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Computer Troubleshooting Interview Question

Troubleshooting Interview Questions for Freshers

Technical Support Interview Questions and Answers

Website Troubleshooting Interview Questions and Answers

Computer Troubleshooting Interview Questions & Answers PDF

Computer Troubleshooting Interview Question

Here are some basic computer hardware troubleshooting interview questions & answers which help you in a networking interview.

Q #1. How to troubleshoot a power supply issue?
Ans: –
• Check the AC line.
• Check the power cord using a multimeter.
• Open the cabinet.
• Remove all power connections from various components.
• Short green and black wire slots of ATX connector using a wire and check if the SMPS fan is working.
• Check the output voltage.
• Check whether the SMPS, connected to the motherboard is faulty.

Q #2. How to troubleshoot motherboard errors?
Ans: –
• Remove the power connection from the motherboard.
• Check all the connections on the motherboard.
• Restore the BIOS settings to default setting.
• Check the CMOS battery.

Q #3. How to troubleshoot RAM?
Ans: –
• Remove the RAM modules and insert them into the slots again and start the PC.
• If there are multiple RAM slots, insert the RAM module into another slot and start the PC.
• If there are multiple RAM modules, remove one RAM module and start the PC. If the PC is still giving problems, remove the RAM modules one by one and check.
• If none of these steps help, replace the RAM module.

Q #4. How to troubleshoot the HDD/ODD?
Ans: –
• Remove the connections to the motherboard and reconnect.
• Remove the power connection and reconnect.
• Check by connecting the drive with another interface and power cable.
• Check by connecting to a different SATA port on the motherboard.
• Remove the HDD/ODD and connect it to a different system. If the HDD/ODD still gives problems, replace it.

Q #5. How to troubleshoot issues with a monitor?
Ans: –
• Check the power connection to the monitor.
• Remove the monitor connection from the PC and reconnect.
• Check the connector if any pins are behinds.
• Replace the interface cable.

Q #6. How to troubleshoot issues with the graphics cards?
Ans: –
• Remove the graphics card from the slot on the motherboard, clean the slot and reinsert it into the slot.
• If there are multiple expansion slots, insert the graphics card into another slot. Clean the slot before inserting the card.

Q #7. How to troubleshoot issues with the keyboard/mouse?
Ans: –
• Disconnect keyboard/mouse from the PC and reconnect.
• Replace the keyboard/mouse.

Q #8. What is the main cause of No display of a computer?
Ans: –
• Monitor is not on.
• Computer is a sleep mode.
• Loose the display cable (VGA, HDMI).
• Undo any recent changes.
• NO post.
• The binary Operating System may be corrupted.
• Motherboard problem.
• Bad RAM.
• Video card is not working.

Q #9. How to troubleshoot no display problem?
Ans: –
• Check your monitor is Off or On and the computer is in sleep mode.
• Check whether your VGA or HDMI cable working properly or not.
• Clear your BIOS configuration or clear your CMOS configuration.
• Check whether your SMPS is working properly or not.

Q #10. How to troubleshoot no power issue?
Ans: –
•Power cord not connected properly.
• Faulty power supply source.
• Third-party hardware.
• Defective power button of the cabinet.
• Faulty power supply unit.
• Motherboard not functioning properly.

Troubleshooting Interview Questions for Freshers

Q #11. How to troubleshoot a wired keyboard?
Ans: –
• Check the connection between the keyboard and the system.
• Connect the keyboard directly to the system using a PS/2 or USB port.
• Be sure that there are no bent, broken keyboards or missing pins in the PS/2 connector.
• Verify that the keyboard is detected in BIOS.
• Enable the USB setting in the BIOS for keyboard connection.
• Check the port by connecting another keyboard to it.
• To check if the keyboard is working, attach it to another computer.
• Replace the keyboard controller or the entire motherboard in case the controller is damaged.
• Otherwise the keyboard is replaced.

