How to Bench Test Your Computer

There's nothing more frustrating than a freshly built PC that will not boot. Normally, you're starting with all new components and you're not sure if any of them work to begin with. This article deals with a few common techniques computer technicians use when dealing with this common problem.

Troubleshooting On The Bench

Before you begin yanking out cables and components, just go over your connections one last time. A common mistake is the connection from the case power and reset switches to the motherboard. Carefully review the motherboard's manual to make sure these connections are right. Not only do the connectors need to be on the correct pins, they must also be in the correct orientation. If that is good, make sure the | / O switch on the back of the power supply is in the "|" position. Then, give the computer a little shake. Do you hear any screws bouncing around between the motherboard and the case? This can cause the system to blow or go to ground. Lastly, make sure the CMOS jumper is on pins 1-2. If it is on pins 2-3 the motherboard will not boot. This jumper is located near the watch-like battery on the motherboard.

Still no POST? Now carefully remove any PCI and AGP cards. Unplug the power supply and IDE cables to make life easier. You may already be able to get to the screws that hold the motherboard to the case. Personally, I like to remove everything except the CPU and heat-sink before pulling the motherboard.

Once all components are out of the case, place the motherboard on an antistatic bag (use the bag the motherboard shipped it, if possible) or a piece of cardboard. Be sure not to leave the motherboard running on the cardboard unattended because there is a remote possibility it could cause a fire.

You may need to rest the cardboard and bag on top of the case depending on the amount of wire you have with the case wires and the power supply leads. You can short the pins on the motherboard to boot without actually using the case wires but we are not going to cover that here.

Now make sure you only have the bare minimum of components connected to the motherboard. This means only one stick of memory (if the motherboard allows only one stick), the CPU and the video card. Nothing else. The only thing we're trying to do here is get the system to POST. A successful POST should result in a single, short beep. Make sure the motherboard has a built in speaker or you will need to connect an external speaker via pins on the motherboard.

If you still get nothing, begin swapping out spare parts if you have them at your disposal. Otherwise, you will need to start returning the components, starting with the motherboard, then the CPU. Before returning them, look for visible signs of damage (scorch marks on the CPU, bubbling capacitors on the motherboard, etc...).

Good luck. The most important ingredient in troubleshooting a new PC is patience.

How to Troubleshoot a Bad Motherboard

The motherboard is the one component that connects to every other component on the motherboard. For that reason, it is alos one of the hardest to troubleshoot in the PC. As with most troubleshooting techniques, you must approach this process logically and rule out any devices you can right away. You should quickly be able to eliminate external power issues and external devices. It's only once you rule those out that the process becomes harder. Typical symptoms of a bad or dying power supply are constant reboots, USB ports not working or the system simply not powering up. Unfortunately, those same symptoms can be directly related to the power supply, as well.

Troubleshoot Power Issues First

When trying to diagnose a bad motherboard that will not power up, you must first eliminate the power supply. If you do not have a multimeter, you can buy a stand-alone power supply tester for relatively cheap. If the power supply checks out okay, make sure you are plugging the computer directly into a working outlet and not a power strip. Lastly, you can bypass the case switch to eliminate that as a possible cause.

Remove Unnecessary PCI Cards

As part of the process of elimination, you must remove any non-essential PCI cards, such as a dial-up modem, network card, USB ports, sound cards. If the computer suddenly starts up with those cards out, you can put them back in one by one until you find the defective card. If the computer still doesn't power up, set the cards aside. You should also unplug the hard drive, floppy and CD drives and their respective IDE cables. Also, be sure to unplug any unnecessary USB devices, like the keyboard and mouse, a printer, scanner or external hard drive.

Look For Physical Defects on the Motherboard

A common problem with motherboards are leaking capacitors. Capacitors help regulate voltage and when they fail, they will often buldge and leak. Capacitors look like tiny soda cans and there are often several on a motherboard. If you do not see any bad capacitors, lift the computer and give it a gentle shake. Listen for any screws that may have come loose and work their way between the motherboard and case. This can cause a short that prevents the computer from booting.

Troubleshooting a Hard Drive

Your hard drive contains all of your important data, like the Windows Operating System, pictures, music, and other data you do not want to lose. Keeping track of the health of your hdd is a dubious chore. Unfortunately, most people do not realize there is a problem before it's too late and they lose all of their data.

You can spot early warning signs of imminent failure if your hard drive has SMART technology. SMART stands for Self-monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology and will often give you a notice if the drive is experiencing problems. If you see a warning like that at boot, be sure to backup you data and buy a new drive.


