Hardware fault diagnosis. Step-by-step diagnostics of PC problems. System Administrator. Remote administration

Most users work carefree on the computer and do not think about the fact that at some point the computer may turn off and not turn on at all. And quite often a problem arises - a newly assembled or updated computer does not turn on. And it's even worse if the computer suddenly stops working. In this case, the main thing is to correctly identify the breakdown. After all, repairs may not be needed.

Why and why?

First, it’s worth understanding the reasons that can cause this phenomenon. As you know, both dust and unfavorable climatic conditions worsen the condition of PC components. Accordingly, failure of iron can be caused by oxidation of contacts, dust (and therefore static electricity) on microcircuits and connectors, or their overheating. Overheating can also be caused by poor cooling.

Also, all these horrors can also be the result of a power surge, instability of the power supply, as well as improper grounding. The first thing we can recommend here is to use surge protectors, UPS and computer grounding. But remember - it is better not to ground the computer at all than to ground it incorrectly. First, ground the PC case and modem with telephone line need to be separately. You should not ground the housing to the heating battery, since your neighbors can ground, for example, a refrigerator to the same riser, washing machine or a hammer drill. In this case, this “ground” will already become a phase with a potential difference. It is not advisable to ground several devices to one ground at the same time. By the way, this is why it is not recommended to connect household appliances into one network filter with a computer, but a monitor, printer and system unit It is better to power it from one surge protector.

A good fireworks display from microcircuits can also be caused by shorting a wire or getting power to the ground contact. Therefore, it is always worth monitoring the quality of cable connections and their condition.

Typical problems

Well, if a problem has happened, you will have to diagnose it. So, let's begin. First, let's give some useful statistics to roughly know where a dog might be buried.

If the computer is in a state of clinical death, then, first of all, you need to do an autopsy and try to find the characteristic burning smell and find out where it comes from. If it is not there, then it is worth checking the reliability of the power connection. If the check does not help, then you should turn on the PC and check whether the fans of the power supply unit (PSU), case and processor cooler are spinning (at the same time, check the cooler mounting). If they do not spin and the hard drive does not make the characteristic sound of spindle spinning, then the power supply has failed. The presence of voltage at its output can be checked with a tester by measuring the voltage value at the contacts of the system board in the place where the power wiring harness is connected to the power supply. It is worth connecting a new power supply and checking the integrity of the remaining components. First, they need to be visually inspected for the presence of burnt elements.

Despite the fact that the work monitor breaks quite rarely, it is worth checking whether signals are being supplied to it from the video adapter. To do this, use an oscilloscope on pins 10 and 13 (ground and sync, respectively) of the 15-pin D-Sub connector of the video adapter inserted into the motherboard to check the presence of operating signals.

To make it easier to find a faulty component, I will give the most common symptoms of breakdowns of various equipment. When a processor fails, most often traces of burning are visible on its legs.

The most common failure on motherboards is the failure of discrete elements, especially capacitors in the VRM (Voltage Regulation Module, which is an LC filter). And this block itself can burn out. Often, electrolytic capacitors simply swell, requiring replacement. Another common issue is the “knocking out” of transistors in the area of the north bridge, memory modules and VRMs. They can be identified by burnt legs and darkening in this area. There are also failures of clock generators and delay lines, as well as burnout of ports.

Also sometimes encountered is a broken contact on the board. This may be caused by the expansion card not being placed completely in the slot, the board being bent, the contacts on the back of the board being shorted to the case, or the wires running from the power supply to the motherboard being insufficiently long.

The most vulnerable point in hard drives is an overheated controller and IDE connector. A burnt-out controller can be identified by darkening near its mounting points. Overheating of the microcircuit also leads to deterioration of the contact between the HDD controller and the HDA. Mechanical problems with the hard drive engine can be determined by the strong vibration of the HDD case when the disks rotate. Massive problems were noticed with IBM DTLA and Ericsson series drives (70GXP and 60GXP), Maxtor 541DX, Quantum Fireball 3, Fujitsu MPG series.

In CD drives, the optical-mechanical part most often fails. In particular, the mechanism for laser positioning and disc detection. As a rule, such a breakdown is caused by a malfunction of the MCU (system control microprocessor), which generates control signals, as well as the laser reader motor driver, which is responsible for the excitation signal. To check them, it is necessary to measure the output signals at the corresponding contacts of the MSU. A characteristic symptom of a malfunctioning MSU is the lack of movement of the laser reader when the power is initially turned on. In floppy drives, mechanical failures most often occur due to the lifting and clamping of the floppy disk.

Software and hardware diagnostics

If all of the above did not help determine the breakdown, then you will have to move on to software and hardware diagnostics. And in order for it to be successful, you need to know exactly what the order of turning on PC devices is.

So, let's look at the order in which the computer boots.

After turning on the power, the power supply performs a self-test. If all output voltages correspond to the required ones, the power supply issues a Power_Good (P_G) signal to the motherboard on pin 8 of the 20-pin connector ATX power supply. About 0.1-0.5 s passes between turning on the PC and sending a signal.
The timer chip receives the P_G signal and stops generating the signal supplied to the microprocessor initial installation Reset. If the processor is faulty, the system freezes.
If the CPU is alive, then it begins to execute the code written in the ROM BIOS at address FFFF0h (the address of the system reboot program). This address contains the JMP unconditional jump command to the start address of the system boot program through a specific BIOS ROM (usually address F0000h).
Execution of specific ROM BIOS code begins. The BIOS begins checking system components for functionality (POST - Power On Self Test). If an error is detected, the system will beep because the video adapter has not yet been initialized. The chipset and DMA are checked and initialized, and a memory capacity test is performed. If the memory modules are not fully inserted or some memory banks are damaged, then either the system freezes or long, repeating beeps sound from the system speaker.
The BIOS image is unzipped into RAM for more quick access to the BIOS code.
The keyboard controller is initialized.
The BIOS scans the memory addresses of the video adapter, starting with C0000h and ending with C7800h. If the BIOS of the video adapter is found, the checksum (CRC) of its code is checked. If the CRCs match, then control is transferred to the Video BIOS, which initializes the video adapter and displays information about the Video BIOS version. If the checksum does not match, the message “C000 ROM Error” is displayed. If Video BIOS is not found, then the driver written in the BIOS ROM is used, which initializes the video card.
ROM BIOS scans the memory space starting from the C8000h looking for the BIOS of other devices such as network cards and SCSI adapters, and their checksum is checked.
The BIOS checks the value of the word at address 0472h to determine whether it should boot hot or cold. If the word 1234h is written to this address, then the POST procedure is not performed and a “hot” boot occurs.
In case of cold boot, POST is performed. The processor is initialized, information about its make, model, etc. is displayed. One short signal is issued.
RTC (Real Time Clock) is tested.
Determining the CPU frequency, checking the type of video adapter (including built-in).
Testing standard and extended memory.
Assign resources to all ISA devices.
Initializing the IDE controller. If a 40-pin cable is used to connect ATA/100 HDD, a corresponding message will appear.
Initialization of the FDC controller.
ROM BIOS looks for the system floppy disk or MBR hard drive and reads sector 1 on track 0 of side 0, copies this sector to address 7C00h. Next, this sector is checked: if it ends with the signature 55AAh, then the MBR looks through the Partition Table and looks for the active partition, and then tries to boot from it. If the first sector ends with any other signature, then the Int 18h interrupt is called and the message “DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER” or “Non-system disk or disk error” is displayed on the screen.

