Editing Category:Common Issues (section)

=== Formalized Troubleshooting Framework ===
These "best practice" steps have proven themselves in many real world situations.
The first steps are analytical and preventive actions that can (should...) always be taken, regardless of what the issue on hand is.

* Make a conceptual map/block diagram of the intended functionality and how different parts of the system interact.
** See if you can obtain any documentation for the device, from user manual to service manual. Having anything at all can help you understand how the device is intended to work, regardless of your expectations.
** Often times, block diagrams are included in operators manuals in the troubleshooting section, and almost always in the service manual. They may also be included on schematics. These should be your bread and butter for approaching unique problems.

* Document the case as presented by the client.
** Verify that the user has done the troubleshooting properly{{---}}they may misunderstand how something is supposed to work, and lead you down the wrong path.
** See for yourself that the issue the user is experiencing is what they think it is. This could change how much they are willing to pay, especially if they underestimate what they think is wrong.
* Note the failure and repair history of the equipment.
* Analyze and document the current state of functionality as positives or negatives.
** Use the block diagram you constructed earlier to verify that each stage of the device is working as it should. When you find where something is wrong, you know that all of the previous stages work correctly and you won't have to waste time backtracking.
** Make notes of all the areas that are misbehaving{{---}}they may be correlated. Take a step back and see if the problems could be related{{---}}do they share any functionality?
** Approach this as methodically as possible.

Now you have a dossier for the equipment that you can refer to for your technical analysis.

Before you begin working on anything, do the following:

* Disconnect the equipment from power.
* Remove all batteries and anything extraneous (hard drives, optical drives, etc)

This will minimize the risk of cumulative and/or collateral damage, as well as ensure that no other parts of the system are interfering with what you're working on. If you find that it works but stops working when you add sub-components back in{{---}}there is your clue. The key in this whole process is to approach everything as methodically as possible. It will save you a lot of time and headache when you will be able to easily follow your previous steps and verify to yourself/others what the problem is. If you can't understand or explain what you did, the problem likely isn't fixed (at least permanently).