During normal use of your desktop computer, you detect a burned odor coming from your system. What is the next step you should follow during the troubleshooting process?
A) Reboot the computer with a diagnostics disk
B) Restart the operating system in Safe Mode
C) Disconnect the computer from the power source
D) Check Device Manager to see if any components have failed
E) Grab some marshmallows
The answer: C) Disconnect the computer from the power source
Any time you smell something that is burning, it’s best to shut everything down and disconnect your computer from the power source. After the computer has safely been disconnected, you can dismantle the computer and try to determine where the burned component might be. If you look closely you can sometimes find the blown area visually, but I usually try smelling the different components to find the burned part. Your nose can find the issue very quickly!
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Want to know more? Watch “Hardware Issues.”Hardware issues can impact performance, cause application glitches, or render a PC completely unusable. In this video, you’ll learn how to identify hardware problems such as excessive heat, noise issues, and audible alerts. |