us 14908: demonstrate an understanding of testing it

FETC: Information Technology Technical Support NQF 4: SAQA ID 78964

US 14908

of 40 IT TECH NQF 4 – IT TECH – LG 5 – US 14908 Issue 3: 01-01-2020

US 14908: DEMONSTRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF TESTING IT SYSTEMS AGAINST GIVEN SPECIFICATIONS NQF Level 4 Credits 6 Purpose of the Unit Standard This unit standard is intended: To demonstrate fundamental of knowledge of the areas covered for those working in, or entering the workplace in the area of Hardware, Infrastructure Maintenance and Support. Learning Assumed to Be in Place and Recognition of Prior Learning The credit value of this unit is based on a person having the prior knowledge and skills to:

demonstrate an understanding of fundamental English (at least NQF level 3)

demonstrate PC competency skills (End User Computing unit standards up to level 3 Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria Specific outcome 1: Select an appropriate test procedure for the IT Systems to be tested. Assessment criteria

The selection clarifies the purpose of the test and the data required from it

The selection identifies any factors that may affect the choice of the test procedure

The selection identifies the resources available for the test procedure

The selection complies with all relevant regulatory, licensing, contractual and health and safety requirements

Specific outcome 2: Apply the test procedure to the IT Systems to be tested. Assessment criteria

The application ensures correct preparation of the test procedure

The application tests the hardware using the selected test procedure

The application tests the software using the selected test procedure

The application ensures that all performance parameters and operational requirements are tested

The application identifies any problems with the test procedure and takes appropriate

The application complies with all relevant regulatory, licensing, contractual and health and safety requirements

Specific outcome 3: Collect and record data from tests. Assessment criteria

The recording ensures that the required data was produced

The recording ensures that the data was correctly collected

The recording ensures that the data are sufficient to meet the purpose of the test.

The recording identifies any problems with the collection of data and takes appropriate action

The results are recorded by using an appropriate information system Specific outcome 4: Prepare the testing to ensure the given specifications will be addressed. Assessment criteria

The preparation ensures a plan is prepared for the testing in line with the given specifications

The preparation ensures the plan specifies what needs to be testing

The preparation documents the test scenarios and test data to be used for the test

The preparation documents the outcomes expected for each of the scenarios prepared Unit Standard Essential Embedded Knowledge 1. Performance of all elements is to be carried out in accordance with organisation standards and procedures, unless otherwise stated. Organisation standards and procedures may cover: quality assurance, documentation, security, communication, health and safety, and personal behaviour. An example of the standards expected is the standards found in ISO 9000 Certified Organisations. 2. Performance of all elements complies with the laws of South Africa, especially with regard to copyright, privacy, health and safety, and consumer rights. 3. All activities must comply with any policies, procedures and requirements of the organisations involved, the ethical codes of relevant professional bodies and any relevant legislative and/ or regulatory requirements. 4. Performance of all elements is to be completed within the normal range of time and cost that would be expected in a professional environment (e.g. in a commercial or government organisation).


US 14908


Critical Cross-Field Outcomes

Organise and manage him/herself and his/her activities responsibly and effectively

Collect, analyse, organise, and critically evaluate information

Communicate effectively using visual, mathematical and or language skills in the modes of oral and/or written persuasion when engaging with systems development

Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem solving contexts do not exist in isolation

Contribute to his/her full personal development and the social and economic development of the society at large by being aware of the importance of: reflecting on and exploring a variety of strategies to learn more effectively, exploring education and career opportunities and developing entrepreneurial opportunities.

SELECT A TEST PROCEDURE

Specific outcome 1

Select an appropriate test procedure for the IT Systems to be tested. Assessment criteria

The selection clarifies the purpose of the test and the data required from it

The selection identifies any factors that may affect the choice of the test procedure

The selection identifies the resources available for the test procedure

The selection complies with all relevant regulatory, licensing, contractual and health and safety requirements

Clarify the Purpose of the Test and the Data Required

Because there are so many errors and tests that can be performed, I’ve decided to rather turn this module into a troubleshooting guide, since we have covered testing in many modules, specifically Repair a personal computer or hand-held computer to module level No 14940. Please refer back to those sections for Communication processes with a client/user, Recording of Test results and Preventative Maintenance.

Troubleshoot

Let the supplier figure it out If the system is exhibiting strange behaviour, especially if it appears that it has any failed or failing components, and you purchased this system recently, you may want to just return it and let the supplier sort out any problems. This is especially true if your system is still under warranty. If you open the case while the system is under warranty, you will void the warranty, so rather refer back to the supplier. The problem with doing this is that you have to incur the hassle of bringing the PC back for service. If the PC was purchased mail order, the problem is even worse. Sometimes looking on the site first is a good idea anyway, to rule out any possible simple causes that you can address yourself. Scan for Viruses If you experience any strange behaviour on your system, especially while it is booting, or shortly after it completes, you should always use whatever antivirus software you own to do a full scan of the system before you do anything else. Read the manufacturer’s instructions Read the documentation that comes with the new hardware and software. You will find that many problems are a result of hardware or software that has just been installed into the PC. When reading the documents, look for files called something like "READ.ME" or "README.1ST" on installation or driver disks, and read them thoroughly before you start. Refer back to the documents when you experience problems. Check for recent changes Ask yourself: when did the problem I am experiencing first start? If you have just changed anything on the system, e.g. new hardware or software, the change is probably the cause of the problem. You will have to investigate thoroughly, as it could happen that the problem may seem unrelated to the changes. Do not let this fool you.


US 14908


Here's an example of something that could happen: you open up the PC to do some work on the system memory, replacing 2 SIMMs with another pair of higher capacity. You switch the system on and the CD disk drive malfunctions. Did the CD drive choose this precise moment to fail? Probably not – consider the following scenario: it could be that the motherboard has the header for the CD drive cable located directly next to the SIMM slots and while you were changing the memory, you loosened the CD drive cable. Sometimes the problems can be even more indirectly related than this. You should in most cases stick to pursuing how the change affected the system, as this is likely to eventually lead you to the cause of the problem. Keep the issue as simple as possible If you have many possible causes for some difficulty with your system, it will be very difficult to point to one issue as the cause of the problem. Let us say you have just installed a hard disk that has an unfamiliar shareware file utility running on a new operating system that has just been upgraded. Now the system has problems and it would be difficult to isolate the exact cause. The only way to do this is to simplify the situation as much as you can. This will enable you to see more clearly where the problem lies – in other words, you are reducing the number of variables. Start by undoing or double-checking any changes that were made to the system. Also consider the following items that are often responsible for system problems. Eliminate these first and then check to see if the problem has been sorted.

Power Management: Power management is a great idea in theory but in many ways is just "not

ready for prime time". Power management routines can cause symptoms that appear to be hardware malfunctions, such as screens that turn off unexpectedly or hard disks that spin down. They also can cause crashes of software that doesn't know how to deal with them. If you want to use power management, turning it off until the problem is resolved is wise.

Overclocked Hardware and Aggressive BIOS Settings: I do not believe in overclocking. If you insist on doing it, don't be surprised if you have system problems. Scale things back until you can figure out what the problem is. Similarly, if you are "pushing the envelope" in trying to squeeze maximum performance by tuning your BIOS memory timings and other settings very aggressively, try resetting them to more conservative values when troubleshooting.

Experimental or Beta Software: This software is still in the test process and is likely to have bugs--that is why it is labelled as "beta"! For an end application this is usually no big deal, since any crashes or other problems will be limited to that application and therefore somewhat obvious. Running beta operating systems, drivers or other low-level software however is asking for trouble, and you should try to eliminate these possible sources of confusion when trying to debug your system.

"Creative" Configurations: The more "unusual" things that you have going on in your system, the

more likely that you are going to have a conflict caused by one of these strange pieces of hardware or software. A system that is loaded with unusual utilities, terminate-and-stay-resident programs, an old 8-bit network card salvaged from a 286, etc. will often have more problems than a stock Pentium box with a normal Windows 95 installation. To whatever extent possible, disable these items while troubleshooting. Also try to avoid using unusual low-level software whenever possible.

Excessive Connections: If the PC is on a network or is connected to a large number or variety of peripheral devices, you may want to try to disconnect those and see if there is any impact on the problem.

Avoid the unusual or the unknown when troubleshooting.

One way to simplify the software environment during diagnosis is to use a boot disk to "boot clean" and bypass the special drivers and software that you normally load when you boot from your hard disk. To whatever extent possible, disable as much as you can when trying to figure out a problem. The more funky software utilities, screen savers and cute peripherals you disable now, the more chance you have of finding out which one it is that is causing the problem later on.

General techniques for diagnosing

These are general techniques and ideas can help you solve all sorts of different problems with your PC.

Always first try these techniques before consulting the troubleshooting guide


US 14908


Get to the root cause To get to the root cause of any problem, you have to ask “Why” five times. This is true even for other problems not related to computers. Before you can solve any problem you have to understand it. It is easy to observe that too often, people are quick to jump to solve a problem before they really understand what it is. It is easy to see a symptom and think that you know what is causing it, but surprisingly often, if you take the time to explore more deeply you will find that what you thought was the cause is in fact just another symptom, and that the problem lies much deeper within. One technique that you can employ is borrowed from Japanese manufacturing management theory. This method is used to help identify the real causes of problems that occur on the manufacturing floor. The goal is not to simply correct the effects of the problem, but to find out the root cause of why the problem is occurring so that we can ensure that it will not happen in the future. One simple way to do this is called asking ‘why' five times. The idea is that by the time you have asked "why" the fifth time, you will be at the root cause. It isn't always that simple, but the exercise can be surprisingly insightful in helping you figure out what is really going on, and can help you avoid "quick fix" solutions that are really just Band-Aids and don't resolve anything. It is especially useful for tackling chronic problems that show up over and over again in a system; it is less useful for problems that are unlikely to recur. Here's an example. Let's suppose your hard disk is having a problem with bad sectors showing up. The knee-jerk reaction to this happening is "the hard disk is bad, replace it". Instead, ask yourself:

"Why are bad sectors showing up when they didn't before?"

"The hard disk is being corrupted somehow; something has changed."

"Why?"

"The timing of the system probably has been changed in some way."

"Why?"

"I installed a new hard drive in that system just last week, perhaps it is causing the problem."

"Why?"

"The hard drive may not have been installed correctly, or perhaps I should have used a different channel. Or maybe it was the bus-mastering driver that came with the new drive, the old drive may not be able to support it".

You can see the general idea; the answers will differ in every case, but it is the process itself that is useful. Another example: imagine an office that has just had a catastrophic data loss due to a PC crashing after an electrical storm. The initially identified cause of this problem was a lack of a UPS on the PC, which would have protected the system from the electrical storm (usually). So the MIS department starts drafting purchase requisitions for UPSes for all the PCs. Instead, if they looked at the problem carefully, they may have employed the following process:

"Remember that the problem here was the data loss, not the crashing of the PC. Why was the data lost?"

"The PC's hard disk crashed."

"Why would that cause the data to be lost?"

"Because we didn't have a backup."

"Why wasn't there a backup?"

"There is a tape backup unit on every PC in the building but very few of them are being used."

"Why?"

"Because most of the PC users do not know how to use them."

"Why?"

"They have never been given any training in their use."

"Why?"

"Because we don't have a budget for PC hardware training." As you can see, the root cause that we came up with here is very different than the cause we saw when we only scratched the surface. This means of course that the solution will be very different as well; it might well make a lot more sense here to spend a small amount of money on training instead of a large amount of money for every PC.


US 14908


Be observant and look for evidence It is sometimes the subtle signs that can provide the triggering piece of information that leads to discovering the source of a problem. In particular, you want to carefully investigate anything that seems "unusual", "wrong" or "surprising". These are often the clues that will get you going down the right track to figuring out what is giving you trouble. If you are observant and careful about what you are doing, you will be much more likely to pick up on these things than if you are in a hurry or you are quick to discount your findings as "unrelated to the problem".

