© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. chapter four Introduction  This chapter introduces preventive maintenance and the troubleshooting process. Preventive maintenance is a regular and systematic inspection, cleaning, and replacement of worn parts, materials, and systems. Preventive maintenance helps to prevent failure of parts, materials, and systems by ensuring that they are in good working order. Troubleshooting is a systematic approach to locating the cause of a fault in a computer system. A good preventive maintenance program helps minimize failures. With fewer failures, there is less troubleshooting to do, thus saving an organization time and money. Troubleshooting is a learned skill. Not all troubleshooting processes are the same, and technicians tend to refine their own troubleshooting skills based on knowledge and personal experience. Use the guidelines in this chapter as a starting point to help develop your troubleshooting skills. Although each situation is different, the process described in this chapter will help you to determine your course of action when you are trying to solve a technical problem for a customer. After completing this chapter, you will meet these objectives: list of 2 items • Explain the purpose of preventive maintenance. • Identify the steps of the troubleshooting process. 4.1 Explain the purpose of preventive maintenance  Preventive maintenance is used to reduce the probability of hardware or software problems by systematically and periodically checking hardware and software to ensure proper operation. Hardware Check the condition of cables, components, and peripherals. Clean components in order to reduce the likelihood of overheating. Repair or replace any components that show signs of abuse or excess wear. Use the tasks listed in Figure 1 as a guide to create a hardware maintenance program. What additional hardware maintenance tasks can you add to the list? Software Verify that installed software is current. Follow the policies of the organization when installing security updates, operating system updates, and program updates. Many organizations do not allow updates until extensive testing has been completed. This testing is done to confirm that the update will not cause problems with the operating system and software. Use the tasks listed in Figure 2 as a guide to create a software maintenance schedule that fits the needs of your computer equipment. What other software maintenance tasks can you add to the list? Benefits Be proactive in computer equipment maintenance and data protection. By performing regular maintenance routines, you can reduce potential hardware and software problems. Doing this will reduce computer down time and repair costs. A preventive maintenance plan is developed based on the needs of the equipment. A computer exposed to a dusty environment, such as a construction site, will need more attention than equipment in an office environment. High-traffic networks, such as a school network, may require additional scanning and removal of malicious software or unwanted files. Document the routine maintenance tasks that must be performed on the computer equipment and the frequency of each task. This list of tasks can then be used to create a maintenance program. Some benefits of preventive maintenance are listed in Figure 3. Can you think of any other benefits that preventive maintenance provides? content frame end the graphics include Hardware Maintenancewhich includes: Remove dust from fan intakes Remove dust from power supply Remove dust from components inside the computer Clean mouse and keyboard Check and secure any loose cables 4.2 Identify the steps of the troubleshooting process   Troubleshooting requires an organized and logical approach to problems with computers and other components. A logical approach to troubleshooting allows you to eliminate variables in a systematic order. Asking the right questions, testing the right hardware, and examining the right data helps you understand the problem. This helps you form a proposed solution to try. Troubleshooting is a skill that you will refine over time. Each time you solve another problem, you will increase your troubleshooting skills by gaining more experience. You will learn how and when to combine, as well as skip, steps to reach a solution quickly. The troubleshooting process is a guideline that can be modified to fit your needs. In this section, you will learn an approach to problem solving that can be applied to both hardware and software. Many of the steps can also be applied to problem solving in other work-related areas. NOTE: The term customer, as used in this course, is any user that requires technical computer assistance. After completing this section, you will meet these objectives: list of 7 items • Explain the purpose of data protection. • Gather data from the customer. • Verify the obvious issues. • Try quick solutions first. • Gather data from the computer. • Evaluate the problem and implement the solution. • Close with the customer. list end Troubleshooting Process Troubleshooting Process 1 Gather Data from the Customer 2 Verify the Obvious Issues 3 Try Quick Solutions First 4Gather Data from the Computer 5Evaluate the Problem and Implement the Solution 6 Close with the Customer  4.2   Identify the steps of the troubleshooting process        4.2.1   Explain the purpose of data protection    table end Before you begin troubleshooting problems, always follow the