[Caleb Kiser]

As we discussed last week, troubleshooting is an important part of being in a technology field. As far as the computer’s power supply, there are several signs that could cause you to troubleshoot. Some of them include the computer powering up and back down, the blue screen of death appears, the system reports memory errors, etc. When it comes to troubleshooting a computer’s power supply there is a process. All you need to perform this process is a screwdriver and multimeter. To test a PSU with a multimeter, first power down the computer and disconnect all cables. Detach the PSU from internal components, then bridge pins 15 and 16 on the 24-pin connector using a wire. Plug the PSU into a wall outlet and turn it on—the fan should spin if it’s functional. Set your multimeter to DC volts (10V range if needed), connect the black probe to a ground pin, and use the red probe to test voltages on the connector (+3.3V, +5V, -5V, +12V, -12V). If all voltages are within range, the PSU is working. Reconnect everything when done.