Many disk based diagnostic methods can check the system and identify the problems by running the number of tests on the different areas of the system hardware. These tests produce the visual reports and error messages to identify the nature of the problem. The most common software troubleshooting routines check the computer’s memory, keyboard, monitor, system processor, and hard disk’s speed. If the system CPU, hard disk and system clock is working properly, then you will be able to localize the problem by targeting the other points in the system. If the diagnostic tools/routines identify a number of defective software/hardware then you should replace one defective unit a time.

__________________
A.Rajesh Khanna

Troubleshooting with Multimeter

Testing tools can help in isolating the hardware or software problems and digital multimeter is a most important tool for the electronic troubleshooting. Digital Multimeter and other electronic test instruments are available in analog and digital form and these instruments can be used to measure the electrical values of the voltage, current in miliamperes and resistance in ohms. These devices are known as Volt-ohm-milimeters (VOMs) for the analog signals and digital millimeters (DMMs) for the digital types. You can also check the transistors, capacitors, motor windings and diodes with the digital multimeter. In computer troubleshooting, most of the tests of the digital multimeter are to check the DC readings.

__________________
A.Rajesh Khanna

Troubleshooting with Cable Testers

The most common hardware related compute networking problem is the bad cabling and RJ-45 connectors. There are a number of devices, designed for testing the network communication cabling. These devices include continuity tester, time domain reflectometer and cabling testers. Data cabling testers are designed to perform a number of different types of tests on the UTP/STP and coaxial cables. The master end of the cable tester is attached to one end of the cable and the load unit of the cable tester is attached to the other end of the cable. The master unit sends the signals through the cable and reads them
from the load unit. When testing the cables, these devices normally detect the problems such as crossed-over wiring, broken wires, short connections and the cable connections that are improperly impaired.

__________________
A.Rajesh Khanna

Troubleshooting with POST Cards

A POST card is a diagnostic and troubleshooting device that is plugged into the expansion slots and tests the operation of the system as it boots up. These cards can be as direct memory access or they can be complex as ROM BIOS diagnostic tools that perform the advance level diagnostic tests. POST cards are generally used when the computer systems appear to be dead or
the system is unable to read from the floppy or hard disk. The POST routines generally report two types of errors fatal and non fatal.

The fatal error stops and system and when the POST card observes non fatal errors, they should be read very carefully because the error code, which is indicated must be coordinated with the timing of the error message or beep code produced by the BIOS routines. Normally POST cards come with the LEDs (light-emitting diodes that produces code error signals and they identify
any kind of problem.

__________________
A.Rajesh Khanna