What is Troubleshooting: Definition and 327 Discussions

Troubleshooting is a form of problem solving, often applied to repair failed products or processes on a machine or a system. It is a logical, systematic search for the source of a problem in order to solve it, and make the product or process operational again. Troubleshooting is needed to identify the symptoms. Determining the most likely cause is a process of elimination—eliminating potential causes of a problem. Finally, troubleshooting requires confirmation that the solution restores the product or process to its working state.
In general, troubleshooting is the identification or diagnosis of "trouble" in the management flow of a system caused by a failure of some kind. The problem is initially described as symptoms of malfunction, and troubleshooting is the process of determining and remedying the causes of these symptoms.
A system can be described in terms of its expected, desired or intended behavior (usually, for artificial systems, its purpose). Events or inputs to the system are expected to generate specific results or outputs. (For example, selecting the "print" option from various computer applications is intended to result in a hardcopy emerging from some specific device). Any unexpected or undesirable behavior is a symptom. Troubleshooting is the process of isolating the specific cause or causes of the symptom. Frequently the symptom is a failure of the product or process to produce any results. (Nothing was printed, for example). Corrective action can then be taken to prevent further failures of a similar kind.
The methods of forensic engineering are useful in tracing problems in products or processes, and a wide range of analytical techniques are available to determine the cause or causes of specific failures. Corrective action can then be taken to prevent further failure of a similar kind. Preventive action is possible using failure mode and effects (FMEA) and fault tree analysis (FTA) before full-scale production, and these methods can also be used for failure analysis.

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  1. S

    Circuit Troubleshooting: Finding Correct States of Diodes

    Today in class we learned about diodes. Our prof explained to us that the only manual way to find the correct states of the diodes is guess and check. Each time, we ended with one correct circuit; that is Kirchoff's laws coincided with the diode constraints. Now I'm doing this circuit on my...
  2. A

    Troubleshooting Multiplayer Issues in Warcraft 3 and Starcraft

    I have an interesting problem: I'm moved into university and people can't join custom games I create in warcraft 3. However, people CAN join games I create in starcraft. What would cause this? How do I fix it?
  3. wolram

    Motor Reversal and Noisy: Troubleshooting Tips

    I have just replaced an inverter driven 3ph motor and wired it the same as the old one, it runs (cogs) backwards and is noisy. The motor is 230 v 3ph, it has 6 wires, yellow, black, white, violet, blue and brown. testing with ohm meter i have 45 ohms between yellow- black, white-violet and...
  4. T

    No Display After Replacing 750W Power Supply: Troubleshooting Ideas

    I just bought a new 750W powersupply off of newegg and put it in my computer and tried to fire it up. The fans on the back of my computer spun for a fraction of a second then everything turned off. My monitor kept going from green light to orange light for some reason (even when I turned off the...
  5. V

    Troubleshooting Electric Field Problem: Distance Issues

    Alright, so I seem to be having difficulty setting this one up. Here's the problem: http://synthdriven.com/images/deletable/help4.jpg" The way I began to go about it is as follows... \Sigma \vec{E}=\vec{E_{1}}+\vec{E_{2}}+\vec{E_{3}}=0...
  6. S

    Troubleshooting a Wrong Answer with Coulomb's Law

    Hello - I worked out this problem but I got a wrong answer. First, I used the Pythagorean theorem to find the radial distance between A and each charges. So 1.2m divided by 2 (= 0.6), then the square root of .6 squared + .6 squared = .849, which is the radius. Then I used Coulomb's...
  7. T

    Low Voltage Galvanic Cell Troubleshooting

    I had to make a galvanic cell for my chemistry class and it was supposed to have a voltage of 2.3 but for some reason it only was .5. My cell was comprised of a iron and aluminim electrode with the respective nitrates.( potassium nitrate salt bridge) it was wondering if anybody knew why it would...
  8. M

    Pauli Matrices: Troubleshooting a Non-Zero Commutator

    Ok, I have a stupid question on pauli matrices here but it is bugging me. In a book I'm reading it gives the equation [\sigma_i , \sigma_j] = 2 I \epsilon_{i,j,k} \sigma_k , I understand how it works and everything but I do have a question, when you have k=i/j and i!=j (like 2,1,2) you get a...
  9. H

