Troubleshooting Strategy

A successful troubleshooting strategy requires good planning. The first step involves information-gathering. Begin by using the site log to review the system's service history. Ask the user or customer contact to answer the following questions:

• What first alerted the user to the problem?
• Were there any recent changes or upgrades to the operating system, firmware, or application software?
• What symptoms did the user notice? Ask about any unusual sounds or smells.
• Did the user make any initial troubleshooting efforts? What were the results?
• Is the operating system functioning? If the answer is No, use power on self test (POST). If the answer is Yes, use the system to gather information from log files such as the error log , operator log, and crash dump files. Run operating system-based diagnostics, such as DEC VET.