FIGURE 1-23 Opening the Windows Recovery Environment from the Advanced Boot Options menu
FIGURE 1-24 Opening the Windows Recovery Environment through the Windows 7 DVD
Either method of starting the Windows Recovery Environment opens the first page of the
System Recovery Options wizard, one version of which is shown in Figure 1-25. This particular
version of the first page appears when you boot from the Windows 7 DVD. If instead you
have chosen Repair Your Computer through the Advanced Boot Options menu, you are asked
to specify a language, and then, on a second page, you are prompted to provide local user
credentials.
FIGURE 1-25 Opening System Recovery Options
The last page of the System Recovery Options wizard is the main page and is common to
all versions: the Choose A Recovery Tool page. To launch the Startup Repair tool, choose that
option on the page, as shown in Figure 1-26.
FIGURE 1-26 Choosing the Startup Repair recovery tool
Figure 1-27 shows the Startup Repair tool running. During this period, it runs the following
tests:
■ Check for updates
■ System disk test
■ Disk failure diagnosis
■ Disk metadata test
■ Target OS test
■ Volume content check
■ Boot manager diagnosis
■ System boot log diagnosis
■ Event log diagnosis
■ Internal state check
■ Boot status test
FIGURE 1-27 The Startup Repair tool
After it runs the tests and repairs the disk, Startup Repair displays a diagnosis of the
startup error.
If Startup Repair finds no errors, you can turn to troubleshoot other system components,
such as the physical memory or the physical disk.
Troubleshooting RAM with Windows Memory Diagnostic
Damage to RAM installed in a computer is a common source of system failures. Memory
problems can prevent Windows from starting or can cause unpredictable stop errors when
Windows is already running. Memory-related problems typically cause intermittent failures and they are difficult to diagnose without a special diagnostic utility. If you suspect memory
errors might be the cause of a computer problem, the special diagnostic utility that you can
use in Windows 7 to test your computer’s memory is Windows Memory Diagnostic.
You must run Windows Memory Diagnostic offline, but you can start the tool in a number
of ways on a system running Windows 7. From within the Windows interface, you can
schedule the tool to run the next time the system starts. You can also start the tool through
the Windows Boot Manager menu or through System Recovery Options. Each of these three
methods is described in the following section.
Scheduling Windows Memory Diagnostic to Start
Although you cannot run the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool while Windows is also
running, you can use Windows to schedule the utility to run automatically the next time the
system starts. To do so, click Windows Memory Diagnostic from the Administrative Tools
menu. Alternatively, you can click Start, type mdsched, select Mdsched from the Programs
list, and then press Enter. Either method opens the Windows Memory Diagnostic window,
shown in Figure 1-28.
FIGURE 1-28 Scheduling Windows Memory Diagnostic to run
In this window, you can choose either to restart the computer immediately and check
for memory errors, or to check automatically for memory errors whenever you start the
computer next.
Starting Windows Memory Diagnostic in Windows Boot Manager
If you want to perform memory diagnostics and Windows is not running, you can start the
Windows Memory Diagnostic tool by selecting it in Windows Boot Manager.
Windows Boot Manager is a feature that enables you to choose an operating system to
start when multiple operating systems are installed on the local machine. Typically, Windows
Boot Manager does not appear when you have only one operating system installed. However,
you can force Windows Boot Manager to appear by repeatedly pressing the spacebar as your
system starts.
When Windows Boot Manager does appear, press Tab to change the selection from
Windows 7 to Windows Memory Diagnostic, as shown in Figure 1-29. Then, press Enter to
start the diagnostic tool.
FIGURE 1-29 Starting Windows Memory Diagnostic from Windows Boot Manager
Starting Windows Memory Diagnostic from System Recovery Options
The third way you can start the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool is through System
Recovery Options. Like the Startup Repair tool, Windows Memory Diagnostic is available as an
option on the Choose A Recovery Tool page, as shown in Figure 1-30.
Running Windows Memory Diagnostic
Whichever of the methods you use to start Windows Memory Diagnostic, the tool begins
testing memory immediately when the program starts, as shown in Figure 1-31.
