Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting is a form of problem solving. It is the systematic search for the source of a problem so that it can be solved. Troubleshooting is used in many fields such as system administration and electronics. Normally a process of elimination is used to isolate possible causes of problems.

Usually troubleshooting is applied to something that has suddenly stopped working, so the first focus, or concentration of attention, should be on what has changed. However, care must be used to not jump to false conclusions of causality - correlation does not always mean cause.

A basic principle in troubleshooting is to start from the simplest and most probable possible problems first. This is illustrated by the old saying "When you see hoof prints, look for horses, not zebras", or to use another maxim, use the KISS principle. This principle results in the common complaint about help desks or manuals, that they sometimes first ask: "Is it plugged in?", but this should not be taken as an affront, rather it should serve as a reminder or conditioning to always check the simple things first before calling for help.

Further steps in troubleshooting are to check each component in a system one by one, and to substitute known good components for any suspect ones. A cognitive walkthrough is also a good thing to try. Good documentation produced by talented technical writers is very helpful, especially if it provides a theory of operation for the subject device or system.

See also

• Root cause analysis
• Scientific method
• Trial and error