Use the process of elimination

Virtually all problems with PCs involve more than one component or subsystem. The difficulty is usually in figuring out which component is responsible for the problem. Using the process of elimination, however, you can usually narrow the problem down rather quickly by making small logical changes and observing the impact on the problem. Your objective is to isolate the cause of the problem so you can correct it. The key is to make only one change at a time and then see if the problem goes away; if it does, then whatever you changed is likely responsible for the problem (although it could be fixing the problem indirectly in some cases.) If you make more than one change at a time, you cannot readily discern which change was responsible for fixing the problem. You will want to first check the most probable sources of the problem, and also the things that are easiest to change. For example, if you are having a problem with your disk drive being recognized, it's a lot easier and cheaper to explore things like double-checking jumpers and connections or replacing the interface cable, than it is to try replacing the drive itself. That is something you'd only do after you had eliminated all the other possibilities (or if the evidence implicated the hard disk directly). Here's a simple example. Let's suppose one morning your PC will not turn on. You hit the switch and nothing happens. There could be many different possible causes for this problem: the power to the house could be out; there could be a malfunction in the wall socket; the surge suppressor that the system is plugged into might have blown; the electrical cord may be loose; the power supply could be damaged. To figure out what is going on you need to eliminate these variables by making small changes and seeing what happens. For example:

Change the wall socket you are using. If the PC now boots, you have isolated the cause to the electrical wiring in the house.

If the problem persists, examine the surge suppressor. Change it, or temporarily bypass it and plug the PC into the wall directly. If it now works, the surge suppressor is the problem.

If the problem still isn't fixed, try changing the power cord.

If the problem persists still, you may then have to open up the box and look at the power supply unit to see if it might need replacing.

Realize that the key here is making these changes one at a time. If you approach this problem by changing the wall socket you use, bypassing the surge suppressor, and changing the power cord all at once, your problem may go away but how will you know what caused it? This is a valid way to troubleshoot if you have to get the system back up immediately, however. You can then undo the changes one at a time later on to find out what the cause is, in effect doing the same single-change-at-a-time process, but in reverse. Most problems with the PC can be diagnosed using this sort of process; it's very powerful. You will notice many sequences like the one above.

Do one upgrade or assembly step at a time Changes made to the system are the most frequent cause of problems; this is the nature of change. Much the way many problems can be diagnosed by using the process of elimination through making single changes to the system, you can avoid or detect problems with upgrades or new installations by going "one step at a time" in your changes as well. New system installations or major upgrades often can have problems that are very difficult to diagnose simply because there are so many modifications being performed at the same time. When you build a new PC you will probably be assembling a large number of components that have never been used or tested before. To whatever extent possible, try to go as slowly as possible when assembling the machine. For example, when assembling a new PC from scratch, it is always best to first make sure the basic system is working, with the only expansion card in the system the video card (if applicable). Adding the sound card, network card and other devices should be done later on, and one at a time if possible. Similarly, do not try to do major software or operating system upgrades at the same time that you make hardware changes. Doing this can make it very difficult for you to troubleshoot any system problems. If you do make multiple changes at once, try retracing your steps. Undo the changes you have made one at a time and see if you can identify the change that caused the problem that way.


US 14908


Make use of components that you know work One valuable resource while troubleshooting is a "stockpile" of extra components. I put "stockpile" in quotes because it doesn't have to be an actual stock of components, just a resource that will let you borrow components that you know work while you are troubleshooting your system. Another functional PC that uses the same or similar components is normally quite adequate. Being in an office environment can be very helpful this way since there are many PCs around to work with, and often they are similar to one another; at home it may be more difficult if you only have the one machine. These extra components can be useful when you are employing the process of elimination to resolve problems. For example, suppose that there is no video on your monitor when you boot up the PC. After eliminating the simple stuff (cable disconnected, brightness turned down far too much, etc.) there are two components that are most likely to be bad: the video card or the monitor. An easy thing to try is to swap monitors with another machine that is working properly. If the second monitor also doesn't work, and your original monitor works on the other machine, you can feel quite confident that it isn't the monitor that is the problem here. You can sometimes avoid problems in assembling a new PC by testing out some of the components you are going to use before you begin. For example, take your new mouse, keyboard and monitor and attach them to a PC that is known to work, and test them out. This way if you have problems when you build your new system you will know it isn't due to these components. At my office, I keep an extra keyboard, mouse and monitor just for debugging and assembling PCs. Since I know that they work, I reduce the number of variables that I have to deal with when I experience a problem. Once the main PC box is assembled and working, I connect the new keyboard, mouse and monitor. If a problem shows up then, I know that it is not likely the PC, but the peripherals I just connected.

Write things down Whenever you discern a piece of evidence, or you figure out something about the current situation your PC is in, document it. Keeping a history of what you discover and what your symptoms are will help you not only with this problem but also with any future difficulties. A log book of some sort is a good idea.

Determine Repeatability

Most problems with a PC fall into one of two categories: either they are repeatable or they are intermittent. A repeatable problem is one where the problem occurs all the time, or always in response to a specific user action. For example, a PC that has a problem that prevents it from booting will probably always fail to boot no matter how many times you reset it. Or you may have an application that whenever you try to run, will crash with an error. You may find that your PC hangs, but only when you move the mouse at the same time that you are communicating using your modem. In contrast, some problems are intermittent and not repeatable. In some cases, you may have a PC that will usually boot up fine, but one day a month will fail to boot for some reason. An application may work most of the time but occasionally crash. The PC may lock up at seemingly random intervals. Your mouse may work almost all of the time, but one day out of five or ten may give you trouble. It is helpful to determine if the problem you are experiencing is repeatable, because intermittent difficulties are much more difficult to resolve than repeatable ones. If a problem is repeatable, and there is a specific set of actions that cause the problem, this gives you at least some initial clues about how to find the cause. In addition, you have a way of testing to see if you have resolved the problem when you are trying different solutions. Intermittent problems are much more difficult to deal with. Determining if a problem is repeatable is pretty simple: try to duplicate the conditions that caused the problem and see if it happens again.

Dealing with intermittent problems

Intermittent problems are ones which appear to happen spontaneously or randomly. They seem not to be caused by anything obvious and are not repeatable. They can be extremely difficult and frustrating to diagnose. Sometimes problems that seem intermittent really aren't; it's just that the specific set of circumstances that causes the problem to occur may be obscure or hard to notice. Spend some time trying to determine what the circumstances are when the problem arises. For example, many problems with crashes or lockups will occur only after the system has been on for more than an hour; some may occur only within the first few minutes that the PC is turned on. You may find that program A only


US 14908


crashes when run at the same time as program B. Or that a particular behavior is associated with a peripheral of some sort. You will have to be patient when dealing with these sorts of issues. Since the problem is not something you can duplicate at will, you may not be able to systematically work your way towards the ultimate cause. In this situation you may have to employ trial-and-error, making a change and then waiting to see if the problem recurs. It can take days (or longer) sometimes since you have to wait before seeing if the problem happens again. Be patient.

Correlation may not imply causation

I use the word correlation, perhaps slightly incorrectly, to refer to two behaviors or symptoms that appear at the same time. Causation refers to two events where one is responsible for the other's appearance or existence. So what I am saying here is that if you see two strange things happening at the same time on your PC, this does not necessarily mean that one of them has caused the other. They could be coincidental, or it could be that where you think A is causing B, B is really causing A. For example, you may find two symptoms on your machine: you have frequent file system corruption on your hard disk, and you have a lot of system lockups (hangs, crashes). You may think that the crashes are causing the file system errors, and in many cases this is true. However, it is possible for the file system errors to cause the lockups. And it is also possible that both are just symptoms of another underlying cause.

Scan for file system problems

If the problem you are looking at is anything that involves the hard disk, files, operating system problems, crashes or similar behaviour, scan the file system for errors. This is a simple step (which you should be performing regularly as part of a preventive maintenance program) that may tell you immediately that there is a problem with your hard disk. This can also be a useful piece of evidence in troubleshooting some sorts of problems. How to scan the file system: Due to the complexity of the file system used on modern PCs, there is always the risk that file system errors and corruption will develop in the logical structures that control the disk. Most of the time, these problems are caused by buggy software, bad drivers, power failures or human error. Rarely, they are the result of actual hardware problems with the PC. File system integrity problems can on occasion lead to data loss. It is important that any problems be caught as soon as possible, to minimize the chances of extensive damage. Fortunately, checking for file system problems is very quick and easy to do. Since it is easy to do and important, and can be set up to run automatically by program schedulers, it’s recommended that file systems be scanned for errors on a daily basis. You can do it less often, but you increase the chances of problems mushrooming. The two most popular tools for analysing file system problems are probably those from Microsoft and Symantec's Norton Utilities. (In fact, the Microsoft tools are watered-down, licensed versions of Norton Disk Doctor). The Norton tool is better, but the Microsoft tool is free. Both will do the job just fine, in my experience. They can be run from the command line in a DOS environment (by running "SCANDISK" for Microsoft, or "NDD" for Norton), or accessed by right-clicking on a drive icon and selecting "Properties" under Windows XP. Under the Tools tab, click on check now under, Error Checking. This will present 2 options like in the figure below. Tip: These tools will detect hard disk read errors if you ask them to, after they check for and correct any file system problems. Detecting file system problems, and detecting hard disk read errors, are really two different things, despite the fact that they are being done by the same utility program. Warning: The DOS "CHKDSK" utility is a much older disk error-checking program. It is still included in DOS (and Windows 95) but I find that it is at times unreliable. It is not as robust as SCANDISK or Norton Disk Doctor, and I don't recommend its use. For Windows NT, however, CHKDSK is the only included tool, however I believe there it has been improved over the DOS version. Typical problems such as a small number of lost clusters on a disk volume, are nothing to be concerned about. These are usually file fragments left over when a program crashes, or when there is a power failure. Other problems, such as file allocation errors or cross-linked files, happen more rarely. If these


US 14908


are happening a great deal, it may be a sign of a problem such as a hardware failure, too-fast timing on a hard disk, or even virus infestation. Warning: Always use the proper tool for your operating system. Do not use old versions of SCANDISK etc. on newer systems running Windows 2000, for example. And make sure that if you are using FAT32 that you use tools that are modern enough to recognize the newer file system (or you will make a big mess of your hard disk!)

Use Diagnostic Tools

If you own diagnostic hardware and/or software tools, they can be useful in pinpointing some kinds of problems. If you feel that you are having a problem that can be detected by a tool, or you feel that running a diagnostic utility may shed more light on what's happening, then make use of the tool to help guide your analysis of the problem.

Diagnostic, Troubleshooting and Repair Tools

Troubleshooting a problem with a PC can be very difficult and frustrating. Fortunately, there are places to turn for assistance, and there are also tools at your disposal that can make the job much easier. These can be used to identify specific problems within the PC, or just give you more information about the system so you understand better what you are dealing with. This chapter takes a brief look at these tools, which can make your life easier if you are having trouble.

Diagnostic Software

You can delve into the Microsoft Windows 7’s Event Viewer to track down issues you are having with hardware and software, but doing so requires effort as well as an understanding of what you are looking at. Fortunately, Windows 7 comes with a host of troubleshooting tools, such as Event Viewer, Resource Monitor, and Reliability Monitor, that you can use to help diagnose all sorts of problems. One of the other tools that you can use is called the System Diagnostic Report, which is a part of Performance Monitor and can display the status of hardware resources, system response times, and processes on your computer along with system information and configuration data. The neat trick with the System Diagnostic Report is that you can use it to gather troubleshooting information on-the-fly while the problem is occurring. Running the report You can run the System Diagnostic Report from the Advanced Tools section of the Performance Information and Tools app in the Control Panel. However, you can run it much quicker by typing the following command in the Start menu’s Search box. Then press [Enter]. As soon as you do so, you’ll encounter a UAC and will need to respond accordingly. You’ll then see the Reliability and Performance Monitor window shown in the Figure below.


US 14908


Figure

Once you initiate the report, you’ll see Resource and Performance Monitor window. As you can see, the Report Status section indicates that System Diagnostics will be collecting data for 60 seconds. At this point, you can initiate the procedure or task that is causing the problem. If you are successful in recreating the problem condition while System Diagnostics is collecting data, information pertaining to the problem will added to the report. As a test, a USB 8-in-1 card reader that’s been having some trouble was connected, while System Diagnostics was collecting data. After 60 seconds, the Report Status section indicates that System Diagnostics is generating the report, as shown in the Figure below. Figure

Once the collection operation is complete, the report will be generated.

http://i.techrepublic.com.com/gallery/6235677-620-465.j



US 14908


As soon as the report is complete, it will appear in the Resource and Performance Monitor window, as shown in the Figure below. Any error conditions that existed or that occurred while System Diagnostics was collecting data will appear in the report. Figure C

Once the report is complete, it will appear in the Resource and Performance Monitor window. As you can see, while System Diagnostics was collecting data it picked up and recorded information about the USB 8-in-1 card reader. This information is displayed in the Error section. System Diagnostics also picked several other problems that I wasn’t aware of. The warning section contains five pieces of information:

Symptom: This is basically an internal error message. System Diagnostics configures it as a link that you can use to get to a more detailed section of the report.

