IT/286 Week 1

Fundamental Diagnostic and Troubleshooting Techniques

Online Quiz          

1. Which of the following most accurately describes a function of the CPU's cache memory?

2. Which component in a CPU is responsible for all logical and mathematical operations?

3. Which CPU component contains microcode?

4. Which type of memory, used as cache memory, is very fast but too expensive to use as system RAM?

5. What is the data bus width of all Pentium-class processors?

6. Which statement defines Northbridge?

7. Which statement most accurately describes the relationship between the computer's BIOS and CMOS?

8. Name the Intel CPU technology that allows two threads to execute at the same time within a single execution core.

9. Which Driver or Protocol is used by BIOS to detect if the CD-ROM is connected to the IDE port on the motherboard?

10. Which special circuit is used to make Cache Memory?

11. A user complains that when he starts the computer, it continues to beep at startup and is not booting properly. How will you resolve this problem?

12. As a support team member you got a ticket from a user to check the computer booting problem. When you started the computer, it generated a long beep sound at a fixed time interval. How will you resolve this problem?

13. A user complains that her computer does not maintain the date and time. She needs to set it after booting the computer every day. What will you do?

14. When you connect a USB printer to a computer it is not detected by the computer. You also confirmed that the printer is Plug-n-Play. While troubleshooting you see that the USB device is not visible in Device Manager. Which option will you choose to configure the printer?

15. While at work at the help desk, you are assigned a ticket which was submitted by a user. While troubleshooting you realize that the problem is with the user's display. Which of the following options will you choose to diagnose the problem?

16. As a company policy the computer should not have a CD-ROM connected. While repairing Operating Systems, you sometimes require the recovery console. Which of the following options will you use to create the recovery console option in the Boot.ini file?

17. A user complains that his desktop's display is flickering. Which option will you try as the first step?

18. A user complains that his computer is booting properly but he sees no display. As a member of the help desk team, what will you do to resolve this issue?

19. When you start a computer you get a "Boot disk failure" error message. How will you resolve this issue?

20. While troubleshooting, you find that the boot loader file has been corrupted, which is why the computer is failing to boot. Which command will you choose in recovery console to recover the boot loader file.

Discussion Questions

In the PC World article “How to Survive: The Worst PC Disasters,” the author outlines 12 potential problems that a computer system or user might encounter.  
Identify 3 of these 12 problems that you have encountered. Which of these 12 potential problems can you identify as having a high risk of occurrence? Explain your response.

Consider the topics covered in the article “Basic Computer Troubleshooting at the Computer Hope.”  How would you utilize the information provided in the Basic Hardware Troubleshooting section to resolve a computer issue you have previously encountered?  Provide a few examples of diagnostic procedures and tools that may be readily adapted from the article.

IT/286 Week 2

Toolwire:

Using the Add Hardware Wizard and

Device Manager

Complete the lab using the Add Hardware Wizard and Device Manager as indicated.

Create a Microsoft Word document and paste screen shots from the lab as indicated in the instructions of the Toolwire lab. To take a screen shot, press the <Print Screen> or <Prt Scr> key on the upper-right-hand corner of your keyboard, open your Microsoft Word document, then press <Ctrl> <V>. Take screen shots of all completed activity. Save the document and submit it.

Toolwire Lab:

Using the Add Hardware Wizard and Device Manager

Screenshot #1 – Enabling the COM1 Port
Screenshot #2 – COM1 Port (Enabled)
Screenshot #3 – Installing New Modem
Screenshot #4 – New Modem Successfully Installed
Screenshot #5 – COM1 Port Successfully Enabled
Screenshot #6 – List of Modem Manufacturers
Screenshot #7 – Installing 560000 bps Modem
Screenshot #8 – Updating Driver
Screenshot #9 – Driver Incompatible
Screenshot #10 – Hardware Cannot Start
Screenshot #11 – Issue with HP COM Port (COM3)
Screenshot #12 – Roll Back Driver (COM3)

Troubleshooting Computer Hardware

Review the directions for the Troubleshooting Computer Hardware assignment in Appendix B.
Complete the worksheet by writing a 150-word answer to each of the three questions.