FIGURE 1-30 Selecting the Windows Memory Diagnostic recovery tool
FIGURE 1-31 Windows Memory Diagnostic performs two test passes by default.
Pressing F1 reveals the Windows Memory Diagnostic - Options page, as shown in
Figure 1-32.
FIGURE 1-32 Options for Windows Memory Diagnostic
As shown on the Options page, you can perform three levels of testing: Basic, Standard,
and Extended. Standard is the default level; it performs eight types of tests. Basic performs
only three types of memory tests, and Advanced performs 17. Whichever level you choose,
the tests are performed twice by default. You can choose any number of test passes between
1 and 99.
REAL WORLD
J.C. Mackin
It is tempting to believe that you can simply run Windows Memory Diagnostic at
the default settings to find out whether you need to replace a memory module.
In truth, though, an individual circuit used to store data in memory can malfunction
a relatively small percentage of the time. Infrequent errors in physical memory can
cause occasional stop errors but still pass undetected by diagnostic tests that are
not performed thoroughly.
Plan to use the default settings in Windows Memory Diagnostic for routine
maintenance checks. But when a computer experiences stop errors for an unknown
reason, you should plan to perform much more thorough checks and let them run
for many hours. Also, remember that the less frequently the errors appear, the more
thorough the testing needs to be.
After Windows Memory Diagnostic completes testing, Windows starts. On the desktop,
Windows displays a notification bubble with the test results, as shown in Figure 1-33. You can
view related events in the System Event Log with the source MemoryDiagnosticsResults (event
ID 1201).
FIGURE 1-33 A notification bubble for Windows Memory Diagnostic
If you do identify a memory failure, be sure to replace the faulty RAM module. If the
computer has multiple memory modules and you are unsure which module or modules are
causing the problem, remove all modules except the first. Then, rerun Windows Memory
Diagnostics to determine whether a fault is detected. Next, remove the first module, insert
the second, and run Windows Memory Diagnostic again. Repeat the process for each module
that your system includes until you find the source of the problem.
If problems persist even after replacing the memory, the problem is likely to be caused
by an outside source. For example, high temperatures (often found in mobile PCs) can cause
memory to be unreliable. Although computer manufacturers typically choose memory
specifically designed to withstand high temperatures, adding third-party memory that does
not meet the same specifications can cause failure. Besides heat, other devices inside the
computer can cause electrical interference. Finally, remember that motherboard or processor
problems may occasionally cause memory communication errors that resemble failing
memory.
Troubleshooting Hard Disk Problems with Chkdsk
Chkdsk is a tool that automatically finds and repairs disk volume problems related to bad
sectors, lost clusters, cross-linked fi les, and directory errors. You can run Chkdsk either in
Windows or offline, but if you want to scan the system volume itself, you must run the tool
outside of Windows. In this case, as with Windows Memory Diagnostic, you can schedule the
tool to run the next time Windows starts.
NOTE TROUBLESHOOTING WITH Chkdsk
Disk errors are a common source of problems that appear in software. Bad sectors on
a hard disk, for example, can result in stop errors, system freezes, or other errors. When
you are troubleshooting problems that do not appear to be the result of a recent system
change, you should always remember to use Chkdsk to scan your disks for errors.
The name Chkdsk refers to the spelling of the command-line version of the tool, but you
can also start Chkdsk through the graphical user interface. To do so, open the properties of
the volume you want to check and click the Tools tab. Then, click Check Now, as shown in
Figure 1-34.
FIGURE 1-34 Running Chkdsk from Windows
This step opens the Check Disk dialog box, as shown in Figure 1-35. In this dialog box, you
choose whether to fi x both fi le system errors and bad sectors, or just fi le system errors. Once
you have made the selection, click Start.
FIGURE 1-35 Chkdsk options
If you have selected the system volume to check, you see the message shown in
Figure 1-36. This message indicates that the hard disk will be checked for errors the next time
you start your computer.
FIGURE 1-36 Scheduling Chkdsk to run
Quick Check
■ When do you need to run Chkdsk offline?