necessary precautions to protect data on a computer. Some repairs, such as replacing a hard drive or reinstalling an operating system, may put the data on the computer at risk. Make sure that you do everything possible to prevent data loss while attempting repairs. CAUTION: Although data protection is not one of the six troubleshooting steps, you must protect data before beginning any work on a customer's computer. If your work results in data loss for the customer, you or your company could be held liable. Backup Data A backup is a copy of the data on a computer hard drive that is saved to media such as a CD, DVD, or tape drive. In an organization, backups are routinely done on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. If you are unsure that a backup has been done, do not attempt any troubleshooting activities until you check with the customer. Here is a list of items to verify with the customer about data backups: list of 4 items • Date of the last backup • Contents of the backup • Data integrity of the backup • Availability of all backup media for a data restore list end If the customer does not have a current backup and you are not able to create one, you should ask the customer to sign a liability release form. A liability release form should contain at least the following information: list of 3 items • Permission to work on the computer without a current backup available • Release from liability if data is lost or corrupted • Description of the work to be performed  4.2   Identify the steps of the troubleshooting process        4.2.2   Gather data from the customer    table end During the troubleshooting process, gather as much information from the customer as possible. The customer will provide you with the basic facts about the problem. Figure 1 lists some of the important information to gather from the customer. Conversation Etiquette When you are talking to the customer, you should follow these guidelines: list of 5 items • Ask direct questions to gather information. • Do not use industry jargon when talking to customers. • Do not talk down to the customer. • Do not insult the customer. • Do not accuse the customer of causing the problem. list end By communicating effectively, you will be able to elicit the most relevant information about the problem from the customer. Open-Ended Questions Open-ended questions are used to obtain general information. Open-ended questions allow customers to explain the details of the problem in their own words. Figure 2 shows some examples of open-ended questions. Closed-Ended Questions Based on the information from the customer, you can proceed with closed-ended questions. Closed-ended questions generally require a "yes" or "no" answer. These questions are intended to get the most relevant information in the shortest time possible. Figure 3 shows some examples of closed-ended questions. The information obtained from the customer should be documented in the work order and in the repair journal. Write down anything that you think may be important for you or another technician. Often, the small details can lead to the solution of a difficult or complicated problem. talking to the customer Gather Data from the Customer Customer Information • Company Name • Contact Name • Address • Phone Number Computer Configuration • Manufacturer and Model • Operating System Information • Network Environment • Connection Type Description of Problem • Open-Ended Questions • Closed-Ended Questions  4.2   Identify the steps of the troubleshooting process        4.2.3   Verify the obvious issues    table end The second step in the troubleshooting process is to verify the obvious issues. Even though the customer may think that there is a major problem, start with the obvious issues before moving to more complex diagnoses. If the problem is not resolved when you verify the obvious issues, you will need to continue with the troubleshooting process. If you find an obvious issue that fixes the problem, you can go to the last step and close with the customer. These steps are simply a guideline to help you solve problems in an efficient manner. Verify the Obvious Issues Troubleshooting Process Gather Data from the Customer • Loose external cable connections Incorrect boot order in BIOS Non-bootable disk in floppy drive Power switch for an outlet is turned off Surge protector is turned off Device is powered off  4.2   Identify the steps of the troubleshooting process        4.2.4   Try quick solutions first    table end The next step in the troubleshooting process is to try quick solutions first. Obvious issues and quick solutions sometimes overlap each other and can be used together to repair the problem. Document each solution that you try. Information about the solutions that you have tried is vital if the problem needs to be escalated to another technician. Figure 1 identifies some common quick solutions. If a quick solution does not resolve the problem, document your results and try the next most likely solution. Continue this process until you have solved the problem or have tried all of the quick solutions. Document the resolution for future reference, as shown in Figure 2.  Try Quick Solutions First Troubleshooting Process Gather Data from the Customer • Check that all cables are connected to the proper locations. Remove and reconnect cables. Reboot the computer or network device. Log in as a different user. Check computer for the latest OS patches and updates.  