DAY 59 DAY 62 DAY 63 DAY 64 DAY 66 DAY 67

Hardware Week
A+ Certification

Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting

• Find out the root cause

• Analyze the problem step by step
• Understand the PC basics
• Study basic troubleshooting tips
• Apply common sense & logical thinking
Booting problems
The system doesn’t start at all

• Push the power button and nothing happens

• Start with the following checklist
– Check for AC from your wall outlet
– Reattach or replace the AC line cord
– Reattach the power cables at the motherboard
– Replace the power supply
– Replace the motherboard
– Replace the CPU
Booting problems
No Power Light + Cannot hear Fan running

Cause/Solution:
• Insufficient power supply to the computer
– Check for adequate AC voltage at the wall outlet
– Check the AC cord
– Check for power switch connection and it is turned on
– Check the power supply fuse(s)
– Try another power supply
– Replace the motherboard if necessary
Booting problems
Power Light is ON; No system activity

Cause / Solution:
• Insufficient power supply to the computer
– Check for adequate AC voltage at the wall outlet
– Check for “Power Good” signal
• CPU
– Check that the CPU is cool
– Check the heat sink / fan assembly, and CPU itself
– Check CPU socket
• Expansion boards
– Make sure that all expansion boards are seated properly
– Check the motherboard for shorts
– Replace the motherboard if necessary
Booting problems
System doesn’t initialize

Cause / Solution:
• A faulty motherboard or an assembly problem
• Start with the following checklist:
– Re-attach the power cables at the motherboard
– Re-attach the power cables to all drives
– Re-install all expansion cards
– Check and re-install all signal cabling
– Check for POST errors using a POST reader card (if
available)
– Check the CMOS Setup
Booting problems
Drive light glows continuously

Cause / Solution:
• Boot drive cannot be located
– Check the signal cable
– Check the controller by replacing good drive
– Try a new drive controller board or motherboard
Booting problems
No boot device available / No boot sector on HDD /
No System Disk or Disk Error

Cause / Solution:
• Computer cannot find a viable floppy disk or hard
drive
• Drives have not been entered properly into CMOS
– Configure the proper drive information in the CMOS
– Also verify that your floppy disk or hard drive has been
prepared as “bootable”
– Repartition /reformat the hard drive
– Try replacing Hard drive
Booting problems
Not a Boot Diskette / Invalid Boot Diskette / Insert
Bootable Media

Cause / Solution:
• There is no operating system on the floppy disk
– Boot computer with a disk containing operating system
• BIOS can read the disk, but cannot boot the
system from it
– Use another known good boot disk
– Try booting from a different drive
• BIOS cannot find a bootable media
– Insert a bootable floppy disk or bootable CD
Booting problems
System Halted Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to reboot

Cause / Solution:
• The current boot attempt has been aborted
• System files have been damaged
• Boot drive itself has failed
– Try booting from another drive
– Repartition and reformat the boot drive as a bootable
device
– Replace the boot drive
Booting problems
System is dead - No cursor, No beeps, No fan

Cause / Solution:
• Power cord failure
– Plug in or replace power cord
• Power supply failure
– Replace the power supply
• Motherboard failure
– Replace motherboard
• Memory failure
– Remove all memory except 1 bank and retest
– If still fails replace bank1 itself
BIOS problems
GA20 Error

Cause / Solution:
• Also appear as “8042Gate-A20 Error”
• There is a fault-using gate A20 when switching to
the protected mode
– Check the SIMMs/DIMMs are installed securely
– Keyboard controller (KBC) may have failed
– Try replacing the keyboard controller (if possible)
– Replace the motherboard if necessary
BIOS problems
Address Line Short

Cause / Solution:
• A serious problem with the memory address
decoding circuitry
– Can be cleared by turning the system ‘Off' for a few
seconds and rebooting
– Replace the motherboard if problem exists
BIOS problems
BIOS ROM Checksum error – System halted

Cause / Solution:
• Checksum of BIOS code in BIOS chip is incorrect
• The BIOS code may have become corrupt
– Try “reflashing” the BIOS
– Replace the motherboard BIOS chip before system
initialize
– Replace the motherboard if necessary
BIOS problems
Cache memory bad; do not enable Cache

