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1. er IP Configuration Trvtaliaes ed E11 Eapen Bape tg rmn echt WE ot Lee E ou tn Pinu SI fiends mm Dette ae Pame Rogen Heina A ismga M bemp Fda 1a Figure 13 2 The IP address of this computer is 192 168 1 101 In addition to the IP address the IP Configuration tool displays several other important addresses Adapter address The adapter address is a unique identification number assigned to the computer s network interface adapter at the factory It s also known as the Media Access Control MAC address Some wireless networks restrict access to network adapters with specific MAC addresses Internet Connection Problems 145 146 Chapter 13 Subnet mask The subnet mask tells the network which number in the numeric address provides a unique identity for each device on the local network The other numbers are the same for all devices In Figure 13 2 the unique addresses use the last number the 0 Default gateway The default gateway is the address of the computer or router that con nects the local network to the Internet If your computer connects to the Internet through a dial up telephone connection or directly to a cable or DSL modem the IP address is assigned by the ISP s wide area network WAN If the computer is part of a network the network hub assigns the IP address Some ISPs provide a dedicated IP address to each customer known as a static IP address while others auto mat
2. Internet via MSM Properties amen cpmeore barh Paang raram D is iy tn SS hes orr cancun ae Bhar ome ey pees Figure 13 7 Use the dial up networking Properties window to set the ISP s telephone number The Networking tab controls the network protocols that connect your computer to the Internet Once again your ISP s support center can tell you exactly how to configure these options Troubleshooting a Connection Through a Local Network DSL cable and other broadband Internet services are always connected to the ISP so it s not necessary to dial a telephone number when you want to use the Internet However you do have to configure the modem and router that transfer data between your computer or local network and the ISP s WAN The first places to look when you re troubleshooting a broadband connection are the Network Properties window for the local area connection and the setup windows for your router and your modem Just like every other device on your local network the router and the modem have their own numeric IP addresses The manuals for each device will include the default address for that device and most devices allow you to change the address to a value that isn t known to everyone who has a copy of the manual Your broadband modem probably uses a graphic configuration utility that you can reach through your web browser but some older routers might use a command line utility that exc
3. It s even more important to make regular backups of the data stored on your laptop com puter than on the computer that stays in your office or at home In addition to the usual hazards of damaged and unreadable hard drives you will also lose your data if your laptop is lost or stolen Losing your computer is bad enough but losing irreplace able data can turn an expensive nuisance into a major disaster Troubleshooting and Replacing Hard Drives 185 186 Figure 16 5 Using a 2 5 inch hard drive with a standard IDE cable requires a special adapter If Windows can t read the contents of the damaged drive try one of the data recovery programs or other methods described earlier in this chapter After you restore the data copy it to the new drive in your laptop through a network or by using a flash drive or a CD to physically move the data from one computer to the other Troubleshooting Hard Drives Chapter 16 If the computer does not recognize your hard drive during startup before Windows loads it s likely that one of these settings is not correct e Jumper settings on the drive e Cable connections to the motherboard e BIOS settings Jumpers on ATA Drives The most common type of hard drive in modern computers uses the IDE or ATA interface with the computer s motherboard Both ATA and IDE describe the same type of connection An IDE interface can support hard drives CD and DVD drives and other types of storage medi
4. 12 Turn on the computer and place the Windows XP CD in your CD drive Restart the computer If Windows is running use Start gt Turn Off Computer gt Restart If Windows did not load press the CTRL ALT and DELETE keys at the same time Watch the text messages that appear during startup before Windows loads If you see the Press Any Key To Boot From CD message press the spacebar If you don t see that message and the computer does not automatically start loading Windows from the CD then restart the computer again open the BIOS Settings utility and then change the Boot Sequence set ting to move your CD drive to the No position Save the new BIOS settings and let the computer start Windows setup will run from the CD At first it will display a solid blue screen with a gray text line across the bottom When the Welcome to Setup screen appears press the ENTER key to choose the Set Up Windows XP Now option After you accept the Licensing Agreement Setup will offer to either repair the existing Windows installation or install a fresh copy To repair the existing Windows installation press the R key To load a completely new copy of Windows press the ESC key to choose the fresh copy option Setup will spend another half hour or more installing the rest of Windows XP When the program asks for the Product Key and your network set tings enter the appropriate information After the Windows installation is complete
5. If the drive itself stops working rather than the formatting or file structure on the drive it s almost always faster and easier to simply replace it with a new one than to try to repair a broken mechanism or circuit board To be blunt most of these devices were designed to be disposable If your computer or a drive installed later is still under warranty call or e mail the manu facturer for a replacement If it s out of warranty just pull the old unit out of the computer and install a replacement A Few Last Words About Drives Chapter 16 When a drive fails and you can t use the software tools and techniques in Chapter 3 to fix it you should have two objectives first saving and recovering the data files on the damaged drive and second restoring the computer to normal operation by installing Windows on a different drive if the damaged drive was the old system drive If you treat these two separately you will reduce the impact of a damaged drive to a minimum TROUBLESHOOTING AND REPLACING OTHER HARDWARE Hard drives aren t the only parts of a computer that can fail Memory modules the central processor the motherboard the power supply and all of the peripheral devices that allow the computer to exchange data with the rest of the world can stop working properly Obviously troubleshooting a memory module is very different from trying to fix a mouse or a keyboard so this chapter contains specific advice about
6. When your computer is connected to a network you should be able to exchange files and messages with other computers connected to the same network and often to connect through the network to the Internet If you can t and you used to be able to look for the most common causes of network problems e Incorrect or missing configuration settings on your computer such as the numeric address assigned to the computer by the local network or your Internet service provider or the address of your domain name ser vice DNS server e Configuration settings on your computer that don t match the settings on the network hub or gateway that controls the local area network e Missing or damaged cables e Failure of some other network component such as a hub router switch or destination computer that is improperly configured or broken e A firewall blocking access Finding and fixing a network problem can be particularly frustrating because the source of the problem can just as easily be located on another computer or in the equipment that connects the network together within your own system If you can t find the problem on your own machine look at the configuration settings for other computers switches and routers connected to the same network See Chapter 15 for more detail on solving network problems Where Do We Go from Here Chapter 2 Up to this point I ve really just given you a detailed overview of the whys and wherefore
7. If you have been reading this book from front to back you already know about these services if you re reading the book from back to front hang on you ll get to that information soon Even e mail which allows a single person or a small group of people to handle many queries at one time is a lot more efficient and cost effective for the support center than voice telephone calls It s true that e mail at some companies can be a black hole where questions go in but nothing ever comes out but I m trying to be optimistic you should expect to receive an answer to your first e mail within 24 hours or less except on weekends As long as the manufacturers offer those alternative support channels you might as well take advantage of them If you can solve a problem using information you find in FAQs e mail or bulletin boards go ahead and do it Making Tech Support Work for You In a perfect world no one would ever need to call for support The computer would work perfectly every time you turn it on But this world is far from perfect so every computer user should know how to get the most out of a support center For that matter the same methods also apply to other forms of customer support feel free to use them when your refrigerator stops making ice Whenever you call for help remember these important points e Your objective is to solve a specific problem The support representa tive s objective might be to get you to g
8. ccceccseceeseeeesesesestecenseseneesereeseeeenteenresereees 191 Problems with Other Storage Devices cccceeseeseceteeeeeeeeeeeeneeeneeeeseeeeeeseeeereeereeed 192 A Few Last Words About Drives ccecseceeeeeesseeeeesesecneesneeeeeesieesnseseteesteesnaeeses 192 17 TROUBLESHOOTING AND REPLACING OTHER HARDWARE 193 Memory Problems 2s 2se26sotasuerei gsethesbuetblamsdennenshseaetehueeaemnpeeabendsheeabaandyearncineleds 193 Identifying Memory Problems cccccseeeseeereeereesseeeeseesteeenseseeeeneeeneeeaas 194 Replacing the Motherboard ccsccessceeseceseceseeeeseeeneeeeeeesseeseeseeesereseseesnteenresereee 197 Power Supply Problems zecsssasccsse iris ts codsesteadevastapaviesuiadansen Shantves sha dedsestsene 198 Mouse Problems ersero a anea e a Kea Taa a SEEE S 199 Cleaning a Mechanical Mouse cseccseceseseeeeeseeeseceneeeneeeeseeeteenreseeeees 199 Cleaning an Optical Mouse seeeseeserieeisrstreristrierisrrsrisersrersrrsrisersnre 200 K yboard Problems onserer enio ee EAE AE E EE ONE 200 USB and FireWire Problems miss creira aaan a enian aaa aas aaan irda 202 Printer Problems is a e eee E e E T E EEE EENE TE 202 Restartithe Printer sarde tA elei ae a E a e a i a e ee 202 ING Te DARRAS EE E EEE T 202 Wo Response Gearrtar R A E 202 Wong Foni taie a E E cuacus a ecunda Gu veubalautene are 204 Wing Color sesen eanne aa a Ol sas lati sus a TE 205 VOND SIZE e R E E ANEA EEN 205 Try Print
9. e One or more domain name service servers DNS servers that the ISP uses to convert domain names such as nostarch com to numeric IP addresses such as 64 49 240 173 If you don t specify a DNS server the Internet won t recognize your request to connect to a domain name Some systems assign these addresses automatically while others use the same addresses for every connection Your ISP will tell you which options apply to your account If you are using just one computer with a direct Internet connection either through a dial up telephone line or a broadband modem the computer will use the addresses supplied by the ISP If your computer is part of a local network the router uses the addresses assigned by the ISP and the computer uses addresses assigned by the router In other words each device computer or router sends its addresses back to the next device up the line Look in your router s user manual or quick setup guide to find the configuration settings for both the router and the computers connected to it If you can t find them check with the router s maker their tech support people get these questions a lot To view your current network settings and change them if they are not correct follow these steps 1 From the Start menu select Control Panel gt Network Connections in the Windows XP menu or Settings Network Connection in the Classic Start menu 2 Right click the icon for the connection profile th
10. eececeeeseeeseeeteeseeees 51 The Boot Log A History of Startup Programs ssccseceeeseesteeetseeseenseeneesseeeneenseensaes 52 Solving Those Did Not Load Errors c cscsccesseesseeeseeeeeeeneeeeeeesneeeneeenseeereees 53 4 BLACK SCREENS AND BLUE SCREENS 55 Black Screens resani n a ee E a n a A O A E 56 Open Windows in Safe Mode cccecceeceeesteeeteceeeenteesseeenieeneesseesnieeneensaes 56 Look for a Hardware Problem ccceseceeesseeeseeeseeeeeeensesseesseeeteeenteenseseas 56 Blue Screens osise inene ahaaa Eka tobe Maa Eaa An ineduthas a Uarda EaD EAE Apian aaa sate 57 How to Read a Stop Message seceseseeeseessseeereeneeseeeseesneesteeeeeeetteentereas 57 Look for More Detdilse sinccr ene a a a iad 58 Replace the Driver File meelymriri teeren e a nea raa Ea AE AES 58 Wait Wait Don t Let the Message Disappear 0 seceeeseeeeeeetteeeteenteensees 59 Finding d Fix en tievtee cca sie ean th et ce car meats beta nee etal 60 The Microsoft Knowledge Base csccseceecesesessseseeesneesneesneeetesntesteeeeas 61 Try Other Internet Resources ccececeeeseesseeerseeeseenseeseeeneeeneesteeeteesteeeteeeas 64 5 SOLVING DEVICE DRIVER PROBLEMS 65 Device Drivers safsar riy natans Aee TTEA EATE ba095 a ena pales dye sbalay ou ATT AA RTI 66 DLE Riles a aran R ee aden E A gan EA A 68 Diagnosing a Driver Problem ccseceseceeesseceseeeeeeeeesseesneeseeeseesseesteesteesntenteeesas 68 Where f
