Hardware Or Software?

It's not always easy to determine whether your hardware or software is to blame, but it's a good place to start troubleshooting. If you're fairly confident that the problem is one or the other, you've eliminated several troubleshooting steps.

THINGS TO CHECK FIRST

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 wit's end after hours of fruitless research, here are some good tips to try.

Is the PC's power supply is 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 connection 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 tools, which indicate a mulfunctioning or disabled device.

Is there a new driver? Updated drivers often fix hardware problems. If you can't find new drivers, 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.