ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 4 Instructor Professional Development
Speaker Notes
Cisco Networking Academy program
IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software v4.0
Chapter 4: Basics of Preventive Maintenance and Troubleshooting
Title Slide
Slide 2 – Purpose of this Presentation
The purpose of this PowerPoint is to provide to instructors an overview of ITE
PC v4.0 Chapter 4, including the following:
 List of chapter objectives
 Overview of the chapter contents, including student activities included in the
course content and some potential student misconceptions
 Reflection/Activities for instructors to complete to prepare to teach
 Additional resources
Slide 2
Slide 3 – Chapter 4 Objectives
The purpose of this chapter is to introduce preventive maintenance and the
troubleshooting process. Upon completion of this Chapter, students will be able
to perform tasks related to:
4.1 Explain the purpose of preventive maintenance
4.2 Identify the steps of the troubleshooting process
Slide 3
Slide 4 – Chapter 4 Worksheets, Labs, and Activities
There are no labs or worksheets in this chapter.
• 4.2.7 Activity: Troubleshooting Process (Put into sequence the steps of the
troubleshooting process.)
Slide 4
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ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 4 Instructor Professional Development
Speaker Notes
Slide 5 – The Purpose of Preventive Maintenance
4.1 Explain the purpose of preventive maintenance
Preventive maintenance is used to reduce the likelihood of hardware or
software problems by systematically and periodically checking hardware and
software to ensure proper operation.
Slide 5
Teaching Strategy: The purpose of preventive maintenance is to prevent
problems pro-actively. A regular schedule of preventive maintenance allows
you to perform many actions that will keep problems from developing. It also
allows you to choose the time and place of equipment servicing rather than the
occurrence of failures dictating when these activities are performed.
To protect the computer, extend the life of the components, and protect the
data, proper preventive maintenance is required. Performance issues may
arise without regular maintenance and cleaning. Reliable and stable equipment
is a result of good preventive maintenance procedures.
Slide 6
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The purpose of this chapter is to introduce you to the troubleshooting process
and to describe preventive maintenance. Not all troubleshooting processes are
the same. In time, you will develop your own troubleshooting style based on
your personal experiences and the nature of your workplace.
After completing this section, the student will meet the following objective:
Explain what preventive maintenance is and why it is needed.
Slide 6 – Hardware Maintenance
Make sure that the hardware is operating properly.
 Check the condition of cables, components, and peripherals.
 Repair or replace any components that show signs of abuse or excess
wear.
 Keep components clean in order to reduce the likelihood of overheating.
Use the tasks listed on the slide as a guide to create a hardware maintenance
program that fits the needs of your computer equipment.
• Remove the dust from fan intakes.
• Remove dust from power supply.
• Remove dust from components inside the computer.
• Clean mouse and keyboard.
• Check and secure any loose cables.
For example, some environments, such as construction sites, may require
computer equipment to be cleaned more often than other environments.
• What additional hardware maintenance tasks can you add to the list?
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Speaker Notes
Slide 7 - Software Maintenance
Verify that the installed software is current. Follow the policies of the
organization when installing security updates, operating system updates, and
program updates. Many organizations do not allow updates until extensive
testing has been completed. This testing is done to confirm that the update will
not cause problems with the operating system and software.
Slide 7
Slide 8
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Use the tasks listed on the slide as a guide to create a software maintenance
schedule that fits the needs of your computer equipment.
• Review security updates.
• Review software updates.
• Review driver updates.
• Update virus definition files.
• Scan for viruses and spyware.
• Remove unwanted programs.
• Scan hard drives for errors.
• Defragment hard drives.
For example, high-traffic networks, such as a school network, may require
additional scanning and removal of malicious software or unwanted files.
• What other software maintenance tasks can you add to the list?
Slide 8 - Preventive Maintenance Benefits
• Be proactive in computer equipment maintenance and data protection. By
performing regular maintenance routines, you can reduce potential
hardware and software problems. This will reduce computer down time and
repair costs.
• A preventive maintenance plan is developed based on the needs of the
equipment. A computer exposed to a dusty environment, such as a
construction site, will need more attention than equipment in an office
environment. High-traffic networks, such as a school network, may require
additional scanning and removal of malicious software or unwanted files.