Q #12. How to troubleshoot a Mouse issue?
Ans: –
• Check if the mouse is connected to the PS/2 or USB port properly.
• Verify that there are no obstacles like hair or fuzz to block the sensor.
• Turn the mouse and remove the blocking from the hole, if any.
• Clean or replace the surface of the mouse pad.

Q #13. How to troubleshoot a wireless keyboard or mouse?
Ans: –
• Insert the USB wireless receiver into an open USB port on the computer.
• Check whether the USB port is enabled in the BIOS settings.
• ON the switch of the mouse and check if the LED is ON, also check if the caps lock key is ON.
• For smooth working of the mouse or keyboard, replace the batteries.
• Move the mouse or keyboard within 30 cm or 1 foot of the receiver.
• Restart the computer to resolve the problem.

Q #14. How to troubleshoot a Fatal error?
Ans: –
• Switch off the computer power and open the system case.
• Clear CMOS by removing the CMOS battery.
• Switch on the computer and go to the BIOS setup.
• Re-configure the BIOS settings to default and save changes & exit.
• After the reboot, the computer should start normally.

Q #15. What is BSOD? What is the main cause of BSOD?
Ans: – Blue Screen of Death or Blue Screen Memory Dump (BSOD) is a Microsoft windows Operating System error screen that is displayed to indicate system conflicts and the potential for a crash.

The main cause of BSOD: –
• Hardware malware attacks can cause this error.
• Faulty memory.
• Faulty hard disk.
• Faulty BIOS settings.
• Improper device drives installation.
• Motherboard overheating.
• Errors in the software of the system.
• Issues regarding power supplies.
• Overclocking the motherboard.

Q #16. How to troubleshoot a BSOD error?
Ans: –
• Identify the problem or error code from the blue screen.
• Research the error and its solution on internet.
• Reset the BIOS settings to factory default settings.

Q #17. Briefly describe of Beep code?
Ans: –
• When the computer starts it performs a Power-on Self-Test (POST).
• Problems occurred during booting is either displayed on the screen or the computer gives beep sounds.
• Beep sound may also be due to a wrong connection or a loose connection.
• This sound is generated from the motherboard’s internal speaker.
• Many BIOS will have different BEEP codes even if they are from the same manufacturers.

Q #18. Name of the AMI BIOS beep codes?
Ans: –

Beep Code	Description
1 Short	DRAM refresh failure.
2 Short	Parity circuit failure.
3 Short	Base 64k RAM failure.
4 Short	System timer failure.
5 Short	Process failure.
6 Short	Keyboard controller Gate A20 error.
7 Short	Virtual mode exception error.
8 Short	Display memory read/write test failure.
9 Short	ROM BIOS checksum failure.
10 Short	CMOS shutdown read/write error.
11 Short	Cache memory failure.
1 Long, 3 Short	Conventional/ Extended memory failure.
1 Long, 8 Short	Display/ Retrace test failure.
2 Long	Low CPU Fan speed, voltage level issue.
Continuous Short Beep	If any peripheral is loosely connected.

Q #19. How to troubleshoot Beep codes?
Ans: –
• Turn on or restart the computer.
• When the computer begins to boot, listen to the beep codes carefully. Restart the computer to hear the beeping again.
• Note down the pattern of the beeps.
• Depending on the BIOS manufacturer, the solution will differ for the beep code.
• Choose the correct beep code troubleshooting guide.

Q #20. How to troubleshoot a printer with no printing issues?
Ans: –
• Unplug and restart your printer.
• Check cables or wireless connection.
• Uninstall and reinstall your printer.
• Install the latest driver for your printer.
• Run the printing troubleshooter.
• Clear and reset the print spooler.
• Change a printer’s status to “online”.

Technical Support Interview Questions and Answers

Q #21. The computer will not print to a networked printer in a classroom or computer lab.
Ans: –
• Check the network cables. Sometimes network cables slip out of floor ports and wall ports.
• Check the activity lights on the back of the printer. Are the lights flashing?
• If Yes, the printer is connected and communicating with the network. Check to make sure you are printing to the correct printer.
• In Control Panel, click on Printers and Faxes and look to see if the printer is set to default.
• If No, the printer is not connected and communicating with the network. Use compressed air in the network port. Reconnect and test. If the connection is not established, test the cable using a cable tester. Escalate if necessary.