Cause / Solution:
• POST has determine that L2 cache is defective
• Do not attempt to enable the Cache
– Replace the cache at the earliest
– If L2 cache is integrated into CPU cartridge itself, try
replacing the CPU
BIOS problems
CMOS Batter Low / CMOS Battery failed

Cause / Solution:
• CMOS battery power is getting low
• CMOS battery is no longer functional
– Replace the CMOS battery as soon as possible
– Take a print screen of each CMOS setup page
immediately to record the setup configuration
– Power-down the system and install a new battery
BIOS problems
Some drives are not detected during boot

Cause / Solution:
• In the Basic CMOS setup page the device may not
be listed or entered properly
• The drive may need more time to initialize at boot
time
– Try increasing the “boot delay” or
– Disabling any “quick boot” feature that might be in use
BIOS problems
CMOS System Options not set

Cause / Solution:
• Also report as “CMOS settings wrong”
• Values stored in CMOS RAM are either corrupt or
nonexistent
– Check CMOS backup battery and replace if necessary
– Reload any missing or corrupt entries in CMOS setup
– Remember to Save before exiting and reboot the sytem
BIOS problems
CMOS Display type mismatch

Cause / Solution:
• The video type indicated in CMOS RAM is not the
one detected by the BIOS
– Check CMOS settings & make sure the correct video
type is selected (usually VGA)
– Verify that there is no conflict between an integrated
video & adapter card in the system
A+ Certification

Troubleshooting
Processor problems
System crashes or freezes after few minutes

Cause / Solution:
• This is typical of thermal failure
– When system halts, check CPU is heated
– Check whether heat sink is attached
– Check whether fan used or failed
– Apply a heat sink with an adequate helping of thermal
compound
– Make sure that there is an ample layer of thermal
compound between the CPU case and heat sink base
– In many cases, the compound is omitted, cool the
system and apply thermal compound
Processor problems
System crashes or freezes when certain applications
are run

Cause / Solution:
• It may seem as if the applications are corrupt, but
try a diagnostic
– Run repetitive tests on CPU
– Diagnostics can detect errors running protected-mode
instructions and perform thorough register checking
– Find specific error codes that are returned suggesting a
CPU fault
– Replace the CPU
– Try diagnostics on other portions of motherboard
– If every diagnostics are fine, your application is corrupt
Processor problems
System reports “Wrong types of CPU”

Cause / Solution:
• BIOS was not written to support the particular
CPU directly
– Start checking with motherboard jumper settings for
specific CPU
– Upgrade BIOS to accommodate the CPU
Processor problems
Heat sink/fan will not secure properly

Cause / Solution:
– Check heat sink / fan is not loose
– Check whether the recommended heat sink / fan is used
– Make sure that heat sink attaches to either the CPU chip
itself or the ZIF socket that the CPU mounts in
– Verify the CPU had not been altered or faked
Processor problems
Locks up during or shorting after POST

Cause / Solution:
• Poor heat dissipation
• Improper voltage settings
• Wrong motherboard bus speed
• Wrong CPU clock multiplier
– Check CPU heat sink/fan replace if necessary
– Improper voltage settings
– Jumper motherboard for proper clock multiplier
Processor problems
Improper CPU identification during POST

Cause / Solution:
• Old BIOS
• Board not configured properly
– Update BIOS from manufacturer
– Check manual and jumper board accordingly to proper
bus and multiplier settings
Processor problems
System won’t start after new CPU installation

Cause / Solution:
• Processor not properly installed
• BIOS doesn’t support new processor
• Motherboard can’t use new processor
– Reseat or remove/reinstall processor and heat sink
– Update BIOS from system or motherboard manufacturer
– Verify motherboard support
Processor problems
Operating System will not boot

Cause / Solution:
• Poor heat dissipation
• Improper voltage settings
• Wrong motherboard bus speed
• Wrong CPU clock multiplier
• Improper drivers or incompatible hardware
– Check CPU fan, replace if necessary
– Jumper motherboard for proper core voltage
– Jumper motherboard for proper bus speed
– Jumper motherboard for proper clock multiplier
– In many cases, the compound is omitted, cool the
system and apply thermal compound
– Update drivers and check for compatibility issues
CPU Cooling Issues
Trips for controlling CPU heat

