diagnostics
Readme
🔍 Hardware & System Diagnostics
Part of the IT-Manual Procedures for isolating hardware failures, analyzing system logs, and component-level testing.
📖 Overview
This directory contains the standard operating procedures for diagnosing computer hardware and operating system stability. It covers the full range of diagnostics—from reading software logs to using a multimeter on a motherboard.
📂 Contents
🚦 General Procedures
Standard workflows for initial triage.
- General Diagnostic Procedures The foundational checklist for any intake. Covers the “Process of Elimination” method to determine if a fault is Hardware, Software, or User Error.
💻 Hardware Testing & Electrical
Physical testing of components and circuits.
- Laptop Faults Diagnostics Specific troubleshooting for portable devices, including battery failures, screen issues, hinge sensors, and charging ports.
- Power & Charging Diagnostics A deep dive into charging voltages, amperage, and wattage profiles for laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. Includes USB-C PD negotiation logic.
- Power Stages & Rail Sequencing Detailed guide on the power-on sequence and identifying failures in VRM power stages.
- Electronics Diagnostics & Multimeter Testing Guide on using a multimeter to test power supplies (PSU), AC adapters, continuity, and basic motherboard voltage rails.
- Hardware Testing Programs A curated list of approved software tools (e.g., MemTest86, CrystalDiskInfo, Prime95) used to stress-test components and validate repairs.
- GPU Card Diagnostics Professional work order and diagnostic guide for graphics cards, covering power rail sequences, resistance measurements, and power injection.
🔬 Component-Level Testing
Deep-dive guides for identifying faulty SMD components.
- Capacitor Testing Testing for ESR, shorts, and capacitance values in filtering and decoupling circuits.
- Inductor & Coil Diagnostics Checking for cracked cores, shorts, and continuity in high-current paths.
- MOSFET Diagnostics Identifying gate-to-source shorts and drain-to-source leakage in switching transistors.
📊 System Logs & Sensors
Interpreting error codes and thermal data.
- HWInfo & System Log Diagnostics How to use HWInfo to monitor thermals/voltages and Windows Event Viewer to trace crash causes (BSODs).
- Mac / Apple System Log Diagnostics Guide to using macOS Console.app, interpreting Kernel Panics, and analyzing crash reports on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
⚡ Diagnostic Workflow Reference
The standard order of operations for a device on the bench.
| Step | Action | Tools/Files |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Visual | Check for physical damage, swollen batteries, liquid signs. | Eyes / Microscope |
| 2. Electrical | Specific power rail checks if device is dead or not charging. | power_diagnostics / gpu_card_diagnostics / power_stages_diag |
| 3. Component | Test individual SMD components if a short is detected. | capacitor_testing / mosfet_diagnostics / inductor_diagnostics |
| 4. POST/Boot | Attempt boot, check for beep codes/LEDs. | General-Diagnostic-Procedures |
| 5. Stress Test | If boots, run load tests to force failure. | Hardware-Testing-Programs |
| 6. Log Analysis | Check OS logs for timestamps of crashes. | HWInfo... / Mac-Apple... |
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