be used to
develop a solution to the problem.
 A technician will be able to make better decisions
when the problem has been accurately described.
 The technician will assess the gathered data and its
definition.
 The technician will use experience, logic, reasoning,
and common sense to develop a solution.
 This step involves the technician working on the
computer.
 The technician attempts their solution through
hands-on manipulation of the computer components,
which might be hardware and software.
 The technician is responsible for verifying that the system is
operating correctly.
 If the system is operating properly, then the troubleshooting
cycle ends successfully.
 If the system is not running correctly, the troubleshooting
cycle will continue.
 If the technician needs more information, go back to
identifying the problem (step one).
 It is important to always document all the changes
that were introduced to the system as a result of
solving one problem.
 This record can be the starting point for
troubleshooting any future problems.
 Every technician should have a good toolset.
 To correctly troubleshoot hardware problems,
technicians will need to be equipped with the
right tools.
 The average computer problem is not going to
require sophisticated tools.
 Is your computer plugged in?
 Have you checked all the cords?
 How about other connections?
 Unseated cards
 Do you have ink or toner on the printer?
 Have you changed a configuration or
installed some software or device lately?
 USB insertion does not work
 Boot sequence problem
 Reboot
 My monitor is blacked out.
 Solution:
 make sure the monitor is turned on. Try pressing the
power button on the monitor again.
 Check to see if it is in sleep mode. Move the mouse
around or press the enter key or TRY PRESSING THE
SPACE BAR SEVERAL TIMES TO WAKE COMPUTER FROM
SLEEP MODE
 If the green light is not in front, check the power cord
connecting the monitor into the outlet.
 If the green light is on, check the brightness level by
using the buttons on the monitor.
 Check the cable connection from the monitor into the
computer or the equipment that links your computer to
the TV monitor.
 If you still have some problems, call your help desk.
 Troubleshooting Tips for a New Motherboard

More than 70% of all computer problems are related to cabling and connections. Ensure all
cables are connected and connected firmly. IDE and floppy ribbon cables and power cables can
often go loose. Ensure microprocessor, memory modules, and adapters such as video card are
inserted correctly and didn't "pop-up" due to vibration.

System has no power at all. Power light does not illuminate, fan inside the power supply
does not turn on, and indicator light on keyboard does not turn on.

PROBABLE CAUSE DIAGNOSIS SOLUTION

Visually inspect power Make sure power cable is

Power cable is unplugged.
cable. securely plugged in.

Visual inspection, try

Defective power cable. Replace cable.
another cable.

Power cable and wall

Contact technical support
Power supply failure. socket are OK, but system
is still dead.

Use different socket,

Faulty wall outlet;circuit Plug device into socket
repair outlet, reset circuit
breaker or fuse blown. known to work and test.
breaker or replace fuse.
 I don’t have any sound
 Solution: Check the cord in the back of the
computer to see if the speakers are plugged into
the computer.
 Plug in your speaker cable and then try adjusting
the volume control (the speaker icon) on the task
bar.
 Make sure it is not set to mute. Click on the
sliding tab should make a sound.
 If you are in the middle of running a particular
application and this occurs, try the following:
 Hold down the Ctrl Key and the Alt Key at the same
time and then tap on the Delete Key. You will be
given a dialog box.
 Look and see if you see in parenthesis by the
application you are working on the following words.
i.e.: not responding) If you see this, then highlight
the name of the application by clicking on it and then
select END TASK from the choices in the box below. It
may take a few minutes to comply. You may see
another box saying the application isn’t responding.
Click on END TASK and it will shut down that
particular application.
 If
the Control/Alt/Delete combination doesn’t
work, then press the power button on your
machine until the power is off.

