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| Georgia Southwestern State University |
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Troubleshooting hardware (printers, hardware connections, device manager)
Fundamental Rules of Troubleshooting
- Sometimes rebooting can resolve certain computer problems
- Check simple things first
- Make backups before making changes
- Approach the problem systematically
- Make no assumptions
- Write things down
When troubleshooting problems with your computer there are some guidelines that, when followed, may save you time and effort in finding and correcting the problem you are having. It is best to troubleshoot problems whose cause are unknown by starting with the most basic components of your computer and working toward the more complex components.
The term hardware refers to the physical components of the computer. When troubleshooting an error such as failure to power on, keyboard or mouse failure, failure to connect to the network, or printer failure, check all physical connections to the computer and its peripherals. If all of the connections are secure, boot the computer to the windows desktop and right-click on the My Computer icon. A drop-down menu should appear. Select the Properties option at the bottom of the menu. You should see the System Properties control panel appear. Select the Hardware tab from the tabs across the top of the window. Click on the button marked Device Manager. This lists all of the hardware connected to your computer and shows the status of the connected devices.
If any of the devices that appear in the list have a red X, yellow ! or ? beside them, they are either disabled or do not have the appropriate driver installed for the device. Disabled devices (marked with a red X) may be enabled by right-clicking on the device and selecting the Properties option, then selecting Use this device (enable) from the drop-down menu at the bottom of the dialogue box. Devices that do not have the appropriate driver (marked with a yellow ! or ?) may require the download and installation of the driver. If this is the case, contact the technical support staff at OIIT (#2074).
Optiplex GX150/GX240/GX260
Optiplex GX1/GX110
| 1 | parallel connector | Connect a parallel device, such as a printer, to the parallel connector. If you have a USB printer, plug it into a USB connector. |
| 2 | keyboard connector | If you have a standard keyboard, plug it into the purple keyboard connector. If you have a USB keyboard, plug it into a USB connector. |
| 3 | mouse connector | Plug a standard mouse into the green mouse connector. Turn off the computer and any attached devices before you connect a mouse to the computer. If you have a USB mouse, plug it into a USB connector. |
| 4 | link integrity light |
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5 |
network adapter |
Attach the UTP cable to an RJ45 jack wall plate. Press the other end of the UTP cable into the network adapter connector until the cable snaps securely into place. |
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6 |
network activity light |
The yellow light flashes when the computer is transmitting or receiving network data. A high volume of network traffic may make this light appear to be in a steady "on" state. |
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7 |
line-in connector |
Use the green line-out connector to attach headphones and most speakers with integrated amplifiers. |
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8 |
line-out connector |
Use the blue line-in connector to attach a record/playback device such as a cassette player, CD player, or VCR. |
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9 |
microphone connector |
Use the pink microphone connector to attach a personal computer microphone for voice or musical input into a sound or telephony program. |
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10 |
USB connectors |
Connect USB devices such as a mouse, keyboard, printer, joystick, and computer speakers into any of the USB connectors. |
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11 |
diagnostic lights |
These lights help you troubleshoot a computer problem based on the diagnostic code. |
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12 |
video connector |
Plug the cable from your VGA-compatible monitor into the blue connector. |
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13 |
serial connector |
Connect a serial device, such as a handheld device, to the serial connector. If you have a second serial connector card installed, you can connect a second device to that connector. |
If you are having difficulty printing, there are a few things you may want to try before contacting Technical Support.
First, try going into another program and attempt to print from it. If this works, the problem may be in the application you were trying to print from rather than your printer. If you still cannot print, be sure that your printer has power.
Check
the power cable to be sure that it is plugged in properly. Also, check the cable
(parallel or USB) that connects the printer to the PC. If the cables appear to
be connected properly, be sure that the printer has paper and that the paper
tray is seated correctly. Try unplugging the printer’s power cable for about ten
seconds, and then plug it in again. Reboot the computer and try printing again.
This insures that the printer’s memory is cleared of any data in may be holding.
If you are still unable to print, check your printer settings within Windows. To do this, click Start, and click Settings. Next, click Printers. This will list all the printers that have been configured for your PC. If you do not see an icon for your printer type, you may need to go to the manufacturer’s webpage (usually Hewlett Packard, www.hp.com) and download the appropriate driver for the printer. If you do see an icon for your printer type, right click and be sure that it has been selected as the Default Printer.
If after following all the above steps and you are still unable to print, e-mail Technical Support at techsupp@gsw.edu or call 931-2074. Be sure to indicate the troubleshooting steps that have been taken.