• Use a good quality heat sink/fan & more

adequately rated for particular CPU
• Use a thin layer of heat sink compound between
the CPU case and heat sink
• For extremely hot CPUs try a Peltier cooler or
similar refrigeration unit
• Select reliable ball bearing type fans with
extended service lifetimes
• Fold and tie cables away from areas requiring free
air circulation
CPU Cooling Issues
Trips for controlling CPU heat

• Make sure the CPU heat sink/fan is in close

thermal contact with the processor surface
• Use a CPU cooler with a audio alarm system that
will alert you in case of either fan malfunction or
excessive CPU temperature
• If you are over clocking your CPU, compensate
heat generation using Peltier active cooler or other
effective chilling device
• Clean fan blades, fan support struts
• Increase air circulation in and out of your
computer case by using an auxiliary fan
CPU Overclocking symptoms
System does not boot after overclocking CPU

Cause / Solution:
• You cannot overclock the CPU at the level you
have chosen
– Try bumping up the processor voltage a bit
– Scale back the clock speed or the multiplier until the
system starts up
– Return the clock and multiplier to their original values
– OVERCLOCKING IS NOT RECOMMENDED
CPU Overclocking symptoms
System starts after overclocking
But locks up or crashes after some time

Cause / Solution:
• Overclocking causes substantial heating of the
CPU
– Cooling must be improved to compensate for this
additional heat
– Check the heat sink/fan and see that it is attached
correctly
– It may be necessary to “up-size” the heat sink/fan or use
a Peltier cooler
A+ Certification

Troubleshooting
FDD Problems
Diskette Read failure

Cause / Solution:
• Read/write heads may be dirty
• Signal cable may be loose
• Disk may be defective
– Try with a good floppy disk
– Re install the signal cable
– Replace the drive if necessary
FDD Problems
Floppy Disk Controller Failure

Cause / Solution:
• Also report as “FDC error”
• Problem with either floppy drive or drive controller
– Confirm that the drive controller is seated properly in it’s
bus slot
– Check that all the drive cables are secure
– Make sure that the floppy drive is receiving power
– Try a new drive controller
– Replace the floppy drive if necessary
FDD Problems
Floppy Disk(s) Fail

Cause / Solution:
• Also report as “A: Drive Error”
• Cannot find or initialize the floppy drive controller
or the floppy drive itself
– Make sure the drive controller is installed correctly
– Verify that the floppy drive is listed correctly in the CMOS
setup
– Replace the floppy disk drive if necessary
FDD Problems
Diskette drive 0 (or 1) see failure

Cause / Solution:
• Floppy drive was unable to seek to the desired
track
• Signal cable may be loose
• CMOS setup information may not match your
actual floppy drive hardware
– Check and correct your CMOS setup
– Re install the signal cable
– Replace the drive if necessary
FDD Problems
Drive LED glows continuously

Cause / Solution:
• This is a classic signaling problem
• Occurs after changing or upgrading a drive
• Drive controller may have failed
– Check whether one end of the drive cable has been
inserted backward
– Make sure that pin 1 in cable is aligned properly with the
connector on both the drive and controller
– Replace the drive if necessary
FDD Problems
Cannot Read from Drive A:

Cause / Solution:
– Check the disk
– Clean the floppy drive
– Check the drive for obstructions
– Check the signal cable
– Replace the floppy the floppy drive
– Replace the floppy drive controller
CD-ROM Problems
Disk Cannot Read

Cause / Solution:
• In DOS “sector not found” or “drive out ready”
error
– Check the CD itself to ensure the right format
– Check the CD is inserted properly
– Check the CD is clean
– Try a different disc to confirm the problem
– Gently dust or clean the head optics as suggested by
your drive manufacture
CD-ROM Problems
No Audio being generated by the drive

Cause / Solution:
• Headphones are not working
• Headphone amplifier circuit in the CD-ROM is
probably defective
– Check headphone by connecting to other stereo jack
– Adjust the headphone volume using the small dial
located on the front of the CD-ROM drive
– Replace the drive
CD-ROM Problems
Cannot access CD-ROM drive letter under dos

