PC Troubleshooting:

1. Has the system ever worked properly?

• Is the system just out of the box or has anyone worked on it?
• Did this function ever work before?
• Are the phone lines correctly connected to the modem?
• Is the phone line connected through a surge protector?
• Has the modem ever dialed out or detected a dial tone?

Right out of the box issues could point to shipping, assembly or an incorrect image download. Components or cables may have shaken loose during shipping. Look for indicators of proper functionality (e.g. o/s loading correctly), or failure (e.g. beep codes) of components.

2. Has anything changed?

• When did the issue begin?
• Has this been a recurring problem?
• Did this happen today, last week?
• Has anyone added or removed any hardware or software?
• How long has the client been receiving this error?

If the error has been appearing for a long time, the client may have made his own attempts to troubleshoot the issue. Ask what steps the client has already taken and what he may have done to try to fix it. The client may have moved the system, loosened something, or missed something while setting up the system at a new location. Relating the start time to the purchase date, changes to hardware/software and other factors affecting the PC, you may be able to narrow the possible causes of the issue.

3. When did the system start doing this?

• Was anything downloaded off the Internet?

• Was the system completely shut down and restarted?

• Was e-mail sent or received?

• What was running previous to shutting down?

• Did the system lockup?

• What was the last thing the client did to the system?

This may provide an idea of what has happened to the system. The client may have terminated a program incorrectly or shut down the system before exiting Windows.

4. Was anything changed?

• Does the system seem to take longer to boot, to connect, to display a picture?

• Was the machine moved?

• Is the system suddenly in VGA mode?

• Could the sound be muted somewhere?

• Are any of the standard computer noises missing or different?

Changing desktop settings, default printer, resolution, screen savers can affect performance. The abnormal sounds that system makes may indicate where the issue lies.

5. Have you added any hardware or software?

• Is there an external device hooded to the machine (fax, answering machine, surge protector, scanner)?
• Does the user have call waiting, voice mail, caller recognition?
• Where any applications added or files zipped or unzipped?
• Has the client added any hardware/software to the system?

Check configuration; third party hardware/software manufacturers; check Device Manager in Windows conflicts often occur after adding hardware; try removing recent additions to the system; software additions can cause driver issues, change system files and boot files, or update files causing new issues.

6. Did anyone else have access to this system?

• If so, who used it last?
• Are they available for questions?
• Were any of the system settings changed?

Do not assume that nothing has changed just because the client has not changed anything.

7. Where is this happening? In one program or more than one?

• Does it happen in Dos, Windows or both?
• What o/s is the client using?
• If the problem is software, is a DOS or Windows application?
• Has the problem software been deleted (or uninstalled) and re-installed?

Get specific different o/s need different troubleshooting steps and tools. Take a close look at related programs. Problems in several programs may indicate an operating system issue or a hardware issue, as opposed to an application error. Problems in only one program may point to reinstalling that program.

8. Is there an error message? If so what is it EXACTLY?

• When does the error message appear?
• Are there error messages associated with the attempted use of the program?

Error messages, which sound similar, may point to entirely different problems. Write down the error message word for word and the details when the client receives it. Enter the exact message into the tools. There may be a quick solution: If the error is generated by a Microsoft program, check TechNet for the error. If the error is generated by third party redirect client to the manufacturer.

9. Does it happen every time or just sometimes?

• Does the same action always bring about the same results?
• If this has occurred before, is it after the initial boot?
• What is the timing of the failure?

Look for commonalities. They can point to the root cause. If the issue is constant, you may be able to recreate it and collect more info. Chances are it may be a hardware setting somewhere or a hardware issue. If the issue occurs only shortly after the system is turned on or only after the system has been on for an hour, the system may have a heat-related problem. If the issue happens in only one application, chances are the issue is software related. Random issues generally are hardware related.

10. Is everything else working properly?

• Have there been problems with other apps/hardware.

A client may not realize that seemingly unrelated issues may be caused by the same problem.

11. Is the system on a network or attached to another system?

• Network server may be down, breaking a connection to a needed program or file.
• Try booting without the network, unless the computer is a network server. If it helps narrow the cause.
• Clients are sometimes unaware of the role of the server or another connected computer plays in certain applications.

12. Are there environmental concerns affecting the system?

• How long is the phone cord (6 feet)?
• Is the system close to any heavy electrical machinery?
• Is the system close to an electrical transformer or high-tension power lines?
• Has there been an electrical storm through the area recently?

Electric motors, florescent lights, fish tanks, power stations, broadcast towers, heavy-duty power lines construction equipment or construction in progress can cause issues with computer systems. Damaged wall sockets, surge protectors that have taken a hit, or a blown circuit fuse in the house affect the amount of electricity flowing to the computer.

 

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