Q #22. You are not able to get your e-mail?
Ans: –
• Check to see if you are logged in to the network.
• To do this, double-click on the My Computer icon. If you are logged in, you will see a drive with your login name as part of the name. If you do not see any drives other than the A, C, and D drives, you are not logged into the network and that is why you cannot get your e-mail. You need to close all programs log off, shut down, and restart.
• Check the network cable.
• If the problem is not resolved, contact your technology coordinator.

Q #23. What is the main cause of can’t connect to a Website to your computer?
Ans: –
There are several causes of this:
• No Internet connection
• DNS problem
• Website down
• Quick Tests

Q #24. How does troubleshoot cannot connect a website?
Ans: –
• To check the Internet connection ping an IP address on the Internet. You can try the Google DNS server IP address 8.8.8.8. Example – In CMD you can try – ping 8.8.8.8
• If this works OK then you have a working Internet connection.
• To check DNS, ping a variety of websites using the domain name. For example – ping www.google.com, ping www.networkhelpt20.com.
• You should try pinging a site that you haven’t visited recently as the DNS lookup may have been cached.
• If this doesn’t work you have a DNS problem.
• You can try using another DNS server but this involves making changes on your computer. Usually, you just need to wait for the ISP to resolve this
• If DNS appears to be working OK then it is a problem with the website itself.

Q #25. Why my computer is unable to connect to a network or see other computers on a network.?
Ans: –
• Verify that the network cable is properly connected to the back of the computer.
• Verify that Device Manager has no conflicts or errors with the Network Adapter.
• Verify that the network card is capable of pinging or seeing itself by using the ping command. To ping the card or the localhost, type either ping 127.0.0.1 or ping localhost.
• When the TCP/IP protocol is installed the user must specify an IP address as well as a Subnet Mask. To do this, follow the below instructions.

Click Start / Settings / Control Panel.
Double-click the Network icon.
Within the configuration tab double-click the TCP/IP protocol icon.
In the TCP/IP properties click the IP address tab.
Select the option to specify an IP address.
Enter the IP address and Subnet Mask address.
When specifying these values, the computers on the network must all have the same Subnet Mask and have a different IP Address.

Q #26. Why is my website not working?
Ans: –
• Check my IP, Subnet mask, and Gateway.
• Check firewall settings.
• Restore web browser setting.
• Sometimes its problem occurs because of antivirus.
• Check your data and time, Enable javascript.
• Ipconfig/ flushdns command use.
• Use VPN server and proxy server.
• Clear cache, cookies, website & certificates errors.

Q #27. My computer is running slow, what steps can I do to fix it?
Ans: –
• Rebooting the computer can fix many problems and is an easy first step.
• Remove or disable any startup programs that automatically start each time the computer boots.
• Remove unnecessary software from the program and features.
• Remove the temp file with the help of “temp” & “%temp%” in cmd.
• Disk clean up with the help of “Cleanmgr”.
• We also recommend you install an antivirus program for active protection against viruses.
• Update the operating system.
• Upgrade RAM and hard drive.
• Computer or processor is overheating.
• Increase or upgrade the processor speed.
• Hardware issues.
• Reboot the computer again.

Q #28. Why does Windows restart without warning?
Ans: –
• Software issue or error.
• Hardware issue or error.
• Computer virus.
• Heat-related issue.
• Issue with the operating system.

Q #29. How do I fix random restarts in the Windows system?
Ans: –
• Change Advanced Power Settings.
• Make sure the Sleep mode is enabled.
• Uninstall your antivirus.
• Update / uninstall your graphics card drivers.
• Change your power plan to High performance.
• Update your BIOS.
• Check for hardware issues.
• Check if your device is overheating.
• Disable automatic driver updates.
• Test your RAM for errors.
• Disable the “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power” option.
• Disable Automatic restart option.
• Turn to recovery options.

