Windows 7 : The Process of Troubleshooting Hardware Issues & How to Diagnose Hardware Problems

1. The Process of Troubleshooting Hardware Issues

Hardware problems can take several different forms:

• Hardware problems that prevent Windows from starting

• A newly installed hardware accessory that does not work as expected

• A hardware accessory that did work correctly, but now fails

• Unpredictable symptoms, such as failing applications and services, Stop errors, system resets, and accessories that behave unreliably

You should use a different process to troubleshoot each of these broad problem categories. The following sections discuss each of these suggested processes.

1.1. How to Troubleshoot Problems That Prevent Windows from Starting

Some hardware problems—especially those related to hard disks or core features such as the motherboard or processor—can prevent Windows from starting.

1.2. How to Troubleshoot Problems Installing New Hardware

Often, you might have difficulty installing a new hardware feature, or an existing hardware feature might suddenly fail. If you are having trouble installing a new hardware feature, follow these steps:

1.3. How to Troubleshoot Problems with Existing Hardware

If a hardware feature that previously worked suddenly fails, follow these troubleshooting steps:

1.4. How to Troubleshoot Unpredictable Symptoms

Hardware, driver, and disk problems can cause unpredictable symptoms when Windows is running, including:

• Failing applications and services

• Stop errors

• System resets

• Accessories that behave unreliably

Many different types of problems can cause these symptoms. To identify the source of these problems and possibly fix the issue, follow these steps. After each step, determine whether the problem continues.

2. How to Diagnose Hardware Problems

Always remember to check basic issues before attempting to remove and replace parts. Before installing new peripherals, refer to your motherboard and device manuals for helpful information, including safety precautions, firmware configuration, and expansion slot or memory slot locations. Some peripheral manufacturers recommend that you use a bus-mastering PCI slot and advise that installing their adapter in a secondary slot might cause it to function improperly.

2.1. How to Use Device Manager to Identify Failed Devices

Windows 7 can detect hardware that is not working properly. View failed hardware by following these steps to use Windows Device Manager:

2.2. How to Check the Physical Setup of Your Computer

If you have recently opened the computer case or the computer has been moved or shipped, connectors may have loosened. You should perform the following tasks to verify that connections are solid:

• Confirm that the power cords for all devices are firmly plugged in and that the computer power supply meets hardware specifications Computer power supplies are available in different sizes and are typically rated between 200 and 400 watts. Installing too many devices into a computer with an inadequate amount of power can cause reliability problems or even damage the power supply. See the manufacturer's power specifications when installing new devices and verify that your computer can handle the increased electrical load.

• Disconnect external accessories External accessories—such as those that connect using USB or IEEE 1394, PC cards, and ExpressCards—can malfunction and interfere with the startup process. You can identify the cause of the problem either by disconnecting devices one by one and attempting to start the computer after disconnecting each device or by disconnecting all the devices, restarting the computer, and then reconnecting the devices one by one.

• Verify that you correctly installed and firmly seated all internal adapters Peripherals such as keyboards and video cards often must be installed and functioning to complete the initial startup phase without generating error messages. Adapters might become loose if the computer is moved or bumped or if the computer vibrates from moving parts such as hard disks.

• Verify that you correctly attached cables Check that you have firmly seated all cable connectors by disconnecting and reconnecting cables. Search for damaged or worn cables and replace them as required. To ensure that contacts are solid, use a pencil eraser to clean dirty connectors.

• Check the system temperature High temperatures inside a computer can cause unpredictable failures. Many computers will display internal temperatures for the processor, hard disk, graphics card, or other features if you start the Firmware menu. Graphical third-party tools also run within Windows for displaying temperature diagnostic information. If the temperature is high, verify that all fans are working properly and the vents are not blocked. Verify that the computer's case is completely assembled. Leaving panels open might seem like it would improve airflow, but it can actually misdirect air that should be cooling hot features. Verify that air can flow freely around the outside of the computer. Particularly with mobile PCs, verify that the computer is not resting on a soft surface that can prevent heat dissipation, such as a couch or carpet. Finally, reset processor and memory speeds to their default settings to verify that the computer has not been overclocked.

2.3. How to Check the Configuration of Your Hardware

If you have recently changed the hardware configuration of your computer, or you are configuring a new computer, you should check the configuration to identify the cause of a startup problem.

