The computing industry has updated its Standard Error Codes to help technicians and manufacturers spot performance trends in computers and related equipment.

The Computing Technology Industry Association, the leading trade association for the IT industry, announced Wednesday that a new tool is available to streamline personal computer repairs.

CompTIA developed the original Standard Error Codes more than 20 years ago as a guide for PC repair technicians. Before that, manufacturers and their service representatives had uniform and convenient way to label and categorize problems.

CompTIA recruited input from more than 30 companies, including Best Buy, Canon, Cisco Systems, CompuCom, DecisionOne, Dell, Fujitsu Siemens, Gateway, HP, IBM, Lenovo, Packard Bell, Sharp, Sony, Toshiba, Unisys, and Xerox, in developing the new codes.

Many of the companies involved in updating the codes require service technicians who repair their equipment under warranty to use the Standard Error Codes. Others recommend the use of the standard codes.

The codes explain service factors that can shed light on PC problems. They identify the primary operating system, whether the failure is intermittent or continuous, the actions the service technician takes, and the nature of the problems that prompted the customer to request service.

"Information collected through the use of these codes makes it easier for manufacturers to perform analysis of the symptoms reported by customers experiencing problems," Richard Rysiewicz, VP of services for CompTIA, said in a prepared statement. "Manufacturers have the ability to track specific parts from service call initiation through resolution; and back to the component manufacturer."

CompTIA expects the updated codes to help reduce the number of service incidents resulting in "no problem/fault found," which can result in replacement of parts that were not defective. The tool also allows service providers to use the Standard Error Codes data to analyze their own experiences and trends.