11. look for some other obvious location or use the Search tool in the Start menu to find the program file The point of this exercise is to separate the application program from the data file In some cases a damaged data file won t allow its linked program file to open so dealing with the two files separately can often solve the problem Reinstall the Program Chapter 10 If you have isolated the problem to the program itself rather than a linked data file or a damaged shortcut and if you know that the program is supposed to be compatible with Windows XP it s likely that the program file has been damaged In this case it s time to reinstall the program Don t bother to uninstall the old version first because installing a new copy over the existing version can sometimes allow you to reuse the configuration settings you were using before the previous installation went south Find the original CD or other distribution media and run the Install or Setup program If the program asks if you re performing a new install or a repair choose the repair option this will preserve your old settings In most cases this kind of reinstall will load a clean copy of the program into your computer and you can get on with your work If the program still won t run one of the files left over from the original installation is at fault Therefore you will have to remove all vestiges of the program and start again from scratch Delete and Reinst
12. Floor Sanding Screen of Death Record Your Steps As you try to repair a problem and restore your computer to normal opera tion keep track of what you re doing Even if something doesn t work you will want to tell a help desk person or your neighbor s daughter the com puter expert that you tried it and how the computer responded Sometimes a failed fix might contain the seeds of success for somebody with more experience And if you stumble onto something that does solve the problem you might want to know exactly what you did in order to fix it again later Is This a New Problem Has It Ever Done This Before It s always useful to ask whether you re dealing with a new problem or one that has appeared before or existed for a long time It s often easier to just restart a program or reboot the computer and get back to work rather than to take the time to find the source of the underlying problem but that does nothing toward preventing the problem from occurring again Anytime your computer fails you should have two goals the first is to restore the computer to proper operation and the second is to identify and eliminate the source of the problem so it doesn t happen again These objectives are not always on the same track sometimes it s possible to fix Troubleshooting Methods and Tools 3 the problem without knowing the cause But when that happens there s always the danger that the same problem will come back
13. Hey guys It worked I tried x y and z and now my hard drive works again Thanks for all your help will tell the next person facing the problem that somebody was able to fix it 8 Prevent a Repeat Remember the old joke about the man who goes to see his doctor The guy holds up his left arm and says It hurts when I do this with my arm The doctor tells him So stop doing that That s not always possible with a computer problem A cure may not be the same thing as preventing its return For example a virus or spyware program could reappear after you ve deleted it or some other person using your computer might change the configuration settings without your knowl edge So just because you stopped doing whatever caused the problem doesn t mean you won t see the same problem again Therefore as the final step of your troubleshooting routine take the necessary steps to avoid a repeat of the same problem This might mean installing an antivirus or antispyware utility or adding password control to the startup routine Or it might require some other very specific actions that are described in the Microsoft Knowledge Base or some other online document or manual Every problem and solution is different but the general rule is to read through all of the documents web pages and other sources of information don t just look for the part about performing a quick fix Troubleshooting Methods and Tools 23 TYPES OF WIN
14. If you re lucky one of the articles will contain exactly the infor mation you re trying to find So click each link in the list and read the first couple of paragraphs to find out if the article is related to your specific problem If the first article is not what you need use the browser s Back button to return to your search results and move on to the next article in the list If the list of articles that match your keyword search appears to include a lot of items that apply to programs other than Windows try refining your search Either choose the version of Windows you re using from the list at the left side of the search page or add XP or some other identifier to the keywords in the Search field Sometimes a short phrase is more effective than a single keyword so a brief description of the problem such as won t start or green smoke will produce something more useful than a search for a single word If your first search doesn t lead you to an answer to your problem try a different keyword unless it s absolutely obvious that your original search was unique such as the text of a message or a code number The people who maintain the Knowledge Base are very good about including as many useful keywords as possible in each article but sometimes you might come up with one that is slightly different from the ones in the article So it s always good practice to try additional keywords if the first search does not produc
15. Properties gt Hardware tab gt Device Manager and double click the name of a device with a yellow exclamation point or a red X superimposed on the icon at the left of the device name The Properties window for each device driver includes several tabs If an error condition applies to this device the Device Status section of the General tab contains an Error Code and message The General tab also includes a Troubleshoot button that opens a troubleshooter with specific information about the current device In most cases the specific steps listed in this appendix will solve a problem more quickly than stepping through a troubleshooter but the troubleshooter might offer one or more alternative solutions to the problem 246 Appendix A Code numbers that are missing from this sequence do not apply to Windows XP If you re using an older Windows version and you see a code number that is not included here look at Article No 310123 in the Microsoft Knowledge Base or search the entire knowledge base for Code XX using the code number in place of the XX Code 1 This device is not configured correctly Code 1 The drivers for this device are missing or the configuration options are incorrect Click the Update Driver button to reinstall the device driver Code 3 The driver for this device might be corrupted or your system may be running low on memory or other resources Code 3 Several unrelated problems can produ
16. View go directly to Add Hardware The Add Hardware Wizard should detect the device and reinstall the driver Code 42 Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware because there is a duplicate device already running in the system Code 42 A Code 42 error indicates that Windows has detected two or more instances of the same device Either the device driver has created two children with the same name or Windows has found devices with identical serial numbers in two different locations To fix this problem restart your computer Code 43 Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems Code 43 A Code 43 error occurs when the device relays a trouble message to Windows through the device driver Consult the hardware manual supplied with this device or contact the device manufacturer s technical support center for information about clearing this problem Device Manager Error Codes and BIOS POST Beep Codes 253 254 Appendix A Code 44 An application or service has shut down this hardware device Code 44 Code 44 appears when the device has been shut down by a software command To restore this device restart the computer Code 45 Currently this hardware device is not connected to the computer Code 45 This error code appears when the device which had previously been active is not connected to the computer when the power on an external device is turned off or when the power to the device
17. a N Add Printer i Aute HP Logertet Dernier L on i BESKTCe ro Sameung ML lF40 Seneca 4 Figure 10 4 The check mark identifies the active printer e Is there a printer icon visible in the System Tray next to the clock at the bottom of the screen This icon indicates that Windows is transferring a document to the active printer Double click the icon for details about the current print job and any others that are waiting to print If the icon is not in the tray confirm that all the print options are correct look in the File menu of the program from which you are trying to print and try again e Is the printer out of paper e Is the printer out of ink or toner Dealing with Individual Programs and Files 125 126 Chapter 10 Is the Print To File option in the Print dialog box that opens when you enter the Print command shown in Figure 10 5 turned on lx ip EET LA bewa Pertes Ds iia hearer H F bees Cwest sp rage Cape i a haga i ppa O S C Corget pepe ees D i Cmm ty fy Fa e page es eh page P H SPHE oo TH eee fee J ini Pmi gih beruaes Fejn pm tet l pra hm i pipt ni range j Soe i p E esing w Cada Figure 10 5 Make sure the Print To File option is not active The answers to one or more of these questions should identify the reason that your file or document won t print If your file still won t print try loading the file into a different program and printing
18. cleaning up 114 116 organization of 110 111 Registry Editor using 109 114 Windows reinstalling 225 227 Windows Update 70 worms 135 Y Y2K Year 2000 problem 106 yellow exclamation mark 68 69 73 92 yellow question mark 56 167 INDEX 263
19. every day Even if you use a dial up modem your connection is still at risk You can test your computer s potential exposure to intruders by running a security audit through HackerWhacker http hackerwhacker com AuditMyPC com www auditmypc com freescan ShieldsUP www grc com x ne dll and other websites These programs scan all possible entry points on your system known as ports and identify the ones that are not protected For additional test sites search the Internet for security firewall scan Use a firewall to protect your computer from unwanted access A firewall is either an external device located between the network port of your com puter and the router that connects it to the local network or the Internet or a software program like ZoneAlarm that runs on your computer and mon itors network activity If your computer is connected to the Internet through a local network it s common to place the firewall between the network hub and the Internet so that a single firewall can protect the entire network Whether it s internal or external a firewall allows acceptable data to move into and out of the computer or local network but it restricts attempts to move data to and from unauthorized sources or destinations Firewall Software If your computer is connected directly to the Internet through a broadband connection or a telephone line a firewall program such as ZoneAlarm free for personal use Norton Perso
20. or when new devices or new pro cessors become available the BIOS manufacturer may update the BIOS in order to allow it to recognize and support the newer hardware or software For example if Intel or AMD adds features to new CPU chips or if a new and better standard for video controllers or network interfaces appears the computer won t know how to handle those new features unless you update the BIOS software The if it ain t broke don t fix it rule applies here Don t update your BIOS just because you discover that there s a new release out there on a website If your com puter is working well you will add absolutely nothing to its performance by changing the BIOS But if the computer fails to start after you install a new version of Windows or if it won t recognize a new piece of hardware updating the BIOS can often solve the problem Use the Right BIOS Every motherboard uses a specific BIOS so you must find exactly the right update for the motherboard inside your computer To identify your mother board look in the manual supplied with the computer call or e mail the computer manufacturer and ask or open the case and look for a make and model on the surface of the board Information about the make and model of many motherboards is also embedded in the BIOS firmware Several diagnostic programs can read and display that information along with many other details about the computer s hardware memory and performa
