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TLE ICT CSS STVE – Grade 10

Alternative Delivery Mode
Module 3: Diagnosis faults of Computer Systems and Networks.
First Edition, 2020

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Published by the Department of Education

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 About this Module
Welcome to 4th Quarter Module 3 of Computer System Servicing! This
module is one of the core competency of Computer System Servicing (CSS) courses
specifically in “Diagnosis faults of Computer Systems and Networks”. It is offered
to the students who are aiming for the Computer System Servicing course in Grade
11 up to Grade 12 and pursue the National Certification Level II assessment which
is offered by TESDA
What I need to Know

The main objective of this module is to help you gain knowledge the basic
competencies in Computer System Servicing specifically “Diagnosis faults of
Computer Systems and Networks”. This module in CSS NCII training teaches you
everything you need to know to become a Computer Technician based on TESDA
competency standard.
The module is divided into four learning outcomes:
➢ LO3 – Diagnosis faults of Computer Systems and Networks in accordance with
established procedures and system requirements.
Content Standards
The learner demonstrates an understanding of concepts and principles in
maintaining and repairing computer systems and networks.
Performance Standard
The learners shall be able to maintain and repair computer systems and networks
based on acceptable standards in computer’s software and hardware.
Enjoy and Happy Learning.
After going through this module, you are expected to:
• Identify the Diagnosis faults of Computer Systems and Networks;
• Determine the Diagnosis faults of Computer Systems and Networks.

What I Know
Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet
of paper.
1. It will ideally provide the user with guidance regarding any issues or problems
found during its operation.
A. Computer Repair C. Diagnostic programs
B. Computer Maintenance D. Personal protective equipment
2. This will appear before the operating system begins to load.
A. Computer Report C. Windows OS
B. Computer Program D. POST
3. The ____________________________________ gives you a quick view of vital
information related to your computer’s hardware.
A. Speccy C. Windows performance monitor
B. Open Hardware Monitor D. Windows Resource Monitor
4. This tool gives you an in depth look at what processes are affecting your CPU, how
much memory is being used what is using it, individual process disk activity and
network information.
A. Speccy C. Windows performance monitor
B. Open Hardware Monitor D. Windows Resource Monitor

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5. This diagnostic tool monitors your computers temperature sensors, fan speeds,
voltages, load and clock speeds .
A. Speccy C. Windows performance monitor
B. Open Hardware Monitor D. Windows Resource Monitor

What’s In

Activity: Let us try to check if you can still remember our previous lesson and
give you a little taste of what will happen next.
WORDSEARCH. Identify the 10 words found in the WORDSEARCH puzzled below.
To test your knowledge in using appropriate PPE, search for 10 words to use
appropriate PPE. Good luck and have fun!

What’s New

Put a check in the YES or NO column to verify if the procedure was correctly
followed in planning and preparing for maintenance.
PERFORMANCE CRITERIA CHECKLIST

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 What is it?

LESSON Diagnosis Faults of Computer Systems and Networks

A Diagnostic Program (also known as a Test Mode) is an automatic computer

program sequence that determines the operational status within the software,
hardware, or any combination thereof in a component, a system, or a network of
systems. Diagnostic programs ideally provide the user with guidance regarding any
issues or problems found during its operation.
Diagnostics programs may be simple or complex, operating unknowingly within
everyday devices or awaiting their invocation to make more complex performance
assessments. Everyday examples are a microwave oven that displays code F6 to
warn of a shorted temperature probe[1] or a garage door opener that flashes its
control board's LED four times warning of critically misaligned safety sensors and
impending shutdown.[2]
Diagnostic programs are also inserted into consumer electronic products
and electronic games. Sometimes if the owner of an electronic device asks the
manufacturer how to access the hidden diagnostic program, they may reply to the
consumer saying that the information is considered to be "proprietary" and cannot
be shared

COMMON PC PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS

1. Check the POST. This is generally the first or second thing that appears on a
computer after turning on the power. This appears before the operating system
begins to load. The POST will display any problems found with hardware that
makes the computer unable to boot, POST may also display problems with
hardware that allow the computer to boot, but not operate at its full capacity
during operation
2. Notice the load time of the OS (operating system). A longer than usual load
time may indicate errors in the hard drive.

