Report: Expert System for Computer Troubleshooting

Authors: Adel Enazi - Salman Alfaify.

Student ID: 441008911 - 441003788.

Course: Ai.

Date: NOV 2025.

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1. Introduction

Problem Description

When a computer has problems, most people don't know what's wrong or how to fix it. Common issues include:

• Computer won't start - Is it the power supply? The motherboard? Something else?
• Blue screen errors - What do the error codes mean?
• Slow performance - Is it overheating? Not enough RAM? A virus?
• Hard drive problems - How do you know if the hard drive is failing?

Diagnosing computer problems requires technical knowledge that most people don't have. Without help, people might:

• Try the wrong solutions and waste time
• Spend money on unnecessary repairs
• Give up and buy a new computer when a simple fix would work

Necessity of Developing an Expert System

An expert system solves this problem by:

• Storing expert knowledge: The system contains knowledge from computer technicians about what symptoms mean and how to fix them
• Always available: Works 24/7, no need to wait for a technician
• Consistent answers: Always gives the same diagnosis for the same symptoms
• Easy to use: Just describe your symptoms, and the system tells you what's wrong and how to fix it
• Cost-effective: Helps you fix problems yourself or know when you need professional help

This expert system demonstrates how we can use computer programs to make technical knowledge accessible to everyone.

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2. Knowledge Sources

The facts and rules in this expert system come from:

1. Common Computer Problems: Based on the most frequent issues people experience
2. Error Code Meanings: Standard Windows error codes (like BSOD codes) and their meanings
3. Troubleshooting Guides: Information from computer repair manuals and online guides
4. Technical Support Knowledge: Common solutions from computer manufacturers and IT support

All this knowledge has been organized into simple rules that the computer can use to diagnose problems.

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3. Facts

Facts are the basic information the system knows. They are organized into groups:

3.1 Symptom Facts

These are the problems users can report:

symptom(wont_start).
symptom(no_power).
symptom(blue_screen).
symptom(slow_performance).
symptom(overheating).

Description: These represent the 5 main symptoms users might experience. When a user reports a symptom, the system can use it to diagnose the problem.

3.2 Error Message Facts

These are specific error codes that provide diagnostic information:

error_message(bsod_0x00000050).
error_message(boot_device_not_found).

Description: Error messages give specific clues about what's wrong. For example, bsod_0x00000050 is a Blue Screen of Death code that often indicates RAM problems.

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4. Rules

Rules are the logic that connects symptoms to problems and problems to solutions.

4.1 Diagnosis Rules

These rules determine what problem you have based on your symptoms:

Rule 1: Power Supply Failure

diagnose(power_supply_failure) :-
    symptom(no_power),
    symptom(wont_start).

Meaning: If you have no power AND the computer won't start, the problem is likely a power supply failure.

Rule 2: RAM Failure

diagnose(ram_failure) :-
    symptom(blue_screen),
    error_message(bsod_0x00000050).

Meaning: If you see a blue screen with error code 0x00000050, the problem is likely RAM failure.

Rule 3: Hard Drive Failure

diagnose(hard_drive_failure) :-
    symptom(wont_start),
    error_message(boot_device_not_found).

Meaning: If the computer won't start and shows "boot device not found", the hard drive is likely failing.

Rule 4: CPU Overheating

diagnose(cpu_overheating) :-
    symptom(overheating),
    symptom(slow_performance).

Meaning: If the computer is overheating AND running slowly, the CPU is likely overheating.

4.2 Solution Rules

These rules provide the solution for each problem:

provide_solution(replace_power_supply, power_supply_failure).
provide_solution(test_replace_ram, ram_failure).
provide_solution(replace_hard_drive, hard_drive_failure).
provide_solution(clean_cpu_heatsink, cpu_overheating).

Description: Each problem has a corresponding solution. For example, if RAM failure is diagnosed, the solution is to test and possibly replace the RAM.

4.3 User Interface Rule

This rule provides a simple way to get diagnosis and solution:

diagnose_and_solve :-
    write('=== Computer Troubleshooting Expert System ==='), nl, nl,
    (diagnose(Problem) ->
        find_solution(Problem),
        write('---'), nl
    ;
        write('No problem diagnosed with current symptoms.'), nl
    ).

Description: This rule runs the diagnosis and displays both the problem and solution in a user-friendly format.

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How to Use the System

Step 1: Load the System

?- consult('expert_system.pl').

Step 2: Report Your Symptoms

?- assert(symptom(blue_screen)).
?- assert(error_message(bsod_0x00000050)).

Step 3: Get Diagnosis and Solution

?- diagnose_and_solve.

Example Output:

=== Computer Troubleshooting Expert System ===

Problem: ram_failure
Solution: test_replace_ram
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Summary

This expert system demonstrates how we can use Prolog to create a simple but effective diagnostic tool. It shows:

• How to represent knowledge as facts
• How to create rules that make decisions
• How to provide solutions based on diagnosis
• How to make technical knowledge accessible to non-experts

The system demonstrates the core concepts of expert systems.