Chapter 24 Troubleshooting and Maintenance Fundamentals.

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

Troubleshooting Perspectives

PC support technician PC service technician Bench technician Help-desk technician

Essential Troubleshooting Tools

Bootable rescue disk for any OS you might work on (may need several)

Ground bracelet and/or ground mat Screwdrivers (flat-head, Phillips-head or cross-

head, Torx set, particularly size T15) Tweezers, preferable insulated Chip extractor and a spring-loaded extractor

Useful Troubleshooting Tools

Multimeter Needle-nose pliers Flashlight AC outlet ground

tester Small cups or bags Antistatic bags

Pen and paper Diagnostic cards and

software Utility software Virus detection

software on disks

Bootable Rescue Disk

Can boot the PC even when the hard drive fails Ensures cleanest boot possible

Diagnostic Cards and Software

POST diagnostic cards Diagnostic software General-purpose utility software

POST Diagnostic Cards

Discover and report computer errors and conflicts at POST

Examples:• Amber Debug Card (Phoenix Technologies)

• PCI Error Testing/Debug Card (Trigen Industries)

• POSTcard V3 (Unicore Software, Inc.)

• Post Code Master (MSD, Inc.)

• POSTmortem Diagnostics Card (System Optimization, Inc.)

Diagnostic Software

Identifies hardware problems Examples:

• PC-Technician (Windsor Technologies, Inc.)

• PC-Diagnosys (Windsor Technologies, Inc.)

General-Purpose Utility Software

Diagnoses problems Repairs and maintains software on a PC Recovers corrupted or deleted data on hard

drive or floppy disks Provides security Monitors system performance Downloads software updates from Internet

General-Purpose Utility Software

Fundamental Rules for Troubleshooting

Make backups before making changes Approach the problem systematically Isolate the problem; eliminate unnecessary

hardware and software Don’t overlook the obvious Check simple things first Make no assumptions

continued…

Fundamental Rules for Troubleshooting

Become a researcher Write things down Reboot and start over Establish priorities Keep your cool and don’t rush Don’t assume the worst Know your starting point

Gathering Information

Interacting with the user Investigating the problem on the computer Isolating the problem Intermittent problems

Interacting with the User

Ask questions with diplomacy Find out exactly what happened when the

computer stopped working Consider yourself a guest when working at the

user’s desk

Guidelines for Workingwith a User

Don’t take drastic action before asking the user about data that may not be backed up

Provide alternatives before making decisions for the user

Protect confidentiality of data on the PC Don’t disparage user’s choice of hardware or software If you make a mistake or must pass the problem on to

someone with more expertise, be honest

Investigating the Problemon the Computer

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 – occur before or after boot? Any error messages? Does the system hang?

Can you duplicate the problem?

Isolating the Problem

Consider the possibilities Eliminate simple things first Eliminate the unnecessary Trade good for suspected bad Trade suspected bad for good

Intermittent Problems

More challenging Look for patterns or clues Keep a log of when problems occur and

exactly what error messages appear

Preventive Maintenance

Goals• Reduce likelihood that events that cause PC failures will

occur• Lessen the damage if they do occur

Make and implement a preventive maintenance plan to help prevent failures and reduce repair costs and downtime

Develop a disaster recovery plan to manage failures when they occur

When a PC Is Your Permanent Responsibility

Organize hard drive boot directory Create rescue disks Document all setup changes, problems, and solutions Record setup data Take practical precautions to protect software and

data• Back up original software

• Back up data on the hard drive

A Preventive Maintenance Plan

continued…

A Preventive Maintenance Plan

Moving Equipment

Back up hard drive Remove removable disks, tape cartridges, or CDs from drives Turn off power to PC and devices Disconnect power cords and external devices Label cable connections Coil all cords and secure them Pack in original shipping cartons Purchase insurance

Disposing of Used Equipment

Disposing of Used Equipment

Fire Extinguishers

Mount a fire extinguisher for Class C fires (ignited and heated by electricity) near your workbench, but not directly over it

Know how to use the fire extinguisher

Chapter 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