Lesson 1

Plan & Prepare for Diagnosis

of Computer Systems Errors
 COMMON PC PROBLEMS
& SOLUTIONS
1. Check the POST. This is generally the
first or second thing that appears on a
computer after turning on the power. This
appears before the operating system
begins to load. The POST will display any
problems found with hardware that makes
the computer unable to boot, POST may
also display problems with hardware that
allow the computer to boot, but not operate
at its full capacity during operation.
 COMMON PC PROBLEMS
& SOLUTIONS
2. Notice the load time of the OS
(operating system). A longer than usual
load time may indicate errors in the hard
drive.
 COMMON PC PROBLEMS
& SOLUTIONS
3. Notice any graphics problems once
the OS has loaded. Reduced graphics
may indicate driver failures or hardware
failures with graphic cards.
 COMMON PC PROBLEMS
& SOLUTIONS
4. Perform an auditory test. An auditory test is an
unorthodox, but still effective way of judging how a
computer is working. With the computer on and running,
play any decent length audio file (usually above 30 sec).
If the audio is choppy or slow, it usually means that the
processor is working at an elevated level, or there is not
enough RAM to run all programs loading. Changing the
startup sound is a great way to apply this test. Another
issue associated with choppy sounds is PIO
(Programmed Input/Output) Mode. This affects how the
hard drive reads and writes data from a drive. Switching
to Direct Memory Access (DMA) allows for faster reads
and writes, and can sometimes repair choppy audio.
 COMMON PC PROBLEMS
& SOLUTIONS
5. Check any newly installed hardware. Many
operating systems, especially Windows, can
conflict with new drivers. The driver may be badly
written, or it may conflict with another process.
Windows will usually notify you about devices
that are causing a problem, or have a problem.
To check this use the Device Manager, this can
be accessed by entering the Control Panel,
clicking the System icon, clicking the Hardware
tab, and clicking on Device Manager. Use this to
check and arrange the properties of hardware.
 COMMON PC PROBLEMS
& SOLUTIONS
6. Check any newly installed software.
Software may require more resources than
the system can provide. Chances are that if
a problem begins after software starts, the
software is causing it. If the problem
appears directly upon startup, it may be
caused by software that starts
automatically on boot.
 COMMON PC PROBLEMS
& SOLUTIONS
• 7. Check RAM and CPU consumption.
A common problem is a choppy or
sluggish system. If a system is choppy it
is good practice to see if a program is
consuming more resources than the
computer can provide.
 COMMON PC PROBLEMS
& SOLUTIONS
• 7. CON’T. An easy way to check this is to
use the Task Manager, right click on the
taskbar select Task Manager, and click
the Processes tab. The CPU column
contains a number that indicates the
percentage of CPU the process is
consuming.
 COMMON PC PROBLEMS
& SOLUTIONS
• 7. CON’T. The Memory Usage column
indicates how much memory a process is
consuming.
• Network HUB
• Network cable
• Network card
 COMMON PC PROBLEMS
& SOLUTIONS
• 8. Listen to the computer, if the hard
drive is scratching or making loud
noises, shut off the computer and
have a professional diagnose the hard
drive. Listen to the CPU fan, this comes
on a high speed when the CPU is
working hard, and can tell you when the
computer is working beyond its capacity.
 COMMON PC PROBLEMS
& SOLUTIONS
• 9. Run a virus and malware scan.
Performance problems can be caused by
malware on the computer. Running a
virus scan can unearth any problems.
Use a commonly updated virus scanner
(such as Norton Antivirus or Avast!
Antivirus)
 COMMON PC PROBLEMS
& SOLUTIONS
• 10. Check for the problem in safe
mode. To enter safe mode, tap F8
repeatedly during POST (this works on
most systems). If the problem persists in
safe mode, it is a fair bet that the
operating system itself is to blame.
 Common Trouble shooting
for Computer Units
1. Double check the power connections.
2. Voltage Regulator and power supply could
cause power failure in the computer unit.
3. Check the power cords and cable
connectors in your computer unit.
4. Unseated card. Loose cards could cause
malfunction.
5. Check the boot sequence configuration in
the advance BIOS (Basic Input /Output
Unit) setup.
 Diagnosing Network
Connection

Things to look for if a PC is connected to the

internet or network:
• First check the cable connecting to the network
card into the network hub.
• Check the back of the computer to see if the
network card light is on
• Check the network cable ( use cable tester)
• Check the network HUB (use multi-tester)
 DEX_Identify the following:
1. Moderately dangerous types of errors among those that can pop up on
your PC.
2. Caused by malfunctioning hardware components, and are characterized
by short beep sounds from the tiny internal speaker of your motherboard.
3. Caused at any point of time. As the name suggests, these are caused by
applications while those are running.
4. Usually caused by corrupted driver files or malfunctioning hardware
components.
5. Caused by corrupted or malfunctioning system files or software
executables.
6. Caused by corrupted hardware, especially malfunctioning RAM modules
and bad sectors on hard disks.
7. Caused by problems faced by browsers when trying to access a website.