Introduction

Unit 6: Week 1: Using the troubleshooting model on internal system components

Unit 6: Week 1: Using the troubleshooting model on internal system components

Essential Questions

  • What do you do when something goes wrong? How do you get to the root of the problem without wasting time and effort?
  • What’s the benefit of using a troubleshooting model? Why shouldn’t you just “wing it”?
  • What can go wrong with a computer? What can you do to diagnose hardware problems and come up with the right solution?

Big Ideas

While it’s important that hardware be configured correctly when it is first delivered to customers or users, at some point they may need your help fixing a problem, even if it turns out the problem isn’t with the device. Using a proven troubleshooting model will help you be more effective in solving problems that arise, whether that’s with hardware, networking, or how they are being used. Diagnosing problems correctly the first time as quickly as possible and then proposing the best possible solution saves you time and your employer money. Be sure you memorize and apply the steps of the CompTIA A+ Troubleshooting Model in your work. You will be using it often as a member of a Help Desk.

The first place you will learn about and apply the Troubleshooting Model is with desktop computers. The steps you take to address problems with the internal components of the hardware, including hard drives, storage devices, and memory can be applied to other devices, like laptops and some mobile devices. There are known strategies and steps you can use to apply the troubleshooting model and solve issues related to most hardware issues.

Connection to Student Lives

Wouldn’t it be great if nothing ever broke? If nothing ever went down? With technology, you’re likely aware that just because you installed or configured something correctly, it doesn’t always stay that way. In fact, there is a popular saying that “Technology is great…as long as it works.” We all know that sometimes technology doesn’t work, but that’s where the Help Desk comes in! As a member of a Help Desk, you are the person others rely on to keep their technology working. You’re a valuable part of the equation when it comes to getting the most out of technology.

The CompTIA A+ Troubleshooting model is a process you can rely on to diagnose and resolve problems across multiple types of hardware, peripherals, and even networking issues. A key part of the model is knowing how to research and find potential solutions, even for operating systems and devices you’re not familiar with. You can’t memorize every troubleshooting process for every device and situation. Instead, you can develop a troubleshooting mindset that will allow you to overcome issues in settings for which you have little or no previous experience.

Framing Problem

The overarching problem for the entire module is internalizing and applying the CompTIA A+ Troubleshooting Model to various hardware and networking problems. This may require practice using open and closed questions appropriately with customers to best diagnose problems.

There are many opportunities to practice the troubleshooting model on specific hardware components, and later to network connections. Much of this module incorporates hands-on activities to resolve common problems, which this week are related to diagnosing hardware problems, including those related to power supply units, storage devices, and RAID configuration issues.

Cornerstone Assessment

Students will document their troubleshooting efforts for each of the problems presented each week. There are multiple problems to troubleshoot each week. At the end of each week, students should determine the best documentation to add to the Knowledge Base.

DPI Standards

  • NCCTE.2020.II21.05.01 - Use the best practice methodology to resolve problems.
  • NCCTE.2020.II21.05.02 - Troubleshoot problems related to motherboards, RAM, CPUs, and power.
  • NCCTE.2020.II21.05.03 - Troubleshoot hard drives and RAID arrays.

A+ Standards

TOPIC 1B: Troubleshooting Methodology

1001-5.1 Given a scenario, use the best practice methodology to resolve problems.

Topic 4E: Troubleshoot Storage Devices

1001-5.3 Given a scenario, troubleshoot hard drives and RAID arrays.

TOPIC 5D: Troubleshoot Internal System Components

1001-5.2 Given a scenario, troubleshoot problems related to motherboards, RAM, CPUs, and power.

Knowledge

  • The basic process of problem management and how it allows tracking ownership of the problem and its status
  • The steps in the CompTIA A+ Troubleshooting model in their proper order from memory
  • How to develop a troubleshooting mindset
  • How LED lights indicate status of hardware
  • Common alert messages
  • Symptoms of hardware issues indicated by overheating, loud noises, or visible damage
  • Tests to isolate the cause of no power
  • How to use a multimeter and power supply tester
  • What the Power On Self-Test (POST) program is and does
  • How to determine the type of error associated with beep codes from devices from different manufacturers
  • Some potential causes of errors related to motherboards
  • The most likely causes of physical damage to a motherboard
  • How to check for overheating issues
  • Symptoms of a failing hard drive
  • How to run a S.M.A.R.T. check in Windows using the chkdsk utility
  • How to diagnose boot failures
  • How to format boot information with MBR (Master Boot Record) scheme and the Globally Unique ID (GUID) Partition Table (GPT) boot scheme
  • How to use a recovery disk
  • How to recover data from a computer that will not boot from a hard disk
  • Options for addressing slow disk performance, including disk defragmentation and a Disk Cleanup program
  • General troubleshooting tips for optical drives, including troubleshooting CD/DVD/BD writing
  • Common RAID configuration issues
  • How to troubleshoot RAID issues