Document the routine maintenance tasks that must be performed on the
computer equipment and the frequency of each task. This list of tasks can
then be used to create a maintenance program.
• Increases data protection
• Extends the life of the components
• Increases equipment stability
• Reduces repair costs
• Reduces the number of equipment failures
• Can you think of any other benefits that preventive maintenance provides?
Teaching Strategy: To protect the computer, extend the life of the
components, and protect the data, proper preventive maintenance is required.
Performance issues may arise without regular maintenance and cleaning.
Reliable and stable equipment is a result of good preventive maintenance
procedures.
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Speaker Notes
Slide 9 – The Troubleshooting Process
4.2 Identify the steps of the troubleshooting process
Troubleshooting requires an organized and logical approach to problems with
computers and other components. A logical approach to troubleshooting allows
you to eliminate variables in a systematic order. Asking the right questions,
testing the right hardware, and examining the right data helps you understand
the problem. This helps you form a proposed solution to try.
Slide 9
Troubleshooting is a skill that is refined over time. As you deal with more
problems, you will increase your troubleshooting skills by gaining more
experience. You will learn how to combine and skip steps to reach a solution
quickly. The troubleshooting process is a guideline that can be modified to fit
your needs.
NOTE: The term customer, as used in this course, is any user that requires
technical computer assistance.
Teaching Strategy: There is a basic troubleshooting process that includes the
elimination of variables one at a time in a logical progression. When following a
structured approach to troubleshooting, you will avoid following unnecessary
leads, which will waste time and cause frustration. A newly employed
technician would benefit from following a senior technician on a repair job.
Communication skills (soft skills) are very important to the success of a career
as a repair technician.
After completing this section, the student will meet the following objective:
 Explain the purpose of data protection
 Gather data from the customer
 Verify the obvious issues
 Try quick solutions first
 Gather data from the computer
 Evaluate the problem and determine the solution
 Close with the customer.
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Slide 10
Speaker Notes
Slide 10 – Data Protection
4.2.1 List precautions a technician should take before starting the
troubleshooting process
Before troubleshooting problems, always follow the necessary precautions to
protect data on a computer. Some repairs, such as replacing a hard drive or
reinstalling an operating system, may put the data on the computer at risk.
Make sure that you do everything possible to prevent data loss while
attempting repairs.
 Some data is irreplaceable. Before you attempt any type of repair or
modification to a computer, make sure that the data has been properly
backed up.
CAUTION: Although data protection is not one of the six troubleshooting steps,
you must protect data before beginning any work on a customer's computer. If
your work results in data loss for the customer, you or your company could be
held liable.
If you are unsure that a backup has been done, do not attempt any
troubleshooting activities until you check with the customer.
Here is a list of items to verify with the customer about data backups:
 Date of the last backup
 Contents of the backup
 Data integrity of the backup
 Availability of all backup media for data restore
If the customer does not have a current backup and you are not able to create
one on the computer that has the problem, you should ask the customer to sign
a liability release form.
A liability release form should contain at least the following information:
 Permission to work on the computer without a current backup available
 Release from liability if data is lost or corrupted
 Description of the work to be performed
Teaching Strategy: A technician should take precautions before starting the
troubleshooting process. For liability reasons, either perform a backup or have
access to a backup.
Often, your best troubleshooting resource will be the owner or operator of the
equipment which you are working on. Use software and hardware tools to
make backups of the customer's data. Bring with you hardware and software
that will allow you to change out suspect hardware with known good hardware
and boot an operating system that is not booting properly. If you need to make
repairs on a system that the customer has not backed-up and if the problem
prevents you from making a backup, then obtain written permission from your
customer to proceed without the backup. The customer must understand that
there is an inherent risk to the data that is stored on the hard drive in many
situations.
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Speaker Notes
Slide 11 – Gather Data from the Customer
4.2.2 Gather data from the customer
The customer will provide you with the basic facts about the problem.
When you are talking to the customer, you should follow these guidelines:
 Ask direct questions to gather information.
 Do not use industry jargon when talking to customers.
 Do not talk down to the customer.
 Do not insult the customer.
 Do not accuse the customer of causing the problem.
Slide 11
May 2007
By communicating effectively, you will be able to elicit the most relevant
information about the problem from the customer.
