Computer Repair with Diagnostic

Flowcharts Free Download PDF

Eight flowcharts from published available through the

FonerBooks.com website. The full revised eBook with 17
flowcharts and troubleshooting text is available for $9.95.

The linked website versions of the flowcharts are interactive, ie,

click on the diamond decision symbols and the browser shows
the relevant text. The linked flowcharts also include the text for
each chapter. I had to remove the text from this eBook due to
possible duplicate content issues with Google.

Six laptop troubleshooting flowcharts online at:

www.daileyint.com/hmdpc/repair.htm

Copyright 2011 by Morris Rosenthal

This eBook may be shared online and printed for personal

use only, on the condition that any electronically transmitted
or printed copy include this copyright notice and statement.
This eBook may not be used for commercial purposes or
modified in any way without the prior written consent of the
copyright owner.

Flowcharts produced with Microsoft Visio Standard

Power Supply Power
Yes No
Failure comes
on?

No Live Yes Good

AC power Yes
screen?
Check source?
New Yes power
Proceed to build? requirement No Is
Yes 110/220 V
Video Failure vs rating.
chart. No set?
Use live
outlet. No
No Boot on Yes
2nd try?
Select proper
Premature voltage on rear of
power_ok power supply.
signal. Try
No Hear any Yes different power
beeps? Installed
supply. Yes No
motherboard
lead?
Proceed to
New Motherboard Check manual
No
hardware Failure and motherboard
installed? Power
chart. Yes No silkscreen. Connect
switch
lead from front panel
fail?
switch.
Yes
Power
Replace switch supply
Remove or substitute front Yes No
connections to
latest addition panel reset switch, motherboard
and retry. Test, if available. correct?
replace power Remake
supply. motherboard power
Hard supply connections.
drive spin No
Either you up?
have a short
circuit in the case Yes Spin
up on other No
or a geometry
problem placing an lead?
unacceptable Powers Bad
Yes No Yes
stress on the motherboard adapter on
motherboard. It’s on bench? bus? Defective
also possible that power supply
the video adapter Yes
No lead or
was never seated, connector.
due the bracket Strip system down
position. to video adapter only. Try drive in
Replace power See Box A, on Conflict test PC.
supply. Resolution chart.
You can open the interactive version of this
flowchart in your browser on the fonerbooks.com
website by clicking on the chapter heading below.
The interactive version allows you to get the text
for each decision symbol without paging ahead.

Power Supply Failure

Or cut and paste

http://www.fonerbooks.com/power.htm
Video Failure Does
Yes system power No
up?
Proceed to
No Live Yes Power
screen? Supply
Failure

No Monitor Yes Yes “No power” No

power on? displayed?
Connect
Check monitor video card
power source. Make power inside “No Signal” No
sure cord is fully PC displayed?
seated in the Controls Hear
monitor socket. No Yes No
in middle of a string of
range? beeps?
Yes
Adjust brightness Yes
and contrast. Video
No
cable
secure?
Yes Adapter No Check both
seated? ends of video
Yes
cable.
No RAM Yes Reseat video
seated? adapter, secure.
Cable
Reseat Yes Yes Monitor
damaged, pins
RAM on tested?
bent?
Motherboard.
No No

Repair or replace Test monitor

video cable. on good PC or
laptop.
Any Freezes
Testing with a different No Yes
other adapters on BIOS
technology video
installed? Screen?
adapter (PCI vs PCI
Express) doesn’t prove
Yes No
the card slot is good
Proceed to
Live with Live with Video
No No Yes
new video lone video Performance
adapter? adapter? chart.

Proceed to Yes Proceed to

Motherboard Conflict
Failure Try old adapter in Resolution
chart. other system before chart.
chucking.
You can open the interactive version of this
flowchart in your browser on the fonerbooks.com
website by clicking on the chapter heading below.
The interactive version allows you to get the text
for each decision symbol without paging ahead.

Video Failure

Or copy and paste:

http://www.fonerbooks.com/video.htm
Motherboard,
No Live Yes
CPU, RAM Screen?
Failure
Power
No Yes Freezes
diagnostic Yes No
on boot
done?
screen?
Proceed to
Power Supply Video Freezes Proceed to
Yes diagnostic No Yes
Failure. bare Motherboard
done? bones? Performance
chart.
Proceed to
RAM Video Failure No
No matched, Yes
diagnostic
seated? chart

Reseat RAM, Proceed to

positive lever conflict
CPU
lock. Install pairs Yes No resolution
seated
if required. chart
flat?

