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| How to debug a problem (guide) |
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Forum Index - Hobbies - Computers & Technology - How to debug a problem (guide) |
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| Posted on 2011-01-12 07:15:59 PM |
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Having trouble with some software? Maybe hardware? Well this thread may be able to give you a bit of insight to tracking down your problems and designing solutions. This is a thread that is more or less designed for those who wish to try solving their own problems, so do not expect this to be come a "I have a problem solve it for me" thread. If you need help solving a problem you simply can not seem to fix, make a separate thread.
I will be diving this thread into two main portions, hardware and software. Some steps may seem stupid and redundant, but you will be amazed at how often those steps turn out to be the problem. This is not a 100% solution, but only a few of many tips. Feel free to contribute your own to this thread.
Software:
Software problems come in two main forms, "How do I do X" and something going wrong within the program.
When attempting to use a feature of a program you are unsure about there are a few main things to conciser. What type of feature is it, what features are similar to it, and what is the true task needing to be accomplished. By answering the first two questions in many situations you will be able to narrow your search and quickly find what you need. The third question exists to make you ask yourself "am I using the correct tool for the job", if you are positive that
you need the specific feature and still can not find it, it is time to move on to the next search method.
Often time by clicking F1 it will bring up a searchable help menu for the specific program. By searching for the exact or similar feature you can usually gather plenty of information on its usage. However if this is still not enough, sometimes a more powerful search engine, like Google, may be required. Google is a powerful source that can, with a bit of patience, lead you to a page that already has an answer. In a worst case scenario I find random button clicking is always a good option, leading to many interesting discoveries)even if they are not exactly what you needed). Sometimes worth considering is breaking a task into subtasks so that you can use a collection of features you already know well to preform a task.
If something is going wrong with a program it is often a bit more difficult to solve. The first thing you should always check is whether an update is available. By keeping all programs up to date, you are much less likely to experience these bugs. If no update is available, try breaking down the error message to work out its meaning. By Googling bits and pieces of a message you can usually find related problems and solutions. If you are unlucky and are experiencing a bug which can not be fixed by the user, you should file a bug report with the software's author. In the meantime sometimes downgrading may be a decent temporary solution, providing the bug does not exist in prior version(these types of bugs are called regressions.).
Other software tips can include:
* Reinstallation.
* Trying the program on another computer(with the same or a different OS, though preferably both is you have them available.).
* Try limiting the number of other running programs(rarely certain programs may be conflicting causing a crash).
* Sometimes your antivirus may be blocking(or in worse cases deleting) critical components of the program. Try turning off your anti-virus for a test, if this fixes the problem turn your anti-virus back on and add the program to the anti-virus exceptions list.
* Try restoring to the default settings.
* Ensure that all dependencies of the program have been met, these can include DLLs and other programs.
* Double check that your computer meets the minimum requirements of the program
* If you have a low RAM computer, you may be running out of RAM. Double check that you are not exhausting the amount of available RAM in your computer.
Now we enter the realm of hardware, this can be a whole new ball field of problems with even fewer solutions to many problems. It should be noted that not all hardware errors can even be recovered from, and that you may have to replace the piece of hardware in question.
The first step when debugging a hardware error is to located when it happens and eliminate the possibility that it is a program error. In general hardware errors will not be limited to a single application, if your problem only happens in a single application you may wish to try the software debugging tips above. The famous BSOD is often a sign of a hardware driver or the hardware itself failing. The first step here I would recommend is to upgrade the driver, and if a firmware upgrade is available for the hardware itself apply that as well. That is a common problem in new hardware, in particular if you are using the driver that came on the install disk. In reality, this is usually where you will need to Google around and search for potential causes. The rest of this section will be full of generic tips that may help isolate and solve the problem further.
Hardware debugging:
* Does your computer have adequate cooling? This is EXTREMELY important.
* Try running a stress test on the CPU to discover if the CPU itself is the problem.
* To isolate RAM errors, use memtest86+.
* If you have a integrated graphics card attempt to "fall back" on it temporarily for testing.
* Remember to double and triple check network settings before assuming that your internet card is broken.
* Ensure that the hardware can handle the tasks that you are giving it.
* Double check that it has the correct power connections.
* If you have change any settings recently, revert them.
* If you are experiencing issues just after installing a piece of hardware, remove it and reinstall the hardware.
* Inspect the connections and ensure that everything is properly seated.
* If you have recently had any sort of electrical problems, this may damage your computer beyond repair.
Well I hope this guide has helped you out in some way shape or form. Good luck, and feel free to criticize and add to this all you want  !
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| Last edited on 2011-01-13 09:51:26 AM by Kieran Menor. |
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| Posted on 2011-01-12 09:37:27 PM |
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I half expected this:
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| Posted on 2011-01-12 11:00:28 PM |
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I honestly thought about posting that, but when I was typing this I figured I could be a bit more helpful than that  .
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| Posted on 2011-01-13 10:04:43 AM |
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This fits much better in the tech desk forum. Half decent advice, too.
A few additions to the hardware list:
If the problems appeared after newly installed hardware, make sure the computer gets enough power. Check how many watts your PSU can deliver and compare it to the power consumption of your CPU and graphics card.
If your computer refuses to boot and you suspect it's a hardware problem, disconnect all hardware from the computer including RAM and disk drives. If the crash occurs during the OS boot, leave the hard drive with your OS connected. First try all combinations for your RAM (try every block in every slot). Don't stop after a successful boot as we still haven't found the problem. Then try adding in your hardware one piece at a time. If at any time the computer refuses to boot again, you have probably found the source of the problem.
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| Posted on 2011-01-13 11:28:12 AM |
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Originally posted by Kieranincluding RAM and disk drives
I think you mean except: the PC won't boot without RAm and do diagnose the problem in the OS you need the disk drive. Also, try different CPUs that fit the slot, different video cards, etc.
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| Posted on 2011-01-13 08:46:56 PM |
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Now THIS is pure usefulness.
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| Posted on 2011-01-19 02:23:46 AM |
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Originally posted by CommieYoshiOriginally posted by Kieranincluding RAM and disk drives
I think you mean except: the PC won't boot without RAm and do diagnose the problem in the OS you need the disk drive. Also, try different CPUs that fit the slot, different video cards, etc.
I do mean including. If you read on, you will see why. I also say that that if the crash happens during OS boot (as opposed to pre-OS boot), you should leave the hard drive connected.
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