Skills

Implement the steps in the CompTIA A+ Troubleshooting model by

  • Modeling open and closed questioning when troubleshooting an incident
  • Describing and utilizing components of a troubleshooting mindset
  • Demonstrating they are prepared to troubleshoot an issue with a user or customer
  • Performing a backup prior to troubleshooting an incident
  • Asking good questions from a user or customer to gather information about an incident
  • Taking reasonable steps to diagnose a problem
  • Diagnosing a problem and determining probable cause by identifying the symptoms of the problem
  • Using the Internet, knowledge bases, manuals, databases, and other information to research problems
  • Determining when an incident should be escalated
  • Justifying whether the components of a problem should be repaired, replaced, or involve a workaround
  • Restating what a problem was and how it was successfully resolved
  • Documenting findings, actions, and outcomes in a knowledge base or ticket system

Students should also be able to:

  • Run tests to isolate the cause of no power
  • Use a multimeter to diagnose power problems with a power supply unit (PSU) and connected peripherals
  • Use a power supply tester to test a power supply unit (PSU)
  • Explain the POST process, any messages displayed during POST, reconfigure the settings stored in system setup, and analyze the summary screen about the system configuration
  • Troubleshoot (or explain how to) a computer where the POST does not run
  • Determine an error by its beep code
  • Replace (or explain how to) a CMOS battery
  • Identify or explain errors related to a motherboard
  • Check for overheating issues
  • Run the S.M.A.R.T. check in Windows using the chkdsk utility
  • Format boot information (or explain how to) using MBR and GPT
  • Use a recovery disk
  • Remove a drive from its internal enclosure and connect it to another PC to recover data from the drive
  • Run disk defragmentation and a disk cleanup program
  • Troubleshoot (or explain how to) RAID configuration issues

Vocabulary

Troubleshooting Methodology

Problem management

  • Incidents

Problem escalation

Troubleshoot Internal System Components

Light Emitting Diode (LED)

Multimeter

Power supply tester

Power on Self Test (POST)

Beep codes

Chip creep

Blue Screen of Death (BSoD)

Distended capacitors

Troubleshoot Storage Devices

Disk thrashing

Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T.)

MBR (Master Boot Record) scheme

GPT (Globally Unique ID Partition Table boot scheme

Disk defragmentation

Weekly Map

Monday

Introduction to problem: Documenting Troubleshooting Strategies in the Knowledge Base

Review troubleshooting model

Practice scenarios for diagnosing issues, including asking open and closed questions

Activity 1-2: Discussing Troubleshooting Methodology

Team meetings to develop project plan and goals

Tuesday

Hands-on exploration: Troubleshooting Internal System Components including Activity 5-7: Diagnosing Power Problems

Review content resources with whole group, small group, or independently

Activity 5-6: Discussing System Component Troubleshooting

Contribute to team project

Wednesday

Hands-on exploration: Troubleshooting storage devices including Activity 4-8: Troubleshooting Storage Devices

Review content resources with whole group, small group, or independently

Activity 4-7: Discussing Storage Device Troubleshooting

Team progress check with supervisor (using project plan)

Thursday

Hands-on exploration: Troubleshooting RAID configuration issues

Review content resources with whole group, small group, or independently

Contribute to team project

Friday

Sharing of progress with whole group: Documenting Troubleshooting Strategies in the Knowledge Base

Activity 5-8: Diagnosing System Errors

Online post-assessment

Lesson Ideas

Prior to beginning this unit, you may want to review active listening and questioning techniques with students. Students can participate in role-play scenarios in which they serve either as Help Desk technicians or users with a device issue. They should be reminded when to use open versus closed questions, as both have value in diagnosing problems. This type of role play or use of scenarios is something that can be replicated each week, especially at the beginning and end of each week as students are being introduced to troubleshooting different issues and following up once they have had that experience exploring them.

By the end of the Unit, students should have the steps of the CompTIA A+ Troubleshooting Model memorized and should be able to apply them in order without any reminders or support. The model is not very long and most students should be able to memorize the steps fairly easily. They will have ample opportunity to apply the model in the unit. Students may want to create signage of the steps of the model they can post in the room, job aids or checklists that can be posted at workstations, and reminders in the knowledge base. The troubleshooting model should be reinforced each week.

Prior to beginning the week, review Activity 5-7: Diagnosing Power Problems and Activity 4-8: Troubleshooting Storage Devices for suggestions on how to simulate problems that students will address in their hands-on activities. Students can work independently or in teams depending on how many devices you have access to use to simulate issues.

Much of this module requires following recommended steps to troubleshoot issues, this week focusing on the internal components of hardware including power supply units, disk drives, and RAID configuration issues. There are many resources for step-by-step directions for most issues presented in this module. Some may require researching online or through product manuals, which is one of the steps of the troubleshooting model.

