SYSTEM TROUBLESHOOTING

TROUBLE-SHOOTING: this is the process of inserting a problem, so as to pin-point the real cause. To be an effective troubleshooter, you must approach the problem in an organized manner. There are five phases of troubleshooting.

•     Define the problem
•     Zero –in on the cause
•     Conduct the repair 
•     Confirm the result
•    Document the result

Defining the problem: for you to be able to tackle the snag, listen to the client and co-worker i.e. the computer user.

He/she is your source of information. Don’t assume you know.

Questions such as the following can be asked:

•  Was the computer working properly?
• When did you first notice the problem? 
• Was the computer moved recently?
• Have you made any changes to the hardware or software?
• Can you reproduce the problem?
• What does the error look like?
• Were there any error messages?
• Are there current back-up of the system and data files available?

Zero –in on the cause : this involves the process of insolating the problem the best method in this regard is to eliminate any obvious problem and work fro the simplest problem to the more complex.

Repair or replace: after locating the problem, you can either repair or replace the defect. If the problem is software related, be sure to record the “before” and “after” changes

Confirm result: no repair is complete without confirmation that the job is done. Confirmation includes two steps;

1. Make sure that the problem do no longer exist and ask the user to test the solution and confirm the client’s satisfaction
2. Make sure that the fix did not create other problems.