21. remove them and slide the drive out of the case If the case uses tracks or some other method to mount the drive remove the drive from the case If your computer has more than one IDE hard drive remove both of the drives connected to the IDEI connector on the motherboard The computer uses tiny jumpers on the back of the drive to identify each drive as either a master or a slave drive Look on the top of each drive or in the documentation supplied with the drive for one or more diagrams that show the correct jumper locations Figure 16 1 shows the location of the jumpers on a typical drive Power Connector Figure 16 1 The position of the jumpers on a hard drive sets the drive as either a master or a slave If you have removed only one drive put it aside in a safe place until you have installed the new drive If you have more than one drive find the drive with the jumpers in the master position and put that drive aside Replace the other drive with the jumpers in the slave position back inside the computer Installing a New Hard Drive You might want to add a new hard drive to your computer because the one already in place isn t big enough to hold all of your files especially if you want to store a lot of large video or audio files or because the installed drive has failed If you re just adding more storage capacity you can generally leave the old drive in place unless you re dealing with a laptop computer that has spa
22. right click the icon and choose Properties from the pop up menu At the bottom of the Properties window shown in Figure 10 3 make sure the Read only option is not active igindhead2 jpg Proper am sd Ke i peen Foih de Fr a ema Soot Roolae zF iaid hea id pies JA isai for ERE E LEN iiri bami pds ki ji EEA T jl be ar ja IT EN T a S SE a r Eilde CD rest is ii ees Figure 10 3 The Read only attribute is at the bottom of the Properties window Dealing with Individual Programs and Files 123 124 If the program freezes with any data file loaded the problem is in the pro gram itself rather than the data file To solve the problem reinstall the program Can t Read a File Chapter 10 If the program is working properly but one particular file won t open it s possible that the file format and the file extension don t match either the document is formatted for an older version of the program or somebody has assigned the wrong file extension For example Quicken has used many different file formats over the years so a very old file might not load success fully into the latest version of Quicken without a little help Sometimes a program will display a message that flags the file as an unknown format and offer instructions for loading a filter but just as often the program will try to open the file The result might be a block of strange text or odd
23. ry eh reiia eee a ee rm es OF Be ed Gy ee ed el es be ed a i et memg Taq ay a ie ee pas ee ony ede ee ree Per a Eel TE ety eee Re a Bn hreim pr y ewes ke ae ee neg Bert ee e ey i oaa BOTI SS a ee ag HT OS H bhaird EL i O Pairs rl r tee ter a miae ha r ra epeh poems ee ceil ieee fhe mony me eae eC ee ee E Oe Appi rin Prin ee Ep Tis diggers limbs pario ot Ba viniem mgri eee be mea rm mhg ee dee Tin bby atm Rm appini Ea ae itri ira Dobro ji Pruisam i ammi j p Tiener teres sba ee pp prn ee m eeg ag eg da Tha m oe a ka od weren mapie ia nye m oes By mas aep baa j iy redone 1 aam dh TeBe kms mp Aiea Spre AD te i r S Tr ms a yian i r m ee ee eed ot Figure 9 7 Registry Clean Expert finds many problems that the Norton program misses Unlike the demons on those old maps the potential danger inside the Registry is real If you re serious about troubleshooting problems in Windows you will probably end up exploring the Registry sooner or later because it contains the rules that control just about everything But don t travel without a reliable guide or a set of specific instructions that tell you exactly what to change and how to change it Otherwise you can easily do more serious damage without solving your original problem 10 DEALING WITH INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS AND FILES A breakdown in the Windows operating system is not the only possible cause of a computer problem Sometimes you can isolate
24. t break without leaving hints about the cause of the failure and you re not the first person to have a particular problem Don t panic there are information resources and a huge community of support people and other users out there who are anxious to help you One way or another you ll get your computer working again Remind me again weren t computers supposed to make our lives easier Why should using a computer be more complicated than driving a car The difference between using Windows and driving is that to drive you have to take a test and convince an examiner from the Department of Motor Vehicles that you know how to operate a car first But the only thing you have to do to start using a computer is to turn on the power switch Computer manufacturers don t tell you where to find the power switch let alone any of the hidden controls you might need to keep the computer going And Microsoft doesn t tell you how to fix Windows when it breaks You have to know where to look or you might never find that essential but elusive piece of information Consider this book to be your guide Ifyou change the wrong combination of Windows features and functions by accident you may end up with a very broken system and the feeling that you ll never get it fixed again When something goes wrong you might see a message that provides no useful information and even worse no hint at all about how to recover Again don t give up The text of the e
25. there s a graphic display on the screen device drivers are sending and receiving commands and data through each of the computer s input and output devices and Windows XP controls the computer When one of the programs in the startup sequence fails it produces a distinctive error message of some kind If there s a failure during POST the computer sounds a series of beeps that identify the type of problem after the central processor begins to communicate with the video display error messages appear on the screen Chapter 3 offers a guide to finding and understanding error messages during startup Not every message that appears before Windows loads is an error message Depending on the specific BIOS settings you will probably see a series of other messages scroll down your screen maybe telling you about IDE and video settings hard drive configuration or some other results of individual POST tests As a general rule if Windows starts normally and you don t hear an unusual beep code you can assume that the POST didn t detect any problems Troubleshooting Windows Failures After startup is complete and Windows is in control error messages and other failures generally follow a consistent pattern If there s enough life left in the system to display a message Windows will try to tell you what has gone wrong If the problem is truly catastrophic you might see nothing but a Black Screen of Death Black Screens A Black Scree
26. tools from the CD to repair a damaged Windows installation or load or reload a new operating system The emergency boot diskettes for older Windows versions take advantage of this feature If your hard drive has a problem if your system won t boot or if you suspect that you may have a virus the best way to restore or repair Windows is probably to boot from the Windows CD and run the Repair routine or to boot with an antivirus recovery floppy or CD The BIOS setup utility allows you to change the order in which the BIOS reads the drives To boot from a CD or other removable media rather than a hard drive or a floppy move that drive up to the Number 1 position in the boot sequence list Turn Num Lock On or Off When the Num Lock control is on the number keys at the right side of most keyboards becomes a 10 key keypad similar to the keyboard on a stand alone calculator When Num Lock is off those keys control motion around a document The choice of which set of functions should be active when the computer starts is a matter of personal preference but if the computer always starts with Num Lock in the wrong condition it can be a continuing source of irritation It s worth setting Num Lock to your liking To change the startup Num Lock setting look for the Boot Up Num Lock Status option in one of the Advanced Options screens In the Phoenix Award BIOS setup utility it s in the Advanced BIOS Features menu in AwardBIOS look i
27. vi Chapter 20 Things to Do Now Before Your Computer Crashes cccccecseeeseeeeseseenaes 231 Appendix A Device Manager Error Codes and BIOS POST Beep Codes scceereeeees 245 Appendix B Free and Inexpensive Security Programs for Windows XP sscsseeeereeeees 257 NS Xa vase Satie con backcakancabrasa a a a nat ae Sanath ae Laura beckon weaned ag 259 Brief Contents CONTENTS IN DETAIL ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xv INTRODUCTION xvii 1 TROUBLESHOOTING METHODS AND TOOLS 1 Troubleshooting Basics iio e r ued e E MEN Mee MUN en Seals 2 What May Have Gone Wrong cesecesecseseseeeseeneesnseeseesnaeeneesteeeneeneessaes 2 What Has Changed sarati bc cat aa een vac a Teini a ETEA TREI AAA da a aAA 2 Record Your Seps nesoni eie r a e one e a aaa DEEI E E REEE 3 Is This a New Problem Has It Ever Done This Before i c 3 Start witha Plains eteren esra eA ae EEEE O Er anA dad aera vacenvbupetenpereagtens 4 1 Identify the Symptoms ccccccccecececeeeeeeesceeeesceeeseeecneeeesseeeeneeecteeeseeeesa 4 2 Try Restarting the Computer c csscsceseeeseeeseeseeeeeseeeseeeneeseseeeeesteeeteeeens 7 3 Look foran Explanation css siia odia ani a a a a 8 4 Places folook for Help sis stsceseadavscgabestasccbeastasa a a e EEA 14 DSTI E EER SEEE EE E E EE EE E EEE loess 22 6 Checkithe Result aiaa iN a a e i e aaae e Mec 22 Ze Keeprd Record of the FIX temeiosiitoi iaeiei eea E E E EE 22 Suikrevent GiRepeat earna
28. which you can download free from www microsoft com athome security spyware software displays a pop up message like the one shown in Figure 2 3 when a program adds itself to the list of programs that run automatically during startup Other antimalware applications and utilities do the same This is useful and impor tant information that you will want to know about Unfortunately many other programs also foist pop ups onto your screen whether you want them or not Instant messaging system utilities and even some entirely harmless websites all produce pop up windows Except for the ones where the pop up message is an essential feature such as nonfatal Windows error messages most programs that use pop ups include some kind of option for turning them off Types of Windows Problems and Failures 35 36 z j An Apple slis Change kurs AD Caan bee i a eee ee Figure 2 3 Some pop up windows do provide useful and timely information Many pop up windows are nothing more than visual clutter on your screen If you never use instant messaging use the Add Remove Programs tool in the Control Panel to delete the messaging programs that Windows America Online Internet service providers and helpful software packages have installed on your computer Service Pack 2 SP2 for Windows XP includes a Pop up Blocker tool for Internet Explorer To turn the tool on or off or to change its settings open the Tools menu and choose the Po
29. 43 44 NOTE Chapter 3 Non System Disk Error One of the most common startup error messages looks like this Non system disk or disk error Replace and press any key when ready This message appears when the first disk drive or other storage device that the processor tries to read does not contain a copy of Windows or some other operating system The startup routine ignores drives with no media in them but if there s a floppy disk or a CD in the startup drive or if the proc essor can t find a copy of Windows on the hard drive configured as the C drive the computer will display a Non system disk message Just because it can t find Windows doesn t mean that it s not there it may simply be missing one or more key startup files The error message is very badly written it doesn t really want you to replace and press any key but to replace a disk and then press a key To solve this problem make sure there are no disks in the floppy disk drive or the CD drive and then press the space bar or some other key on your key board This will instruct the computer to try reading the startup drive again If the same error message appears again the problem is in your hard drive the hard drive does not contain the Windows startup files the startup files are on the drive but they are damaged or the computer is having trouble reading the drive because the drive has been damaged or the cables to the drive are not
30. A as ve fbi att a lasl var aes Tibi ier eee ee ie bere TEF ey Figure 3 5 The Boot Log includes a status line for each driver that loads with Windows The top line of the Boot Log shows the version of Windows and the date and time that the log was created Each of the following lines lists the status of a driver either Loaded driver or Did not load driver A Did not load driver log entry tells you that Windows could not find the driver file or the file is damaged The Boot Log lists the drivers in the order in which Windows tried to load them In most cases the most important entry in a Boot Log for a failed startup is at the bottom of the list because that entry probably shows the name of a critical file that failed to load When the name of a driver file appears in the Boot Log without a path that file is located in the root directory which is the one that contains the ntbtlg txt file If a driver file is in a different folder the Boot Log shows the file s full path address such as WINDOWS System32 DRIVERS filename Solving Those Did Not Load Errors You will probably see several Did not load items in the Boot Log even if Windows seems to have loaded successfully and appears to be working properly Some of the drivers or services that do not load will be relics from programs or devices that you have removed from your system but still contain references in the Registry You can remove those references with a Reg