 Wait till the green light on your monitor turns

amber before turning it on again. When you
reboot, windows should be working well again.
 Firstcheck the cable. Unplug it from the
computer and the outlet. Re plug in both sides
and try booting it again.
 Check the wall outlet. Plug something else into
the outlet and see if it works.
 Turn the system off and wait 30 seconds and
then try again.
 Reach behind the machine and see if you feel air
blowing out of the power supply. If you do, then
you know the machine is getting some power.
 Make sure the keyboard is connected to the
computer. If not, connect it to the
computer.  If you are using a wireless
keyboard, try changing the batteries.
  If one of the keys on your keyboard gets
stuck, turn the computer off and clean with
a damp cloth.
  Use the mouse to restart the computer.
 Mice are prone to bad performance mainly because of
dust and dirt corroding the components.
 Maintain a clean environment and clean the mouse
frequently for optimal performance.
 Optical mouse need cleaning of its bottom every
now and then too.
 Issue: The mouse is not working correctly
 Check if the mouse is securely plugged into the
computer. If not, plug it in completely.
  Check to see if the cord has been damaged. If
so, the mouse may need replacing.
  If you are using a cordless mouse, try pushing
the connection button on the underside of the
mouse to reestablish a connection.
  Clean the mouse, especially on the bottom.
  Check if the printer is turned on. If not, turn it on
and try again.
  Check if the printer has paper. If not, put paper in
the paper tray and try printing again.
  Check if the printer has a paper jam. If so, remove
the paper, close the printer, and try printing again.
  Ensure that all printer cables are properly
connected.
  Turn off the printer and turn on again.
  Check to see if a new printer driver is needed. Do
this by going to the manufacturer’s website to search
for your printer model and checking for any updated
driver. Seek assistance from your system
administrator before installing any drivers.
 IS THE NETWORK CABLE PLUGGED IN TIGHTLY AT
BOTH ENDS?
 IS THERE A GREEN LIGHT FLASHING WHERE THE
CABLE PUGS INTO THE COMPUTER? IF NOT,
THERE MAY BE A PROBLEM WITH THE CABLE OR
THE WALL PORT
 IS ANYONE ELSE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE? IT MAY
BE A GENERAL OUTAGE
 TRY ANOTHER ACCESS POINT IN THE ROOM
 FOR WIRELESS NETWORK:
 ARE YOU CONNECTED TO THE CORRECT
NETWORK? (GUEST)
 IS YOUR WIFI ON THE COMPUTER TURNED ON?
 Networking
 Theseare things to look for if a PC will not
connect to the internet
 First check to see if the cable connecting the network
card into the network drop is connected to the drop
and to the computer.
 Check the back of the computer to see if the network
card light is on.
 Check to see if the site you are trying to pull up is at
fault by typing in a common URL to see if it will make
it out to that site.
 Check to see in anyone else’s machine is having
problems. If everyone is, then it could be your entire
office or household block having difficulties. Call your
ISP.
 if the internet connection is off in a particular place
only, a switch connection could be down or bad.
 If there is only one machine having problems and the
light on the network card is not on, try plugging
another machine that works into that drop. It could be
that particular drop is bad, or plug the machine that
doesn’t seem to work into a different drop to see if it
would work there.
 Verify your computer meets the
requirements of the program or utility.
  Uninstall and install the program.
  There could be a conflict with another
installed program and you should contact
your system administrator.
 Restart your computer.
  Verify that there is enough free hard drive
space. To do so, select Start and click on My
Computer or Computer. Then highlight the
local C drive by clicking on it once. Select
the Properties button at the top left-hand
corner of the window; this will display a
window showing how much free and used
space you have. If you need to recapture
space:
 - Empty your recycle bin by right-clicking on
the Recycle Bin icon (usually on the
desktop), then selecting Empty Recycle Bin.
 Check your mail files. Remove any large
attachments and delete unused mail. -
Images and videos take up a lot of space, so
consider moving those to an external drive. -
Remove temporary files from the Internet.
 To do so: o Click Start button | My Computer
or Computer.
 o Click Open Control Panel at the top of the
window.
 o Click Network | Internet |Internet Options.
 o Select the General tab and click Delete
under Browsing History.
 Perform a disk cleanup. To do so: o Click
Start button | My Computer or Computer.
 o Highlight the local C drive by clicking on it
once.
 o Select the properties button at the top left
of the window.
 o Go to the General tab and select Disk
Cleanup.
 o Once the Disk Cleanup finishes running,
click on Clean up System Files; this will
delete any unnecessary system-related files
from your local disk.
 Information in computer files changes often,
resulting in gaps or spaces within the file. This
takes up more space on the computer and can
cause the computer to slow down.
 To reclaim these gaps in space, run disk defrag.
 To do so:
 o Click start | My Computer or Computer.
 o Highlight the local C drive by clicking on it
once. o Select the properties button at the top
left of the window.
 o Go to the Tools tab and select Run
Defragmentation.
 Old or unused programs that aren’t being
used may still have components running
behind the scenes when you start your
computer, which can slow down the system.
 You can prevent these programs from
running when you start your computer by
removing unused shortcuts and turning off
unused program services.
 Remove unused shortcuts from Windows
startup
 o Click Start button | Select All Programs |
Click Startup o Right-click the shortcuts that
you do not use and click delete
 Disable unused program services

