UNIT 5

HARDWARE
TROUBLESHOOTING
AND PREVENTIVE
MAINTENANCE
Learning Outcomes
• At the end of this unit, students will be able to:
• Explain maintenance procedures and troubleshooting
• State hardware problems
• Describe hardware preventive maintenance
• Perform basic hardware troubleshooting & preventive
maintenance
• Recognize the value of hardware troubleshooting to keep
computer safety
5.1. Hardware Troubleshooting
• Brainstorming 5.1
• What do you know about computer hardware troubleshooting and
maintenance?
• Hardware troubleshooting is a systematic approach to locating the
cause of a fault in a computer system and solving technical problems.
• It starts with general issues and then gets more specific.
5.1.1 Hardware Troubleshooting
Procedures
• Hardware troubleshooting is the process of reviewing, diagnosing, and
identifying operational or technical problems within a hardware device
or equipment.
• It aims to resolve physical and/or logical problems and issues within
computing hardware.
• On the other hand, software troubleshooting is the process of
scanning, identifying diagnosing, and resolving problems, errors, and
bugs in software.
• Computers can malfunction and get damaged if computer users are not
aware of some of the basic procedures for checking hardware problems.
General checkup for simple
hardware problems
• Many computer problems can be solved by checking the following simple hardware
problems:
• Check that your computer is plugged into a working power outlet.

• Check that everything is turned on.

• If the computer is on but the screen is blank, there may be an issue with the connection
between the computer and the screen.
• First, check to see if the monitor is plugged into a power outlet and if the connection
between the monitor and computer system unit is connected securely.
• Check that the keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, etc. are properly plugged into
the computer system.
• Try a different port to check if it is a port issue, or change the device if the
device is damaged.
5.1.2 Check POST
• POST stands for Power On Self-Test.
• This is part of a computer’s startup program that is used to diagnose
the keyboard, the Random Access Memory (RAM), disk drives, and
other hardware to make sure they are working properly.
• If the POST detects any errors in the hardware, it either displays a text
error message on the screen or emits a series of short and long
beeps.
• If an error message appears as you boot your computer, type the
exact error message and then search on the Internet to find more
information about the error.
Activity 5.1
1. If your computer cannot start, what are the preliminary hardware
diagnoses you do to identify and fix the problems?
5.1.3 Beep Codes
• Beep codes are sounds emitted by the computer during Power on Self-Test
(POST).
• Each BIOS manufacturer has a unique beep sequence, a combination of long
and short beeps, for hardware failures.
• If there is a problem with the computer, listen for the beep codes when the
computer starts.
• As the system proceeds through the Power on Self-Test (POST), most
computers emit one beep to indicate that the system is booting properly.
• If there is an error, you might hear multiple beeps.
• You need to document the beep code sequence and search on the Internet to
determine the specific problem.
Beep Codes
• Some of the beep codes and the respective
problems are as follows:
• No beep but the system turns on and runs
fine - Under normal circumstances, most
computer systems will beep one short beep
when turned on.
• If your computer doesn’t produce a beep
sound, your “beeper” may have died out.
• No beep - The power supply is not plugged
in or turned on. If not, the power supply is
completely dead.
• Steady, short beeps - The power supply may
be bad or the voltages might be wrong. A
replacement would usually be necessary.
Beep Codes
• Steady, long beeps - The power supply has gone bad.
• Long, continuous beep - Your Random Access Memory (RAM) sticks
may have gone bad.
• If there is more than one stick installed, try taking one out to see if the
computer boots.
• If it does not, try the same thing with the other stick.
• This will tell you which stick has gone bad, and you can replace or
upgrade accordingly.
• If there is only one stick installed, you will need to replace or upgrade it
to fix the problem.
Beep Codes
• One long, two short beeps - There
has been a video card failure.
• Your first action is to try reseating
the video card. This often solves
the problem when the computer
system is connected to projectors
because the VGA/DVI or Video
cable gets moved so often that the
card can be slowly unplugged.
• If reseating doesn’t work, replace
the video card
5.1.4 BIOS Information
• BIOS stands for basic input/output system.
• BIOS is a program used by a computer to start the computer system after it is
powered on.
• It also manages data flow between the computer’s operating system (OS) and
attached devices, such as the hard disk, video adapter, keyboard, mouse, and
printer.
• If the computer boots and stops after the POST, your computer has a BIOS
setting problem.
• Fixing BIOS problems requires a good knowledge of computer hardware.
• Therefore, when you face a BIOS setting problem, you are advised to contact
a computer hardware technician to solve the problem.
5.1.5 CMOS Error
• The CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) is an onboard chip that stores
information ranging from the time and date to system hardware settings;
• its primary function is to handle and store the BIOS configuration settings.
• If a computer shows a CMOS alert message on the screen, it indicates that the CMOS
battery needs to be replaced.
• Upon receiving such type of error message, remove the CMOS battery carefully, and
insert a new battery that is exactly the same as the old one.
• Notes
• Replacing a CMOS battery may be more difficult in laptop computers than in desktop
computers.
• If the user of the computer does not have sufficient computer hardware troubleshooting
experience, leaving the task to a professional computer technician is advised.