Scenarios

• Windows XP troubleshooting flowchartProcess Flow image by Christopher Hall from Fotolia.com
  
  Building a flowchart to fix Windows XP is really about compiling the likely scenarios to build into it. A good start is to find out what has happened to the machine, its operating system and its software. The way a computer has been used will reflect the ultimate repair methods. Computers today are used far less for offline work, far more to get online, check email, chat and view web pages. No less is Windows XP. Therefore the problem is more likely to be the inability to connect to a specific website, or just getting online, than failing installed software. Even the problems will have likely come from an online session. Network connectivity is more important than ever before, making the establishment of a root cause much simpler. So, build the connectivity issues at the top of the chart. Working down, the next most important flow piece is the hardware.
  
  

Steps Used in Computer Repair

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  The start of a flowchart is just the beginning of the journey. You need to know where you are, in order to move forward. A good plan is to analyze what the owner of the computer tells you. If it is, "I just installed something and now it doesn't work," focus on what was just installed. A hardware failure is more obvious, but these are comparatively rare. A computer with hardware failure will be far easier to fix than one with a software issue. So rule out hardware problems first, followed by connectivity issues. Windows XP, particularly with the later service packs applied, will have fewer issues with driver software. Check these issues with a diagnostic CD-ROM which will be unaffected by a virus. Use the "is it down for everyone, or just me?" strategy, trace connectivity outwards to the site the user is trying to reach, starting with the network card and following a logical path. Quite likely, the computer owner will have described problems getting online. A user might not be able to get online because the method of accessing the Internet is via a wireless card which has gone bad. So the method of getting online will be at the top of the flowchart tree. And, even on a laptop, the substitution of plug-in cards will determine the root cause of trouble at the same time as facilitating connectivity.