Troubleshooting tips for IT and CAD managers
Level = Beginner

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This technical tip provides an overview of a number of common topics for IT and CAD managers who need to support SolidWorks® CAD systems.

There are many possible sources of error and instability with a computer system. Most crashes fall into common categories: video, OS, installation, specific application functions, and specific document data.

An important aspect of the troubleshooting process is finding a root cause for the problem. If the first problem found is assumed to be the root cause, or if the root cause is not identified, the problem may re-surface later. Another goal of this process is to qualify and quantify the issues. Having a clear understanding of the environment and specific issues will lead to more effective troubleshooting. This documentation also helps validate any changes that are made.

The flow of this document is shown in figure 1. Troubleshooting without having this information can lead to time wasted based on not understanding the root cause, spending time on issues that are of less importance, and more.

To view a Microsoft® Excel troubleshooting template, click here.

Figure 1 – Troubleshooting flow

Note: Some of the recommended techniques will require administrator privileges on your machine, a basic understanding of what you're doing, and a bit of common sense. Don't delete or modify anything unless you're absolutely positive you know what you're doing.

Understand the environment
The first step in the process is to gain an understanding of the environment. This information can be useful later if other support personnel become involved. The ability to document and communicate the setup and configuration for a machine is useful when troubleshooting an issue. An example of minimal system information is shown in figure 2.

Figure 2 – Example system information page

To gain a more complete snapshot of your system with minimal effort, the computer information tool can be used to export the information to a text file. This application is available on Windows 2000 and XP. This application creates a complete snapshot of your system and how it is configured. To access this tool, select Computer Information from the Windows Start Menu/All Programs/Accessories/System Tools/Computer menu. This application is shown within figure 3.

Figure 3 – System Information tool

Understand the problem
The next step is to understand the issue and its scope and magnitude. This can be done by a couple of means. The Event Viewer is a Windows® application that logs issues with the OS and other applications. This can be a good place to look if things are happening. The Event Viewer shown in figure 4 has three sections: Application, Security, and System. This application is available on Windows 2000 and XP. To access the Event Viewer, go to the Windows Start menu/Control Panel/Administrative Tools dialog box.

Figure 4 – Event Viewer

Items to document within the issue log:

• Is the program reproducible?
• What were you doing when the issue occurred?
• What programs were active?
• What files were you working on?