Part One: Troubleshooting a Failed Boot

Part Two: Troubleshooting Memory

Part Three: Troubleshooting a Hard Drive problem

IT/286 Week 3

PowerSupply Diagnostics & Repair

Online Quiz  

1. Which device is used to supply power to the motherboard?

2. Which type of power supply port on the motherboard supports Soft off?

3. How much voltage is used by the Microprocessor?

4. What is the name of the power supply connector for IDE devices?

5. What is the number of power supply wires used in an ATX style SMPS?

6. Which signal is generated by SMPS to tell the motherboard that the power supply is stable?

7. How many pins are used by IDE devices?

8. What is the term used to describe a situation when the voltage decreases in the power supply?

9. When a computer is turned on or reset, the entire system gets reset. What is the first set of instructions that executes and checks hardware compatibility with each other while the computer starts up?

10. What voltages are supplied by a Molex connector?

11. How much voltage is transferred by a Molex connector to the Hard Disk?

12. Which device is used by a mini connector?

13. What is the failure called when a transistor junction becomes weakened? In this case a transistor may pass all quality tests but, over time, will generate poorer system performance and eventually fail completely.

14. What is the primary thing you should take care of while connecting Data cable and Power connector?

15. When you start the computer, you get an error message stating that there was a CPU fan error during POST running. How will you resolve this issue?

16. The CRT of a monitor acts like a large capacitor and holds a very large charge (30,000 volts). While repairing the monitor what is the primary thing you should be careful about?

17. You are using the latest motherboard that supports soft off. The action of the power switch is programmable. Which chip on the motherboard is used to control the power switch of the CPU case?

18. A user in your company has complained that whenever he presses the power button on the CPU case by mistake, the computer goes to shutdown. Which windows utility will you use to change the settings?

19. When you power on a computer, nothing happens. The power supply device fan also does not start. How will you check that the power supply device (SMPS) is working or not after disconnecting from the motherboard?

20. The monitor screen is live, but you see multiple images or endless scrolling. While troubleshooting you suspect that you have attached an old monitor to a new PC. How will you resolve this issue?

DQ#1: 

After reading the PC World article “Technology's Most (and Least) Reliable Brands,” discuss how your behavior in a customer service role might affect customers’ perspectives on your brand.

DQ#2:

After reviewing the Macworld article “Solve Printer Problems,” discuss the process you would undertake to identify and then rectify the cause of poor-quality printer output.

IT/286 Week 4

Troubleshooting Operating Systems

Toolwire Lab: Troubleshooting Application Installation

Collaborative Troubleshooting Operating Systems Paper

Graded by the Instructor - Perfect Score = A+

Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word collaborative troubleshooting operating systems paper by completing the instructions in Appendix C.
Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

Post your paper as an attachment.

Work collaboratively with another student in your class. You will both read the three scenarios below, and you will discuss and debate how each of you would handle the following problems. Be aware that sometimes there is more than one right answer when troubleshooting an operating system.

You will then individually prepare a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper that addresses each of the problem-scenario issues presented. The paper may contain additional diagrams and pictures if they help support your arguments. In the paper, be sure to consider troubleshooting theory, methods of troubleshooting diagnosis, utilization of Help files, Internet research, and your own experiences. All references, citations, and quotations must be documented in APA format, and a full reference list must be included.

Appendix C

Scenario 1

You have recently started in a new technical support role within the IT department of a major manufacturing organization. Your first support call is from a client who is using Windows ME and has encountered stability problems. Discuss the process you would undertake to identify his or her problem and the operating system’s tools that you would use to do so.

Scenario 2

Your next call is from a user whose Windows XP machine will not boot. Outline the steps you would complete to identify the source of the user’s problem and list the tools provided in Windows XP that might be useful in your analysis.

Scenario 3

It is clear that the organization has not adopted an operating system standard, and, as a result, numerous products and versions are in use throughout the company. Consider the operating systems and discuss which of these you would recommend and why. Which of them would you recommend replacing if they were in use within your organization?