Quick Check Answer
■ When the disk you want to check is the system disk
Troubleshooting Hard Disk Problems
with Disk Defragmenter
Disk fragmentation refers to the gradual dispersion of data on a disk over time. Because
disk fragmentation slows down your computer, your disks need to be defragmented
regularly. Disk Defragmenter rearranges fragmented data so your disks and drives can
work more efficiently. Disk Defragmenter runs automatically on a schedule in Windows 7
(every Wednesday at 1 A.M.), but you can also analyze and defragment your disks and drives
manually.
To run Disk Defragmenter manually, follow these steps:
1. Click Start. Type Disk Defragmenter, and then press Enter when Disk Defragmenter
appears highlighted in the Programs list.
The Disk Defragmenter window opens.
2. Under Current Status, select the disk you want to defragment.
3. To determine if the disk needs to be defragmented or not, click Analyze Disk.
4. Once Windows is finished analyzing the disk, you can check the percentage of
fragmentation on the disk in the Last Run column. If the number is above 10%, you
should defragment the disk.
5. To defragment the disk, click Defragment Disk.
Disk Defragmenter might take from several minutes to a few hours to finish,
depending on the size and degree of fragmentation of your hard disk. You can still use
your computer during the defragmentation process.
EXAM TIP
Remember that Disk Defragmenter runs automatically by default in Windows 7.
PRACTICE Troubleshooting in Windows 7
In this practice, you run a troubleshooter in Windows 7 and view the script contents that
make up the troubleshooter. Then, you run the Startup Repair tool and observe the results.
EXERCISE 1 Running a Windows 7 Troubleshooter
In this exercise, you run the Playing Audio troubleshooter. You then browse to C:\Windows\
Diagnostics\System and view the contents of the Windows PowerShell scripts that make up
the troubleshooting pack associated with this troubleshooter.
1. Log on to a computer running Windows 7 as an administrator.
2. Open Control Panel, and then click System And Security.
3. Within the Action Center category, click Troubleshoot Common Computer Problems.
4. On the Troubleshoot Computer Problems page, click Hardware And Sound.
5. On the Troubleshoot Problems - Hardware And Sound page, click Playing Audio.
The first page of the Playing Audio troubleshooter opens.
6. Click Advanced.
The Apply Repairs Automatically check box is selected by default.
7. Click Next.
8. The Playing Audio wizard scans for problems and attempts to repair any problems that
it finds.
9. When the wizard completes, click View Detailed Information.
10. Spend a few moments to review the contents of the troubleshooting report.
11. Click Next, and then click Close.
12. In Windows Explorer, browse to C:\Windows\Diagnostics\System.
This folder contains the locally installed troubleshooting packs that support
troubleshooters available on the system.
13. Open the Audio folder.
This folder contains the Windows PowerShell scripts that run when you run the Playing
Audio troubleshooter.
14. Spend a few minutes viewing the Windows PowerShell scripts in this folder.
The scripts are used to query the local system for very detailed configuration and
status information.
15. Close all open windows.
EXERCISE 2 Running Startup Repair
In this exercise, you start the computer and open the Advanced Boot Options menu by
pressing F8. From this menu, you choose the Repair Your Computer option. In the Windows
Recovery Environment that opens, you complete the System Recovery Options wizard and
select the Startup Repair tool.
1. If your computer running Windows 7 is running, restart it. If it is not running, start
it now.
2. As soon as the computer starts, press the F8 key and hold it down.
The Advanced Boot Options menu appears.
3. Verify that Repair Your Computer is selected, and then press Enter.
The first page of the System Recovery Options wizard appears.
4. In the Select A Keyboard Input Method drop-down list, verify that your desired
keyboard input method is selected, and then click Next.
5. On the second page of the System Recovery Options wizard, enter local administrator
credentials, and then click OK.
The Choose A Recovery Tool page opens.
6. Click Startup Repair.
Startup Repair opens and checks for errors.
7. When Startup Repair has finished the check, click View Diagnostic And Repair Details.
8. Review the Startup Repair diagnosis and repair log.
9. Click Close.
10. Click Finish.
11. Click Shut Down.
Lesson Summary
■ The Action Center is a good place to begin troubleshooting.
