11 Troubleshooting Methodology and Resolving Core Hardware Problems Flashcards
Creating a Backup
First, always back up the data before making major changes to a system. Hardware components can be replaced, but data often can’t be. For that reason, always be vigilant about making data backups. Be sure to validate your backups by performing a test restore after you set them up. The only thing worse than not having a backup is thinking you have a backup only for it to fail.
Prioritizing Tasks
establish priorities—one user being unable to print to the printer of their choice isn’t as important as a floor full of accountants unable to run payroll. Prioritize every job and escalate it (or de-escalate it) as you need to.
Documenting Your Process
document everything—not just that there was a problem but also the solution that you found, the actions that you tried, and the outcome of each.
Problems in computer systems generally occur in one (or more) of four areas, each of which is in turn made up of many pieces:
A collection of hardware pieces integrated into a working system. Hardware devices are dedicated to performing a single task, so at times troubleshooting it can be easy. Other hardware issues are more complex.
An operating system, which in turn is dependent on the hardware. Operating systems contain several major, often interdependent modules. OS issues can masquerade as hardware issues, and vice versa.
An application or software program that is supposed to do something. Programs such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel are bundled with a great many features. Software issues can be quite perplexing. They may be as simple as a problem with a specific app but can also be related to the OS or even the hardware.
A computer user, ready to take the computer system to its limits (and beyond). A technician can often forget that the user is a very complex and important part of the puzzle.
Troubleshooting questions:
Can you show me the problem?
It allows the user to show you exactly where and when they experience the problem.
How often does this happen?
This question tells you if this is a one-time occurrence that can be solved with a reboot or whether a specific sequence of events causes the problem to happen. The latter usually indicates a more serious problem that may require software installation or hardware replacement.
Has any new hardware or software been installed recently?
Infrastructure changes can cause problems. New hardware/software can mean compatibility problems with existing devices or applications. A newly installed device may want to use the same resource settings as an existing device. This can cause both devices to become disabled. When you install a new application, that application is likely to install several support files. If those support files are also used by an existing application, then there could be a conflict.
Has the computer recently been moved? Environmental changes can also have an impact. Moving a computer can cause things to become loose and then fail to work. Perhaps all the peripherals of the computer didn’t complete—or weren’t included in—the move, meaning that there’s less functionality than the user expects.
Has someone who normally doesn’t use the computer recently used it?
That person could have mistakenly (or intentionally) done something to make the computer begin exhibiting the irregular behavior.
Have any other changes been made to the computer recently?
If the answer is yes, ask if the user can remember approximately when the change was made. Then ask them to tell you approximately when the problem started. If the two happened closely together, there’s a good chance that the problem is related to the change. If it’s a new hardware component, check to see that it was installed correctly.
BIOS/UEFI Issues
the BIOS/UEFI is the layer between the hardware and the operating system. Older systems may have a BIOS; UEFI is newer and has more features.
Out-of-Date BIOS
computer BIOSs don’t go bad; they just become out of date. This isn’t necessarily a critical issue; they will continue to support the hardware that came with the box. It does, however, become an issue when the BIOS doesn’t support some component that you would like to install—virtualization, for instance. Most of today’s BIOSs are written to an EEPROM and can be updated through the use of software. This process is called flashing the BIOS. Each manufacturer has its own method for accomplishing this. Check the documentation for complete details.
Losing a Computer’s Settings
A fairly common issue with the BIOS is when it fails to retain your computer’s settings, such as date/time and hard drive settings. The BIOS uses a small battery (much like a watch battery), called the CMOS battery, on the motherboard to help it retain settings when the system power is off. If this battery fails, the BIOS won’t retain its settings. Simply replace the battery to solve the problem.
Checking the Boot Priority
BIOS also contains the boot priority (also sometimes called the boot sequence) for your system. You probably boot to the first hard drive in your system (the one that contains the OS boot files), but you can also set your BIOS to boot from a secondary hard drive, an optical drive, a USB port, or the network. If your computer can’t find a proper boot device, it could be that it’s attempting to boot to an incorrect device.
Check the BIOS to see if you need to
change the boot sequence.
- Reboot the system and look for the message telling you to press a certain key to enter the BIOS (usually something like F2).
