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Exercise 6 25-26 August

Net Diagnostics - ICAT3025A Run standard diagnostic tests

In this unit you’ll learn a range of basic skills that are required to troubleshoot computer problems. With these skills you will be able to identify which components of a computer system are working correctly and which are not. This information will help you determine the nature of the problem.

You’ll do four tasks for a company called WITSIT Computer Support to allow you to demonstrate your skills and knowledge in running standard diagnostic tests.

To do these tasks you’ll need to be able to:

Operate system diagnostics. Scan a system for viruses.

Assessment information

To successfully complete ICAT3025A Run standard diagnostic tests you will need to be able to: conduct diagnostic tests on a range of platforms according to preventive maintenance and diagnostic policy, and correctly identify the root cause of the problem.

Your assessment tasks will require you to demonstrate your competence by:

operating system diagnostics scanning a system for viruses.

There are four sample tasks given in this resource. You may be required to complete these for your assessment tasks, or your teacher will provide you with your assessment tasks.

Scenario

Welcome to WITSIT Computer Support. We provide onsite computer support across regional New South Wales. Our clients are small to medium businesses that have found that the most cost effective computer support solution is to contract us to provide the service.

As an Onsite Support Officer you are one of over 30 onsite support staff we employ to travel to clients’ offices. You provide the first and most important level of support. You deal directly with the clients, diagnose computer problems and provide

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quality support.

WITSIT has an excellent reputation for solving clients’ computer problems quickly and efficiently. This is largely due to the high- quality work of the onsite support staff, backed by expert technical support from the Head Office Technical (HOT) team of specialists.

Task 1: Use system diagnostic tools

One of our clients has reported a PC with problems. The symptom is that the system is no longer able to play sounds — everything else appears to be working normally. The machine is running Windows XP Professional.

Our initial investigation found that the system recently suffered a hard disk failure and required the operating system to be reinstalled from a standard image after replacement of the hard drive.

I have some suggestions for you on how to approach this task under Tools.

Deliverables ANSWERS AT BOTTOM OF THIS DOCUMENT

1. Write an email to the HOT team giving the results of your diagnostic investigations, reasoning, and recommendations. There should be enough information in your email for the HOT team to determine the cause of the problem. You should attach screen dumps to the email where appropriate.

2. Write a short description of the tests you performed to localise the problem (eg to rule out the problem being a faulty set of speakers).

3. Write a short description of the process of loading the correct audio driver and then testing the sound system for correct operation.

Tools ANSWERS AT BOTTOM OF THIS DOCUMENT

1. Suggested approach to the task2. Use this feedback from the following diagnostic tests performed onsite:

a. PC 1 POST resultsb. PC 2 Operating system loading errorsc. PC 3 Event viewer logd. PC 4 Device manager screen

Suggested approach to the task



1. Using the feedback given to you under Tools from a range of diagnostic tests, gather as much useful information as you can about the system that will assist the HOT team to find the source of the problem.

2. Summarise the information you have gathered and state your recommendations for what should be done to solve the problem in the form of an email to the HOT team.

3. Follow the advice of the HOT team who have determined, from your information, that the audio driver was not installed in the image used to load the machine. You must install the correct audio device driver and confirm that the sound system is operating correctly.

PC 1 POST results

PC 1: You turn on the PC. There are no beep codes, but the following screen appears and the system halts.

Checking RAM

PC 2 Operating system loading errors

PC 2: The user of this PC works part time (Wed to Fri). He has logged a call because each Wednesday morning when the computer is turned on, “the computer tells him it has a drive with errors on it”. You travelled especially to be here Wednesday morning to see this screen:

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When you shut the computer down and restart it, it boots normally.

PC 3 Event Viewer log

PC 3: The PC loads, but appears to have intermittent problems. You check the Event Viewer and find the same message repeated over and over.

Event Viewer

PC 4 Device Manager screen

PC 4: The computer has recently had the hard disk drive replace after a failure. An image of the system from the computer next to it was applied to this machine. The user has since complained of poor graphics and slow performance compared to its performance prior to the drive failure.

The Device Manager shows:

Preview

A computer is made up of many hardware and software systems. In a computer support role you may need to gather information about any one of these systems to help you decide if the system is performing correctly or not. This information TAFE NSW – Western Sydney Institute of 20


may also help you decide on the best action to resolve a particular problem. Standard diagnostic tools will allow you to gather this information. Many of these tools are built into either the operating system or the hardware itself. While third party companies may provide specialist diagnostic tools, we will focus on the information that should be available from accessing the tools on the operating system you are using.