■ Windows 7 includes many built-in troubleshooters that are part of the new extensible
Windows Troubleshooting Platform.
■ Reliability Monitor enables you to learn about the relative stability of a system in
recent history.
■ To fi x common startup problems, use the Startup Repair tool, which is available in the
list of System Recovery Options in the Windows Recovery Environment.
■ To check physical memory for errors, use Windows Memory Diagnostic.
■ To check a physical disk for errors, use Chkdsk.
■ To check a physical disk for fragmentation, use Disk Defragmenter
Lesson Review
You can use the following questions to test your knowledge of the information in Lesson 1,
“Using Windows 7 Hardware Troubleshooting Tools.” The questions are also available on the
companion CD if you prefer to review them in electronic form.
NOTE ANSWERS
Answers to these questions and explanations of why each answer choice is correct or incorrect
are located in the “Answers” section at the end of the book.
1. You are an enterprise support technician for a large company. The help desk asks for
your assistance in resolving a computer problem. The computer in question is running
Windows 7 and has been experiencing system freezes with increasing frequency.
The help desk staff informs you that except for critical Windows Updates, no software
changes have been made to the system since the problem first appeared. In addition,
a thorough virus scan has revealed no malware on the system.
Which of the following tools is most likely to reveal a problem on the system that is
consistent with the issue reported?
A. Chkdsk
B. Disk Defragmenter
C. Startup Repair
D. Device Manager
2. You are troubleshooting a system failure. When you turn the computer on, a message
appears indicating that the partition table is invalid. You have verified that the system
includes only a single volume, and that Windows 7 is installed on the volume.
Which of the following tools should you first use to troubleshoot the problem reported?
A. Chkdsk
B. Reliability Monitor
C. Windows Memory Diagnostic
D. Startup Repair
Lesson 2: Troubleshooting Hardware Components
Whereas Lesson 1 introduced many tools in Windows 7 that you can use to troubleshoot
hardware problems, this lesson introduces a targeted set of strategies for troubleshooting
particular components.
When troubleshooting computer failures in general, your plan should be to narrow down
the scope of the problem to determine first whether the failure is hardware- or software-related.
Once you suspect that faulty hardware is responsible for the computer failure, you can focus
your troubleshooting efforts on a particular hardware component (such as the motherboard
or hard disk) to determine whether that component is the cause of the failure. Knowing which
component to troubleshoot first requires a basic understanding of the computer boot process.
It also requires you to know the typical behaviors associated with the failure of each component.
In this lesson, you learn basic procedures for troubleshooting the four hardware
components that are most often responsible for computer failures: the power supply unit, the
motherboard, RAM, and hard disks. In the process, you learn the behaviors associated with
the failure of these component types.
After this lesson, you will be able to:
■ Use several tools in Windows 7 to diagnose hardware failures.
Estimated lesson time: 30 minutes
Distinguishing Hardware Failures from Software Failures
When a computer system fails, you should first try to determine whether the failure is
a result of software or hardware errors. This determination isn’t always easy. Though some
hardware-related failures are simple to distinguish from software-related ones, others
(for example, those resulting from a damaged memory module) exhibit behaviors remarkably
similar to software-related failures.
In general, however, the following rule applies to failures caused by faulty hardware.
A system failure is caused by a hardware problem when one of the following occurs:
■ The failure occurs before the operating system loads.
■ The failure occurs randomly, in a way that suggests no relation to any particular
software activity.
If you suspect that a system failure is caused by a hardware problem, you can use
the information in this lesson along with the tools described in Lesson 1 to diagnose the
particular nature of the problem.
Understanding the Boot Process
If a hardware device is not functioning, this problem often reveals itself before the operating
system loads. For this reason, when you are troubleshooting hardware issues, it is important
to understand in a computer boot sequence the steps that precede the start of the operating
system. If you can observe at what point the failure occurs, familiarity with this sequence can
help you pinpoint the particular component that is failing.
The following steps summarize the boot sequence, up to and including the load of the
operating system:
1. Power on.
During this phase, the power supply feeds power to the motherboard and the
CPU (chip).
