Computer Hardware TroubleshootingThis computer hardware troubleshooting page will help you if you have a computer problem and need a quick fix. It is hard to separate computer hardware with the Operating System. So this page will also have tips for computer software troubleshooting. The compueter hardware troubleshooting steps listed below are only for PCs with Windows Operating System. Basic computer hardware troubleshooting guidelines.Ideally, once you have installed your hardware, you can simply use it—over and over again—without any need to dig into the Windows settings and make changes. Unfortunately, all too often, this ideal falls somewhat short of what actually happens. Sometimes, you have to reconfigure your hardware. Other times, you must reinstall it in order to get it to work. At still other times, you don't have a problem at all; you simply want to upgrade the software components to take advantage of new or improved features. Windows XP offers a number of wizards and dialog boxes to help you work with your hardware's drivers and settings. The most important tool, Device Manager, provides a central focus for this chapter.
Windows XP also contains a number of tools for maintaining your system. Because your hard drives constitute the single most important hardware component to maintain, this chapter also covers hard disk maintenance tools. Between the Device Manager and the hard drive utilities, you can keep the hardware on your system humming along smoothly. What is Device Manager and how to use it for computer hardware troubleshooting?Without a doubt, the Windows Device Manager serves as your best friend in uncovering and solving hardware problems. Device Manager displays a list of all your hardware.
Your first survey of hardware status takes place immediately, according to the following views: If all categories display closed, with no individual devices showing, Device Manager does not know of any malfunctioning hardware. The device still might not work, but, from the standpoint of Windows XP, it works just fine. If Windows XP sees any device as malfunctioning, Device Manager opens with that device's category automatically expanded to reveal the problem hardware. After upgrading to Windows XP or installing it for the first time, you should expect one or more devices to display as nonfunctioning, awaiting drivers. REPAIRING HARDWARE DEVICES Device Manager gives you two major options for configuring your hardware devices: configuring the resources it uses and changing the drivers associated with it. Of these two, updating the driver happens more frequently because Windows XP has proven itself notably adept at managing system resources. Still, you can adjust system resources manually if you come across conflicts with the result that you can solve virtually all hardware problems from within Device Manager, except those in which the hardware itself does not work because of mechanical malfunction. Tip: If a hardware device stops working completely and you can't solve the problem in just a few minutes, you might have a mechanical problem instead of an electronic one. Consider removing the hardware device, and installing it in another PC if one is available. If the hardware still doesn't work and you still get no response from it, you can assume that it has bitten the dust and can be discarded or, in the case of expensive hardware devices such as printers or monitors, sent to a repair shop. Computer hardware troubleshooting. Step by Step Troubleshooting RAM (Memory)This is an excellent article by Robert Cox. It's rare but RAM modules can cause problems. Unfortunately, it's not always certain that the memory errors being reported by your system is actually due to problems with the RAM modules. Even worse is that an unstable system can be due to many problems including RAM failure. Step 1: Back up all important files and data. You should be doing this on a regular basis anyway but if your computer is showing signs of failure don't wait any longer to perform this job. Step 2: Start simple and analyze the problem. * Have you added or replaced RAM? Is it installed properly? Any one of these can indicate a problem with the RAM module or something connected with it. WARNING: Before you start troubleshooting remember that you are dealing with electricity that can KILL. Only work inside the computer case when the power has been switched off and disconnected. Never open the power source. Step 3: Start by reading through this article to establish some ideas about what the problem might be and how to resolve it. There is no absolute order for diagnosing problems it's equal
parts science and magic. If it's hardware then you are probably going to have to open the computer case (steps 5 - 10 & 13). You may prefer to eliminate other problems first (steps 11-12).