Notes for Instructors: There is also flexibility in the number and types of problems that can be addressed each week. They do not need to be completed in the order they are presented, and if students need more time on specific issues one week, it is likely they can carry them over to the next and the schedule can be adjusted to accommodate. Week 3 includes troubleshooting mobile devices, which is not a 1001 outcome, so that section can be reduced or removed, if necessary; although, it will likely be of great interest to students. It is strongly encouraged budgeting at least a full week to address networking issues and using command-line tools.

This module requires actually having devices with issues that can be resolved and tools used to diagnose them, like multimeters and power supply testers. You can set some of the device issues up for your students, but some may be difficult to replicate. Or it may be difficult to have enough equipment available. In those cases where you do not have the equipment or it is difficult or even not recommended to replicate an issue, like resetting a personal mobile device by factory default reset, students should still be able to explain how they would go about troubleshooting an issue.

Potential Resources

The Official CompTIA A+ Core 1 & Core 2 Instructor Guide for Exams 220-1001 and 220-1002

  • Topic 1b: Troubleshooting Methodology (16-23)
    • Activity 1-2: Discussing Troubleshooting Methodology (24-25)
  • Topic 5D: Troubleshoot Internal System Components (300-309)
    • Activity 5-6: Discussing System Component Troubleshooting (310)
    • Activity 5-7: Diagnosing Power Problems (311-312)
    • Activity 5-8: Diagnosing System Errors (313-314)
  • Topic 4E: Troubleshoot Storage Devices (248-255)
    • Activity 4-7: Discussing Storage Device Troubleshooting (256-257)
    • Activity 4-8: Troubleshooting Storage Devices (258-259)

CompTIA also offers videos for purchase through their website or on ITPro.TV.

Professor Messer at ProfessorMesser.com and YouTube offers numerous free videos of various lengths for many of the topics for the CompTIA 220-1001 A+ Exam. They are easy to understand, narrated videos with visuals. If you are teaching a CompTIA course, the site notes “You’re welcome to use them as much as you’d like, provided you embed the videos with the associated YouTube link or link directly to my site. Please click the “Contact Us” link at the top of our web page and let me know how you’re using them.”

Entry Level I.T. Training from Technology Gee

  • 5.1 Troubleshooting Methodology (Article | Video – 17:51)
  • 5.2 Troubleshooting Hardware (Article | Video – 17:54)
  • 5.3 Troubleshooting Hard Drives & RAID Arrays (Article | Video – 5:40)

PowerCert Animated Videos on YouTube

ITProTV (may include promotions for ITProTV courses)

Articles and Other Resources:

Asking open and closed questions; customer service

An Effective Problem Solving Process for IT Professionals by Jesse Rink for Source One Technology

The Art of Troubleshooting for Customer Support Professionals by Sarah Chambers for HelpScout

Review the list of examples of Open Ended and Closed Ended Questions from Exforsys Inc. and consider how you might use some of them to diagnose issues.

Multimeter and Power supply tester

How to Manually Test a Power Supply with a Multimeter by Tim Fisher for Lifewire

Troubleshoot Three Common PC Problems with a Multimeter by Brien Posey for TechRepublic

Upgrading and Repairing PCs Tip #21: How to USe a Digital Multimeter to Check your Computer’s Power Supply from informIT

How to Use a Power Supply Tester to Test a PSU by Tim Fisher for Lifewire

Using a “Power supply Tester” to test an ATX computer PSU (and a voltmeter too) video (9:15)  by sdriza on YouTube (

Beep codes

Beep Codes. A general encyclopedia entry from PC Mag.

How to Troubleshoot Beep Codes by Tim Fisher for Lifewire

Beep codes may vary by manufacturer, so be sure to check for online or print documentation from the specific device manufacturer to accurately determine the issue represented by beep codes.

Blue screen of death

Everything You Need to Know about the Blue Screen of Death by Chris Hoffman for How-To Geek

How to Fix a Blue Screen of Death by Tim Fisher for Lifewire

How to Fix the Blue Screen of Death on Windows video (3:01) from How-To Guide on YouTube

Microsoft’s Blue Screen of Death is Changing to Black in Windows 11 by Tom Warren for The Verge

Disk thrashing

10 Ways to Fix 100% Disk Usage in Windows 10 by Ryan Dube for LIfewire

10 Best Ways to Fix a 100% Disk Usage on Windows 10 by Jeff Cochin for Clever How-To’s

100% Disk Usage in Windows 10? 17 Tips and Tricks to Fix this Issue by Christian Cawley on MakeUseOf

What is Disk Thrashing and How to Prevent It from Occurring on the MiniTool Wiki

Disk defrag

Defragment your Windows 10 PC  and Free Up Drive Space in Windows 10 and 11 from Microsoft Support

How to Defrag your Windows Computer by Mark Baggesen for Lifewire

What does defragging do? By Linsey Knerl for HP