In general, that's all. As for the last point, the errors indicated in it indicate a malfunction of the hard drive (software or hardware). Now all you have to do is identify at what point your computer stops working. If this occurs before messages appear on the monitor, the malfunction can be determined by sound signals. The most common sound signals are shown in the table.

It is worth noting that the sound signals may differ from those shown above due to differences in BIOS versions. If the sound signals do not help determine the malfunction, then you can only rely on hardware diagnostics. It is produced by several means.

Hardware diagnostics

The first remedy is very banal, but quite effective. The operation of individual units can be checked by touching them with your hand to check their heating. After turning on for a minute, the chipset, processor, memory chips and video card units should warm up. If they seem warm, then this is enough to at least conclude that power is being supplied to these elements. With a high degree of probability they should turn out to be workers.

The second remedy is more scientific and requires some engineering training. It consists of measuring potentials on various elements. For this you need a tester and an oscilloscope. It is advisable to have a motherboard layout map as it is multi-layered and the signal path is not so obvious. It is worth starting measurements with the power elements of the input circuits and stabilizing and shunt capacitors, checking the presence of +3.3 and +5 V in the corresponding places of the motherboard, and the operation of the clock generators. After this, it is worth checking for the presence of standard signals at the processor socket pins. Next, check for signals in the slots and ports. The last thing you should do is deal with the logical elements (although repairing them often turns out to be unwise). To do this, you will need knowledge of the layout of ports and slots. This information is given in tables.

The third and final diagnostic tool is professional diagnostic hardware. These include the use of diagnostic cards of the DP-1 type and the PC-3000 complex, created by the ROSC company. The diagnostic board is installed in a free slot on the motherboard, and after turning on the PC, its indicator displays an error code in hexadecimal form. The use of such a board significantly increases the likelihood of fault localization. The use of DP-1 is designed for the correct operation of the processor, and the CPU rarely fails.

On this moment in Russia, diagnostic cards, test ROM BIOS and other diagnostic tools are produced by ACE Laboratory.

When doing hardware diagnostics, you should keep in mind that in most cases only one device fails, and the easiest way to identify it is to replace it with a similar one that is guaranteed to work.

Regarding power supplies and peripheral devices, then diagnosing faults in them is a topic for a separate discussion, but a number of tips can be given regarding monitors. Quite often, the intermediate horizontal transformer, connected between the pre-terminal and output horizontal transistor, fails. Its main malfunction, as a rule, is a short circuit of the turns. This transformer is part of the high-voltage horizontal scanning unit. This high voltage fed to the CRT. Therefore, often the absence of a glow on the screen and the absence of a raster indicate the absence of high voltage. Typically, a vertical line on the screen also indicates a line scan unit failure. You can check for high voltage on the CRT by running your hand over the surface of the screen. If high voltage is applied, you should feel some vibration or static crackling.

Software diagnostics

If your computer still turns on, but is unstable, freezes when loading, “falls out” in blue screen, then this is most often a consequence of overclocking, local overheating or “glitchy” memory, as well as errors in the HDD (these include “Windows crashes”).

The stability of their operation can be checked under DOS by booting from a system floppy disk or disk. To do this, you should use the utilities CheckIT, PC Doctor, Memtest 86, Stress Linux, Norton Diagnostics, The Troubleshooter. For professional testing and HDD recovery, you should use HDDUtility and MHDD, but they only work correctly under MS-DOS 6.22. The first thing you need to do with them is check the SMART attributes HDD status. You can also use Norton Disk Doctor to diagnose, check and mark bad sectors.

It should be remembered that a full hardware test can only be performed under Windows, testing the stability of operation in burn-in tests for at least 24 hours. Among such tests are CPU Hi-t Professional Edition, CPU Stability Test, Bionic CPU Keeper, CPU Burn, Hot CPU Tester Pro, HD_Speed, DiskSpeed 32, MemTest.

In general, as you know, it is much easier to prevent an event than to correct its consequences, so it is much easier to regularly (at least once every few weeks) monitor the parameters of the voltages produced by the power supply, look at the SMART parameters of the HDD (Active SMART, SMARTVision, SMART Disk programs Monitor), study the processor temperature, check for good cooling and lack extraneous sounds. It would also be a good idea to lubricate the fans with machine oil at least once every six months.

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Introduction

1. Types of diagnostics

2. Diagnosis using software

3. Sound (acoustic) error messages

4. Error messages in ROM-BIOS

5. Hardware diagnostics

Conclusion

Bibliography

Application

INTRODUCTION

Any PC owner, regardless of experience, encounters malfunctions in the operation of their machine, and needs to diagnose computer problems. The reasons for computer failure are divided into two groups: software and hardware.

Proper computer diagnostics allows you to assign a fault to the correct category. This stage can be compared to a visit to the doctor, when, after examination and tests, the correct diagnosis is made. So diagnostics and computer repair are inextricably linked: you cannot immediately begin repairs without skipping the first stage.

Relevance of diagnostics personal computer is that computers have been part of our lives for quite some time. They changed the world and human capabilities. Many programs have appeared that over time do not work correctly, and even fail, and therefore cannot be avoided without repair.