Cause: This is a description of the error condition.

Details: This provides more detailed information on the error.

Resolution: This provides you with a basic set of instructions on how to fix the problem.

Related: This provides you with links to articles on the Microsoft Web site that cover the problem. When you click on the Symptom link in the error section, the report will jump down to the Controller Classes section, as shown in the Figure below. Here I found several property names that made good search terms in Google. It ended up that the device driver for the USB 8-in-1 card reader just needed to be updated.



US 14908


Figure

The Symptom link will take you to more detailed information within the report.

Diagnostic Hardware While not as commonly used as diagnostic software, there are available several pieces of hardware that can be very helpful in troubleshooting some specific hardware problems. These units are not nearly as popular because they are usually more expensive and are used for specific types of problems, making them less universally applicable than the general software utilities that are widely encountered. If you are a serious home builder or troubleshooter, you may want to consider one or more of the following:

Loop-Back Plugs: These are small plugs that go onto the serial and parallel ports on your computer and connect the receiver to transmit lines to simulate a connection (they connect the port to itself). Using these with a program like Norton Diagnostics allows for full testing of the operation of these ports, whereas without them only the internal portions of the port can be tested.

Note: The type of plugs used by a particular diagnostic utility may be different than the type used by another program made by another company. Check it out before you buy.

Multimeter/Ohmmeter: An ohmmeter is a device that measures electrical resistance; a multimeter can measure resistance, voltage and current. These devices are used by electricians, electronics designers and repair-people. They have come down greatly in price and simple ones can be had inexpensively (while top-end ones of course are still quite a bit of money). A simple ohmmeter is useful primarily for checking for short circuits or open circuits (broken connections, damaged cables, etc.) Multimeters can be used for more extensive electronics testing.

BIOS POST Cards: It is well-known that the BIOS will, if it finds a problem during its power-on self-test (POST), produce audio "beep codes" and/or video messages that indicate what the trouble is that it found. What many do not realize is that the BIOS of most PCs is designed to send a stream of test codes to a special memory location as it performs its tests, usually 80h. By using a special card designed to capture and display these codes, you can pinpoint exactly where in the power-on self-test a system is hanging up. This can be extremely helpful in debugging very stubborn systems.

Test Bed: Some experienced PC repair people keep around an older system that they can use as

a test bed for components. It can be very useful to be able to test an unknown device with other components that are known to work, to cut down on the guesswork.

There is also more advanced test hardware available, including devices such as logic probes, oscilloscopes, and many types of specialized component testers. These items are generally very expensive and require specific training to be used properly; they are not for the home PC user or even for most hobbyists. Professional test hardware costs thousands of dollars, which is one reason why doing it yourself is often not an option for many kinds of repairs.



US 14908


The PC Tool Kit If you are a very casual PC user, you can probably get by hacking around with an old screwdriver and a pocket knife when you need to work on your PC. However, if you plan to do any reasonable amount of work upgrading, building, troubleshooting or repairing PCs, a proper tool kit is a good investment. There are many different types of tool kits available for the computer enthusiast, with tools selected specifically to make the lives of those who work with PCs easier. The right tools can save you a lot of time and help you avoid damage to your equipment (and your hands!). As with most things, tool kits range widely in size, quality and price. At the low end are $5 kits that are barely any better than the screwdriver and pocket knife. At the high end are kits costing over $100 that include everything but the kitchen sink; these are overkill for most people (including me). Most people can do just fine with a toolkit costing between $15 and $50. These are often available pre-assembled into "genuine artificial leather" carrying cases, sold at most general computer stores. Here are the items that I would recommend you definitely have in your toolkit; note that some of these don't generally come in pre-assembled toolkits so you will want to add them yourself to the carrying case. Every item in this list is one that I use personally on a regular basis:

A Good Screwdriver: You want a good screwdriver with magnetic, interchangeable bits and a comfortable handle. At a minimum you should have two different sizes each of Phillips and flat bits. If you've never used a magnetic screwdriver before, you'll wonder how you ever did without one once you do; the magnetic tip will prevent screws falling into the PC, and will let you get access to drives mounted deep in your system case.

Additional Screwdrivers: An additional Philips screwdriver and an additional flat blade screwdriver, for when you misplace the good one. :^) Actually, it's sometimes useful to have two screwdrivers anyway.

Needle-Nose Pliers: These are useful for grasping small items and for removing and replacing jumpers on circuit boards.

Wire Snips: A pair of wire snips for cutting wire and stripping insulation. Some kits include wire strippers for the latter purpose.

A Small Flashlight: Very useful; the insides of PC boxes are quite dark and there are lots of very

small things you will need to see, such as the "pin 1" marking on a connector for example.

Tweezers: Or even better, a part retriever. A retriever is like a tiny set of retractable claws with a spring-loaded handle. Useful stuff.

A Large Crowbar: For making adjustments to stubborn hardware. (Just kidding. :^)

A Roll of Black Electrical Tape: They never include this in the kits but they should. Used for wrapping wire ends and insulating components.

A Can of Compressed Air: Very handy for cleaning things hands-free and without using any hazardous liquids.

A Soft, Lint-Free Cloth: For cleaning the monitor and other components. The following items I categorize as "optional, but useful". They are tools that are used less frequently, or perhaps only in certain circumstances. They are more for someone who does a fair bit of tinkering or who maintains a number of machines:

A 3/16" Nut Driver: In fact, tool kits often come with several different sizes of nut drivers (using exchangeable bits), but 3/16" is the really important one, because this is the size of nut most commonly used on PCs. These hexagonal nuts are used as mounting hardware for motherboards and serial and parallel ports. A necessity for anyone who builds their own PCs; if you don't have one you'll be attaching port connectors using a pair of poor-fitting pliers.


US 14908


Vice Grips: These are incredibly neat tools that have all sorts of uses.

Torx Screwdrivers or Bits: These are the star-shaped screwdriver heads that are used to make equipment "tamper-proof". You need these drivers if you want to, well, "tamper".

An ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) Wrist Strap: This is more of a safety device than a tool; it is

used to greatly reduce the chances of static damage to components.

A Knife: A cutting blade or utility knife of some sort.

The following items are sometimes included in tool kits but in my experience are rarely if ever used:

Soldering Irons: Essential if you are going to try to do repair of circuit boards, but virtually nobody does this (and with good reason). They are also quite dangerous if used improperly.

Hex (Allen) Keys: They include these in virtually every commercial tool kit I've ever encountered. I've never seen anything PC related that used them but of course that doesn't mean that there isn't something out there that does.

Chip Extractors: These are used to remove chips from regular (non-ZIF) sockets, but modern PCs do not generally use these sockets any more. Useful for upgrading much older systems in some cases.

Finally, it is a good idea to accumulate a stockpile of spare parts if you are going to be doing work on PCs. I would recommend the following:

Screws: I have a "big ol' bag o' screws" of all shapes and sizes that comes in handy when working on various machines.

Expansion Card Inserts: Save the metal inserts that come out of the back of the case when you put a modem or other card into the PC, as you may need them again later on.

Drive Faceplates: Similarly, save the plastic faceplates that you remove from the front of cases so

you can replace them later if needed.

Mounting Kits: These sometimes come with retail hard disks and allow you to put a 3.5" drive into a 5.25" bay. Useful when your case has more free 5.25" bays than 3.5" ones.

Cables: Save any power, IDE, floppy, CD-ROM, or other cables that you accumulate in case you need them later on.

Keyboard, Mouse, 3.5" Floppy Drive: Keep an extra one of each of these components around to aid in troubleshooting problems by swapping. (Actually, keeping an extra of every major component in the PC is helpful, but the three I mention are here because they are cheap. Most people can't afford to keep an extra hard disk lying around as a spare.)

COLLECT AND RECORD DATA AND PREPARE FOR TESTING Specific outcome 3

Collect and record data from tests. Assessment criteria

The recording ensures that the required data was produced

The recording ensures that the data was correctly collected

The recording ensures that the data are sufficient to meet the purpose of the test.

The recording identifies any problems with the collection of data and takes appropriate action

The results are recorded by using an appropriate information system Specific outcome 4

Prepare the testing to ensure the given specifications will be addressed. Assessment criteria

The preparation ensures a plan is prepared for the testing in line with the given specifications

The preparation ensures the plan specifies what needs to be testing

The preparation documents the test scenarios and test data to be used for the test

The preparation documents the outcomes expected for each of the scenarios prepared In order to do a test, you have to prepare for the testing procedure and the following actions have to be taken: Plan for the installation using the information you have collected. This means that you have to also put together your toolkit. Your plan has to specify what you want to test, including test scenarios and data that you will use for the test


US 14908


Basic Procedure Basic troubleshooting is best defined as a step-by-step set of procedures. (See the table below) The first two steps, documenting the problem and gathering information, are usually concurrent rather than sequential. You should be documenting the problem while you are gathering information. Documentation is the one area that is most likely slighted or completely ignored in the rush to complete the repair and continue on to the next problem. However, the information you collect about failures and their resolutions can become a useful troubleshooting tool. Not only does it provide a reference if you should see the same (or a similar) problem on another system, it also provides the information necessary to perform failure analysis, which can be used in preventive maintenance and support budget planning.

Step Description

Document the Failure Attempt to duplicate the failure so you can verify the reported symptoms and test whether or not the problem has been corrected after your repair.

Collect all relevant Information You need to obtain complete information from the user about the error. An important part of this information will be error messages or error codes the user received.

Duplicate the failure Document information about the failure including symptoms, when the failure occurred, any error messages displayed and the point of contact for the system

Check for obvious errors Many problems will result from obvious errors, such as loose connectors, devices turned off and so forth.

Isolate the failing component You need to isolate the failure down to the lowest possible level, preferably to the replaceable module, before you begin replacing components.

Repair or replace the failing component You need to correct the failure by either repairing or replacing the failing component. Replacements are made at the field-replacement unit (FRU) level.

Document the resolution Document the resolution, any additional information you collect during troubleshooting and the amount of time required to repair the device.

Inform the customer Inform the customer or user that the repair is complete. If you are a field technician working at the customer site, you will probably need to collect an authorized signature verifying that the work was completed.

The Role of Information

Information can be the most important tool available to any technician. The better and more complete your knowledge of a problem, the more likely you will be able to quickly and efficiently resolve it. The three key sources of information are:

Users

System Logs

Technical Documentation Users are listed first because they are often your most important source of information. Users are usually your first source of information when a failure occurs. The challenge is in obtaining the information that you need from the users. Most users cannot explain a problem in technical terms, so you need to be able to "decode" their less technical descriptions. Also, many users feel intimidated by technical personnel, often with just cause. Some technicians have a tendency to downplay the importance of the information provided by users or ignore user input. By doing this, they train users to be uncooperative and unwilling to provide their insight into the problem. Another thing you need to do is practice your questioning techniques when working with users. Technical language should be kept to a minimum, and any technical terms that you do use should be explained to the user. Be careful not to phrase the questions in a manner that would make the user defensive. For example, asking a user what he or she "did this time to break the system" would immediately place most users


US 14908


on the defensive and create difficulty in obtaining useful information. A more constructive way to phrase the question is to ask "What was happening on the system right before it stopped working?" The first question places the blame on the user. The second question treats the problem as more like something that "just happened" and does not put the user at fault. You may need to use a series of open-ended and closed-ended questions to get the information you need. Open-ended Questioning Open-ended questions are designed to elicit more information from the user. In other words, you want the user to talk about the problem. Start by asking questions that will require the user to provide some explanation or other details, such as:

"What kinds of problems have you experienced lately?"

"How has your system been performing lately?"