Or even run diagnostic software (step 14). Step 4: Gather all the documentation that came with your computer, memory modules or MOBO (motherboard). You need information on make and model numbers, together with installation guides. If you are missing anything visit the PC or MOBO manufacturers web site. Most have excellent online documentation. Step 5: Do you have the correct RAM? Check the MOBO or computer documentation for the type of memory module you should be using. Compare this with the memory module you have
purchased. Look at the memory module; does the information on the module match with the sales invoice (have they sent you the correct product)? If you bought a name brand computer
has the RAM purchased been tested on that particular computer? This can be an issue with Dell and other computers. You can check compatibility issues online through useful tools on www.kingston.com, www.crucial.com or the MOBO manufacturers own web site. NOTE: Before the computer case is opened make sure that power is switched off and disconnected, press and hold the power button for 30 seconds to ensure residual power is lost and make sure that you are grounded to avoid damage due to static electricity. Use a grounding wrist strap or touch the metal case to discharge static electricity. Now open the computer case to check the following. Step 6: Is the RAM installed correctly? Some MOBOs must have their slots filled in a special sequence. Sometimes DIMMs must be in a specific sequence. Step 7: Remove the memory modules from their slots. Take the opportunity to clean the slots on the motherboards and the memory module connectors. Use compressed air to blow dust away and clean contacts with a soft cloth. Don't use a vacuum cleaner if it touches any component it may create a short and cause damage to the motherboard or other components. Don't
use solvent that may attract dust and never poke things like cotton buds in to slots. Check the memory module and memory slot contacts. They are either tin or gold. The color will tell you which they are. Mixing tin and gold can result in corrosion that prevents proper contact. Look for any sign of physical damage to the memory module, memory slots or the motherboard.
With the last two you are looking at replacing the motherboard. Step 8. Reseat the memory modules. You should hear an audible click when they are in place. Do not use too much force to reseat the memory module in to the slot this can cause damage
to the module, slot or motherboard. If you are still experiencing trouble try the following. Step 9. Swap modules in to different slots. If you have more than one memory module try different combinations or one at a time. This might identify a faulty component. Step 10: If you have changed or upgraded the memory modules try taking your system back to its original configuration. Does it still work? If yes then suspect a fault or compatibility problem. If no!! Sorry but you may have damaged the motherboard. Step 11: If your compute isn't recognizing all of your RAM it might be a problem with the BIOS. Check with the motherboard or PC manufacturers web site for possible BIOS upgrades. Word of WARNING - BIOS upgrades can seriously damage your wealth. Make double sure that you have the correct BIOS update for your motherboard. Flash the wrong upgrade can result in needing a new motherboard. Step 12:Check for viruses with an up to date virus checker. Some viruses cause problems that look like memory errors. Step 13: Try removing recently installed hardware or software. Sometimes operating systems misinterpret problems as memory related. Step 14: If you have tried everything a still suspect a faulty RAM module there are several good programs that will test your computer. Typically you must create a boot disk to use when
restarting your computer. This helps eliminate the possibility that it's operating system or other software problems. Three options are - * Gold memory (www.goldmemory.cz). If you have a Dell computer they have their own computer hardware troubleshooting software that is worth using. Step 15: If finally you need to use a computer technician or phone a technical support line make sure you have written down everything you did and the result. It can save you time and money. Who is Robert Cox? Robert teaches science and math at a community college in Ontario,Canada. But only when he's not messing with his sons computer or working in the garden. You can reach him at robert911ca@yahoo.ca
Printer Troubleshooting GuideThis is a very useful computer hardware troubleshooting article from techtutorials.net With most printers, over 50% of all problems are customer fixable. This guide was created to help bail you out when you get stuck on tough printing problems. NOTE: If you need specific information or help with a particular printer, please contact the printer manufacturer. You troubleshoot printing issues like you would any other computer/network related problem. You start at a general point and rule out the possibilities until you have the specific cause. The first question that you need to answer is: "Is the problem hardware, software, network or performance related?". Hardware: First make sure that the printer is on and that it is in "ready" position. Make sure that there are no error messages on the LEDs or LCD if applicable. Now complete the following steps:
Any printer worth owning, can print an internal test or configuration page. This is absolutely the first thing that you want to do, even if you think that the hardware is not the issue. Make sure that the page will print and it looks good. If it prints go to step 3 - If it won't print, go to step 2. Test page didn't print? Any error messages? Try cycling power on the printer and try again. If it still doesn't print, many printers have a special reset often referred to as an NVRAM reset. NVRAM stands for Non-volitile RAM and is where a printer may store a variety of information including network settings, ripped print jobs and more. Sometimes a piece of corrupted information from a bad print job can "confuse" a printer and cause it to hang. Sometimes an NVRAM reset will flush this bad information and restore the printer. It may also wipe all of your network/printer settings so you should contact the printer manufacturer before doing this. If this procedure doesn't fix the problem, then call for service. Your test page printed? Good! Take a good look at it and see if there are any print quality problems(i.e. spots, streaks, etc). If the test page looks fine, then you are probably dealing with a network or software problem. If there are visible problems, then keep reading. Before doing anything else, consult your manufacturers documentation for a list of recommended cleaning procedures before moving to the next step. Almost all