1. KINDSDIAGNOSTICS

There are two types of personal computer diagnostics: software diagnostics and hardware diagnostics.

Software diagnostics

This diagnostic of computer or laptop malfunctions will identify the causes incorrect operation devices. It will help you find out why the operating system stopped working correctly:

Sh suffered from a virus attack

The hard drive has failed

Ш absence in Windows folder files

Depending on the task, computer system diagnostics include:

Ш computer diagnostics for viruses;

Sh automatic search malfunctions in the system;

Ш check system files;

Sh hard check disk for system errors.

Computer health diagnostic software can help identify problems if:

The PC operation is interrupted;

Ш OS slows down;

The program settings have gone wrong;

Some applications do not work correctly;

There is no picture or sound - diagnostics of computer devices;

The data is not saved.

Hardware diagnostics computer

If a software error is excluded, the computer or laptop hardware is diagnosed. The procedure requires the use of special equipment. The so-called computer hardware diagnostics helps determine the location of the fault: in the power supply or another component. Hardware diagnostics of a computer includes conducting various tests (diagnostics of computer memory, motherboard, diagnostics of computer temperature, decoding of signals supplied by the BIOS system).

Table 1. "Fault and cause of PC malfunction"

Malfunction	Cause
The computer does not turn on (there are no signs of life when you press the power button, the power indicators are not lit)	power supply is faulty
	faulty motherboard
	processor is faulty
	short circuit
The computer turns off by itself	The computer is dirty and needs cleaning
	cooling system malfunctions
	video card malfunction
	motherboard malfunction
No picture, computer turns on	video card is faulty
	motherboard is faulty
The computer does not turn on after liquid gets into it	corrosion of radio elements of the motherboard
	faulty power circuits
	microcircuits of component boards are faulty
USB ports don't work	motherboard is faulty
	lost their way BIOS settings
Time and system settings are reset	The battery on the motherboard is faulty
	BIOS problem on motherboard
The computer turns on but does not boot operating system to end	corruption of the operating system directory structure
	computer hard drive is faulty
No sound	faulty sound card or audio jack
	motherboard is faulty
	drivers are installed incorrectly
Wi-fi or LAN (network) does not work	The wi-fi module or network card is faulty
	The device driver is not installed correctly
Beeps when turned on	video card is faulty
	RAM is faulty
	motherboard is faulty

2. DIAGNOSTICSWITHPWITH HELPSOFTWARESECURITY

Analyzing Windows Before putting things in order, you need to get an idea of the scale of the chaos happening on your PC. To do this, press the "Win+R" keys and enter the command "perfmon /report". Windows will start performance monitoring and provide a list of system health indicators. At the very beginning, errors will be highlighted in red - for example, non-functioning devices or system services that take too long to respond. If there are a lot of these markings, tackle those issues first, solving them with our cleaning tips. Green entries indicate that Windows is normal, but often there is still a lot of room for perfect cleanliness.

Cleaning up startup: excess programs in the startup folder slows down Windows startup. To view the processes taking place in background, you need to turn to external analysis utilities, such as Autoruns. This program checks the system and displays running applications, loaded drivers and running services. You will find the information necessary to optimize startup on the "Logon" tab. Unlike Windows' native "msconfig" function, Autoruns provides a description of the program and, if possible, the name of its developer. This way, if you encounter an unfamiliar service, you can decide whether to disable it or leave it alone.

Cleaning out the "garbage" from using ccleaner. Windows accumulates a lot of data that has become unnecessary. Although their inhibitory effect in the “seven” and “eight” is no longer as great as in Windows times 95, it’s worth removing them from time to time, if only to clear up space, which is always lacking on solid-state drives. Our choice fell on CCleaner utility, since it not only deletes temporary files and cache in Windows, but also deliberately deals with memory “eaters” among installed programs. The latest (fourth) version even removes the Photoshop installation process cache. To do this, on the left side of the Cleanup screen, simply select the Windows items and programs you want to clean. Now click on the "Analyze" button. CCleaner will check the sections you select for the presence of digital junk and create a visual list of results. Clicking the "Cleanup" button will start the process. If cleaning with CCleaner left you wanting more, you can continue with the CCEnhancer extension. This utility adds to CCleaner 500 additional features cleaning for other programs. In addition, once a year you should review installed applications and delete unnecessary ones. This can be done either through the Panel Windows management, or using special program-- for example, RevoUninstaller.

If an error is detected, before you begin diagnosing the PC hardware, you should try to identify and localize the error using special software tests. Most often we are talking about incorrect installation or defects identified using software. Typical examples of such situations are interrupt conflicts that lead to hangs. external device. There are a large number of programs that diagnose a computer, “treat” it and provide assistance with repairs.

ProgramPassMarkBurnInTest- a program for testing a computer's "strength". BurnInTest tests the stability and reliability of a PC, synchronously distributing the load across all subsystems, allowing you to check processor speed, random access memory, hard drives, CD/DVD drives, sound and video cards, printers, network connections. BurnInTest continuously recreates extreme conditions for all computer hardware components.

ASTRA32--AdvancedSystem(AdvancedSystemInformationTool) - a program for diagnosing and determining the configuration of a computer. Provides a detailed report that includes complete information about the computer's hardware and operating modes, including undocumented data. ASTRA32 can be controlled via the command line and supports reporting.

HardDriveInspector-- a powerful, convenient and effective program designed to monitor the status of hard drives. Using S.M.A.R.T. technology, the program notifies the user in advance of an impending disk failure, which helps prevent the loss of information stored on it.

DiagnosticsDirectX- Another great tool for diagnosing the health of your computer is called the DirectX Diagnostic Tool. This program Displays information about MicrosoftDirectX interface components and drivers. The program allows you to check the operation of your audio and video card, as well as establish communication with multimedia services. You can also use the diagnostic tool to disable some hardware acceleration features. To launch the DirectX Diagnostic Tool, press the key combination and enter the dxdiag command in the request field.

HDDlifePro is an easy-to-use program that will allow you to monitor the health and performance of your hard drive. Just run the program and it will show a list of your drives, indicating the health and life of the drives, as well as the temperature. HDDlifePro can work in the background, regularly monitoring drives. Now works in Windows VISTA!

