· Demonstrating the skills needed to diagnose computer faults to keep a computer running smoothly and virus free
· Focus is placed on the home and business user
· Virus’ and harm com from the internet, flash discs or other portable storage media
How can we identify the cause of a computer problem?
1. identify the problem
2. Check for obvious errors
3. Check for internal errors
4. Isolate the problem
Most obvious problem – power! If the computer is not on, the screen is not on, or the device does not appear to work, then POWER is the obvious problem to look at:
Types of power problems
· Power failure (shortage) – electrician stuff – the supply of electricity to the wall socket (outlet)
· Solution – call the energy company to see if there is a known outrage or problem with supply.
· Check for the circuit breake is set to on (tripped a fuse) – OH&S CONSIDERATIONS Not qualified to play with 30 amps!+
· Check for obvious physical defects to the socket or plug(s)
o A visual inspection
- Is it plugged in correctly?
- Is the switch broken or sparking?
- Does the socket and plug appear to be ‘normal’
· If it appears to be okay then you can proceed
· Remove the cord from the plug to the device…. And use a different cord. Replace the new cord in the SAME socket and see if the device begins to work (supplied power)
· If it fails – we can determine that the likely problem is NOT the device or the cord, it lies in the electrical wiring to the socket, so we would notify the OH&S representative, and await further instructions
· You could swap the device….plug something you do know works into the socket – radio, phone as long as you know it works!
This is the kind of LOGICAL process that you would undertake even to investigate a simple problem like no power to a device THIS IS A PROCEDURE. It is likely that when asked to solve a problem in the HSC they will ask you to describe the procedure!
Other ways to identify problems (besides power)
- What were they doing before it stopped working>
If they say it’s never worked…then go back to the power scenario
- Knowing what application were running at the same time may identify if the problem is software related (unexpected quit)
- Were there any messages on the screen? (hardware and software failure). What were they?
- BSOD – Hardware and software conflict – that invokes a shut down of all tasks and operations, leaving the user with a blue screen, and working in white letters informing them of ‘damage’ to their computer. Rarely seen in most offices these days
- “WINDOWS HAS DETECTED A FATAL ERRROR ON YOUR COMPUTER – BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH – there is no cure, but your computer is not DEAD, you have no choice but to restart the computer – loosing all data in RAM and perhaps corrupting your hard drive. The way it shut down, it might stop the discs spinning, or affect the position of the read head. This might cause a loss or corruption of data.
- System messages – usually about drivers (software that is designed to be used by the operating systems to make a hardware device function)
- Have you install any new hardware or software?
o Even something like a screen saver can cause havoc on a business computer – codes that fights with the operating system, or even a file that carries a VIRUS in it.
o If it’s happen before then chances are WE’VE FIXED IT BEFORE, or someone else has experienced it BEFORE. We can look back on EXPERIENCE to help solve the problem
