How to Troubleshoot a Desktop Computer

Desktop computer troubleshooting

When your computer misbehaves, it's useful to know how to troubleshoot problems yourself. That way you won't have to run to the computer repair store for every issue that arises. There are a variety of things that could be going wrong with your computer, but you can usually track down and fix the problem on your own.

CompTIA publishes a six-step process related to the troubleshooting process. You will need to understand what they are on your A+ Exam. The six steps are:

Identify the problem. 
Establish a theory of probable cause.
Test the theory to determine cause.
Establish a plan of action to resolve the problem and implement the solution.
Verify full system functionality and if applicable implement preventative measures.
Document findings, actions, and outcomes.

Troubleshooting is a form of problem solving, often applied to repair failed products or processes on a machine or a system. It is a logical, systematic search for the source of a problem in order to solve it, and make the product or process operational again. Troubleshooting is needed to identify the symptoms. Determining the most likely cause is a process of elimination—eliminating potential causes of a problem. Finally, troubleshooting requires confirmation that the solution restores the product or process to its working state.

In general, troubleshooting is the identification or diagnosis of "trouble" in the management flow of a system caused by a failure of some kind. The problem is initially described as symptoms of malfunction, and troubleshooting is the process of determining and remedying the causes of these symptoms.

A system can be described in terms of its expected, desired or intended behavior (usually, for artificial systems, its purpose). Events or inputs to the system are expected to generate specific results or outputs. (For example, selecting the "print" option from various computer applications is intended to result in a hardcopy emerging from some specific device). Any unexpected or undesirable behavior is a symptom. Troubleshooting is the process of isolating the specific cause or causes of the symptom. Frequently the symptom is a failure of the product or process to produce any results. (Nothing was printed, for example). Corrective action can then be taken to prevent further failures of a similar kind.

The methods of forensic engineering are useful in tracing problems in products or processes, and a wide range of analytical techniques are available to determine the cause or causes of specific failures. Corrective action can then be taken to prevent further failure of a similar kind. Preventive action is possible using failure mode and effects (FMEA) and fault tree analysis (FTA) before full-scale production, and these methods can also be used for failure analysis.