Unlike today's cars, our computers don't have an entire on board system that identifies problems within our machine. This means we need to manually troubleshoot every issue that pops up. Because of the numerous differences between hardware, software and operating systems, the process of identifying a computer issue can be challenging. To simplify this task, computer repair experts have developed flowcharts that attempt to identify problems with the computer or laptop by process of elimination. These methods can quickly and accurately pinpoint a problem with your computer.
Clients are taken aback when we ask them seemingly ridiculous questions like "does the computer turn on?" because they don't always appreciate the process by which we need to figure out what is wrong especially if we are diagnosing a computer problem over the phone. But these questions are necessary so that we can rule out possible causes. There's no point worrying about whether a computer has a virus problem if we can't even get it to power on.
The first step in troubleshooting a computer is to figure out if it is turning on or not. This means verifying that the power source is functional and that the cables are properly plugged in. From there, we need to monitor sounds and LEDs. Are the lights coming on like they should? Do you hear beeps? Is the fan spinning up? If all of these basic functions are starting up properly, then we can move on to verifying that the display elements are working properly. Otherwise, we're stuck doing board level diagnostics. If the lights are not coming on then there is a power issue. Even if a motherboard is faulty, the system lights should still turn on when the power button is pressed. Verify the integrity of the power environment before testing the power supply with a power supply tester.
If the computer is turning on but the system fan is not spinning, you will need to visit your computer's bios settings to make sure that the fan is set to spin. Failing that, you may have a faulty fan. The final sign of trouble is beeps or beep codes. These will alert you to various board level failures including memory and video failures. You will need to consult your computer's service manual to match the beep codes with the error message.
Once past this point, we can see if anything comes up on the screen. If there is no display and none of the previous trouble signs were active then there is a video failure to troubleshoot. For laptops, connect the unit to a desktop LCD screen to see if there is a display there. If yes, then you have a LCD issue. If not, then you have a video chip problem. However, if you have gotten this far without any of the aforementioned problems then you have pretty much narrowed down the problem to your hard drive.
As referenced in our other articles, hard drives are very prone to failure. There are both hardware and software issues that affect only your hard drive. Once your computer has booted up and you are passed the bios splash screen and component tests, your computer is looking for a boot device. This is usually your hard drive where your operating system is installed. If there is a hardware failure, you will probably get a error message similar to "No boot device found" or "missing Drive on..." At this point, you want to verify that the hard drive is properly connected to both the data cable (IDE or SATA) and the power rail from the power supply. If it is spinning but not detected, try replacing the data cable or reseating it. If it is not spinning, try to power it up via a different rail or with a different power source. If it fails to power on, then your hard drive has failed.
Finally, if you bypass all the aforementioned problems then your computer is probably fine on a hardware level. Now, it is time to see if there is a problem with Microsoft Windows. If the Windows loading screen with logo comes up then you know that your hardware and hard drive are all functioning well so far. If you fail to get passed the logo screen, you cannot login to windows once the user list is active or you receive a blue screen of death (BSOD) then there is operating system corruption. The resolution for these are numerous and complex. The most basic step to attempt is to pop in a recovery CD and try to either repair the Windows installation or restore the computer to an early save point when the problem was not occurring.
Operating system issues are caused for a number of reasons from the unavoidable update failures to malware and virus infections. At this point, you have properly identified at what level the computer is failing and you can begin looking for a resolution or contacting a computer repair shop!
Karim Salmi is a Computer Repair Specialist with VitalTech Computer Repair in Rockville, Maryland.
http://www.vitalpcrepair.com/
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