31. Computer from the desktop and right click the floppy disk drive It s almost always the A drive 3 In the pop up menu click the Format command When the Format win dow shown in Figure 20 5 appears check the Create An MS DOS Startup Disk option ra im ie jr o Bin a a Le varna sar i yas V paite rF T Erea e h C_m e Figure 20 5 Use the Format tool to create an MS DOS Startup Disk 4 Click the Start button Things to Do Now Before Your Computer Crashes 241 242 If your computer does not have a floppy disk drive you will need either a boot CD or similar software on some other media that your computer can read such as a USB flash drive Your best approach is to find a friend ora colleague whose computer still has a floppy drive or try the public library and copy the contents of a boot floppy to a CD Windows XP does not provide an easy way to create a boot CD so you ll have to use a utility from another source e Datapol www datapol de dpe freeware offers a free program called NTFS4dos that provides full access to the files on an NTFS drive e The Bootdisk com www bootdisk com website contains links to startup software for many Windows versions and for other operating systems e Free PC Tech offers links to several boot disks but they re all self extracting files that write the software to a floppy disk Go to http freepctech com pc 002 files010 shtml and scroll down the page After y
32. Editor Find and highlight the name of the item you want to disable Choose Edit gt Rename You should see brackets around the item name Click the highlighted name to insert the cursor in the highlighted text ere C87 PO Move the cursor to the end of the item name and add xx to the name For example change EULA to EULAxx as shown in Figure 9 4 Mame Type beta ipera EG SZ value not get BEUL A REG_OWORD OxQO000001 1 Figure 9 4 To temporarily disable a Registry item add xx to the name 6 Move the cursor away from the item you want to change click to save the edited name and then close the Registry Editor If the name change produces the result you want you can either leave the edited version alone or delete the edited item though it s best to leave it in the Registry just in case a problem appears later If the edited name creates a new problem repeat the name change procedure but this time remove the xx from the item name Adding a New Registry Item In most cases new items are added to the Registry as part of a program or a device driver s installation routine However you may need to add a new item or key to the Registry in order to create a new option setting from scratch or to add a new setting to an existing entry Any procedure that calls for adding a new registry item should include specific instructions that tell you exactly where to place the new item what type of item to add and the exact
33. For instructions on reaching tech support for XP and other Microsoft products go to http support microsoft com That 35 fee probably means that you won t call or e mail Microsoft until you have tried everything else you can think of And that s how Microsoft wants you to treat their support services as a last resort If nothing else can solve a problem their technicians are ready and waiting to help you Some people believe that Microsoft and other companies should provide support at no charge after all we wouldn t need to call for help if the products weren t so flaky Maybe so maybe not but the vast majority of support calls are questions whose relatively simple answers are in the installation guide or the online Help included with the product It costs companies money to maintain call centers and pay the support people so it does make business sense to discourage people from treating them as the first place to go for help rather than the last resort If the call centers can t solve the problem or if you can convince the support people that the prob lem was caused by a bug in the software you can often convince them to refund the service request fee If your copy of Windows was supplied with your computer Microsoft doesn t want to talk to you Your first point of contact should be the computer manufacturer s tech sup port center or website Some are better than others but the support centers at major manufacturers lik
34. If you or some body else using your computer change a setting or a new program or component makes the change automatically you ll often have to find and reset some hidden option setting or menu item to change it back to the original configuration Troubleshooting Basics Chapter 1 The first step in troubleshooting Windows is to find as much information as possible about the problem If an error message appears on the monitor screen read the whole message it won t always tell you exactly how to fix the problem but it s usually a good starting point And even if the message itself doesn t contain any useful advice you can often look up the text in Microsoft s Knowledge Base or in some other online source of information that will offer a better and more detailed explanation Troubleshooting Windows is a lot easier when you have access to the Internet because many of the sources of helpful information are websites If you can t go online with the computer that has the problem and you don t have access to a second computer you might have reached a temporary dead end you ll have to either borrow another computer or go someplace where you can use one such as the home or office of a friend or colleague an Internet caf or the public library Even better try to borrow a laptop or other portable and set it up near the one you re trying to fix You will save a lot of time and aggravation if you can read instructions for p
35. It s important to under stand what the BIOS settings can do and how to restore them to a standard configuration when the computer just won t start up or it does something really strange after you tweak a setting To make things more complicated there isn t a single standard for BIOS commands and settings Most computers use BIOSes made by AMI Award or Phoenix but there are also some other less common types Each of the Underneath It All The BIOS 99 100 companies that provide BIOS software uses a different set of commands command set and the BIOS for each make and model of computer mother board the big circuit board inside the computer includes specific features and options that control that particular motherboard Therefore your BIOS settings might use different commands and options from the ones described in this chapter and the screens you see on your video display might be quite different from the examples here Each manufacturer uses a different self test sequence and a different layout for the configuration screens but the informa tion is similar for all of them The best place to find a full explanation of your own computer s BIOS specific settings is the user guide or other manuals supplied with your computer or motherboard If you can t find the manual look in the motherboard manufacturer s website for a downloadable copy And for even more detail check out The Definitive BIOS Optimization Guide at htt
36. Last Known Good Configuration option and press the ENTER key 8 Ifthis procedure does not solve the problem try to either install a new copy of the device driver from the disk supplied with the device or down load the latest version of the driver from the Internet See Where to Find New Drivers on page 70 for a list of online sources for device drivers Code 21 Windows is removing this device Code 21 Code 21 errors are short term conflicts that occur during the brief period of time when Windows is in the process of uninstalling a device After the uninstall is complete the name of the device will no longer appear in the Device Manager list If the device is still in the list restart the computer Code 22 This device is disabled Code 22 Error Code 22 indicates that the device was disabled by a user at some time in the past The icon next to the name of a disabled device has a red X over the image To enable the device follow these steps 1 Right click the name of the device in the Device Manager list 2 Choose Enable from the pop up menu Code 24 This device is not present is not working properly or does not have all its drivers installed Code 24 Code 24 errors appear when Windows is unable to detect a device This can happen when a hardware device is not working properly the power switch is turned off the device driver software is damaged or the device driver version doesn t match the hardware To s
37. Problems isiende aneen iaa ira e eai 38 Where Do We Go from Here cccccccccccceseececccececusuucececcsceuuuaceceececeuuaureesecesauaaansess 38 3 WHAT TO DO WHEN WINDOWS WON T START 39 The Windows Startup Sequence cccseceeesseeeteesteeeeeseeeeecncesseesnieenaeesteeeneeneensaes AO Power on Self Test POST sierici niechciana ieie 40 a Ke CA E AE EA E T O ecepherauatt 40 Initial Startup What Happens When You Push the Button o oo 41 Runithe Boot Loader sseni nania e a a a caseseee 41 Detect and Configure Hardware ccccceesceseeeseceescceseeeneeeeeeesteesneesntesereees Al Load the Windows Kernel cscceseceseceeeceeesseenseseneeseseeneesteeeentesttesneesens A2 LOG OM is ba ituthaninscach adeuietannrcadeton his E E T 42 So What Can Go Wrong sneri nisieip aian e aa A A E SRI ceased 42 Making Sense of Startup Error Messages s cceseeeeeesteeeeeeteesteeeneenseensaes 43 Returning to the Last Known Good Configuration ccccceecseeeseeeteeseeeesseeeeeeneetteeens 45 Bypassing Windows with the Recovery Console c cccccescseceseeereeeteestseeseeeneeeteeeens 46 Solving Startup Problems with the Recovery Console c cceccsseeesteeseeereees 47 Sale MOde m inr an ia Na a a Naa a me aaa aE a a a aa aa aa a ia a Na Ka Eai 48 The System Configuration Utility eeieeeeseeeeesiesissrieestrstrstrrrtsstrsestrsttestrsresersressta 48 Using the Configuration Utility to Streamline Startup
38. Questions http search2 intel com support And even if the problem appears to be with some other company s prod ucts try a general search at http support microsoft com The Microsoft Windows XP Knowledge Base includes a lot of information about Windows problems caused by non Microsoft products For more about searching for help see Chapter 6 What to Do When Windows Is Acting Oddly Over time the look and feel of Windows becomes part of your working environment You know what the screen is supposed to look like and how the keyboard the mouse and the other devices connected to the main processor respond to your instructions But when one or more of those elements changes the whole computer no longer feels right and your productivity goes straight out the window that s the proverbial window not one of the windows on your screen It could be a different background color or type face or the way the on screen cursor responds when you move your mouse or any of a long list of other things that you didn t think about until they went wrong if it s never done that before changing a minor setting can be just as distracting as a total failure It s easy to think about Windows as a well integrated package but it s really a large collection of separate elements that all contribute to the look and feel of the computer sort of like a helicopter which has been defined as a set of spare parts moving though the air in close
39. Upgrade My Hardware cccesseeeseeeeeeeeeenseenseeneeees 173 Is This a License to SNOOP 0 eeeceeseeeeeceeeeeececeeeceeeessecneeenseenteeeneenseenates 174 What About Registration Sss cscesstussiugelsseecobesebacadesh tha n ES 174 16 TROUBLESHOOTING AND REPLACING HARD DRIVES 175 Restoring the Computer to Useful Operation ccccesceesseeeeeeneeeeeeeeeeeeseeeneeeereeeneee 176 Installing a New Hard Drive ccsccesceeeseceseceeeeeeseceteeceeeeeseseneceneesereeeseesneeeneeseneee 177 Mountinig the Drive nsnsi sinna aio rita coded peewee sa i ea Ai badd lene 178 Changingthe BIOS Seting niione neren a N EEE 179 Formatting the Drives misie isee it n e EAA AoE Ea aa EA EEEE 179 Replacing a Drive in a Laptop Computer ccecccesseeeeeeeeeceteesseeensecnsecneesneeneenaees 182 What About USB Drives neicsieiisensecrm iooi Tni i darter E T 182 Recovering Your Data aa aana n A a A sa ASENA ET ONTA OAE NA 183 Recovering Data from a Laptop Drive s sssseeesersresrieeistieristrieetstrsristrseeistrerisersret 185 Troubleshooting Hard Drives cccccceeseseseeseeeeeseeereeenseseeesneeesneesneesteeeeteeetteeteeeses 186 Jompers on ATA Drives a regateo eE N E A E S 186 Cable Con ecthons sesno i a a a a a a a tee 187 BIOS Senings sin ioi aa a a a a T aa ean a aia 188 Contents in Detail xi Moving a Hard Drive to a New Computer ccceceeeceeecseseseseeeeneeeneesneeseneeeneeenseeses 190 What to Tell the Service Guy