Q #23. What are the Main Causes of Win32 Errors?
Ans: –
• Incompatibility with windows version. The 32-bit version cannot run 64-bit applications but the 64-bit version can run 32-bit applications.
• File is not designed for your version of Windows
• One of the program’s files was deleted somehow.
• One of the program’s files became corrupt.
• Virus or malware infection.
• Win32 error due to Missing files.
• Win32 error caused by Uninstalled software.
• Win32 errors due to Bad Sectors.
• Virus or Malware infection.

Q #31. How to troubleshoot the “not a valid Win32 application” error.
Ans: –
• Check your Windows version (32-bit or 64-bit).
• Incompatibility with the installed version of Windows.
• Run anti-virus or anti-malware.
• Run Check Disk and System File Checker.
• Reinstall the Program again.
• Run the Program as Administrator.
• Check Bad File.

Website Troubleshooting Interview Questions and Answers

Q #32. Troubleshoot why my wi-fi is not working?
Ans: –
• Wi-Fi is not enabled on the device.
• Verify the wireless connection is enabled.
• Verify the SSID and security key are correct.
• Make sure the Internet is working
• Reset modem and router.
• Disable the firewalls of your computer.
• Reinstall wireless devices and drivers.
• Upgrade router firmware
• Operating system corruption.
• Change Bad hardware.

Q #33. Troubleshoot when a computer freezes or locks up?
Ans: –
• Give the computer a few minutes to process.
• End Task the not responding program.
• Reboot a frozen computer.
• Resolve hardware or device driver issues.
• you have all the latest updates for all running programs.
• Take PC to repair shop.

Q #34. Name three-step which you would use to troubleshoot FTP server-related problems?
Ans: – Test basic connectivity with ping, and check with Nmap if the ports are open (20 & 21). Check if a firewall is restricting traffic to the server.

Q #35. How would you troubleshoot DNS problems?
Ans: – Ping the DNS server and check the response. Check with Wireshark if DNS requests and response packets are being sent and received.

Q #36. Name three steps that you would use to troubleshoot internet-related problems?
Ans: – Check the connectivity with the default gateway. Check if the DNS server is configured on the PC. Check if the appropriate port number is active using Nmap on the DNS server.

Q #37. How would you troubleshoot DHCP server-related issues?
Ans: – Check the IP connectivity with the DHCP server from a system configured on the network. Test if the DHCP client and server service is started on the DHCP server and the client. Test if the DHCP server service is reachable using Nmap.

Q #38. A user is unable to Telnet into Router. Explain how to troubleshoot the problems?
Ans: – Check the IP connectivity using ping. Check if port 23 is open on the router using Nmap.

Q #39. A user is able to ping an IP address on the internet but unable to access it via Domain Names. Should the DNS server be configured on the gateway or the client?
Ans: – The DNS server can be a public server or the gateway address. If it is the gateway address, the DNS server address should be configured on the gateway. The DNS server should also be configured on the user’s TCP/IP adapter.

Q #40. Write some names of HTTP error code and their function?
Ans: –

• HTTP Error 101 (Switching Protocols): –
This means the requester has asked the server to switch protocols and the server is acknowledging that it will do so.

• HTTP Error 200 (OK): –
Action completed successfully.

• HTTP Error 201 (Created): –
Success following a POST command.

• HTTP Error 202 (Accepted): –
The request has been accepted for processing, but the processing has not been completed.

• HTTP Error 203 (Partial Information): –
Response to a GET command; indicates that the returned metainformation is from a private overlaid web.

• HTTP Error 204 (No Content): –
The server received the request, but there is no information to send back.

• HTTP Error 205 (Reset Content): –
The server successfully processed the request but is not returning any content. Unlike a 204 response, this response requires that the requester reset the document view.