Cause / Solution:
• It is a problem with the CD-ROM drivers
• MS-DOS extension MSCDEX has not loaded
– Switch to the DOS sub-directory and use the MEM/C
function to check the loaded drivers and TSRs
– If list shows the low-level driver check the CD-ROM
• Make sure that the signal cable is inserted properly
• Try replace the drive controller
– If list doesn’t show low-level driver; inspect your
CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files
• Check that the drivers are included in the startup files to
begin with
• Make sure that the label used in the /D switch is the same
for both the low-level driver and MSCDEX
• Also try updating MSCDEX to V2.30 or later
CD-ROM Problems
Not Ready reading from drive D:

Cause / Solution:
• There may be a problem with the drive controller
board (or drive mechanism itself)
– Check that a suitable disk is inserted in the drive and
that the drive is closed properly
– Make sure that the low-level device driver and MSCDEX
are loaded correctly
– Also check that the data cable
– If problems persist, suspect a weakness in the PC power
supply
– Try a larger supply in the system, or connect the CD
drive directly to the supply
– Try a different drive or a different drive controller
CD-ROM Problems
CD-ROM drive not found

Cause / Solution:
• Power and signal problems are likely culprits
– Make sure the 4-pin power connectors are inserted
properly and completely
– Make sure any interim connections are secure
– measure the +5 volt (pin 4) and +12 volt (pin 1) levels
– Replace power supply if necessary
– Check the drive signal cable
– Make sure that the adapter’s IRQ, DMA and I/O address
settings are correct
– If your CD-ROM uses a SCSI interface, make sure that
the SCSI bus cable is properly terminated at both ends
– If problem persist first change drive controller and later
drive
CD-ROM Problems
No Drives found

Cause / Solution:
• Driver command line switches in the config.sys do
not match h/w configuration of the drive controller
• Low-level driver may be missing or corrupt
– See (in config.sys) that the low-level driver has a complete
referenced in the command line is actually present on the
hard drive
– See (in autoexec.bat) that the MSCDEX command line is
accurate and complete
– Try updating version of MSCDEX
– If you are using Smart drive with DOS 6.0 or later, try
adding /U switch to the end of your Smart drive command
line in AUTOEXEC.BAT
– Make sure that there are no other devices conflicting with
the CD-ROM drive controller
A+ Certification

Troubleshooting
HDD Problems
C: (or D:) drive error
/ “Pri/Sec Master/Slave - ATAPI incompatible”

Cause / Solution:
• The system cannot detect the designated drive(s)
• The hard disk ‘type’ is probably set incorrectly in
the CMOS setup
• Drive may not be connected or formatted properly
– Check the CMOS setup
– Recheck the drive jumpers
– Reconnect the drive(s)
– Repartition and reformat the drive
HDD Problems
C: (or D:) drive failure / Hard drive failure

Cause / Solution:
• Drive is defective
• The hard drive failed initialization
– Double-check the drive signal cable
– Replace the hard drive if necessary
HDD Problems
Disk performance appears to be slower over time

Cause / Solution:
• Can be caused by file fragmentation
• System might have infected by VIRUS
– Start the PC with a “clean” boot disk and make sure
there are no TSRs or drives being loaded
– Run your anti virus checker clean for computer viruses
– Check for file fragmentation next and Start your
defragmentation utility
– Finally reboot the system normally and find difference
HDD Problems
No Fixed disk present

Cause / Solution:
– Make sure the 4-pin power connector is inserted properly
and completely
– Measure the +5 volt (pin 4) and +12 volt (pin 1) levels
– Replace power supply if necessary
– Make sure the signal cable is connected securely at both
the drive controllers
– Change the cable if damaged
– Check all CMOS drive parameter are set correctly
– Check for IRQ and I/O address conflicts
– If your drive system uses a SCSI interface, make sure
that the SCSI cable is terminated properly
– Replace the drive or drive controller accordingly
HDD Problems
Error reading drive C:

Cause / Solution:
• Problem with the disk media
• Also indicate viruses or signaling problems
– Check the signal cable connections
– Start the system with a clean boot disk
– Run anti virus and make sure there are no memory
resident and file based viruses
– If you have remounted drive in a different orientation
repartition and reformat the drive
– Run scandisk and fix bad sector problems
HDD Problems
Hard disk controller failure

Cause / Solution:
• CMOS setup or drive controller problem
– Enter CMOS setup & see the parameters entered for
drive doesn’t exit resulting in a large number of errors
– Try a new hard drive controller
– Replace the drive if necessary
HDD Problems
Disk boot failure / No system disk /
No ROM basic system halted