40. Windows Won t Start 51 52 www answersthatwork com Tasklist_pages tasklist htm www bleepingcomputer com startups These sites tend to come and go without warning so you might not find the information you need on all of them If you can t find a startup item in the first place you look try another site or run a Google search on the name of the item However be warned Several other sites that claim to offer similar lists are really just come ons to paid subscription services you should be able to find the same information without paying for it Don t worry about turning off an essential program by accident If Windows won t restart properly you can restore a startup item by replacing the check mark next to its name You might have to work through the list and turn startup items on one ata time to find the essential one but you won t do any permanent damage by turning something off just to see what happens The Boot Log A History of Startup Programs Chapter 3 When Windows fails to start correctly the failure may occur because one or more of the programs in the boot sequence does not load A list of startup programs that shows whether each program has started can help you find the specific source of the problem There is one it s called the Boot Log The Boot Log does not store this information every time Windows starts but when Windows fails to start properly you can turn on the logger and then restart the computer to c
41. a Windows computer The world s greatest expert on highly complex structured databases or Java programming is not necessarily the person who can help you recover data from a hard drive with a damaged boot loader If your cousin or your neighbor tells you that he or she really doesn t know much about Windows it s probably true Dealing with Microsoft Tech Support Chapter 18 If you can t find a solution to a Windows problem in the built in Help system or the documents in Microsoft s online Product Solution Centers you may want to ask Microsoft for one on one assistance Microsoft offers technical support services by telephone e mail and live online one to one text messaging The first couple of support calls for Windows XP are free but after that there s a flat 35 per request fee regard less of the method you use to communicate with them Other Microsoft products have their own price structures for support services The two free calls are enough for most people to solve installation and setup problems but the 35 charge is enough to discourage most users from calling for support when the solution is available from another source such as the online Knowledge Base or the Help screens built into Windows NOTE Prepaid support contracts and other alternatives to per call support are also available from Microsoft but those services are usually more appropriate for large businesses than for smaller organizations and home users
42. a fatal error Many other problems are less serious so they don t force the entire computer to shut down Some of these errors might cause a single program to close but Windows itself will keep running Others will simply interrupt a program without closing it completely Responding to Nonfatal Error Messages Nonfatal error messages can come from Windows and from applications and utility programs These error messages usually show up in pop up windows When an error message does appear read the text That seems obvious but it s often tempting to just close the thing and get on with your work This is like ignoring the Check Engine light in your car and hoping that it will go away it s a bad idea It s always better to fix a minor problem now than to wait for it to turn into something more serious later on Types of Windows Problems and Failures 31 32 Sometimes the text contains instructions for fixing the problem but often the most useful part of the message is some odd string of letters and numbers at the top or bottom of the window such as Stop 0X000000024 Either way the first thing to do when any error message appears is to copy the com plete text including any ID numbers and other strange codes The program or other software that produces an error message almost always identifies itself someplace in the error message window For the name of the offending software check the title bar of the window that contains the me
43. a few exceptions like using a cleanup utility to get rid of orphaned entries that no longer do anything that s good advice Still there are times when editing the Registry is the only way to fix a problem so it s useful to understand how the Registry is organized and how to modify it safely Nevertheless you should always treat changing the Registry as a last resort and approach it with care The major exceptions to the Don t mess with it rule are certain troubleshooting and repair procedures you may find in the Microsoft Knowledge Base or instructions from some other software support center These may call for specific changes to the Registry especially when eliminating certain nasty spyware programs If you find a Knowledge Base article or a set of instructions for killing a spyware problem or performing some other task that instructs you to edit the Registry follow them exactly as written If you do try to edit the Registry be sure to make a backup copy of it first TIl show you how and follow the editing instructions as closely as possible Don t assume that you can apply some kind of logical analysis to the Registry format that will let you figure out what the new entry ought to be if you don t know exactly what to change and how to change it don t improvise Opening Reading and Editing the Registry While several third party programs such as Registry Commander www aezay dk aezay regcmd will edit the Regist
44. a full time support center can use but often an experienced user with a slightly different perspective from your own is all that s necessary to find and fix a problem However it s important to be aware that some self defined computer experts don t know much more than you do You have to trust your own instincts about this but there are a few common warning signs For example if your adviser ignores the text of a Blue Screen error message and immed iately suggests some kind of major repair such as reformatting the hard drive or replacing the motherboard before they try any less destructive methods or if they somehow seem too enthusiastic about opening up the computer with out a good reason you should look for a second opinion before you allow them to perform any potentially destructive repairs Thank your expert politely for their help and take the computer back before they can make the problem more serious than it is already Remember that you re asking your friend or cousin for valuable advice and help If possible give them something in return mow their lawn or invite them to a nice dinner or something And have some sympathy if your source of free support works on computers for a living you re asking him or her to take on extra work on their own time Finally keep in mind that not everyone who works with computers is a Windows guru someone who is an expert Macintosh or Unix user might never lay hands on
45. always important to keep careful track of exactly what you have done if the fix creates new problems you should try to restore the system to its original if broken condition before moving on to the next good idea And remember that the whole system of strangers helping strangers through the Internet works both ways If you discover somebody asking a question about a problem that you know how to solve please share your knowledge This isn t a chapter about Eastern religion but you can think of this as a form of karma Assume that good deeds in the form of contri butions to the Collective Wisdom of the Internet will lead to positive consequences SOLVING DEVICE DRIVER PROBLEMS Windows was designed as a general purpose operating system that would work with just about any kind of peripheral device If there s a way to convert information to or from digital form Windows should be able to handle it But two complications make these design goals difficult to achieve First every device may handle information slightly differently so Windows needs a different set of commands and controls for each device Second new and different devices come to market all the time In order to support this tremendous variety of inputs and outputs Windows uses device drivers to convert between the specific commands and data used by a particular device and the generic commands and data that the computer processor knows how to handle One of the
46. and the computer displays a generic Windows desktop it might automatically detect and install one or more device driver or drivers If the driver was not included in the Windows disk use the driver disk supplied with each device or down load new drivers from each manufacturer s website see Chapter 5 for a list of Internet links to sources for device driver software If your computer or motherboard came with a driver disk place it in the drive and use the installation software on the disk to load these drivers If you have a copy of the latest Windows XP Service Pack on a CD place the disk in the drive and install the service pack Use the Windows Update command in the Start menu Start gt All Programs gt Windows Update to download and install updates through the Internet If you don t have a CD Windows Update will also load the latest Service Pack After Windows restarts for the last time run Windows Update again to confirm that you have loaded all available updates Choose the Custom option to see a list of nonessential but useful updates including the lat est versions of utilities new add on programs and updated device drivers 13 Allow the Automatic Updates function to find and install all of the patches security updates new drivers and other updated software as it becomes available You can specify either an automatic download or a request for a manual download 14 Install your antivirus and antispyware utili
47. and the first module in the second socket and so forth e Ifall of the modules work separately but not when they re all in place it s possible that they have different speeds or different latency ratings as reported by Memtest86 or the power supply is not compatible with your motherboard If the modules have different ratings try replacing them with modules that have identical speeds and ratings or buy and install a single new module that has at least the same number of mega bytes as the total of all the old modules For example if the computer has two 256MB modules you could remove both of them and use one new 512MB or 1024MB 1GB module Troubleshooting and Replacing Other Hardware 195 196 NOTE Chapter 17 e When you have confirmed that all of the memory modules in the com puter have identical speeds and latency ratings open the BIOS Settings menu and look for the settings usually in the Advanced Chipset section for CAS latency tRCD RAS to CAS delay tRP RAS Precharge and tRAS minimum Active to Precharge delay All four of these settings should match the ratings for your memory modules as reported by Memtest86 Don t worry about understanding what these settings mean the important thing is that they match Mismatched modules are sup posed to default to the slowest setting but sometimes they can produce Blue Screens in Windows e Find the BIOS setting for SRAM Frequency and confirm that it matches th
48. any trouble But some drive makers require an alternate jumper setting or some other obscure configuration to bypass the capacity limit if you don t know the secret handshake you may spend hours beating your head against the table as you try to get the thing to format properly If your drive won t format itself with a capacity close to the size shown on the drive label but don t forget about the difference between binary and decimal kilobytes and megabytes look for instructions in the manual supplied with your drive or in the Support section of the drive manufacturer s website When Windows is up and running on a new boot C drive install all the extra drivers and other software necessary to activate your video controller network interface sound card and other peripheral devices and services Don t forget to load the latest Windows patches updates and service pack and your antivirus and antispyware software To link to the Windows Update website open Internet Explorer and select Tools gt Windows Update SATA Drives Within a few years Serial ATA SATA will become the standard interface for hard drives CD and DVD drives and other storage media SATA drives produce less heat than IDE drives they are easier to install and replace because they don t require jumpers and the connectors are easier to handle The smaller cables shown in Figure 16 2 also improve the flow of air and the cooling inside the computer cas
49. are helpful friendly and knowledgeable They will know exactly where to find answers to your questions or if they don t they ll take it as a If All Else Fails Call Tech Support 213 214 NOTE Chapter 18 challenge to work with you until a solution emerges Most of the time Microsoft s support folks will spend as much time with you as necessary to solve your problem even if it s a matter of several hours or more However others never move away from the standard scripts they learned during their training And now that Microsoft has shifted much of their support operation to South Asia it can sometimes be extremely difficult to cut through very heavy accents and noisy telephone lines to understand exactly what the support people are telling you to do Support technicians in Asia are often as knowledgeable and helpful as their colleagues in North America and Europe but the combination of an unfamiliar accent and a bad connection can create an impenetrable barrier It can be almost painful to try to obtain help by telephone from technicians whose heavily accented English forces you to ask them to repeat almost every sentence The people who run many offshore call centers want you to feel comfortable with their support people so they instruct them to use Western names such as Richard instead of Rajeesh or Irene instead of Indira They also instruct them to drop refer ences to American sports into the conve