AceUtilities-- a set of advanced utilities to optimize your computer. The program allows you to display full list downloadable components, clean the registry and remove unnecessary files from the disk. Also with AceUtilities you can find duplicate files, remove logs and broken links.

AuslogicsSystemInformation- will allow you to get all the information about your system, find out what devices are installed and how well they function, get data about installed programs and system modules. The program allows you to create detailed reports in different formats and has a simple and user-friendly interface. SystemInformation is the most convenient way to find out the whole truth about the system, processor, video card and motherboard.

AnVirTaskManager-- free system utility, which allows you to control everything that is running on your computer, and also offers other convenient tools for configuring your computer.

3. SOUND(ACOUSTIC)MESSAGESABOUTERRORS

And so, software diagnostics of a computer can be performed only if a certain part of its vital components is operational. Otherwise, the only option is to use some special software and hardware - diagnostic kits, which can most often determine the cause of the malfunction.

Table 2. IBM BIOS error beeps

Length and number of beeps from the speaker	Signal value (fault)
1 short	Normal completion of POST, everything is OK.
2 short	The error code is related to the monitor
No beeps
Continuous beep	Power supply, motherboard
Repeated short beeps	Power supply, motherboard
1 long, 1 short	Motherboard
1 long, 2 short	Display adapter (MDA, CGA)
1 long, 3 short	Display adapter (EGA)

It must be said that the POST (PowerOnSelfTest) procedure, generally speaking, can inform you about how the computer is being diagnosed in three ways: different ways: beeps, messages on the display and output of hexadecimal codes to a specific I/O port. Of these three methods, the least known is the last one, but it is on this that most diagnostic boards and kits are based. As you know, signaling with sound signals is carried out through a computer speaker with a sequence of short and long beeps.

Table 2 shows some beep codes specific to IBM ROM BIOS. It must be said that the corresponding ROM BIOS Phoenix and AMI codes are much more numerous and, of course, can report the error that occurred in more detail.

Table 3. Sound error signals in BIOS AMI and Phoenix

		Meanings of beeps
1 short	1 short	Before the video test everything is OK.
		Processor failure. Error in CMOS RAM operation
		Error in ROM BIOS operation
		Programmable timer failure
		Error in DMA chips
		Error in the first 64 KB of random access memory (RAM)
		DMA managed chip failure
		Error in the interrupt controller
		Keyboard controller error
		Virtual mode error
		Screen initialization error
		Video test failure

As for displaying messages on the display, it is obvious that such an operation is only possible if the video subsystem and a number of other computer components are in perfect order. Typically such a message consists of digital code and a short comment.

Materials were used from the books “IBM PC device, repair, modernization” by A.E. Borzenko and “IBM PC for the user” by V.E. Figurnov

4. MESSAGESABOUTERRORSINROM-BIOS

Table 4. Some text messages AMI-BIOS error messages

Error message
AddressLineShort	Short circuit address bus	Replace all the boards one by one, otherwise there is an error in the motherboard
	First hard drive error	Although the BIOS finds the hard drive, it cannot access it; check the corresponding connectors; correct CMOS Setup parameters
From: DriveFailure	Failure of the first hard drive	No signs of the first one's life; check the connectors; hard drive, there may be synchronization problems with the second hard drive
CD-2 Timer-Error	Timer 2 fault	Replace the corresponding chip
CMOS BatteryStateLow	Low battery	Install external battery
CMOS ChecksumFailure	Error in CMOS RAM	Make configuration changes to CMOS, if this does not help, install an external battery or replace the 80C206 element
CMOS Display Tour	The CMOS input of the video card is not configured	Make changes in CMOS Setup; switch the jumper on the motherboard
CMOS MemorySizeMissmatsch	POST detected PC memory capacity different from that specified in CMOS SETUP	Insert a memory element or change the CMOS setting
CMOS System Option not set	Error in CMOS RAM	The appropriate configuration values are not set; check and make changes if necessary
	Second hard drive error	Although the BIOS finds the hard drive, it cannot access it; check the corresponding connectors;
	Malfunction of the second hard drive	No signs of life; second check the connectors; hard drive, there may be synchronization problems with the first hard drive
FDD ControllerFailure	FDD controller malfunction	FDD controller missing or faulty
HDD ControllerFailure	HDD controller malfunction	HDD controller is missing or faulty
	First interrupt controller error
	Second interrupt controller error	Expansion board is disconnected; element 80С206 may be faulty, replace it
KB/interfacesError	Keyboard interface error	Problem with keyboard connector or keyboard BIOS error
	Keyboard error	The keyboard is not connected or there is no data coming out of it

To view errors according to Table 4, you need a computer with installed video card and a monitor.

For acoustic diagnostics of errors in Table 2-3, it is necessary that a speaker is connected to the motherboard; it must be connected to the connector marked SPEAKER or SPK, a video card must also be installed, and connecting a monitor is optional.

If the video card is missing, the speaker will emit eight beeps. Acoustic error messages usually indicate motherboard errors.

5. HARDWARE ROOMDIAGNOSTICS

1. No signs of life

If the computer does not respond in any way when you press the power button, you should first check the power supply or the button itself. We will help you localize the problem.

1.1. Visual inspection.

First of all, check that the power cord is well connected and that the surge protector is turned on. It is possible that the power supply button on the back of the computer is in the “Off” position.

1.2. Housing connectors.

Open the PC case and check that the connectors are securely connected and that the cable is not damaged in the area between the switches and LEDs of the case and motherboard- perhaps some connector has come loose from the plug. If one or more cables are disconnected, open your motherboard manual and check to see if the cables are properly connected to the plugs.

1.3. Power button.

If the case connectors are connected correctly or reconnecting them does not bring results, disconnect all connectors from the motherboard. Then short the two contacts labeled "PowerSwitch" using a paperclip. If the computer turns on, there are two possible options. The first is a faulty power button on the case. In this case, you need to connect both connectors labeled "ResetSwitch" to the contacts labeled "PowerSwitch" on the motherboard. From this moment on, the PC will be turned on using the reset button, and the power button will no longer perform its function. Another reason for such a malfunction may be a short circuit in the reset button: a regular button in this case will not work, and starting the PC will only be possible by shorting two contacts on the motherboard. This assumption will be confirmed by the ability to start a PC with the reset button disabled. In this case, leave the power button connected and disconnect the reset button. After all these steps, your PC will most likely turn on again without any problems. If even when using an office paper clip the computer refuses to “start”, then you should check the power system.