4.2   Identify the steps of the troubleshooting process        4.2.5   Gather data from the computer    table end The next step in the troubleshooting process is to gather data from the computer, as shown in Figure 1. You have tried all of the quick solutions, but the problem is still not resolved. It is now time to verify the customer's description of the problem by gathering data from the computer. Event Viewer When system, user, or software errors occur on a computer, the Event Viewer is updated with information about the errors. The Event Viewer application shown in Figure 2 records the following information about the problem: list of 6 items • What problem occurred • The date and time of the problem • The severity of the problem • The source of the problem • Event ID number • Which user was logged in when the problem occurred list end Although this utility lists details about the error, you may still need to research the solution. Device Manager The Device Manager shown in Figure 3 displays all of the devices that are configured on a computer. Any device that the operating system determines to be acting incorrectly will be flagged with an error icon. This type of error is denoted as a yellow circle with an exclamation point ("!"). If a device is disabled, it will be flagged with a red circle and an "X". Beep Codes Each BIOS manufacturer has a unique beep sequence for hardware failures. When troubleshooting, power on the computer and listen. As the system proceeds through the POST, most computers will emit one beep to indicate that the system is booting properly. If there is an error, you may hear multiple beeps. Document the beep code sequence and research the code to determine the specific hardware failure. BIOS Information If the computer boots and stops after the POST, you should investigate the BIOS settings to determine where to find the problem. A device may not be detected or configured properly. Refer to the motherboard manual to make sure that the BIOS settings are accurate. Diagnostic Tools Conduct research to determine what software is available to help diagnose and solve problems. There are many programs available that can help you troubleshoot hardware. Often, manufacturers of system hardware provide diagnostic tools of their own. A hard drive manufacturer, for instance, may provide a tool that can be used to boot the computer and diagnose problems with the hard drive when it will not boot Windows. Do you know of any third-party tools that you can use to troubleshoot computers? Gather Data from the Computer Troubleshooting Process Gather Data from the Customer • Error Messages Beep Sequences LEDs POST  4.2   Identify the steps of the troubleshooting process        4.2.6   Evaluate the problem and implement the solution    table end The next step in the troubleshooting process is to evaluate the problem and implement the solution. Evaluate the problem and research possible solutions. Figure 1 lists possible research locations. Divide larger problems into smaller problems that can be analyzed and solved individually. Solutions should be prioritized, starting with the the easiest and fastest to implement. Create a list of possible solutions and implement them one at a time. If you implement a possible solution and it does not work, reverse the solution and try another. Troubleshooting Process Gather Data from the Customer • Problem Solving Experience Other Technicians Internet Search News Groups Manufacturer FAQs Computer Manuals Device Manuals Online Forums Technical Websites  4.2   Identify the steps of the troubleshooting process        4.2.7   Close with the customer    table end After the repairs to the computer have been completed, finish the troubleshooting process by closing with the customer. Communicate the problem and the solution to the customer verbally and in all documentation. Figure 1 shows the steps to be taken when you have finished a repair and are closing with the customer. Verify the solution with the customer. If the customer is available, demonstrate how the solution has corrected the computer problem. Have the customer test the solution and try to reproduce the problem. When the customer can verify that the problem has been resolved, you can complete the documentation for the repair in the work order and in your journal. The documentation should include the following information: list of 3 items • The description of the problem • The steps to resolve the problem • The components used in the repair list end   Activity Troubleshooting Process Complete the matching activity in Figure 2 figure 2 Gather Data from the Customer • Discuss the solution implemented with the customer. Have the customer verify that the problem has been solved. Provide the customer with all paperwork. Document the steps taken to solve the problem in the work order and in the technician’s journal. Document any components used in the repair. Document the amount of time spent to resolve the problem. 4.3 Summary  This chapter discussed the concepts of preventive maintenance and the troubleshooting process. list of 4 items • Regular preventive maintenance reduces hardware and software problems. • Before beginning any repair, back up the data on a computer. • The troubleshooting process is a guideline to help you solve computer problems in an efficient manner. • Document everything that you try, even if it fails. The documentation that you create will become a useful resource for you and other technicians. list end