Personal Computer User Manual

Problemdeterminationtips
Duetothevarietyofhardwareandsoftwarecombinationsthatcanbeencountered,usethefollowing
informationtoassistyouinproblemdetermination.Ifpossible,havethisinformationavailablewhen
requestingassistancefromServiceSupportandEngineeringfunctions.
•Machinetypeandmodel
•Processororharddiskupgrades
•Failuresymptom
–Dodiagnosticsindicateafailure?
–What,when,where,single,ormultiplesystems?
–Isthefailurerepeatable?
–Hasthiscongurationeverworked?
–Ifithasbeenworking,whatchangesweremadepriortoitfailing?
–Isthistheoriginalreportedfailure?
•Diagnosticsversion
–Typeandversionlevel
•Hardwareconguration
–Print(printscreen)congurationcurrentlyinuse
–BIOSlevel
•Operatingsystemsoftware
–Typeandversionlevel
Notes:Toeliminateconfusion,identicalsystemsareconsideredidenticalonlyifthey:
1.Aretheexactmachinetypeandmodels
2.HavethesameBIOSlevel
3.Havethesameadapters/attachmentsinthesamelocations
4.Havethesameaddressjumpers/terminators/cabling
5.Havethesamesoftwareversionsandlevels
6.HavethesameDiagnosticDiskettes(version)
7.Havethesamecongurationoptionssetinthesystem
8.Havethesamesetupfortheoperatingsystemcontrolles
Comparingthecongurationandsoftwareset-upbetween“workingandnon-working”systemswilloften
leadtoproblemresolution.
36ThinkCentreHardwareMaintenanceManual