Summary

Chapter 11: Advanced Personal Computers 33After you have talked to the customer, you should verify the obvious issues. Issues thatapply to computer hardware include the following:■■■■■■Are all the cables to this computer tightly in their sockets?Is the power cord firmly seated at both ends?Is the cable that connects the computer to the monitor squarely seated in its socket withthe thumbscrews finger tight?Are any of the rear-panel expansion-slot covers loose so that the adapter cards couldhave loosened?Was the computer recently dropped or jarred?Are there any missing screws or signs that the computer has been tampered with?After you have verified the obvious issues, try some quick solutions to computer hardwareproblems:■■■■Check the external cables for loose connections that could cause a restart.Check the internal data and power cables for loose connections.Ensure that adapter cards and RAM are properly secured.Verify that all cooling fans are operating properly.If quick solutions did not correct the problem, it is time to gather data from the computer.Some different ways to gather information about the problem from the computer include thefollowing:■■■You cannot access Safe Mode from the startup menu.The computer boots from a Windows startup disk.You can access the hard drive.At this point, you have enough information to evaluate the problem and research and implementpossible solutions. When researching possible solutions for a problem, use the followingsources of information:■■■■■■■Problem-solving experienceOther techniciansInternet searchNewsgroupsManufacturer FAQsComputer manualsDevice manuals