50. are notorious as channels for distributing spyware Protecting Against Spyware It seems as if some people will grab every possible opportunity to advertise their products or services whether you want to hear about them or not Highway billboards telemarketers junk faxes e mail spam and spyware are all among the unfortunate forms that advertisers use to force themselves upon potential consumers There is some debate about whether such marketers are a higher or lower life form than pond scum but it s a close thing Either way it s in your interest to keep these creeps and their programs out of your computer It s essential to protect yourself and your computer against spyware Protection is a three step process 1 Identify spyware programs that have already inflicted themselves upon your system 2 Remove them 3 Establish a barrier that protects your computer against future spyware infestations Like viruses new spyware appears constantly and existing programs change their names to escape detection Because spyware is constantly evolving you can t just install a spyware filter and forget about it you must keep it up to date Even if you never venture over to the shady parts of the Internet spyware will find you soon enough Finding and Removing Spyware As soon as you discover that your system has been taken over by a specific spyware program you re on your way to getting rid of it For example if you discove
51. at the symptoms and the individual components that are not working properly In most cases a calm examination of the problem will take you most of the way toward a solution IF ALL ELSE FAILS CALL TECH SUPPORT You ve tried all the troubleshooting tech niques in this book but nothing seems to solve your particular problem The computer still displays an unhelpful error message every time you turn the thing on and you have replaced everything except the screws that hold the case together There s nothing about this problem in the user manual or the online Knowledge Base and a Google search only produces pleas from other people who are facing the same problem Now what It s time to ask for help from a living breathing expert Asking an expert offers at least two important benefits First if you have already spent several hours or more trying to solve a problem a second brain can provide a fresh view of the situation and possibly discover symptoms and solutions that you have overlooked And second a bona fide expert might have seen the same or similar problems before and know what it takes to fix them 210 We mentioned some of these sources of assistance in Chapter 1 In this chapter we ll describe the various types of technical support in more detail and offer some advice about getting the most out of them Warranty Service When you bought your computer it probably came with a warranty that provides prep
52. at the right side of the home page are top level headings that link you to a list of more specific topics and eventually to an article about a single subject In most cases you come to Help because you re looking for very specific information so you can elimi nate some of the intermediate steps by using the Index function from the toolbar or the Search function from the section directly under the toolbar If you don t see either of these tools click the Change View icon at the top of your Help window The two search tools produce two different sets of results The Index tool limits the search to the Help articles that are supplied with Windows and stored in your own computer the Search function finds articles from the Microsoft Knowledge Base on the Internet and provides links to both local and online articles The major advantage of the Index tool is that it displays a complete list of all the local Help articles related to Windows XP As Figure 6 2 shows the left side of the Index window contains a long list of keywords In many cases it s easier to browse through the list than it is to guess the right keyword for a search When you choose a keyword the computer will either display a list of related topics or take you directly to a specific Help article DB lewd a freed bo connect to pour pompae with Reet Acie arate r Munic video gamen ard photos D DA seer oe fed eee bees OP peepee gt Windows baaice Pick a tare
53. back up my data e What kind of media should I use to store the backup copies e What method should I use to make the copies What Should Back Up It s almost never necessary to back up absolutely everything on your hard drive You already have copies of both Windows and the application programs that run on your computer on the CDs and diskettes that were used to distribute the software When you have to replace a drive it s almost always easier to reinstall the software from scratch rather than trying to restore it from a backup You might have to spend some time changing the config uration settings and options and downloading patches and updates through the Internet but in most cases that s not a particularly big deal Of course this assumes that all of the software on your computer came in colorful boxes from commercial sources It s likely that you re also using some programs and utilities that you downloaded through the Internet and stored on your hard drive You might even have some programs that you created yourself If your only copy of a program is on your hard drive you should either create a set of copies on CDs or other removable media or make a list of the programs and the web addresses where you can download another copy of each one You can almost always find the web address for downloadable programs by opening the File menu and choosing About Print a couple of copies of the list of downloaded programs and st
54. both of them What Backup Method The least complicated way to back up your data is simply to use Windows Explorer to copy them from the hard drive to the backup storage media It may be easy but it s also tedious you ll have to copy each folder and file separately This process consumes a lot of time and they take a lot of space on the storage media because the backed up files and folders aren t compressed A dedicated backup program or a program that creates an image of the whole drive is the better approach Microsoft has included a backup utility with Windows XP but if you re using an earlier version you ll have to find one from another source Symantec s Norton Ghost product is widely distributed through retail software channels and several other backup programs are available as try before you buy shareware The Tucows web site www tucows com downloads Windows IS IT FileManagement BackupRestore offers links and ratings for a long list of these programs To use the Backup Utility in Windows XP follow these steps From the Windows desktop open My Computer 2 Right click the icon for the drive you want to back up and choose Properties from the pop up menu 3 Open the Tools tab and click the Backup Now button The Backup Utility will open 4 Open the Backup tab to open the window shown in Figure 20 1 ab Backup Utility Untitted ai x Bb Ede Vew Jasi Help Amz Pati See miea hia bio aein ia en
55. can look at all of the buried configuration options until you find the one that you want That s often tedious but Microsoft hasn t given us much choice Just about all of the windows and dialog boxes that control parts of the Windows user interface are accessible from the Control Panel so that s the best place to start Chapter 10 includes a more detailed guide to all of the options and settings that control elements of the Windows XP user interface Pop up Ads and Redirected Web Pages Your Desktop Under Attack Chapter 2 Unwanted windows that contain advertisements and bogus information messages that appear on your screen without warning and unwanted web pages that show up in your browser are all symptoms of some kind of interference with Windows Either a virus a hijack program or some other type of malware software that deliberately does uninvited unwanted and often harmful nasty or annoying things to your computer has probably introduced itself into your system Malware can take several forms e Adware is software that displays advertisements when your computer is connected to the Internet and a specific program is running e Spyware is software that gathers information from your computer without your permission and sends it to somebody else through the Internet Spy ware often tracks the websites you have visited reads your data files or captures your keystrokes e Hijacking software changes the settings for yo
56. computer If nothing happens when you plug in the drive try restarting the computer If that doesn t work make sure your computer has Windows XP Service Pack 2 installed If you re using a flash drive download and install the Microsoft USB Flash Drive Manager program UFDSetupWizard msi from www windowsmarketplace com prices aspx itemId 1 744677 Recovering Your Data NOTE Unless the physical platters inside the drive are severely damaged it s probably possible to recover the data from a bad drive In extreme cases you might need to send the drive to a very expensive recovery service that will take the drive apart in a clean room environment and replace the damaged parts but it can be done Before you spend that money try the techniques in this section to read your files with special recovery software The most important thing to remember when a drive appears to fail is don t panic At least not yet One way or another you can probably get your files back Once again remember that you will not have to recover as much data from a damaged drive if you make regular and frequent backups It s often easy to confuse a software failure on a hard drive in which Windows can t read data because of damage to the File Allocation Table FAT the boot sector or other sectors with a hardware failure caused by a physical or mechanical problem in the drive itself These problems may include damage to the drive s motor circuit boar
57. computer and its associated software would fill an entire bookcase Of course the computer itself filled a whole room and probably cost several hundred thousand dollars or more so the cost of the documentation was a relatively small part of the total package Today the typical software product comes in an air box that contains nothing but a CD and maybe a single sheet of paper with installation instruc tions and half a dozen advertisements for other products A hardware package often includes some cables and a little package of screws and jumpers along with the CD and the product itself If there s a complete user manual in the package at all it s often in digital form in a file on the CD Printed manuals are still the easiest format to use but they re expensive to print and ship so many hardware and soft ware providers reduce their manufacturing costs by replacing their hard copy manuals with books encoded as PDF Adobe Acrobat files or as straight text or word processor files Considering that a 100 page manual could add 10 or more to the price of a product that retails for less than 100 that s a significant savings NOTE NOTE Look on the CD for pdf txt or doc files in the main directory or in a folder called Manual Documents or something similar If there s more than one program on the CD look for manuals in the folders or directories for each program While you can of course read a manual on scree
58. deal because it destroys all the files on that drive Running a full reinstall of Windows can be only a little less destructive But sometimes one or the other is a better approach to problem solving than trying to examine and repair every file on the drive one file at a time If none of the less brutal methods accomplish what you need to do go ahead and reinstall or reformat especially if you can salvage your data files first Remember your real objective is to get the computer working again if you can do that without losing any data that s fine The tools and methods in this book will help you fix things most of the time But when they don t you have better things to do with your life than chasing down a problem that doesn t want to be found THINGS TO DO NOW BEFORE YOUR COMPUTER CRASHES Maintaining your computer is just like any other complex piece of equipment There are a handful of tedious tasks that you should do on a regular schedule to keep the machine running properly and to avoid major problems You should change the oil in your car several times a year and replace the filter in your furnace every couple of months or they won t continue to perform as well as they should It s the same with a computer If you don t make backup copies of your data defragment the hard drive and run some other preventive maintenance on your computer its performance will gradually slow down Eventually some crucial component m
