Troubleshooting
for the
Non-technician
Module Objectives
 Identify common symptoms and problems
associated with computer malfunctions.
 Isolate the source of problem through
basic troubleshooting techniques.
 Identify care and service techniques and
common problems with primary printer
types.
 Develop a preventive maintenance
schedule for the computers in your
classroom.
Essential Questions
 How have technical problems in the
classroom limited your ability to teach
with technology?
 Is it appropriate to troubleshoot technical
problems during class time?
 Have you established a maintenance
schedule for the computers in your
classroom?
 Are your students involved?
Basic Troubleshooting
Methodology




Zero In
Zero in on an area.
Build a foundation.
Work up to the problem.
Repair/Replace.
Build
Foundation
Work up to
Problem
Repair/
Replace
The Dirty Dozen
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Power
Connectivity
Boot Firmware
Memory Chips
Storage
I/O
The Dirty Dozen (cont’d)
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Operating System
Device Drivers/TSRs
Memory Management
Application Specific
Configure/Setup
Viruses
Power
The aspects that get electrical service
to the devices that need them.
What is under Power?






Electric company
Fuse box
Wiring
Plugs/Cords
Power supply
Connections to
devices
The Clues




Dead PC
Intermittent errors
Intermittent lockups
Device not working/
not found
Connectivity
The aspects that
physically connects
internal components and
peripheral devices and
allows for communication
within a computer system.
What is under
Connectivity?




External cables
Internal cables
Properly seated cards
Properly seated memory
chips and boards
Connectivity
 Electronic signals
are sent from
devices installed on
a computer through
internal and
external cables .
 External cables
connect peripheral
devices via a PORT.
Connectivity
Both the keyboard and mouse are connected
directly to a computer system’s motherboard.
Connectivity Ports
 A PORT is similar to a telephone jack. It allows
for two communication between a peripheral
device and computer system.
 Different types of PORTS are used to connect
various peripheral devices:
 Parallel ports transfers data over eight data
lines simultaneously at speeds of 12,000
Kbps.
 Primarily used to connect printers, scanners,
and external drives, such as a Zip drive.
Connectivity Ports
(cont’d)
 Serial Ports send data
one bit at a time with
maximum data transfer
rate of 56 Kbps.
 Primarily used to
connect dial-up
modems or a serial
mouse.
See the Resources more about serial ports and modems.
Connectivity Ports
(cont’d)
Monitors connect to
a graphics card via a
video or VGA port.
Check out the side-by-side graphic of a variety of different ports.
Connectivity Ports
(cont’d)
Networked computers
require an expansion
card called a network
interface card or NIC.
Check the Resources for more on networking components.
Connectivity
Internal Cables
There are a variety of
connections inside the box
that are just as important!
Great, look at the internal components of a computer system.
Connectivity
Internal Cables
The power supply inside
the computer system box
provides connections and
power to all of the internal
devices and components,
i.e., motherboard, hard
drive, and floppy drive.
Connectivity
Internal Cables
Different types of power
supply connectors are
used to connect
different devices.
The Clues
 Device not working
 Device not found
 Intermittent errors
on device
Dust: Enemy #1
 Cleaning your mouse or track ball on a
regular basis is important to maintain
proper functioning.
 The ball inside the
mouse can be
cleaned with soap
and water.
Find out more about cleaning your mouse and other components.
Dust: Enemy #1
Found out more about how the mouse works
and the different types available.
More Mouse Tips




Click on Start button.
Point to Settings.
Click on Control Panel.
Double click on Mouse.
Mouse Properties
Boot Firmware
The POST, BIOS routines, and CMOS
settings and the chips that store them.
What is under
Boot Firmware?




Boot ROM
CMOS and CMOS settings
CMOS battery
Flash ROM
Boot Firmware
 POST – Power on Self Test.
 Routine is run by computer system
every time it boots up to test its
ability to access internal
components and devices.
 Feedback is given to user through
a series of beeps.
The Clues





Dead PC
Consistent errors on POST
Beep errors
CMOS error
Core devices: error on boot
 RAM
 Hard drive
 Floppy drive
 Video
Memory Chips
The DRAM and SRAM chips as well as the
jumper and CMOS settings that support
memory.
What is under
Memory Chips?




Proper type of RAM
Proper setup of RAM
RAM CMOS settings
Motherboard jumpers
The Clues
 Dead PC
 Parity errors
 Page Faults with consistent
memory addresses
 HIMEM.SYS errors
Memory Management
Organizing and optimizing
the use of memory.
What is under
Memory
Management?







