Troubleshooting Common Computer Problems

Instructor

Suleiman Muhammad (mcpn,mncs)

Institute of Computing and ICT, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Trouble shooting:
Troubleshooting is the process of figuring out how to solve
a computer problem. Even with the most updated
software and hardware, occasionally computers can
malfunction.
In order to solve a problem, you must figure out which part
of the system is malfunctioning. You will need to check
each component of the computer, unless it is obvious
where the problem is coming from. Isolating the problem
will help you solve the problem quickly. Knowing how to
solve these problems with a shortcut perhaps using only a
few keys on the keyboard can save time and effort.
Backing up your important computer files to another
source will ensure that if your problem cannot be
corrected, you will still have a safe copy of your
information.
 Basic Troubleshooting Steps
1. Close open programs and windows you are not currently using.
2. Make sure all of your cords are connected properly.
3. Try to repeat the sequence of commands you performed before
the problem occurred. See if this causes the same response by your
computer.
4. Press the F1 key to access the Help window. You can search for a
solution to your problem once the Help window appears.
5. If there is an error message, record the full message for future
reference.
6. Restart your computer to see if it clears the problem. To restart
your computer, open the start window and select the Restart
button instead of the Log Off button.
7. If restarting the computer does not clear the problem, shut
down the computer and then start it back up again.
8. If the issue is still not resolved, check the common technology
issues below or call your system administrator.
 Common Solutions for Technology Issues
Issue: The printer is not working.
 Check if the printer is turned on. If not, turn it on and
try again.
 Check if the printer has paper. If not, put paper in the
paper tray and try printing again.
 Check if the printer has a paper jam. If so, remove the
paper, close the printer, and try printing again.
 Ensure that all printer cables are properly connected.
 Turn off the printer and turn on again.
 Check to see if a new printer driver is needed. Do this
by going to the manufacturer’s website to search for
your printer model and checking for any updated driver.
Seek assistance from your system administrator before
installing any drivers.
Issue: The computer is frozen. A program is not
responding.
 Push the Ctrl, Alt, and Delete keys at the same
time. Then, start the Task Manager, highlight the
program’s name, and hit the End Task button.
 Perform a hard reboot by simply pressing the
on/off button to turn off the computer manually.
This action should only be done as a last resort if
you have an unresponsive program or critical
error. This process could cause data loss or
corruption.
 Once the computer is responding again, run a
virus check.
Issue: The keyboard is not working.
 Make sure the keyboard is connected to the
computer. If not, connect it to the computer.
 If you are using a wireless keyboard, try changing the
batteries.
 If one of the keys on your keyboard gets stuck, turn
the computer off and clean with a damp cloth.
 Use the mouse to restart the computer.
Issue: New hardware or software is working
incorrectly.
 Verify your computer meets the requirements of the
program or utility.
 Uninstall and install the program.
 There could be a conflict with another installed program
and you should contact your system administrator.
Issue: The mouse is not working correctly.
 Check if the mouse is securely plugged into the
computer. If not, plug it in completely.
 Check to see if the cord has been damaged. If so, the
mouse may need replacing.
 If you are using a cordless mouse, try pushing the
connection button on the underside of the mouse to
reestablish a connection.
 Clean the mouse, especially on the bottom.
Issue: The computer is slow.
 Restart your computer.
 Verify that there is at least 200-500 MB of free hard drive
space. To do so, select Start and click on My Computer or
Computer. Then highlight the local C drive by clicking on it
once. Select the Properties button at the top left-hand
corner of the window; this will display a window showing
how much free and used space you have. If you need to
recapture space:
- Empty your recycle bin by right-clicking on the Recycle Bin
icon (usually on the desktop), then selecting Empty Recycle
Bin.
- Check your mail files. Remove any large attachments and
delete unused mail.
- Images and videos take up a lot of space, so consider
moving those to an external drive.
- Remove temporary files from the Internet. To do so:
o Click Start button | My Computer or Computer.
o Click Open Control Panel at the top of the window.
o Click Network | Internet |Internet Options.
o Select the General tab and click Delete under
Browsing History.
- Perform a disk cleanup. To do so:
o Click Start button | My Computer or Computer.
o Highlight the local C drive by clicking on it once.
o Select the properties button at the top left of the
window.
o Go to the General tab and select Disk Cleanup.
o Once the Disk Cleanup finishes running, click on Clean
up System Files; this will delete any unnecessary
system-related files from your local disk.
- Information in computer files changes often, resulting
in gaps or spaces within the file. This takes up more
space on the computer and can cause the computer to
slow down. To reclaim these gaps in space, run disk
defrag. To do so:
o Click start | My Computer or Computer.
o Highlight the local C drive by clicking on it once.
o Select the properties button at the top left of the
window.
o Go to the Tools tab and select Run Defragmentation.
Old or unused programs that aren’t being used may still
have components running behind the scenes when you
start your computer, which can slow down the system.
You can prevent these programs from running when
you start your computer by removing unused shortcuts
and turning off unused program services.
- Remove unused shortcuts from Windows startup
o Click Start button | Select All Programs | Click Startup
o Right-click the shortcuts that you do not use and click
delete
- Disable unused program services
o Click Start button | Control Panel | Administrative
Tools | Services
o For each program/service that you are certain that
you do not need, click on the Service to highlight it,
click the Stop link to stop the service from running,
then double-click the service, choose Startup Type of
Disabled, and click OK.
Run a virus scan to remove potential viruses that can slow down your
computer.

