Troubleshooting is a form of problem solving. It is the systematic search for the source of a problem so that it can be solved. Troubleshooting is often a process of elimination - eliminating potential causes of a problem. Troubleshooting is used in many fields such as system administration and electronics. Problem solving forms part of thinking. ... The process of elimination is a logical tool to root out problems in larger systems. ... A system administrator is a person responsible for running, or running some aspect of, a computer system. ... Electronics is the study of the flow of charge through various materials and devices such as, semiconductors, resistors, inductors, capacitors, nano-structures, and vacuum tubes. ...

Usually troubleshooting is applied to something that has suddenly stopped working, so the first focus, or concentration of attention, should be on what has changed. However, care must be used to not jump to false conclusions of causality — correlation does not always mean cause. Attention is the cognitive process of selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment while ignoring other things. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... Positive linear correlations between 1000 pairs of numbers. ...

A basic principle in troubleshooting is to start from the simplest and most probable possible problems first. This is illustrated by the old saying "When you see hoof prints, look for horses, not zebras", or to use another maxim, use the KISS principle. This principle results in the common complaint about help desks or manuals, that they sometimes first ask: "Is it plugged in and does that receptacle have power?", but this should not be taken as an affront, rather it should serve as a reminder or conditioning to always check the simple things first before calling for help. Probability is the chance that something is likely to happen or be the case. ... This article needs cleanup. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Conditioning is a psychological term for what Ivan Pavlov described as the learning of conditional behavior. ...

Further steps in troubleshooting are to check each component in a system one by one, and to substitute known good components for any suspect ones. It also helps to start from a known good state, the best example being a computer reboot. A cognitive walkthrough is also a good thing to try. Comprehensive documentation produced by proficient technical writers is very helpful, especially if it provides a theory of operation for the subject device or system. System (from Latin systēma, in turn from Greek systēma) is a set of entities, real or abstract, comprising a whole where each component interacts with or is related to at least one other component and they all serve a common objective. ... Computing A hard reboot (also known as a cold reboot) is when power to a computer is cycled (turned on and off) or a special reset signal to the processor is triggered (from a front panel switch of some sort). ... The Cognitive Walkthrough method is a usability inspection method used to identify usability issues in a piece of software or web site, focusing on how easy it is for new users to accomplish tasks with the system. ... In general terms, documentation is any communicable material (such as text, video, audio, etc. ... Technical Writers are professional writers who design, create and maintain/update many types of technical documentation, online help, user guides, design specifications, and other documents for their given field, which can be most anything that requires specialized knowledge and information. ... A theory of operation is a description of how a device or system should work. ...

A common cause of problems is bad design, for example bad human factors design, where a device could be inserted backward or upside down due to the lack of an appropriate forcing function (behavior-shaping constraint), or a lack of error-tolerant design. This is especially bad if accompanied by habituation, where the user just doesn't notice the incorrect usage, for instance if two parts have different functions but share a common case so that it isn't apparent on a casual inspection which part is being used. All Saints Chapel in the Cathedral Basilica of St. ... Human factors is an umbrella term for several areas of research that include human performance, technology, design, and human-computer interaction. ... A behavior-shaping constraint, also sometimes referred to as a forcing function, or poka-yoke, is a technique used in error-tolerant design to prevent the user from making common errors or mistakes. ... Error tolerant refers to a design that does not unduly penalize user errors. ... In psychology, habituation is an example of non-associative learning in which there is a progressive diminution of behavioral response probability with repetition of a stimulus. ...

Troubleshooting can also taken the form of a systematic checklist, troubleshooting procedure, flowchart or table that is made before a problem occurs. Developing troubleshooting procedures in advance allows sufficient thought about the steps to take in troubleshooting and organizing the troubleshooting into the most efficient troubleshooting process. Troubleshooting tables can be computerized to make them more efficient for users. 1. ... Look up Procedure in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A simple flowchart for what to do if a lamp doesnt work A flowchart (also spelled flow-chart and flow chart) is a schematic representation of an algorithm or a process. ...

See also

• Root cause analysis
• 5_Whys
• Scientific method
• Trial and error
• debugging
• No Trouble Found
• Flowchart