Categories
PC support

Diagnostic steps for troubleshooting a PC

I believe I got this off a work colleague once upon a time. Kudos to the one who wrote it down, even though I have no idea who that person was.

System restore / remaster

  • Booted to safe mode
  • Ran system restore
  • Started destructive recovery
  • Started non destructive recovery
  • Warned of data loss

Modem

  • Checked cables
  • Checked connected to correct port
  • Checked no Sky Digital or BT1571 (answerphone service)
  • Checked no other devices on line
  • Thunderstorms in the area
  • Checked modem installed
  • Removed / Reinstalled modem
  • Query modem
  • Checked dialling properties
  • Setup hyperterminal to Freeserve 0845 0796699

Sound

  • Played audio CD
  • Checked speakers turned up
  • Speakers connected in correct port
  • Checked Windows volumes all up, nothing muted
  • Checked sounds and audio devices s/card installed ok
  • Tried headphones in speaker port

Shutting down

  • Shutting down and restarting immediately – memory
  • Shutting down and not restarting immediately – heat – doesn’t happen randomly

Power

  • Antistatic discharge test
  • Take out monitor cable out of base unit – (No signal message?)
  • Hear beeps (how many or none at all)
  • Boot up to bios to see if graphics card is working
  • Put in recovery disks to see if loads up from there
  • Check to see if harddrive light is on
  • No lights on at all – psu/motherboard

Leave a Reply