Transcript A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 5e

A+ Guide to Managing
and Maintaining Your PC
Fifth Edition
Chapter 24
Troubleshooting and
Maintenance Fundamentals
You Will Learn…

About your role as a PC technician in
troubleshooting and maintenance, and tools
available to help you in those roles

How to approach a troubleshooting problem

How to develop a preventive maintenance plan
and what to include in it
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Troubleshooting Perspectives
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PC support technician
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PC service technician
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Bench technician
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Help-desk technician
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Essential Troubleshooting Tools

Bootable rescue disks
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Ground bracelet and/ground mat
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Screwdrivers (flat-head, Phillips-head or crosshead, Torx set, particularly size T15)
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Tweezers, preferably insulated
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Chip extractor and extractor
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Useful Troubleshooting Tools
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Multimeter
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Needle-nose pliers
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Flashlight
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AC outlet ground tester
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Small cups or bags
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Useful Troubleshooting Tools
(continued)

Antistatic bags
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Pen and paper
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Diagnostic cards and software

Utility software, virus detection, and
diagnostic software on disks
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Bootable Rescue Disk
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Enables booting of PC even when hard drive
fails
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Ensures cleanest boot possible
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POST Diagnostic Cards
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Monitor boot process and report errors and
conflicts at POST, usually as coded numbers
on an LED panel on the card
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Examples of POST Diagnostic
Cards

Amber Debug Card by Phoenix Technologies
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PCI Error Testing/Debug Card by Trigen
Industries

POSTcard V3 by Unicore Software, Inc.
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Diagnostic Software

Identifies hardware problems

Most effective diagnostic software does not
run from the Windows OS

Windows might mask a hardware problem
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Examples of Diagnostic
Software

PC-Technician by Windsor Technologies, Inc.
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PC-Diagnosys by Windsor Technologies, Inc.
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Data Lifeguard Tools by Western Digital
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Programs that test memory
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Memtest 86 by Chris Brady

Windows Memory Diagnostic by Microsoft

DocMemory by CST Inc.
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General-Purpose Utility
Software
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Diagnoses problems
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Repairs and maintains software on a PC
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Recovers corrupted or deleted data on hard
drive or floppy disks
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Provides security

Monitors system performance
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General-Purpose Utility
Software (continued)

Downloads software updates from Internet
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Might use installed OS or provide its own

Do not run it continuously in the background

Slows down system
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Examples of General-Purpose
Utility Software
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Examples of General-Purpose
Utility Software (continued)
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Fundamental Rules of
Troubleshooting
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Make backups before making changes
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Approach problem systematically
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Isolate problem

Remove memory-resident programs

Boot from disk to eliminate the OS and startup
files on the hard drive

Remove unnecessary hardware devices
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Fundamental Rules of
Troubleshooting (continued)
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Don’t overlook the obvious
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Check simple things first
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Make no assumptions
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Become a researcher
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Write things down
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Fundamental Rules of
Troubleshooting (continued)

Reboot and start over
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Establish priorities
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Keep your cool and don’t rush
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Don’t assume the worst

Know your starting point
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Gathering Information
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Interact with user

Investigate problem on computer

Isolate the problem
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Interacting with the User

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Use good manners and diplomacy
Don’t take drastic action before asking about
important data that may not be backed up
Provide alternatives before making decisions
for users
Protect confidentiality of data
Don’t disparage user’s choice of hardware or
software
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Investigating the Problem

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What OS is installed?
What physical components are installed –
processor, expansion cards, drives, peripheral
devices? PC connected to network?
What is the nature of the problem – before or
after boot, error message, etc?
Can you duplicate the problem? Intermittent or
consistent problem?
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Isolating the Problem
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Consider the possibilities
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Eliminate simple things first
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Eliminate the unnecessary
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Trade good for suspected bad
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Trade suspected bad for good
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Intermittent Problems
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Hardest to solve
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Look for patterns or clues
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Ask user to keep a log of when problems occur
and exactly what error messages appear
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Goals of Preventive
Maintenance

Reduce likelihood that events that cause PC
failures will occur


Preventive maintenance plan
Lessen the damage if they do occur

Disaster recovery plan
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When a PC Is Your Permanent
Responsibility

Organize hard drive boot directory
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Create rescue disks
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Document setup changes, problems, and
solutions

Record setup data
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Take practical precautions to protect software
and data (eg, back up original software and
back up data on the hard drive)
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Preventive Maintenance Plan
Guidelines
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Preventive Maintenance Plan
Guidelines (continued)
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Preventive Maintenance Plan
Guidelines (continued)
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Preventive Maintenance Plan
Guidelines (continued)
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Preventive Maintenance Plan
Guidelines (continued)
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Guidelines for Moving
Equipment

Back up hard drive
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Remove removable disks, tape cartridges, or
CDs from drives
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Turn off power to PC and devices

Disconnect power cords and external devices

Label cable connections
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Guidelines for Moving
Equipment (continued)
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Coil all cords and secure them
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Pack in original shipping cartons
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Purchase insurance
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Disposing of Used Equipment
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Disposing of Used Equipment
(continued)
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Fire Extinguishers

Mount a fire extinguisher for Class C fires
(ignited and heated by electricity) near – but
not directly over – the workbench
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Summary

Common-sense guidelines to solving
computer problems

Avoid making situation worse by damaging
equipment, software, or data, or by placing undue
stress on users

Follow safety precautions
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