 o Click Start button | Control Panel |

Administrative Tools | Services
 o For each program/service that you are
certain that you do not need, click on the
Service to highlight it, click the Stop link to
stop the service from running, then double-
click the service, choose Startup Type of
Disabled, and click OK.
 Run a virus scan to remove potential viruses
that can slow down your computer.
 ARE POWER CABLES CONNECTED TIGHTLY TO
ALL DEVICES?
 ARE POWER CABLES PLUGGED IN TO A POWER
SOURCE?
 IF YOU ARE USING A SURGE PROTECTOR
POWER STRIP, HAS IT TRIPPED?
 UNPLUG THE COMPUTER COMPLETELY FROM
THE POWER SOURCE, WAIT 5 MINUTES, THEN
RECONNECT AND TRY AGAIN.
 ARE YOU TYPING YOUR USERNAME AND
PASSWORD CORRECTLY?
 ARE CAPS LOCK OR NUM LOCK ON? TURN
THEM OFF
 MAKE SURE THE LOGIN BOXES ARE EMPTY –
eliminate SPACES IN THE USERNAME BOX -
WHICH ARE INVISIBLE.
 Every time the computer is turned on, it runs
through a Power-On Self-Test (POST).
 The POST is a series of self-diagnostic tests that the
computer runs through to test the major hardware.
 The POST performs basic test routines on the
motherboard and major hardware devices.
 It does not perform in-depth testing on the computer
system.
 It can only detect major failures that will prohibit
the bootup process.
 BEEP CODES
The beep pattern is telling you what part of the hardware is failing.
Unfortunately there are different standards for the beep pattern and you
will have to refer to your motherboard's user manual for the meaning of
it. And most common beep codes and error are as follows.

BEEP DESCRIPTION

1 Short Beep Normal POST,

computer is ok.
Continuous Beep RAM Problem

One Long and Three Short Beeps. Indicates a video

error has occurred
and the BIOS cannot
initialize the video
screen to display any
additional
information
Problem CONTINUOS THREE BEEPS
Solution Problem in RAM Connection.

Problem THREE BEEPS ( 1 Long 2 Short)

Solution Problem in Display Card Connection

Problem THREE LONG BEEPS PERIOD WISE

Solution Problem in BIOS or RAM (Basic Input
Output System)

Problem CONTINUOS NON-STOP BEEPING

Solution Key Board Problem (I.e.; Some Key
is pressed for Longer time)
 The complementary metal oxide
semiconductor (CMOS) or non-volatile
random access memory (NVRAM) stores
the systems startup configurations and
parameters.
 To access the CMOS setup utility, press
the setup key during the boot process.
 The setup key must be pressed early in
the boot process, or the system will
load the installed OS.
 The CMOS setup key is usually F1, F2,
or Delete.
 Clearing the CMOS memory is useful when
the computer will not boot at all.
 The easiest way is to clear memory is to
remove the CMOS battery.
1. Turn off the power on the computer.
2. Remove the CMOS battery from the
motherboard.
3. Short the negative and positive connections
(terminals) of the battery location on the
motherboard
4. Replace the CMOS battery in its original
position on the motherboard.
5. Turn the power on (reboot) the system.
 A BIOS upgrade can include patches, fixes, additional
features, and additional support for the latest
devices that should resolve any problems.
 Special consideration must be taken before
upgrading the BIOS.
 The motherboard is required to have flash BIOS and
it must support the upgraded version.
 The BIOS chip also needs to support the upgrade
version number.
 Only when these criteria are met can the BIOS be
successfully updated.
 Symptoms of a processor error can include slow
performance, POST beep errors, or a system that
is not operating properly.
 These errors usually indicate an internal error has
occurred.
 Most CPUs will have an onboard fan.
 This provides cooling directly to the CPU.
 CPUs must be set to receive the correct voltages to
run properly. Motherboards that use Socket 5,
Socket 7 or Super Socket 7 chips need to use
voltage regulators.
 Typically, the voltage regulators are built into the
board.
 They must be set at the proper voltage, or the CPU
can be damaged.
 ERROR MESSAGE MEANING SOLUTION
400 – Bad Request The uniform resource Make sure the URL you
locator (URL) is not typed is correct
accepted or incorrect.
The server contacted
may be non existent or
you are not allowed to
access this page.

