By the end of this lesson you will be able to
- List the eight steps of the troubleshooting method in order and say what each one is for.
- Describe a problem precisely enough that another person could understand it.
- Explain why you change only one thing at a time and then test.
- Decide when to stop and ask for help instead of trying more fixes.
- Keep a short written record of what you tried and what happened.
Sooner or later every computer does something you did not expect. The usual reaction is to panic and click everything, and that is how a small problem becomes a large one. People who fix computers well are not magicians. They follow a simple method, and you can learn it in one lesson. This method works for a laptop, a phone, a printer or a Wi-Fi router, on Ubuntu or on Windows.
Why you need a method
Troubleshooting means finding out why something is not working and then making it work again. Doctors do the same thing. They do not give you medicine the moment you say you feel unwell. They ask questions, look for signs, form an idea, try one treatment and check whether you improve.
Without a method, three things go wrong. You forget what you changed, so you cannot undo it. You change several things at once, so you never learn which one helped. And you may be tempted by a dramatic fix, such as deleting files or reinstalling everything, when a calm restart would have solved it.
The eight steps
The method has eight steps. They form a cycle because if your first idea does not work, you go round again with what you have learned.
- 1 DescribeSay exactly what you see
- 2 What changed?Anything new since it worked
- 3 Gather evidenceMessages, lights, sounds
- 4 HypothesisPick the likeliest cause
- 5 Test one changeOnly one thing
- 6 VerifyIs it really fixed?
- 7 RecordWrite down what worked
- 8 EscalateAsk for help when stuck
Read this figure as text
A circular diagram of the eight troubleshooting steps from describe the problem to escalate, arranged as a repeating cycle.
A cycle with eight steps in order. Step 1, Describe the problem: say exactly what you see. Step 2, What changed: think of anything new since it last worked. Step 3, Gather evidence: note error messages, lights and sounds. Step 4, Make a hypothesis: choose the most likely cause. Step 5, Test one change: change only one thing. Step 6, Verify: check that the problem has really gone. Step 7, Record: write down what worked. Step 8, Escalate: ask for help if you are stuck or the risk is high. After a failed test you return to step 3 or 4 and go round again. The centre of the cycle reads 'One change at a time'.
Steps 1 and 2: describe the problem and ask what changed
Describe the problem. 'The internet is broken' is a feeling, not a description. A good description says what you were doing, what you expected and what happened instead: 'I opened the browser at 9 a.m. and expected my email. The page says the connection is unavailable. My phone still works on the same Wi-Fi.' That last sentence already narrows the search: the Wi-Fi works, so the fault is probably in the laptop.
Ask what changed. Computers rarely fail for no reason. Something is usually different: an update installed overnight, a new app, a new USB device, a moved router, a spilled drink, a full disk. Ask yourself: when did it last work? What did I do between then and now? The answer to this one question solves a surprising number of problems.
Steps 3 and 4: gather evidence and make a hypothesis
Gather evidence. Look before you touch. Is there an error message? Copy its exact words (the next lesson shows how). Are there lights on the router or printer? Does the fan make an unusual noise? Does the problem happen in one app or in all of them? Does it happen always, or only sometimes? Every answer is a clue.
Make a {{hypothesis}}. A hypothesis is an educated guess about the cause that you can test. Choose the simplest and most likely cause first. Is it plugged in? Is the volume muted? Is the right network chosen? Experts check the boring things first, because the boring things are the most common.
Steps 5 and 6: test one change, then verify
Test one change at a time. Make one small change that tests your hypothesis, such as restarting the app. If you change five things and the problem disappears, you will not know which one fixed it, and you may have changed things that were fine. Choose changes that are safe and reversible first: restarting, reconnecting, re-plugging. Save permanent or risky actions, such as deleting files or resetting settings, for last.
Verify. After the change, repeat exactly what failed before. Do not trust a feeling. Open the page, print the test page, play the sound. If the problem is gone, check that nothing else broke. If it is still there, undo the change if it could cause harm, and go back to step 3 or 4 with a new idea.