1.4. Motherboard power supply.

Check that all power supply connectors are correctly connected to the motherboard. We are talking not only about a wide ATX connector with 24 pins, but also an additional four-pin P4 connector for powering the processor.

1.5. Power unit.

Next, you need to exclude the possibility of failure of the power supply. To do this, connect a working power supply to the PC - for example, from a second computer. Connect the 24-pin ATX connector and the four- or eight-pin P4 connector of the working computer to the motherboard of the faulty PC and try to start it. If after this it turns on, then the whole problem is in the power supply, which will need to be replaced.

1.6. Motherboard.

If all the measures described above did not help, then most likely the motherboard has failed, which is best replaced, since repairs not covered by warranty are usually not worth it. One way or another, replacing the motherboard means complete disassembly and assembling your PC. But it is recommended to proceed with this procedure only if other possible malfunctions have been excluded.

2. PC works, but no image

After turning on, the screen remains black, although the power supply, CPU and video card fans are running and the LEDs on the motherboard are lit.

2.1.Checking the monitor.

The first thing you need to do is rule out a trivial malfunction by answering the question: does the monitor turn on? If not, there may be a power problem: the cable is unplugged from the display or wall outlet, or the screen has a switch that is set to the off position. If the monitor turns on, open the OSD menu and check if the input source is selected correctly (VGA/D-Sub, DVI, HDMI)

2.2. Sound and light signals.

If the monitor is not receiving an image signal, the motherboard will often let you know by sending beeps or lights to help you figure out what the problem is. Consult your motherboard manual to determine what the signals mean. One of the typical defects reported in this way may be faulty or incorrectly installed RAM modules, which the motherboard, depending on the model, warns about with sound signal or burning LED lamps.

2.3.Reboot button.

A short circuit in the reset button may also be the cause of these symptoms. Perform the check (point 1.3).

Sometimes the cause of such startup problems can be incorrect BIOS settings. To reset the BIOS settings, locate the Clear CMOS jumper on the motherboard. We are talking about three contacts, two of which are connected by a jumper. Remember the initial position of the jumper, then pull it out and connect another pair of contacts with it, wait at least ten seconds. After this, set it back to its original position. If the system board has a reset button, press it. If the computer turns on, check the BIOS settings. In most cases, you need to select the correct operating mode of the SATA controller, which, starting with Windows XP, is “AHCI” rather than “IDE”. After this, the problem should disappear. One of possible reasons Lost BIOS settings may be due to a dead battery on the system board - this will be discussed in paragraph 3.1

2.5.RAM.

Most motherboards indicate faulty memory using sound or light (LED) signals (see paragraph 2.2). However, we recommend checking the functionality of the RAM modules without waiting for a warning signal. The computer must have at least two modules installed - remove one and try to boot the computer with it. If the PC does not turn on with this module, try starting the system with another module installed. If the computer starts with only one memory module, this usually means that the other one is faulty.

2.6. Video card.

Among PC components, the problem should first of all be looked for in the source of the image signal - the graphics card. If your computer has an integrated graphics card, remove the discrete card and test the system with the integrated GPU. Otherwise, check if the PC works with a different graphics card. If yes, then your discrete or integrated video card is faulty.

2.7.Processor.

A faulty processor can also be the reason why the computer works but does not produce an image signal. Therefore, if possible, test the performance of your PC with another compatible processor before the next very difficult step.

2.8.Motherboard.

Since all other possible sources of problems have now been ruled out, the last “suspect” remains the motherboard. The problem here could be, for example, in the CMOS chip in which the BIOS is stored, or in the PCIe bus to which the video cards are connected. Troubleshooting in most cases does not pay off, so the best solution will immediately replace the motherboard.

Currently in Russia, diagnostic cards, test ROM BIOS and other diagnostic tools are produced by ACE Laboratory.

When doing hardware diagnostics, you should keep in mind that in most cases only one device fails, and the easiest way to identify it is to replace it with a similar one that is guaranteed to work.

As for power supplies and peripheral devices, diagnosing faults in them is a topic for a separate discussion, but regarding monitors, a number of tips can be given. Quite often, the intermediate horizontal transformer, connected between the pre-terminal and output horizontal transistor, fails. Its main malfunction, as a rule, is a short circuit of the turns. This transformer is part of the high-voltage horizontal scanning unit. This high voltage is applied to the CRT. Therefore, often the absence of a glow on the screen and the absence of a raster indicate the absence of high voltage. Typically, a vertical line on the screen also indicates a line scan unit failure. You can check for high voltage on the CRT by running your hand over the surface of the screen. If high voltage is applied, you should feel some vibration or static crackling.

Diagnostics malfunctions NGMD(drive on flexible magnetic disks

Before diagnosing a faulty float drive, make sure that you have tried all the express means available to the user, namely: check the installation of the controller board in the system board slot, the correctness and reliability of the cable connection of the controller board with the float drive, the presence of supply voltage +5 V and +12 V in the NGMD.

Make maximum use of audible and visual error indications. For example, if an error appears when starting a PC, then in the case of a faulty float drive, one short signal sounds and a system error code lights up on the display:

Code 6ХХ, for example: code 601 - the diskette is faulty (Diskette error) or controller board, cable, disk drive;

Code 602 -- error reading boot record (Diskette Boot Record error);

Code 606 - a malfunction in the design of the disk drive or on the float drive controller board;

Code 607 - the disk is write protected, the disk is inserted incorrectly, the disk write protection switch is bad, there is a malfunction in the analog part of the electronic board of the float drive;

Code 608 -- GMD is faulty;

Code 611-613 -- a malfunction on the drive controller board or in the drive data cable;

Code 621-626 - a malfunction in the drive design.

diagnostics computer error

CONCLUSION

No computer is guaranteed against failure. Crashes, stoppages, reboots and other examples of inexplicable behavior of a personal computer (PC) have become part of everyday life. Until now, Windows has not been freed from many potential causes for trouble. Old programs leave behind unnecessary files and items in the system registry when uninstalled, shared files are lost when transferred by corrupted programs, and increased disk fragmentation reduces performance.