Using Third Party Software to Monitor Your Drive

You can use applications that help keep an eye on your drive. HDD Health is one of those aplications. It can give you valuable info about the the disk's temperature and overall health. It can also give you all of its SMART statistics.

It also shows valuable hdd information, such as the model number, partitions and remaining space.

But unless there is a glaring problem with the drive, there is no way to tell if it is about to fail. In fact, hard drives can fail suddenly and without warning. These tools should be used in addition to the SMART technology built into the drive.


How to Diagnose Problems With Your Hard Drive

Generally speaking, if you begin getting errors or blue screens that you cannot recover from, or if you occasionally cannot boot into Normal Mode or Safe Mode, then your hard drive might be on the way out. Problems will start intermittently and gradually grow worse. If you start experiencing these problems, you can try running chkdsk. Chkdsk will repair errors (if you specify that) and make sure data is no longer written to those areas of the disk. To run a chkdsk, right click the hard drive and select Properties. Under the Tools tab, click Check Now in the Error Checking area. A box will pop up. Choose Automatically Fix Errors and Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors. You will likely need to reboot before the check begins and it could take quite a while.

Make sure the size of the hard drive appears correctly in the BIOS and in My Computer. For instance, if the drive once reported it was 20 Gigs and now reports as 13 Gigs, there could be a problem.

Listen for strange noises from the hard drive. You have been using your PC for a long time, if the hard drive begins making scraping, churning or any other sounds out of the ordinary, then it could mean the drive's actuator arm is damaged or perhaps the ball bearings on the spindle are starting to go.

Computer Will Not Boot

There are countless reasons why a computer will not boot. Typical symptoms for a computer that will not start are a blank screen, a blue screen, a never ending loop of restarting or a PC that is completely dead. Now there are also several reasons for each of those symptoms. Troubleshooting a computer that will not boot up can be a slow process, but if you tackle each of those symptoms, you can quickly rule them out and get to the real problem faster than you think.

My Computer Has A Blank Screen

If your computer starts up, makes hard drive churning sounds, has lights on the panel flash but only displays a blank screen, you could several problems. You need to first confirm that the monitor is powering on and has the cables securely connected to the PC. You might even test the monitor on another PC to rule that out. If the monitor is good, make sure your PC is getting that initoal startup screen where is checks the memory and displays BIOS information. If you do get that screen, try tapping F8 until you see a boot screen that gives you an option for Safe Mode. If you can get into Safe Mode, it could be a video driver issue.

If you cannot get to Safe Mode, we need to next rule of the hardware of the computer. We recommend downloading and burning a Linux Live CD. By booting to a Linux Live CD, this rules out problems with the memory, the video card, the motherboard and most other devices connected to the PC. If you're able to do this, you likely have a problem with your hard drive or the Windows installation on that drive. Try reinstalling Windows.

My Computer Keeps Restarting

If your PC restarts and gets stuck in a loop of rebooting, this probably means you either have bad RAM, a corrupt hard drive or some other problem within the Windows Operating System. If you want to check your RAM for errors, try memetest86. You can also try booting to Safe Mode by tapping F8 when you first boot the computer. If you can get into Safe Mode, try a chkdsk in Windows. Chkdsk is available in Windows 2000 and Windows XP. To run a chkdsk, go to My Computer and right-click the drive you want to scan, then select Properties. Under the Tools tab, you will see a section for Error Checking. Click Check Now. and make sure the automatically fix errors box is marked. If none of that works, backup any data you can and reinstall Windows.

Computer is Completely Dead

If your computer will not power up at all, you could have a problem with the power supply, the motherboard, the CPU or even the case switch. The first thing you should do is disconnect any external devices--like speakers, printers, scanners, etc. Next, if your PC is plugged into a power strip, try plugging directly into the wall, as power strips can fail. If it still won't power on, you should test the power supply to make sure you are getting the necessary voltage to the motherboard. If the power supply is good, try bypassing the case switch. If you are still getting no power, examine the motherboard for obvious damage to the capacitors. If they appear to be buldging or leaking fluid, then the capacitors have blown.

In Conclusion

There isn't much you can do to fix a hardware component except replace it. But if your problem appears to be software related, you can always reinstall Windows if you have a Windows installation disk or a recovery disk from a major brand name like Dell or HP. The key to surviving a problem is to have current backups. Get on a schedule or get a third party service, like Carbonite, to automate the process.

DVD Drive Troubleshooting

Our next article in our Ultimate Computer Troubleshooting series deals with optical drives. The top optical drives in this generation are CD/RW and DVD/RW drives. If you have a drive that will either read or write, or if your drive will do neither, then this guide will help you troubleshoot some possible causes for this.

