Group 4

DIAGNOSIS AND IDENTIFICATION OF FAULTY SYSTEM

Problem 1:
SYSTEM HAS NO POWER AT [Link]
LIGTHS DOES NOT ILLTMINATE FAN INSIDE THE
POWER SUPPLY DOES NOT TURN ON, AND
INDICATORS LIGHT ON KEYBOARD DOES NOT
TURN ON
Problem 1
 Cause: Power Cable is
Unplugged
:
 Cause Damaged
Power Cable
ANALYSIS: Visually ANALYSIS: Visually
check the power check, and try
cable
another cable.
SOLUTION: Make
sure the cables are SOLUTION: Replace
plugged in correct. the cable
Problem 1
 Cause: Defective wall outlet,
 Cause: Power Supply circuit breaker or fuse blown.
Failure
 ANALYSIS: Plug the device
 Power cable
ANALYSIS:
into another socket and
and wall socket are
test if its working.
OK, but system is still
dead.  SOLUTION: Use different
 SOLUTION: Call or
socket, repair outlet,
Contact technical reset circuit breaker or
support. replace fuse.
Problem 2
System is inoperative, keyboard
lights are on, power indicator light
are lit, and hard drive is spinning
Problem 2
CAUSE
 Expansion card is partially dislodged from expansion slot on the
motherboard.
DIAGNOSIS
 Turn off computer. Take cover off system unit.
Check all expansion cards to ensure they are securely seated in slots.
Turn system off.
SOLUTION
 Using even pressure on both ends of the expansion card, press down
firmly on expansion card.
Problem 2
CAUSE
 Defective floppy disk drive or tape drive.
DIAGNOSIS
 Disconnect the cables from one of the floppy drives.
Turn on the system, check to see if the keyboard
operates normally. Repeat until you have located
defective unit.
SOLUTION
 Contact Technical Support.
Problem 2
CAUSE
Defective expansion card.
DIAGNOSIS
Turncomputer off.
Remove an expansion card.
SOLUTION
 Makesure expansion card is secure in
expansion socket.
Problem 3:
System does not boot from hard
disk drive, but can be booted from
CD ROM or any removable device
Problem 3

 A boot device is any piece of hardware that can read or

contains the files required for a computer to start.
 Possible Cause:
Damaged Hard Disk or Disk Controller.
Hard Disk directory or FAT is scrambled.
Problem 3
ANALYSIS
Format hard disk; if unable to do so, the hard
disk may be defective
Run the FDISK program, format the hard
drive(See HARD DRIVE section of manual).
Copy your backup data back onto hard drive.
Problem 3
SOLUTION
 Contact Technical Support.
 Backing up the hard drive is extremely
important. All Hard Disks are capable
of breaking down at any time
Problem 4
After installing an expansion card
(network card, tape drive card, etc.)
the system no longer works properly
Problem 4
CAUSE
 No power to monitor
DIAGNOSIS
 All or part of the system may be inoperable.
The new card may work but a mouse or COM port may not work.
SOLUTION
 Change the interrupt or RAM address on the new expansion card. See
the documentation that came with the new card in order to change pin
settings, many expansion devices come with proprietary software that
will assist you in doing this.
PROBLEM 5
BLACK SCREEN
Problem 5