Issue: The browser’s homepage suddenly changed.

 This is a common symptom that a virus or browser hijacker may have
infected the computer.
 Try re-setting the home page to the default:
o In Internet Explorer:
 On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
 Click the General tab.
 In the Address box, type the Web address you want for your home page.
 Click OK.
o In Mozilla Foxfire:
 Open the web site you want to set as your home page.
 Click the icon to the left of the web address and drag it to the Home
button.
 Click Yes.
If the home page still reverts back to the “new” page,
do an Internet search using keywords that include the
name of the “new” homepage and the word “virus.” If
there is a virus, this search may reveal more information
on the virus and how it can be safely removed.
 Run a virus scan.
The Power-On Self-Test, and error codes Cont..
If something is wrong with your computer, an
error code will be displayed on the top of your
screen. For example, any error between 201
and 299 means that there is a problem with
your RAM memory; any error between 601 and
699 means there is a problem with your floppy
disk drive and/or floppy disk controller. You
will be prompted to press the "F1" key to
continue booting the computer; normally, you
will want to power-down the PC and repair the
problem before continuing to use it.
The Power-On Self-Test, and error codes Cont..
On newer computers, these error codes may be
replaced with English-language error messages, such
as A Keyboard error or no keyboard present.
However, many manufacturers still use error code
messages to report hardware problems. This forces
the consumer to haul the computer into the repair
shop, because they dont understand the meaning of
the error codes. On the course DVD, there is an
exhaustive list of IBM-compatible error codes and
what each code means. For the A+ examination, you
simply need to memorize the major error code
categories shown in the list above.
 What happens if the computer just beeps at you?

You may also hear a series of beeps when you turn on the
computer, IF SOMETHING IS WRONG. Normally, you hear
only one short beep. The one short beep (or two short beeps
if you have a Compaq computer), indicates that the POST has
completed, and it found no hardware errors with the tested
components. If there are hardware problems AND the PC
cannot display an error code or message to the screen, the
computer will beep in a predefined series of beeps to
indicate exactly what is wrong with your PC. This beeping is
not random, and it can instruct you about exactly what is
wrong with your PC.
What happens if the computer just beeps at you? Cont..

Here are some of what the most common DOS Audio

Error codes mean:

 No display, no beeps: No power

 Continuous beep: Power supply failure
 Repeating short beeps: Power supply failure
 Two beeps: Unspecified problem; read message on
screen for further details (such as keyboard error,
drive misconfiguration)
 One long and two short beeps (or three short beeps,
or eight short beeps): Display adapter (video card)
failure
 Steps in the boot process Cont..
2) As POST checks your computer, it looks to a record of
data stored in CMOS RAM that tells what kinds of
components are in your PC. Specifically, it records what
type of video card, floppy drives, hard disk, memory
and so forth are contained in your PC. POST will test
your computer based on what it believes is in your PC.
If the information is missing or incorrect, the PC will
not recognize or use certain components in your
system. It is important to keep a record of what
specifically is inside your computer, and that you have a
record of what is written into CMOS RAM.
 Steps in the boot process Cont..
3) If POST finds that there is a problem with
your PC, it will display an error message or an
error code that tells specifically what is wrong
with the unit. If it cannot display such a
message, it will beep in a specific pattern that
indicates exactly what is wrong. If everything
is OK with the computer, POST will sound one
beep to the system speaker, indicating that all
of the tests passed normally with no errors.
 Steps in the boot process Cont..
4) The ROM BIOS will then look to the boot sector of either a
floppy disk or a hard disk to find the boot loader program of
your operating system. If it cannot find this file in that
location, the PC will give an error message to the screen.
When it does find the file, it loads the file into RAM, and then
your operating system takes charge of the computer. NTLDR
is the boot loader program for Windows NT through
Windows 7. Linux uses a program called GRUB to begin its
boot process.
 Steps in the boot process Cont..
6) Then, WINLOGON.EXE and EXPLORER.EXE are
loaded; these programs provide the user interface
common to Windows, and also allow you as a user to
log onto the system. If any of these steps do not
occur in a normal manner, your PC may not boot up
as you would expect. Knowing the steps in the boot
process will help you when trouble-shooting or
analyzing problems with your PC.
 FOR MORE RESOURCES VISIT:
 https://icict.abu.edu.ng/staff/mohammed-suleiman/teaching.html
Thank You