What Is the Computer Diagnostics and Testing Process?
Published 9th of March, 2022
When something is going wrong with your computer, you’ll hear a lot about computer diagnostics and testing. But what exactly happens during the process of diagnosing and testing your computer system? Here’s the lowdown.
A diagnostic program is a computer program that follows an automatic sequence to ascertain the operational status of hardware, software and other components in a system. Diagnostics are built into many of the electric items we use in day-to-day life, such as microwaves and washing machines. When you get flashing lights and error codes displayed, these built-in diagnostic systems are telling you what part of the machine is faulty. This means you can pinpoint the right parts to replace, or the correct course of action needed to make repairs.
When it comes to computers, diagnostic programs are absolutely crucial. Unlike some of the other everyday items in our lives, with a computer you often cannot physically see the source of a problem. In computers, the idea of diagnostics is to test the hardware and software to ensure it is all working as it should be. These tests are all performed rigorously on new computer products before they are sold. And while all computers have some built-in diagnostic programs, manufacturers can also perform diagnostic tests using external equipment.
If you have a problem with your computer, or if you simply want to check that your computer is running on optimum health, you may wonder what the computer diagnostic and testing process involves. Some of these simple diagnostic tests can be performed easily by a computer owner at home, while other tests will need to take place in a specialist store (more info at this link).
Built-In Diagnostics
Sometimes built-in computer diagnostics that come already installed on a computer are sufficient for identifying and solving problems. One diagnostic tool that most computer users are familiar with is anti-virus software. This is a diagnostic tool that scans the computer for threats, and removes anything it perceives to be harmful. Not only does the tool identify potential problems, it removes these problems before they become an issue. If the concept of computer diagnostics is unfamiliar to you, the basic concept of anti-virus software can be applied to any other computer diagnostic process.
The type of diagnostics that are built into a computer depend on the computer system itself, as well as the operating system. For example, different versions of Apple and Microsoft computers will have different built-in diagnostics accordingly. On Microsoft computers, there are diagnostic programs such as Performance Monitor and Windows Memory Diagnostic, which look for performance issues, problems with hardware and software, and memory problems. It’s possible to run these diagnostic programs any time, and the programs will give you some clues on what might need fixing by an IT professional.
On a Mac, it depends how new the system is, but newer models that run on either macOS Big Sur or macOS Monterey have the in-build Apple Diagnostics program. This program checks for hardware issues and can fix issues that some computer users may experience, such as battery drain problems. To run this diagnostics program, there is a specific process for disconnecting most external devices from the computer in order to safely run the program.
Essentially, these built-in diagnostic programs scan a computer and alert users to any problems. It is advisable to run these diagnostic programs regularly. In many workplaces, computers on the network have an automatic schedule of running diagnostic tests at the end of each working day. It is important to consider establishing a similar pattern to this if you have your own computer at home too.
External Diagnostics
Although built-in diagnostics can go a long way towards identifying computer problems, they can often only handle the most common issues that tend to appear in computers. For anything more complex, more specialist third-party diagnostic programs may be needed, and usually external diagnostics devices are required too. Computer experts are able to advise on the exact course of action that is appropriate for your situation. However, if you take your computer into a specialist store, they will automatically run a whole host of diagnostic tests.
One of the diagnostic tests to expect in this situation is a power supply tester. This tests whether the power supply to the computer is running effectively, and can identify specific faults. There are also Power On Self Test (POST) or Basic Input-Output System (BIOS) tools that can usually identify why a computer fails to start-up. Other types of physical diagnostic tools come in the form of different diagnostic adaptors. These can be plugged into various ports of a computer, and scan for different issues. Computer experts can look at the signals and outputs each of these adaptors generates to understand a range of different faults.
Many diagnostic tools can be run into a computer experiencing a fault via a separate laptop with numerous diagnostic programs built into it. As the outputs generated can be more detailed by doing it this way, a lot of computer technicians will use this approach as part of the diagnostic process too.