In this work, I described software and hardware diagnostics of the computer and various computer errors.

The most common mistakes are:

1. Processor malfunction.

2. HDD controller malfunction.

3. Keyboard malfunction.

4. Malfunction of the cooler on the processor.

5. Power supply burnout.

6. Malfunction of the OS.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Diagnostics, repair and prevention of personal computers, Platonov Yu.M., Utkin Yu.G., 2003.

2. Tanenbaum E. Computer architecture. 4th edition. St. Petersburg: Peter, 2002. Guk M. Processors Pentium III, Athlon and others. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 20012.

3. http://www.ozon.ru/context/detail/id/4882611/Maksimov N.V., Partyka T.L., Popov I.I. Architecture of computers and computing systems: Textbook. - M.: FORUM:INFRA-M, 2009.

4. http://xreferat.ru/33/131-1-sistemy-diagnostiki-pk.html

5. http://knowledge.allbest.ru/programming/2c0a65625a2ad69b4c43a89521216d27_0.html

6. http://www.distedu.ru/mirror/_inform/conspect.narod.ru/doc_2.htm

APPLICATION

DetaileddescriptionAnVirTaskManager.

The unique property of AnVirTaskManager is that it provides detailed information about the operation of the system and, as well as a large number of tools for managing Windows. In order to replace all the functions of AnVirTaskManager, you will have to install about 10 different programs.

Main characteristics of AnVirTaskManager:

Ш Manage startup, running processes, services and drivers and replace the Task Manager Replacing the Task Manager.

· Full information about processes, including command line, loaded DLLs, incoming and outgoing traffic, disk load, tray icon, Internet connections, windows, threads, open files etc.

· Information about startup programs and services. Integrated database with descriptions of more than 100,000 programs and toolbars Internet Explorer and services

· Information about drivers, Internet (TCP / UPD) connections

· Icons in the system tray that monitor:

1. CPU usage (with list of most active processes)

2. Temperature and load of hard drives (with a list of the most active processes)

3. Network traffic

4. Laptop battery

Ш Detection and removal of viruses and spyware.

· The security rating of each active process, service, and startup program evaluates the likelihood that the program is malicious. The rating is based on program behavior, code analysis and data from the program database

· Notifications when programs try to be added to startup

· Ability to scan any suspicious process or file with antivirus software on virustotal.com

Sh Fine tuning XP, Vista and Windows 7, including hidden settings.

Ш Tweaker gives direct access to hundreds of XP, Vista and Windows 7 settings, including hidden settings

· Additional buttons in the header of each window, allowing you to:

o hide the window in a small floating icon

o snap a window on top of other windows

· List of recently used folders in the "Open File" / "Save File" dialogs

· Free place on disks in the My Computer folder in the form of a Vista-style colored stripe

· List of recent running programs And open folders in tray

Ш Acceleration Windows boot and computer operation.

· Balance CPU load, optimize memory, maintain process priority.

Attention:

The AnVirTaskManager installer by default installs on the user’s computer a number of utilities that are unnecessary for the operation of the program, and also changes search engine browsers, installs unnecessary toolbars and performs other unwanted actions. Be careful when installing and disable unnecessary items!

Figure 1 shows the AnVirTaskManagerPro program

Fig.1. "AnVirTaskManagerPro program".

Posted on Allbest.ru

Speccy

Speccy is another free and quite functional program with which users can get various technical information about their computer. It is worth noting that the well-known company Piriform is behind the development of the Speccy utility, which also developed such popular programs, like CCleaner, Defraggler and Recuva.

By opening Speccy, you can access a range of information on:

operating system;
central processor;
random access memory;
system board (i.e. motherboard);
graphics devices (discrete and integrated video cards);
data storage devices (HDD, SSD, etc.);
optical drives;
sound devices;
peripheral devices;
network devices.

In general, with the help Speccy programs you can get a fairly wide range of information about your computer. Also, do not forget that Speccy has a function for reading temperature from various sensors installed on the computer. You can see the temperature of your PC, motherboard, video card and even HDD/SSD drives.

A couple more advantages of the Speccy program - it is completely localized into Russian and has an extremely simple user interface. We click on the desired tab on the left side of the window and look at the available information on the right - it just couldn’t be easier.

HWiNFO

The next program on our list is somewhat more difficult to use than the previous two, but it can provide users with even more detailed information about the computer. As soon as you start scanning the system using HWiNFO, several windows will immediately appear in front of you: general information about the entire system, the main HWiNFO window, where you can find specific information on certain components of your computer, as well as a small window for monitoring the operation of the processor (multiplier, frequency, number of cores, etc.).

Among other things, the HWiNFO program can also read information from various sensors located in the computer. Virtual and physical memory, paging file usage, voltage on each CPU core, frequency of each CPU core, northbridge, system bus, RAM, data from temperature sensors in the system - everything you want. However, it's worth noting that the user interface in HWiNFO can be quite confusing for inexperienced PC users, so you may have to spend a little time in front of the program to understand what it has to offer.

AIDA64

AIDA64 is an extremely powerful tool from FinalWire Ltd. for diagnosing and conducting various tests of the user’s computer hardware. Enough interesting fact: AIDA64 is a direct successor of the company's Everest software, which in turn is a successor of the AIDA32 program.

This is the unusual origin of this program. It can do everything that previous programs can do, plus a set of stress tests with which you can identify various problems with your computer. It is worth noting that AIDA64 has an extremely rich set of functions, but, unlike HDiNFO, the user interface is much simpler, which is definitely a huge plus. Well, here's the downside: the program is not free.

PassMark Performance Test

If previous programs could offer the user similar functionality, the PassMark Performance Test utility is a slightly different tool. The purpose of this program is to evaluate the performance of a computer using a set of various specialized tests, after which the user can compare the results obtained with the results of other computers.

With the PassMark Performance Test utility, you can perform various tests for:

central processor;
graphics accelerator;
hard drive;
optical drives;
random access memory.

With the PassMark Performance Test, you can easily understand whether your computer provides adequate performance or not. And if not, then through multiple tests you will understand what the problem is. Unfortunately, this utility is not free: to gain access to certain functionality, you will need to purchase it.