- Once you’re in the BIOS, find the menu with the boot priority and set it to the desired order. If the changes don’t hold the next time you reboot, check the battery.
POST Routine Problems
Every computer has a diagnostic program built into its BIOS/UEFI called the POST. When you turn on the computer, it executes this set of diagnostics. Many steps are involved in the POST, but they happen very quickly, they’re invisible to the user, and they vary among BIOS/UEFI vendors. The steps include checking the CPU, checking the RAM, checking for the presence of a video card, and verifying basic hardware functionality.
One way to determine a problem during the POST routine is to use a POST card. This is a circuit board that fits into an expansion slot (PCIe, PCI, or USB) in the system and reports numeric codes as the boot process progresses. Each code corresponds to a particular component being checked. If the POST card stops at a certain number, you can look up that number in the manual for the card to determine the problem.
Capacitor Swelling
Many motherboards have capacitors on them, which store electricity. They are short cylindrical tubes. Sometimes, when capacitors fail, they will swell and brownish-red electrolyte residue may seep out of the vents in the top. If a capacitor fails, the motherboard will not work. You have a couple of options:
The first and probably best option is to replace the motherboard. Do not touch the residue coming from a distended capacitor! It can cause serious chemical burns.
The second option is to drain the energy from the failed capacitor and replace it. Do this only if you have specialized training on how to deal safely with capacitors, because they can cause lethal shocks.
Identifying Memory Issues
Isolating memory issues on a computer is one of the most difficult tasks to do properly because so many memory problems manifest themselves as software issues. For example, memory problems can cause application crashes and produce error messages such as general protection faults (GPFs). Memory issues can also cause a fatal error in your operating system, producing proprietary crash screens such as the infamous Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) in Windows or the rotating pinwheel in macOS. Sometimes these are caused by the physical memory failing. At other times, they are caused by bad programming, when an application writes into a memory space reserved for the operating system or another application. In short, physical memory problems can cause app and system lockups, unexpected shutdowns or reboots, or the errors. You can also use one of several hardware-or software-based RAM testers to see if your memory is working properly. Sometimes switching the slot that the RAM is in will help, but more often than not the RAM needs to be replaced. Memory issues can also be caused by the virtual memory, which is an area of the hard drive set aside to emulate memory. The operating system creates and manages a paging file (in Windows, it’s called PAGEFILE.SYS) on the hard drive to act as memory when the system needs more than what the physical RAM can provide; oftentimes, this paging file is dynamic in size. If the hard drive runs out of room for the paging file, memory issues can appear, or the system may have sluggish performance. As a rule of thumb, ensure that at least 10 percent of the hard drive space is free.
Slow Computer Causes:
Low physical or virtual memory
Low available space on the primary hard drive
Failing motherboard, CPU, or hard drive
Poorly coded software apps
Too many apps open at once (causing low memory)
Malware on the computer
Using the Troubleshooting Best Practice
Methodology:
Step 1: Identify the Problem
Step 2: Establish a Theory
Step 3: Test the Theory
Step 4: Establish a Plan of Action
Step 5: Verify Functionality
Step 6: Document Findings
Burning Smells, Smoke, and Visible Damage
If you smell an odd odor or see smoke coming from a computer, shut it down immediately. Open the case and start looking for visible signs of damage. Things to look for include melted plastic components and burn marks on circuit boards. Replace damaged circuit boards or melted plastic components immediately. After replacing the part, it’s a good idea to monitor the new component for a while too. The power supply could be causing the problem. If the new part fries quickly too, it’s time to replace the power supply as well.
Grinding and Other Random Noises
A simple rule: for it to make a noise, it has to move. In other words, components with no moving parts (such as RAM, SSDs and CPUs) don’t make sounds. Mechanical hard drives have motors that spin the platters. Power supply fans spin. Optical drives spin the discs. If you hear a whining sound and it seems to be fairly constant, it’s more than likely a fan. Power supplies that are failing can also sound louder and quieter intermittently because a fan will run at alternating speeds. A rhythmic ticking sound is also likely to be caused by a mechanical hard drive. Problems with optical drives tend to be the easiest to diagnose. Those drives aren’t spinning unless you put some media in them. Examine the power supply to see if there are any obvious problems such as excessive dust, and clean it as needed.