IT/286 Week 5

Diagnosing Operating Systems Quiz

Week 5 Quiz: Supply Diagnostics and Repair Online Quiz

1. You have installed a hardware device recently and it is not functioning properly. Which windows utility should you use to make it usable?
2. Which windows utility will you use to keep functions of the Operating System or installed programs up-to-date?
3. A user's computer is facing network related problems. The user complains that the network connection is very slow. While troubleshooting you notice that the user is using a wired connection and you need to configure the flow control setting. Which option will you use?
4. During network troubleshooting, you notice that the Network is connected but network connectivity is problematic on Vista machines on the network. Which step will you try first?
5. A user complains that whenever he executes a database application, performance suffers. After some troubleshooting you realize that the performance of the hard disk is too slow. What should you do to resolve this case?
6. A user wants to reduce the number of unnecessary files on his hard disk to free up disk space and help his computer run faster. Which utility will you run?
7. You are using a Windows XP computer as the Print server and Backup application server. You need to manage these applications to run faster in the background whenever you use the machine for other tasks. What will you do?
8. You are using a Windows XP computer as the Print server and Backup application server. As these services run in the background, how will you optimize your computer's memory usage to reflect your specific needs?
9. Which Windows command will you use to get full computer information quickly?
10. James is a user in your company. He complains that he has trouble getting game animation or a multimedia application to run properly. Which command will you use to find the source of the problem?
11. After updating Jose's computer, his boot files became corrupt due to a virus and now need to be restored. Which of the following processes will you use to resolve the problem quickly?
12. After installing a new device, your computer failed to respond. Which utility will you use to check the compatibility of this device with your Operating System?
13. Which windows utility will you use to find out the BIOS version?
14. After upgrading Windows 98 to Windows XP, a financial application software failed to start. While troubleshooting you find that this application software is supported only on Windows 98. Which windows utility will you use to get back Windows 98?
15. After upgrading to Windows Vista, a print device failed to start. After some primary troubleshooting you suspect that the current printer driver is not compatible. How will you make the print device available as soon as possible?
16. You are trying to install or run a program which says you must have administrator rights, but you are the administrator on the computer. Which option you will choose to run the program?
17. You have just installed a new sound driver on your computer but you are not able to hear sound output. Which windows utility will you use to get troubleshooting tips on how to resolve the problem?
18. Whenever you start your windows Vista computer some programs start automatically. Too many of these programs opening at the same time can slow down your computer. How will you improve your computer's performance by preventing unnecessary programs from running automatically?
19. You have installed a new piece of hardware but it is not functioning properly. To get troubleshooting help, which windows utility will you use to find the hardware device that is not functioning properly.
20. Which windows feature will you use to help in troubleshooting? You can also read in-depth columns from Windows experts.

IT/286 Week 6

Troubleshooting Printer Hardware in Vista

Troubleshooting Computer Hardware

APPENDIX D

Review the details of the instructions in Appendix D.
Complete the Troubleshooting Computer Hardware assignment by writing a 150-word response to each of the questions.

IT/286 Week 7

Network Troubleshooting Case Study

Checkpoint: Network Troubleshooting Case Study - APPENDIX E

Review the directions within Appendix E for the four troubleshooting scenarios that represent typical networking problems.
Complete the Network Troubleshooting Case Study in Appendix E by writing a 150-word response to each of the four questions.
Format your case study consistent with APA guidelines.

Network Troubleshooting Case Study

Listed below are four troubleshooting scenarios that represent typical networking problems. Read each one carefully. For each question or activity that follows, write a 150-word response. Place all four of your responses into a single Microsoft Word document, with the title of each scenario above the response.

A Day in the Life of a Computer Support Technician

• Part 1: Troubleshooting a Connection Problem

Chris works for a large corporation that has several branch offices in the city. Operating as a certified computer support technician, he must roam among the branch offices, solving computer and network problems as they arise.
Chris receives a call that one of the remote offices is having network problems. When he arrives at the remote office, he is told that the network is down. This office consists of seven computers connected to a router, which is connected to a cable modem.