2. Perform instructions contained in the BIOS.
Once the CPU has power, it immediately starts executing the instructions that are
written in the BIOS. The BIOS is an example of firmware, or low-level software that
works closely with hardware. A computer’s BIOS contains the processor-dependent
code that is responsible for testing basic hardware functionality of the computer and
for passing control to the boot device.
The BIOS also contains software interfaces to hardware that enable the operating
system to use features such as power management, virtualization, hot swapping, and
booting from universal serial bus (USB) devices.
NOTE EXTENSIBLE FIRMWARE INTERFACE (EFI)
EFI is an advanced replacement for BIOS that is beginning to appear in some new
computers. Whether a computer uses BIOS or EFI for its firmware, the essential role
of this firmware in the computer’s boot process is the same.
During the boot phase, the instructions in the BIOS consist of two steps:
a. Perform the power on self-test (POST)
The POST is the hardware check that is performed by the BIOS as soon as the
computer is turned on. When the POST detects a hardware error such as a failed
video device, it signals the error with a beep code indicating the type of failure
detected.
b. Read instructions on the boot device
The second function performed by the BIOS is to pass control to the boot device
and read the instructions on that boot device. The boot device should be the
device on which the operating system is stored. Typically, this boot device is an
internal hard disk, but in the BIOS Setup program, you can specify the order of
devices that you want the BIOS to investigate for boot code.
3. Operating system loads from boot device.
If the boot sequence fails to reach this point, the problem can be the result of an
incorrectly configured selection of boot device in the BIOS Setup program, of a faulty
Master Boot Record (MBR) on the hard disk, of a failed driver (typically for a SCSI hard
drive), or of a hardware failure.
It is worth mentioning that if a computer crashes after the operating system begins
to load from the boot device, the failure is somewhat more likely to be the result of
a software problem than a hardware problem. But this is not a rule; hardware-related
crashes can occur at any time.
EXAM TIP
You might need to upgrade your BIOS to enable certain features such as booting from
a USB or network device.
NOTE BASIC TROUBLESHOOTING STRATEGY
When troubleshooting, always begin by taking the overall least risky, costly, and difficult
action that can help you narrow down or identify the source of the problem. Then, if you
need more information to identify the problem, take the overall next-least risky, costly,
and difficult action, and so on.
Troubleshooting the Power Supply Unit
The power supply unit converts AC current from the wall outlet into DC current at the proper
voltages needed by various computer components such as the motherboard.
The following section provides a set of basic strategies for troubleshooting power supply
problems.
CAUTION UNPLUG YOUR COMPUTER BEFORE OPENING THE CASE!
Do not touch internal components when a computer is plugged in. You can electrocute
yourself or seriously damage the computer. Note also that computer circuits are extremely
sensitive to static electricity, even at levels that we can’t feel. Before you touch any components,
always ground yourself by first touching the metal structure of the computer case.
The computer appears dead. (There are no fans, lights, sounds, or signs of
movement when you attempt to start it.)
1. Verify that the wall outlet is working.
2. Verify that the power cords are properly attached to the wall outlet, to the computer,
and to the motherboard. (Remember that most modern motherboards require two
power connectors.)
3. Verify that any internal power switch is turned on. If such a switch exists and is turned
on, and if the power supply works in another computer, replace the switch.
4. If your power supply has a voltage switch, verify that the switch is set to the proper
AC voltage for your country.
5. If the previous steps do not uncover the source of the problem, replace the power supply.
The computer freezes before the operating system starts.
1. Compare the power requirements of your devices with the power capacity of the
power supply unit. Verify that the power supply unit provides the wattage necessary to
power all the computer devices in your computer. If not, replace the power supply with
a more powerful unit.
2. Test with a multimeter to determine whether the power supply unit is supplying
correct and consistent voltage to the machine. If not, replace the power supply.
The computer suddenly shuts off at unpredictable moments.
1. Verify that the power supply unit fan is working. If not, you can replace just the power
supply fan.
2. Verify that the motherboard fan is working. Replace this fan if necessary.
3. Run Windows Memory Diagnostic to check your RAM for hardware faults, as described
in Lesson 1 of this chapter.