CrystalDiskMark

CrystalDiskMark is useful in a situation where you need to test your hard drive (HDD) or solid state drive (SSD). The program can work with all currently available disk connection interfaces. For the most part, using the CrystalDiskMark utility, many users find out the write and read parameters of their disks. Nevertheless, at the end of the program, you will see an extensive report on the tests performed, which, unfortunately, will tell untrained users little about, but a lot will become clear to experienced users if they are looking for any problems.

SpeedFan

SpeedFan is quite interesting program, created by a developer under the name Alfredo Milani Comparetti, which is designed to read information from sensors on the motherboard, HDD and SSD drives, central processor, RAM and video card, and also has functions for adjusting the rotation speed (RPM) of coolers present in the computer. Fortunately, the user interface of the SpeedFan application is extremely simple and even translated into Russian, and it is also distributed completely free of charge.

System Information for Windows

And the last program on our list is System Information for Windows (SIW). This program was also developed by one person - and his Gabriel Topala. The utility is an extremely powerful tool that can be used to obtain detailed information about the configuration of your computer's hardware.

Among other things, with the help of SIW you can find out network information, information about installed software, including drivers, as well as system components. The system interface is a little complicated, but you can still get used to it, after which you will have access to the extremely wide functionality of the program, for which, by the way, there is no need to pay.

Found a typo? Select the text and press Ctrl + Enter

Problems with your desktop computer can have various causes. By following our advice, you can quickly fix any problem.

PC failure can manifest itself in different ways. For example, after pressing the power button, the machine shows no signs of “life”. Or the computer turns on, but some components do not function. The first step is to figure out what actually works and what doesn’t. Are the motherboard LEDs on? Are the fans spinning? Is the monitor receiving an image signal? Are BIOS messages displayed? Based on these observations, most problems can be classified into six categories (see below). For each category, we provide instructions consisting of sequential steps with which you can eliminate the possibility of simple faults, so that you can then proceed to more complex diagnostics. If you are not successful at any step, move on to the next one until you solve the problem. Even if you stop at some step, the results of your testing will subsequently become a good help for the service center employees.

1. No signs of life

If the computer does not respond in any way when you press the power button, you should first check the power supply or the button itself. We will help you localize the problem.

1.1. VISUAL INSPECTION. First of all, check that the power cord is well connected and that the surge protector is turned on. It is possible that the power supply button on the back of the computer is in the “Off” position.

1.2. CASE CONNECTORS. Open the PC case and check that the connectors are securely connected and that the cable is not damaged in the area between the switches and LEDs of the case and the motherboard - perhaps some connector has come loose from the plug. If one or more cables are disconnected, open your motherboard manual and check to see if the cables are properly connected to the plugs.

1.3. POWER BUTTON. If the case connectors are connected correctly or reconnecting them does not bring results, disconnect all connectors from the motherboard. Then short the two contacts labeled "Power Switch" using a paperclip. If the computer turns on, there are two options. The first is a faulty power button on the case. In this case, you need to connect both connectors labeled “Reset Switch” to the contacts labeled “Power Switch” on the motherboard. From this moment on, the PC will be turned on using the reset button, and the power button will no longer perform its function. Another reason for such a malfunction may be a short circuit in the reset button: a regular button in this case will not work, and starting the PC will only be possible by shorting two contacts on the motherboard. This assumption will be confirmed by the ability to start a PC with the reset button disabled. In this case, leave the power button connected and disconnect the reset button. After all these steps, your PC will most likely turn on again without any problems. If even when using an office paper clip the computer refuses to “start”, then you should check the power system.

1.4. MOTHERBOARD POWER SUPPLY. Check that all power supply connectors are correctly connected to the motherboard. We are talking not only about a wide ATX connector with 24 pins, but also an additional four-pin P4 connector for powering the processor.

1.5. POWER UNIT. Next, you need to exclude the possibility of failure of the power supply. To do this, connect a working power supply to the PC - for example, from a second computer. Connect the 24-pin ATX connector and the four- or eight-pin P4 connector of the working computer to the motherboard of the faulty PC and try to start it. If after this it turns on, then the whole problem is in the power supply, which will need to be replaced.

1.6. MOTHERBOARD. If all the measures described above did not help, then most likely the motherboard has failed, which is best replaced, since repairs not covered by warranty are usually not worth it. One way or another, replacing the motherboard means completely disassembling and reassembling your PC. But it is recommended to proceed with this procedure only if other possible malfunctions have been excluded.

2. PC works, but no image

After turning on, the screen remains black, although the power supply, CPU and video card fans are running and the LEDs on the motherboard are lit.

2.1. CHECKING THE MONITOR. The first thing you need to do is rule out a trivial malfunction by answering the question: does the monitor turn on? If not, there may be a power problem: the cable is unplugged from the display or wall outlet, or the screen has a switch that is set to the Off position. If the monitor turns on, open the OSD menu and check if the input source (VGA/D-Sub, DVI, HDMI) is selected correctly.

2.2. SOUND AND LIGHT SIGNALS. If the monitor is not receiving an image signal, the motherboard will often let you know by sending beeps or lights to help you figure out what the problem is. Consult your motherboard manual to determine what the signals mean. One of the typical defects that are reported in this way may be faulty or incorrectly installed RAM modules, which the motherboard, depending on the model, warns about with an audible signal or illuminated LED lamps.

2.3. RESET BUTTON. A short circuit in the reset button may also be the cause of these symptoms. Perform the check (point 1.3).

2.4. BIOS. Sometimes the cause of such startup problems can be incorrect BIOS settings. To reset the BIOS settings, locate the Clear CMOS jumper on the motherboard. We are talking about three contacts, two of which are connected by a jumper. Remember the initial position of the jumper, then pull it out and connect another pair of contacts with it, wait at least ten seconds. After this, set it back to its original position. If the system board has a reset button, press it. If the computer turns on, check the BIOS settings. In most cases, you need to select the correct operating mode of the SATA controller, which, starting with Windows XP, is “AHCI” and not “IDE”. After this, the problem should disappear. One of the possible reasons for lost BIOS settings may be a dead motherboard battery - this will be discussed in paragraph 3.1.

2.5. RAM. Most motherboards indicate faulty memory using sound or light (LED) signals (see paragraph 2.2). However, we recommend checking the functionality of the RAM modules without waiting for a warning signal. There must be at least two modules installed in the computer - remove one and try to boot the computer with it. If the PC does not turn on with this module, try starting the system with another module installed. If the computer starts with only one memory module, this usually means that the other one is faulty.

