A method to restore the functional state of an automatic machine for the production or the packaging of consumer products. The method comprises the steps of: storing a first knowledge base containing a plurality of problematic operating conditions having a corresponding known fault; training the data processing system by associating ate least one solution to each problematic operating condition and storing a second knowledge base containing the solution; identifying a current operating condition; searching, among all the problematic operating conditions stored in the first knowledge base, for the problematic operating condition that is the most similar to the current operating condition; and communicating to an operator the solution associated with the corresponding problematic operating condition and stored inside the second knowledge base.