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A+ 1101 > Hardware and Network Troubleshooting > Flashcards

Hardware and Network Troubleshooting Flashcards

1
Q

POST

A

-Power On Self Test
-Test major system components before booting the OS (main systems, video , memory)
-Failures are usually noted with beeps &/or codes (different between manufacturers)

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2
Q

Blank screen on boot

A

-Listen for beeps
-Bad video, bad RAM, bad CPU
-BIOS configuration issue

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3
Q

BIOS time and setting

A

-Maintained with the motherboard battery
-Replace the battery

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4
Q

Attempts to boot to incorrect device

A

-Set boot order in BIOS configuration
-Confirm that the startup device has a valid OS
-Check for media in a startup device

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5
Q

Blue screen (blue screen of death BSOD)

A

-Bad hardware, bad drivers, bad application
-Use last known good, system restore or rollback driver (try safe mode)
-Reseat or remove the hardware
-Run hardware diagnostics

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6
Q

macOSX Spinning Wait Cursor

A

-Feedback that something is happening
-Possible reasons: application bug, bad hardware, slow paging disk
-Restart the computer (there may be details in the console log)

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7
Q

Black Screen

A

-Is the monitor connected (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)

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8
Q

No Power

A

-No power at the source
-No power from the power supply (get out the multimeter)

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9
Q

Fans spin but no power to other devices

A

-Where is your fan power connected
-No POST - bad motherboard
-Case fans have lower voltage requirements
-Check the power supply output

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10
Q

Sluggish performance

A

-Task Manager (check for high CPU utilization and I/O
-Windows update
-Disk space
-Laptops may be using power-saving mode (throttles the CPU)
-Antivirus and anti-malware

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11
Q

Overheating

A

-Heat generation (CPUs, video adapters, memory)
-Cooling systems (fans, air flow, heat sinks, clean and clear)
-Verify w/ monitoring software (part of the BIOS - try HWMonitor)

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12
Q

Smoke and burning smell

A

-Electrical problems
-Always disconnect power
-Locate bad components (replace all damaged components)

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13
Q

Intermittent shutdown

A

-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 for status and temp
-Failing hardware:
–Has anything changed
–Check Device manager, run diagnostics

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14
Q

Application crashes

A

-May provide an error message/may just disappear
-Check the Event log
-Check the Reliability Monitor
–a history of application problems, check for resolutions
-Reinstall the application (contact application support)

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15
Q

Grinding noises

A

-Rattling - loose components
-Scraping - hard drive issues
-Clicking - fan problems
-Pop - blown capacitor

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16
Q

Lockups

A

-System completely stops
-Check for any activity (hard drive, status lights, try ctrl-alt-del)
-Update drivers and software patches
-Low resources (RAM, storage)
-Hardware diagnostics may be helpful

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17
Q

Continuous reboots

A

-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 restart in system properties
-Bad hardware (try removing or replacing devices)

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18
Q

Inaccurate system date/time

A

-A bad motherboard battery
-On older systems, can reset the BIOS config by removing the battery - newer computers use a jumper

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19
Q

Storage failure symptoms

A

-Dead/write failure (cannot read from the source disk)
-Slow performance (constant /LED activity
-Loud clicking noise (the click of death - may also include grinding and scraping)

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20
Q

Troubleshooting disk failures

A

-Get a backup
-Check for loose or damaged cables
-check for overheating (especially if problems arise after startup)
-Check power supply (especially if new devices were added)
-Run hard drive diagnostics
–From the drive or computer manufacturer
–Preferably on a known good computer

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21
Q

Boot failure symptoms

A

-Drive not recognized, boot device not found
(lights/no lights, beeps, error messages)
-Operating system not found (the driver is there but Windows is not)

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22
Q

Troubleshooting boot failure

A
  • Check your cables (physical problem)
    -Check boot sequence in BIOS
    –Check for removable disks (esp USB)
    –Check for disabled storage interfaces
    -For new installations, check hardware config (data, power cables, try different SATA interfaces)
    -Try the drive in a different computer
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23
Q

Data loss/corruption

A

-Hard drives are mechanical devices - they will eventually fail
-Repairs are difficult and expensive (dust-free environment - not always successful)
-An SSD may simply stop working (read only - not write)

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24
Q

S.M.A.R.T.

