Hardware Diagnostics - Page 1

Trouble Shooting
When you're just getting started with PCs, troubleshooting problems is perhaps the biggest challenge in your learning curve. New PC users often see technical support as an art rather than a science because it seems to be such a mystery. How does the technician know just what questions to ask and what components to check?

Start a PC Journal
Your troubleshooting chores will be greatly simplified if you keep a record of changes to your PC and problems you've solved in the past. Get a simple notebook and keep it near your regular workspace. As we go through this article, I'll give you some information that you should keep in your PC Journal. You can, of course, keep such a journal ON your PC. But it is helpful when facing a serious problem like a hard disk crash, you may find that a separate, written record will be your best friend!

Know Your Configuration
Have you ever noticed the types of questions a technician asks you when you call for technical support? First, they ask about your configuration. What type of computer do you have? How much RAM? How much free hard disk space? What operating system do you use and what version?

In the following pages we will give you some good information about knowing and understanding the process of trouble shooting and give you good questions to ask your self and an PC technician and the kinds of information you should know about your PC to make the repair or trouble shooting process as painless as possible.

When you first bring home a new PC, you should ALWAYS refer to your owner's manual for the technical specifications. At the front of your journal, write down the make, model and serial number of your new PC. Also add the following basic configuration information:

• The make, model, and speed of your CPU
• The amount of RAM and what type of SIMMs or DRAM your system uses
• The total size of your hard drive
• The make, model, and speed of your CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-ROM or DVD-RAM drive
• The make, model, amount and type of memory of your video card
• What type of monitor you have and the resolutions it supports
• The Operating System (OS) installed on your system and its version number
• A list of preinstalled software applications included with your system
• The make, model, and speed of your installed modem or fax modem
• A list of other included peripherals (e.g. sound card, speakers, network card, etc.)

It is also a good idea to record helpful information like tech support phone numbers and web sites for your PC and peripherals in a convenient location at the front of your journal.

Keep a Record of Changes
Any time you install a new application or device, write the details down in your journal starting on the pages after your basic configuration listing. For each application, make sure to include the following notes:

• The date of the change
• The name of the application and the company that makes it or the make, model, and serial number of the device.
• Technical support phone numbers and web sites for the new product.
• Any changes made to your existing configuration to accomodate the new application or device.
• Notes about any installation problems that occurred and what you did to fix them

This rule goes for upgrades, too. If you add RAM, make a note here as well as updating the RAM information on your configuration page, as an example. Make sure to fully document any snags you come across as you install. This type of information will be very valuable to come back to for future troubleshooting.