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Computer Repair With Diagnostic Flowcharts
Computer Repair With Diagnostic Flowcharts
Computer Repair With Diagnostic Flowcharts
Eight flowcharts from published available through the FonerBooks.com website. The full revised eBook with 17 flowcharts and troubleshooting text is available for $9.95. The linked website versions of the flowcharts are interactive, ie, click on the diamond decision symbols and the browser shows the relevant text. The linked flowcharts also include the text for each chapter. I had to remove the text from this eBook due to possible duplicate content issues with Google.
Copyright 2011 by Morris Rosenthal This eBook may be shared online and printed for personal use only, on the condition that any electronically transmitted or printed copy include this copyright notice and statement. This eBook may not be used for commercial purposes or modified in any way without the prior written consent of the copyright owner.
Yes
No
No
Live screen?
Yes
New build? No
Yes
Is 110/220 V set? No
No
Yes Premature power_ok signal. Try different power supply. Select proper voltage on rear of power supply. Yes Installed motherboard lead? Power switch fail? Check manual and motherboard silkscreen. Connect lead from front panel switch. No
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes Replace switch or substitute front panel reset switch, if available. Yes Power supply connections to motherboard correct? No
Remake Hard drive spin up? Yes motherboard power supply connections.
No
Either you have a short circuit in the case or a geometry problem placing an unacceptable stress on the motherboard. Its also possible that the video adapter was never seated, due the bracket position. Replace power supply.
Yes
No
Yes Defective power supply lead or connector. Strip system down to video adapter only.
You can open the interactive version of this flowchart in your browser on the fonerbooks.com website by clicking on the chapter heading below. The interactive version allows you to get the text for each decision symbol without paging ahead. Power Supply Failure Or cut and paste http://www.fonerbooks.com/power.htm
Video Failure
Yes
No
Live screen?
No Check monitor
Yes
No power displayed?
No
power source. Make sure cord is fully seated in the monitor socket. No
Hear No
No Signal displayed?
No
No
No
RAM seated?
Yes Cable
Yes
Yes
Repair or replace video cable. Any Testing with a different technology video adapter (PCI vs PCI Express) doesnt prove the card slot is good No Live with new video adapter? No
No
Yes
Proceed to Motherboard
Failure chart
You can open the interactive version of this flowchart in your browser on the fonerbooks.com website by clicking on the chapter heading below. The interactive version allows you to get the text for each decision symbol without paging ahead.
No
Live Screen?
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
Hear beeps?
Yes
Runs on bench? No
Yes
Heatsink active?
No
Yes
No
Install new heatsink, connect fan. May be too late for CPU.
on replace
ment.
Motherboard bad.
You can open the interactive version of this flowchart in your browser on the fonerbooks.com website by clicking on the chapter heading below. The interactive version allows you to get the text for each decision symbol without paging ahead.
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Try swapping power cables and test in other PC or external USB shell before trashing.
No
SATA drive?
Yes
No
Yes 300 MB/s SATA2? Check on-drive compatibility jumper if old 150 MB/s controller.
Swap power lead, try isolating on IDE cable, check power management.
No
Yes
No
No
PATA hard Yes drives require 80 conductor cable, check mode in CMOS.
Select Master/Slave or CS. CS requires 80 conductor IDE cable or custom 40 wire cable.
No
Yes
Isolate drive on primary IDE controller. If FDISK still doesnt see drive, the MBR may have been trashed by a virus.
M a t c h p i n 1 o n a l l c o n n e c t o r s .
You can open the interactive version of this flowchart in your browser on the fonerbooks.com website by clicking on the chapter heading below. The interactive version allows you to get the text for each decision symbol without paging ahead.
CD or DVD Playback
Yes BIOS register drive?
No
Tray ejects?
Yes
No
Yes Eject and remount. Try another disc. Check drive mounted level with 4 screws.
No
Yes
Locked in software?
No
Yes
Yes
No Pull drive,
Yes
Plays movies?
Unplug power, insert straightened paper-clip, pull tray. Make sure you didnt use any long mounting screws. Yes Two drives installed? Yes Reading right drive? No
No No Burner problem?
No
Check CODECs, recent update of media player DAE settings or audio patch cable from drive to sound card.
No
Clean disc with flannel, check for scratches. Yes Device Manager problem?
No Proceed to Conflict Resolution. No Replace IDE cable, change BIOS mode, try drive in test PC. Drive shares IDE cable? Yes
Yes
You can open the interactive version of this flowchart in your browser on the fonerbooks.com website by clicking on the chapter heading below. The interactive version allows you to get the text for each decision symbol without paging ahead.
Modem Failure
Yes LED may say Online, green is usually good. Yes Internet LED lit? No Power off PC and modem, retry. Line unplugged, modem failure, or service out.
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
Busy or ringing?
No
No
Gets online?
Yes
Confirm ISPs phone number, area code and prefix for outside line. Cable? Yes Filters installed? Yes No Install on ALL lines! No
Try dialing on pulse No ISP confirm user info? Yes Proceed to No Connect at lowered speed? Yes Modem Performance
Friend w/ same?
Yes
Yes
No
No
Check modem standards and brands supported with ISP. Yes Best driver installed? No
No
Multi-port modem?
No
No
Yes
No
again.
You can open the interactive version of this flowchart in your browser on the fonerbooks.com website by clicking on the chapter heading below. The interactive version allows you to get the text for each decision symbol without paging ahead. Modem Failure Or copy and paste http://www.fonerbooks.com/modem.htm
Sound Failure
Sound enabled in O.S.?
No
Yes
No Enable sound (Control Panel for Windows PCs) and test clips for Windows actions. No
Yes
Yes
No
No
Plug in speaker brick (transformer), except for USB powered or old battery speakers.
No
Yes
USB sound? No
Yes
No
Yes
No Confirm speaker jack connected correct port (nonUSB only). If 3D sound card, use front speakers. Sound capable devices, and 3rd party software may all have No Hunted down every software volume?
Replace sound card. Use USB speaker or USB sound card if no expansion with music CDs only?
Hardware failure.
You can open the interactive version of this flowchart in your browser on the fonerbooks.com website by clicking on the chapter heading below. The interactive version allows you to get the text for each decision symbol without paging ahead.
No
Yes
No
No
Random problems?
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
Check proper ground (one end) Yes Within physical layer limits? Tried different port on hub? Yes Add repeaters, re-route cables. Fails on traffic, # of users? No No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Swap hub for switch, check server utilization. If connection stable on new port, prior port is failing. No Cable bypass to hub fix?
No
Problem is unlikely network hardware if only this workstation has intermittent failures. Try eliminating all other non-essential software tasks for testing purposes. No Most likely software conflicts, virus.
Yes
You can open the interactive version of this flowchart in your browser on the fonerbooks.com website by clicking on the chapter heading below. The interactive version allows you to get the text for each decision symbol without paging ahead.