59. driver file Right click the name of the driver file and compare the date with the dates of other driver files if the Created date is more recent it s likely that the driver file is corrupt Confirm that the size of the file is greater than zero Re Oo DnS 5 If the driver file has been damaged use the device driver rollback tool to restore the file to its original condition In Start gt Run type devmgmt msc and click the OK button The Device Manager window appears on the screen 6 Find the device whose driver appears to be damaged You will probably see a red or yellow mark over the name of the device Double click the device name A Properties window appears 7 Select the Driver tab and click the Roll Back Driver button If Windows can find another earlier version of the driver file on your hard drive it will install that one in place of the current apparently defective file If it can t find another driver file it will display a message that offers to run the Troubleshooter If That Doesn t Work The Troubleshooter will probably tell you to uninstall and reinstall the driver but if you already know that the driver file is corrupted that s not much help If the advice in the Troubleshooter doesn t restore the driver try the following NOTE 1 Find the original driver disk that was supplied with the device or use another computer to download a new driver file from the Internet Try www drivers
60. e mail message and a variety of resources that you can find on the Internet As that old TV show kept telling us The truth is out there An expla nation of your problem is indeed out there someplace it s just a matter of knowing where to look Here are some places to find information that can help identify and solve the source of a problem Open the Built in Help Screens Windows XP and most programs that run under Windows include a set of help screens that often contain information about using and trouble shooting that software Unfortunately the quality of online help screens varies widely even within Windows XP some programs include everything a user will ever need while others tell you next to nothing Help screens might not do you much good if the computer has broken down completely unless you can check them on another machine but if you can get to the help screens they re often a good place to start Troubleshooting Methods and Tools 15 16 NOTE Chapter 1 Some programs use an interactive help system with links to the manufacturer through the Internet This can be a great way to provide the latest information about new fea tures functions and fixes To open the Help and Support Center in Windows XP choose the Help And Support option in the Start menu When the window shown in Figure 1 7 appears type a keyword that describes your problem in the Search field or open the Index window from the toolbar
61. each SCSI device has a unique ID number e Make sure all of the jumpers and DIP dual in line package switches on the motherboard and all expansion cards are in the right position Consult the manuals or online technical support web pages for each component to find the correct configuration for each switch or jumper e If you re still having power problems confirm that the computer s power supply is working If you have a voltmeter or a power supply tester and you know how to use it turn on the computer and check the voltages on 26 Chapter 2 one of the spare connectors that normally supply power to the disk drives If you don t have a meter turn on the computer and confirm that the fans on the motherboard are spinning If there is no power present it may be necessary to replace the power supply Checking a Laptop Computer A laptop or other portable computer can run on either external power or an internal battery so you should look for several additional sources of trouble e Ifyou re trying to run a laptop on battery power and you get no response confirm that a battery is in the battery compartment e Ifthe battery is in place try connecting the external power supply If that solves the problem recharge or replace the battery e Make sure the external power unit is securely plugged into the computer and the power unit s own power cable is plugged into a wall outlet a power strip uninterruptible power supply or
62. examine each component separately For example if your monitor goes dark check the video card or controller inside the computer the cable from the computer to the monitor and the monitor itself If you don t hear any sound coming from the speakers look for trouble in the sound card the cables and each of the speakers Formal troubleshooting methods include replacing individual com ponents testing suspect devices on another computer and dividing a circuit or a signal path into smaller segments However just about every experienced service technician also follows another important rule Look for a cheap and simple solution first NOTE Look for a Simple Fix Before you pull out the test equipment and start replacing circuit cards or other components make sure the problem was not caused by something you can fix easily like a power switch that is turned off or an unplugged cable You should try this kind of repair first for two reasons if it solves the problem you can be back to work in just a few minutes and you won t have to waste time with more complicated troubleshooting that doesn t accomplish anything Here are some of the easy to solve problems that you should check before moving on to a more formal troubleshooting routine e Is the computer turned on How about the other devices e Is power connected Is the AC power plugged in Are the batteries dead e Are all the other cables securely connected Check all the cab
63. from there If that doesn t work go to the section on printer problems in Chapter 17 for more information about troubleshooting printers The number of possible problems that can be caused by individual programs is limited only by the number of programs installed on your com puter This chapter has offered some try this first techniques that will help you solve problems in many programs but it can t possibly include everything If nothing in this chapter solves your specific problem look for specific infor mation about the program in question in the program s help files the user manual and the manufacturer s website and support center SERVICE PACKS PATCHES AND OTHER UPDATES In an ideal world every computer related product would work perfectly out of the box and it would continue to work as long as you own it Of course in that world technical support centers would answer the telephone on the first ring and fine champagne would run out of public drinking fountains In this world Windows XP other software device drivers and even your computer s BIOS all require periodic updates that allow them to interact with new products that weren t available when they were first released These updates also repair recently discovered problems add new features and help to protect your software from viruses and other security threats Finding and installing updates and patches is an essential skill for every computer
64. get through late at night Monday mornings and the days after holidays are the worst times to call especially for consumer products that have a habit of breaking over the weekend Many companies have moved their support centers overseas your call to a California area code might reach somebody in India or the Philippines This is not always a bad thing tech support gigs often pay very well by local standards so they attract smart people with strong computer skills The quality of an offshore support center can be every bit as good as one in North America Wherever they are located good tech support people are worth every penny or Rupee their employers pay them They are calm and friendly they know the product inside and out and they will stay with you until the problem has been solved But too many support centers measure their success by the number of calls each agent handles during a shift rather than the number of problems actually solved so the agents are under intense pressure to get rid of each caller within just a few minutes When you re talking to one of those sweatshops disguised as support centers you will probably receive an all purpose answer intended to make you go away unless your question is on their list of common problems and it won t be if you have done some research before calling Here are some of the most common go away and stop bothering me answers provided by incompetent support centers e Install the
65. greater than the value of the solution When you feel like you ve been beating your head against a brick wall it s often best to admit defeat and resort to extreme measures Ultimately you must shift your goal from identifying and repairing the problem that caused your computer to crash to restoring the computer to normal operation It s quite possible that you will never know exactly what caused the original problem but it s more important to get back to work than to find an elegant solution to a problem 222 When you have eliminated a hardware failure as the cause of the problem and nothing else restores your computer to normal operation the next to last thing to try is reinstalling Windows You can try a repair installation but because that preserves many of the existing registry settings and support for all of the programs installed on the computer it won t always fix a truly monumental Windows disaster If you do try the Repair option but it does not solve your problem a full Windows installation that replaces the whole operating system with a new copy of the software probably will However this creates a completely new registry so you will also have to reinstall all the other programs installed on the computer And if that doesn t work it s likely that your system is infected with one or more particularly ugly viruses or spyware that your security programs don t know how to eliminate or something else h
66. in series to a single port a SCSI bus Each SCSI port can support either eight or sixteen separate devices on a common channel or bus depending on the SCSI version One of those devices is the SCSI controller so the true maximum is either seven or fifteen devices per port Because the same input output port supports several devices each device must have a unique ID number If the same number is assigned to more than one device on the same bus none of the devices on that bus will work Some drives and other devices use jumpers to set the ID number and others use a thumbwheel or some other type of switch The documentation supplied with each drive or the manufacturer s website should tell you exactly how to set the ID number At the end of each SCSI bus the last item in the chain must be a resistor circuit called a terminator The terminator can be a TERM switch setting on a SCSI device or a separate plug that connects to the second SCSI connector on the last device in the chain Again the drive manual or manufacturer s website should contain specific instructions for terminating the SCSI bus The two common causes of problems with a SCSI drive are conflicting ID numbers and an unterminated SCSI bus If your BIOS fails to detect one or more SCSI drives confirm that each drive and the SCSI controller has a different ID number At the same time look at the last device in the chain to confirm that the chain is terminated BIOS Setti
67. in text mode the last line or two of text should identify the last part of the startup routine that worked properly e If the screen goes dark or if the Windows is loading graphic remains on the screen the first thing to do is nothing wait a couple of minutes to allow Windows to try to recover from the problem This doesn t always work but it s worth a try If there s no change after about five minutes try pressing the ESC key two or three times If that doesn t help use the Reset button on the front of the computer case and see if the computer starts properly this time if the same error appears again try booting the computer into Safe Mode e If an arrow or other mouse cursor is visible on the screen but nothing seems to be happening try moving the mouse If the cursor follows the mouse you can assume that the rest of Windows is still loading if there s no response on the screen when you move the mouse the computer has probably frozen Making Sense of Startup Error Messages An error message is often cryptic requiring a more detailed explanation before you can correct the problem that produced it The easiest way to find such an explanation is to use a second working computer to conduct an Internet search for the exact text of the message or some of its key words If you don t find what you re looking for on the Web try searching newsgroups You ll probably find it What to Do When Windows Won t Start
68. in the case the power supply and any plug in cards mounted on the motherboard e The hard drives There s no need to become a fanatic about dust inside the computer but you should open it up and remove the dust several times each year A small vacuum cleaner or a larger one with a small hose is the best tool for the job because it will provide a place for the dust to go but a compressed air hose or a soft brush will also work Be sure to turn off the computer before you start poking around inside and don t use a metal tool that could create short circuits or damage a fragile component In addition to the obvious dust collectors on the motherboard and other electronic circuit boards remember to clean the large flat surfaces on top of the hard drives and the sleeves and finger guards around all the fans If your computer has a tower cabinet dust has probably settled on the floor of the case so you should clean that area as well as the internal compo nents If you re using a desktop cabinet blow a shot of compressed air into the space between the motherboard and the bottom of the case reaching underneath the motherboard with a brush or a vacuum hose is not worth the trouble Things to Do Now Before Your Computer Crashes 243 244 Some computers including many laptop models have metal screens or mesh filters over the ventilation holes where the air enters the case These screens can capture airborne dust before it gets into th