Steps 7 and 8: record it and escalate
Record. Write two or three lines in a notebook or a text file: the date, the symptom, what fixed it. Computers repeat their problems. Next time you will find the answer in ten seconds. If you ask someone for help later, your notes tell them what you already tried.
Escalate means passing the problem to someone with more skill or authority: a friend, the shop, the manufacturer, your internet provider or an office help desk. Escalating is not failure. It is part of the method, and sometimes it is the correct first move, for example when you smell burning or see liquid inside the machine.
- Clicks everything at once
- Changes several settings
- Installs 'fixer' programs
- Cannot remember changes
- Risks losing files
Maybe worse, and no one knows why.
- Describes the problem first
- Asks what changed
- One change, then test
- Checks after every change
- Keeps short notes
Fixed, or ready to ask for help.
Read this figure as text
A two-column comparison of panicking and changing many things at once versus working through the troubleshooting method calmly.
Left column, Panic approach: clicks everything at once, changes five settings, installs three 'fixer' programs, cannot remember what was changed, and may lose files. Verdict: the problem may now be worse and nobody knows why. Right column, Method approach: describes the problem, asks what changed, changes one thing at a time, checks after each change and writes notes. Verdict: you either fix it or you know exactly what to tell the person who helps.
A worked example: no sound
Amina plays a video and hears nothing. Here is the method in action.
Amina follows the eight steps
Step 1: Describe
'I opened a video in the browser. The picture plays but there is no sound from the laptop speakers.'
You should see: A clear sentence that says what works (picture) and what does not (sound).
Step 2: What changed
She remembers she plugged in headphones yesterday and later pulled them out.
You should see: A likely suspect: the computer may still be sending sound to the wrong place.
Step 3: Gather evidence
She opens a different video and a music file. All are silent. The volume icon shows no mute sign.
You should see: The fault is not in one video. It is in the whole laptop's sound.
Step 4: Hypothesis
'The sound output is still set to the headphones that are no longer connected.'
You should see: A simple, testable guess.
Step 5: Test one change
She opens the sound output choice and selects the built-in speakers.
You should see: Only one thing changed.
Step 6: Verify
She replays the same video.
You should see: Sound returns. The fix is confirmed.
Step 7: Record
She writes: 'After headphones, set output to Speakers.'
You should see: A note she can find next time.
Step 8: Escalate
Not needed this time. If the speakers had still been silent after the test, she would ask a friend or the shop.
You should see: She knows what she would say, because her notes are ready.
Decision trees: the method as a map
Experienced people turn the method into a decision tree: a set of yes or no questions where each answer leads to the next check, until you reach a fix. Following a tree stops you from skipping the boring checks. The figure shows a tree for a laptop that will not start.
- Charger plugged in at both ends, and the wall socket works?
- YesDoes a charging light come on?
- YesAfter ten minutes charging, does a long press of the power button start it?
- YesDo thisThe battery was empty. Leave it to charge.
- NoDo thisDo not open the laptop. Ask a repair shop.
- NoDo thisTry a borrowed charger of the correct type. If still nothing, the charger or port may be faulty: seek repair.
- YesAfter ten minutes charging, does a long press of the power button start it?
- NoDo thisPlug in firmly, try another socket and wait ten minutes. Then try again.
- YesDoes a charging light come on?
Read this figure as text
A yes or no decision tree that starts with a laptop that will not turn on and ends with a charging fix or a repair recommendation.
Start: the laptop shows no light and no sound when you press the power button. Question 1: is the charger plugged into the wall and the laptop, with the wall socket working? If no, plug it in properly, try another socket and wait ten minutes. If yes, question 2: does a charging light come on? If no, try a different charger of the correct type if you have one borrowed, and if still nothing the charger or charging port may be faulty, so seek repair. If yes, question 3: after ten minutes on charge, does the laptop start when you hold the power button for a few seconds? If yes, it was a flat battery: let it charge. If no, stop and seek professional help.
