Hardware Diagnostics HowTo

Common Problems

No Power

1. Check if the PC is plugged in.
2. Try a different plug.
3. Try a different power cable.
4. Get PC Doctor kit.
5. Open the case and disconnect PSU from the motherboard. Use PSU Tester to determine if PSU turns on.
   • If PSU turns on, the likely failure is the motherboard.
   • If PSU fails the test, the likely failure is the PSU.
     • Try a spare PSU. If this works, replace the PSU.
     • If this fails, get warranty service or decommission the PC.

Power, but doesn't finish POST.

1. Get PC Doctor kit.
2. Use POST code reader to determine where the POST is failing.

POST finishes, but doesn't boot.

1. Get PC Doctor kit.
2. Run Quick Test (no loopback).
   1. If a problem is found, fix the indicated issue. See below for specifics.
3. If test passes, switch to the WinPE environment and run Burn In Test - if this fails, deal with what is overheating (if determined). See below for specifics.
   • Check Video Card, CPU heatsink, fans.
4. Problem is likely the OS install.

Random Crashing

1. Get PC Doctor kit.
2. Run Quick Test (no loopback).
   1. If a problem is found, fix the indicated issue. See below for specifics.
3. Get Ultimate Boot CD or Memtest 86+. Run 3 passes. Replace any indicated Memory failures.
4. Get Ultimate Boot CDor Hard Drive Manufacturers test disc. Run Long or Extended or Full test.
   1. If a problem is found, RMA disk.
5. Image the HD to backup and run SpinRite.
   1. If a failure is found, try to RMA disk.

How to verify a problem

Hard Drive

1. Use Ultimate Boot CD or the Manufacturers test disc. Run the Long or Extended or Full test.
2. To fully stress and test a hard drive, use SpinRite.
3. Linux command line test: badblocks -v /dev/sdN , where N is the device number - this checks for bad blocks. If found, use: badblocks /dev/sdN > /tmp/bad-block then use: fsck -l bad-blocks /dev/sdN to mark these blocks as bad.
4. Linux command for zeroing all sectors on disk: dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdN bs=1M & , again where N is the device number - CAUTION! THIS WILL ERASE ALL DATA ON THE DRIVE! -
5. Linux command line SMART test: smartctl -t long /dev/sdN ; long can be replaced with offline, short, long, conveyance, force, vendor,N, select,M-N, pending,N, afterselect,[on|off] ; to get a usage summary, please use: smartctl -h ; to see the results of the test, please use: smartctl --all /dev/sdN

Memory

1. Memtest 86+, found on the Ultimate Boot CD or its own bootable disc is the best software test available. 3 passes should find the issue.
2. An alternate test is the PC Doctor kit. Run the DOS extended or continuous memory test.

Video

1. The only video card tests are in the PC Doctor kit. There is a DOS based one for 2D and a Windows PE based one for 3D.

CD/DVD ROM

1. The only CD/DVD ROM tests are in the PC Doctor kit.
2. Try a spare CD/DVD ROM to see if that works. If it does, dispose of the old one.

Other Tests

1. The PC Doctor kit has many tests - read the specific documentation.
2. You can always fall back on swapping parts where appropriate. If the known good part works - the old one was bad somehow.