So we’d like to guide you in troubleshooting a specific type of problem in a calm, logical, Spock-like manner. This walk-through will help you pinpoint and correct the source of the problem the next time a peripheral—printer, mouse, keyboard, monitor, speakers, etc.—quits on you.

Step 1: Check All Connections

Always start the troubleshooting process by checking all cables and power cords. Often, you’ll need to check two cables or cords: the one that connects the device to the power source and the one that connects the device to the computer. Checking the power cord is fairly simple. Make sure the cord is plugged in securely at both ends and that the cable isn’t frayed or too tightly coiled.

The other connection might be slightly more complicated. For example, printers are typically connected to computers with a 25-pin cable at a parallel port. In addition to the 25-pin connector, the cable has two fasteners, one on each side of the pin interface, which must be lined up precisely with the port on your computer and connected tightly. If any of the pins in the connector look bent, try straightening them with a pair of needle-nose pliers. If you cannot get the cable to tightly connect to the port, you’ll need to replace it.

Don’t forget the power strip. With so many devices that can be added to a system, it’s common to need a power strip to provide juice for all of them. An inadvertently yanked power cord can disable one or multiple devices.

You should also attach the device to another PC to see if it works with that one. This is an especially good tip for plug-and-play devices that connect through USB ports and do not require you to install a driver.

Step 2: Boot Into The BIOS

Your peripherals use different types of connections to connect with your PC: USB ports, parallel ports, and the oldie-but-goodie serial (or COM [communication]) ports.

Regardless of the type of port your peripherals connect to, they must be enabled in the BIOS (Basic Input/ Output System) in order to work. If the troubleshooting steps you’ve taken thus far don’t solve the problem, reboot your system and press F2 (or the key that will let you enter your BIOS; it should be noted on-screen during startup) repeatedly as the PC boots.

Navigate to Advanced and then choose the USB/Parallel/Serial Configuration menu. Set each one to Enabled and exit the BIOS and save changes.

Step 3: Verify Ports

If your problem is a nonworking printer, you need to check the parallel or COM/serial port settings. Open the Control Panel (click Start and Control Panel) and find the icon for the nonworking printer. Double-click the Printers And Faxes icon (in Classic View), right-click the printer you are using, and choose Properties. Next, select the Ports tab. Make sure the proper port—in this case, LPT1—is checked. If it’s not, change the port setting. Click OK and close the Control Panel.

Checking a USB port, on the other hand, is more of an external exercise. To see if the source of the problem is a bad port, unplug the device from one USB port and try it in another.

Step 4: Silence Conflicting Devices

If the correct port (parallel or COM/serial) is enabled but the device still isn’t working, it could be that another device is trying to use the same port. To check this, we need to open the Device Manager.

Right-click My Computer and choose Properties. Next, click the Hardware Tab and the Device Manager button. Scroll down until you see the Ports entry and then double-click it to expand the category. Next, double-click the printer port (LPT1) and then click the Resources tab.

Look at the bottom of this screen to make sure there are no conflicting devices—items that might be trying to use this port. If a device is listed in this section, then find it in the Device Manager, right-click it, choose Properties, and on the General tab, disable the device by choosing that option from the Device Usage menu.

(NOTE: To reinstate the conflicting device, find its icon in the Control Panel, right-click it, and choose Properties. Then, using the Ports tab, reassign it a different port to use.)

If there is a problem with your device, you may also see an exclamation point on a yellow field, a red “X” (indicating a disabled device), a code indicating a problem with the device, or a blue “i” on a white field (indicating that the Use Automatic Settings feature is not being used on the device—not necessarily a problem). Double-click a component’s icon to enable or get more information about the device.

Step 5: Reinstall Or Update Drivers

Peripherals depend on drivers, or programs, to communicate with the PC. If the physical connections and ports are set properly, then it’s time to see if a bad driver is to blame.

It’s possible for drivers to become corrupted, to conflict with other programs, or to be so old they must be updated to work with, say, a new operating system. Remember, if you’ve had your desktop system for several years, the drivers that came with the components included in the system—such as the keyboard or mouse—are also several years old. Those older drivers, in particular, may need to be updated.

Even though we list this as step No. 5, checking the drivers should be one of your first thoughts if a peripheral suddenly stops working after you install another peripheral. The timing probably won’t be a coincidence; the older peripheral likely has stopped working because of a conflict with the new device.

To investigate whether a bad/old driver is the problem, find the name of the nonworking device in the Device Manager and right-click it.

First, choose Properties to see what your operating system says about the status of the device. From the General tab, you could launch a trouble-shooting wizard. But, because you’ve already ruled out other possible causes to the problem by following this troubleshooting guide, it’s better to go straight to the Driver tab and launch the wizard to uninstall and then reinstall the devices driver. (Alternatively, you can choose Update Driver from the menu when you right-click the device in Device Manager.)

Find the installation disc that came with the device; it will have the original driver. Once you’ve reinstalled the driver, reboot your system.

If reinstalling the driver doesn’t wake up the slumbering peripheral, go to the Web site of the device manufacturer to find, download, and install an updated driver.

Keep It Clean

We doubt a few too many cookie crumbs will incapacitate a keyboard or mouse. But it’s worth pointing out that keeping your peripherals clean—free of dust, crumbs, and liquids—will help keep them in working order, as well.

by Rachel Derowitsch