Basic Laptop Desktop Hardware Diagnostics Guide

Basic Laptop_Desktop (Hardware) Diagnostics Guide

Basic Laptop/Desktop (Hardware) Diagnostics Guide

Hardware diagnostics can be a bit different depending on the issue.

If there’s a BSOD error, always research the error code first as 9 times out of 10 this will tell you what the issue is.

Crashing/Overheating/No Display/Power Related Issues:

***Laptops- ALWAYS check the charge port first. Plug in customer’s charger, check to see if LED indicator is on to recognize that the charger is plugged in. If it is not, use a store charger to see if the result changes. If still no LED indicator, it’s likely the charge port will need to be replaced.

        ***If LED charging light indicator flashes a certain number of times, pay attention to the color of the LED indicator and count how many times it flashes and look it up online. This is similar to BIOS beep codes.
  • Research BSOD error code if there is one.
  • Research BIOS beep codes, if any.
  • Check thermal paste, if dry then replace with new. Clean out machine.
  • Test PSU. If no power at all but PSU tests fine, grab a store PSU and install that, then test.
  • Test RAM. Run Windows Memory Test. Is it seated properly? Test one stick at a time. Replace with 2 new sticks, test again.
  • Run Heaven bench mark.
  • Check for Windows/Drivers/Graphics card updates.
  • Remove graphics card and test again if onboard graphics.
  • Check dump/crash logs.
  • Check utilizations in Task Manager- cpu & hard drive should be less than 50%. If CPU is over 50% consistently, run Malwarebytes to remove any Malware.
  • Check for VPNs or 3rd party programs.
  • Reset CMOS (remove CMOS, wait 10 minutes, insert & power up). If that doesn’t work, replace CMOS battery.
  • If none of the above has worked, research the issue online and follow troubleshooting procedures that are recommended.

If a computer gives an error message, “no boot device found,” boots straight into automatic repair over and over again, or boots straight into BIOS, it’s likely the hard drive has failed and will need to be replaced. Make sure you look accordingly at the hard drive the machine has prior to quoting the customer as 2.5” SSD install/clone prices and M.2 install/clone prices are significantly different.

There is another document in the FCRC – Archive, it is called General Computer Terms & Failure Types and it is in the Windows PC Troubleshooting folder. I always recommend reading through this as certain hardware failure issues are listed there.

Revision History

  • Status: approved
  • Imported from legacy approved SOP archive

Reference Videos

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References

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