1.
Fault Report Form Demonstration
After repairing a system unit, a fault report form should document the lifecycle of the issue.
Field Details
Report ID / Date FR-2026-0323 / March 23, 2026
Technician Name N. C. Macpeter
Device Model/SN Dell OptiPlex 7080 / SN: XYZ12345
Reported Fault System fails to boot; emits 3 short beeps.
Findings Faulty RAM module in Slot 1 (intermittent connection).
Action Taken Reseated RAM; ran MemTest86; cleaned internal dust.
Status Resolved / Operational
2. File Saving Issues
Component Responsible: The Storage Device (Hard Disk Drive, Solid State Drive, or Flash
Drive).
How to Test It:
1. Check Write-Protection: Ensure the drive or specific folder isn't set to "Read-Only."
2. Disk Management: Open the Disk Management tool to see if the drive is "Online" and
has a healthy partition.
3. Cross-Testing: Connect the storage device to a different computer to determine if the
issue is the drive itself or the original computer’s OS/port.
3. Hard Disk Diagnostic Tools
When a computer takes too long to open files, diagnostic tools help in the following ways:
S.M.A.R.T. Monitoring: Tools (like CrystalDiskInfo) read the drive's Self-Monitoring,
Analysis, and Reporting Technology data to find hardware health warnings.
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Bad Sector Scanning: Tools scan the physical surface of the platters (in HDDs) to
identify "bad sectors" where data is unreadable, causing the system to hang while retrying.
Defragmentation Analysis: For traditional HDDs, these tools show if files are scattered
across the disk, which increases the time the drive head takes to retrieve them.
4. "Boot Device Not Found" Causes
This POST (Power-On Self-Test) error usually points to one of these four issues:
1. Loose Connections: The SATA or Power cable to the hard drive has come unplugged.
2. Incorrect Boot Order: The BIOS/UEFI is trying to boot from a USB drive or Network
instead of the main hard drive.
3. Drive Failure: The hard drive has suffered a mechanical or electronic failure and is no
longer spinning up.
4. Corrupted Bootloader: The Master Boot Record (MBR) or EFI partition is damaged, so
the BIOS can't find the operating system instructions.
5. Hard Drive Clicking Noise
1. The Problem: This is often called the "Click of Death." It occurs when the read/write
head actuator is failing or can't find the "track zero" index. It hits its physical limiter
repeatedly while trying to calibrate.
2. Possible Solution: This is a physical hardware failure. The immediate solution is to
backup/recover data immediately if the drive is still momentarily readable, then replace
the drive. Mechanical repairs require a clean-room environment and are usually not DIY-
friendly.
6. Dust and CD-ROM Performance
Dust is the primary enemy of optical drives because:
1. Laser Obstruction: Dust on the laser lens scatters the light beam, preventing it from
accurately reading the pits and lands on the disc surface.
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2. Mechanical Wear: Dust can get into the tray gears or spindle motor, causing friction that
slows down the rotation speed or prevents the tray from ejecting.
7. Testing Monitor vs. System Unit
To isolate whether the display problem is the monitor or the PC:
1. The "No Signal" Test: Turn on the monitor while it is unplugged from the PC. If you see
a "No Signal" box move across the screen, the monitor's internal hardware is likely fine.
2. Swap the Cable: Replace the VGA/HDMI/DisplayPort cable to rule out a short circuit.
3. Cross-Platform Test: Plug the monitor into a laptop or different PC. If it works there, the
issue lies within the original system unit's graphics card or RAM.
8. Keyboard USB Port Issues
If a keyboard works on one PC but not another, consider these reasons:
1. USB Legacy Support: The second computer might have "USB Legacy Support" disabled
in the BIOS, preventing the keyboard from working before the OS loads.
2. Driver Conflict: The second PC may have a corrupted or incorrect HID (Human Interface
Device) driver assigned to that port.
3. Power Output: If the keyboard has RGB lighting or a USB hub, the specific port on the
second PC might not be providing enough milliamps to power it.
9. Incorrect Characters When Typing
1. Language/Layout Settings: The most common cause is the Operating System being set to
the wrong keyboard layout (e.g., UK English vs. US English, where the @ and " keys are
swapped).
2. Stuck Modifier Keys: A stuck "Alt" or "Num Lock" key can change the output of
standard keys into symbols or numbers.
3. Hardware Short: Liquid damage can bridge connections on the keyboard's internal
membrane, causing one keypress to register as another.
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10. How Interrupts Help the CPU
An interrupt is a signal sent by hardware to the CPU to request immediate attention.
1. Efficiency: Instead of the CPU constantly "polling" (checking) every device to see if they
have data (which wastes cycles), the CPU can focus on its main tasks.
2. Response: When a hardware event occurs (like a mouse click), the hardware sends an
interrupt. The CPU pauses its current execution, saves its state, jumps to an Interrupt
Service Routine (ISR) to handle the event, and then resumes its previous work.