4. Run motherboard diagnostic software to check the functionality of the motherboard.
To obtain this software, consult the motherboard manufacturer.
5. If the previous steps do not uncover the source of the problem, replace the entire
power supply unit.
The power supply unit is making a loud, continuous noise.
Replace the power supply unit.
Troubleshooting the Motherboard
The motherboard is the main component of the computer. It includes the CPU or CPUs,
slots for memory modules; expansion slots for other devices; and (typically with modern
motherboards) built-in components and related ports for Ethernet, sound, video, and USB.
Figure 1-37 shows a modern motherboard with built-in components for video, USB,
Ethernet, and audio.
The following section provides a set of basic strategies for troubleshooting motherboard
problems.
When you attempt to start the computer, you see no video and hear no beep codes.
1. Disconnect all external accessories, such as external drives and PC cards, and then
attempt to restart the computer. If you can start the computer, attempt to isolate
the problem device by attaching one more device and restarting and until the failure
reappears. Once you determine the external device that is causing the problem,
contact the device manufacturer for further troubleshooting instructions.
FIGURE 1-37 Modern motherboards usually include built-in components
for video, USB, Ethernet, and audio.
2. Verify that the monitor is in fact receiving power and is plugged into the computer.
3. Verify that the power supply fan is running. If it is not running, troubleshoot the power
supply.
4. Verify that all required power connectors are plugged into the motherboard and into
other computer devices. (Remember that most modern motherboards require two
power connectors.)
5. Verify that any internal power switch is turned on.
6. If your power supply has a voltage switch, verify that the switch is set to the proper
AC voltage for your country.
7. Verify that the motherboard is seated properly and that the CPU is fitted properly in
its slot.
8. Verify that your RAM modules are seated properly and in the correct slots according to
the motherboard manufacturer’s specifications.
9. Run Windows Memory Diagnostic and replace any RAM modules if necessary.
10. Reset the BIOS to default settings. (To learn how to do this, consult the manual for the
motherboard. Note that you can also reset the BIOS by removing the battery on the
motherboard for 30 minutes.)
11. Use the manual for the motherboard to verify that any jumpers on the motherboard
are properly set.
12. If your computer has no internal speaker (which would allow you to hear beep codes),
replace the video card.
13. Replace the power supply unit.
14. Replace the motherboard.
When you turn on the computer, you hear beep codes, but the computer fails to
start.
1. Disconnect all external accessories such as external drives and PC cards, and then
attempt to restart the computer. If you can start the computer, attempt to isolate
the problem device by attaching one more device and restarting until the failure
reappears.
2. Consult the motherboard manual or manufacturer Web site to determine the meaning
of the beep code you hear.
3. Try to fi x the faulty component denoted by the beep code. This step might include
attaching power connectors, reseating components such as RAM or the CPU, resetting
the BIOS, or resetting motherboard jumpers.
4. If necessary, replace the faulty component denoted by the beep code.
The computer repeatedly loses power whenever it runs for a number of minutes.
1. Verify that the CPU fan on the motherboard is working. If not, replace the CPU fan.
2. Adjust the environment around the computer so that hot air cannot build up in its
vicinity. (Laptops are especially sensitive to this.)
The computer shuts down randomly at unpredictable intervals.
1. Run Windows Memory Diagnostic to check your RAM for hardware faults, as described
in Lesson 1 of this chapter.
2. Run motherboard diagnostic software to check the functionality of the motherboard.
To obtain this software, consult the motherboard manufacturer.
3. Adjust the environment around the computer so that hot air cannot build up in its
vicinity. (Laptops are especially sensitive to this.)
The operating system cannot use power management, virtualization, USB
or network boot, hot swapping, or other features that are supported by your
hardware.
Enable the desired feature in the BIOS Setup program.
Troubleshooting RAM
In the context of personal computers, the term RAM refers specifically to the volatile, dynamic
random access memory supplied by modules such as dual inline memory modules (DIMMs).
This type of memory is used to store relatively large amounts of data in a location that the
processor can access quickly. An important limitation of computer RAM is that it can store
data only when power is supplied to it.