• HTTP Error 206 (Partial Content): –
The requested file was partially sent; usually caused by stopping or refreshing a web page.

• HTTP Error 300 (Multiple Choices): –
Indicates multiple options for the resource that the client may follow. It, for instance, could be used to present different format options for video, list files with different extensions, or word sense disambiguation.

• HTTP Error 301 (Moved Permanently): –
Requested a directory instead of a specific file; the webserver added the file name index.html, index.htm, home.html, or home.htm to the URL.

• HTTP Error 304 (Not Modified): –
The cached version of the requested file is the same as the file to be sent.

• HTTP Error 305 (Use Proxy): –
Many HTTP clients (such as Mozilla and Internet Explorer) do not correctly handle responses with this status code, primarily for security reasons.

• HTTP Error 400 (Bad Request): –
The request had bad syntax or was impossible to fulfill.

• HTTP Error 401 (Unauthorized): –
The user failed to provide a valid user name/password required for access to a file/directory.

• HTTP Error 403 (Forbidden): –
The request does not specify the file name, or the directory or the file does not have the permission that allows the pages to be viewed from the web

• HTTP Error 404 (Not Found): –
The requested file was not found.

• HTTP Error 405 (Method Not Allowed): –
A request was made for a resource using a request method not supported by that resource.

• HTTP Error 406 (Not Acceptable): –
The requested resource is only capable of generating content not acceptable according to the Accept headers sent in the request.

• HTTP Error 407 (Proxy Authentication Required): –
The client must first authenticate itself with the proxy.

• HTTP Error 408 (Request Time-Out): –
The client did not produce a request within the time that the server was prepared to wait. The client MAY repeat the request without modifications at any later time.

• HTTP Error 409 (Conflict): –
This indicates that the request could not be processed because of a conflict in the request, such as an edit conflict.

• HTTP Error 410 (Gone): –
This indicates that the resource requested is no longer available and will not be available again. This should be used when a resource has been intentionally removed and the resource should be purged.

• HTTP Error 411 (Length Required): –
The request did not specify the length of its content, which is required by the requested resource.

• HTTP Error 412 (Precondition Failed): –
The server does not meet one of the preconditions that the requester put on the request.

• HTTP Error 413 (Request Entity Too Large): –
The request is larger than the server is willing or able to process.

• HTTP Error 414 (Request-URL Too Large): –
The URI provided was too long for the server to process.

• HTTP Error 415 (Unsupported Media Type): –
The request entity has a media type that the server or resource does not support. For example, the client uploads an image as image/svg+xml, but the server requires that images use a different format.

• HTTP Error 500 (Server Error): –
In most cases, this error results from a problem with the code or program you are calling rather than with the web server itself.

• HTTP Error 501 (Not Implemented): –
The server does not support the facility required.

• HTTP Error 502 (Bad Gateway): –
The server was acting as a gateway or proxy and received an invalid response from the upstream server.

• HTTP Error 503 (Out of Resources): –
The server is currently unavailable (because it is overloaded or down for maintenance). Generally, this is a temporary state.

• HTTP Error 504 (Gateway Time-Out): –
Service did not respond within the time frame that the gateway was willing to wait

• HTTP Error 505 (HTTP Version Not Supported): –
The server does not support the HTTP protocol version used in the request.

• HTTP Error 507 (Insufficient Storage (WebDAV): –
The server is unable to store the representation needed to complete the request.

• HTTP Error 511 (Network Authentication Required): –
The client needs to authenticate to gain network access. Intended for use by intercepting proxies used to control access to the network (e.g., “captive portals” used to require agreement to Terms of Service before granting full Internet access via a Wi-Fi hotspot).

• HTTP Error 598 (Network read timeout error): –
This status code is not specified in any RFCs but is used by some HTTP proxies to signal a network read timeout behind the proxy to a client in front of the proxy.

• HTTP Error 599 (Network connect timeout error): –
This status code is not specified in any RFCs but is used by some HTTP proxies to signal a network connect timeout behind the proxy to a client in front of the proxy.