Quarter 2 Week 5-6

Common Faults and Problems of

Computer

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 MODULE
Quarter 2 Common Faults and Problems of Computer
Week 5-6

What I Need to Know

1. Discuss the different reasons why computers become slow.

2. Enumerate the different steps on how to troubleshoot computers.

What Is It:
TECHNICAL TERMS

Background programs -is a computer process that runs behind the scenes and without user
intervention.
Computer troubleshooting -is the process of identifying and fixing issues with your
hardware, software or connectivity using a computer.
Windows Registry- is a hierarchical database that stores low-level settings for the Microsoft-
Windows operating system and for applications that opt to use the registry.
Power Supply Unit -converts mains AC to low-voltage regulated DC power for the internal
components of a computer.
Random Access Memory (RAM) -is a form of computer memory that can be read and
changed in any order, typically used to store working data and machine code.
Video Card -is an expansion card which generates a feed of output images to a display
device (such as a computer monitor).
Sound Card -is an internal expansion card that provides input and output of audio signals to
and from a computer under control of computer programs.
Basic Input Output System (BIOS) -is firmware used to perform hardware initialization during
the booting process (power-on startup), and to provide runtime services for operating systems
and programs.
Central Processing Unit (CPU) -is the primary component of a computer that processes
instructions.
User guide -also commonly called a technical communication document or manual, is
intended to give assistance to people using a particular system.
Hard Disk Drive (HDD) -or fixed disk is an electro-mechanical data storage device that
stores and retrieves digital data using magnetic storage and one or more rigid rapidly
rotating platters coated with magnetic material.
Ribbon cable - is a cable with many conducting wires running parallel to each other on the
same flat plane.
Compact Disc Read Only Memory (CD-ROM) - type of computer memory in the form of a
compact disc that is read by optical means.
Boot up -is the process of starting a computer.
Floppy Disc Drive (FDD) - also called FDD or FD for short, is a computer disk drive that enables
a user to save data to removable diskettes.
Reboot -the act or an instance of shutting down and restarting something (such as a computer
or program).
Device Manager -is a Control Panel applet in Microsoft Windows operating systems. It allows
users to view and control the hardware attached to the computer.
Control Panel -is a component of Microsoft Windows that provides the ability to view and
change system settings.
System Icon -is a pictogram or ideogram displayed on a computer screen in order to help the
user navigate a computer system.
Inkjet printer -is a type of computer printing that recreates a digital image by propelling
droplets of ink onto paper and plastic substrates. Inkjet printers are the most commonly used

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type of printer and range from small inexpensive consumer models to expensive professional
machines.
Deskjet printer - is a brand name for inkjet printers manufactured by Hewlett-Packard.
These printers range from small domestic to large industrial models, although the largest
models in the range have generally been dubbed DesignJet.
Printer cartridge -or inkjet cartridge is a component of an inkjet printer that contains
the ink that is deposited onto paper during printing.
Printer drivers -or a print processor is a piece of software on a computer that converts the
data to be printed to a format that a printer can understand. The purpose of printer drivers is
to allow applications to do printing without being aware of the technical details of each printer
model.
Common Faults and Problems of Computer

Today's computers have faster microprocessors, more memory and bigger hard drives.
When you think about the differences between a Pentium 4 and 386, you have to conclude the
improvement is astounding! But when error attacks our computer we have to do something for
the computers to survive. Here are some of the common faults and problems that we may
encounter:

Why computer becomes slow?

You need more memory.

Don't overlook the obvious. Up until recently not having enough
memory wasn't a problem. With the price of RAM becoming very
affordable, most people were filling their computers with more than
enough memory to do the job. If your computer is slow and it has lower
capacity of RAM, you need to add more memory to speed it up.

Spyware and viruses

Spyware. It is a software program that intentionally installed on the computer by the

user to monitor or spy on what the other user of the same computer is doing.

You do realize for them to be effective; you have to keep up to date. By up to date, it means
up to the minute.

Virus.

A software program, macro or script that has been designed to infect, destroy, modify or cause
other problems with computer or software program.

Background programs
When you install new software on your computer, often times you install it to run in the

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background every time you start up. Most times you do this without knowing it. Look at the
bottom right-hand side of your screen.

If you see several icons there, you have extra programs running and stealing resources.
Right click on these and see if you have the option of closing them. Many times, you can open
the program and choose an option to keep these programs from starting automatically.

Corrupted registry

Any changes you make to your computer effects and actually, it corrupts your registry even
when you do something positive like remove spyware and you end up with a corrupted
registry.