    Troubleshooting a System Not Booting Up

    My system is not booting up and in very first stage ,,it is givng the error... L9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 and it doesn't g any further... and also it doesn't detect the IDE master and slave... what possibly can be wong with it??
  10. D

    ASP.net webpage troubleshooting required

    Hi, I'm working on a students marks evaluation webpage, unfortunatly i run into several problems and i need some help fixing it :smile: <%@ Page Language="C#" %> <script runat="server"> void submit(object sender, System.EventArgs e) { lblMessage1.Text = TextBox1.Text...
  11. B

    Troubleshooting an Equation of the Curve with y Intercept 4

    Find an equation of the curve that satisfies dy/dx = 88yx^(10) and whose y intercept is 4 dy/y = 88x^(10)dx integral both sides ln(y) = 8x^(11) y = e^(8x^(11))+C put x = 0 into the equation I got C = 3. Why am I wrong?
  12. G

    Troubleshooting a Complex Circuit Problem

    I have a circuit problem. There is a 30 V power source conected in series with a switch and a ten ohm resistor. The circuit then spling to an inductor of 10 mH and a 20 ohm resistor. I am having difficulty finding the current across the 20 ohm resistor. I got the current immediately after the...
  13. DaveC426913

    Network bandwidth troubleshooting

    I continue to have troubles with my residential DSL service. Occasionally (on the order of every half hour or more), my service will just stop working for a minute or so. (Gee, that doesn't sound like a big deal, but really, it makes me want to toss my computer out the window). I'd like to...
  14. T

    Troubleshooting Tex: Why It's Not Working

    Tex will not work here for some reason
  15. S

    Help! Troubleshooting Logic to Find Mass on Vertical Spring

    Okay, I am messing something up here. I think it's my logic. Given k=2.5 * 10^3 N/m Find how much mass would have to be suspended from the vertical spring to move it 6.0 cm I get W=1/2kx^2=.5(2500)*(.06m)^2=4.5J I think that's right. Then I do W=F*d=m*a*d or...
  16. M

    Troubleshooting Convex Mirror: Image Distance & Magnification

    Hello everyone, I seem to be getting all the mirrors right that where concave but now i have a convex one and it doesn't seem to be working when im' finding the image distance and magnification/properties. Here is the problem: Heres my work: both the i and the m where wrong, i also tried...
  17. J

    Troubleshooting iconv's Conversion of UTF-8 Japanese to CP932

    I've been using the iconv routine with some success to convert from utf-8 encoded Japanese to cp932 encoded Japanese. However, some characters do not convert. For instance 0xe7 0xab 0x8e is a valid utf-8 character that iconv cannot handle. I've searched the web in vain for insight into what is...
  18. exequor

    Troubleshooting SATA Drive Installation Issue

    I just bought a sata drive for my computer and i connected everthing. i am trying to install windows on this drive. the drive is detected and everything but windows installation does not detect it and as a result the installation process is cancelled. i even turned off the primary ide interface...
  19. A

    LaTeX Troubleshooting Latex Loading Issues

    Sorry if this is not the right place to post this, but as of late I have been unable to see a lot of latex, all I see is "please wait while...is loading". It never loads.
  20. exequor

    Troubleshooting Dual Monitor Setup with Acer Aspire30002

    I have an acer aspire30002 and i connected a dell flat panel monitor to it. The thing is I can never get them to display separate screens. I got them to display the same thing earlier but now only one at a time. Does this mean that the video card does not support dual monitors?
  21. R

    Troubleshooting Wi-Fi Issues: Physics and Geology

    As you know wi-fi is a radio signal and I'm wondering if physics can help me by determining why is my internet acting weird on me. I know about waves and nodes and antinodes and I'm wondering does wi-fi have these properties and how can i position it. In a geological perspective its distance...
  22. 0TheSwerve0

    Troubleshooting Targus AMW15US Wireless Mouse for Mac

    Hoping at least one person will know anything about Targus, specifically their wireless laser mouse (P# AMW15US). It says you can use it with Mac, but mine doesn't even detect the USB receiver, though the device lights up. I read one review...
  23. C

    Troubleshooting Dad's Computer Issues

    My father's computer is exhibiting weird behavior. It seems not to like certain websites (for example apple.com, mcafee.com). When one tries to load one, it times out and IE displays it's page for a DNS error. What makes it worse, is a few days ago it suddenly fixed itself only to go back to...
  24. J

    Troubleshooting .tex File Corruptions

    I am trying to open a .tex file. When I clicked on it, it asked what program I wanted to use to open the thing. So I selected wordpad. The thing opened up in wordpad with a blank document. When I selected print preview, it allowed me to scroll through 4 blank pages. Here' s the...
  25. B

    Troubleshooting a Small LAN Problem - Help Needed!