Is the Drive a New Install?

If the drive is new, then we need to take a step back to make sure we've installed it properly. The drive will ship wil shorter screws than some of the other components for the PC because the the CD or DVD drive opens and could possible get stuck if improper mounting screws are used. Also, be sure to set the jumpers correctly in the back. If this is the primary device on the IDE cable, be sure to set the jumper at the rear of the drive to Master. If it's not, be sure to use the Slave jumper position or Cable Select if that is the configuration the first drive is using. Lastly, swap power leads. Disconnect the molex power connector and switch it with another. Although it's not typical, individual power leads can fail.

Does The Drive Show Up In The BIOS?

Now, assuming we have the IDE cable and power cable correctly attached, let's enter the BIOS to make sure the device is registering. Depending pn your system, you will need to tap one of the following keys to enter the BIOS setup screen: ESC, F1, F2, F10 or Delete. Once in the BIOS, look for the drive under the Primary IDE or Secondary IDE (wherever you have installed it). If the device isn't reporting, then we still have a problem with the installation.

Does The Drive Show Up in Windows?

If the drive doesn't show up in Windows, you'll need to reinstall the driver. We recommend getting the latest driver version from the manufacturer's website, but if you must, you can resort to the CD that shipped with the drive. If the drive does not show up in Windows, or if it once did and now no longer doean't, you may need to reinstall Windows to get it to appear again.

Does The Drive Read A Disk?

If the drive reports correctly in the BIOS, we next need to determin if the drive can read a disk. Put a music CD in the drive (or a DVD if a DVD is the drive in question). Navigate to My Computer and look under the drive letter of the new drive. Can you double click and view the contents? If so, then it can read. If not, examine the disk and make sure there are no scratches or other debris on the disk. If the drive does not read the disk, you may want to invest in a drive cleaner. You can get these at any local computer store. It's also quite possible the drive's read lens is mis-aligned and nothing can correct this. If it's a new drive, return it.

The Drive Reads But Does Not Write

If the drive reads but does not write, you can always try the latest driver. Corrupt driver issues are often the cause of this type of problem. If the drive still does not write, try a different type of disk from a different manufacturer. Some CD and DVD drives are picky about their media. You can also try lowering the recording speed of the drive; this is done in the application software, normally under "options" or "preferences." Lastly, use a drive cleaner in hopes of clearing the write lens of debris.

How to Troubleshoot a Power Supply

Your computer's power supply is the single most important component in the case. But it's also the most boring, so when it comes time to skimp on costs, the power supply is often a generic or budget brand. Sometimes this is okay. But often the power supply acts erratic, causes restarts and errors because other components are not getting the consistent voltage they require. If you are experiencing problems you cannot quickly isolate, be sure to test the power supply and rule it out before spending too much money.

Tips on Troubleshooting a Power Supply

Most families have a other computers of similar size. Before you spend money on a tester or a new power supply, you might try just swapping in a power supply you know works. That is the low-tech solution, but it often takes a lot of extra effor that people aren't willing to expend.

Buy a Power Supply Tester
You can buy a power supply tester for relatively cheap. While a multimeter is a better overall solution because you can use it for other things, a power supply tester is a fast and easy way to tell if the PSU is good.

Check For Proper Voltage
Check the voltage setting on the back of the power supply. While this is not likely the problem, just confirm it is set correctly for your region. If the computer was recently moved, it's possible the switch was moved. 115v is typical for the United States.

Make Sure Power Supply Fan is Working
If you have an older PC, you should make sure the fan on the power supply is working. If it's not, you need to replace the power supply immediately. You can sometimes blow them out with compressed air, but if it is not spinning at all, the power supply must be replaced.

Is the Power Supply Powerful Enough?
Lastly, you should make sure your power supply is rated high enough for your needs. If you built the system a few years ago, you have probably added extra hard drives, a more powerful graphics card and maybe some new RAM. Make sure your power supply has enough voltage to handle it all. Try this Power Supply Calculator.

Use Portable Firefox And Take Your Browser With You

Firefox is a great browser. While some people prefer to use Microsoft's Internet Explorer for their daily surfing, Firefox is quickly becoming a favorite with techs and other hardcore users. Just because IE is installed on practically every PC in the world, this doesn't mean you cannot use Firefox while at the library or a friends house. Portable Firefox allows you to put Firefox of a thumbdrive and use it wherever you want without losing your bookmarks.

To use, simply download the portable app and choose your flash drive as the destination. You can then install any plugings you need and launch it from any computer that allows access to the portable drive.

