Diagnosing vs Troubleshooting in Computers
Diagnosing and troubleshooting in computers are two different processes, though many people use them interchangably. Computers have become an integral part of our lives and we cannot even think of managing our lives without them. Everything seems to be fine when all is well with your computer and the problem starts whenever there is a snag in your computer system that dies not let you use your computer system. This is where the words diagnosing and troubleshooting come into play. Many people think of these words as synonyms and use them interchangeably which is incorrect as there are many differences between the two.
Diagnosing
Diagnosing refers to a process where you try to ascertain the root cause of the problem. This is akin to the situation where you go to your doctor when you are unwell and the doctor tries to get to the root by listening to symptoms that you experience. In a similar way, diagnosing when the computer has developed some trouble refers to looking at some unusual symptoms that might give a clue as to where the problem lies. It may be in the hardware or it may be in software. Depending upon the symptoms, you can eliminate causes and come to the root problem.
Troubleshooting
Trouble shooting comes after diagnosing which is only logical. Once you have diagnosed that the problem lies in the cooling system of the CPU that is making the system overheated thus shutting it down all the time, you can get the fan in the CPU changed as you are sure that it has malfunctioned causing the trouble. Sometimes troubleshooting even after having diagnosed the problem is not that simple and you mat have to take the system to a computer clinic (read professional) to get the problem sorted out.
Summary
Diagnosing refers to finding out the root problem through a process of elimination whereas troubleshooting refers to fixing of the problem after diagnosis has been made.