Cause / Solution:
– Check the signal connector first
– Try some new signal cables
– Start the PC with a clean boot disk & run your anti virus
checker
– Check for CMOS settings
– Run FDISK to check the partitions on your hard drive
– Make sure there is at least one DOS partition and
primary partition is set active
– Replace the drive or drive controller accordingly
HDD Problems
FDISK ERROR:
No space to create partition

Cause / Solution:
– Check the CMOS setup first
– Disable MBR virus protection mode in CMOS before
partitioning
– Now check the drive jumpers
– BIOS may not be able to support your drive properly ;
upgrade the BIOS
– Or install drive overlay software such as disk manager or
Max Blast
HDD Problems
FDISK refuses to partition drive and system hangs

Cause / Solution:
• Track 00 on the drive has been corrupted
– Try using the disk manufacture’s Low Level formatting to
reconstruct “track 00”
HDD Problems
Primary/Secondary Master/Slave disk fail

Cause / Solution:
• POST detects an error in the primary
(Master/Slave) hard drive on the primary drive
controller channel
– Double-check the drive’s installation
– Check jumpering and cable connections
– Replace the drive
A+ Certification

Troubleshooting
Display Problems
Normal system activity but no Video

Cause / Solution:
– Make sure the monitor is plugged in and turned on
– Make sure that monitor works
– Next, trace the monitor cable to its connection at the
video board
– Check the video board
– Replace the video board
Display Problems
No picture

Cause / Solution:
Display Problems
Normal system activity but no Video

Cause / Solution:
– Make sure the monitor is plugged in and turned on
– Make sure that monitor works
– Next, trace the monitor cable to its connection at the
video board
– Check the video board
– Replace the video board
A+ Certification

Troubleshooting
Printer problems
Printer won’t print at all

Cause / Solution:
– Check printer is connected to PC
– Check printer is getting power
– Check printer driver is installed properly
– Check printer is online/offline
– Reset the printer and look for error messages
– See for the printer toner/ink/ribbon installed correctly
– Run printer self test
– Check printer job queue purge any job that hungs
– Turn off the printer for some time to stop overheating
– Change printer cable
– Try connecting the printer to another computer
Printer problems
Print has quality problem

Cause / Solution:
– Check for proper printer driver installation
– Make sure it is using the right print emulation mode if it
has more than one available
– Ensure belt is adjusted properly on a dot matrix printer
– Replace the toner/ink/ribbon if necessary
– Clean the printer as in the reference manual
Printer problems
Printer works but nothing prints

Cause / Solution:
• This problem may be as simple as running out of
ink
– See printer properties to check printer ink status
– Replace the older cartridge if necessary
– If it doesn’t work;
– try running the nozzle check and/or print head cleaning
routine that is a part of your printer control program
Printer problems
Print color is wrong

Cause / Solution:
• Problem is that one of the color jets is clogged
– Check any color jet is empty or dried
– If you are printing from CorelDraw, it’s color
management profile should be active by default
Printer problems
Printing is slow or intermittent

Cause / Solution:
– First double-check your cable connection to the printer
– If your printer is capable of bi-directional
communications, make sure your printer cable is also
– The higher the quality, the more time the printing will
take
– If you’re printing at 1200dpi, your printout may take a
very long time
– Check for the proper driver installation
– Also try upgrading printer driver
Printer problems
Output is garbled or formatted incorrectly

Cause / Solution:
• Problem is possibly a corrupt printer driver but
more than likely it is an interrupted print job
– Take the paper out of the printer until the printer and
finally the computer figure it is out of paper
– Cancel printer job when error message appears
– Reinstall the printer driver
– Check that the ink cartridge are completely seated in
their holders and place it properly to solve the problem
Printer problems
Paper Jam problems

Cause / Solution:
– Stop all work
– Carefully but firmly pull the paper out of the printer
– Check that the paper is seated correctly in the paper tray
– Sometimes using very thick or very thin paper can cause
feed problems too
– Transparency material can be difficult for some printers
to pick up and may have to be fed one sheet at a time
– Finally, make sure your printer is on a flat, stable surface
– Run printer self test
A+ Certification

Troubleshooting