401 – Unauthorized These are sites that If you have the

require authority to authority to access a
enter. In the US site, i.e. if you have a
some .gov sites will only password, then use it.
allow users coming from Carefully and correctly
.gov or .edu to access type it to gain access.
ot. Otherwise, no Otherwise do not access
access will be granted. it if you do not have any
authority.
 ERROR MESSAGE MEANING SOLUTION
403 – Forbidden This page or Solution is the same
document is as error number 401
password protected
or your domain is not
allowed access
404 – not found The server you are Verify the URL that
contacting cannot you typed. Try again.
find the document or If it does not work,
page you are looking try other links on the
for. It may no longer site which are
exist or you typed a working just to check
wrong URL if the links do work
at all
 ERROR MESSAGE MEANING SOLUTION
550 – xxxxxxxxxx is This means that you Check all characters
not a known user reached the site’s to see if you typed it
email server but correctly. Try also
unfortunately either email address finding
the user is not tools to verify if the
connected there or email address is
there is no user correct.
under that name
Bad File Request The form requested Try another browser
is either not to see if the problem
supported by your is still there.
browser or there is Otherwise, send an
an error. email to the
webmaster to notify
him of this error.
 ERROR MESSAGE MEANING SOLUTION
Cannot add form This error occurs The Save As
submission result to when a save request command to save a
bookmark list is issued and try to page may do the
bookmark the trick instead of book
resulting form. This marking
means that even immediately. The
though it is valid saved form can be
URL, it cannot be opened again after it
reused to put in your is saved then you can
bookmark list. add it to your
bookmark list.
Connection refused The host server does If you have a
by host nor permit your password, try
domain to enter. It retyping it slowly
may be password again checking each
protected too. character to try to
enter the site.
 ERROR MESSAGE MEANING SOLUTION
Failed DNS lookup The URL you typed is Retype the URL. Try
not valid and cannot also reloading the
be resolved by the page. If both does
domain name not work, then
system. maybe DNS really
does not exist.
File contains no data The site does not Wait for a while as
have web pages on the page is being
it. This may also uploaded. Try again.
show when you If it does not work
access the site as it now, try some other
is being uploaded. time.
 ERROR MESSAGE MEANING SOLUTION
Helper application Sound files, movie, Sometimes, there
not found clips, graphics, ZIP will be a dialog box
archive files, or any indicating that a
other type of file you helper application is
may be trying to needed for this file
download is not to show up.
supported by your Download this file to
browser. allow your browser to
support this file.
Host unavailable This may mean that Try clicking the
the server is offline Reload button on the
or down for toolbar. If it does not
maintenance work, try again some
other time.
 ERROR MESSAGE MEANING SOLUTION
Host unknown The server you are Try clicking on the
contacting is not Reload button.
connected or has lost Sometimes, there is a
connection. The URL lapse in the internet
typed may also be connection. Try also
incorrect. retyping the URL.

Network connection This is a generic Try clicking the

was refused by the message to say that Reload button and
server the limit of the hope you can
number of people connect. If it is not
allowed to connect possible, then try
to a server is too again some other
busy time.
 ERROR MESSAGE MEANING SOLUTION
NNTP server error NNTP (Network News Try clicking the
Transfer Protocol) is Reload button on the
the predominant toolbar. If it does not
protocol used by work, try again some
computers for other time.
managing the notes
posted on
newsgroups. An NTTP
server is a part of
your Internet Service
Provider’s software,
so if this error occurs
the software may be
malfunctioning or the
newsgroup does not
exist.
 ERROR MESSAGE MEANING SOLUTION