3. Notice any graphics problems once the OS has loaded. Reduced graphics
may indicate driver failures or hardware failures with graphic cards.

4. Perform an auditory test. An auditory test is an unorthodox, but still effective

way of judging how a computer is working. With the computer on and running,
play any decent length audio file (usually above 30 sec). If the audio is choppy or
slow, it usually means that the processor is working at an elevated level, or there
is not enough RAM to run all programs loading. Changing the startup sound is a
great way to apply this test. Another issue associated with choppy sounds is PIO
(Programmed Input/Output) Mode. This affects how the hard drive reads and
writes data from a drive. Switching to Direct Memory Access (DMA) allows for faster
reads and writes, and can sometimes repair choppy audio.

5. Check any newly installed hardware. Many operating systems, especially

Windows, can conflict with new drivers. The driver may be badly written, or it may
conflict with another process. Windows will usually notify you about devices that
are causing a problem, or have a problem. To check this use the Device Manager,
this can be accessed by entering the Control Panel, clicking the System icon,
clicking the Hardware tab, and clicking on Device Manager. Use this to check and
arrange the properties of hardware.

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6. Check any newly installed software. Software may require more resources
than the system can provide. Chances are that if a problem begins after software
starts, the software is causing it. If the problem appears directly upon startup, it
may be caused by software that starts automatically on boot.

7. Check RAM and CPU consumption. A common problem is a choppy or sluggish

system. If a system is choppy it is good practice to see if a program is consuming
more resources than the computer can provide.

A .CON’T. An easy way to check this is to use the Task Manager, right click on the
taskbar select Task Manager, and click the Processes tab. The CPU column
contains a number that indicates the percentage of CPU the process is consuming.
B. CON’T. The Memory Usage column indicates how much memory a process is
consuming. • Network HUB • Network cable • Network card

8. Listen to the computer, if the hard drive is scratching or making loud

noises, shut off the computer and have a professional diagnose the hard drive.
Listen to the CPU fan, this comes on a high speed when the CPU is working hard,
and can tell you when the computer is working beyond its capacity.

9. Run a virus and malware scan. Performance problems can be caused by

malware on the computer. Running a virus scan can unearth any problems. Use a
commonly updated virus scanner (such as Norton Antivirus or Avast! Antivirus)

10. Check for the problem in safe mode. To enter safe mode, tap F8 repeatedly
during POST (this works on most systems). If the problem persists in safe mode, it
is a fair bet that the operating system itself is to blame.

Common Trouble shooting for Computer Units

1. Double check the power connections.

2. Voltage Regulator and power supply could cause power failure in the
computer unit.

3. Check the power cords and cable connectors in your computer unit.

4. Unseated card. Loose cards could cause malfunction.

5. Check the boot sequence configuration in the advance BIOS (Basic Input
/Output Unit) setup.

Diagnosing Network Connection

Things to look for if a PC is connected to the internet or network:

• First check the cable connecting to the network card into the network hub.

• Check the back of the computer to see if the network card light is on

• Check the network cable ( use cable tester)

• Check the network HUB (use multi-tester)

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 DEX_Identify the following:
1. Moderately dangerous types of errors among those that can pop up on your PC.

2. Caused by malfunctioning hardware components, and are characterized by

short beep sounds from the tiny internal speaker of your motherboard.

3. Caused at any point of time. As the name suggests, these are caused by
applications while those are running.

4. Usually caused by corrupted driver files or malfunctioning hardware

components.

5. Caused by corrupted or malfunctioning system files or software executables.

6. Caused by corrupted hardware, especially malfunctioning RAM modules and

bad sectors on hard disks.

7. Caused by problems faced by browsers when trying to access a website.

Five Best Computer Diagnostic Tools

Computer diagnostics tools are pieces of software that give you the knowledge you
need to be able to potentially repair your own computer. Some of these tools come
built in to your operating system while others come from 3rd party software
developers. Either way, these tools help save you time and money.
Computer diagnostic tools can be used scan your computer’s hard drive, check
your ram for errors, check cpu temp and give you information about any other
devices connected to your computer. These tools are made to find problems
that may be disrupting your computer’s normal performance. Once a problem is
found, you can then plan your repair.

