Preventive maintenance and troubleshooting
Preventive maintenance is a regular and systematic inspection, cleaning, and replacement
of worn parts, materials, and systems. Preventive maintenance helps to prevent failure of
parts, materials, and systems by ensuring that they are in good working order.
Troubleshooting is a systematic approach to locating the cause of a fault in a computer system. A good preventive maintenance program helps minimize failures. With fewer failures,
there is less troubleshooting to do, thus saving an organization time and money. Preventive
maintenance can also include upgrading certain hardware or software such as a hard drive
that is making noise, upgrading memory that is insufficient, or installing software updates
for security or reliability.
Troubleshooting is a learned skill. Not all troubleshooting processes are the same, and
technicians tend to refine their troubleshooting skills based on knowledge and personal
experience. Use the guidelines in this chapter as a starting point to help develop your
troubleshooting skills. Although each situation is different, the process described in this
chapter will help you to determine your course of action when you are trying to solve a
technical problem for a customer.
Explain the Purpose of Preventive Maintenance
Preventive maintenance reduces the probability of hardware or software problems by systematically and periodically checking hardware and software to ensure proper operation.
Hardware
Check the condition of cables, components, and peripherals. Clean components to reduce
the likelihood of overheating. Repair or replace any components that show signs of damage
or excessive wear.
Use the following tasks as a guide to create a hardware maintenance program:
■ Remove dust from fan intakes.
■ Remove dust from the power supply.
■ Remove dust from components inside the computer.
■ Clean the mouse and keyboard.
■ Check and secure loose cables.
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Software
Verify that installed software is current. Follow the policies of the organization when
installing security updates, operating system updates, and program updates. Many organizations do not allow updates until extensive testing has been completed. This testing is done
to confirm that the update will not cause problems with the operating system and software.
Use the tasks listed as a guide to create a software maintenance schedule that fits the needs
of your computer equipment:
■ Review security updates.
■ Review software updates.
■ Review driver updates.
■ Update virus definition files.
■ Scan for viruses and spyware.
■ Remove unwanted programs
■ Scan hard drives for errors.
■ Defragment hard drives.
Benefits
Be proactive in computer equipment maintenance and data protection. By performing
regular maintenance routines, you can reduce potential hardware and software problems.
Regular maintenance routines reduce computer downtime and repair costs.
A preventive maintenance plan is developed based on the needs of the equipment. A computer exposed to a dusty environment, such as a construction site, needs more attention than
equipment in an office environment. High-traffic networks, such as a school network, might
require additional scanning and removal of malicious software or unwanted files. Document
the routine maintenance tasks that must be performed on the computer equipment and the
frequency of each task. This list of tasks can then be used to create a maintenance program.
The following are the benefits of preventive maintenance:
■ Increases data protection
■ Extends the life of the components
■ Increases equipment stability
■ Reduces repair costs
■ Reduces the number of equipment failures
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Identify the Steps of the Troubleshooting
Process
Troubleshooting requires an organized and logical approach to problems with computers
and other components. A logical approach to troubleshooting allows you to eliminate variables in a systematic order. Asking the right questions, testing the right hardware, and
examining the right data helps you understand the problem. This helps you form a proposed
solution to try.
Troubleshooting is a skill that you will refine over time. Each time you solve another problem, you will increase your troubleshooting skills by gaining more experience. You will
learn how and when to combine, as well as skip, steps to reach a solution quickly. The following troubleshooting process is a guideline that you can modify to fit your needs.
■ Explain the purpose of data protection.
■ Identify the problem.
■ Establish a theory of probable causes.
■ Test the theory to determine an exact cause.
■ Establish a plan of action to resolve the problem and implement the solution.
■ Verify full system functionality, and if applicable, implement preventive measures.
■ Document findings, actions, and outcomes.
In this section, you will learn an approach to problem solving that can be applied to both
hardware and software. You also can apply many of the steps to problem solving in other
work-related areas.
Note
The term customer, as used in this book, is any user who requires technical computer assistance.
Explain the Purpose of Data Protection
Before you begin troubleshooting problems, always follow the necessary precautions to
protect data on a computer. Some repairs, such as replacing a hard drive or reinstalling an
operating system, might put the data on the computer at risk. Make sure that you do everything possible to prevent data loss while attempting repairs.
Caution
Although data protection is not one of the six troubleshooting steps, you must protect data before
beginning any work on a customer’s computer. If your work results in data loss for the customer, you
or your company could be held liable.
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Data Backup
A data backup is a copy of the data on a computer hard drive that is saved to media such as
a CD, DVD, or tape drive. In an organization, backups are routinely done on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.
If you are unsure that a backup has been done, do not attempt any troubleshooting activities
until you check with the customer. Here is a list of items to verify with the customer about
data backups:
■ Date of the last backup
■ Contents of the backup
■ Data integrity of the backup
■ Availability of all backup media for a data restore
If the customer does not have a current backup and you are not able to create one, you
should ask the customer to sign a liability release form. A liability release form should contain at least the following information:
■ Permission to work on the computer without a current backup available
■ Release from liability if data is lost or corrupted
■ Description of the work to be performed
Identify the Problem
During the troubleshooting process, gather as much information from the customer as possible. The customer should provide you with the basic facts about the problem. Here is a list
of some of the important information to gather from the customer:
■ Customer information
— Company name
— Contact name
— Address
— Phone number
■ Computer configuration
— Manufacturer and model
— Operating system information
— Network environment
— Connection type
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■ Description of problem
— Open-ended questions
— Closed-ended questions
Conversation Etiquette
When you are talking to the customer, you should follow these guidelines:
■ Ask direct questions to gather information.
■ Do not use industry jargon when talking to customers.
■ Do not talk down to the customer.
■ Do not insult the customer.
■ Do not accuse the customer of causing the problem.
By communicating effectively, you will be able to elicit the most relevant information about
the problem from the customer.
Open-Ended Questions
When gathering information from customers, use both open-ended and closed-ended questions. Start with open-ended questions to obtain general information. Open-ended questions
allow customers to explain the details of the problem in their own words. Some examples of
open-ended questions are
■ What problems are you experiencing with your computer or network?
■ What software has been installed on your computer recently?
■ What were you doing when the problem was identified?
■ What hardware changes have recently been made to your computer?
Closed-Ended Questions
Based on the information from the customer, you can proceed with closed-ended questions.
Closed-ended questions generally require a yes or no answer. These questions are intended
to get the most relevant information in the shortest time possible. Some examples of closed ended questions are
■ Has anyone else used your computer recently?
■ Can you reproduce the problem?
■ Have you changed your password recently?
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■ Have you received any error messages on your computer?
■ Are you currently logged in to the network?
Documenting Responses
Document the information obtained from the customer in the work order and in the repair
journal. Write down anything that you think might be important for you or another technician. Often, the small details can lead to the solution of a difficult or complicated problem.
It is now time to verify the customer’s description of the problem by gathering data from
the computer.