Protect Your Computer From The Conflicker Virus

The Conflicker virus is a worm that has spread rapidly across networks in the past couple weeks. It is estimated that is has alread infected over nine million computers. The worm exploits a Windows bug that has been patched by Microsoft. The scary thing about this virus is that the end-user doesn't need to do anything dangerous to become infected. Simply being on the Internet or a Local Area Network (LAN) is enough to get the virus.

Be sure to at least do the following to protect yourself from this and other types of viruses:

1. Turn on Automatic Updates in Windows.
2. Turn on your Windows firewall
3. Visit Microsoft Updates and get any patches you might have missed.
4. Run and up to date antivirus program

How to Use a NAS (Network Attached Storage)

Running a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device in your home or office is becoming increasing attractive to users who want to provide redundancy and multimedia features to their data. A NAS can be a full-sized computer with multiple hard drives or a stand-alone unit no larger than a toaster. A NAS is a device that sits on your network and connects via an Ethernet cable. It can be placed in an closet, basement or right beside your PC. Because it does not have a monitor connected to it, there is no need to kep it close by.

There are two main reasons to have a Network Attached Storage Device: The first is data backup. If you run a NAS that that has RAID built in, you can use multiple hard drives to make sure no data is lost if a single drive fails. The entire office or family can use it to store documents, photos and other important data. The second reason is the storage and serving of multimedia--like your iTunes library or movie collection. As downloadable content becomes a mainstream source of home entertainment, these NAS devices are an ideal place to store and share them throughout the network.

You can buy a NAS device or build your own, using an old computer and popular Open Source NAS software like FreeNAS or NASLite.

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View Startup Programs Using Software Explorer

Windows Defender allows you to quickly view and edit startup and running process on your computer through the Software Explorer. The Software Explorer allows you to examine startup programs, Network-connected programs and programs that are currently running on your PC. In the past, you would need to use the msconfig command or the task manager to view these details. Windows Defender equipped machines can now get this information in one convenient location.

Open the Windows Defender section by navigating from Start>All Programs>then Windows Defender. To launch Software Explorer, click the Tools link, then Software Explorer. You will see a Category button that allows you to switch between Startup, Current Processes and Network-Connected Programs. Below that, you will find a list on the left and a more detailed explanation of that process in the right pane.

The Software Explorer can be a powerful tool, but making changes to the running processes there can cause your computer to stop responding or prevent you from accessing programs or the Internet. So be certain you know what you are disabling if you decide to end a particular program.

While Windows Defender is available for download in previous versions of Windows, it is on by default in Windows Vista. If you do not have defender, you can use the msconfig command from the Run dialog box to open a similar configuration utility. By using msconfig, you can view and edit startup programs. By hitting CTRL+ALT+DEL, you can also access the task manager, which allows you to view and terminate processes that are currently running on the computer. You can also go to the command line and use the netstat -a command. This will almost be the same information listed at the Network-Connected-Programs section of the Software Explorer.

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Password Protect Folders in Windows

Password protecting folders in Windows has always be a dubious task, as there was never a exact way to do it, but several work arounds to accomplish the chore. Windows should have a built-in program specifically for encrypting and password protecting files and folders. until that happens, the best way to give your files some degree of privacy is to save them in a compressed folder and password-protect the compressed folder. Seems like a lot of extra work, but it's actually pretty straight-forward.

First Create a Compressed Folder. Right-click on the desktop and select New-Compressed (Zipped) Folder. You can put this folder anywhere you want and name it whatever want. You will then need to put the documents, pictures or other files you want into the folder and then open the compressed folder. In the file menu, select File > Add a Password. Once you add the password, close the folder and open it again. You can clearly see the files that are there but will need to enter the password to open them. So be careful what you're naming these files, as the filename will still be visible.

Lastly, you may need to remove the password and add a new password each time you add a new document, so this technique is best for long-term password protection of files rather than everyday use.



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How to use the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool

The Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool is a free utility that checks your system for malicious code that is actively running on your system. It is downloaded through automatic updates frequently and is used to detect malware after the point of infection. This utility will not catch everything. Instead it is used to deal with those fast-spreading viruses that seem to crop up every couple of months.

You can launch the Microsoft malicious Software Removal Tool by going to Start>Run and type mrt and hit OK. In Vista, just click the Windows icon and type that in the search box.

You will then be given the opportuniity to do a Quick Scan, a Full Scan or a Custom Scan. if you machine is really running bad, try the quick scan first, then do a full scan later. The full scan is best because malware can hide anywhere on your computer and the quick scan option may not find it if it is running from a different location in your system.

Read more about the Microsoft Malicious Removal Tool.