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Inspired by "Dicta Boelcke" (Boelcke's Doctrine) formulated by German Aviator Oswald Boelcke

during World War I and they are still taught today some 85 years later

 

Remember these general principles when troubleshooting:

1.

It works better when it is turned on...

2.

It works better when it is plugged in...

3.

It works better when it is plugged in together...

(1-3)

Don't overlook the simple stuff. Disconnect and reconnect cables to make sure they are connected tight. Any Bent Pins? Make certain the components you are using have power, follow the cable to the wall and through the circuit breaker as necessary... It won't work without juice of some sort! Don't forget Software switches too! If a piece of necessary software isn't running or switched on unawares, it won't work just as much as if the machine isn't turned on! So check settings and preferences too. Remember preferences can become corrupted over time...

4.

Know when to cut your losses...

This is a tough decision sometimes, do you take the time to find out what is causing your problems or does it make more sense to start over from a clean originals/non-corrupt backup and leave the cause a mystery. Sometimes on a high demand machine, a one off failure is not the cause for a huge investigation with it's resulting downtime, it's less harmful to simply get the system back on line quickly and observe it's behaviour, if it happens a second time then you investigate fully...

 

On the Macintosh side of things it is a fairly easy thing to install a "Clean System" on a machine. This will eliminate most if not all software problems quickly. One can then install individual system enhancements and see if everything works properly after each install. At some point it would probably be more time and cost effective to "cut your losses" and start clean than to tinker with a sick system...

5.

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD (<--- Use This!):

Hypothesize, Test, Analyze, Refine Hypothesis... Repeat as necessary.

6.

Use the Monte Carlo method...

When throwing a pair of 6-Sided dice there are 36 possible combinations, from "Snake Eyes" to "Box Cars". However much of the time (44+%) the number rolled will be 6, 7 or 8. Check the most likely items first as they will bring you the best return on your time. Then work the less likely possibilities, always remembering that the dice have a 2 in 36 chance of rolling up 2 or 12, or that the dice can land on an edge! Concentrate your efforts on the most likely causes first, in other words if you are having problems with connecting to the Internet check the phone line, the cables, the modem, the modem software drivers, the program you are using, etc. Then move on to less likely possibilities...

7.

Change only one variable at a time...

Think Algebra... You always had to eliminate one variable at a time. If you change a Hard Drive, a Extension Setting and a Ethernet connection at the same time and it solves the problem, you still don't know the cause of the problem is! If you need a system back up fast this is fine, but if you wish to prevent this problem from happening in the future you haven't learned what the problem is/was! By changing one variable at a time you isolate a potential causes and determine if and how much relation it has to a problem... See also item #10.

8.

Use all available tools...

Don't be shy about using a tool, they are everywhere. If you have a 2nd machine, use it to test suspect components. If you narrow the problem to a single component, you've accomplished something usable. Dial into a fax machine to test a phone line. Use a nearby fax machine as a printer. etc. Also make sure your tools (testers) are in proper working order... If they aren't working right your findings will likely be in error too.

9.

Don't rule out a potential cause early or without a 'smoking gun'.

Too many times the final cause of a problem I was working on ended up being something I had already dismissed. Yeah, if the hard drive smokes, it's probably a Hard Drive problem... If the clock things it's 1904 or 1956 then it's probably a clock battery... However, don't assume that there is just one single cause to a problem...

 

Frequently there are two problems that are producing a myriad of problems. Sometimes these problems can cancel out problems with each other or cause a cascade of additional errors with other applications, control panels, extensions, and even corrupt fonts. One time I had a troublesome server that only failed when plugged into a UPS and line conditioner! On straight line current it was happy, it didn't like the line conditioner! Isolating symptoms can be a long, difficult process, don't compound it by "overlooking" something you've casually dismissed as a possible cause. Don't say it can't be a certain thing. It can! And often it is!

10.

BE METICULOUS...

Be logical, methodical, diligent, and you will prevail. Take notes, create binary charts of combinations of init's, CDEV's and settings. If you have to fax them to a tech support bozo (I'm a tech support bozo so I can say that!) you are a step ahead of the game and can expedite your solution!

11.

Realize, when enumerating the potential causes of a problem your last potential cause should always be "THE THING(S) I HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF"...

The movie "Andromeda Strain" depicts a prime example of something unexpected causing a problem: A bell won't ring on a Teletype if an errant piece of paper, is obstructing the clapper from striking the bell! I've even seen a corrupt font bedevil an experienced Macintosh Power User for days until it was isolated.