Answer the following question: What are the first three things Chris should check?

• Part 2: Troubleshooting Internet Access

Chris solves the problem in the remote office and returns to the corporate office. Upon Chris’s return, a coworker named Brian cannot access the Internet. He tells Chris that the connection was working fine before lunch.

Complete the following activity: Reorder the following actions in the appropriate sequence for fixing the problem. Then, provide a brief one-sentence description of the purpose of each of the following actions:

• Reboot the user’s PC.
• Power down the DSL or cable modem box.
• Check whether other computers on the network have a similar problem.
• Release and renew the PC’s IP address.
• Power down the router.
• Power up the router.
• Power up the DSL or cable modem box. 

• Part 3: Network Drive Mapping

Jennifer is using her new laptop computer for the first time and asks you for help. She cannot connect to her local file server. She is accustomed to seeing the file server as Drive K in Windows Explorer. The file server is named File_Server, and the shared folder is named Shared_Files.

Answer the following question: What menu in Microsoft Windows Explorer do you use to access the Map Network Drive window? What entry should appear in the folder drop-down list in this window? Without using a mapped network drive, what can Jennifer enter into the Run dialog box to access this folder?

• Part 4: Port Filtering and Forwarding

Mary tells you that she needs to participate in a demo of third-party video conferencing software the company is considering for purchase. The vendor’s technical support staff needs you to open port 3090 on Mary’s computer so they can access it from the Internet for the demo. Even though opening a computer’s port is a security risk, it must only be open for one day.

IT/286 Week 8

Problem-Solving Strategies

Checkpoint: Social Engineering

• Read the article “A Long-Ignored Threat: RTF Files” in this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.

  Write a 350- to 700-word article review addressing the sequential process the article discusses that highlights a specific but common risk to computer security. Discuss the steps you must take to protect systems under your care from similar risks.