"How did you discover that the system had a problem?" Listen closely to the answers; they will often lead you toward more specific, closed-ended questions. Closed-ended Questioning Once you get some idea of what is wrong and the events that led up to the problem, you can start asking closed-ended questions to determine more specific details. Closed-end questions are phrased to elicit short answers from the user. These are questions such as:

"What application were you running when the failure occurred?"

"Have you seen the problem with any other application?"

"What document were you trying to print when the system locked up?" If you find that your closed-ended questions are leading nowhere, switch back to more open-ended questions to get more general information. General Guidelines When questioning users, keep the following in mind:

Avoid technical jargon and acronyms.

Use a non-threatening tone (don't blame the user).

Do not lead the user into giving you the answers you want to hear.

Listen closely to what the user has to say.

Have the user duplicate the problem (if possible)?

Note anything that might apply to the problem. Be polite and professional and be sure to thank the user for his or her help, especially if you are a maintenance technician supporting commercial customers. Customers are paying for your time and expect to be treated appropriately. Documentation A complete and up-to-date technical library can be one of a technician's most important maintenance tools. The amount of information needed to support today's systems and peripherals is too large to be memorized. In addition, systems, peripherals and software change with increasing speed, making it harder for even the most dedicated technicians to keep pace. Although printed manuals are valuable, much of the documentation you need is available electronically. Electronic information is easier to manage and store, and is often set up to allow you to search on key words and phrases, making it easier to find the information you need. Some of the information you need will be generated internally, especially for in-house technicians. Detailed information about systems and their service histories can be critically important when problems occur. System Inventory One of the first things you need is a system inventory. Many organizations inventory systems, peripherals and software at least once a year. A basic system inventory should include information about the following:

System Processor

BIOS (manufacturer and version)


US 14908


System Memory (amount and type)

Hard Disk(s) (number, capacity and type)

Removable Media Drives (floppy disk drives, CD-ROM drives and so on)

Display Monitor

Keyboard

Pointing Device

Any Local Peripherals

Network Configuration information In addition to system hardware information, the system inventory should also include software information such as the operating system and applications. Be sure to include software version information. In most organizations, users are assigned specific systems. The system inventory should include the primary user, as well as that user's manager or supervisor. It is especially important to have manager or supervisor information if there is a high turnover among users. Most operating systems, including Windows family operating systems, include utilities that can help you collect system inventory information. Also, products such as Microsoft's Systems Management Server can query systems and build a system inventory database. A detailed discussion of such products is beyond the scope of this course, however. Note: Unfortunately, in the inventory area, you usually cannot rely on the user to provide accurate information. Many users are application-literate, meaning that they know how to run the applications they use regularly. Most, however, would have a difficult time providing accurate system inventory information. Service History A full service history will let you see what types of problems a system has experienced in the past and what was done to correct them. A complete service history can also provide trend information. One area in which this information can be helpful is in identifying and correcting environmental failures. For example, you might find that keyboards fail more often in one area of the building. This trend could indicate some type of electrostatic discharge (ESD) problem in that area, such as a carpet that needs to be treated with antistatic solution. Using an electronic storage method, such as a service database, will make it easier to search for related problems and analyse service data. Manufacturer Documentation Manufacturers' documentation should be readily available. Many manufacturers provide both print and electronic documentation with their products, but there has been a recent trend toward electronic documentation only because it is less expensive. User manuals often provide limited information. Most contain information on how to install and configure the product. Others might provide a list of common error symptoms and resolutions. Technical manuals provide much more detail and often include additional troubleshooting and repair information. They are not always readily available. An underlying problem with both printed and electronic documentation is the difficulty in keeping it current. You can often find documentation on the manufacturer's Web site, but some limit access to technical documentation to authorized service technicians only. Commercial Press "Commercial press" means books and magazines. Most bookstores carry a wide selection of technical books. Most of these books are written to apply in general to most PCs, rather than focusing on any one specific system or peripheral. For that reason, these books are more general in nature. Books are difficult to keep updated. Revision can be a lengthy process; so many technical books get updated intermittently. Magazines have the advantage of being timelier, but seldom have the space available to go into great detail on any one subject. Some publications, especially those catering to software markets, provide periodic technical tips. Perhaps even more importantly, magazines often provide the earliest introduction to technological changes and new products.


US 14908


Note: Many publishers are now offering technical updates over the Internet as a way of keeping books more current. There is typically no charge for this service, though you may have to complete a registration form before receiving given access User Groups User groups meet regularly to discuss computer issues. Most metropolitan areas have one or more PC user groups. Many are general in scope, but some are more specialized in nature, focusing on one application, product type or manufacturer. A user group provides a good opportunity for meeting technicians and more experienced users in your area. User group members might help you clarify your ideas and solve difficult problems. Internet The Internet offers much valuable information. Sources include newsgroups, technical chats, public references, manufacturer Web sites, technical Web sites and technical mailings. Newsgroups are like public message boards. Messages are sent to newsgroups where they are made available to the public. Newsgroups exist for almost any subject imaginable. Most Internet service providers (ISPs) include newsgroup access. You can post your technical question to a newsgroup and may receive several responses. However, the information in newsgroups is deleted after a specified time. Also, you are not guaranteed a timely or accurate response. Some Internet locations provide technical chat rooms where you can discuss issues with other technicians. The information you receive, however, may not always be accurate. A number of public reference services are available on the Internet. These are technical information databases that will provide information based on keyword searches. The information is usually accurate, though the answers are sometimes brief. Many reference services will, however, provide links to more detailed information. The best source for information about a manufacturer's product is usually that manufacturer's Web site. In addition to technical information, you can often find updated device drivers, and possibly tools such as test utilities. Many manufacturers will provide a link to technical support, but several days may elapse before you get a response. Most manufacturers do not charge for access to their Web sites, but may limit the information that is available to the public. Many technical Web sites are also available. Most require you to become a member of their user communities, but the majority do not charge for membership. They often provide access to a technical database, technical chats and question-and-answer services. You need to be aware that some technical Web sites stay in business by selling your e-mail address to marketing companies, resulting in a rapid increase in the amount of spam you receive. Many services provide periodic technical mailings that provide updates in different technology areas. These are sometimes helpful, but you will often find that you have little (if any) interest in most of the mail you receive through these services.

Record Test Results If you are installing these machines for an organization, and they require some sort of proof that all the components have been tested and are in working order, one way to compile a report of all the tests that you have completed on the system is an Excel spreadsheet. Here’s an example:

Method of Testing: Device is working properly Device is not working properly

Device Manager

CPU √ x

Hard drive √ x

Memory √ x

Etc

In some cases, the organization will specify the type of report they would like you to compile and the way they want you to record the test results. It is best to comply with their request. Some organizations will specify that you need a signoff before they transfer the relevant funds for your work done, and in order to obtain the signoff you have to hand in the test results to ensure that all the components are in working order when the job is done, both for your safety and theirs. Reporting on the tests that you have completed and letting the client sign for them protects you as the supplier of the machines in the sense that the client or organization cannot blame you for anything that goes wrong shortly after the installation or delivery of the machines since you have delivered proof that everything


US 14908


was in working order and the client agreed by signing the test results. It also protects the client against “dodgy” suppliers who would use secondhand parts or parts that are faulty. That is why some or most bigger organizations would request or require some sort of proof of the testing of components. Note: A signoff is a document stating that the relevant person agrees with you (the supplier) that everything is in order once the machines have been delivered or installed.

APPLY THE PROCEDURE Specific outcome 2: Apply the test procedure to the IT Systems to be tested. Assessment criteria

The application ensures correct preparation of the test procedure

The application tests the hardware using the selected test procedure

The application tests the software using the selected test procedure

The application ensures that all performance parameters and operational requirements are tested

The application identifies any problems with the test procedure and takes appropriate

The application complies with all relevant regulatory, licensing, contractual and health and safety requirements is causing the problem later on.

Scan For Viruses

If you suspect that a component isn’t working properly, like the hard drive, it would be wise to test it first before taking it out or even opening the computer case. These tests are normally standard and designed by Microsoft who builds it into their operating systems. Before you do component testing though, scan for viruses and check a couple of regular problem causers. If you experience any strange behaviour on your system, especially either as it is booting, or shortly after it completes, you should always use whatever antivirus software you own to do a full scan of the system before you do anything else. Do not fall into the "this can't be a virus" trap too easily. Obviously if you turn the power on and nothing happens at all, or if your hard disk won't spin up, or if your system seizes while it is doing the initial BIOS power-on test of your system memory, these are hardware problems that are not caused by a virus. However virtually any other symptom that appears to be a hardware issue can be either a hardware problem or simply a virus that is trying to masquerade as a hardware problem. To remove the complicating factor of always having to wonder, "is this a virus?” scan your system before you spend a lot of time chasing ghosts.

Testing Components Individually To check if a component is working properly, you can use the Device Manager:

Open the control panel

Click on system

Click on the Hardware and Sound tab and then on the Device Manager button in the Devices and Printers Group.

This should open a list of your components for you.

Click on the (+) next to hard drives. Your hard drive(s) will be displayed here. When you click on the hard drive that your system sees it will give you a “report” on the hard drive or the component that you want to check.


US 14908


In this case the device is working properly, if it wasn’t windows would have given you a “faulty report” instead of saying “This device is working properly”. If the device was not working properly you could open the Troubleshooter, and try to get a solution there by answering the questions that Troubleshooter asks.

Test your hard drive, keyboard and CDROM drive. Procedure Steps: Power Inspection: Verify the following key items related to the system power:

If the system case has a dual voltage switch, make sure it is set to the correct voltage for your part of the world.

Make sure the power switch is off. You don't want the PC booting up as soon as you connect the power cord. Most power switches are toggles; you can tell if the power is on or off by pushing the switch in several times; it will feel in most cases as if you have to push the button in farther to make it toggle, when it is on before you press the button.

If you are working in an AT system, double-check that the two 6-wire power cables that go between the power supply and the motherboard have been inserted fully and correctly, and that the four black wires are together in the middle.

If you are working in an ATX system, double-check that you have connected the power switch to the motherboard properly.


US 14908


Make sure all your drives have a power connector attached to them correctly.

Make sure that the CPU fan and any additional case fans have their power connectors attached. Cable Inspection: Check these cable connections to make sure they are correct. Check for "off by one" alignment errors, loose connections or cables that are overly taut. Make sure that you have lined up the red edge of the cable to pin 1 of each device:

Check the IDE cable(s) going to the hard disk drive and CD-ROM drive. Make sure you have lined up the red edge to pin 1 of each device.

Check the floppy cable going to the floppy disk drive(s).

Check the cables that attach the I/O port connectors and PS/2 mouse port connector to the motherboard (if appropriate).

Make sure the cables running to the case switches and LEDs are correct. Motherboard Inspection: Double-check these configuration and installation aspects relevant to the motherboard:

Double-check the motherboard jumper settings. If you decide not to bother checking all of these, at least check the CPU voltage settings.

Make sure the memory is inserted into the correct socket(s) and is fully seated.

Make sure the processor is inserted correctly and is all the way into its socket.

Ensure that the heat sink is secured properly to the processor.

Wipe up any thermal compound that may have leaked out from around the CPU, if you used too much.

Make sure the video card is seated properly in its slot. Physical Interference Inspection: Check the following physical issues:

Ensure that all the drives are properly physically secured in their bays.

Make sure there are no loose wires in the case that may interfere with any moving objects inside the case; for the most part, this refers to the CPU fan.

You are most likely going to be turning on the PC at first with the cover off. Make sure that nothing from outside the case can poke or fall into the case by accident.

"Burn-in" testing

What is Burn-in testing? A Burn-in test warms up the CPU and then records the stats for you telling you whether the CPU, is running error free and at the temperatures that it should (or the temperature that is recommended). I have included the test instructions for you:

CPU Burn-in Instructions What is CPU Burn-in? CPU Burn-in v1.0 by Michal Mienik is the ultimate stability testing tool for overclockers. The program heats up any x86 CPU to the maximum possible operating temperature that is achievable by using ordinary software. This allows the user to adjust the CPU speed up to the practical maximum while still being sure that stability is achieved even under the most stressful conditions. The program continuously monitors for erroneous calculations and errors ensuring the CPU does not generate errors during calculations performed under overclocking conditions. Why CPU Burn-in is better: In the past overclocking stability was tested by running intensive software such as Distributed.Net or SETI@home. Running either piece of software for 24 hours would generally show any possible instability. A looping Quake3 timedemo was also a good choice However, there are inherent limitations in these tests:

Not every error caused by overclocking causes a program to crash or the system to hang. Some errors may be more subtle, such as a slight miscalculation. If such an event occurs and causes a pixel to render a slightly different color in Quake3 for example, the user is unlikely to notice and overall this is no big deal. However, such small errors can have a potentially devastating on distributed projects such as SETI@home, which rely on the reliable processing of data.