2.6. VIDEO CARD. Among PC components, the problem should first of all be looked for in the source of the image signal - the graphics card. If your computer has an integrated graphics card, remove the discrete card and test the system with the integrated GPU. Otherwise, check if the PC works with a different graphics card. If yes, then your discrete or integrated video card is faulty.

2.7. CPU. A faulty processor can also be the reason why the computer works but does not produce an image signal. Therefore, if possible, test the performance of your PC with another compatible processor before the next very difficult step.

2.8. MOTHERBOARD. Since all other possible sources of problems have now been ruled out, the last “suspect” remains the motherboard. The problem here could be, for example, in the CMOS chip in which the BIOS is stored, or in the PCIe bus to which the video cards are connected. Troubleshooting in most cases does not pay off, so the best solution would be to immediately replace the motherboard.

3. BIOS stops working

The BIOS's job is to prepare the computer to boot into the operating system. If problems arise during the BIOS operation, then, as a rule, error messages appear, with the help of which you can localize them.

3.1. BIOS SETTINGS. With computers released four or five years ago, situations often occur when they suddenly refuse to boot. The reason lies in the BIOS settings. In this case, the message “Please enter Setup to recover BIOS setting | CMOS Date/Time Not Set." You can usually enter the BIOS using the “F1” or “Del” button when you turn on the PC. After this, you need to restore all the basic settings - for example, date, boot device sequence, or such important parameter, as the operating mode of the SATA controller (AHCI). After restoring the settings, there should be no problems booting the PC. However, the reason that the settings were lost most likely lies in the following: there is a round flat-plate battery on the motherboard, which is an “emergency” power source for the CMOS chip so that the latter does not lose the settings. If this battery is discharged, it must be replaced, otherwise the BIOS settings will be lost every time the PC is turned off.

3.2. BOOT DEVICE SEQUENCE. If the BIOS reports that it cannot find bootable media, there could be several reasons. First, check the boot device sequence in the settings. In modern motherboards To do this, you need to perform two operations. In the boot options you will find the item “Boot priority”, which lists components such as hard disks, removable media or optical drives. HDD must have the highest boot priority.

3.3. DISK FAILURE. If the drive does not appear in the media selection menu in the BIOS, open the PC and check that the power cables and interface cables corresponding media. If the problem is not solved, test the drive with a different cable, in a HDD enclosure with USB interface or on another computer. If this does not help, then most likely the media has failed as a result of damage to the controller. In this case, most likely only a specialist will be able to recover the data at a considerable cost. If you regularly create system images and backups data, then you will only need to replace the disk and copy the data. Otherwise, you will have to completely reinstall the system.

3.4. LOAD SECTOR. If the boot device appears in the BIOS and you can view its contents when connected to another PC, then it is most likely damaged boot sector. This quite often happens when an attempt to reallocate disk space fails or when Linux is uninstalled as a second operating system. To resolve the error, boot from the installation DVD or rescue disc. During the boot process, select “Repair your computer” or “PC recovery options”, then click on “System Restore”, and then follow the wizard’s instructions. If this does not solve the problem, then try restoring manually. Boot your PC again as described above, and in the system recovery settings, open the window command line. Enter the following commands in it:

bootrec /fixmbr bootrec /fixboot

bcdedit ;/export C:\bcd_1 c: cd boot attrib bcd -s -h -r ren bcd bcd_2 bootrec /RebuildBcd

After this, Windows should boot. If you still have difficulties, follow the instructions below.

4. OS cannot boot (Windows logo appears, but system does not start)

Your computer starts to boot, but freezes just before the user interface appears. With such symptoms, you can rule out many problems with the hardware and BIOS.

(to be continued)

Hardware diagnostics is a method of finding hardware problems in a computer system. These diagnostic systems can be run by the user using an internal program initiated by computer control systems or run a test within the equipment itself. Basic hardware diagnostics of all computer systems, such as the processor, chipset and memory, are checked every time the system boots. These hardware diagnostic systems often provide significant early warning of potential system failures.
Equipment for diagnostic systems comes in two main types - single-purpose and multi-purpose. Single purpose diagnostic programs only test a specific piece of equipment. The tests on this equipment are very specific and tailored to this system. Multi-purpose diagnostic programs will check multiple pieces of hardware and identify problems within them. Because these programs are not specific to one piece of hardware, they will often be missing small or strange problems that a single-purpose diagnostic program whose diagnostic purpose is to find such problems may identify.

User-initiated diagnostic programs have the widest range of types and functions. A single universal program will often test things that are unusual for other systems to test, such as a monitor or network system. On the other hand, since they, as a rule, cannot work as a single-purpose diagnostic program, such programs may not notice subtleties that more people notice. specific programs. Specialized diagnostic programs are often provided by hardware manufacturers and are a good first step in identifying strange computer behavior.

Internal diagnostic programs typically come from two places - hardware drivers or the operating system. Often they are designed for one single purpose. These programs usually run in the background while the computer is in use. Scanning the operating system can check for anomalies in the responses it receives from the hardware, most often finding them after hardware failures when the computer has already begun to malfunction. Diagnostic systems for drivers receive more attention and are more likely to report strange behavior in hardware as soon as it becomes obvious, but only some hardware has such drivers.

Hardware diagnostics of a computer control system works at a basic level. It typically monitors power levels and response times rather than data reliability. Most active programs scan the system and what happens on it during the boot sequence, when specialized programs are launched to check on various computer systems. Once loaded, these hardware diagnostics typically run in the background, only alerting the user when something very bad is happening.

The last type of equipment diagnostics is the responsibility of the equipment itself. Since these internal programs are already built into the system, they always have the same goal. These system monitoring programs are designed for anything outside of the hardware specification. When they find something they warn internal system computer, which will alert the operating system about the problem.

Hardware fault diagnosis. Step-by-step diagnostics of PC problems. System Administrator. Remote administration

Why and why?

Typical problems

Software and hardware diagnostics

Hardware diagnostics

Software diagnostics

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System Information for Windows

1. No signs of life

2. PC works, but no image

3. BIOS stops working

4. OS cannot boot (Windows logo appears, but system does not start)