Here are our top 5 favorite computer diagnostic tools:

1. Windows Performance Monitor

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The first one on our list is built right in to Windows operating systems. The
performance monitor gives you a quick view of vital information related your
computers hardware. From here, you can check out your CPU, Memory, Disk info
and Ethernet information. You can use Performance Monitor to examine the
effects of your running applications in both real time and by collecting data to
check out for later analysis.
2. Windows Resource Monitor

Windows Resource Monitor is number two on our list. This diagnostic tool is
more robust that Windows Performance Monitor. It is better suited for tracking
individual aspects of CPU, Network, memory and disk usage. This tool gives you
an in depth look at what processes are affecting your CPU, how much memory is
being used what is using it, individual process disk activity and network
information like current TCP connections and what processes are listening on what
port.
3. Open Hardware Monitor

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Open Hardware Monitor is a free open source application that runs on
Windows and Linux systems. This diagnostic tool monitors your computers
temperature sensors, fan speeds, voltages, load and clock speeds. If your computer
is shutting down by itself, hanging or crashing, this tool can come in real handy
by telling you that your system is overheating or the fans aren’t working properly
4. Speccy

Speccy is another great computer diagnostic tool. This application gives

information on just about everything including software, hardware, peripherals,
disk info, graphics & network data. Its easy to use layout make troubleshooting
and maintenance a breeze. Great application to start with when you are looking
for specific info about your computer.
5. HD Tune

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HD Tune Pro is a great tool for HDD and SSD diagnostics. This utility allows
you to benchmark your storage device showing you the minimum, maximum and
average transfer rates along with many other useful tools. The other features of HD
Tune include detailed drive info, error scanning, & drive health. The pro version
allows you to check the health status of multiple drives, offers folder usage info,
secure erase, file benchmark, disk monitor, cache test & extra tests.
Computer diagnostics are meant to serve a vital purpose. They are important
tools which work automatically, with very little effort necessary from the end user.
They help you discover and fix problems within your hard disks and network
configurations. Rather than manually searching for small, hard-to-find problems
on your own, you can simply allow computer diagnostics tools to take care of your
problems for you!

Diagnosis of network problems

Our Customers are reporting to us all kinds of problems, from lack of internet, wifi
network problems, ending with informing about the failure of their computer at 3
am :) We decided to collect and describe the most typical cases and accidents,
which occured to our Users. The majority of problems reported to us are results of
suspension of router, occupied wireless network bandwidth, or running, without
user knowledge, program to exchange files. We hope that this tutorial will
introduce our Customers to functioning of the network sites, and to rectify the
cause of the defect independently, before they decide to tap in the phone our
emergency number:)
• I The problem of the Internet. User has a router.
• 1. Cables
• 2. Router
• 3. Interferences
• II Problems with internet when the user doesn't use router.
• III Problems with computer
I. The problem of the Internet. User has a router
Possible reasons:
• Problem with the suspension of the router
• The problem of wiring problem with p2p running
• The problem of the occupied bandwidth of wireless network
1. Cables
The router has several dozen of wires attached. This cables may get pulled off,
unplugged, or could be just damaged.
• Push all the cables to make sure that none of them slipped.
• Check destruction of the wires, look if any of the end-piece isn't twist off.
• Make sure the power wire is plugged into the router properly. If the device
LED's do not shine, there is a problem with power.
• Next check if all of cables are properly plugged. Below is a picture which
shows all the ports of the router. Depending on the producer and model,
they may look slightly different, but the idea is the same everywhere -
internet cable must be plugged into the internet port / WAN (Blue port in
the figure)
if you have any computers plugged by the cable, they must be plugged in
the LAN port (yellow port in the figure)

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WARNING: Plugging internet cable into a port other than the WAN may cause
serious problems!
If your computer is connected to the router using a network cable, make sure that
the network cable is plugged into the computer port properly. Additionally, after
cable plugging You should have observed two LEDs, one of them ought to „blink”.
You need to know also that some computers do not have any diode signal.