You should start the data-gathering process by asking general, open-ended
questions. Open-ended questions are used to obtain general information and
to allow the customer to explain the details of the problem in their own words.
Use the information that you collect from open-ended questions to narrow
down the problem with closed-ended questions. Closed-ended questions
generally require a "yes" or "no" answer. These questions are intended to get
the most relevant information in the shortest time possible.
•
The information obtained from the customer should be documented in the
work order and in the repair journal. Write down anything that you think
may be important for you or another technician. Often, the small details
can lead to the solution of a difficult or complicated problem.
Teaching Strategy: Examples of the questions a technician might ask:
 When was the last time the computer worked properly?
 Was anything new added to the system (equipment or software,
downloads, updates, auto-updates [live update], etc), power outages or
lightning?
 Has there been any construction nearby?
 Is air-conditioning working properly?
 Has a circuit breaker tripped?
 Are there any utility trucks in the area?
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Slide 12
Speaker Notes
Slide 12 - Verify Obvious Issues
4.2.3 Verify the obvious issues
The second step in the troubleshooting process is to check the simple or
obvious issues first. Even though the customer may think that there is a major
problem, start with the obvious issues before moving to more complex
diagnoses.
Here is a list of obvious issues to check:
 Loose external cable connections
 Incorrect boot order in BIOS
 Non-bootable disk in floppy drive
 Power switch for an outlet is turned off
 Surge protector is turned off
 Device is powered off
If the problem is not resolved when you verify the obvious issues, you will need
to continue with the troubleshooting process. If you find an obvious issue that
fixes the problem, you can go to the last step and close with the customer.
These steps are simply a guideline to help you solve problems in an efficient
manner.
Teaching Strategy: The customer may say that a device is broken, but the
problem may be a connection issue or some other simple issue. Even if the
customer is in a panicked state, start with the basics before moving to more
difficult troubleshooting techniques. This could save you and the customer
time.
Based upon the problem that the user is experiencing, make sure that simple,
basic problems that can be easily seen and corrected are covered. Very often,
obvious issues can be overlooked by the customer.
The list of suggested obvious issues is not an exhaustive list. The more
experience you gain with troubleshooting, the larger this list will become and
the easier these problems will be to identify.
Slide 13 – Try Quick Solutions
4.2.4 Try quick solutions first
The next step in the troubleshooting process is to try quick solutions first.
Obvious issues and quick solutions sometimes overlap each other and can be
used together to repair the problem. Document each solution that you try.
Information about the solutions that you have tried is vital if the problem needs
to be escalated to another technician.
Slide 13
May 2007
If a quick solution does not resolve the problem, document your results and try
the next most likely solution. Continue this process until you have solved the
problem or tried all of the quick solutions.
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Slide 14
Speaker Notes
Slide 14 – Gather Data from the Computer
4.2.5 Gather data from the computer
The next step in the troubleshooting process is to gather data from the
computer. You have tried all of the quick solutions, but the problem is still not
resolved. It is now time to verify the customer's description of the problem by
gathering data from the computer.
When system, user, or software errors occur on a computer, the Event Viewer
is updated with information about the errors. The Event Viewer application
records the following information about the problem:
• What problem occurred
• The date and time of the problem
• The severity of the problem
• The source of the problem
• Event ID number
• Which user was logged in when the problem occurred
Although this utility lists details about the error, you may still need to research
the solution.
Teaching Strategy: After you have determined the problem from the
customer’s perspective, verified the obvious issues, and tried quick solutions,
then it is time to gather data from the computer. Clues that the computer
provides you can be found in the event logs, error codes, device manager, and
the condition of the computer, peripherals, and other devices. Comparing
information that the customer provided with information that you can get from
the computer will narrow down the possible problems.
Slide 15 – Gather Data from the Computer
• The Device Manager displays all of the devices that are configured on a
computer. Any device that the operating system determines to be acting
incorrectly will be flagged with an error icon. This type of error is denoted
as a yellow circle with an exclamation point ("!"). If a device is disabled, it
will be flagged with a red circle and an "X".
