Path 7 · Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting and Maintenance
A calm, repeatable method for diagnosing and fixing common computer problems, plus a routine that prevents many of them.
By the end you will be able to
- Apply an eight-step troubleshooting method.
- Read error messages and gather useful evidence.
- Fix common problems on Ubuntu and Windows.
- Follow a safe maintenance routine.
Before you start
- Recommended first: Operating System Mastery
Module 26: A systematic troubleshooting method
A calm, repeatable eight-step method for finding and fixing computer problems, and the skill of reading error messages and gathering evidence safely.
- The eight-step troubleshooting method
Learn a calm, repeatable method for any computer problem: describe it, find what changed, gather evidence, guess, test one change at a time, check, write it down and know when to ask for help.
30 min · beginner
- Reading error messages and gathering evidence
Learn to read an error message calmly, copy its exact words, find logs that record what happened, search for answers safely and share a screenshot of a problem without giving away private information.
30 min · elementary · Ubuntu/Linux · Windows
Module 27: Common computer problems
Practical, step-by-step fixes for the problems beginners meet most: slow or frozen computers, full storage, crashes, lost internet, printer, Bluetooth and sound faults, failed updates, display trouble, heat, battery wear and permission errors.
- Slow computers, frozen apps, full storage and crashes
Work out why a computer feels slow, close a frozen app safely, find out what is filling your storage and respond calmly when a program crashes, on both Ubuntu and Windows.
30 min · elementary · Ubuntu/Linux · Windows
- No internet, printer failures, Bluetooth and sound problems
Find out where a lost internet connection has broken, get a stuck printer printing again, reconnect a Bluetooth device and bring back missing sound, on both Ubuntu and Windows.
30 min · elementary · Ubuntu/Linux · Windows
- Failed updates, display problems, overheating, battery and permission errors
Recover calmly from a failed update, fix a blank or oddly sized screen, cool an overheating laptop, check battery health and understand why a permission error appears without forcing your way past it.
30 min · elementary · Ubuntu/Linux · Windows
Module 28: System maintenance
Build a light, safe routine of updates, storage care, backups and cleaning, and learn to read resource graphs, tame startup programs and recognise when a fault needs a professional repair.
- A safe maintenance routine
Create a small, regular routine of updates, tidy storage, app clean-up, checked backups, dust control and battery care that keeps a computer healthy without risky 'cleaning' tools.
30 min · elementary · Ubuntu/Linux · Windows
- Resource monitoring, startup applications and when to seek repair
Read CPU, memory and disk graphs in System Monitor or Task Manager, switch off startup programs you do not need, and recognise the signs that a computer needs a professional repair.
30 min · intermediate · Ubuntu/Linux · Windows