Issue
There are many issues that can happen at Cyberstation and some methods are needed to troubleshoot.
Product Line
Andover Continuum
Environment
- Continuum Cyberstation
- Continuum webClient Server
- Windows XP
- Windows Vista
- Windows 7
- Windows Server 2003
- Windows Server 2008
Cause
There are a number of steps and tools that can be used to troubleshoot Cyberstation
Resolution
This subject encompasses software and hardware. It isn't a comprehensive list but should offer some methods and tools to help troubleshoot Cyberstation or webClient. Typically errors that are Cyberstation or webClient related will display some sort of an error message on the screen which can be used to diagnose the problem.
- Isolated or System Wide - Is the issue happening on 1 or multiple Workstations? If so, it could be a system wide issue, but if it's just one workstation then it is isolated to this PC and could be an install, Windows OS, hotfix or hardware issue.
- Continuum Compatibility Matrix - A number of issues can happen if Continuum Service Packs or hotfixes or Windows Operating System (including Service Packs), Microsoft SQL Server, Internet Browser version and the version of Continuum or webClient do not match the matrix. See document Software and Firmware Compatibility Matrix Version 2.03
- Cyberstation Error - Is there an error message that is being displayed. A list of some Cyberstation specific errors can be found by pressing F1 with Cyberstation open, select index, type in Error, select error messages, Cyberstation
How do you locate error messages in Cyberstation? - Windows Error - Is there an error showing in the Windows event viewer? This step can be very useful when troubleshooting Cyberstation problems from issues installing Cyberstation or SQL to problems happening because of a Windows Operating System issue. Typically there are errors, event ids, and details that occur at the time of an issue that can be used to search the web for a solution. These can also be sent into support for some help analyzing the issue.
Viewing, Saving, Sharing Windows Event Logs for Troubleshooting Purposes - Windows Service Pack or hotfixes- Were any Windows Service Packs or hotfixes recently applied to this PC that could be affecting this installation? To display all the hotfixes on a PC, see the following MS article: Windows: How to List All of the Windows and Software Updates Applied to a Computer
- Installed Software- Since the issue started happening has any additional software been installed on the PC. Take a look in Start> Settings> Control Panel> Add/Remove programs(XP) or Programs and Feature (Windows 10) and see what may have been recently installed.
- Antivirus / Malware - On some occasions, we have seen Cyberstations or webClient PCs affected by viruses or malware. If an issue is specifically related to one PC and particularly if that PC is exposed to the internet, but doesn't have any Anti-Virus software installed, it could be infected. Updating Anti-Virus definitions and Malware/Spyware programs and running scans is recommended to clean up the PC.
- Hardware Issues - PCs will break over time from wear and power bumps, etc. Memory, NIC cards and Hard Drives are typically what goes first. *Memory - Many PC manufacturers supply memory diagnostic features in the system bios to detect if a RAM module is bad. This will often show in a certain spot every time in a certain program, not necessarily Cyberstation and can actually indicate that is can't access a memory reference.
*Hard drives - drives can crash or certain files can become damaged. Checkdsk and the Windows OS attempts to keep the drive clean, but sometimes reformatting the Hard Drive and reinstalling the Windows OS will be required to correct the issue. If it's a physical issue with this drive then the problem could come back and a new hard drive may be needed.
*NIC (Network Interface Cards) - can cause connection issues and affect system performance. Not all NIC cards are created equal and at times integrated NICs(built into the motherboard) can be less robust than a third party NIC card. See the following for extensive troubleshooting advice, but often swapping the card is easier. Advanced network adapter troubleshooting for Windows workstations
*Graphics Displays - Some issue are more related to Pinpoint or Video. Check the graphics display and see if the most up to date video driver has been installed. Run any diagnostic that may be supplied by the video card manufacturer or swap out the card.
Windows Device Manager - In Windows device manager you may see a black exclamation point on a yellow field which indicates the device is in a problem state. There can be many reasons this can happen and is beyond the scope of this article. See the following MS article for more information. Error codes in Device Manager in Windows - System Info and Belarc Advisor - These tools can be used to see what hardware and software are installed on the PC. System info is installed with Windows. Description of Microsoft System Information (Msinfo32.exe) Tool This can be sent into Product Support as a .nfo file and can be brought up with details. This information can be difficult to work with.
Belarc Advisor - This is a free tool that can be installed on a PC and will display the information in a very readable browser format. This tool will often find things that may have shown in System Info but was difficult to find. Belarc Advisor - Restore Point - Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 all have the ability to restore the system to a previous place in time by using Windows Restore Point. This is a Windows Operating System function and has some risks associated with it, but can be very useful to get back to especially when the issue is happening on a Stand Alone setup. What is System Restore?
If the restore point doesn't work then a reinstall of Cyberstation or the Windows OS could correct the issue. Lastly, a reformat of the hard drive and a complete reinstall of the Windows Operating System and then reinstall Cyberstation or webClient may be needed.
