Troubleshooting methods and best practices

Troubleshooting can be said to be the procedure of diagnosing the source of the problem that a computer or the computer peripherals might be having. It begins with the most general and tries to isolate the source of the problem, typically using the elimination method of the most likely causes towards the rare sources of problems. Most of the time, the word troubleshooting is used when the problem that a computer has is evident on the hardware, if the problem concerns software then the word 'debug' is more appropriate (Quin Street Inc., 2011). However, there is no strict application of this concept and more often than not it will be noted that troubleshooting is use even when referring to solving a software problem.

Accepted industry practices for troubleshooting

The worst thing that can happen to an individual is for the computer to malfunction or even breakdown completely; hence many people will panic and never get to solve the problem at last.

The first advisable step is not to never overestimate the magnitude of the problem, understand the problem before you jump into the solution, revert the computer back to the situation it was in previously before it started showing the problems being encountered i.e. uninstall any software that might have been added, diagnose any hardware that might be problematic and replace it or repair it, deep clean the PC both digitally and physically. Digitally one can defragment the disks and the physical cleaning can include cleaning dust from all the tiny nooks using pressurized air. Turning of the computer for some time and giving it a break is also recommended since a lot of hardware problems result from putting too much pressure on the computer (Chris Brake, 2011).

The above guide helps the troubleshooting process to move from the more general to the specifics in the quest to solve the problem. This way, one would be moving from the known and most common causes of computer malfunctions to the more specific and complex causes of computer problems. This is a procedure that will help one not overlook the problem thinking that it is too small to be the cause as well as not magnifying the problem of the computer or the network. This will also help, through elimination, lead the administrator or the person repairing the computer to the specific problem that there is more accurately

Identify some of the various types of hardware/software and network problems that can arise.

There are various computer problems that can occur and some are more prone than other in the daily usage of a computer.

Some of the most predominant hardware problems are;

Failure of the computer to start at all i.e. shows no sign of power flowing into the computer hence the power supply system should be checked to ensure it is well connected to the computer.

The other common hardware problem is the computer freezing or shutting down suddenly when in use. This could be an indication that the processor might be heating due to failure of the processor fan.

The problem of computers being unable to boot until and will only boot from a floppy drive could be a sign of hardware problem. If the settings of the computer have prioritized the hard disk as the first boot device then the hard disk could be damaged, or needs reinstall or format the disk (Shah Newaz, 2011).

Another common problem with computer hardware is the keyboard problem. The keyboard is prone to having stuck keys, not being detected by the CPU and the keyboard not responding to the specific command.

Motherboard problems can also occur and it is common to find that the Ram or the BIOS has a problem hence making the computer to freeze or pop-up many error alerts. This can be fixed by easily replacing the RAM with a new one.

Some of the most common software problems are;

There might be a problem in installation of a software program. This could be due to failure of the computer to read a diskette or the CD that contains the software. If the CD is not an autorun then you should try opening it through right clicking on the drive and then clicking on explore. If the CD reads well then one should verify if the computer they are attempting to install meets the minimum standards required to run the program. There is also need to verify that there is enough hard disk space to run the program. The utility being installed should also be compatible to the OS. There is also need to ensure one has the right key if the error comes at the entering key step.

The other software problem could be error during installation. In this case there is need to verify that the computer meets the standards for the installation of the software, has enough space to run the software and that the CD is clean and contain no significant scratches on it.

Another common software problem has to do with programs having errors when attempting to load. This could mean the program needs updates hence checking for updates or patches is necessary, close all the other programs when attempting to load the program since it could be clashing with on of the open programs, ensure that you rebooted the computer after installing the program, ensure the date on the computer is correctly set, to the worst extent one may need to reinstall the program (Computer Hope, 2011).

Some of the most common network problems are;

Cable problem occurs frequently and this is where there can be a cut cable or short happening. A short results from a cable coming into contact with another surface that is a conductor hence changing the path of the signal. Other cable problems could be incorrect cable connection, interference with the cable, connector problems and a cable tester can be used to test for each of these.

Connectivity problem can also occur especially after a change is made in the network configuration or one of the connectivity components might be faulty for instance a router, hub or switch.

The other common connectivity problem is excessive network collisions that lead to a slow connectivity. This can be as a result of inappropriate network plan and setup, it can also be due to the users transmitting a lot of information or jabbering the network card. Jabbering occurs when the network card is constantly stuck in the transmit mode and transmit light remains on throughout.

Quite often the software problem can also lead to network problem. The way the software is configured is likely to affect the connectivity for instance the WINS configuration, DNS and the registry.

Intermittent communication can also occur when two machines try to use the same IP address i.e. duplicate IP address problem.

List some common tools and techniques for troubleshooting these hardware/software and network problems

There are several utilities that can be used in troubleshooting the network including the following as outlined by Joseph D.S. (2001) for those using Unix.

Ps command is on that almost all system administrators are familiar with. It gives the administrator a list of processes that are running on the system and even their arguments. From these the administrator is likely to know the source of the problem in a network.

top is an alternative to ps that is available in many systems. When running, this utility gives the periodically updated listing of processes that bare ranked in order of CPU usage. Top is more advantageous than ps in that it focuses your attention on resource hogs and also provides repetitive update, it also has a number of options hence can provide a wider range of information.