A

-Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology
-Avoid hardware failure (look for warning signs)
-Schedule disk check (built into most drive arrays)
-Warning signs - replace a drive

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25
Q

Missing drives in OS

A

-OS boots normally - check the BIOS, other drivers not shown
-Internal drives - bad drive or disconnected cable
-External drives - no power to the drive or bad cable connection
-Network shares - Shared drives can be connected during startup, option to reconnect at sign-in, connected with login script

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26
Q

No video image

A

-Is it connected (check both power and signal cable)
-Input selection on monitor (HDMI, DVI, VGA, etc)
-Image is dim (check brightness controls)
-Swap the monitor
-No video after Windows loads (use VGA mode - F8)

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27
Q

Image quality problems

A

-Flickering, color patterns incorrect
-Check the cable pins (esp if color is missing)
-Distorted image and geometry
–Check the OS refresh rate and resolution settings
–Need to match the display specifications
–Check or replace cable
-Disable hardware acceleration
–Troubleshoot with the software drivers

28
Q

Native resolution

A

_An LCD Display is fixed (the number of pixels doesn’t change)
-A display looks best when the video settings match a display’s native resolution (a mismatch can cause distortion
-If changing the display resolution, try using a multiple of the native resolution (ex: 2560x1600 is the same ration as 1920x1200)

29
Q

Burn-in

A

-A problem across all monitor types
-Some displays will pixel-shift
-Lcds have ‘image sticking”
–Try to remove by displaying a white screen for an extended period

30
Q

Dead pixels

A

-Always black (a manufacturing default)
-Have to replace the monitor

31
Q

Flashing screen

A

-Check the video cable connections (loose cable?)
-Replace the video able
-The problem could be with the monitor
-Confirm the display settings in the operating system (may not match the monitor)

32
Q

Incorrect color display

A

-Colors may not be properly represented
-Monitor settings (tint, custom color presents, factory reset)
-Driver configuration (color tint)
-OS configuration (very blue)
–Night light settings

33
Q

Audio issues

A

-Monitor may have audio controls
-Confirm audio input over HDMI, DisplayPort, or Thunderbolt
-The monitor may support other audio input interfaces (check for audio jacks)

34
Q

Dim image

A

-Monitor video settings (brightness/contrast)
-Check the OS (auto-dimming, dim on battery power, driver settings)
-Backlight failure (some or all of the light)

35
Q

Poor battery health (phones)

A

-Replace aging battery
-Bad reception (always searching for signal drains the battery)
-Disable unnecessary features (802.11 wireless, bluetooth, GPS)
-Check application battery usage

36
Q

Swollen battery

A

-Build up gas (designed to self-contain)
-Faulty battery (dispose of immediately)

37
Q

Broken screen

A

-Replace the screen (no easy fix)
-Screen protectors can help

38
Q

Improper charging

A

-Check everything in the charging process

39
Q

Poor or no connectivity

A

-Cellular
–Signal strength, location matters, outdoor connectivity may be better
-Wi-Fi
–Limited range, interference can limit throughput, may need a channel/frequency configuration change

40
Q

Liquid damage

A

-Many phones have a Liquid Contact Indicator (LCI) (turns color when liquid has been present)
-Power down the phone, remove case, cards, back, and battery
-Leave it alone for at least a day

41
Q

Overheating

A

-Phone will automatically shut down
-Charging/discharging the battery, CPU usage, display light all create heat
-Check app usage
-Avoid direct sunlight

42
Q

Digitizer issues

A

-Touchscreen completely black or not responding to input
-Reset phone (hard reset or remove battery)

43
Q

Physically damaged ports

A

-External interface (charging and data transfer)
-Requires a system board replacement

44
Q

Cursor drift

A

-Random input or cursor moves w/o touching it (common on older screens)
-Use a touch calibration app
–Requires user input
–Touch certain areas of the screen
-The system will adjust to the new calibration parameters (no more drift)

45
Q

Testing the printer

A

-Print or scan a test page
-Use a diagnostic tool
–Web-based utilities built into the printer
–Vendor specific
–Generic utilities