US 14908


CPU Burn-in consistently delivers a higher CPU operating temperature than the above mentioned applications, and other competing CPU stress test programs. This allows CPU Burn-in to be particularly effective at testing stability and cooling effectiveness.

How does it work? CPU Burn-in constantly cycles FPU intensive functions for a user specified period of time. The resultant calculations are constantly checked for data integrity. If the program detects erroneous data the user is immediately informed. Applications such as SETI@home and Distributed.Net perform no such data checking. The user must rely on those programs to crash or the system to hang before a problem can be noticed. Instructions: Please Note: Overclocking can potentially be harmful to your CPU. It may fry or fail prematurely in the long term. I cannot and will not be responsible for any damage you do to your hardware. By its very nature, CPU Burn-in pushes the CPU to the max. Increasing the voltage, Mhz, or PCI/AGP above the recommended levels can cause damage.

Uncompress the CPU Burn-in archive into any directory (if you're reading this, you've done it already ;-)

Run the CPU Burn-in executable

Input the number of hours and minutes you wish to run the program. After the time expires the test finishes. You may quit at any time.

If your system experiences instability during the burn-in test or you receive error messages, it's likely the system has been overclocked too far. If you believe a bug in the program has been found, please email [email protected]

Revision history:

v1.01 - added error checking / non-error checking mode. Non-error checking mode raises CPU temperature by an additional few degrees.

v1.00 - Initial release

As you can see in the figure above, the CPU usage shot up the minute I started to run the test. Once the test was completed, the result was displayed as successful, and error free.

Ensure That System Software Communicates with the Hardware Modules (Check print/resolution settings/device manager test) To ensure that the software and the hardware are communicating the way they should, there are a couple of thing you could check. You could start off by using Device Manager.

To open Device Manager, click on Start,

Then click on Control Panel

Click on System

Then click on the Hardware Tab

Then click on the Device Manager

All your components will be listed here.

To test these components, click on the component you wish to test, for example the CPU.

This will list the available processors on your system

Double click on the processor you want to test.


US 14908


A “results or report page” will be displayed giving you the “test” results you required, and also the option to troubleshoot the relevant device if necessary.

If it displays “This device is working properly” it means that the software and hardware is communicating properly, otherwise Windows would tell you on this screen that the device is faulty. A way to check your system performance while you are working is to click on Control Panel,

In Control Panel, click on Administrative Tools

In Administrative Tools, click on Performance

This will open a window that measures the performance of your Memory, Hard drive and Processor. You can monitor their performance here.

Note: These are colour coded. The memory is Yellow, PhysicalDisk is Blue and Processor is Green. You can see that the PhysicalDisk line is the most constant of the three lines.

Verify That the Software Functions The first sign that something might be wrong with your installation will appear when you restart your machine. If the machine doesn’t startup correctly, for example the machine “hangs”, an error could have occurred during the installation. To correct this problem, you should insert your installation CD in the CDROM. You will be given three options namely:

Uninstall

Repair

Modify Windows will then perform a systems check and will automatically detect the faulty files and correct them. Another way to test whether your software is working properly is to cross reference it with the Windows specifications. If they, for example list in the feature guide that you get MS Outlook standard with Windows 2000 or XP installation, you should open MS Outlook and test whether it is working. If the machine is not connected on the internet, you could simply create something simple like a Task and save it. Once you have done this, save the task and close Outlook. Open Outlook again and check


US 14908


whether your task is still there. When you open Outlook again, your task will be displayed like this if it was saved successfully:

The Test Procedure Meets the Publisher’s Guidelines For this section, I would like you to perform an exercise. I would like you to download the test procedures that Microsoft suggests for their software. Once you have done this, bring the results you have found with to class, discuss and compare the results you found with your trainer and your peers. You can check for these specifications on www.microsoft.com. Remember to specify the operating system that you want to test.

The Test Verifies That the Software Functions Here I would like you to create an environment and see whether your software is performing the same afterwards. You are going to perform a burn-in test. Burn-in tests is directed more towards your hardware, but as you know, if you have a hardware fault or failure, your software won’t function correctly. Here’s how a burn-in test works: What is Burn-in testing? A Burn-in test warms up the CPU and then records the stats for you telling you whether the CPU, is running error free and at the temperatures that it should (or the temperature that is recommended). I have included the test instructions for you below: While you download the Microsoft specifications, I would also like you to do a search for a burn-in testing program that you can download. Remember to have either a memory stick (flash drive) or a CD with you, so you can save the information you have found on it. As you can see, you will be notified of any errors that the burn-in test has found, and you are likely to experience software problems if your hardware isn’t functioning properly. Also, by performing this test, you have created an unusual environment for the software to operate in. If your hardware and software is functioning properly, you shouldn’t experience any problems.

Verify That the System Software Communicates with Hardware, Peripherals and Other Application Software

Here, the fastest way to see if your hard-and-software is communicating is to go through Control Panel.

Click on Administrative Tools, this will open another pane for you. Then click on performance.

Here you can check performance logs and alerts Another option is to use System, also in Control Panel.

Double click on system to open it. Once you have done so, click on the hardware tab and then on device manager:

Here you will find a list of all your hardware. To test if it is working properly, click on one of the devices. A report will be displayed, telling you whether the component you chose to test is working properly or not.

In this case, I chose to test my modem. As you can see here, the hardware and software is working perfectly. If the hard-and-software was not communicating properly, the machine wouldn’t have been able to tell me that - This device is working properly. You would have gotten an error report. These errors can mostly be sorted out with the Troubleshoot feature Microsoft has built in.

Troubleshooting expert

See handout Practical Troubleshooting

Many technicians claim that troubleshooting is more an art than a science. Although intuition sometimes plays a role in successful troubleshooting, it is more often the result of an orderly, well-documented process. A calm approach can often be the most important tool when troubleshooting system failures. Considering the high level of anxiety (or even panic) that can occur when mission-critical systems fail, it can be difficult to remain calm. Rushing to repair without fully understanding the problem, however, can often make the problem worse.

http://www.microsoft.com/


US 14908


Planning for Failure

One of the first things you learn as a technician is that hardware (and software) will fail. It may seem that systems and peripherals always break at the worst possible time, but there is probably never a good time for a hardware failure. Troubleshooting should start before the first failure occurs. You need to plan for failure and act accordingly. Planning should include:

Collecting complete and up-to-date system inventories

Identifying the locations of all system and peripheral documentation

Identifying mission-critical systems and setting repair priorities

Keeping spares for high-failure items on hand

Setting and following a preventive maintenance schedule

Hardware Diagnostics Hardware diagnostics let you run a quick check of system hardware and can verify that most system components are working correctly. Some tests may require special test hardware. For example, a serial port test often requires a loopback connector. Hardware diagnostics can be extremely helpful when you are trying to solve an intermittent problem. Most diagnostics will let you define a set of tests to run and loop indefinitely, either logging any errors or reporting them to the display monitor. You can start the tests at the end of the day, let them run overnight and review the results in the morning. Warning! Review any documentation included with the hardware diagnostics and any test descriptions before running hardware diagnostic tests. Some tests, most often hard disk tests, are destructive. Thus, the test will destroy any data on the hard disk. Back up any data on the hard disk (if possible) before running a destructive test. IC Tool You are less likely to need an IC extraction and replacement tool in newer systems. If you are supporting older systems, such a tool is usually required in your toolkit. An IC tool allows you to remove a dual inline package (DIP) IC without bending the pins. When replacing an IC, the IC tool grounds all the pins to minimize the possibility of ESD and helps align the pins for proper insertion. If you do not have an IC tool available, you can often use a small slot (straight) screwdriver to remove an IC. Slide the screwdriver tip under the edge of the socket-mounted IC. Continue sliding until the screwdriver blade is under the length of the IC and gently lift from one end. Be careful not to bend the pins during removal. If the pins are slightly bent, you can often use long-nosed pliers to straighten them. Miscellaneous Tools Your collection of miscellaneous items will be determined by your customary tasks. Useful additions would include items such as:

Antistatic Bags

Antistatic Spray

Wrist Grounding Strap

Spare Screws, Clips and Jumpers

Expansion Slot Covers This list should be a helpful beginning. Problem Isolation and Correction The basic task in troubleshooting and repair is problem isolation and correction. This process is sometimes more difficult than it sounds. The errors you see may be a symptom of an underlying problem. For example, a user could report a problem printing to a network printer. What you might find is that the system's network adapter is failing. The only symptom reported was failure to print because printing was the only network service she used. The method usually suggested for problem isolation is sometimes referred to as "troubleshooting by halves." This is a process of mentally (or physically) dividing a system into ever-smaller subsections until you identify the component that is most likely failing. Start by trying to determine whether the problem is hardware- or software-related. Many technicians tend to focus on those areas where they feel most comfortable, which could lead to a technician spending a lot of time changing hardware before even considering the problem might be software-related.


US 14908


The symptoms will often take you to the most obvious starting point. If a system is having trouble displaying anything on a monitor, for example, there is a limited number of likely causes:

Failing Display Monitor

Bad Monitor Cable

Bad Adapter Board (or embedded controller circuitry)

Bad Device Driver

Incorrect Configuration Settings Testing failing hardware first is often the fastest and easiest approach. In the preceding example, you would try a different monitor, then a different cable, and then a different adapter board. You should keep variables to a minimum. Change one component at a time. If that change has no effect, replace the new component with the original one and try the next. If you change several components at once, you will have to go back and determine which one was failing. By changing one component at a time, you will save yourself time and effort. After you have fixed the problem, remember to inform the user that the repair is complete. You also need to document the repair as part of the system's service record. Common Problems (Quick Checks) Some potential problems will seem so obvious to you that you might assume the user has already checked them. Some of the most common problems include:

System or device not plugged into AC power

System or device not turned on

Cable not connected or loose Additional checks specific to printer-related problems include:

Printer not online

Printer out of paper

Printer out of toner or ink

Document still in the print queue

Document paused Another potential problem in a network environment is that the user has selected the wrong printer and that the document has already printed on another printer. Reinitializing the system or a peripheral can clear many transient errors. If the system, internal peripheral, keyboard or pointing device is failing, have the user shut down and then turn off the system. Then have the user turn on and restart the system. If an external peripheral is failing, have the user turn off then turn on the device to reinitialize it.