Permission denied The site may be busy or Observe correct

FTP is not allowed when procedure for uploading
you are connected to an and downloading files.
FTP Site for uploading Keep trying to upload or
or downloading files. download. Otherwise
contact the site’s
webmaster to report
this problem.
Too many connections – You may need to wait Try clicking the Reload
try again later for your turn since the button on the toolbar. If
limit of the number of it does not work, try
connections to this again some other time.
server has been
exceeded.
 ERROR MESSAGE MEANING SOLUTION
Too many users Webmasters may Keep trying. Try
have set the number clicking Reload
of users to a website. button on the
It may have reached toolbar. If it does not
the limit. work, try again some
other time.
Unable to locate host The site is either The internet may
or server down or under have an intermittent
maintenance. problem. Check you r
Connection to this internet connection
server may have too and try again.
been lost. Check also if you
have typed a correct
URL.
 ERROR MESSAGE MEANING SOLUTION
Viewer not found This file type cannot Try getting the
be viewed with your viewer or try loading
browser. the file using another
browser.
You can’t log on as This is for connection Try again to connect.
an anonymous user to and FTP server. Make sure you have
Anonymous access is the correct username
not allowed as and password.
indicated.
 Keep a backup
 Secure passwords
 Maintain your hard disk
 Clear the cache
 Update your anti-virus and anti-spyware
definitions
 Clean up
 New equipment
 Changing start-up programs using mscongfig
 Changing PC registry configuration using
regedit
 Set power saving options
 Put PC in well-ventilated area
 Schedule use of computer for its longer life
 Move PC only when it is turned off and
unplugged
 Delete programs using uninstall utility
 Treat your computer properly
 Daily
 Update virus and spyware definitions
 Do incremental backup
 Reboot upon crash
 Weekly
 Do a full virus and spyware scan
 Complete backup
 Patch up
 Utility suite
 Monthly
 Clean your PC
 Defrag
 Yearly
 Check your programs
 Make a full diagnostic check
 For overall health. Doing maintenance on
your peripherals calls you to turn off the
power of your PC.
 Check also the surroundings of your
computer for sources of moisture and dust
 Direct exposure to heat ducts and sunlight
must also be avoided for your computer
 External Casing
 For the casing
 Clear the case and its ventilation ducts by wiping it
with a cloth or using a dust remover.
 For the mouse
 Clean the bottom of the mechanical mouse by
unscrewing the bottom ring to remove the ball and
scrape the gunk on the rollers of the mouse.
 For the keyboard
 Turn the keyboard upside down and shake it to cleat
dust and dirt in between the keys. Blast some
compressed air to dislodge those hard to remove dust
and dirt. Vacuum the in betweens of the keyboard.
 For the monitor
 Clean the screen of your monitor with glass cleaner
and lint-free cloth.
 For power sockets
 Check out what you plugged to your AVR. Reseat them
to refresh their connections. Use cable ties to clean
up your cables.
 For the CD/DVD media from readers/writers
 Each disc can be cleaned with the moistened cloth.
Start to wipe from the middle going outwards. Do not
wipe in circular motion.
 Internal parts
 For all the insides
 Unplug the power cord before you open the computer.
Spray the components with compressed air to dislodge
the dust gathered.
 For daughter cards
 Daughters can also be cleaned by unseating them,
cleaning the contact points with some isopropyl
alcohol and let dry if they are very old. If the cards
are quite new, an eraser will remove the dust that
gather at the contact points. A small point brush will
brush off the dust at the slot on the motherboard on
the daughter card.
 For the CMOS
 A computer’s clock that loses time is an indicator a
CMOS battery falling.
 For the motherboard
 Aside from dusting the motherboard, carefully seat
daughter cards, battery and power plugs on the
motherboard to be sure not to bend it too much.
Check the spacers if they are all in place and not
corroded too.
 For the wires
 A tie wire or a simple extra wire can tie the power
supply wires to tidy up. By tidying it up, you will be
able to clearly see the insides of the computer and do
proper maintenance.
 For the floppy /CD/DVD drives
 Check the power and cable connections to see that
they are fully plugged and the wires of the cable is not
broken or connected to corroded parts.
 Preventive maintenance is predetermined work
performed to a schedule with the aim of
preventing the wear and tear or sudden failure
of equipment components.
 It is a schedule of planned maintenance actions
aimed at the prevention of break downs and
failures.
 Preventive maintenance refers to performing
proactive maintenance in order to prevent to
system problems. It is a service given for the
purpose of maintaining equipments and facilities
in satisfactory operating conditions by providing
systematic inspection detection and correction
of failures either before they occur or before
they develop into major defects
 Is conducted to keep working and /or
extending the life of the equipment
 Conducted to get equipment working again
sometimes called repairing
 To prevent the failure of equipment before it
occurs.
 Preserve and enhance equipment reliability
by replacing worm components before they
actually fail.
 Protect assets and prolong the useful life of
production equipment
 Improve system reliability
 Decrease cost of replacement
 Decreases system downtime
 Reduce injury