Troubleshooting

Question 1

What are the 6 troubleshooting steps when facing a new problem?

Answer 1

1. Identify the problem/gather information from the user
2. Establish a theory of what was the likely cause of the problem
3. Test the theory
4. Plan and implement a solution
5. Verify the problem is resolved and full system functionality is restored
6. Document findings - what the problem was, what was the cause, what was the solution.

Question 2

If it seems like there is no power coming out of a laptop charger what tool can you use to test this?

Answer 2

A multimeter can be used to check that power is coming through plug sockets, power adapters or wires/Molex connectors. .

Question 3

If a Windows system is running sluggishly/slowly what is a good first thing to check?

Answer 3

Windows task manager to see if a process/app is using an abnormally high amount of system resources. This shows you how much the CPU and Memory are being used. Check there is significant disk space available and if there is a very fragmented HDD.

If it is a laptop check power options to check it’s not in power-saving mode.

Question 4

If a monitor is not displaying anything (black screen or no input) what are the first things to check?

Answer 4

Check the HDMI/VGA/DVI/DisplayPort connection is secure and that the monitor has the right input selected. Check power cable/plug socket if screen not turning on.

If yes to these then it may be worth trying a different working monitor to see if that fixes the problem - if so then the problem is a faulty monitor.

Question 5

What’s a BSOD?

Answer 5

Blue Screen Of Death aka Windows Stop Error is serious system problem. They show STOP CODES which give useful information in regards to what caused the problem. The mac OS equivalent to a BSOD is the spinning ball of death (SBOD) - could be bugged software, hardware fault, slow paging to disk - see console logs.

If you encounter a BSOD - try safe mode/check hardware/run hardware diagnostics (can often do this through BIOS).

Question 6

What to check if a system is overheating?

Answer 6

Check fans/air flow for dust clogging and function, check HWMonitor for component temperatures.

Question 7

In the event you smell burning or see smoke coming from a system what is the first step to take?

Answer 7

Disconnect power from the system. Then check for which component/s have failed after the system has cooled down.

Question 8

How to troubleshoot an intermittent shutdown without any warnings?

Answer 8

Check Event Viewer logs. Monitor temperatures of components. Check Device Manager and then run diagnostics on all hardware to narrow down what component/s is causing the problem.

Question 9

Troubleshooting an application crash steps?

Answer 9

Check Event Log, check the Reliability Monitor/History - uses a GUI to show you event log key incidents over time and what type of problem they were (application/windows failures/warnings/etc).

Reinstall the application and check it’s the latest stable version.

Question 10

Grinding noise coming from a computer - what do you do?

Answer 10

Very bad sound! Are there loose components? Is a cable hitting into a fan (clicking sound)? Is it coming from the HDD?

Popping noise = blown capacitor - hard to see - maybe a very minor bulge.

Question 11

System freeze troubleshooting steps.

Answer 11

Check for any activity like HDD light on front panel, status lights - try CTRL+ALT+DEL.

Update drivers and software. Check for Windows Updates.

No RAM/Storage available? Check hardware usage when possible.

Question 12

Continuous reboots during startup?

Answer 12

Document where/when exactly the reboots are occurring: -during bios screen, Windows logo, etc.

Try F8 key to boot from last known working configuration.

If you can get into system maybe disable “Automatic Reboot” so you have time to see error messages before it powers down.

Check hardware. Likely RAM issue!

Question 13

What causes inaccurate date and time of the system?

Answer 13

CMOS Battery.

Question 14

How to reset the BIOS configuration?

Answer 14

Use a Jumper between two pins on the MOBO.

Question 15

What hardware is at fault if “Cannot read from the source disk” message appears? How would you go about troubleshooting this error message?

Answer 15

Storage drive - SSD or HDD needs attention/troubleshooting:

Get a backup of all the critical data on that drive URGENTLY if at all possible. Check all cables to the drive/s are securely seated.
Run hard drive diagnostics - CHKDSK Windows Utility.

Question 16

Troubleshooting boot failure steps?

Answer 16

Check data and power cables, check BIOS boot sequence (be especially wary of any USB drive connected).

If still nothing try using the drive/drives in a working system to confirm they are functional.

Question 17

What is S.M.A.R.T.?

Answer 17

Self Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology - drive internal standard for drive health monitoring/statistics that’s accessed from a 3rd party utility/tool.

Question 18

What IOPS a measure of?

Answer 18

Storage device (SSD/HDD) performance measure - Inputs/Outputs Per Second.

A good way to compare storage drives.

Question 19

If there are missing drives in OS what do you do?

Answer 19

Check the BIOS to see if they are registered, if not then check the drive cables are connected properly.

Question 20

If a monitor has a distorted image or the size is off what do you check?

Answer 20

Check the OS refresh rate, resolution settings and cable/connectors.

Question 21

What’s a native resolution?

Answer 21

Native resolution refers to the fixed number of pixels a display can physically control. E.g. in an LCD.

Question 22

What’s burn-in/stuck image on a monitor?

Answer 22

Slight pixel-shift. Can correct by setting the monitor to a pure white background for a long time.

Question 23

What is a flashing screen generally caused by?

Answer 23

Video cable connection if not then the monitor most likely is at fault. Make sure the monitor is capable of displaying the data transfer rate (e.g. 4k) that you are sending it.

Question 24

If a mobile device gets water damaged what should you never do?

Answer 24

Turn it on, charge it or press any keys. LEAVE IT ALONE TO DRY OUT THOROUGHLY (try a bag of silica gel).

Question 25

A technician at Dion Training is troubleshooting an issue with a workstation. The technician believes that the power supply needs to be replaced based on the symptoms they observed. Which of the following symptoms did the technician likely observe to lead them to this conclusion?

Distended capacitors
Incorrect date/time on the workstation
Burning smell
Continuous reboot

Answer 25

A burning smell is indicative of a bad power supply. A foul odour is indicative of a distended capacitor. The incorrect date/time on the workstation is indicative of a dead CMOS battery. Hardware failure or system instability can cause the computer to reboot continuously. The problem could be the RAM, hard drive, power supply, graphics card, or external devices. Based on the symptoms of a continuous reboot, the supervisor likely suspected the RAM as the cause of the issue.

Question 26

Swollen capacitor fix?

Answer 26

Replace MOBO, remove power immediately to prevent damage/loss of other components.

Question 27

What are the screws that keep a motherboard from physically touching the case?

Answer 27

Standoffs - prevent electrically shorts from the case/housing which could damage MOBO components.