Common System Errors On older systems, most components were socket-mounted and (in theory) replaceable. The high cost of system boards made it economical to troubleshoot at the component level and replace failing components. On newer system boards, few components are replaceable. On some motherboards, the only replaceable component, other than system memory and the processor, is the CMOS backup battery. If other components fail, such as the chipset or embedded device controller, you will need to replace the motherboard. Verify that the replacement motherboard is the correct motherboard form and has the correct processor slot or socket and memory slots. When replacing an older motherboard, you may find that you have to replace modules such as the processor and system memory. In such a situation, it may be less expensive to replace the entire system rather than attempt to replace the motherboard. Note: One common problem with older motherboards is that socket-mounted components tend to work themselves (thermal creep) out of the sockets as the motherboards heat and cool. When you have problems with an older motherboard, start by pressing gently on each socket-mounted component to make sure it is seated properly in its socket. Power Supply Failures Most power supply failures cause the loss of one or more DC voltages. When this happens, the system will typically be unable to start up. Or, it may be that the voltages drift out of tolerance, which will


US 14908


sometimes allow the system to start up, but will cause unreliable performance and intermittent system failures. None of the components in a power supply (other than the cooling fan) are considered replaceable. You will need to remove and replace the entire power supply. Make sure to select a power supply that is appropriate for the motherboard form and that will provide sufficient power. Note: You should check power supply voltages when replacing a failing motherboard. The failure can sometimes be caused by a power supply with voltages that are out of tolerance. Motherboard components can be damaged if any of the DC voltages are too high, and you may damage or destroy the new motherboard. Keyboard and Mouse Failures The most common keyboard failures are stuck keys and non-responsive keyboards. A stuck key, a keyboard that cannot communicate with the system or an unplugged keyboard will be detected during the POST. Stuck keys and non-responsive keyboards can also be detected during system operations. Stuck keys are usually caused by dirt or liquids spilled into the keyboard. A non-responsive keyboard can be caused by dirt, a failing key-switch or failing keyboard circuitry. If the keyboard is non-responsive completely you have to replace the keyboard. It will take more or less 5 minutes, including taking it out of the box. It will cost more or less (at the time of writing this) R80. The most common mouse failures are a non-responsive mouse or improper responses. Improper responses include erratic movement, intermittent failure to respond to mouse clicks and similar problems. The most common problem is accumulated dirt, but failing mouse circuitry can also be at fault. Both keyboards and mice are inexpensive. You can attempt to clean them, but if that does not correct the problem, replace the keyboard or mouse. A new mouse depends on the quality but they range from more or less R 60 upwards. If replacing the keyboard or mouse does not correct the problem, you may have a problem with a bad or incorrect device driver, but a more likely cause is that the interface circuitry on the motherboard is failing. This failure will usually require you to replace the motherboard. Display Monitor Failures When display monitor failures occur, do not remove the monitor cover! The monitor as a whole is a replaceable module. None of the components inside a display monitor are considered field-replaceable. The most common monitor problems can usually be traced back to either the video adapter, cable or the monitor. It is relatively easy to test and determine which component is failing. Try connecting a different display to the system. If the new monitor does not work, the problem is with the video adapter or system. If the new monitor does work, the old monitor or cable is failing. Note: The monitor cable could be detached at the computer end or monitor end on older display monitors. The cable is built into the monitor on most recent display monitors and is not a replaceable component. If the monitor is not receiving power (the power light stays dark when you press the On button), check that the power cord is plugged in at the outlet and at the back of the monitor. Check the line voltage to make sure it is present and at the right level. If the line voltage is working properly, try replacing the power cable. If this replacement fails to fix the problem, you will need to replace the monitor. If the monitor has power, but nothing is displayed, make sure the system is turned on and that the monitor cable is connected. Check the monitor's brightness and contrast settings. If these are set too low, you may not be able to see anything on the monitor. Once these possible causes are ruled out, the problem may be with the adapter, cable or monitor. Remove and replace the failing component. A dark screen often indicates that one or more of the following is true.

The monitor is turned off.

The monitor cable is not connected.


US 14908


The brightness and contrast are set too low. A white (or lined grey) display often indicates that either of the following is true.

The monitor is attached, but that the system is turned off.

The video adapter has come loose from its expansion slot. The same potential problems apply (monitor, cable or adapter) when there is a problem with missing colors. Missing colors are most obvious in areas of the screen that should be displayed as white Note: For systems that use a video adapter (rather than embedded control circuitry on the motherboard), start by reseating the adapter and testing. As with other slot-mounted components, the problem can sometimes be the connection between the adapter and the expansion slot. Hard Disk Failures Hard disk errors can be caused by a failing hard disk or hard disk controller. When a controller failure occurs, the system will typically be unable to detect the controller or devices attached to the controller. If the controller is a separate adapter board (such as a SCSI adapter):

Remove and replace the controller. If the EIDE controller embedded on the motherboard fails, you have two options:

Disable the controller through the BIOS Setup program and install an EIDE adapter.

Replace the motherboard. Most hard disk failures will require you to replace the hard disk. The symptoms you see will depend on the nature of the failure. Hard disk failures can occur without warning. Users and customers must understand the need for regular data backups.

Failure Symptom

Hard disk control circuitry

The circuit board attached to the hard disk. The system will typically be unable to detect the hard disk.

Disk data errors Disk data errors can be caused by a number of sources, including software bugs, a virus or ESD. Back up what data you can and reformat the hard disk.

Head crash

Indicated by a large number or increasing number of data errors. A head crash occurs when the read/write heads come into contact with the hard disk surface and damage the magnetic media. The errors will continue to increase until the drive completely fails. The only solution is to replace the hard disk.

Mechanical failure Includes head actuator failure, drive motor failure or spindle bearing failure. Typically, the system will be able to identify that the hard disk is present but will be unable to access any data from the hard disk. The only solution is to replace the hard disk.

CD-ROM/DVD Failures When a CD-ROM or DVD drive fails, the problem will be the controller circuitry, the cable or the device. You can test the controller and cable by attaching a different device to the controller. If you have an electronic (on-drive controller circuitry) or mechanical (drive motor or actuator failure), you will have to replace the CD-ROM or DVD drive. If the drive is detected and seems to respond when you attempt to access data, the problem may be a dirty laser. A commercial cleaning kit is the suggested method for cleaning a CD-ROM or DVD laser. Memory Failures Memory errors can be identified as either soft memory errors or hard memory errors. Soft memory errors are typically transient errors that occur while the system is running. Hard memory errors are typically detected during the POST and indicate a failing memory module or memory controller circuitry. When a soft memory error occurs, it is generally reported that an application or other program has generated a memory error. You will need to restart the system to clear the memory error and initialize system memory. You will lose any unsaved data when you restart the system. In older systems, hard memory errors were reported with a code that identified the failing memory chip. Separate DRAM memory ICs were used in older motherboards and you could remove and replace individual memory chips. With current systems, a failing memory chip means that you must replace


US 14908


the entire memory module. If the POST includes a location code with the memory error, the first number in the code is significant. It identifies memory error's bank location. When a memory error occurs, start by removing and reinstalling the SIMM or DIMM module. The problem is sometimes simply that the module is not seated properly in its slot or that the edge connectors are not making a complete connection. If removal and reinstallation does not correct the problem, the most likely cause is a failing SIMM or DIMM. Replace the failing SIMM or DIMM and test. If replacement does not correct the error, the problem is most likely with the microprocessor or the motherboard. A failing processor will typically generate multiple memory errors. The solution is to replace the failing processor. A motherboard error could be due to a bad memory slot, bad trace, chipset failure or other motherboard failure. In any case, the solution is to replace the failing motherboard. Note: You might wonder how a slot can spontaneously fail. The cause is most often a substandard solder joint connecting the slot to the motherboard. The expansion and contraction as the motherboard heats and cools over time can cause a substandard solder joint to fail. Modem Failures When modem failures occur, start with the most obvious items. The checks you need to make depend on whether you are troubleshooting an internal or an external modem. For an internal modem, check:

That the modem is properly seated in the expansion slot.

That the system resource assignments do not conflict with those assigned to other devices.

That the telephone line is working.

That the telephone cable is properly attached. For an external modem, check:

That modem power is plugged in and the modem's power adapter is working.

That the modem is turned on.

That the serial cable is attached to the modem and the system.

That the telephone line is working.

That the telephone cable is properly attached. You can check modem power on an external modem by looking at the indicator lights. If the modem is receiving power and is turned on, you should see the CS indicator lit. If you are having intermittent communication problems, low communication rates and high rates of retransmissions, the problem may be electronic or radio frequency interference (RFI). Check for sources of electronic noise near the modem or modem cables. Some operating systems, including Windows, include a simple modem diagnostic, which will test most of the modem circuitry and indicate if the modem can communicate with the system. Many commercial diagnostic programs also include modem diagnostics. You can also test a modem by directly sending the modem commands using the Attention Code (AT) command set. See the table below for a partial list of AT commands that are useful when troubleshooting a modem. Many manufacturers ship a command-line based communication utility that will pass AT commands directly to a modem. Note: Cellular phones generate a great deal of RFI. If a user is having intermittent communication failures and spends a lot of time talking on a cellular phone, the two may be related.

AT Commands:

Command Description

AT Should cause the modem to respond with "OK," indicating that the modem has power and can communicate with the system.

ATDnumber Type a number to be dialed immediately after the ATD command code. The modem will attempt to dial that number.

ATDTnumber Indicates that the modem will use tone dialing to dial the number.

ATDPnumber Indicates that the modem will use pulse dialing to dial the number.


US 14908


Command Description

ATDTWnumber ATDPWnumber

Add the "W" character to have the modem wait for the dial tone before dialing. The problem sometimes is that the modem cannot recognize the dial tone.

ATE0 Turns off the screen echo. The command you enter is not repeated back to the screen.

ATE1 Turn on screen echo. The command you enter is repeated back to the screen. Some modems will not work properly if screen echo is enabled.

ATH Takes the modem off hook it is if hung up or hangs the modem up if it is already off hook.

ATH0 Hangs up the modem.

ATM0 Turns off the modem speaker.

ATM1 ATM2

Turns the modem speaker on. ATM1 will leave the speaker on only until a carrier is established. ATM2 will leave the speaker on all the time.

ATQ Enables command result codes so that result codes display on screen.

ATQ1 Disables result codes so no command results are displayed.

ATV Turns off the verbose mode. Command results must be enabled for this command to have a visible effect.

ATV2 Turns on the verbose mode. This will cause more detailed messages to be included with results codes. Command results must be enabled for this command to have a visible effect.

ATX Resets the modem.

Modem failures can often be traced to communication software or configuration settings rather than a hardware failure. Be sure to check software configuration settings along with your hardware checks. Lightning strikes account for a large number of modem failures. Such strikes can cause spikes on telephone lines that damage modem circuitry. Many power strips now include surge arrestors for telephone lines as a way of protecting modems and other communication devices. Adapter Failures A quick fix for failing adapters is to reset the adapter in its expansion slot. This resetting simply means removing and reinstalling the adapter, then testing it. Warning! Be sure to turn the system off and remove system power before removing and replacing the adapter. Some manufacturers provide device-specific diagnostics for their adapter boards. When available, use these diagnostics to test suspect adapters. Otherwise, the best test is to replace the adapter with a known good adapter. The problem can sometimes be a failing adapter slot. You can check for this problem by installing the adapter in a different expansion slot (if available) and testing it. As long as you have a working expansion slot available, a failing slot does not necessarily require you to replace the motherboard. Device conflicts are a possibility with legacy adapters. Verify that adapter resource assignments do not conflict with other system devices. Note: You can sometimes correct adapter failures by moving the board to a different slot even if the slot is not failing. Some boards may interfere if they are physically too close to each other. Summary The following bullets outline what you learned about Troubleshooting:

Basic troubleshooting goals and technician roles were discussed.

The importance of information gathering and documentation were discussed.

You were given guidelines for selecting troubleshooting and repair tools.

You learned how to evaluate POST standard beep and numeric error codes.

Finally, you were introduced to several common hardware failures.

Software Faults and Errors We will now discuss system troubleshooting. The primary emphasis is on operating system and software troubleshooting, but software and hardware troubleshooting cannot be completely separated. Because the two are tied closely together, something that appears to be a problem in one might actually be a failure in the other. For example, when faced with a system that fails during start-up, your first thought might be a problem with the hard disk. On closer investigation, you may find that the hard disk is working properly. The problem could be that a virus has infected the operating system and the system cannot start up.


US 14908


We will discuss operating system and operational errors separately. These subjects overlap because the operating system provides the environment in which user applications run. For example, virus infections can affect both the operating system and applications, but we will discuss viruses with operational errors. Software troubleshooting refers to problems other than those caused by system hardware, such as problems with the following:

Operating system

Operating system components (like device drivers)

Applications

Data Software problems can have a number of causes, including bugs, corrupted files, incompatibilities and virus infections. It can sometimes be difficult to draw a clear line between hardware and software problems. Hardware failures can be a symptom of a software problem, such as a corrupted device driver. Note: One of the best ways to avoid software problems is to keep your software up to date. Operating system manufacturers often issue regular updates to correct known problems. Microsoft refers to these updates as service packs. Application program manufacturers will also sometimes release updates that fix known problems. Many times, the main justification for the release of a new software version is to fix known bugs. The goal in software troubleshooting is to keep interruptions to critical business activities to a minimum while correcting the errors as quickly and as efficiently as possible. Initially, it is more important to determine what is wrong and how to correct it than to search for the cause for the failure. In many cases, you will be unable to pinpoint the exact cause of the error.

Troubleshooting Tools The idea of a troubleshooting toolkit may initially seem inappropriate for software troubleshooting, but it is important to have one. Some of the tools you should have are listed in the table below. Warning! Check any diskettes in your toolkit regularly. Diskettes can become corrupted without any warning. Keep spare diskette copies filed in a safe location. Whenever possible, make a backup copy of critical files on a reliable media such as writable CD-ROM.

