(^618) PC Hardware: A Beginner’s Guide
W
hen a PC starts to malfunction, sometimes it’s obvious what the problem is and
other times it is not. If the mouse or keyboard isn’t working, resolving the prob-
lem is as easy as installing a new one. However, if the hard disk drive is inter-
mittently producing read or write errors, the problem could be in the hard disk, power
supply, memory, motherboard, cables, or software. Isolating problems on a PC is what
troubleshooting is all about.
OnamodernPC,amajorityoftheproblemsaresoftware-relatedandcaneasilybesolved
by reconfiguring or reinstalling the software. Some problems that at first appear to be soft-
ware issues can be caused by hardware incompatibilities with the software, but these typi-
cally show u palmost immediately after new software is installed. In fact, most problems on a
PC tend to happen right after new hardware or software is installed or reconfigured.
No magic formula exists for solving all of the problems that can occur on a PC, but
there are general troubleshooting processes you can use to isolate what may be causing
the problem. This chapter contains a few of these processes as well as some helpful tips
and hints you can use to troubleshoot problems on your PC.
Power Source and Environmental Issues
Some problems are caused by the PC’s environment and especially its electrical setup.
One of the best places to start when troubleshooting an unidentified PC problem is at the
source—the power source. Here are some questions that you should answer: Is the PC plugged in and switched on? This may seem like a silly question,
but it’s not if it is really the problem.
What is the PC’s power source?
If the PC is plugged directly into a wall socket One of the first places
to begin troubleshooting is the power supply (see Chapter 14).
If the PC is plugged into a plug strip or surge suppressor Is the protection
circuit still in place and effective? The protection circuit can fail and the
protection LED can burn out. If this has happened, the PC may as well be
plugged directly into the wall outlet (see Chapter 23).
If the PC is plugged into a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) Is the
UPS working properly? A bad UPS can do more harm than good. Verify
that the UPS is working (see Chapter 23).
How many devices are sharing the electrical supply? It could be that
too many devices are sharing a plug strip, surge suppressor, or UPS. If this
situation has been in use for any period, then it may be likely that the damage
is already done, but try removing a few devices from the power source to see
if the problems go away. If the problems persist, check out the power supply.Problems with the power source will usually show up as power supply problems. The
power supply is the cause for a majority of PC hardware problems. If the power supply