Troubleshooting system

hardware
Unit objectives:
Troubleshoot core system elements
Troubleshoot storage devices
Troubleshoot laptop computers
Topic A
Topic A: Troubleshooting core system
elements
Topic B: Troubleshooting storage
devices
Topic C: Troubleshooting laptops
Specialized tools
Multimeter
Power supply tester
Memory tester
Loopback plug
POST card
Electrical measurements
Measure electrical values with a
multimeter
Multimeters can be digital or analog
Use to measure
Resistance
Voltage
Current
Continuity
Measuring resistance
1. Turn off the device youre measuring and
disconnect it from its power source
2. You might need to disconnect the device
from its circuit
3. Set the multimeter to read resistance
4. Touch the two leads of the multimeter
together
5. Touch the black and red probes to either
side of the circuit to be measured
6. Read the resistance from the meters
display
Measuring voltage
1. Verify the power supply is on
2. Set your multimeter to read either DC or
AC voltage
3. Touch the black probe to the ground, and
touch the red probe to the spot where you
want to measure the voltage
4. Read the voltage from the meters display
You must exercise care when taking
voltage readings as the computer is
powered up
Measuring current
Break the circuit and insert the meter
in the break
Ammeter doesnt require break
Clamp ammeters are often used to
measure current flow in 110 V and
higher circuits
Measuring continuity
Set your multimeter to display
resistance (ohms) and look for circuits
with zero resistance
Also can use continuity mode, if
available
Power supply tester
Alternative to manual test
with multimeter
Takes approximately 30
minutes
Follow instructions for your
specific tester
Advantages:
Less susceptible to human
error
Results are more conclusive
Safer to perform
An AC signal
Power problems
Blackout Total loss of power
Brownout Brief decrease in voltage
level
Noise Disruption of smoothly
varying AC signal
Spike Very brief increase in voltage
Surge Brief increase in voltage
(longer than spike)
The Power_Good signal
Signals CPU that power is stable and
sufficient
+5 V over specific wire
Must arrive at correct time
Loopback plug
Specific to port type
Plugs into port to determine
functionality
POST card
Plugs into expansion slot
Reads progress of boot procedure
Displays status with numeric codes
Included in some motherboards
CMOS battery
Replacing the CMOS battery
1. Record custom CMOS setting values
2. Power down; open your computers chassis
3. If necessary, remove cables to allow battery access
4. Gently slide the battery out of its compartment
5. If necessary, discharge the CMOS memory using
motherboard jumpers
6. Insert the new battery into the holder
7. Reconnect any cables you disconnected to gain
access to the battery
8. Close the PCs chassis
9. Reconnect any cables and power cord
10. Reboot. Enter correct date and time
11. Access BIOS to reset custom values
BIOS update failures
Dont update BIOS unless necessary
Never turn off the computer during a
BIOS update
Use correct flash utility
Follows instructions exactly
Back up old BIOS
Recovering from a failed update
Restore the BIOS backup
Boot from a floppy disk containing the
correct BIOS and flashing utility
Set the Flash recovery jumper switch
on the motherboard to reset BIOS to
default
Replace the BIOS chip
Memory testing
Use testing utility
Memtest86 Free, open source
Microsoft Windows Memory
Diagnostic Free, unsupported
Boot from floppy or CD
Boot failure problems
Insufficient power connectors
Computer fails to boot; fans dont start
Computer fails to boot, but fans start
Computer fails to boot when powered
on, but boots after Ctrl+Alt+Del
No video; eight short beeps
Three long beeps
One long and three short beeps
Corrupted display at boot
Boot errors
POST code 162
POST code 164
201 BIOS error
Error message Non-system disk or
disk error
Error message Display type
mismatch

Continued
Boot errors, continued
Wrong amount of memory reported by
BIOS
Error message CMOS checksum
failure
Error message MBR has been
changed or modified
Devices misidentified
Hard drive inaccessible

Continued
Boot errors, continued
System wont boot from hard drive
System boots from wrong device
Date and time incorrect or reset after
the computer is turned off
Problems during operation
Computer makes loud noises during
boot
Computer intermittently stops working
or reboots
Windows Page Fault or Exception
errors
Random crashes, corrupted data,
strange application behavior
Parity error message
Topic B
Topic A: Troubleshooting core system
elements
Topic B: Troubleshooting storage
devices
Topic C: Troubleshooting laptops
Software tools
CHKDSK
DEFRAG
FDISK or DISKPART
FORMAT
BOOTREC
FIXBOOT and FIXMBR
Antivirus software
Backup and recovery software
Troubleshooting hard and floppy
drives
Cant access drive at all
Cant boot from hard drive
Space on drive doesnt match
advertised space
Drive makes loud clicking sound
File corruption
System boots from hard drive on
warm restart but not cold boot
Continued
Troubleshooting hard and floppy
drives, continued
Drive letter incorrect
Cant use full space of large drive
Drive not detected during boot
process
Operating system not found
Blue screen crashes or unexpected
reboots
Slow performance
Troubleshooting RAID arrays
RAID not found during Windows Install
RAID stops working
Troubleshooting CD drives
No audio plays from CD
CD drive not found
Disc cant be read
Buffer underrun
Write process fails repeatedly after
starting
File corruption on SCSI drive
Burned CD-RW cant be read on other
computers
Troubleshooting DVD and
Blu-ray drives
Disc cant be played when two
displays are in use
UDF-formatted discs cant be read
Cant play movie
Troubleshooting external drives
Device not recognized
Topic C
Topic A: Troubleshooting core system
elements
Topic B: Troubleshooting storage
devices
Topic C: Troubleshooting laptops
Notebook repair procedures
Use appropriate hand tools
Refer to manufacturers
documentation to find panels or slots
Document and label screw locations
Organize parts
Keep software tools on flash drive or
external USB optical drive
Notebook computer problems
Keyboards
Pointing devices
Stylus
Peripherals
Overheating
Components not recognized
Display
Wireless antenna
Wireless ports
Power issues
Rechargeable batteries wear out
Verify replacement battery is compatible
Battery indicator
Use software
to configure
power options
Power-related measurements
Voltage
Amperage
Polarity
Volts Amps = Watts
Replacing the battery
Determining necessity
Using proper procedure
Troubleshooting power problems
Check the notebooks power status
lights
Use a multimeter
Swap the AC adapter
Replace the battery
Unit summary
Resolved problems with core system
elements
Resolved problems with storage
devices
Resolved problems with laptop
computers