Some PC's have more than one Ethernet (network) connector . Check also the
second link.
2. Router
Common causes of problems:
• router-crash
• failure of router
• interference in a wireless network
The first case is the simplest. If Yours internet connection slowed drastically, or it
doesnt exist, try turn off the router by disconnecting him from power system for
several seconds and plug again. If reboot doesn't help, go to the second point-
router failure.
You can very simply and independently verify if the router has failed. Just unplug
the Internet cable from the router (look at the description of the cable connection
on the router) and connect it to the network adapter in your computer. If the
computer, was register in our web, you should see page which you wanted to visit,
if not, you will see our welcome page „Welcome to Sloneczko.net”. These two cases
show the router failure. If nothing show up, it means a breakdown of the network
- please contact us immediately.
Another cause of problems with the router is so wide that we will describe it in a
separate chapter.
3. Interferences
Wireless network, so-called wifi is very nice but also very imperfect thing.
Theoretically reach of the wireless network in open space and without any noise is
only 150 meters! Obstacles such as walls, windows and doors cause high damping
and decrease of signal quality. Also interferences of energy networks and other
wireless networks (e.g. of our neighbors) could be possible source of problems.

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So what to do to make sure that the problem with speed is caused by weak wifi
signal?
• Plug in to the router via cable – plug in the ethernet cable to your
computer then plug in that cable to one of the LAN ports of the router (check
description of cable pluging to the router). If there's no problem on the cable,
surely you have problem with wifi connection.
• Plug in ethernet cabel directly to the computer ommiting the router
(check the description of diagnosing of the router's damage). If you see
our welcome page “Welcome sloneczko.net” fill in the form on there and send
it to us. When we register your computer as active device you will be able to
check your speed without a router. If it's ok – you have a problem with wifi
• The third method requires some knowledge about the system. You can
check the response time of the router using commend “ping”. You must
know its address to do this. Router address is the address of a gateway on
your computer. Checking the IP address of the router we described in the
article about configuring dhcp in router TP-Link
Now, when you know IP address, type commend “ping” into the dos window (which
is described in the article). You can stop commend executing by pressing ctrl + c.

If response time is high (about 50 - 70 milliseconds or more) or which is worse,

part of the package is lost, this means that we definitely have a problem with wifi.
Ok. So we have diagnosed problem with wireless network and what next? First
check the location of the router. Should be placed high, possibly in the center of
the apartment.. Another very important element is to find a free channel, which is
the least used. Unfortunately, most routers do not have the tools that allows to
check the bandwidth usage at different frequencies. That's why we can only set
one after another all the channels and check the operation of the network.
To change the channel we have to login to the router. Type router address (that
you found before) into address bar in the browser.

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If the router was configured by us, surely you received from us the access data. If
not ask person configuring the router for login and password.
After logging into the router go to wireless settings. Remember that in different
models of routers managing panel will be slightly different. In our example, click
on the Wireless (4) then the wireless settings (5).

In the channel menu select the wireless channel. Sometimes before we can find
the channel on which our network is working well we will need to check a few other
channels. Avoid channel 6 (very often used by equipment manufacturers as a
default channel), and extreme ones. You can also select the network at 11 Mbps
(b), instead of the network at 54 Mbps (g). It will increase the transmitter power in
our router.
We check our work effect on each channel by checking router response time with
the command “ping” or checking connection speed at network speedtest.
II .Problems with internet when the user doesn't use router.
If you don't have a router in your home you can check external causes described
in chapter I.1. cables. If there aren't any problems with operator's network, the
cause of problems with connecting to the internet may be your computer.
III. Problems with computer
Hardware parameters
Size of materials distributed via internet continues to grow. A few years ago web
pages used to be smaller than 1 megabyte, today some of them are bigger than
gigabyte. If your computer is an old Pentium 1 ghz and you've got half gigabyte of
RAM you have to know that probably all of it will be occupied by the system and
web browser. Firefox with a few tabs opened can use hundreds megabytes of RAM.
In that case page rendering can take forever.
The use of hardware resources OK, so your computer's a powerhouse, processor takes
first place in all benchmarks and all of your RAM would be enough for four other
computers. But it doesn't make any difference if you have twenty different plugins
form weird pages, computer's registry swells and processor is used by plugin for
watching TV. Not to mention that two antiviruses finish the system of.
Check the list of installed applications. Delete what's redundant. One antivirus is
enough. Take a look at process list, to see if some application uses too much
memory or processor. If your computer is overloaded, rendering pages will take lots
of time.

