5 Steps to Troubleshooting Hardware Problems

Most frightening of all the failures you encounter with a PC are hardware problems. It's normal that most will make reasonable distance from themselves and hardware errors, sometimes literally move away from the computer saying like "don't touch anything!"

Hardware problems are in real terms difficult and not something we just mess with. Then of course, there's always the brainless step 1 to troubleshooting, where you check then double check your cables. But as soon as you're past the dumb parts, it gets harder.

Let's get started.

Troubleshooting Hardware Problems Step 1 - Check your Cables

The universal solution you find everywhere, a solution everyone is too proud to admit, that has actually fixed the problem.

Troubleshooting Hardware Problems Step 2 - Check if Cables are "Firmly" Connected

The cables are all plugged, there's power and all, but still the computer doesn't work. There is a high chance that the problem is still with the cables, try to wiggle each cable (gently so you don't break them) to fit them into place.

Falsely diagnosed hardware problems are just caused by loose cable connections. If so, you can temporarily use tiny objects to keep them in place.

The uses of paper, glue, plastic jellies, and other whatnots are likely to cause fire, so use them only to make sure it fixes the problem, then remove it until you got a replacement for loose cable.

Troubleshooting Hardware Problems Step 3 - Last Thing with Cables

Step 3 is past the dumb part, and you will need serious knowledge and reference to venture: Check if all your internal cable is connected properly and firmly.

You will have to open the CPU (which you already did after installing a new device) and make sure all wirings go where they are needed.

The trick for beginners is to organize the wirings and don't ever pull too hard. Pen and paper is handy when you want to remember which cables go where. You may not need to exert much force at all: if you can't unplug a wire, check maybe you have to press a thing or two.

As said above, you will need some graphic reference for these wirings and a little knowledge about IDE, SATA, pins, power supply, and where each wire should go.

Troubleshooting Hardware Problems Step 4 - Loosely Placed Modules

Some upgrades do not require wirings, such as PCI (for graphics card) and RAM modules. But to this part, just make sure that modules are pressed firmly to their respective slots.

It's less likely that you will insert a module the opposite way, since it just won't fit.

Troubleshooting Hardware Problems Step 5 - Hardware or Driver

The final branch takes this already complex diagnostic to its extent. Assuming that you have enough knowledge to get it right past step 4, then you should have pinpointed which hardware is causing the problem yourself.

Note: Simply being able to boot your computer doesn't the problem isn't broken hardware, it still can be.

You won't easily notice if the problem is caused by a physically damaged hardware. There is no way we can be certain of such hardware architectures. (Except if it is obviously broken, missing a part, split in half...)

Last thing you can do for damaged hardware is to call a technician, or get a new one.

The otherwise is Device Drivers. Refer to information abouttroubleshooting Device Drivers here, if this is the case.