Fan on Reseat CPU Freezes

No heatsink Yes and heatsink. No on swapped Yes
active? RAM?

Check fan No Hear Yes

power point, (fan1), beeps?
replace. CMOS
Yes settings
Replace RAM default?
Default
No motherboard Yes with type listed in
settings? motherboard
No
documentation.

Restore default Load defaults

motherboard settings from BIOS.
with jumpers or
switches. Yes Runs on Yes Heatsink No
bench? active?

No
Install new
Locate short,
heatsink, connect
binding, or swap
CPU fan. May be too
case. Yes No
swap late for CPU.
work?

Bad CPU, watch

voltage and heatsink Motherboard
on replacement. bad.
You can open the interactive version of this
flowchart in your browser on the fonerbooks.com
website by clicking on the chapter heading below.
The interactive version allows you to get the text
for each decision symbol without paging ahead.

Motherboard, RAM, CPU Failure

Or copy and paste

http://www.fonerbooks.com/cpu_ram.htm
 BIOS
ATA Drive No register Yes
Failure drive?

Drive CD or
No Yes DVD No
seek, spin
up? drive?

Yes
Try swapping No SATA Yes Proceed to
power cables drive? CD / DVD Drive
and test in other chart. No cycles up,
PC or external
USB shell before down?
Yes 300 MB/s No
trashing.
SATA2? Yes
Check on-drive
compatibility Swap power
jumper if old 150 Data lead, try isolating
Yes connection on IDE cable,
MB/s controller.
good? check power
Set BIOS on old management.
No Master/ Yes motherboard may No
Slave? fail to detect Mode,
SATA when No
X-fer speed
present. correct?
Check data
Set Cables
cable seated PATA hard
cable select Yes seated, No
both ends, test Yes drives require 80
(CS)? new?
cable. conductor cable,
check mode in
No Yes Reseat IDE and CMOS.
power cables.
Select Master/Slave or Replace IDE cables
CS. CS requires 80 if in doubt. Does
conductor IDE cable or No FDISK see Yes
custom 40 wire cable. drive?

Isolate drive on
primary IDE Proceed to Hard
IDE controller. If FDISK Drive Boot and
Yes ribbon cable No still doesn’t see Performance
keyed? drive, the MBR may chart.
have been trashed
by a virus.
Replace IDE cable.
If BIOS still doesn’t Match pin 1 on
register drive, either all connectors.
motherboard controller
or drive is bad or
incompatible.
You can open the interactive version of this
flowchart in your browser on the fonerbooks.com
website by clicking on the chapter heading below.
The interactive version allows you to get the text
for each decision symbol without paging ahead.

ATA Drive Failure

Or copy and paste
http://www.fonerbooks.com/ide_hd.htm
 CD or DVD No Tray Yes
ejects?
Playback
BIOS
Yes register No Drive
Yes No
drive? vibrates,
noisy?
Proceed to Eject and re-
Yes Locked in No ATA Drive mount. Try another Plays
software? disc. Check drive Yes
Failure music
mounted level with CDs?
4 screws.
Try ejecting Pin No
Yes No Yes Plays
before boot. hole on drive
face? movies?
Pull drive,
Unplug power, faceplate, pry No
insert straightened and pray. No Burner
paper-clip, pull problem?
tray. Check
Make sure CODECs,
Read Yes recent update of
you didn’t No data
use any long media player
disc?
mounting
Proceed to
screws.
Yes Recording DAE settings
Problem. or audio patch
Yes Two drives No cable from drive
installed?
to sound card.

Read
Reading Yes No
other
right drive?
discs? Yes Boots No
OS?
No Yes
Try other Change CMOS
Clean disc with
diagnostic boot sequence,
flannel, check for
Laugh at chart. pre-spin drive, try
scratches.
self, pick right CD in test PC.
drive. Device
Yes Manager No
problem?
No DVD Yes
SATA?
Proceed to
Replace data
Conflict Drive
No Yes cable, test drive in
Resolution. shares IDE USB enclosure or
cable? other PC.
Replace IDE cable,
change BIOS mode, try Isolate on
drive in test PC. secondary IDE.
You can open the interactive version of this
flowchart in your browser on the fonerbooks.com
website by clicking on the chapter heading below.
The interactive version allows you to get the text
for each decision symbol without paging ahead.

CD or DVD Playback

Or copy and paste

http://www.fonerbooks.com/ide_cd.htm
 Modem Failure DSL or
Yes cable No
LED may say modem?
“Online”, green is
usually good.
Does
Yes Internet Yes modem No
LED lit? dial?