The most typical symptom of a memory problem is a system crash or stop error in
Windows. When these errors occur, you might see a message explicitly indicating a memory
problem. However, memory problems can also prevent Windows from starting in the first
place. If you see an error message directly related to memory, or if you need to rule out faulty
memory as the cause of computer crashes or startup failures, perform the following steps:
1. Run Windows Memory Diagnostic software, as described in Lesson 1 of this chapter.
2. If no errors are found, or if some of the installed RAM is not recognized, do the following:
a. Verify that the memory modules are seated properly.
b. Verify that the memory modules are seated in the proper slots according to the
motherboard manufacturer’s specifications.
c. Verify that the memory used is the type required according to the motherboard
manufacturer’s specifications.
d. If the problem persists, remove all modules, clean the memory slots, insert one
module in the first slot, and then restart the computer. Use this method to test all
your memory modules.
Troubleshooting Hard Disks
Described technically, a hard disk drive represents a type of non-volatile memory storage
device that encodes data on a spinning magnetic platter. Though the technology is decades
old, it is still the most common type of computer storage today. However, hard disk drives are
starting to be replaced by alternative forms of non-volatile storage, such as solid-state drives.
The following section provides a set of basic strategies for troubleshooting hard disk
problems.
You hear a loud whirring, screeching, or clicking.
1. Back up your data. The hard drive could be about to fail.
2. Replace the drive.
The operating system fails to start, and you receive an error message similar to any
of the following:
Hard disk error.
Invalid partition table.
A disk-read error occurred.
Couldn’t find loader.
1. Verify that the BIOS Setup program is configured to boot from the hard drive.
2. Verify that the hard drive contains an operating system.
3. Run the Startup Repair tool, as described in Lesson 1 of this chapter.
4. Verify that the power connectors are attached to the hard drive.
5. Verify that any jumpers on your hard drives are configured properly according to
manufacturer specifications.
6. Attempt to recover the disk by using the System Image Recovery option.
7. Replace the hard drive.
The operating system loads, but performance gradually decreases over time.
Run Disk Defragmenter, as described in Lesson 1 of this chapter.
The operating system loads, but you find evidence of data corruption.
OR
The system occasionally freezes and remains unresponsive.
1. Run Chkdsk, as described in Lesson 1 of this chapter.
2. Run software diagnostics from the hard disk drive manufacturer to test the physical
functionality of the hard disk drive.
Quick Check
■ Is a system freeze more likely to be the result of damage to the hard disk
or the RAM?
Quick Check Answer
■ A system freeze is more likely to be the result of damage to the hard disk.
MORE INFO TROUBLESHOOTING HARDWARE COMPONENTS
For more detailed guidance about troubleshooting hardware components, see Computer
Repair with Diagnostic Flowcharts: Troubleshooting PC Hardware Problems from Boot
Failure to Poor Performance, Revised Edition (Foner Books, 2008), by Morris Rosenthal. You
can find substantial excerpts from this book at http://www.fonerbooks.com/pcrepair.htm.
PRACTICE Testing Specific Hardware Components
In this practice, you run diagnostics to test the integrity of your computer memory and
hard disk.
EXERCISE 1 Testing your RAM with Windows Memory Diagnostic
In this exercise, you restart your computer, open the Windows Boot Manager menu, choose
Windows Memory Diagnostic, and perform a memory test.
1. Remove all CD or DVD discs from the local drives on a computer that is running Windows 7.
2. Start or restart the computer.
3. As the computer is starting, press the spacebar repeatedly (once per second is
sufficiently fast).
The Windows Boot Manager menu appears.
4. Press the Tab key to select Windows Memory Diagnostic on the Windows Boot
Manager menu, and then press Enter.
The Windows Memory Diagnostic tool opens.
5. Review the contents of the screen, and then press F1 to open the Options screen.
6. In the Options screen, use the Tab key, arrow keys, and number keys to set the test mix
to Basic and the pass count to 1.
7. Press F10 to apply the new settings.
8. A quick memory test begins. After the memory test is complete, Windows restarts
automatically. Soon after you next log on, a notification bubble will appear indicating
whether any errors were found.