Learning outcomes

After completing this topic you will be able to:

Perform diagnostic functions using the operating system and third-party diagnostic tools.

Run the diagnostic program most appropriate to the situation to determine the status of the system in question.

Modify the system configuration as indicated by the results obtained from the diagnostic tool.

Reading

The reading here will help you to develop your knowledge and skills for using system diagnostic tools. This will involve an understanding of diagnostic tools used while:

Booting the computer Loading the operating system Manually checking the system.

Use system diagnostic tools

Standard diagnostic programs

Using diagnostic tools

Each computer system has built into it a range of tools to help the user determine its ‘status’. By ‘status’ we mean that they help determine if the system is working correctly or not. If a system is not working correctly, diagnostic tools can provide information vital to solving the problem. The most common types of computer problems will be found during these processes:

booting the computer

loading the operating system

manually checking the system.TAFE NSW – Western Sydney Institute of 20


Diagnostic tools are available at each of these stages and are outlined in the following sections. These tools provide the foundation of any troubleshooting that involves the malfunctioning of a computer.

IMPORTANT: You will be directed to use a number of diagnostic and configuration tools to gather information about your system. Changing any of the settings using these tools may cause your computer to malfunction. If you are in any doubt about the use of a particular tool, contact your supervising teacher.

You may also be required to make system changes to solve problems identified by the diagnostics. Again, the types of changes required, if incorrectly applied, may cause your computer to malfunction. If you are in doubt about how to proceed with system modifications, consult your supervisor.

Booting the computer

Booting a computer system involves turning the machine on, checking that power LEDs come on and that the screen reflects the expected activity of the system start up procedure. In a PC system, part of this procedure is the Power On Self Test or POST diagnostic tool. The POST diagnostic tool is built in to the system and starts automatically when the system is turned on.

Any failure related to a major component, such as motherboard, video, keyboard or drive failures, will be detected during the POST phase of a computer system. The total failure of a major hardware component is easily detected. Less crucial devices that fail will normally be detected by the operating system as it loads and are dealt with in the next section.

Most hardware systems such as computers and printers have a POST tool to check that their major components are working properly.

Power On Self Test (POST) diagnostic tool

During the PC computer system’s loading phase, each of the main components are tested. The failure of any one of these systems would impair the computer’s ability to operate. Such critical devices include the graphics card, motherboard resources, drives and Input/Output (I/O) interfaces such as keyboard and graphics (video cards).



Figure 1: Power On Self Test (POST) diagnostic tool

On a PC based system, this provides feedback on the screen about the type of video card detected, the type and speed of the processor detected, the type and number of drives detected, as well as the amount of Random Access Memory (RAM) detected. It checks the presence of peripheral devices such as keyboard and mouse devices. It also internally tests the correct performance of many motherboard components.

Any failures at this level may result in an error message on the screen, or may be heard as a series of coded ‘beeps’. The beep codes are often unique to a motherboard model and should be interpreted by information found on the motherboard manufacturer’s website.

The POST screen will only briefly appear at the start of the booting process. The CPU’s type and speed will be listed here with other device information. On many systems, pressing the Pause key during this process will freeze the screen, and the space bar key releases it. If you cannot pause the screen, check with your supervisor or teacher as it may take several restarts to view the information fully. If you must reset the computer, be careful to do so by pressing the reset button before the operating system begins to load, as this will prevent it from recording failed loading attempts.

To view the systems detected configuration more fully, examine the system Setup or CMOS tool. Some references may prefer to use the term BIOS in place of the term CMOS. They refer to the same tool. To enter this tool, users are normally required to press a key or key combination such as the DEL (Delete) key or Shift + F10 during the POST sequence. Because these settings effect the operation of the PC, many companies password protect this tool so unauthorised users cannot access this area.

The Setup or CMOS tool for your PC holds the configuration of your computer. It lists how much memory the system has, how many drives are detected and which drive it should load the operating system from. It will also have configuration options for a range of other items such as power management and I/O interfaces, just to name a few.



The motherboard manual that came with the PC holds information about the CMOS tool and its use.

At this level, the tool is simply used to determine that the system has detected its elementary components such as RAM, HDDs, FDD, etc. The CMOS settings should reflect the known configuration of the PC. Normally the IDE drives should be set to ‘AUTO’ which stands for Automatic Detection. Any errors such as RAM or drives not being recognised by the system should be recorded and reported to a supervising technical support person.

The default or factory settings can normally be restored by choosing the relevant menu option. When you exit the CMOS, exit without saving your changes, unless you have deliberately changed a setting. This prevents accidental changes from occurring.

