Troubleshooting Perspectives

As a PC troubleshooter, you might have to solve a problem on your own PC or for someone else. As a PC technician, you might fulfill four different job functions:

A PC support technician working on-site who closely interacts with users and is responsible for ongoing PC maintenance A PC service technician who goes to a customer site in response to a service call and, if possible, repairs a PC on-site.

A bench technician working in a lab environment, who perhaps does not interact with users of the PCs being repaired and is not permanently responsible for them A help-desk technician providing telephone support A PC support technician is the only one listed above who is responsible for the PC before trouble occurs and therefore can prepare for a problem by keeping good records and maintaining backups (or by teaching the user how to do so).

PC service technicians are usually not responsible for ongoing PC maintenance but can usually interact with the user. Bench technicians probably don’t work at the same site where the PC is kept. They may be able to interview the user to get information about the problem, or they may simply receive a PC to repair without being able to talk to the user.

Help-desk technicians, who do not have physical access to the PC, are at the greatest disadvantage of the four. They can only interact with users over the phone and must obviously use different tools and approaches than the technician at the PC.

Troubleshooting Tools

A number of hardware and software tools are needed to help you diagnose and repair computer problems. The tools you choose depend on the amount of money you can spend and the level of PC support you are providing.

Tools that are essential for PC troubleshooting are listed below. All but the bootable rescue disk can easily be purchased in one handy PC tool kit:

• Bootable rescue disk

• Ground bracelet and/or ground mat

• Flat-head screwdriver

• Phillips-head or cross-head screwdriver

• Tweezers for picking pieces of paper out of printers or dropped screws from tight places

• Chip extractor to remove chips (to pry up the chip; a simple screwdriver is usually more effective, however)

• Extractor, a spring- loaded device that looks like a hypodermic needle (when you push down on the top, three wire prongs come out that can be used to pick up a fallen screw, where hands and fingers can’t reach)

The following tools might not be essential, but they are very convenient:

• Multi-meter to check the power supply output

• Needle- nose pliers for holding objects in place while you screw (especially those pesky nuts on cable connectors)

• Flashlight to see inside the PC case

• AC outlet ground tester

• Small cups or bags to help keep screws organized as you work

• Antistatic bags to store unused parts

• Pen and paper for taking notes

• Diagnostic cards and diagnostic software

• Utility software

• Virus detection software on disks

Keep your tools in a toolbox designated for PC troubleshooting. If you put disks and hardware tools in the same box, don’t include a magnetized screwdriver, and be sure to keep the disks inside a plastic case.

Make sure the diagnostic and utility software you use is recommended for the hardware and software you are troubleshooting

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