Himem.sys
EMM386.exe
MSDOS.sys option (Win95 only)
SYSTEM.INI / WIN.INI
Virtual memory
Window’s resource usage
UMB management
The Clues
 Errors with “Not enough
memory?
 Missing XMS, EMS memory
 Device lockups
 GPFs at KRNL386.EXE
 GPFs at USER.EXE or
GDI.EXE
Device Drivers
 Device drivers and their
configuration.
 Device drivers are
software that enable an
operating system to
control a peripheral
device.
What is under
Device Drivers?
 All device drivers must be referenced in
config.sys, system.ini or the registry.
 Proper versions.
 Driver must correspond to correct
peripheral device and correct operating
system.
 New drivers are usually available on
support or download page from
manufacturer’s website.
 Proper configuration.
The Clues
 Device locks up on access
 Intermittent lockups
 Consistent lockup at
CONFIG.SYS or
AUTOEXEC.BAT
 Safe Mode
Input / Output
The aspects which allow devices
to speak to each other.
What is under
Input/Output?






IRQ settings
I/O address settings
DMA settings
Serial port settings
Parallel port settings
Any card jumpers/
switches
Printer Output
 Is your printer turned on?
 Is the correct version of the
device driver installed?
 Common problem if you
move printer between
different computers.
 Check manufacturer’s
website for Frequently
Asked Questions or FAQ’s
for help in troubleshooting
specific models.
Printer Output
 Problems inherent to
inkjet or bubble jet
printers.
 Dried up ink cartridges.
 One color used up in tricolor cartridge.
 When shades of one
color will not print
 Large capacity
cartridges available
Printer Output
More problems with inkjet printers
 Head alignment.
 Printer should come with software that
can fix some alignment problems. Try
this first!
 Next stop - the printer technician.
Printer Output
Laser Printers
 Many mechanisms for printing with
a laser printer are housed within
the print cartridge.
 Try changing the cartridge first!
 Laser printers are rated by how
many pages each cartridge will
print.
The Clues
 System lockups
 Device not responding
 Bizarre behavior from devices
Maintenance
 System tools for Windows based PCs.
 ScanDisk
 Disk Defragmenter
 Disk Cleanup
 These tools should be used as part of a
regular maintenance program to keep
your system running at optimum levels.
Maintenance
 All of these utilities can be
opened from the Start menu.
 Click on START.
 Point to Programs.
 Point to Accessories.
 Point to System Tools.
Maintenance
18:20.0
Maintenance
ScanDisk
 A utility program that will check
the hard disk drive for errors.
 Tries to fix “bad sector”
problems on hard drive.
 May fix corrupted files.
 May fix file linking errors.
Maintenance
Disk Defragmenter
 As you create and store files or install
programs to a drive, the data is written to
the next available cluster on the storage
device.
 Clusters are rarely contiguous resulting
in file fragments being stored in various
clusters.
An article with examples of a fragmented disk is in Resources.
Maintenance
Disk Defragmenter
 Uninstalling programs and deleting
files increases fragmentation of
storage device.
 Drive performance declines as it has
to work harder to locate clusters
containing parts of a file.
Maintenance
Disk Cleanup
 Recycle bin is an option of Windows based
computer systems.
 Deleted files are automatically moved to
Recycle bin, unless changes are made to
default.
 Recycle bin should be emptied
periodically.
Maintenance
Disk Cleanup
 Temporary files are
created by:
 Operating system
during installation of
software applications
 Software applications
themselves
 Browsing the Internet
Maintenance
Disk Cleanup
 Internet browser software, like Netscape
Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer,
download pages and graphics to your hard
drive as you surf the Web.
 These files are stored in
a cache or temporary directory
for faster access to the information.
Maintenance
Several Types of Backups
 Full backup copies every application
and data file on a storage device.
 Safest backup method.
 Takes a long time to complete.
 Specific utility programs helps
automate process and run overnight.
 Used mostly in business.
Maintenance
Several Types of Backups
 An incremental backup copies only
the files that have changed.
 Most often used by individuals.
 Takes less time to create.
 A regular backup schedule is part of
a good computer maintenance plan.
Maintenance
Documentation
 Make sure you get a manual with
every new hardware or software
purchase.
 Keep manuals and software disks
together in a safe place.
 Keep a backup copy of all
software someplace else.
Build a Foundation
 Good maintenance programs will
reduce need for troubleshooting.
 Keep documentation to aid in
troubleshooting efforts.
 Eliminate obvious sources of
problems first:
 Power
 Connectivity
Build a Foundation
 Zero in on problem by eliminating
possible causes one at a time.
 Once the problem is zeroed in,
replace or reinstall.
 It takes more than one try to enact
most repairs.
 By far, the easiest part.