Slide 15
Slide 16
May 2007
Slide 16 – Gather Data from the Computer
• Each BIOS manufacturer has a unique beep sequence for hardware
failures. When troubleshooting, power on the computer and listen. As the
system proceeds through the POST, most computers will emit one beep to
indicate that the system is booting properly. If there is an error, you may
hear multiple beeps. Document the beep code sequence and research the
code to determine the specific hardware failure.
• If the computer boots and stops after the POST, you should investigate the
BIOS settings to determine where to find the problem. A device may not
be detected or configured properly. Refer to the motherboard manual to
make sure that the BIOS settings are accurate.
• Conduct research to determine what software is available to help diagnose
and solve problems. There are many programs available that can help you
troubleshoot hardware. Often, manufacturers of system hardware provide
diagnostic tools of their own. A hard drive manufacturer, for instance,
may provide a tool that can be used to boot the computer and diagnose
problems with the hard drive when it will not boot Windows.
• Do you know of any third-party tools that you can use to troubleshoot
computers?
Teaching Strategy: Be prepared with information of various third-party tools to
share with students. Discuss keywords to use when searching for these tools
on the Internet.
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Speaker Notes
Slide 17 – Evaluate the Problem, Implement the Solution
4.2.6 Evaluate the problem and implement the solution
• The next step in the troubleshooting process is to evaluate the problem
and implement the solution. Divide larger problems into smaller problems
that can be analyzed and solved individually. Solutions should be
prioritized, starting with the easiest and fastest to implement.
• Create a list of possible solutions and implement them one at a time. If you
implement a possible solution and it does not work, reverse the solution
and try another.
Slide 17
Slide 18 – Close with the Customer
4.2.7 Close with the customer
After the repairs to the computer have been completed, you should finish the
troubleshooting process by closing with the customer. Communicate the
problem and the solution to the customer verbally and in all documentation.
The steps involved in closing with the customer include:
• Discuss the solution implemented with the customer. If the customer is
available, demonstrate how the solution has corrected the computer
problem.
• Have the customer test the solution and try to reproduce the problem.
Slide 18
Slide 19
Slide 20
Slide 19 – Completed Work Order
4.2.7 Close with the customer
• Document the repair in the work order and in your journal. The
documentation should include the following information:
• The description of the problem
• The steps to resolve the problem
• The components used in the repair
• The amount of time spent to resolve the problem
• Finalizing a work order is the goal of any technician solving a problem.
Student Activity: Troubleshooting Process (The student course content
includes a sequencing activity in 4.2.7. To complete this activity, students will
put into sequence the steps of the troubleshooting process.)
Slide 20 - Chapter 4 Summary
This chapter discussed the concepts of preventive maintenance and the
troubleshooting process.
 Regular preventive maintenance reduces hardware and software problems.
 Before beginning any repair, back up the data on a computer.
 The troubleshooting process is a guideline to help you solve computer
problems in an efficient manner.
 Document everything that you try, even if it fails. The documentation that
you create will become a useful resource for you and other technicians.
Slide 21 – Instructor Training Activities
Slide 21
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Slide 22
Slide 23
Speaker Notes
Slide 22 – Activities for Instructor Training
These activities are suggested for use in instructor training.
 Take the Quiz provided in Chapter 4 course content.
 In 4.1, there are 3 questions posed to the students. Generate lists of
additional tasks and benefits to refer to when teaching this course.
 What additional hardware maintenance tasks can you add to the list?
 What other software maintenance tasks can you add to the list?
 Can you think of any other benefits that preventive maintenance provides?
 Conduct research to collect samples of work order forms and liability
release forms. Your own organization may have these available.
 In 4.2.5, software diagnostic tools are presented. List any third-party tools
that you are familiar with that can be used to troubleshoot computers. If you
don’t know of any, then conduct Internet research to identify a few.
Slide 23 – Instructor Training Discussion
Discuss questions. Participate in discussion or journal your answers to
discussion questions.
 Share with the other instructors, your lists of additional hardware and
software maintenance tasks and additional benefits of preventive
maintenance. These lists will be useful to use in a discussion with a student
class.
 Share the samples of work order forms and liability release forms you have
collected.
 Share your list of third-party software diagnostic tools that can be used to
troubleshoot computers.
Slide 24 – Q and A
Slide 24
Slide 25
May 2007
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