5.2 - Troubleshooting Common Hardware Problems

Question 1

POST (Power On Self Test)

Answer 1

• Test major system components before booting
  the operating system
  – Main systems (CPU, CMOS, etc.)
  – Video
  – Memory
• Failures are usually noted with beeps and/or codes
  – BIOS versions can differ, check your documentation
• Don’t bother memorizing the beep codes
  – They’re all different between manufacturers
  – Know what to do when you hear them

Question 2

POST and boot

Answer 2

• Blank screen on boot
  – Listen for beeps
  – Bad video, bad RAM, bad CPU
  – BIOS configuration issue
• BIOS time and setting
  – Maintained with the motherboard battery
  – Replace the battery
• Attempts to boot to incorrect device
  – Set boot order in BIOS configuration
  – Confirm that the startup device has
  a valid operating system
  – Check for media in a startup device

Question 3

Crash screens

Answer 3

• Windows Stop Error or Blue Screen of Death
• Contains important information
  – Also written to event log
• Useful when tracking down problems
  – Sometimes more useful for manufacturer support

Question 4

Bluescreens and spontaneous shutdowns

Answer 4

• Startup and shutdown BSOD
  – Bad hardware, bad drivers, bad application
• Use Last Known Good, System Restore, or Rollback Driver
  – Try Safe Mode
• Reseat or remove the hardware - If possible
• Run hardware diagnostics
  – Provided by the manufacturer
  – BIOS may have hardware diagnostics

Question 5

The spinning ball of death

Answer 5

• The macOS X Spinning Wait Cursor
  – Feedback that something is happening
• The spin starts, but it never stops
  – You never get back control of your computer
• Many possible reasons
  – Application bug
  – Bad hardware
  – Slow paging to disk
• Restart the computer
  – There may be details in the console logs

Question 6

Black screen

Answer 6

• Is the monitor connected?
  – We wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t a common solution
  – Check both power and signal cable
• Input selection on monitor - HDMI, DVI, VGA, etc.
• Image is dim - Check brightness controls
• Swap the monitor
  – Try the monitor on another computer
• No video after Windows loads
  – Use VGA mode (F8)

Question 7

No power

Answer 7

• No power
  – No power at the source
  – No power from the power supply
  – Get out your multimeter
• Fans spin - no power to other devices
  – Where is your fan power connected?
  – No POST - bad motherboard?
  – Case fans have lower voltage requirements
  – Check the power supply output

Question 8

Sluggish performance

Answer 8

• Task Manager
  – Check for high CPU utilization and I/O
• Windows Update
  – Latest patches and drivers
• Disk space
  – Check for available space and defrag
• Laptops may be using power-saving mode
  – Throttles the CPU
• Anti-virus and anti-malware
  – Scan for bad guys

Question 9

Overheating

Answer 9

• Heat generation
  – CPUs, video adapters, memory
• Cooling systems
  – Fans and airflow
  – Heat sinks
  – Clean and clear
• Verify with monitoring software
  – Built into the BIOS
  – Try HWMonitor
  – http://www.cpuid.com/

Question 10

Smoke and burning smell

Answer 10

• Electrical problems
  – The smoke makes everything work
• Always disconnect power
  – There should never be a burned odor
• Locate bad components
  – Even after the system has cooled down
  – Replace all damaged components

Question 11

Intermittent shutdown

Answer 11

• No warning, black screen
  – May have some details in your Event Viewer
• Heat-related issue
  – High CPU or graphics, gaming
  – Check all fans and heat sinks
  – BIOS may show fan status and temperatures
• Failing hardware
  – Has anything changed?
  – Check Device Manager, run diagnostics
• Could be anything
  – Eliminate what’s working

Question 12

Application crashes

Answer 12

• Application stops working
  – May provide an error message
  – May just disappear
• Check the Event Log
  – Often includes useful reconnaissance
• Check the Reliability Monitor
  – A history of application problems
  – Checks for resolutions
• Reinstall the application
  – Contact application support

Question 13

Grinding noises

Answer 13

• Computers should hum, not grind
• Rattling - Loose components
• Scraping - Hard drive issues
• Clicking - Fan problems
• Pop - Blown capacitor

Question 14

Lockups

Answer 14

• System completely stops
  – Completely. Usually not much in the event log
  – Similar to unexpected shutdowns
• Check for any activity
  – Hard drive, status lights, try Ctrl-Alt-Del
• Update drivers and software patches
  – Has this been done recently?
• Low resources - RAM, storage
• Hardware diagnostics may be helpful

Question 15

Continuous reboots

Answer 15

• How far does the boot go before rebooting?
  – BIOS only? OS splash screen?
• Bad driver or configuration
  – F8, “Boot from last known working configuration”
• Try F8, Safe Mode
  – If system starts, disable automatic restarts
  in System Properties
• Bad hardware
  – Try removing or replacing devices
  – Check connections and reseat

Question 16

Inaccurate system date/time

Answer 16

• Bad motherboard battery
  – Often a “button” style battery
• A bad battery will require a BIOS configuration or
  date/time configuration on every boot
• On older systems, can reset the BIOS configuration
  by removing the battery
  – Newer computers use a jumper