Toolwire® Lab: Configuring Windows Policies

IT/286 Week 9 Windows 7 Study Guide

Online Capstone Quiz

1. A user complains that they are facing problems while running some windows application software. After some troubleshooting you realize that a windows system file which is required to run the OS smoothly is missing. Which windows command would you use to repair the OS?
2. A user John called you to resolve a display related issue. He is not able to see the display in a good resolution whenever he executes multimedia applications. While troubleshooting you find that everything is OK with the video card. What would the solution be?
3. If you need to install driver updates or make other software changes, which booting option will you choose?
4. On upgrading the RAM, the computer does not start, and there is no beep sound. What is the primary thing that needs to be checked?
5. Which physical port on the computer functions as both data transfer and power supply?
6. To format C: drive and to make this partition bootable, which of the following commands will you use:
7. A user complains that his computer is not starting. He gets an error message that states "NTLDR is missing, Press CTRL ALT DEL to restart". Which windows utility will you use to copy this file from the CD-ROM to the OS partition?
8. When you start the Hewlett Packard ScanJet 5P scanner program which uses a small computer system interface (SCSI) peripheral device, the program stops responding. On troubleshooting you find that the SCSI adapter contains the Advansys 3550 chipset. What will you do?
9. You need to boot your computer in the network by using PXE boot. Which slot on your motherboard will you use to insert NIC?
10. Which windows 16 bit command should be used to partition the hard disk
11. Joe, a user in your company, uses Windows Vista on a mobile PC. He complains that sometimes he is not able to get the full Windows Aero (the transparent glass design with window animations). How will you resolve this issue?
12. A user calls you to configure a power plan for a laptop running Windows XP. You need to disable all unused hardware while the user is out of the office in order to achieve minimum power consumption while he/she is out of the office. How will you achieve this?
13. Which connector is primarily used for 3.5-inch floppy disk drives?
14. What is the process of rebooting the computer by using the Ctrl Alt Delete keys called?
15. A device which can be attached or detached from a computer or other electronic device without having to reboot the computer is called as________________.
16. You are required to resolve the booting issue on a Windows Vista machine. While troubleshooting you decide that the OS needs to be repaired and that booting the computer from the Windows Vista installation disc is required. On booting from the OS disk, which option will you choose to repair OS?
17. A user complains that he/she is unable to perform a task because the settings of the computer have been altered. While troubleshooting you find that the computer system's registry settings have been changed. Which utility will you use to recover the Vista machine?
18. An Application software is running slowly on your computer. On troubleshooting, you realize that this software uses the hard disk frequently while running. Which option will you choose to improve the performance of the application software?
19. When your computer stops working or responding, which Windows Vista utility can be used to troubleshoot it?
20. A user complains that his Internet Explorer stops responding frequently. On troubleshooting you find that Internet Explorer is trying to access a corrupted file. How will you resolve this issue?
21. A user comes to your cube and asks you to unlock their user account which has been locked. Which windows utility will you use to manage the local user account remotely?
22. Which Windows Vista utility will help you to keep your files and other information updated between your computer and other mobile device and compatible programs?
23. You are installing an updated sound card driver but you are facing some trouble while installing. When you go to use Microsoft help utility, you get an error message stating that Help and Support service is not started. Which tool will you use to start this service on the local machine?
24. Which windows diagnostic tool will you use to determine Hard Disk and file system integrity and also to recover bad sectors?
25. You are troubleshooting application software on a Windows XP machine. Three users are currently logged on the same machine. Which tool will you use to switch from current user's console to other logged on user's consoles?
26. You have installed and configured a printer device driver and it was working smoothly. You are using Windows XP as the print server. After a few days you notice that the printer is slower than usual. What should you do?
27. You have installed a scanner on a Windows Vista machine. After scanning one image, when you preview a document that you want to scan you notice that images in the document are cropped or you are unable to crop them. How will you resolve this issue?
28. You are a senior member of the Print management team. A team member, John, has to install a print device on the network. While doing that he is unable to share the printer. Which permissions are required to enable John to perform this task?
29. A user always needs access to the color printer, but he complains that whenever he prints the documents it is printed in black and white. How will you solve this problem?
30. Which value will you choose to give high priority to the printer?
31. A user in your office complained that he is not able to connect to the internet. Which command will you use to know the network settings in details?
32. You have shared a folder on your machine to make it accessible in the network only for James. But you realize that everyone is able to open the shared folder. What should you do?
33. To install the application software on the user's computer you decide to connect to the machine via remote desktop connection. But you are unable to do so. While troubleshooting you checked that everything is well configured on the user's computer. What should you also check?
34. A user complained that he is not able to copy files from the file server to his computer. On troubleshooting you saw that both the machines are connected, but are not able to view the shared data. What will you do?
35. Which command will you use to find out the broken path between the source and destination while troubleshooting on Windows machines?
36. Which Windows Vista tool will you use to enhance your computer's security by checking the status of several security essentials on your computer, including firewall settings, Windows automatic updating, anti-malware software settings, Internet security settings, and User Account Control settings?
37. Which of the following tools will you use to configure a strong local computer and local user security policy?
38. Personal information and files on your wireless network can sometimes be seen by people who pick up your network signal. Which strongest network security key will you use which also works with an 802.1X authentication server?
39. You have configured to use WPA2 but it is not working properly. Which of the following options will you use to make it work smoothly?
40. Which tool do network administrators use to help protect the security of a network? When you connect to a corporate network, this tool checks your computer to make sure that the required software and settings are up to date and if anything is missing or outdated, your computer gets automatically updated.           

Final Project:

Maintaining and Optimizing

Windows 7 Study Guide

• Create a 1,050-word study guide for the Maintaining and Optimizing Windows 7 Operations Toolwire Lab that describes the steps needed to maintain and optimize Microsoft Windows 7 operations. The study guide must provide step-by-step instructions that are accompanied by descriptive screen shots.

Table of Contents

• Purpose of the Windows 7  Operating Systems                
• Components and Functions of Windows 7
• Installation Procedures for Windows 7                           
• Upgrading to Windows 7  Operating System
• Troubleshooting Concerns for Windows 7
• Microsoft Management Console
• Other Utilities and Tools in Windows 7   
• Security Features in Windows 7
• Reference Page