Step 3: Determine if Anything Has Changed

Whether a problem exists with a workstation's access to a database or an entire network, keep in mind that they were working at some point. Although many claim that the "computer just stopped working," it is unlikely. Far more likely is that changes to the system or the network caused the problem. As much as users try to convince you that computers do otherwise, computer systems do not reconfigure themselves. Therefore, establishing what was done to a system can lead you in the right direction to isolate and troubleshoot a problem.

Changes can occur on the network, server, or workstation. Each of these is discussed in the following sections.

TIP: Obvious Solutions Avoid discounting a possible answer because it seems too easy. Many of the troubleshooting questions are based on possible real-world scenarios, many of which do have easy or obvious solutions.