Windows Diagnostics
The First Step In Hardware Repairs
Hardware diagnostics should be the first step performed in most repairs, with some exceptions (remote appointments, for example). You must first ensure that the hardware is reliable and undamaged before repairing software issues.
This article, and diagnostics themselves, should take no longer than an hour to go through.
1. Recreate the issue
When dealing with a customers computer, it is important that the technician working on the device to see exautly what the customer is reporting as the problem. Sometimes you will find that the issue is different then you expected, or recognize the solution right away.
Recreate the issue the customer is reporting, and record in the notes any details that were not captured at check in.
2. Blow dust out the of machine
To reduce liability and the potential for damage, we aim to open the device as few times as possible during a repair. Only open the computer when it is needed for diagnsotics or the repair itself.
For laptops, All-in-Ones, and other compact devices it is usually sufficient to hold fans in place (with a paperclip, for example) and use compressed air to blow dust out of critical areas of the device. For most desktop computers, the side panel can be removed with next to no possibility of damage and should be removed to assist in blowing dust out of the device. If you are unfamiliar with the process for opening a particular device, consult with your coworkers and/or look for a dissasembly guide online. There is almost always a video guide for disassembling whatever device you are currently working on.
Use the compressed air machine to blow dust out of the device. Open the back door of the shop and either step outside to perform this step, or angle yourself and the device such that the majority of the dust is able to escape out the door. Turn off and put back the air compressor hose when you’re finished.
When blowing dust out of a fan (including case fans, CPU fans, and fans inside the power supply) it is important that you prevent or minimize the fan’s spinning. Using compressed air may rotate the fan much faster than its rated RPM limit and the sudden burst of air pressure can damage the fan blades, especially for smaller and/or older fans where the plastic may be thin or brittle. > > - For exposed fans like those on desktop CPU, GPU, and case fans it is sufficient to hold the fan in place by pressing gently on the center of the fan to prevent it from spinning. > > - For fans that are covered or obstructed, such as the CPU fan in a laptop, use a small straightened paperclip to block the spinning motion of the fan by inserting the paperclip in the gap between two fan blades. Do not use excessive force to do this and be careful not to damage any grates or vents on the exterior of the case. > > - Do not stick any objects inside a power supply to prevent the fan from spinning! Power supplies carry enough voltage to be dangerous and you can harm yourself or the customer’s computer in the process. > > - For power supply fans and other fans you cannot safely prevent from spinning, use lighter bursts of air and let the fan completely stop spinning between bursts to minimize the amount the fan spins.
All-In-Ones: This section does not apply till later for iMacs as the device should only be opened after the customer has authorized a repair. Once the customer has authorized a repair, and the computer is open, take the opportunity to blow out the computer at that time. iMacs have the same guides that MacBooks do, however the section is under Display Removal.
3. Check for exterior damage to the machine
Use this time to perform a more thorough inspection of the device. If any damage is visible, take a picture and attach it to the WO for record keeping.
Look for cracks, missing or broken components, evidence of liquid damage, excessive dirt and grime, burn marks, dust, and tobacco smells. Damage also includes “dog-eared” corners of the device, dents that are easily noticeable several feet away from the device, heavy gouges in the case, screen damage including cracked or shattered glass panel or damaged LCD panel underneath, damage to the keyboard or trackpad etc.
Bugs - if you find bugs or evidence of bugs (roaches, ants, etc), turn the device off and bag it up in a trash bag. Seal the trash bag and wrap that in another trash bag, and seal it. Call the customer and inform them that the device is a health hazard and that they will need to address that issue on their own time before bringing the device back to us.
From here, use the table of contents to go to your specific model of computer
Dell
4. Check the Warranty
You can look up the device's warranty at the link below. > https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us
Copy and paste the warranty information into a tech note on the device’s work order. Additionally, double check that the make/model was entered correctly in the Owner/Device info section, correcting the information if necessary.