After months of corrupting your registry, it will become good. This will, in its early stages,
cause your computer to slow down. In its advanced stages, it will freeze and crash and do
more mysterious and troublesome things.

After I pressed the Power button...

Nothing happened

Check mains plug switched on at wall

PSU may have its own power switch - check this is on
Check PSU-to-Motherboard cable(s) are correctly connected
Check front panel power switch is correctly connected
Check Reset button is not stuck 'in'
Check mains cable fuse

There was a loud bang (possibly with smoke) at the back of

the PC Case

PSU was faulty or set to incorrect voltage for mains supply system. Replace PSU

PC is on but monitor shows no display and a sequence of beeps emits from the PC

Check fitting of CPU, RAM, Video card, sound card etc. If necessary, remove and refit these
components
Check the motherboard manual and perform a BIOS reset procedure
This may indicate a faulty motherboard

PC is on but monitor shows no display and one beep emits from the PC

Check monitor is switched on at the wall socket

Check monitor power cable is connected correctly
Check that the monitor's signal cable is connected correctly to both the PC and Monitor
Check that the monitor is switched on at its front panel
This may indicate a faulty video card

PC is on but there are no power and/or HDD lights on the PC case front panel

Check correct connection of front panel connectors to the motherboard (see motherboard
manual)
This 'may' indicate a faulty Motherboard

PC is on but HDD does not spin up

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Check power connector to HDD is properly connected
Check IDE ribbon cable is correctly connected to both Motherboard and HDD
This may indicate a faulty Hard Drive

PC is on but CD-ROM shows no lights/will not eject tray

Check power connector to CD-ROM is properly connected

Check IDE ribbon cable is correctly connected to both Motherboard and CD-ROM
This may indicate a faulty CD-ROM Drive

PC is on but the CPU fan/fans do not spin

Disconnect the power immediately to prevent damage to the CPU from overheating
Check fan power cables are correctly connected to the relevant power connector (in most
cases, a motherboard FAN connector or one of the PSU power connectors)
Disconnect the power and carefully spin the fan blades with a finger. If there is any resistance
to this movement, this may indicate a faulty fan unit

On boot up, the monitor shows corrupted display

Check seating of CPU, RAM, Video card, sound card etc. If

necessary, remove and refit these components
Check the motherboard manual and perform a BIOS reset
procedure
This may indicate a faulty Motherboard or Video card

On boot up, display shows incorrect CPU type/speed

Check the motherboard manual for the appropriate CPU jumper settings (where applicable)
Check BIOS settings for CPU type (see Motherboard Manual)
Perform a BIOS reset procedure
Perform a BIOS update (with an updated BIOS, the Motherboard may support your CPU)
This may indicate a faulty/old motherboard

On boot up, display shows incorrect RAM total

Check correct seating of Memory Modules in slots

In cases of two or more modules, this may indicate a faulty module
This may indicate a faulty/old motherboard

On boot up, display shows - FDD/Keyboard/Mouse not found (or similar)

Check correct connection of device described, In the case of the FDD, check its ribbon and
power connections
Check that the BIOS is configured correctly for the device described
This may indicate a fault with the described device or Motherboard

The monitor shows no picture

Is the power light on?

Are the cables plugged in?
Check brightness and contrast settings.
Swap the monitor with another one, reboot the machine and see if it works. If the computer
works, the monitor has probably gone bad. If it still fails to work, something in the CPU
perhaps a video card has gone bad.

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Computer displays limited colors.

Check display options for the monitor usually under control panel under the display icon.
Select at least 256 colors for standard display. If you had 16 colors selected, this may be why
your screen displays limited colors. Some programs such as FastCat require you to set
display settings to 256 colors.

Signs of Video Display Troubles

If your screen is completely white or gray and you hear buzzing noises, this could
indicate video card troubles. Before you panic, make sure all cables are secured from monitor
to CPU. Try using another power cord for the monitor to see if this may be the problem.

If screen appears distorted around the edges and the color does not look right, you may
have incorrect display adapters. Select Start, Settings, and Control Panel. Double click on
System Icon and select Device Manager. You will see a listing of devices. Double click on
Display adapters to view the type. If there is a yellow exclamation point next to device, there
is a conflict. To view conflicts for a certain device, click on the device, select properties, and
select the general tab. There should be a description of the device and why it is not working
properly.

Printer Does Not Print.

Are all cables connected and is the printer turned on?

Is the printer online?
Is there paper in the tray?
Is the printer an Inkjet/Deskjet or a Laserjet?
If it's an inkjet, is the ink cartridge out of ink. Remove cartridge, hold up to light or gently
shake it to see if it is empty.