 A black screen or blank screen is a general description of

a problem with a computer monitor where it displays
nothing or doesn't power on when the
power button is pressed. There are several causes to
this type of issue.
 Problem 5
CAUSE
 Software Error
A simple software error is often the cause of a black screen. This
most frequently occurs when dealing with a program that takes over
your entire screen, such as a PC game or a media player in full-screen
mode.
SOLUTION
 Solving the problem can be difficult and, if the bug lies in the
software itself, there may be no solution. You can try fixing it by
running the program at a different resolution. Also try running the
software as an administrator and, if issues still continue and the
program is quite old, try enabling Windows compatibility mode.
Problem 5
CAUSE
 Overheating
All computers generate heat. In most cases an overheating issue is
caused by the video card or the processor. As already said, you
should suspect the video card if you receive a black screen, but the
computer otherwise appears to be working.
SOLUTION
 These problems can often be solved by opening your PC and
cleaning out the cobwebs. Use a vacuum to suck up obvious and
use a can of compressed air to dislodge stubborn dirt.
Problem 5
CAUSE
 Power Supply Issues
Your computer’s power supply is an often forgotten,
but extremely important component. Everything in
your PC needs power to run, and if it suddenly cuts
out, your computer will go dark for no apparent
reason.
Problem 5
CAUSE
 Display Error Or Faulty Connection
Video errors are another very common cause of the Black Screen of
Death. No video output means a black screen, no matter what the
specific problem might be. Windows may even be presenting a Blue
Screen of Death.
SOLUTION
 Check your video connection before you get too worried. Make
sure that both ends of your DVI, HDMI or DisplayPort cable is
firmly seated and that the cord is undamaged. If these easy
solutions don’t work you’re likely dealing with video adapter issues.
PROBLEM 6
MEMORY MODULE PROBLEM
Problem 6
 Alternatively referred
to as a memory board or memory
stick. A memory module is a circuit board that contains
DRAM integrated circuits that are installed into the
memory slot on a computer motherboard. Below is an
image of a 512 MB DIMM computer memory module and
the most common type of memory used today.
Problem 6
Causes
 Computer memory is configured incorrectly.
 Computer memory installed incorrectly.
 Computer hardware defects.
 You recently purchased the system.
 You have newly installed computer memory.
 New computer hardware was recently installed
 You have newly installed software or operating system.
 No recent changes
Problem 6
Solution
 Fixing the Problem by Removing Memory. To
remove a RAM module you need to press the tiny
levers on each end to release it. If all the memory
modules appear bad, then the problem is likely
with the memory slot itself. Try testing
each memory module in each of the memory slots
to find if one of the slots is faulty.
PROBLEM 7
WINDOWS SYSTEM DRIVE
FAILURE
Problem 7
 If your operating system crashes, whether you are
using Windows, Linux or Mac, that is a Logical Failure. If
the hard drive itself malfunctions, that is a Physical failure.
... The best way to prevent damage from a hard disk
crash is to take a proactive approach and back up the data
stored on the drive.
Problem 7
CAUSE
 SETUP program does not have correct information.
 Hard Drive cable not connected properly.
SOLUTION
 Boot from drive A: using DOS system [Link] correct
information to SETUP program.
 Check Hard drive cable.
PROBLEM 8
CANNOT BOOT SYSTEM AFTER
INSTALLING SECOND HARD
DRIVE
Problem 8
CAUSE
 Master/slave jumpers not set correctly
 Hard drives not compatible/ different manufacturers.
SOLUTION
 Set master/ slave jumpers correctly.
 Run SETUP program and select correct drive types. Call
drive manufactures for compatibility with other drives.
PROBLEM 9
MISSING OPERATING SYSTEM
ON HARD DRIVE
Problem 9
“Operating system not found” error is displayed. It may
be caused by an error in BIOS configuration, a faulty
hard drive,
or a damaged Master Boot Record. Another possible error
message is “Missing operating system“.
CAUSE
This issue may occur if one or more of the following
conditions are true: The basic input/output system (BIOS) does
not detect the hard disk. Sector 0 of
the physical hard disk drive has an incorrect or malformed
master boot record (MBR).
Problem 9
SOLUTION
 Verify the BIOS settings
Verify the computer's BIOS settings to make sure that BIOS lists
and recognizes the hard disk. See the computer documentation or
contact the hardware manufacturer for information about how to
verify the BIOS settings.
 Use Recovery Console
Use the fixmbr command in the Windows XP Recovery Console
to repair the MBR of the startup partition.
Problem 10
SCREEN SAYS UNVALID
CONFIGURATION OF CMOS
FAILURE
Problem 10
 If your computer is losing its time or date settings, or you are receiving a
message
CMOS Read Error , CMOS Checksum Error, or CMOS Battery Failure,
then that means there is something wrong with the CMOS Battery
 CAUSE:
Incorrect information entered into the configuration (setup) program.
 DIAGNOSIS:
Check the configuration program. Replace any incorrect information.
 SOLUTION:
Review system's equipment. Make sure correct information is in setup.
Problem 10
 SOLUTION:
 Shut down your computer
 Remove the power cord to make sure that your
computer receives no power.
 Make sure you’re grounded.
 Find the battery on your motherboard.
 Remove it…
 Wait 5 to 10 minutes
 Put the battery back in.
 Power on your computer.