printers have "consumable items" or CRCs. These are parts of the printer that are customer replaceable and have a lifespan, which means that they aren't intended to last forever. On a laser printer these may include a fuser, photo-receptor, scorotron charger, toner cartridges and more. It is a good idea to keep spares of these parts on hand for troubleshooting reasons. You can save a lot of time and headache waiting for a technician, by swapping these parts one at a time and seeing if it cures the problem. Make sure that you run about 20 test pages after inserting a new CRC and see if there is improvement. Sometimes hardware failures can leave messes that have to be "mopped up" with quite a few test pages. If these steps do not cure the problem, then contact the manufacturer for further assistance. Network: When troubleshooting networking problems with printers, you will typically follow the same lines of reasoning that you would troubleshooting a PC networking issue especially with newer models of printers. The very first thing to do is narrow down the scope the problem. Is it only an issue for 1 PC, multiple PCs or all of them. Once you have answered this question, the following steps should get you on your way. ISSUE IS AFFECTING 1 OR SOME PCs: If it is just one PC, make sure that the PC is functioning properly on the network. Can it see file servers, print to other printers, ping other devices, etc. If the answer is "no", then it is not a printer issue. If the answer is "yes", continue reading. Do print jobs make it to the printer? Most printers have an LED or LCD message that will signify that the printer is processing a job. Try the driver test page that can be printed from the properties dialogue box for the printer. Does this print? If "no" go to step 2. If "yes" then it is probably a problem. If you are at this step, it means that nothing will print from 1 PC. This is most likely a configuration problem. Make sure that you can communicate with the printer at a protocol level. For example: if the printer has an IP address, can you ping it? If it is Appletalk, does it show up in the chooser? Many printers have an internal "configuration page" that can be printed that will list the network addresses and available protocols. This can often be found on an LCD when applicable. If the answer is "no", go to step 3. Find out what is acting as the print server for the printer. Some printers act as their own print server and others will print through a Novell queue, Windows LPR port or jet direct box. Try sending the test page and see if it makes it to this device. Does the job show up in the Novell queue? Does it appear in the NT queue? If the job doesn't appear in the queue, go to step 4. If the job is making it to the queue but not to the printer, Make sure that this is the same queue that the other PCs are printing to. If so, then quite frankly there is something very goofy going on if this is the only PC having the problem. Get the classifieds and look for another job. If you are at this step, it is because the PC cannot communicate with the printer at a protocol level, but can communicate with all other devices and other devices can communicate with the printer. Not sure what to tell you here. May be a routing/addressing issue of some kind. Consult your local network guru. If you are at this step, it is because the print jobs are not making it into the queue on the print server. We will assume that the PC is able to connect to the print server via an appropriate protocol(if not, then it is not a printer issue). This is almost always a driver configuration issue. It usually means that the driver is not pointing to the correct port, print server or queue. Go to another PC and check the network settings for the printer in question. Go back to the ailing PC and delete the printer. Reinstall the printer and insert the correct network path, port or queue, depending on how you are connected.
Sometimes permissions problems can cause weird printing behavior. Make sure that this user has appropriate permissions to use this resource. ISSUE IS AFFECTING EVERYONE:
Make sure that you can communicate with the printer at a protocol level. For example: if the printer has an IP address, can you ping it? If it is Appletalk, does it show up in the chooser? Many printers have an internal "configuration page" that can be printed that will list the network addresses and available protocols. This can often be found on an LCD when applicable. Make sure that these settings are correct. If you are able to communicate with the printer, go to step 2. If not, then make sure that the printer is on the network. Check cabling, network addressing/configuration, etc. Check the cabling by connecting a known working device to the network drop that the printer is on and see if you are able to communicate with it. If not, then get a new cable. If you can see another device on this drop, their may be a hardware problem with the printer. Although it is rare, network cards do fail. Find out what is acting as the print server for the printer. Some printers act as their own print server and others will print through a Novell queue, NT port or jet direct box. Send a test page from the print server to the printer. Does this print? If "yes", go to step 3. If "no", continue reading. If the test page doesn't print from the print server, it means that the print server probably isn't properly configured for that printer which would obviously prevent anyone else from being able to print to it. Check the type of printer port or queue that you have configured and make sure that it is correctly pointing at the printer. If you are at this step, it is because nobody can print to the printer except for the print server. Make sure that the printer is shared on the server and appropriate permissions have been set. Try sending the test page and see if it makes it to the queue on the print server. Does the job show up in the Novell queue? Does it appear in the NT queue? If the job appears in the queue, go back to step 2 as something is either wrong at the print server or all of the PCs are pointing to the wrong queue on the print server. Software: This tends to be the most complicated of the 3 types of problems and we would have to write a novel to cover everything. Unfortunately, we just don't have that kind of time, so we are going to try to give you some tips to get you headed in the right direction. When investigating software printing problems there are many useful techniques and questions that need to be asked. The first one is to find out which Page Description Language(PDL) is being used. The 2 most common are PostScript(by Adobe) and Printer Control Language(PCL by HP). Below are some of the fundamental questions that should be asked early in a problem investigation.
