What is a required step prior to performing diagnostics in a no POST situation?

In a no Power-On Self-Test (POST) situation, capturing fault indications and error codes is crucial because this step provides valuable information about what may be causing the failure. Fault indications, such as beep codes or LED statuses, can help identify specific hardware issues that prevent the system from completing the POST process. By gathering this diagnostic information first, technicians can streamline their troubleshooting efforts and focus on the most likely sources of the problem.

Other options may involve steps in the broader troubleshooting process but are not specifically necessary before running diagnostics. For instance, clearing CMOS settings may help reset certain configurations, but it does not directly assist in understanding the root cause without initial diagnostic information. Ensuring hardware upgrades is less relevant in this context since the problem is not about performance but rather about the system's ability to startup. Lastly, wiping the hard drive is not applicable to a no POST issue, as the inability to power on indicates a more fundamental hardware malfunction that is unrelated to the contents of the drive.