• Proper network login Sometimes people use a shortcut or try to access data without being properly logged on to the network. You should verify that users are correctly logged on to the network and that any necessary network drives are connected.

• Permissions When you are troubleshooting data access, ensure that the permissions are set correctly.

• Connectivity You need to verify that the system that maintains the data is available. You need to confirm that the server is available. What can seem like a problem accessing a file can mask a potentially larger problem such as a disk or server failure.

• Data integrity Sometimes data itself can be corrupt. This is the worst-case scenario, and the robust nature of today's file systems ensures that it occurs rarely. This is when you need backups.

• Viruses In some cases, viruses might be your problem. You can use a virus-checking program to determine if indeed this is the problem.

Troubleshooting NICs

When NICs are configured correctly and verified to be working, very little goes wrong with them. When you are troubleshooting a NIC, you should consider the following:

• Resource settings NICs require specific computer resources in order to operate. After you install a card or add new devices, you should check for device conflicts.

• Speed settings If you are not getting the expected speed from the NIC, you should confirm the speed settings and, if applicable, the duplex settings.

• Protocols In order for the NIC to work on the network, it must have a valid protocol assigned to it, and all addressing information needs to be in place.

• Faulty card Some NICs are faulty when they ship from the manufacturer, and some are damaged through poor handling. To test for this, you can swap the card with one that is known to be working.