No No ISP Yes
Power off PC pick up?
and modem, retry.
Line unplugged,
modem failure, or Yes Busy or No No Gets Yes
service out. ringing? online?
Confirm ISP’s Try dialing
phone number, on pulse
area code and
prefix for ISP
No confirm user
outside line.
info?
Cable? No Get valid user
name, password Yes
from ISP. Proceed to
Yes
Filters No Connect Modem
installed? No Yes Perform-
at lowered
Install on speed? ance
Yes ALL lines!
Connect
to different Yes
Friend w/ Yes ISP?
same?
Check modem “No dial
No No
standards and tone”?
No Try borrowed
brands supported
DSL modem.
with ISP.
Yes
Try direct line Yes Best driver No
Multi-port Connect
No or new modem. installed?
modem? line jack on
modem.
Likely PC
Device
Yes networking, network No Yes Download
Manger report
adapter or software, latest driver
problem?
especially firewall. from web.
Try networking
cable on different Pass
modem port, USB, No OS modem Yes Proceed to
or test wireless test? Conflict
function with Resolution.
laptop. Reboot, try
Try new modem.
again.
You can open the interactive version of this
flowchart in your browser on the fonerbooks.com
website by clicking on the chapter heading below.
The interactive version allows you to get the text
for each decision symbol without paging ahead.

Modem Failure

Or copy and paste

http://www.fonerbooks.com/modem.htm
Sound Any
No Yes
Failure non-beep
audio?

Sound Proceed to
No enabled in Yes Sound
O.S.? Performance
Enable
sound (Control Panel External
for Windows PCs) and Yes speakers No
test clips for Windows powered?
actions.
Plug in speaker
External brick (transformer),
No volume dials Yes
except for USB
up? powered or old
battery speakers.
Best
Turn up Yes No
driver
external loaded?
controls on
speakers, old Device Download latest
sound cards. Yes No driver from Internet.
Manager register
card?

USB Yes
Any “!” or sound?
No Yes
“?” in Device
Manager? No Try different
USB port,
Proceed to cable. Try on
Conflict Register other PC or
Yes No
Resolution with video laptop.
only?

Checked Yes Built-in

Yes
all jacks? motherboard No
sound?
Disable motherboard
No sound in CMOS and install
Replace
Hunted sound card.
sound card.
Confirm speaker No down every Yes Use USB
jack connected software speaker or
correct port (non- volume? USB sound
USB only). If 3D
card if no
sound card, use Problem expansion
front speakers. Yes No
with music slots.
CDs only?
Sound capable
devices, and 3rd party Proceed to
software may all have CD or DVD Hardware failure.
individual volume controls. Playback Check speakers, patch
Watch for “mute” boxes cables, sound card on
checked. test-bed system.
You can open the interactive version of this
flowchart in your browser on the fonerbooks.com
website by clicking on the chapter heading below.
The interactive version allows you to get the text
for each decision symbol without paging ahead.

Sound Failure

Or copy and paste

http://www.fonerbooks.com/sound.htm
 Network PC
Hardware No sees other Yes
network
Diagnostics units?

New No Random Yes

Yes hub added No
problems?
to LAN?
Check crossover Software limits,
(X) port wiring. user settings. No Shielded
Yes Link No cable?
light lit?
Yes

Copied Check proper

Yes No Physical
network ground (one end)
layer (cables,
config?
devices) Within
Yes No
physical layer
Device Clone setup limits?
Yes No
Manager from good
problem? workstation. Tried
No different Yes
Proceed
Tried port on
Conflict Yes No Add repeaters,
known good hub?
Resolution. re-route cables.
cable?
Swap cable Yes Fails on
No
PC or check pairs, traffic, # of
Yes No
works at new ends. users?
location?
Flaky
Swap hub No
In-wall cabling Reboot, off network
failure, limits, or for switch, also?
improper software
hub port. check server
configuration or
utilization. Yes
bad network
adapter.
If connection Proceed to
stable on new Motherboard
port, prior port Performance.
is failing.
Problem is unlikely
network hardware if Cable
No Yes
only this workstation bypass to
has intermittent hub fix?
failures. Try eliminating
all other non-essential New
software tasks for No Yes Bad patch or in-
network card
testing purposes. wall cabling.
works?
Most likely
software conflicts, Throw out old
virus. adapter, $10 new.
You can open the interactive version of this
flowchart in your browser on the fonerbooks.com
website by clicking on the chapter heading below.
The interactive version allows you to get the text
for each decision symbol without paging ahead.

Network Hardware Diagnostics

Or copy and paste

http://www.fonerbooks.com/network.htm