Procedural errors

On some trouble calls, you will find out that nothing is wrong with the operating system or the applications. The problem is actually procedural, a problem with something that the user is doing incorrectly or failing to do. Therefore, you may find that impromptu user training is one of your job responsibilities, especially if you spend time working at a help desk.

Role of Backups Regular backups are a critical part of software troubleshooting. A good backup is often the only way to recover data after a critical failure.

Common Operating System Errors

Operating system errors occur because of:

Tool Description

Boot Diskette A boot diskette will let you restart the system when the operating system is corrupted or when a hard disk error occurs. Write protect the diskette to avoid virus infection.

Anti-Virus Diskette Many anti-virus products allow you to create a diskette that can check a system for virus infection after starting up from a boot diskette. Keep this diskette write protected.

Emergency Repair Diskette (ERD)

The ERD is a Windows 2000 tool that can verify the operating system and recover critical operating system files. The ERD is not a bootable diskette.

Current Software Versions

Keep the installation files for operating systems and applications on hand in case you need to reinstall or repair

Software Updates Keep software updates and service packs on hand. These will have to be reapplied after you reinstall an operating system or application.

References Reference materials can be a useful resource. Most software-related references are available in both hard-copy and electronic formats.


US 14908


damaged or degraded files

disk errors

compatibility problems

software bugs Microsoft corrects operating system bugs by issuing service packs. Service packs are tracked by a release number. When applying service packs, you need only apply the most recent version because it will contain all the changes made in earlier service packs. Because of differences between the two operating systems, we will be looking at most repair procedures separately for Windows 9x and Windows 2000. However, some general guidelines apply to both operating systems.

General Operating System Troubleshooting

We will start with some general operating system failures and suggested resolutions. Many times, the most frustrating problem you can face is a system that will not start up. Despite the differences between startup procedures in Windows 9x and Windows 2000, some potential problems are common to both. No operating system You will sometimes receive an error indicating that no operating system is present. In many instances, this is not an error, but should be considered a status message. For example, you can receive this error when starting up a system after partitioning or formatting a hard disk. After formatting the system hard disk (or first hard disk), you must start up from diskette or CD-ROM. The problem can also occur if you forget to remove a data diskette from the floppy drive before restarting the system. The system will attempt to boot from diskette, but no operating system files will be present. The "No operating system present" message does indicate a problem when you attempt to start up from a hard disk that has (or should have) an operating system installed. Common causes for this problem are listed in the chart below. Along with fixing the startup problem, you should try to determine the underlying cause. A hard disk that is beginning to fail due to either media degradation or head crashes will often display data corruption symptoms before failing completely. Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is another potential cause of intermittent problems. A virus infection can corrupt (or delete) operating system files or the MBR. You should always consider virus infection as the potential cause when troubleshooting a system start-up problem.

Problem Solution

Operating system corrupted

If the system is running Windows NT or Windows 2000, you can attempt to use the ERD to recover the system. Otherwise, you will need to reinstall the operating system and recover from backups.

Master boot record (MBR) corrupted

You may need to re-create the disk partitions to correct a damaged MBR, though some commercial disk utilities can sometimes perform this task. The Windows 2000 recovery console can also be used to rebuild the MBR.

Operating system files missing

Operating system files can be lost through disk corruption or deletion. Users will sometimes override the protections provided by attribute settings and delete system files without realizing the potential effect. Reinstall the operating system and, if necessary, recover from backups.

Hard disk or controller failure

This is a hardware failure, but can initially look like a software failure. Boot from diskette and try to access the hard disk and controller. Replace the failing component. You will have to partition the hard disk, format, restore the operating system and recover from backups after replacing the hard disk.

If you receive a message that the operating system is not present, you will not be able to start up in the safe mode. You will need to start up from a boot diskette to test the system. Note: You can also start up a system from the operating system installation diskettes, or, if the system supports start-up from CD-ROM, from the operating system CD-ROM. Many technicians keep a startup diskette that also has the Format and Fdisk commands available. Occasionally you will not be able to find a cause for the system failure. In such cases, repair the system and monitor its performance. If the failure does not occur again, it could have been caused by a transient event such as a power spike.

Start-up Failure Another possible start-up failure condition is one in which the operating system is present, but the system does not successfully complete start-up. One possible cause is missing or corrupted operating system files. The solution is to recover (or replace) the files or reinstall the operating system. If you reinstall the operating system, you may need to restore data from backups, depending


US 14908


on how you run the installation. A system may fail start-up through your actions, for example, if you made changes to the system registry. You should avoid directly editing the registry unless directed to do so and provided with specific instructions. You may be able to start up in the Safe Mode and correct the registry, or you may have to reinstall the operating system and restore from backups. Note: Depending on the nature of the edits, Windows 2000 may be able to correct the error. Press F8 to interrupt start-up, as you would to start up in Safe Mode, and select "Last Known Good Configuration." This action will revert to the previous configuration and may allow you to start the operating system.

Device driver not loaded

An error sometimes reports that a device driver could not load during start-up. This problem will not always generate an error. You may discover the error indirectly because the device does not function after start-up. The most common causes for this problem are listed in the chart to the right. Roll your mouse over the causes in the chart to reveal their solutions. If the device driver file is corrupted or deleted, check for possible causes such as disk errors or a virus infection. A user might accidentally delete device driver files when deleting files to make more disk space available. The problem may be a non-existent device rather than a failing one. The operating system often will not check to see if a device is present when you manually install a legacy device driver. An error will be reported when you restart

the system and the operating system attempts to initialize the device.

Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) errors SCSI errors require special mention. Frequently SCSI devices are not configured properly because of the flexibility allowed in their implementation. Many of these errors are more hardware- than software-related, but can often appear to be software problems. Some of the more common errors are listed in the chart below. Termination errors can sometimes be undetected on older systems, then appear suddenly after an operating system upgrade. The reason for this occurrence is that the new operating system may increase device access requirements, making a failure more likely.

Error Description

Internal device not detected

The most common cause is that one or more devices have been installed with duplicate configurations. Correct the device configurations. If no new devices have been installed, the device is failing. Replace the device.

External device not detected

The most common reason for not detecting an external device is that the device is turned off or the SCSI cable has come loose. Check device power and SCSI cable connection.

Termination error detected

Most new SCSI adapters will automatically detect a termination error. The problem could be a failing internal device, a failing external device or an external terminator that has come loose.

Intermittent device access problems

If you have an older SCSI adapter, the adapter will probably not report termination errors. The most common causes of intermittent access problems are termination problems or bad cables. Start by check proper termination.

22 Common Windows7 errors

1. Vista upgrade hangs at 62% Windows 7 can start causing problems before it's even installed, as many people report their upgrade hangs forever at 62%. Reboot, and your PC should roll back to Windows Vista. You can then open the setup log file \$WINDOWS. BT\Sources\Panther\setupact.log to view what happened. Microsoft say

Cause Solution

Device driver corrupted

Reinstall the device driver file. You may need to delete the driver before reinstalling

Device driver deleted Restart the system to see if it will attempt to reinstall the driver. Otherwise reinstall the device driver file manually

Device configuration changes

If you change the system resource configuration on a legacy adapter without reconfiguring the device driver, you can cause the driver to fail to load or initialize. Reconfigure the device driver through operating system utilities.

Device driver configuration changes

If you change the resource assignments in the device driver configuration without physically reconfiguring legacy device, you can cause the driver to fail to load or initialize. Alternatively, it may generate an error that the device could not be initialized. Physically reconfigure the device to match the device driver settings.

Device failure The system will typically be unable to load the device driver if it cannot detect the device. Replace the failing device and test.


US 14908


this is usually caused because the Iphlpsvc service has stopped responding, and just adding an environment variable to ignore it will fix the problem. Point your browser at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/975253 for the fix. If this doesn't help (or your upgrade hangs at something other than 62%) then browse the setup log for other clues. And you might also try to boot and install from the Windows 7 disc, if possible, as that reduces the chance of any conflict with your existing Vista (or XP) setup.

INSTALL WINDOWS 7: Windows 7 upgrades are usually quick, but sometimes it doesn't install at all 2. DVD drive not found In some cases, your DVD drive may not be found by Windows 7, even if it's visible in the BIOS and using the standard driver. The standard solution here is to run REGEDIT, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}, then delete both UpperFilters and LowerFilters in the right-hand pane (UpperFilters.bak and LowerFilters.bak entries can be ignored). No change? Resetting the drive letter has worked for some. Click Start, type Disk Management and choose the "Create and format hard disk partitions" link. If your optical drive is visible here then right-click it, select Change Drive Letter and Paths, click Change and choose a new letter. If the drive is now visible in Explorer, then repeat the process to change the drive letter back; if it's still not visible, reboot and it should appear. 3. Aero isn't running If Windows 7 isn't looking its best - transparency has been turned off, say - then the Aero theme may not have been fully enabled on your system. Click Start, type Aero, choose the "Find and fix problems with transparency and other visual effects" link, and click Next to launch the Aero troubleshooting wizard. It'll try to identify and resolve and problems. And if it doesn't, then install the latest driver for your graphics hardware. That could be all your system needs. Some Aero features may be disabled in the Registry, though. For example, if Aero Peek (the ability to make open windows transparent to display your desktop underneath) doesn't work for you, then launch REGEDIT, browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\DWM and make sure EnableAeroPeek is set to 1, rather than 0.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/975253


US 14908


NO AERO: Windows 7's troubleshooting wizards will fix many display problems while you watch 4. Aero Snap irritations Windows 7's new ability to move and resize windows, all in one movement, can be a genuine productivity boost. But if you find windows moving around when you don't expect it then Aero Snap is more of an annoyance than anything else, though at least it's one you can disable in just a few seconds. Launch Control Panel, click Ease of Access, and select either "Change how your mouse works" or "Change how your keyboard works". Then browse down to the "Make it easier to manage windows" section, check "Prevent windows from being automatically arranged when moved to the edge of the screen", click OK, and program windows now won't go anywhere unless you specifically command it. 5. iPhone won't sync in Windows 7 Irritated iPhone users are beginning to report major difficulties in getting their iPhone to sync with Windows 7 systems. Particularly 64-bit Windows 7 systems, based around the P55 chipset. The iPhone is usually (though not always) recognised, but iTunes then complains that it can't connect to the unit because of an "unknown error", usually (though again, not always) 0xE8000065.Disabling USB power management appears to be one solution. Click Start, type DEVMGMT.MSC and press [Enter] to launch Device Manager, then click View > Devices by Type. Expand the Universal Serial Bus controllers section of the tree, right-click each USB Root Hub entry in turn, select Properties > Power Management, and clear "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power". Reboot your PC after this tweak and try again. This works for some, but if you're out of luck then check the Apple Discussions thread for other ideas.

SYNCING FEELING: iTunes on Windows 7 won't always see, or sync with, your iPod


US 14908


6. Windows 7 themes change your custom icons Windows 7 has some spectacular new themes - there's a great selection at the Microsoft site - but installing them can have one annoying side-effect. If you've previously changed a system icon like Computer or the Recycle Bin then that could disappear, replaced by the equivalent icon from the theme pack. To prevent this, right-click an empty part of the desktop, select Personalize > Change Desktop Icons, clear the "Allow themes to change desktop icons" box and click OK. Your icons will now be preserved, and the only way to change them will be manually, from the same Desktop Icons dialogue. 7. Taskbar problems Most people like the new Windows 7 taskbar, but many people seem less than impressed with the new approach to taskbar buttons, finding it difficult to tell at a glance whether an icon is a running application or a pinned shortcut. If this sounds like you then there's an easy way to restore more standard taskbar buttons, though - right-click the taskbar, select Properties, and set Taskbar Buttons to "Never combine" or "Combine when taskbar is full". You can even restore the old Quick Launch toolbar in just a few clicks. Simply right-click the taskbar, click Toolbars > New Toolbar, type %userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch in the folder box and click Select Folder. The Quick Launch toolbar should then reappear, and you can move and resize it to suit your needs.