For a MacIntosh system, when you boot the PC will either show a happy face and load, or show a sad face and refuse to load.

Fixing faults detected here, on either a PC or Mac system, may require the case to be opened and can effect the warranty of the computer. It must be authorised by your manager who will refer it to an appropriate technical person.

Loading the operating system

Once the POST sequence has been completed, the system then looks for a boot device as the CMOS configuration dictates. From here the computer begins to load the series of services or programs that together form what is called the operating system (OS). Normally the operating system’s name and version (or service pack number) will be displayed during this process.

Log files and OS booting tools

Common failures at this point may relate to the failure of minor hardware devices or incorrect configuration of devices that are physically OK. Any services or devices that fail to load are usually noted in a log file by the operating system. This file can then be examined at a later time to help determine what went wrong. Most Windows and Unix systems create log files during the loading process. These log files provide details that will alert you to errors. Many of the system log entries are fully explained in the operating system’s documentation or the support section of their Internet site.

Manually checking the system



Device management tools

Most operating systems now work with the concept of ‘Plug and Play’ devices. This simply means that when a new device is installed, the system will automatically detect it and install the most appropriate software drivers for it.

A driver is a small piece of software written for a specific device. To make life simpler, many standard drivers are built into operating systems so they automatically work when installed. However, special features of that particular device model may only be available if the manufacturer’s device driver is installed.

All current PC and Mac operating systems provide you with tools to look at the devices installed on your computer. In this context, a ‘tool’ is a small program that is designed to perform a limited, specialised role — such as providing information about a hardware device.

In a graphical user interface (GUI), which Windows, MacIntosh and most Unix-based operating systems have, the tool may be represented by an icon. It may also form the properties of an object represented on the desktop, such as ‘My Computer’.

In a text-based system, which Unix and Windows based systems also have, the tool may be in the form of a specific command related to a specific device.

Examples of tools are shown in the following screen shot.

Figure 3: Configuration tools

Device Management tools provide you with information and configuration options for devices attached to your system. They should provide you with a list of devices attached to your system and information about their status.

In a PC system these tools should also list the resources that devices use, such as an Interrupt (IRQ), Input/Output (I/O) memory range and Direct Memory Access (DMA) channel, etc. In a Mac system, the resource allocation for devices is automatic. Device Management tools may provide information about the software driver that was installed to manage the device.

In some operating systems, many different tools may be required to find this information. In other operating systems, this information may all be available from one tool.



Management of hard disk drives

Hard disk drives are a vital part of any computer system. They retain data saved as files and can have a directory or folder system to organise files into a logical system. The constant writing, modifying and deleting files may cause errors from time to time. These errors often relate to file processes, such as saving a file that has been interrupted before it could be completed. This interruption could be caused by a power outage, application crash or shutting down a system incorrectly.

Checking the file system

Each operating system provides you with standard tools to check the integrity of the file system. While different operating systems may support a range of different file systems, the basics remain the same. There is some master record of what files are on a drive and where those files can be found. This is called the File Allocation Table (FAT). The FAT holds the list of files contained on the drive and the address of the first block where that file is stored. It is effectively a ‘table of contents’ to the disk drive.

Checking the integrity of the file system involves matching the FAT against the drive’s contents. Should this become damaged, or incorrect, the results for your data could be devastating.

Checking the drive

Your operating system may also provide you with an option, or separate tool, to check the actual integrity of the drive. By this we are referring to a process where the actual data blocks on the drive are checked to ensure that they store data correctly. Originally this is also done when you format the drive, which is why it can take so long to format large hard disk drives.

Defragging the drive

It is also possible that your drive becomes ‘messy’ which is known as fragmentation.

Imagine your drive as a book, where information (or data) saved as files is written on the first available page (or block). When saving is complete, the file name and the page it starts on are entered into the ‘Contents’ page (or File allocation Table) of the book. The next file saved will take the next available page and so on.

However, when we wish to add more data to the first file we may require more than one page to hold the additional information. It can’t be stored on the next page as it is already used by another file. So the next available blank page is used and we must link the first page of the file to the page number that is the second page of the file.



Having a file spread over a series of ‘non-contiguous’ blocks slows the reading and writing processes. The term ‘non-contiguous blocks’ simply means a series of blocks which are not stored next to one another. This is called fragmentation.

The process of de-fragmentation refers to a tool which tries to rearrange files into contiguous blocks to improve the performance of the file system. It can be dangerous as any interruption to this process may result in data loss and corruption. Always ensure that a backup exists for a drive before running a tool to de-fragment your disk.

