What would be indicated if an overhead door lifts crooked and then binds?

When an overhead door lifts crooked and then binds, it suggests an issue with the mechanism responsible for lifting and guiding the door. A broken cable is indeed a likely cause in this scenario. The cables are critical components that help lift the door evenly. If one of these cables is broken, it can lead to an imbalance, causing the door to lift at an angle rather than straight up. This misalignment can result in the door binding as it moves, as certain parts may no longer be able to glide smoothly along the tracks.

While other options may suggest potential issues, they do not directly lead to the described behavior of the door. For example, bent rails could cause alignment problems, but they would not specifically result in a door lifting crookedly from an even starting point. Missing rollers would typically cause the door to detach or not function at all, rather than simply lifting crookedly. A broken spring, while it may contribute to the difficulty in lifting the door, would not specifically cause it to lift crookedly. Therefore, the identification of a broken cable is the most accurate explanation for the symptoms presented.