POSTSCRIPT TECHNIQUES/QUESTIONS:
Is it actually a PostScript file that you are sending? If the printer prints out an endless stream of ASCII text, the printer is receiving PCL data. Get the correct PostSript driver for your printer. Reprint the job, this time selecting "print to file" in the print dialogue box. It will create a *.prn file. Open it using Notepad and make sure that the first line of the file starts with "%!". This signifies that it is PostScript. What printer driver was the PostScript file created with? Make sure you have the latest and greatest one. Consult your printer manufacturer. What application was used to create this file? Do all applications do this? Have you tried an alternative printer driver? And what were the results? Has this exact same file been printed on a second PostScript printer? What were the results? Was there a PostScript Error page? What did the error page say? Look up errors at: http://www.prepressure.com/ps/dbase/overviewerrors.htm Try to distill the original file using Acrobat Distiller. If a PDF file is created, you should be able to print it, other wise, you will probably get a PS error. PS errors can often be caused by corrupt graphics. When trying to distill the file, see which page it faults on. Go to that page in the document and try removing all of the graphics. Have you tried recreating the PostScript and resubmitting the file? HP/PCL TECHNIQUES/QUESTIONS: What printer driver was the pcl file created with? Make sure you have the latest and greatest one. Consult your printer manufacturer. What application was used to create this file? Do all apps. do this? Have you tried an alternative printer driver? And what were the results? Has this exact same pcl file been printed on a second PCL printer? What were the results? What are the specific image errors viewed by the customer? A PCL file will continue printing incorrectly and will not leave an error page. Have you tried recreating the PCL and resubmitting the file? Performance: Performance related issues are usually the result of incorrect customer expectations. There are actually 3 parts to print performance. The time that it takes the job to get to the printer, the time that it takes for the printer to process the job(RIP) and the time that it takes for the printer to actually print the job once it has received it. Let's look at each of these separately. TRANSFER TIME: This really has nothing to do with the printer at all. If jobs are taking a long time to get to the printer, check your network traffic. You may have to get a network sniffer or network monitoring software to check this. If you are using an external print server such as a Jet Direct box, consider the fact that you actually have a parallel connection to the printer which has a slower transfer rate than a network connection. The parallel connection from the print server to the printer is a bottleneck. Some printers are now supporting 100baseT connections which may help in this area. PROCESSING TIME: The processing that occurs on a printer is called Raster Image Processing(RIP). This is the process of the printer converting the file sent into image data that the printer uses to "paint a picture" on the page. If this process appears to be slow, the first thing to consider is the size of the file being sent. If you are sending a 5mb file, it is going to take some time to process. Note: In order to view the true size of the file being processed by the printer, you must print to file and then find the size of the file after it has been run through the driver. PostScript files can be as much as 3x larger than the original file. Send over a simple notepad file with the word "test" on it and see if there is a significant difference. Find out if the printer's memory is upgradable. This can help with processing times. Most printers have different print quality settings specified by dots per inch(DPI). File sizes will typically be larger when higher resolutions are selected. PRINT TIME: The print speed that is quoted by the manufacturer does not include transfer or processing time. It only includes print engine speed once the job is processed. If the printer handles multiple paper sizes, the print speed probably is referring to the speed for the smallest paper size. If you are printing on pages larger than 8.5x11 inches, the print speed will be slower. If it is a color printer, find out if there are different speed capabilities for color and monochrome. Most printers have different print quality settings specified by dots per inch(DPI). Printers will typically print slower in higher resolutions.