Work through guided trees for no internet, a slow computer, a full disk and a printer that will not print. This is a simulation: nothing on your real computer changes, so you can make mistakes safely.
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Safe habits while troubleshooting
- Reversible first. Try restarting, reconnecting and re-plugging before anything that cannot be undone.
- Back up before big changes. If a fix could affect your files, such as a reset or reinstall, check you have a Backup first.
- Never disable security software or the Firewall as a test. If a website or a message tells you to, treat that advice as suspicious.
- Do not trust 'one-click fixer' programs. Many are Malware or useless. Use the tools built into your system.
- Do not enter your real password into any page you reached through a pop-up or a link in a message.
Common mistakes
✖ Instead of: Changing many settings at once to 'try everything'.
✔ Do this: Change one thing, test, and only then decide the next step. Write down each change.
✖ Instead of: Describing the problem as 'it does not work'.
✔ Do this: Say what you did, what you expected and what actually happened, including any exact message.
✖ Instead of: Skipping the simple checks, such as cables, power and volume.
✔ Do this: Check the boring, common causes first. They are the most likely and the cheapest to test.
✖ Instead of: Installing a random 'fixer' program found through a search or pop-up.
✔ Do this: Use tools built into Ubuntu or Windows, and ask someone you trust before installing anything.
If something goes wrong
- I fixed it but I do not know which change helped.
- You probably changed several things. Write down everything you remember, then undo changes one by one if it is safe. Next time change one thing and test.
- The problem only happens sometimes.
- Keep notes each time it happens: the time, what you were doing and what was open. Patterns such as 'only after the laptop has been on for hours' point to heat, memory or a specific app.
- I tried a fix and now something else is wrong.
- Undo the last change if you can, then check whether the new problem goes away. If you cannot undo it, stop, write down what you did and ask for help.
Key terms
- Troubleshooting
- Finding out step by step what is wrong with a problem and how to fix it.
- Hypothesis
- A sensible guess about the cause of a problem, which you then test.
- Error message
- A message from the computer or program that says something went wrong and often where and why.
Practise it for real
Reading is not the same as being able to do it. Complete these on your own computer, then tick only what you have actually done. These ticks are your own honest record: nothing checks them for you.
Describe three problems well
On paper, rewrite each vague complaint as a precise description with three parts: what you were doing, what you expected and what happened instead. The three complaints are: 'My computer is slow', 'The printer is broken' and 'I cannot get online'. Invent plausible details such as which app or which message. For each, add one question you would ask for step 2 (what changed).
Challenge: keep a troubleshooting log
Create a plain text file called troubleshooting-notes.txt in your Documents folder (use Text Editor on Ubuntu or Notepad on Windows). Think of a small real annoyance on your laptop, for example a window that opens in the wrong place or a slow start-up. Apply the eight steps to it using only safe, reversible actions. Record the date, symptom, evidence, hypothesis, the one change you tested and the result. If you cannot fix it, write who you would ask.
Knowledge check
6 questions. You need 80% to pass. Mistakes here are part of learning, and you can retry as often as you like.
Summary
- The eight steps are: describe, what changed, gather evidence, hypothesis, test one change, verify, record, escalate.
- Most problems have a recent cause. Ask what changed.
- Check simple, common causes first, and make safe, reversible changes before risky ones.
- Change one thing at a time and repeat the failing action to verify.
- Write notes, and escalate when you are stuck or when there is danger.
Checklist: can you do these?
Marking a lesson as read does not prove you can do it. Skills count as demonstrated when you pass the quiz (not yet) and complete the practical tasks (not yet).
Related lessons
References and further reading
Official sources for details that can change between versions.
- Ubuntu Desktop help: common problems (Ubuntu)
- Windows support: troubleshooting and help (Microsoft)