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F. A. Q. |
| Letter to Bill Gates.... Certify letter to Bill Gates |
What is wrong with just swapping out parts until the problem is solved? |
Isn't experience enough knowledge to get by without Diagnostics? |
Why do we need Diagnostics and how many types of Diagnostics are there? |
As a PC technician, why would I need anything more than just a basic POST card? |
What is the difference between Diagnostic software and Utility software? |
| How to request an RMA? |
| Frequently asked questions |
A.What are the STEPS for troubleshooting a Computer?
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| A. Current exhaustive hardware testing have produced the following results:
This is not a defect in ExpertCheck but a workaround for certain combinations of hardware that have a conflict with their Serial port call with USB 2.0 supported BIOSes.
1.What is POST? ...When you turn on or reset an IBM-compatible PC, the BIOS first performs a number of tasks, called the POWER-ON-SELF-TEST(POST). These tasks test and initialize the hardware and then boot the Operating System from the hard disk. At the beginning of each POST task, the BIOS outputs the TEST-POINT ERROR CODE to I/O port 80h. Programmers and technicians use this code during trouble shooting to establish at what point the system failed and what routine was being performed. There are “80h cards” (POST cards) containing a hexadecimal LED that displays the value of port 80h. If the BIOS detects a terminal error condition, it issues a terminal-error beep code, attempts to display the error code on the upper left corner of the screen and on the port 80h LED display, and halts POST. It attempts repeatedly to write the error to the screen. This attempt may “hash” some CGA displays. If the system hangs before the BIOS can process the error, the value displayed at the port 80h is the last test performed. In this case, the screen does not display the error code.
2. What is the cause of the majority of failures in PCS?...45% are caused by end user error, 35% are software related, 10% are hardware failures and incompatibilities, and 10% are other outside problems such as manufacture bugs. 5% of hardware problems take 80% of your trouble shooting time to diagnose with out the proper diagnostic tool.
3. What is wrong with just swapping out parts until the problem is solved?...It’s only a 50-50 chance that you will find the problem. Wouldn’t you rather know for sure what part was really defective in just seconds by using a POST card? Do you have spare parts for every situation? That’s a lot of inventory to keep on hand just to swap out by guessing and wasted effort.
4. Isn’t experience enough knowledge to get by without Diagnostics?...Just having experience only is not adequate enough when computer technology is changing radically every 6 to 8 months. That’s why we have diagnostics to eliminate non-standard problems due to these changes. Diagnostic products greatly increase productivity.
5. Why do we need Diagnostics and how many types of Diagnostics are there?...If a PC technician understands POST and wishes to save valuable time and parts, he would naturally come to the conclusion, at the very least, the need for a POST card in his toolkit. In making the decision to purchase diagnostics tools, the PC technician needs to consider the main two types of Diagnostic on the market. The first type is Software based which comes in either DOS based or Self-booting. The DOS based diagnostic relies on the OS to determine the information to display which can sometimes be inaccurate considering the flaws and bugs that show up in OS software. The Self-booting diagnostic is OS independent and goes directly to the hardware devices for information(machine language based). The second type is Hardware based which comes in several combinations on a PCI or ISA card; a basic POST card available in ISA and PCI displaying only POST code on an LED display; a combination card including POST along with IRQ/DMA LED conflict monitoring or additional features such as POWER SUPPLY monitoring of voltage.
6. As a PC technician, why would I need anything more than just a basic POST card? ...In an older PC, legacy add on cards needed to be configured to work in a system when a system was built from scratch or upgraded. Often the recommended IRQ/DMAs that came with the documentation conflicted when combined with installed cards in the PC. Using a POST card with IRQ/DMA monitoring helps a technician immediately with making the right decision in changing the IRQ/DMAs to correct these conflicts in just moments saving time and money. Even with the introduction of the Plug-n-Play OS and PCI add on cards, conflicts in these areas still arise from time to time. Also, there should be serious consideration in the area of voltage monitoring as weak, cheap or bad power supply units cause an amazing amount of OS crashes and intermittent random shutdowns along with hardware failures and damage. With a Power Supply monitoring card, a technician can check a new or rebuilt system for these problems saving valuable time and money instead of trying to guess by swapping out devices and reinstalling software. Having a POWER SUPPLY card with a good voltage regulator including additional features such as an LED readout of the exact voltage and noise level monitoring could sufficiently reduce returns by customers whose power supply units are weak or going bad causing problems such as floppy drives that work intermittently, CD-ROMs that don’t spin and read adequately, CPU damage from slow CPU fans, Hard Drives that under spin causing corrupted data or any electrical load bearing device with noise detected problems like a sound card or NIC card. Isn’t it more efficient to diagnose immediately the voltage problem then to spend valuable time part swapping and dealing with constant customer returns trying to vicariously replace the unknown problem? You make the conclusion.
7. What is the difference between Diagnostic software and Utility software?...Utility software accesses the Operating System’s info for the devices and Diagnostics access and test the devices individually. 8. How to request an RMA? You must complete an RMA form before an "RMA" is given. Please down load the PDF file <Click Here> Many more FAQ's in the Future!!!! |
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