Computer hardware troubleshooting - how to troubleshoot your power supplyThis is an excellent article from Otis F. Cooper The Power Supply convert's your regular household current into low DC voltage used by the computer. When this component fails,there is simply no activity going on wih your computer. Remember to do the easy troubleshooting first. Inspect the Power Supply for any damage. Double-Check all connections. Learning how to check your power supply and how to replace it when needed can be a life saver if you're a computer buff or in business with the trusted PC. Don't take for granted the simple pleasure of turning on your PC and everything works just fine. We turned on one of our computers recently and in about one hour,it just re-booted itself. And it continued doing so about 10 times a day until we found out the power supply was the culprit.Things to look for when your power supply is going bad or just dies on you are the following. NO POWER TO THE COMPUTER Here you must first check the wall outlet for power by connecting another device such as a radio or lamp to be sure power is present.If the computer is connected through a surge protector,check it as well. If the wall out has power,check the power cable going to the PC to see if AC voltage is making its way to the system unit.Do this with the use of a multimeter. If there is power,you will have to open the PC and check for power from the power supply to the motherboard. When using a multimeter to check voltage,be sure you have a good ground for the black lead of the multimeter. RE-BOOTING PROBLEMS One main problem you may face with an ailing Power Supply is that it may re-boot the computer without any warning. All information is lost and it seems as though this happens at the worst possible time. Booting errors when the computer first start's up is another indicator of this component going on the blink. POWER DISTRIBUTION PROBLEMS When the power supply begins to fail,you may receive power at one device and not another. For example,the Hard Drive may receive power but the CDROM Drive has nothing at all. Another headache with would cause re-booting is the intermittent power going to the drives or the motherboard itself. Follow the steps below to check your power supply should you experience some of the above problems. CHECKING THE POWER SUPPLY If the wall outlet,and the power cord are good,make sure the connection at the motherboard is secure.Then you may have to face the fact that the power supply itself is bad. If you have a Multimeter you can test the power supply output before purchasing a new one. Simply follow these steps. Turn off the PC,but do not unplug it,open the system unit. Set the multimeter to read DC volts in the next range higher than 12 volts.Locate a power connector similair to the hard drive,or cdrom drive connector that is unused and turn on the PC. You can also unplug a drive connector and use it as well.Turn on the PC and insert the BLACK probe into the power connector on one of the BLACK wires. Touch the RED probe to the YELLOW wire on the power connector. The multimeter reading should be +12 volts Now touch the RED probe to the RED wire and the reading should be +5 volts.If no readings or different readings occured,you'll have to replace the power supply.If the readings were correct,you should check the P8 or P9 connectors at the motherboard. These connectors may also be named P4 and P5.To check these connectors,perform the following... Insert the BLACK probe into P8 at one of the BLACK wires. Insert the RED probe into the P8 connector at the RED wire. The reading on the multimeter should be +5 volts. Check the power going to the Motherboard connections by inserting the RED probe into P8 at the YELLOW wire and you should get +12 volts.Leave the BLACK wire touching the black wire at the P8 connector.Check the BLUE wire and the reading should be a -12 volts. Now move the BLACK probe to the BLACK wire on the P9 connector.Test the WHITE wire by inserting the RED probe and the reading should be -5 volts.Check the RED wires on the P9 connector and you should get +5 volts on each red wire.You won't get exactly 5 or 12 volts but the readings will be very close, such as 5.02 volts. If the Power Supply is a couple of volts off,in either direction,such as when the RED wire should be reading -5 volts but it reads -8 volts,or if there are no readings,replace the power supply. DO NOT remove the power supply from the system unit case when performing these tests.DO NOT perform these tests if you do not feel comfortable.Be sure to remove any and all electrical static build-up from your clothes and body BEFORE touching any parts inside the system unit.And NEVER open the power supply case for any reason,since high voltage may be present. Otis F. Cooper is solely dedicated to boosting the knowledge and confidence of every computer user that is serious about knowing computers.Use his informative articles and videos to understand every aspect about the PC. Read more about his formula for pc training at http://www.ultimatepcrepair.com More computer hardware troubleshooting tips will be added soon. Please revisit often to see updates. Back to computer maintenance home page from computer hardware troubleshooting
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arranged in categories with each item accessible by locating the correct category and expanding it by clicking the plus sign (+) to its left. Device Manager's usefulness comes to the fore
when a device malfunctions. To open Device Manager Iin Windows XP), click start button, right-click My Computer, and choose Properties. From the resulting System Properties dialog, click the Hardware tab. In the Device Manager section of the dialog box, click the Device Manager button. After a brief delay, the
Device Manager utility will open.