STANDARD TASKBAR: Just a few seconds work and your taskbar has that retro look 8. Missing Explorer folders Click Start > Computer in Windows 7 and you'll find system folders like Control Panel and the Recycle Bin are no longer displayed in the left-hand Explore pane. This seems like a backward step to us, but there's a quick solution. Click Tools > Folder Options, check "Show all folders", click OK and all your top-level system folders will reappear. 9. Missing applets Windows 7 installs quickly and takes up less hard drive space than you might expect, but in part that's down to cheating - Mail, Movie Maker, Photo Gallery and other applets are no longer bundled with a standard Windows installation. Instead you must download the programs you need from the Windows Live Essentials site. Installing Live Essentials will also get you potentially unnecessary extras, though, like an ActiveX control to help in uploading files to Windows Live SkyDrive. And the Windows Live Sign-In Assistant, which can be useful if you want to switch between multiple Windows Live accounts. If you have only one Windows Live account, and no plans to use Live SkyDrive, then these can safely be removed from the Control Panel Uninstall A Program applet.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/personalize

http://download.live.com/

http://download.live.com/


US 14908


TAKE YOUR PICK: You can install as many, or as few of the Live Essentials programs as you like 10. Too many minidumps By default, Windows 7 now keeps the last 50 minidump files (memory images saved when your PC crashes). If you're keen on using dump files to troubleshoot crashes then this is good news, but if you've no interest in that kind of advanced debugging then minidumps are just a waste of your valuable hard drive space. In which case you should run REGEDIT, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CrashControl, and set MiniDumpsCount to 1. Windows will only now keep the last dump file and you'll free up a little hard drive space. 11. HP Multifunction Printer problems If you've an HP multifunction printer with its "Full Feature Software solution" or "Basic Driver solution" installed then, after upgrading to Windows 7, you may find the printer stops working. Press the buttons on the front of the printer and nothing will happen; launch the software manually and you'll see reports that it can't connect to your hardware. The problem is that a few files and Registry entries have been lost in the migration to Windows Vista, and even reinstalling the original HP software won't help. Fortunately there's a new version of HP Solution Center that should get everything working again, though, and you can find out more about it at the HP support site. 12. Hidden extensions Explorer's default settings in Windows 7 hide file extensions, as well as system files and folders. To fix this, launch Explorer and click Tools > Folder Options > View. Clear the "Hide extensions for known file types" to show file extensions, reducing the likelihood that you'll accidentally double-click on virus.txt.exe in future. And as long as there are no novice users on your system who might go poking around in Explorer, we'd also choose to "Show hidden files and folders" as well as clear the "Hide protected operating system files" box. It's often important to see these files when you're troubleshooting, or following problem-solving instructions from someone else. 13. DVD audio issues Windows 7 runs well even on old notebooks, say reviewers, and in general they're right. But we have seen reports of problems, for example with DVD audio, where movie sound is either completely unintelligible or doesn't appear at all. Should anything similar happen to you then head off to Control Panel, click Hardware and Sound > Sound, right-click your current default playback device (it'll have a green tick displayed) and select Properties. Then click Advanced, clear any settings in the Exclusive Mode box and click OK. You've now ensured that older or badly-behaved drivers can't take complete control of the speakers any more, and this alone will often be enough to get your system working again. (But if it doesn't, installing new audio drivers is your next best option.)

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01887712&tmp_task=solveCategory&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&product=3635399&lang=en


US 14908


14. Windows Live MovieMaker For some bizarre reason Windows Live MovieMaker won't let you import network files by default. A quick Registry tweak will solve this annoying problem. Simply run REGEDIT, browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Live\Movie Maker, add a DWORD value called AllowNetworkFiles and set it to 1: job done.

IMPORT NETWORK FILES: Network access is only a Registry tweak away 15. XP Mode doesn't work If you have older software that won't work under Windows 7 then in theory you can use XP Mode, a virtual machine with an installation of Windows XP that should be more successful. In practice, however, it doesn't always work out that way. Problem 1 is XP Mode requires hardware support from the CPU. The Microsoft Hardware-Assisted Virtualization Detection Tool can check your system to see if it's compatible. Problem 2 is the feature must be enabled in the BIOS. Microsoft has some instructions, but essentially you just need to browse your BIOS setup program looking for an AMD-V, Intel VT or VIA VT virtualisation setting and ensure it is turned on. Unfortunately, problem number 3 is that some laptop manufacturers have previously disabled this setting for "security" reasons. Sony Vaios had the feature turned off for a while, for instance, prompting some to recommend ways in which you can edit their firmware to restore the setting, although Sony seems to have restored it recently. If hardware virtualisation is turned off on your system, then check with the manufacturer - a BIOS upgrade may fix the problem. And if all else fails, just use a package like VirtualBox that doesn't insist on hardware support. You will need to provide a licenced copy of XP (or whatever other version you want to use) to install on it, though.


US 14908


WINDOWS 7 XP MODE: Good news - this CPU is up to the task of running XP Mode 16. Add Windows Media Center to AutoPlay options Windows 7 includes Media Center, but for some strange reason you can't choose it as an AutoPlay handler. The only standard program that can be launched to play DVD-Video discs, is Media Player, which seems an odd limitation. Fortunately, there's no fundamental change that's preventing this from working, it's just that Windows 7 doesn't contain the required Registry entries. If you have a Windows Vista PC on hand, then you could export these yourself: just go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AutoplayHandlers and save all the keys and values beginning with EHome. Windows expert Ramesh Srinivasan has done the hard work already, though, so it's probably easier to download the .REG file from him. Take a look at Srinivasan's Winhelponline to find out more. 17. Missing crash dump files Impressive though Windows 7 is, it'll crash sometimes, and if you've installed diagnostic software like the Windows debugging tools then you'll want the crash dump file to hand for further investigations. And yet in some situations you'll find the memory.dmp file never appears. First, click Start, right-click Computer and select Properties > Advanced System Settings > Startup and Recovery Settings. Make sure that "Write debugging information" is set to something other than "none", and that "Dump file" is the default "%SystemRoot%\MEMORY.DMP". If that's all correct then check your free hard drive space. If your system isn't on a domain, and has less than 25GB free, then Windows 7 will no longer keep a crash dump file. If you'd like to change that, launch REGEDIT, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CrashControl, create a new DWORD value called AlwaysKeepMemoryDump, set it to 1, and in future the crash dump file will always be preserved. 18. Can't disable hibernation Windows 7 doesn't make it easy to turn off hibernation, annoying if you never use it as you'll permanently have a "hiberfil.sys" file taking up a sizeable portion of your hard drive. To rectify this situation, launch REGEDIT, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power, and set HibernateEnabled to zero. 19. Poor video quality The new Windows 7 power plan settings affect more of your software than ever before. If you notice video playback quality seems poor, for instance, then click Start, type Power Options and click the Power Options link. Click Change Plan Settings for your currently selected plan, click Change Advanced Settings, expand the Multimedia Settings section and make sure "Playing video" is set to "Optimise performance". Alternatively, if you often play video on a laptop, then change the new setting to "Optimise performance" and you may see an improvement in battery life. 20. Where's Software Explorer? If you've ever played with Windows Defender on Vista then you'll have probably noticed the Software Explorer feature, a very useful way to find out and control exactly what's launched on your PC when Windows starts. So it's a little annoying to see this has disappeared in the latest version, leaving you with only the aging MSCONFIG to control your startup programs. It is recommended that you download and use Autoruns, then, instead. It's rather more technical than Software Explorer, but nothing else provides quite as much useful detail on the add-ons and extensions you'll be loading when Windows, Explorer and your browser are launched.


US 14908


START UP: Autoruns shows all the programs that will load when your PC starts 21. Explorer navigation The Windows 7 version of Explorer has partly disconnected its two panes, so if you're double-clicking your way down a complex set of folders in the right-hand pane, the left hand tree won't always expand to follow you. This may improve performance a little, but it also means that you won't always be able to see the complete folder structure unless you expand it manually, which on balance seems a bad idea. If you agree then click Organize > Folder and Search Options, check "Automatically expand to current folder", and click OK to restore normal operations. 22. Windows Live Messenger and the system tray Close Windows Live Messenger on Windows 7 and it'll display its icon on the taskbar, using up useful application space, rather than in the system tray where many believe it belongs. Fortunately, there's a very quick fix: right-click the shortcut to Windows Live Messenger, click Properties > Compatibility, check "Run this program in compatibility mode for" and choose "Windows XP (Service Pack 3)" from the list. Close Messenger and its icon should now appear in the system tray. Viruses A virus is a program designed to infect your system and propagate itself to other systems. Viruses can range from minor inconveniences to highly destructive crises that format or delete partition information from hard disks. Some of the most common viruses you will see are listed in the chart blow. Some virus programs will include a mix of types. The most devastating effects of most viruses are often delayed. For example, a virus might infect the boot sector where it sits unnoticed for a period of time. After a timeout or on a specific calendar date, the virus activates itself and begins destroying data. New viruses are being developed constantly, prompting a vigorous software competition between virus authors and anti-virus software producers.

Virus Type Description

Boot sector

A boot sector virus, as the name implies, infects a disks boot sector and replaces the sector contents. This infection will cause the virus to be loaded into memory before anything else. The virus is usually passed by floppy diskettes. Some boot sector viruses can spread over a network connection.

File infection The virus infects an executable (program) file. When the file is executed, the virus loads into memory and begins infecting any other executable files it can find.

Macro This is a type or infection virus, in which the virus is based on application macros. The virus is often specific to one type of data file or application, but will infect all files of that type it can find.

Trojan horse A Trojan horse is not technically a file, but falls into the general category of potentially destructive programs. A Trojan horse appears to be a valid program, but demonstrates its destructive nature when executed.

Mail Most mail viruses are macro viruses, often specific to one application or one mail system. Some are Trojan horse programs attached to the mail message and attacking the system when opened.


US 14908


Avoiding Virus Infection Your first defense against viruses is to avoid getting infected. A number of practices will help prevent virus infection. They are listed below:

Do not accept software from unknown or unverifiable sources.

Do not open e-mail attachments from unknown or unverifiable sources.

Write-protect floppy disks unless there is a specific need to write to the disk.

Use an anti-virus program to scan incoming files and programs.

Use extreme caution when downloading files from the Internet. It is often suggested that you set up a separate system (not connected to your network) for testing suspect software. Some symptoms of virus infections are listed below:

System will not boot from the hard disk, but will boot from floppy.

Changed file sizes

Missing or renamed files

System startup takes longer than normal

System performance degrades suddenly

Increase in system errors, such as illegal operation errors

Operating system locks up for no apparent reason As you can see, most of the symptoms of virus infection could be caused by other hardware or software problems. The surest way to diagnose and repair a virus infection is anti-virus software. Anti-virus Programs Most new systems include several selected applications that install with the operating system software. In nearly every case, this group of applications includes an anti-virus program. Anti-virus programs are also available for purchase. Most manufacturers let you download their programs, making them immediately available. Anti-virus software is your best protection against virus infection and sometimes your only chance of clearing an infected system without losing all the system data. Most anti-virus programs can be installed on the local hard disk and support creation of an anti-virus diskette that can be used to clean an already infected system. Most anti-virus programs provide five services. These are described in the chart below.

Service Description

Initial scan Memory and the hard disk will be scanned before the anti-virus program is installed. The program will report any virus detected during the scan.

Startup check Critical areas are scanned during system startup. These include memory, the boot record, the boot sector and critical operating system files. The program will attempt to remove any virus infections found.

Periodic scans Periodic scans can be scheduled to verify that the system is still virus-free. The program will attempt to remove any virus infections found.

File checks Most anti-virus programs can be configured to check any new file before it is opened. You will be warned if the file appears to be infected with a virus and be given the option of removing the virus or not opening the file.

On-demand file checks

Individual files can be checked as needed. For example, you might have an organisational standard of checking any file for viruses before it can be attached to an outgoing e-mail message.

Some users may find an anti-virus program to be an inconvenience or intrusion. Users should be warned not to disable virus protection. Warning! An anti-virus program must be updated regularly to be fully effective. Most manufacturers suggest that you update your anti-virus program at least weekly. Most programs are configured to prompt you with an update reminder. The most common way of updating anti-virus programs is to download the updates from the manufacturer's Web site. Many anti-virus programs will not let you install the program on a system that is already infected. If that happens, you will need to create a "clean-up" diskette and remove the virus infection before installing the program.

us 14908: demonstrate an understanding of testing it

Documents