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 Viruses There's no need to say much. Check if your antivirus is up-to-date. Scan
your computer. Nothing uses your bandwith as viruses sending all over the
internet.
Peer2Peer software P2P, torrents, eMule and lots of other applications for file
exchange. The only thing we have to do to stop it from disrupting our work is to
configure it in the way that won't allow it to use more than 1/2-3/4 of our
bandwith, sending faster than a few kilobytes per second and opening more than
200-300 connections. And, of course, shuting it down when all of the files are
downloaded. Even though you finished your download, thousands of people from
around the world can connect to your program and efficiently blocking your
bandwith.
P2P software left unconfigured causes that even if you're not downloading
programs connecting with your computer won't let you work normally. To
download something from the internet you need to send a request. And how can
you send it if your bandwith is clogged?
If you don't know how to check your network traffic you can always log into your
client control panel - you can find graph of your network traffic. If there's
something wrong you'll notice it right away.
We're hoping that this simple tutorial will help you understand how the network
works and will make using the internet more comfortable.

What’s More
Activity:
WORDSEARCH. To test your knowledge in Diagnosis faults of Computer Systems and
Networks, search for 10 words to Diagnose faults of Computer Systems and Networks.
Be ready to learn in Diagnosing faults of Computer Systems and Networks as you go
through this module. Good luck and have fun!

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 What I Have Learned
DIRECTION: Read each question carefully and answer briefly. Please answer the
following questions based on what you have learned in this module. Write your
answer on a separate paper.
What are the most significant lessons learned in maintaining computer systems and
networks?
_____________________________________________________________________.

What I Can Do

You have learned about the maintaining computer systems and networks. Make a
mini portfolio of this activity by making a documentation while doing the tasks.

Assessment (POST TEST)

DIRECTIONS: Read and understand the following questions carefully. Choose the
letter of the correct answer. Write your answer on a separate paper.

1. This application gives information on just about everything including software,

hardware, peripherals, disk info, graphics & network data.
A. Speccy C. Windows performance monitor
B. Open Hardware Monitor D. Windows Resource Monitor
2. This utility allows you to benchmark your storage device showing you the minimum,
maximum and average transfer rates along with many other useful tools.
A. Speccy C. HD Tune Pro
B. Open Hardware Monitor D. Windows Resource Monitor
3. _______________________, so-called wi-fi is very nice but also very imperfect thing.
A. Cable network C. LAN network
B. Fiber network D. Wireless network
4. You can check the response time of the router using command “____________”.
A. Ipconfig C. Ping
B. CMD D. Run
5. Router common causes of problems EXCEPT one.
A. Router-crash C. Interference in a wireless network
B. Failure of router D. Strong Signal
6. It will ideally provide the user with guidance regarding any issues or problems
found during its operation.
A. Computer Repair C. Diagnostic programs
B. Computer Maintenance D. Personal protective equipment
7. This will appear before the operating system begins to load.
A. Computer Report C. Windows OS
B. Computer Program D. POST
8. The ____________________________________ gives you a quick view of vital
information related to your computer’s hardware.
A. Speccy C. Windows performance monitor
B. Open Hardware Monitor D. Windows Resource Monitor

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9. This tool gives you an in depth look at what processes are affecting your CPU, how
much memory is being used what is using it, individual process disk activity and
network information.
C. Speccy C. Windows performance monitor
D. Open Hardware Monitor D. Windows Resource Monitor
10. This diagnostic tool monitors your computers temperature sensors, fan speeds,
voltages, load and clock speeds .
A. Speccy C. Windows performance monitor
B. Open Hardware Monitor D. Windows Resource Monitor

References:

A. TESDA CSS Online program

B. Learner’s Manual
• DepEd Module ICT (Computer Hardware Servicing)

For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education – Schools Division Office of Makati City
Gov. Noble St. Brgy. Guadalupe Nuevo
City of Makati Metropolitan Manila, Philippines 1212

Telefax : (632) 8882-5861/8882-5862

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