Troubleshooting Flashcards
How to Troubleshoot steps
Identify the problem
Establish a theory
Test the theory
Create a plan of action
Implement the solution
Verify full system functionality
Document findings
Common Hardware Problems – POST (Power On Self Test)
- Test major system components before booting
the operating system
– Main systems (CPU, CMOS, etc.)
– Video
– Memory - Failures are usually noted with beeps and/or codes
– BIOS versions can differ, check your documentation - Don’t bother memorizing the beep codes
– They’re all different between manufacturers
– Know what to do when you hear them
Common Hardware Problems – POST and boot
- Blank screen on boot
– Listen for beeps
– Bad video, bad RAM, bad CPU
– BIOS configuration issue - BIOS time and setting
– Maintained with the motherboard battery
– Replace the battery - Attempts to boot to incorrect device
– Set boot order in BIOS configuration
– Confirm that the startup device has
a valid operating system
– Check for media in a startup device
Common Hardware Problems – Crash screens
Windows Stop Error or Blue Screen of Death
* Contains important information
– Also written to event log
* Useful when tracking down problems
– Sometimes more useful for manufacturer support
Common Hardware Problems – Bluescreens and spontaneous shutdowns
- Startup and shutdown BSOD
– Bad hardware, bad drivers, bad application - Use Last Known Good, System Restore, or Rollback Driver
– Try Safe Mode - Reseat or remove the hardware - If possible
- Run hardware diagnostics
– Provided by the manufacturer
– BIOS may have hardware diagnostics
Common Hardware Problems – The spinning ball of death
- The macOS X Spinning Wait Cursor
– Feedback that something is happening - The spin starts, but it never stops
– You never get back control of your computer - Many possible reasons
– Application bug
– Bad hardware
– Slow paging to disk - Restart the computer
– There may be details in the console logs
Common Hardware Problems –Black screen
- Is the monitor connected?
– We wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t a common solution
– Check both power and signal cable - Input selection on monitor - HDMI, DVI, VGA, etc.
- Image is dim - Check brightness controls
- Swap the monitor
– Try the monitor on another computer - No video after Windows loads
– Use VGA mode (F8)
Common Hardware Problems –No power
- No power
– No power at the source
– No power from the power supply
– Get out your multimeter - Fans spin - no power to other devices
– Where is your fan power connected?
– No POST - bad motherboard?
– Case fans have lower voltage requirements
– Check the power supply output
Common Hardware Problems –Sluggish performance
- Task Manager
– Check for high CPU utilization and I/O - Windows Update
– Latest patches and drivers - Disk space
– Check for available space and defrag - Laptops may be using power-saving mode
– Throttles the CPU - Anti-virus and anti-malware
– Scan for bad guys
Common Hardware Problems –Overheating
- Heat generation
– CPUs, video adapters, memory - Cooling systems
– Fans and airflow
– Heat sinks
– Clean and clear - Verify with monitoring software
– Built into the BIOS
– Try HWMonitor
– http://www.cpuid.com/
Common Hardware Problems –Smoke and burning smell
- Electrical problems
– The smoke makes everything work - Always disconnect power
– There should never be a burned odor - Locate bad components
– Even after the system has cooled down
– Replace all damaged components
Common Hardware Problems –Intermittent shutdown
No warning, black screen
– May have some details in your Event Viewer
* Heat-related issue
– High CPU or graphics, gaming
– Check all fans and heat sinks
– BIOS may show fan status and temperatures
* Failing hardware
– Has anything changed?
– Check Device Manager, run diagnostics
* Could be anything
– Eliminate what’s working
Common Hardware Problems –Application crashes
- Application stops working
– May provide an error message
– May just disappear - Check the Event Log
– Often includes useful reconnaissance - Check the Reliability Monitor
– A history of application problems
– Checks for resolutions - Reinstall the application
– Contact application support
Common Hardware Problems –Grinding noises
- Computers should hum, not grind
- Rattling - Loose components
- Scraping - Hard drive issues
- Clicking - Fan problems
- Pop - Blown capacitor
Common Hardware Problems –Lockups
- System completely stops
– Completely. Usually not much in the event log
– Similar to unexpected shutdowns - Check for any activity
– Hard drive, status lights, try Ctrl-Alt-Del - Update drivers and software patches
– Has this been done recently? - Low resources - RAM, storage
- Hardware diagnostics may be helpful
Common Hardware Problems –Continuous reboots
- How far does the boot go before rebooting?
– BIOS only? OS splash screen? - Bad driver or configuration
– F8, “Boot from last known working configuration” - Try F8, Safe Mode
– If system starts, disable automatic restarts
in System Properties - Bad hardware
– Try removing or replacing devices
– Check connections and reseat
Common Hardware Problems –Inaccurate system date/time
- Bad motherboard battery
– Often a “button” style battery - A bad battery will require a BIOS configuration or
date/time configuration on every boot - On older systems, can reset the BIOS configuration
by removing the battery
– Newer computers use a jumper
Common Storage Devices Problems –Storage failure symptoms
- Read/write failure
– “Cannot read from the source disk” - Slow performance
– Constant LED activity - Retry…retry…retry - Loud clicking noise
– The click of death
– May also include grinding and scraping
Common Storage Devices Problems –Troubleshooting disk failures
- Get a backup - First thing - a bad drive is bad
- Check for loose or damaged cables
- Check for overheating
– Especially if problems occur after startup - Check power supply
– Especially if new devices were added - Run hard drive diagnostics
– From the drive or computer manufacturer
– Preferably on a known-good computer
Common Storage Devices Problems –Boot failure symptoms
- Drive not recognized, Boot Device Not Found
– Lights (or no lights)
– Beeps
– Error messages - Operating system not found
– The drive is there
– Windows is not
Common Storage Devices Problems –Troubleshooting boot failures
- Check your cables
– Physical problem - Check boot sequence in BIOS
– Check for removable disks (especially USB)
– Check for disabled storage interfaces - For new installation, check hardware configuration
– Data and power cables
– Try different SATA interfaces - Try the drive in a different computer
Common Storage Devices Problems –Data loss/corruption
- Hard drives are mechanical devices
– They will eventually fail - Repairs are difficult and expensive
– Dust-free environment
– Not always successful - An SSD may simply stop working
– Sometimes can read but not write - Data becomes unavailable or corrupted
– Can be impossible to recover - ALWAYS HAVE A BACKUP
