Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
• Does the system meet the minimum hardware requirements for the software? Check the
software documentation to be sure.
• Check to see that the software is correctly installed. Reinstall if necessary. If you need to
reinstall the software, use the option to run the installation program in elevated mode (also
known as “Run as Administrator”). In Windows Vista and later, you may be prompted to
provide an administrator password or click through the User Account Control prompt to
continue.
• Check to see that the latest drivers are installed.
• Scan the system for malware such as spyware or viruses.
Problems with Adapter Cards
Problems related to add-in boards are usually related to improper board installation or resource
conflicts. Also be sure to check drivers for the latest versions and ensure that the card is compatible
with your system and the operating system version you are using.
Sometimes, adapter cards can be picky about which slot they are running in. Despite the fact that,
technically, an adapter should be able to run in any slot in which it fits, there can be subtle timing,
signal, or specification differences between slots that otherwise appear to be the same. I have found
on numerous occasions that simply moving a card from one slot to another can make a failing card
begin to work properly. Sometimes moving a card works just by the inadvertent cleaning (wiping) of
the contacts that takes place when removing and reinstalling the card, but in other cases I can
duplicate the problem by inserting the card back into its original slot.
Caution
PCI and PCI Express cards become slot specific after their drivers are installed. By this, I
mean that if you move a card to another slot, the system sees it as if you have removed one card
and installed a new one. You therefore must install the drivers again for that card. Don't move
a card to a different slot unless you are prepared with all the drivers at hand to perform the
driver installation.
Top Troubleshooting Problems
These are some of the most frequently asked troubleshooting questions I receive, along with the
solutions that typically address them.
When I power the system on, I see the power LED light and hear the fans spin, but nothing else ever happens.
The fact that the LEDs illuminate and fans spin indicates that the power supply is partially working,
but that does not exclude it from being defective. This is a classic “dead” system, which can be
caused by almost any defective hardware component. In my experiences I've had more problems with
power supplies than most other components, so I recommend immediately using a multimeter to
measure the outputs at the power supply connectors and ensure they are within the proper 5%
tolerances of their rated voltages. Even if the voltage measurements check out, you should swap in a
high-quality, high-power, known-good spare supply and retest. If that doesn't solve the problem, you
should revert to the bootstrap approach I mentioned earlier, which is to strip the system down to just
the chassis/power supply, motherboard, CPU (with heatsink), one bank of RAM (one DIMM), and a
video card and display. If the motherboard now starts, begin adding the components you removed one