    I have a small problem with my lan. The setup is as followed: The cable modem is connect to a hub, which is connected with my own pc. I used to have an older machine [win2k, normal network card] which had no problems connecting to the network and to the modem. About one week ago I got myself a...
  26. E

    Comp Sci Troubleshooting a Vowel-Removing & Duplicating Function

    I need to write a function that takes an input string and returns it minus all vowels and another that returns it with each vowel duplicated. ie - in the first case, removeVowels("Zippy") would return "Zppy" and in the second case duplicateVowels("Zippy") would return "Ziippy". I know it is...
  27. JamesU

    Troubleshooting HTML Image Area Map Issues

    I'm trying to create an area mep for an image, but it's not working right. any help? <html> <head> <title>Enter through the door</title> </head> <body> <map name="amap"> <area shape="rect" coords="474,202,541,358" href="../leveltwo.htm"> </map> <center><img...
  28. B

    Troubleshooting Final Balance Calculator Program

    Why won't this work? :frown: ---------------------------------------- import javax.swing.JOptionPane ; public class FinalBalanceCalculator { public static void main(String args[]) { String input; String name; double b0; double rc; double ty; double ans; input...
  29. JamesU

    C/C++ Troubleshooting C++ Circle Area Calculation

    What's wrong with this C++ project I'm working on? it's supposed to find the area of a circle: #include <cstdlib> #include <iostream> using namespace std; int main(int argc, char *argv[]) { int pi = 3.14 int rad int radsqr = rad*rad cout << "radius of the circle:"...
  30. M

    Troubleshooting Album Art Issues in Windows XP

    I have a question about album art in windows xp. A lot of my music was taken from backup disks and didn't come with album art, they were burnt under windows me. I've went ahead and searched a P2P network for album art and retrieved most of what I need. The problem I am having is that quite a few...
  31. JamesU

    C/C++ Dev-C++ Program Compilation Troubleshooting

    Every time I compile and run a program in Dev-C++ Command prompt only opens for less than a second and closes immediately. can anyone help?
  32. Monique

    Troubleshooting: Reinstalling Windows - CD-ROM Boot Issues

    I'm trying to reinstall windows, but on reboot I can't start from the particular CD-rom (other CD-roms do work on reboot, but I need this one). It says: Boot CD-ROM type: Non-Emulation Booting Press a key if you want to start up your computer from cd-rom... and then it hangs, the cd-rom...
  33. C

    Troubleshooting: Downloading & Burning Morphix to CD

    I downloaded Morphix which was supposed to give me an idea of Linux. I downloaded an iso file. Then I had a virtual drive so I mounted it on that. I used Nero and burnt all the files to a rewritable cd. When I restart the pc (with the CD inside) I get "Boot from CD: " it stays there for 10...
  34. U

    Troubleshooting Hard Disk Reformatting Issues

    I am trying to reformat my hdd when something weird happened. I have a P4 desktop and I wanted to reinstall everything on there. So I booted from the windows CD and it formatted and installed windows XP sp1... when the computer restarted, it said that some file was missing and it wouldn't start...
  35. mattmns

    Troubleshooting Buttons Not Working in Firefox 1.0.4

    It probably is my isp actually, some sites have acted very strange lately. Note: I am using firefox 1.0.4. What I am trying to do is press the button/s to close some sections. These buttons, in this picture: http://img193.echo.cx/img193/6460/pfprob6er.png But I am just being...
  36. A

    Troubleshooting Webcam Software Infection

    I bought a webcam Wednesday, and now I can't get into the software to use the webcam, although I could get in the previous two days. I ran a virus scan, and the scan identified a file: C:\Documents and Settings\Family\Application...
  37. A

    Troubleshooting Chemistry Questions: CaCO3, I2, C2+

    Just having trouble again with a few questions. 1.Calcium oxide (lime) is a white crystalline solid with a melting point of 2572c. It is manufactured by heating limestone, coral, sea shells or chalk, which are mainly CaCO3, to drive off carbon dioxide, according to the following reaction...
  38. S

