Although a list of things to check won’t catch every PC problem you encounter,
you’ll be surprised at how often the simple steps below can lead to
troubleshooting success. Whether you’re kicking off a troubleshooting session or
at your wits’ end after hours of fruitless research, here are some good tips to try.
- Is the PC’s power supply switch turned on? Some PCs have a power switch at
the back. Make sure it hasn’t been switched off.
- Are all cables connected? Loose connections regularly cause headaches. Remove
and reconnect each plug firmly, even if you’re sure it’s connected.
- Are all peripherals turned on? Make sure a powered-off print server isn’t preventing
your printer from working.
- Does the Device Manager display any problems? Check this tool for red Xs,
which indicate a malfunctioning or disabled device.
- Is there a new driver? Updated drivers often fix hardware problems. If you can’t find
new drivers (check the manufacturer’s Web site), try reinstalling your existing driver.
- Have you installed software updates? Software publishers sometimes release
patches via their Web sites. Also, check to see if your software recently installed
updates automatically. In rare cases, a software update may introduce problems.
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