EXERCISE 2 Testing Your Hard Disk with Chkdsk
In this exercise, you log on to Windows 7, open an elevated command prompt, and run the
Chkdsk command from the command line.
1. Log on to Windows 7 and open an elevated command prompt. You can do this by
selecting Start\All Programs\Accessories\, right-clicking Command Prompt, selecting
Run As Administrator from the shortcut menu, and then clicking Yes on the User
Account Control message prompt that appears.
2. At the command prompt, type chkdsk /?.
3. Read the output and review the options available with the Chkdsk command.
4. At the command prompt, type chkdsk c: /f /v /i /c.
(If your system drive is assigned a letter other than C:, then replace the c: in this
command with the drive letter to which you have assigned the system drive. For
example, if your system drive is assigned E:, then you should type chkdsk e: /f /v /i /c.)
This set of options automatically fixes errors (/f ) that are found and displays cleanup
messages (/v). However, Chkdsk performs a faster test that skips certain types of
checks (/i and /c).
5. A message output appears, indicating that Chkdsk cannot run because it is in use by
another process and asks if you would like to schedule the volume to be checked the
next time the system restarts.
This message appears because the volume you have chosen to test is currently being
used to run Windows. You can run Chkdsk only on a volume that is not otherwise
in use.
6. Type Y, and then restart the system.
7. When Windows restarts, a message appears while Chkdsk is being run and indicates
that because the /i and /c options were specified, the disk could still be corrupt even if
no errors are found.
When Chkdsk finishes, Windows starts automatically.
Lesson Summary
■ Begin troubleshooting a computer failure by trying to determine whether the problem
is related to hardware or software.
■ Once you determine that a failure is hardware-related, choose a particular component
to troubleshoot. Use your familiarity with the computer boot sequence and with
hardware failure behavior in general to determine which hardware component to
troubleshoot first.
■ The steps for troubleshooting hardware components are specific to each component.
Lesson Review
You can use the following questions to test your knowledge of the information in Lesson 2,
“Troubleshooting Hardware Components.” The questions are also available on the companion
CD if you prefer to review them in electronic form.
NOTE ANSWERS
Answers to these questions and explanations of why each answer choice is correct or incorrect
are located in the “Answers” section at the end of the book.
1. You are troubleshooting a problem on a computer running Windows 7. The computer
is configured with an external hot-swappable Serial Advanced Technology Attachments
(SATA) drive. However, whenever you turn off the drive and remove a disk, the removal
generates errors.
Which of the following steps is most likely to enable you to hot-swap the disk in the
drive without generating errors?
A. Enable the High Performance power plan in Control Panel.
B. Run Chkdsk on the disks.
C. Ensure that the jumpers on internal Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
drives are configured properly.
D. Upgrade the BIOS and ensure that it is configured properly.
2. You are troubleshooting a computer that is running Windows 7. The computer is shared by
an administrator at night and a non-administrator during the day. The non-administrator
is complaining that the performance seems to be sluggish. Thorough virus testing has
detected no malware on the system. The Action Center, Reliability Monitor, Event Viewer,
and Device Manager reveal nothing out of the ordinary.
Which of the following troubleshooting steps should you perform next?
A. Run Chkdsk.
B. Use Disk Defragmenter to analyze the disk for fragmentation.
C. Run Startup Repair.
D. Run Windows Memory Diagnostic.
Chapter Review
To further practice and reinforce the skills you learned in this chapter, you can perform the
following tasks:
■ Review the chapter summary.
■ Review the list of key terms introduced in this chapter.
■ Complete the case scenarios. These scenarios set up real-world situations involving the
topics of this chapter and ask you to create a solution.
■ Complete the suggested practices.
■ Take a practice test.
Chapter Summary
■ Windows 7 includes several tools that you can use to diagnose problems related to
hardware.
■ When troubleshooting hardware, it is very useful to learn the various troubleshooting
strategies that are particular to each type of component.
Key Terms
Do you know what these key terms mean? You can check your answers by looking up the
terms in the glossary at the end of the book.
■ Action Center
■ basic input/output system (BIOS)
■ Chkdsk
■ Disk Defragmenter
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