Summary

We have covered the three basic areas in which standard diagnostic tools are available: during the booting phase (when the operating system loads), then when using the user interface once the system is running, or manually checking the system.

Some of the diagnostic tools you have examined have been built into the hardware, such as the CMOS setup program that is located on a chip on the motherboard. Others have been log files tracing the execution of a process. Others have been executable programs run within the operating system you are using.

Whatever type of diagnostic is run, the results need to be interpreted and used to decide if any action needs to be taken to improve the system or fix identified problems.

It is important that you closely examine your operating system to find these features within it.

Research

Hardware and software support

Most hardware and operating system vendors have a website which includes a ‘Support’ section:

Microsoft: http://support.microsoft.com/. UNIX: each producer of a UNIX/LINUX operating system will provide their

own web site. Some examples are: o http://www.redhat.com/ o http://www.linux.com/

The MacIntosh family operating system resources: click on the ‘.Mac’ or the ‘Support’ links at the Apple site http://www.apple.com

Many third party websites exist for each of these operating systems. As these websites may change or come and go, searching the Internet with key terms such


http://www.apple.com/#_blank

http://www.linux.com/#_blank

http://www.redhat.com/#_blank

http://support.microsoft.com/#_blank


as the name of your operating system followed by the word ‘tutorial’ or ‘support’ or ‘help’.

System documentation

Always check that you have access to the original documentation that came with the system you are using, as it can provide some very useful information. This should consist of:

a manual for each device including the motherboard a guide to the installation of the operating system that was supplied with the

computer.

DictionariesIt is always useful to have access to a good online PC dictionary such as:http://www.webopedia.comhttp://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia

BookstoresThere are many good online book stores including:http://www.dymocks.com.au/http://www.bookware.com.au/http://www.coop-bookshop.com.au. Many book stores provide discounts to students, so remember to ask about this.

Terms

Booting

comes from the ‘Boot Strap Code’ that referred to a small piece of programming code built into computers that instructed the machine on what to do when turned on; booting now generally refers to the processes automatically attempted when power is provided to a computer

CMOS

Metal Oxide Semi-Conductor, the chip device that retains the computer’s set up configuration when it is turned off

Device

any piece of hardware attached to a computer system, normally has a corresponding piece of software called a driver


http://www.coop-bookshop.com.au/#_blank

http://www.bookware.com.au/#_blank

http://www.dymocks.com.au/#_blank

http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia#_blank

http://www.webopedia.com/#_blank


DMA channel

Direct Memory Access channel, a system resource used by some devices that are able to transfer data directly into or out of the system RAM

Driver

a piece of software written to be a ‘go-between’ for the Operating System and the hardware device, normally has a revision number or date that allows you to find updated versions of the software

FAT

File Allocation Table, normally refers to a part of a disks file system which holds the ‘table of contents’ of the drive; also the name of a file system used by Microsoft, ie FAT16 or FAT32

File System

refers to the way a storage device such as a drive or a memory stick, organised to hold files; there are many types including HFS, FAT32, NTFS and ext2

IDE

Integrated Drive Electronics, the most common, but not the only, way of attaching a hard disk to your system; the default drive interface on most PC systems; other interfaces for drives include SCSI and USB

IO address

Input/Output address; another system resource used by a device for exchanging information between the device and the operating system

IRQ

commonly referred to as an ‘Interrupt’, a number that allows a device to be identified on the motherboard’s system bus

Motherboard

the main system board of a computer, holds input/output interfaces, the CPU and the BIOS/CMOS system

RAM



Random Access Memory, main system memory

USB

Universal Serial Bus, a common interface used for connecting a range of devices to the motherboard

Activity 1: Determine problems and make recommendations

You have been called to a PC system that will not load the operating system. What diagnostic tool will you examine to help determine the problem?

The Device Manager to look for resource conflictsA drive checking tool to look for file corruption

X A POST tool to look for errors in the booting processA system information tool to check on system updates

You have been called to a PC system that will not load the operating system. When you turn it on the screen remains blank and you hear a series of beeps. You know the system has a gigabyte motherboard. What do you do?

Turn the computer off and ensure all device cables are seated correctlyCheck for the documentation that accompanied the systemVisit the manufacturer’s website and look for supporting documentation

X All of the above

You have determined that the system has suffered from a user accidentally entering the CMOS setup tool and modifying settings. What would you recommend?

Enter the CMOS tool and select ‘Restore Factory Settings’Recommend protecting the CMOS with a passwordEducate the user about the computer’s booting sequence

X All of the above



Activity 2: Understand diagnostic tools

Answer true or false for the following statement.