Some repairs can be reasonably handled as an in-store repair, while others are better suited to a mail-in repair via the manufacturer, if available.
5. Run Diagnostics
For most laptops and desktops you can access the onboard diagnostics with the F12 key. If you are having issues use the link below for more information. > https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000179493/dell-diagnostic-tools-to-diagnose-and-fix-hardware-problems-on-your-dell-pc-tablet-or-servers
You can also use either Ultimate Boot CD or Hiren’s Boot CD and run:
- Memtest86+
If the memory fails isolate which stick(s) and/or slot(s) are failing and assess repair options.
When finished, take note of success and/or failures on the tests. Add Hard Drive Pass/Fail and Memory Pass/Fail actions to the WO as appropriate.
- WD Data Lifeguard (actual HDD model doesn’t matter, this will test any drive)
A. If WD Data Lifeguard doesn’t recognize the drive, remove the drive and hook it up to the shop Linux computer. Use the information in the Linux section below to troubleshoot the hard drive further.
If the hard drive fails please refer to the Drive Failure section.
If the computer will not turn on check Here
6. Addressing the customers concern
If the customer has complained of a specific issue (such as overheating, slow speeds, or the device not charging), address this now.
If the device requires disassembly to test specific hardware issues do so now.
After diagnostics are finished, call the customer to discuss your findings and repair options. Gather all of the repair options and pricing to present to the customer. > If customers are not interested in going through with the repair make sure to offer data migration, if possible, as an option. > Sometimes "we don't suggest you repair this device" is a viable option, usually due to the severity of damage or age of the device. Recycling is an option.
HP
4. Check the Warranty
You can look up the device's warranty at the link below. > https://support.hp.com/us-en
Copy and paste the warranty information into a tech note on the device’s work order. Additionally, double check that the make/model was entered correctly in the Owner/Device info section.
Some repairs can be reasonably handled as an in-store repair, while others are better suited to a mail-in repair via the manufacturer, if available.
5. Run Diagnostics
For most laptops and desktops you can access the onboard diagnostics with the Escape key, occasionally it is the F2 Key. If you are having issues use the link below for more information. > https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/ish_2854458-2733239-16
You can also use either Ultimate Boot CD or Hiren’s Boot CD and run:
- Memtest86+
If the memory fails isolate which stick(s) and/or slot(s) are failing and assess repair options.
When finished, take note of success and/or failures on the tests. Add Hard Drive Pass/Fail and Memory Pass/Fail actions to the WO as appropriate.
- WD Data Lifeguard (actual HDD model doesn’t matter, this will test any drive)
A. If WD Data Lifeguard doesn’t recognize the drive, remove the drive and hook it up to the shop Linux computer. Use the information in the Linux section below to troubleshoot the hard drive further.
If the hard drive fails please refer to the Drive Failure section.
If the computer will not turn on check Here
6. Addressing the customers concern
If the customer has complained of a specific issue (such as overheating, slow speeds, or the device not charging), address this now.
If the device requires disassembly to test specific hardware issues do so now.
After diagnostics are finished, call the customer to discuss your findings and repair options. Gather all of the repair options and pricing to present to the customer. > If customers are not interested in going through with the repair make sure to offer data migration, if possible, as an option. > Sometimes "we don't suggest you repair this device" is a viable option, usually due to the severity of damage or age of the device. Recycling is an option.
Lenovo
4. Check the Warranty
You can look up the device's warranty at the link below. > https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/us/en/
Copy and paste the warranty information into a tech note on the device’s work order. Additionally, double check that the make/model was entered correctly in the Owner/Device info section.
Some repairs can be reasonably handled as an in-store repair, while others are better suited to a mail-in repair via the manufacturer, if available.