Things to Try...

Do you have correct print drivers installed? Find print drivers under Device Manager.

Check to be sure you have correct print drivers installed. Double click on System Icon and
select Device Manager. You will see a listing of devices. Double click on the Ports button to
view the type. If there is a yellow exclamation point next to device, there is a conflict.

What I Can Do:

Activity 1
Use a separate sheet of paper in answering.

1. Enumerate the different materials needed in the configuration task.

Activity 2
Name the different Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) used in configuration task.

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Assessment:
MULTIPLE CHOICE:

Directions: Write the letter of the correct answer. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering.

1. It is the process of identifying and fixing issues with your hardware, software or connectivity
using a computer.
A. Computer Maintenance B. Computer Troubleshooting C. Fixing D. Repair

2. What do you call this form of computer memory that can be read and changed in any order,
typically used to store working data and machine code.
A. CPU B. Optical Drive C. RAM D. Video Card

3. It is a computer process that runs behind the scenes and without user intervention.
A. Antivirus B. Background program C. Computer virus D. Firewall

4. It is commonly called a technical communication document or manual and is intended to

give assistance to people using a particular system.
A. Document B. Text File C. Handbook D. User guide

5. What do you call this process of starting a computer?

A. Boot up B. Restart C. Reset D. Turn-off

6. It is a component of Microsoft Windows that provides the ability to view and change system
settings.
A. Control Panel B. Device manager C. Home screen D. Task bar

7. It is a print processor piece of software on a computer that converts the data to be printed
to a format that a printer can understand.
A. Documents B. Manual C. Printer drivers D. Reference

8. What do you call this Control Panel applet in Microsoft Windows operating systems that
allows users to view and control the hardware attached to the computer?
A. Control panel B. Device manager C. Icon D. Taskbar

9. This firmware is used to perform hardware initialization during the booting process (power-
on startup), and to provide runtime services for operating systems and programs.
BIOS B. CPU C. Expansion slut D. North Bridge Chip set

10. It is a hierarchical database that stores low-level settings for the Microsoft Windows
operating system and for applications that opt to use the registry.
A. Computer Document B. Computer Program C. Windows Registry D. Computer
Software

11. What do you call this computer hardware that converts mains AC to low voltage regulated
DC power for the internal components of a computer?
A. Ethernet cable B. Network Adapter C. Power cable D. Power Supply Unit

12. It is a an expansion card which generates a feed of output images to a display device (such
as a computer monitor).
A. LAN Card B. Hard Disc Drive C. Optical Drive D. Video Card

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13. What do you call this or fixed disk or an electro-mechanical data storage device that stores
and retrieves digital data using magnetic storage and one or more rigid rapidly rotating
platters coated with magnetic material?
A. Computer peripheral B. HDD C. Optical Drive D. Network Interface Card

14. What do you call this pictogram or ideogram displayed on a computer screen to help the
user navigate a computer system?
A. Computer Document B. Home screen C. System Icon D. Task bar

15. What do you call this type of computer printer that recreates a digital image by propelling
droplets of ink onto paper and plastic substrates.
A. Deskjet printer B. Inkjet printer C. Laser printer D. Toner

16. What is this internal expansion card that provides input and output of audio signals to and
from a computer under control of computer programs?
A. LAN Card B. HDD C. Network Interface Card D. Sound Card

17. What do you call this software program that intentionally installed on the computer by the
user to monitor or spy on what the other user of the same computer is doing?
A. Computer program B. Software C. Spyware D. Viruses

18. It is the primary component of a computer that processes instructions.

A. CPU B. Expansion Card C. HDD D. RAM

19. The act or an instance of shutting down and restarting something (such as a computer or
program).
A. Reboot B. Re-fresh C. Re-wind D. Shut down

20. It is a software program, macro or script that has been designed to infect, destroy, modify
or cause other problems with computer or software program.
A. Anti-virus B. AVG C. Spyware D. Viruses

References:

McLaughlin,Robert, Sasser,Susan, Ralston,Mary.Fix Your Own PC.Philippine Graphic Arts, Inc Tandang
Sora St.Caloocan City
Meralco Faoundation. Microcomputer Servicing Plus. Pasig City, Philippines.
Legaspi,Carlos, Caiña, Mark Anthony. Operate A Personal Computer. Dasmariñas Computer Learning
Center.Dasmariñas,Cavite, Philippines
Bigelow,Stephen J. PC Technician’s Troubleshooting ,McGaw Hill
www.helpwithpcs.com
http://en.wikipedia.org
www.techsoup.org
www.howstuffworks.com
www.microsoft.com/technet/network