Section 22 OBJ 5.2: Troubleshooting Hardware Issues Flashcards
Power Issues
“Computer is not powering on”
Possible issues:
1. Power button is not connected properly to the motherboard.
- open up the computer and ensure the cable connecting the power button is properly connected
2. Wall outlet is faulty.
- Test the wall outlet with a multimeter if qualified
3. Power cable to the computer is faulty
- Take multimeter and run resistance test from end to end for cable.
- Replace cable if faulty
4. Power Supply is faulty.
- Use power supply tester
- Replace power supply if its the problem.
5. Power cables from power supply to components are faulty.
- Use multimeter and test resistance for a number ~0
6. Incorrect voltage setting on power supply
- Check back of power supply for voltage switch and ensure its set correctly
Power-On Self-Test (POST)
“The computer powers on but doesn’t boot properly”
Computer can beep when powering on, telling us what’s happening.
1 Short beep - Normal POST, system is OK
2 Short beeps - POST error, error code shown on screen
No beep - power supply issue, motherboard problem, or faulty onboard speaker
Continuous beep - Problem with system memory modules or memory controller
Repeating short beeps - Power supply fault or motherboard problem
1 Long beep, 2 or 3 beeps - Video adapter error
3 Long beeps - keyboard issue
Crash Screens
“crashes and displays an error whenever the operating system has issue”
Windows - BSOD
Displays a stop code. Look up stop code to find additional information
MacOS - Pinwheel of Death
Displays a pinwheel when an application or process has become unresponsive
Linux - Kernel Panic
Black screen with white text with a lot of information, including an exit code. Look up exit code to find information
Cooling issues
“system is locking up, becomes unresponsive, intermittent shutdowns, BSODs, crashes, etc.”
Thermal issues cause intermittent shutdowns and/or continuous rebooting
Methods to diagnose:
1. Touch the computer and see if its hot
2. If the system runs fine for a few minutes and then shuts down.
3. Fans are working at very high speeds
4. Fans may not be working at all
Things to do if cooling is the issue:
1. Shut down the computer
2. Boot into the UEFI or BIOS
3. Look at temperature sensors inside of the system through the UEFI
4. If its the CPU and the fans are working normally, repaste the CPU
5. It may be the room the computer is in, due to lack of airflow or high ambient temperatures
Physical component damage
“damage was done to components on the motherboard”
Excessive exposure to thermal loads can cause permanent damage
Electrostatic discharge may also damage components
Constant unplugging and replugging may damage pins in the connector
Spilling food or liquids can also damage, also one of the easiest to identify
Can even smell what the issue is. For example, smoke or burning smell could be dust or overheating. A rancid smell could be a blown capacitor
Inaccurate System Date/Time
“the time on the system is incorrect”
From a hardware perspective, this is most likely due to the CMOS battery failing
From a software perspective, this could be a variety of issues:
- The computer is not connected to the internet
- There is no connection to the time syncing server, called the Network Time Protocol (NTP)
Performance issues
“sluggish or slowish performance”
One of the hardest things to diagnose, because it could be hardware, software or both
Establish a baseline for what to expect in terms of performance from the computer
Upgrade hardware to increase performance if the computer is operating below baseline
If the system is overheating, it may be thermal throttling
