Information from the Computer

If you know where to look and what to look for, a computer can help reveal where a problem lies. Many operating systems provide error messages when a problem is encountered. A Linux system, for example, might present a Segmentation Fault error message, which often indicates a memory-related error. Windows, on the other hand, might display an Illegal Operation error message to indicate a possible memory or application failure. Both of these system error messages can be cross-referenced with the operating system's website information to identify the root of the problem. The information provided in these error messages can at times be cryptic, so finding the solution might be tricky.

In addition to the system-generated error messages, network operating can be configured to generate log files after a hardware or software failure. An administrator can then view these log files to see when the failure occurred and what was being done when the crash occurred. Windows 2000/2003/2008/XP/Vista displays error messages in the Event Viewer; Linux stores many of its system log files in the /var/log directory; and NetWare creates a file called abend.log, which contains detailed information about the state of the system at the time of the crash. When you start the troubleshooting process, make sure that you are familiar enough with the operating system used to determine whether it is trying to give you a message.

TIP: Error Message Storage You might need to know that the troubleshooting process requires you to read system-generated log errors.