• Verify that you correctly configured any jumpers or dual in-line package (DIP) switches Jumpers and DIP switches close or open electric contacts on circuit boards. For hard disks, jumper settings are especially important, because they can adversely affect the startup process if not correctly set. For example, configuring two master Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) disks that are installed on the same channel or assigning duplicate small computer system interface (SCSI) ID numbers to devices in the same SCSI chain might cause a Stop error or error messages about hard disk failure.

• Configure boot configuration data (BCD) references correctly when a hard disk is added Installing an additional hard disk or changing the disk configuration in a computer can prevent Windows from starting. In this case, use the Startup Repair tool within System Recovery tools to automatically resolve the problem. 

• Verify SCSI configuration If your computer uses or starts from SCSI devices and you suspect that these devices are causing startup problems, you need to check the items listed in Table 1.

Warning:

As a precaution, always shut down the computer and remove the power connector before troubleshooting hardware. Never attempt to install or remove internal devices if you are unfamiliar with hardware.

Note:

MORE INFO For more information about SCSI termination, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 92765, "Terminating a SCSI Device," at http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=92765 and Microsoft Knowledge Base article 154690, "How to Troubleshoot Event ID 9, Event ID 11, and Event ID 15 Error Messages," at http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=154690.

2.4. How to Verify That System Firmware and Peripheral Firmware Are Up to Date

You can sometimes trace instability and compatibility problems to outdated firmware. Whenever possible, use the latest firmware version. If Setup does not respond when you are installing the operating system, the cause might be the firmware for your DVD drive. Try upgrading the DVD firmware to the latest version.

2.5. How to Test Your Hardware by Running Diagnostic Tools

If the problem occurs after the power-on self test (POST) routine finishes but before Windows fully loads, run any diagnostic software that the manufacturer of the hardware adapter provides. This software typically includes self-test programs that allow you to quickly verify proper operation of a device and might help you to obtain additional information about the device, such as model number, hardware, and device firmware version.

Additionally, you can use Windows to run a memory test on your computer. 

2.5.1. How to Simplify Your Hardware Configuration

Hardware problems can occur when you have both newer and older devices installed on your computer. If you cannot resolve problems by using safe mode and other options such as rolling back drivers, temporarily disable or remove Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) devices that do not support Plug and Play. If you can start Windows with these older devices removed, these devices are causing resource conflicts, and you need to manually reconfigure the resources assigned to them.

While you are diagnosing startup problems related to hardware, it is recommended that you simplify your configuration. By simplifying your computer configuration, you might be able to start Windows. You can then gradually increase the computer's hardware configuration complexity until you reproduce the problem, which allows you to diagnose and resolve the problem.

Avoid troubleshooting when you have several adapters and external peripherals installed. Starting with external and ISA devices, disable or remove hardware devices one at a time until you are able to start your computer. Reinstall devices by following the manufacturer's instructions, verifying that each is functioning properly before checking the next device. For example, installing a PCI network adapter and a SCSI adapter at the same time can complicate troubleshooting, because either adapter might cause a problem.

ISA devices cause a large share of startup problems related to hardware because the PCI bus does not have a reliable method for determining ISA resource settings. Device conflicts might occur because of miscommunication between the two bus types. To avoid ISA and PCI conflicts, try temporarily removing ISA devices. After you install a new PCI device, you can use Device Manager to determine which system resources are available to ISA devices. Then reconfigure the ISA devices that do not support Plug and Play to eliminate any conflicts. If the problems continue after you reinstall ISA devices and you cannot resolve them with assistance from technical support, consider upgrading to newer hardware.

Simplifying your computer configuration also helps when problems prevent you from installing Windows. For more information about simplifying your hardware configuration to resolve setup problems, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 224826, "Troubleshooting Text-Mode Setup Problems on ACPI Computers," at http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=224826.

2.6. How to Diagnose Disk-Related Problems

Disk-related problems typically occur before Windows starts or shortly afterward. Refer to Table 2 for a list of symptoms, possible causes, and sources of information about disk-related startup problems.

Hard disk error.
Hard disk absent/failed.

Missing operating system.
Insert a system diskette and
restart the system.

Invalid partition table.
A disk-read error occurred.

Couldn't find loader.
Please insert another disk.