    Troubleshooting Hotmail Sign Up: Get Help Checking Your Mail

    Anyone who has problem in signing up in Hotmail account? I can't check my mails!
  39. G

    Circuit Troubleshooting: Need Help to Keep Lights On & Laser Bright

    Circuit Help! Help! I am trying to design thsi circuit for some friends, however, having the 2 light bulbs in the circuit seem to "eat" all of the power, cuasing the laser to be VERY dim. Isn't there an electronic component taht i can jump across the light bulbs that will allow them to stay...
  40. M

    Building a Functional Lie Detector: Troubleshooting Tips and Breadboard Basics

    I'm trying to build this simple lie detector (picture below). I'm 90% sure that i have it built correct on my breadboard, but for some reason my LEDS are getting destroyed if i try applying the full 9V. It takes around 3V to make the LEDS to turn on about halfway. For some reason, there is a lot...
  41. V

    Troubleshooting Random Reboots and Overheating Graphics Card

    hi there i have been having trouble with my pc randomly rebooting (about once every 2 days) during any aspect of my windows session whether it be in games, playing music, surfing the web, using office and even while sitting idle. it is just like the reboot switch has been pressed. it also...
  42. D

    Troubleshooting 9V and 1 Ohm Resistor Connection

    Hi! I connect 9 volts to a 1 ohm resistor and thought I would get I = U/R = 9 A. But when I connect the ampmeter, I cannot read anything! Where is the problem?
  43. R

    Troubleshooting Electric Flux Calculation on a Square Surface

    I used the formula (E * Area * cos(theta)) and got the wrong answer (.02529) and I really don't understand why. I need help The square surface shown measures 4.0 mm on each side. It is immersed in a uniform electric field with magnitude E = 1930 N/C. The field lines make an angle of 35° with...
  44. S

    Troubleshooting a Torque Driver Assembly

    hi all, i did a dissambley of a torque driver, and when i put it back, i could not get teh click sound when i tried to calibrated the wrench.. any idea wat is wrong? regards, ss
  45. D

    Troubleshooting VHDL Circuit: Undefined Symbol in Line 30

    I'm having trouble with the following VHDL code: library IEEE; use IEEE.STD_LOGIC_1164.ALL; use IEEE.STD_LOGIC_ARITH.ALL; use IEEE.STD_LOGIC_UNSIGNED.ALL; entity circuit is port (a, b, c: in std_logic; f1, f2, f3, f4, f5, f6: out std_logic); end circuit; architecture...
  46. A

    TI-83 Troubleshooting: Graphing Polar Equations in Degrees & Radians

    Anyone know enough about TI-83s to help me out? For some reason whenever I try to graph a polar equation on mine it gives me what the graph should look like for radians when degrees is the mode of choice and vice versa. For example, if I were to graph sin(theta) I get a nice pretty circle when...
  47. K

    Multimerization Troubleshooting: No Luck in 2-3 Weeks

    Multimers :(( I have been trying this thing for past 2-3 weeks with no luck :(( :cry: I am trying to make a multimer from an oligo. This is how i did: - Annealed the oligos - Phosphorylated the sample (5' ends) - ligated o/n when i ran it on agarose it shows only a dimer. what...
  48. D

    Solving Escape Velocity of the Sun: Troubleshooting an Error

    I can't seem to obtain the right answer using the escape velocity formula. I think my problem is with the gravitational constant. I would like to find the escape velocity of the sun. v_e=\sqrt{\frac{2GM}{r}} or v_e=\sqrt{\frac{2\mu}{r}} v_e_\odot=617.54(km/s)...
  49. G

    Troubleshooting Battery Chain Circuit for Motor Operation

    Hello, I'm new here, and I need help with a problem. I'm sure there is a really easy answer to this, but I don't know what it is. I can't find it googling, probably because it is so obvious to everyone else. But I have a circuit, which requires multiple batteries to opperate. Too combine their...
  50. Dissident Dan

    Troubleshooting Parse Error for Flex and Bison

    I've got an assignment for a class in which I'm supposed to make an assignment statements parser using Lex and Yacc...well, actually variants called Flex and Bison. I am having major problems getting this to work. It will recognize one token or character and then give a "parse error". I...
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