5. Run Diagnostics
Lenovo does not have onboard diagnostics. Instead, download and run the Lenovo diagnostics software on the customer's computer. Consult the documentation on the download page for support information if you have any issues running the software. > https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/downloads
You can also use either Ultimate Boot CD or Hiren’s Boot CD and run:
- Memtest86+
If the memory fails isolate which stick(s) and/or slot(s) are failing and assess repair options.
When finished, take note of success and/or failures on the tests. Add Hard Drive Pass/Fail and Memory Pass/Fail actions to the WO as appropriate.
- WD Data Lifeguard (actual HDD model doesn’t matter, this will test any drive)
A. If WD Data Lifeguard doesn’t recognize the drive, remove the drive and hook it up to the shop Linux computer. Use the information in the Linux section below to troubleshoot the hard drive further.
If the hard drive fails please refer to the Drive Failure section.
If the computer will not turn on check Here
6. Addressing the customers concern
If the customer has complained of a specific issue (such as overheating, slow speeds, or the device not charging), address this now.
If the device requires disassembly to test specific hardware issues do so now.
After diagnostics are finished, call the customer to discuss your findings and repair options. Gather all of the repair options and pricing to present to the customer. > If customers are not interested in going through with the repair make sure to offer data migration, if possible, as an option. > Sometimes "we don't suggest you repair this device" is a viable option, usually due to the severity of damage or age of the device. Recycling is an option.
Others
This covers information for every other manufacturer. Others will be added later
4. Check the Warranty
Copy and paste the warranty information into a tech note on the device’s work order. Additionally, double check that the make/model was entered correctly in the Owner/Device info section.
Some repairs can be reasonably handled as an in-store repair, while others are better suited to a mail-in repair via the manufacturer, if available.
5. Run Diagnostics
Since each manufacturer is different you can look up their specific information through Google.
You can also use either Ultimate Boot CD or Hiren’s Boot CD and run:
- Memtest86+
If the memory fails isolate which stick(s) and/or slot(s) are failing and assess repair options.
When finished, take note of success and/or failures on the tests. Add Hard Drive Pass/Fail and Memory Pass/Fail actions to the WO as appropriate.
- WD Data Lifeguard (actual HDD model doesn’t matter, this will test any drive)
A. If WD Data Lifeguard doesn’t recognize the drive, remove the drive and hook it up to the shop Linux computer. Use the information in the Linux section below to troubleshoot the hard drive further.
If the hard drive fails please refer to the Drive Failure section.
If the computer will not turn on check Here
6. Addressing the customers concern
If the customer has complained of a specific issue (such as overheating, slow speeds, or the device not charging), address this now.
If the device requires disassembly to test specific hardware issues do so now.
After diagnostics are finished, call the customer to discuss your findings and repair options. Gather all of the repair options and pricing to present to the customer. > If customers are not interested in going through with the repair make sure to offer data migration, if possible, as an option. > Sometimes "we don't suggest you repair this device" is a viable option, usually due to the severity of damage or age of the device. Recycling is an option.
Linux
We use Linux to diagnose hardware and software issues that regular diagnostics cannot, either because of a lack of options or because of hardware issues such as a failing drive.
Drive Health
In Linux, use the Disks utility (gnome-disk-utility) to verify the following:
- The drive is present in the list of attached drives
- The drive lists a total capacity in bytes
- The drive status is "OK" or otherwise doesn't indicate any errors
- Some type of partition table can be seen. For Windows computers, you will often see a "Windows" partition, for example.
If any of the above criteria are not met, then the drive may be failing. Consult with your local Data Recovery Technician for more information.
No Power
When a device will not power on check This article
Data Migration
Refer to the Windows Data Migration article.
Drive Failure
A failing drive can potentially cause data loss if not handled appropriately. > If the hard drive fails please refer to the Disk Failure Procedure article.
Recycling
We offer free recycling of customer's devices, should they choose not to proceed with a repair and if they either don't want the device back or don't wish to pay the diagnostic fee.
- Collect the customers drivers license number and add it to the WO notes so that we have verification.