Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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
Yes
Yes
Yes
Is 110/220 V set? No
Yes Premature power_ok signal. Try different power supply. Select proper voltage on rear of power supply. Yes Installed motherboard lead? No
No
Yes
New hardware installed? Yes Remove latest addition and retry. Test, replace power supply.
No
Yes
No
Check manual and motherboard silkscreen. Connect lead from front panel switch.
Yes
No
Either you have a short circuit in the case or a geometry problem placing an unacceptable Yes stress on the motherboard. Its also possible that the video adapter was never seated, due the bracket position.
No
No
No
Strip system down to video adapter only. See Box A, on Conflict Resolution 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. Power Supply Failure Or cut and paste http://www.fonerbooks.com/power.htm
Video Failure
Yes
No
Live screen?
No
Yes
No power displayed?
No
Check monitor power source. Make sure cord is fully seated in the monitor socket.
No
No
No
RAM seated?
Yes
Reseat video adapter, secure. Cable damaged, pins bent? No Yes Monitor tested? No Test monitor on good PC or laptop. No Any other adapters installed? Yes Live with new video adapter? Yes Try old adapter in other system before chucking. Live with lone video adapter? Yes Freezes on BIOS Screen? No Proceed to Video Performance chart.
Yes
Repair or replace video cable. Testing with a different technology video adapter (PCI vs PCI Express) doesnt prove the card slot is good No
No
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.
No
Live Screen?
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
Hear beeps?
Yes Yes Replace RAM with type listed in motherboard documentation. CMOS settings default? No Load defaults from BIOS.
No
Yes
Runs on bench? No
Yes
Heatsink active?
No
Yes
No
Install new heatsink, connect fan. May be too late for CPU.
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
Try swapping power cables and test in other PC or external USB shell before trashing.
SATA drive?
Yes
Yes 300 MB/s SATA2? Check on-drive compatibility jumper if old 150 MB/s controller.
Swap power Data lead, try isolating Yes connection on IDE cable, good? check power Set management. BIOS on old No Master/ Yes motherboard may No Slave? fail to detect Mode, No SATA when X-fer speed present. correct? Check data Set Cables cable seated PATA hard No cable select Yes seated, both ends, test Yes drives require 80 (CS)? new? cable. conductor cable, check mode in No Reseat IDE and Yes CMOS. power cables. Select Master/Slave or Replace IDE cables CS. CS requires 80 if in doubt. Does No FDISK see Yes conductor IDE cable or custom 40 wire cable. drive? Isolate drive on primary IDE controller. If FDISK still doesnt see drive, the MBR may have been trashed by a virus.
IDE Yes ribbon cable No keyed? Replace IDE cable. If BIOS still doesnt register drive, either motherboard controller or drive is bad or incompatible.
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
No
Tray ejects?
Yes
No
Yes Eject and remount. Try another disc. Check drive mounted level with 4 screws.
No
Yes
Locked in software?
Yes
No
Yes
Plays movies? No
Unplug power, insert straightened paper-clip, pull tray. Make sure you didnt use any long mounting screws. Yes Two drives installed? No
No
No
Check CODECs, recent update of media player DAE settings or audio patch cable from drive to sound card.
Yes
Read other discs? Yes Clean disc with flannel, check for scratches. Yes
Yes Replace data cable, test drive in USB enclosure or other PC.
No
Replace IDE cable, change BIOS mode, try drive in test PC.
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
No
Yes
No
Yes
Busy or ringing?
No
Gets online?
Yes
Confirm ISPs phone number, area code and prefix for outside line. Cable? No Yes
Get valid user name, password from ISP. Filters installed? Yes No Install on ALL lines! Connect to different ISP? No
ISP No confirm user info? Yes Connect at lowered speed? Proceed to Modem Performance
No
Yes
Yes
Friend w/ same? No
Yes
Check modem standards and brands supported with ISP. Yes Best driver installed?
No
Multi-port modem? Yes Try networking cable on different modem port, USB, or test wireless function with laptop.
No
No
No
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 Or copy and paste http://www.fonerbooks.com/modem.htm
Sound Failure
No Enable sound (Control Panel for Windows PCs) and test clips for Windows actions. No Sound enabled in O.S.? Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No Plug in speaker brick (transformer), except for USB powered or old battery speakers. No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Download latest driver from Internet. USB sound? No Yes Try different USB port, cable. Try on other PC or laptop. Built-in motherboard No sound? Replace sound card. Use USB speaker or USB sound card if no expansion slots.
No
Yes
Proceed to Conflict Resolution Checked all jacks? No Confirm speaker jack connected correct port (nonUSB only). If 3D sound card, use front speakers. No Hunted down every software volume? Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Sound capable devices, and 3rd party software may all have individual volume controls. Watch for mute boxes checked.
No
Hardware failure. Check speakers, patch cables, sound card on test-bed system.
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? No
Yes
PC Yes works at new location? In-wall cabling failure, limits, or hub port.
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? Yes
No
Problem is unlikely network hardware if only this workstation has intermittent failures. Try eliminating all other non-essential software tasks for testing purposes.
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.