11 TROUBLESHOOTING COMPUTERS 1 Introduction Troubleshooting is a

11. TROUBLESHOOTING COMPUTERS 1

Introduction Ø Troubleshooting is a form of problem solving, often applied to repair failed products or processes. Ø The term “troubleshoot” is usually used when the problem is suspected to be hardwarerelated 2

List of common problems and suggested solutions Problem 1: Your computer cannot start up Suggested solutions: ü Check connections of power cables. ü Check connection of monitor cable. ü Check connection of other cable connections. 3

List of common problems and suggested solutions Problem 2: An error message appears when your computer boots up Suggested solution: Remove any removable storage media such as diskette, pendrive, CDs or DVD. 4

List of common problems and suggested solutions Problem 3: An error message appears while you are working on the computer Suggested solutions: ü The computer may be running too many programs. Close some of the programs that you have opened. ü Clear unwanted files. This will help to free some storage space. ü Restart your computer. 5

List of common problems and suggested solutions Problem 4: Your computer monitor is blank Suggested solutions: ü Check if the power supply is connected properly and is turned on. ü Check if the power on button is active. ü Check the monitor for level of brightness. 6

List of common problems and suggested solutions Problem 5: Your computer does not produce any sound Suggested solutions: ü For external speakers, check if the power supply is connected properly. ü Check if the audio cable is connected properly to the audio port. ü Check the volume is set at an appropriate level. ü Check if the speakers have been set to mute. 7

List of common problems and suggested solutions Problem 6: Your computer freezes or hangs Suggested solutions: ü Press Ctrl + Alt + Del key to display windows Task Manager and then end the process that is not responding. ü Restart your computer. 8

Summary q The work in getting computers to run again after a failure is called troubleshooting. q When your computer does not start, check all the cables and connections. Push in the cables gently. q Error messages are ways by which the computer tells you what the problem is. E. g. if the error message “Not Enough Memory” appears, try closing some applications. q If your computer “hangs”, press Ctrl + Alt + Del which will display the Task Manager dialog box and end the applications that are not responding. If this does not work, restart your computer by turning the power off and then on. 9

Task v. Please complete ALL the corrections on previous exercises. v. Do Exercise 11. Thank You 10