46
Q

Lines down the printed page

A

-Inkjet: clean the print heads
-Laser: check for scratched photosensitive drum

47
Q

Faded print/blank pages printed

A

-Low toner or ink

48
Q

Double/echo images or speckling printed

A

-Laser printer optical drum not cleaned properly

49
Q

Garbled print

A

-Bad printer driver/wrong model
–Incorrect page description language (PCL or PostScript)
-Verify the printer functionality
–Check with a test page
-Bad application
–Check the output; upgrade the application

50
Q

Toner not sticking to the paper

A

-Laser printer output smudges everywhere
-Toner not fused to the paper
–Replace the fuser assembly

51
Q

Paper jam

A

-Paper not feeding or misfeeds multiple pages
–Check the tray
–Pickup rollers are part of a laser printer maintenance kit
-Creased paper
–Problems in the paper path
–Check the paper weight

52
Q

Multiple prints pending in queue

A

-Corrupted print jobs
–Print spooler will crash
–Most spooler configurations will automatically restart
-Check errors in Windows Even Viewer, Windows-Print Service

53
Q

Incorrect color settings

A

-Calibrate the monitor
–A third-party calibration tool will help
-Calibrate the printer (the proper amount of ink and toner)

54
Q

Grinding noises

A

-Paper jam or carriage is stalled or jammed
-Check the manuals for removing paper jams

55
Q

Incorrect page orientation

A

-Check the settings when printing
–Controlled by the print driver
–May require a driver update
-The printer also has a default setting
–Check the settings on the printer console

56
Q

No network connectivity

A

-Do you have a link light?
–Is it plugged in?
-Ping loopback
–127.0.0.1
–Is the protocol stack working
–Availability and intermittent connectivity
-Ping local IP address
–Checks local configuration, adapter, and link signal
-Ping default gateway
–Connectivity on the local network
-Ping devices on router’s other side
–8.8.8.8 or 9.9.9.9

57
Q

Intermittent wireless connectivity

A

-Interference (something else is using our frequency)
-Signal strength (transmitting signal, transmitting antenna, receiving antenna, etc)
-Incorrect channel (usually automatic, look for manual tuning)
-Bounce and latency (multipath interference, flat surfaces)
-Incorrect access point placement (locate close to the users)

58
Q

Wireless interference

A

Predictable
-Fluorescent lights, microwave ovens, cordless telephones, high-power sources
Unpredictable
-Multi-tenant building
Measurements
-Signal to noise ratio (SNR) (performance monitor0

59
Q

Signal to noise ratio (SNR)

A

-Signal: what you want
-Noise: interference from other networks and devices
-You want a large ratio

60
Q

Limited or no connectivity

A

-Windows alert in the system trays
–“Limited or no connectivity”
–“No internet access”
-Check the local IP address
–An APIPA address will only have local connectivity
-If DHCP address is obtained, perform the ping test (local gateway, remote IP address

61
Q

Jitter

A

-Most real-time media is sensitive to delay
–Data should arrive at regular intervals
–Voice communication, live video
-If you miss a packet, there’s no retransmission
-Jitter is the time between frames
–Excessive jitter can cause you to miss info (choppy voice calls)

62
Q

Poor VoIP quality

A

-Highspeed and low latency
–Real-time applications are demanding
-Check the Internet connection
–A speed test can identify slow links
-Verify the local networking equipment
–An old router can cause significant problems
-View the networking performance
–A packet capture would be useful

63
Q

Latency

A

-A delay b/t the request and the response
–Waiting time
-Some latency is expected and normal
–Laws of physics apply
-Examine the response times at every step
–This may require multiple measurement tools
-Packet captures can provide detailed analysis
–Microsecond granularity
–Get captures from both sides

64
Q

Port flapping

A

-Network interface goes up and down (over and over)
-Verify the cable
–Check the wiring
-Move between switch interfaces
–Is the flapping associated with the switch interface or the device?
-Replace bad hardware or cables
–May require additional purchases

65
Q

IOPS

A

-Input/Output operations per second
-A broad metric of maximum performance for reading/writing data
-Useful for comparing storage devices
–Hard drives: 200 IOPS
–SSD: 1,000,000 IOPS

A+ 1101 (6 decks)

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