True False

X The purpose of booting in ‘Safe’ mode is to minimise the chances of the operating system failing through only loading core services.

Answer true or false for the following statement.

True False

X The system log will record information about which system services have started and which have failed.

Activity 3: Use diagnostic tools

A user complains that their USB memory stick is not recognised on their Windows XP system. It should appear as a disk drive in Windows Explorer. They suggest that the driver may need to be installed. What tool would you use?

CMOS/BIOS configuration tool

X Device ManagerDisk ManagerWindows Explorer

A new video card and monitor is added to a PC, but does not allow you to access the range of settings you expect. What diagnostic tools could you use to check the device?

Activity 4: Interpret results

On the computer you are sent to examine, the following information displays in the Device Manager and a properties box.


The Device Manager


Figure 1: Device Manager screen and a device properties box

Select any of the following statements that are true (click in the box):

X The Device Manager screen in the background shows no device conflicts.The system has an ‘Intel’ USB network card.

X The device properties box shows the device is currently configured correctly.The device properties box proves that the computer is working perfectly.

Activity 5: Check disk

The computer you have been sent to examine is reported to have ‘lost’ and ‘corrupted’ files on its hard disk drive. Examine the boxes shown in the screenshot below (from the computer) then answer the following question.

Figure 2: Local disk properties

The option selected for this disk check will not:

Attempt to find ‘lost’ or ‘corrupted’ files



Check the FAT entries against the contents of the driveAttempt to fix ‘lost’ or ‘corrupted’ files

X Identify a faulty hard disk drive

Check your understanding

Do you think you already have an understanding of system diagnostic tools? Try and answer the following questions to check your understanding.

Answer true or false:

True False

X A diagnostic tool will tell you what is wrong with a computer system that is malfunctioning.

The POST tool will tell you:

What operating system is installedThe software drivers of all devices are correctly installed

X The major hardware components of the system are functioningThe printer is online and working


True False

X The CPU type and speed is displayed after the POST is complete.

The system log provides information about the:

X Loading of the operating system and its servicesStatus of each device and the resources it usesCPU type and speed in MhzType and number of hard disk drives installed




True False

X A device driver is written for a specific device and a specific operating system.


True False

X A computer’s RAM is first checked by the operating system when it loads.

Tools and their functions

Drag a line from each tool to the corresponding function.

Disk Manager Checks FAT and media integrityPower On Self Test Checks keyboard is present and no keys are

stuck

BIOS/CMOS Maintains hardware configuration of the system

Device Manager Allows resources to be viewed or configured

BELOW ARE THE ANSWERS FOR THE FIRST TASK AT THE TOP OF THIS DOCUMENT



TASK 1 Use system diagnostic tools from top of document

Write an email to the HOT team giving the results of your diagnostic investigations, reasoning, and recommendations. There should be enough information in your email for the HOT team to determine the cause of the problem. You should attach screen dumps to the email where appropriate.

To the HOT TeamThe Device Manager on a customers computer says there is a problem with a missing driver for the audio card. The customers harddrive recently had a failure and was back-up from an old image from when the correct audio drivers had not been installed. My suggestions are to find the correct drivers via the “Update Drivers” option in the devices properties or the vendors website and installation of said driversCheersKremer

Write a short description of the tests you performed to localise the problem (eg to rule out the problem being a faulty set of speakers).

I tested the speakers against other computers. After finding they worked I began to check the computer for problems, starting with the volumes controls and properties and then moving to device manager.

Write a short description of the process of loading the correct audio driver and then testing the sound system for correct operation.

START>CONTROL PANEL>ADMINISTRATIVE TOOL>COMPUTER MANAGEMENT>DEVICE MANAGER>SOUND> “soundcard name” DRIVES> DRIVERS> UPDATE DRIVER> INSTALL THE SOFTWARE AUTOMATICALLY or INSTALL FROM SPECIFIC LOCATION

INSTALL FROM SPECIFIC LOCATION>type location of drivers to be installed

To test them use some applications that use sound ie Games or Media players. Test sound levels.

Diagnostics Tests from top of document

PC 1 POST results: There is no drive to boot from and no keyboard



PC 2 Operating system loading errors: The PC has not been shut down correctly with the proper proceedures either by the user or someone who uses it on the days he is not there

PC 3 Event Viewer log: There is an error with the local disk drive, it may need to be scanned for errors via Disk Check.

PC 4 Device Manager screen: The drivers for the video adaptor are missing, faulty or have not been updated.

By Ronal Sadiq


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