69. includes menu items that change the time and date settings on the computer s internal clock You can change the settings here but it s probably easier to use the Date and Time program built into Windows Both the BIOS and Windows use the same clock and calendar so changes from either program also appear on the other To change the date and time double click the time at the lower right corner of your Windows desktop to open the Date Time Properties window Configuring Hard Drives and Other IDE Devices Integrated Device Electronics IDE devices are data storage devices that carry their electronic controllers in the same physical package as the device itself Underneath It All The BIOS 101 102 NOTE Chapter 8 Hard drives CD drives DVD drives and Zip drives are the most common types of IDE devices Each IDE connector on the motherboard can support two devices which it recognizes as a master and a slave Every IDE device has a set of jumpers next to the data connector that can set the device as either a master or a slave The instructions supplied with a new drive will include the correct jumper settings for that drive in most cases the jumper settings are also printed on the device itself If you re installing an older drive into a new machine look at the manufacturer s website for configuration information Some IDE hard drives and other devices such as CD drives require you to use different jumper settings for t
70. interfaces modem and so forth It wouldn t hurt to include some additional top level folders with other important programs and data including your e mail address book a text file that lists the con figuration settings for your Internet accounts e mail server addresses DNS servers and other information supplied by your service provider your web browser s Favorites or Bookmarks list and an antispyware utility With luck you won t ever need the files on this CD but if you do they will save a lot of time when you have to restore your portable computer while you re away from home base Use Device Driver Rollback to Solve a Conflict If an existing device stopped working after you installed a new device driver try using the Device Driver Rollback tool to return to an earlier driver Follow these steps to use this tool 1 Open Start gt Settings Control Panel gt System from the Classic menu or Start Control Panel gt System from the XP Start menu 2 Select the Hardware tab and click Device Manager When the Device Manager window appears see if any devices have a yellow exclamation point next to the device name If so double click the name of the device to open a Properties dialog box see Figure 5 6 Solving Device Driver Problems 73 74 Chapter 5 Figure 5 6 Use Roll Back Driver to return to an earlier version of a device driver Choose the Driver tab and click the Roll Back Driver button If a
71. is not yet available Resolution The Resolution section contains specific instructions for correcting a problem It might include a step by step procedure links to a download able software patch or a telephone number for a particular technical support center Status The Status section shows the current state of the problem If Microsoft has not yet identified a fix for a problem or if it has decided that it s a normal condition or some other company is responsible the Status sec tion will reflect that determination If Microsoft or some other supplier has solved the problem in a later release or a service pack that informa tion will also appear under Status More Information The More Information section contains additional facts about the con dition or problem described in the current article For example this appears in one article under More Information This problem stops occurring one week after the transition to daylight savings time Other Knowledge Base articles might include a step by step procedure for reproducing the behavior described in the current article in the More Information section References References are links and pointers to additional Knowledge Base articles and other Microsoft web pages that contain more information about the subject of this article Applies To The Applies To section always contains a list of one or more Microsoft products in which the condition described in this article is kno
72. it will not allow the computer to work properly such as a massive memory failure the system will either lock up or turn off the computer completely Some of these error messages halt the POST so the message remains visible on your monitor screen but others might scroll past before you can read them To stop the text from disappearing press the PAUSE BREAK key on the right of the normal keyboard To resume the startup routine hold down the CTRL key and press PAUSE BREAK again Beep Codes If the POST detects a memory problem or some other condition that keeps the video display from showing error messages a beep code will sound within the first 30 seconds after you turn on the computer If you hear a beep code note the number of long and short beeps and the order in which they sound See Appendix A for a list of common beep codes Each type of BIOS uses a distinct beep code pattern so it s relatively easy to identify the problem that produced the code even if you don t know the brand of BIOS your computer is using For example if you hear one long beep followed by three short beeps the computer has an AwardBIOS and the POST has detected a memory problem a 1 2 2 1 code one beep pause two beeps pause two beeps pause one beep indicates a keyboard problem on a PhoenixBIOS Some computer motherboards also display POST codes on an LED readout mounted on the board You ll have to remove the cover from the computer case to see
73. later If you copy them now you won t have to remove the drive again later to read them If all of these values are not printed on the label the computer s BIOS will probably detect them If not use the make and model number of the drive to look for the drive s specifications on the manufacturer s website To use an existing drive as the new primary drive move the jumper on the back of it from the slave to the master position replace the drive in the computer and connect the cables to the drive Changing the BIOS Setting After you reassemble the computer connect the power cable and turn it on Immediately press the key that opens the BIOS setting menu usually F2 or DELETE and go to the screen that shows the hard drive settings If the BIOS does not automatically detect the drive as the IDE Primary drive move the cursor to that menu item and press the ENTER key to run the autodetect function Formatting the Drive Before you can use a new hard drive or a floppy disk for that matter it s necessary to format the drive Formatting creates a file system on the drive along with one or more partitions each of which appears to Windows as a separate logical drive with its own drive letter and file allocation table The drive letters you see in the My Computer window are the names of Troubleshooting and Replacing Hard Drives 179 180 NOTE Chapter 16 logical drives If you want to assign more than one drive let
74. make sure the pages are not using the alternate path If the printer seems to be printing but nothing appears on the paper check the ribbon or the ink or toner supply Troubleshooting and Replacing Other Hardware 203 204 Chapter 17 J meray bn Pd es go Sate OF Leet Serine Oe TORT jp F Lose es heres 0 Figure 17 6 Confirm that the Print command is sending the document to the right printer Paper Jam If the printer reports a paper jam open up the printer and remove all sheets of paper from the paper path Then close the printer and make sure the On Line indicator is on Not Enough Memory If the printer stops printing a page that includes one or more complex graphic images before the page is complete the printer does not have enough internal memory to handle the job Either reduce the size or definition in dots per inch of the image or install more memory in the printer If you are trying to print two or more images on the same page reformat the document to place each picture on a separate page Wrong Font If the document prints with gibberish characters or if it the text appears in the wrong typeface make sure your printer recognizes the font used by your application program Confirm that the font is installed in your computer by opening Start gt Settings gt Control Panel gt Fonts If you can t find the name of the font shown in the application program either choose a different font in the application
75. menu the link to the Help system might be called Help Topics Contents or something similar If you can t find the information you need in a program s Help files try the Windows Help and Support Center README Files Many software vendors add a file called README to their distribution packages at the very last minute before they release the product to manu facture This file which might be called ReadMe txt readme htm or some other obvious variation contains information that they discovered too late to include in the user manual or other formal documentation It often includes instructions for fixing bugs compatibility problems with other software or hardware and other possible problems It s always a good idea to look for a README file before you install a new piece of software and when you encounter a problem after installation that isn t described in the online Help or the user manual In Windows XP the README HTM file contains a web page with links to three additional pages with last minute information about installation and setup and general release notes On the Windows XP Service Pack 2 CD the file is READMESP HTM The Microsoft Knowledge Base Chapter 6 Knowledge base is a fancy name for a collection of articles and other technical information that has been organized for easy searching Microsoft uses their Knowledge Base to distribute technical information about their products to their own technical support staff a
76. or service at a time then restart the computer after each modification until you isolate the program or service that is causing the startup problem This can be a tedious and time consuming process but it really is the best way to isolate the program that is keeping Windows from starting properly Every time you restart the computer after changing the list of startup items the Configuration Utility adds itself to the list of startup programs and displays the pop up window shown in Figure 3 4 after Windows has restarted Click OK to close this window When you are finished using the Configuration Utility check the Don t Show This Message option in the pop up window System Configuration Utility Daa arr amei For foresee dgr ete My be er ees ir er or Sobers rhe i en Lore laippa i Msg ees Cope eee ag an ag be Se ee ee ee ea ee T ee a Lb e ba Phe ear al e Be D a Pea ge a aN Pe Ir Ca RL a e d Figure 3 4 The System Configuration Utility opens this window after the computer restarts Once you have identified the program that is giving you grief there are several things you can do If it s not an essential program the best thing to do is to uninstall it If it s a program you use all the time try uninstalling it and reinstalling from the original CD or other media If the problem reappears use the Configuration Utility to temporarily disable the program and look for help from the software developer f
77. own problem to open that article be d rhe eri E i Engish Knowledge Base KB E ee Re EE i es l H ere oe mac i p ia Sh omen acca a i a SO eel LO ana Aami Bp Se ee ee eS eS Met Sere Se feces a ioe pee ere sae OR ee Lm cee p Ee ere a eee SE bead ieee Dee isun ee pe ee pee eee ee ee ee ee es es ee nn mpm a a pan ag y araa h ne ah GTi Mikki Shs ET Ts Ba ieg Salk ae ol Lies LAAN Aee res cede mima pre ree Bee Slee pes ery ee Ba Eee or Depp FrEE a OMS SEES SMR TE Aa HE Pe Figure 4 5 The Knowledge Base search tool returns a list of articles that may explain an error message If the Search page offers a choice of either Search the Knowledge Base or Search the whole Microsoft com site choose the second option Sometimes the essential nut of information you need is buried in an obscure article targeted at programmers If there s something useful hidden in another portion of the site you should do what you can to find it Figure 4 6 shows a typical Knowledge Base article If the problem you are facing is similar to the one described in the Symptoms section read the Cause section for an explanation and follow the steps in the Resolution section exactly as they appear in the Knowledge Base article If the trouble shooting advice in the Resolution section doesn t solve the problem read the More Information section and the other articles linked from there for more
78. power switch on the printer If you can find the thing that has changed you can almost always fix the problem The general rule is to look for as much information about the problem s symptoms as possible Here s a real world example One of my computers would crash with out warning after it had been running for an hour or more Windows displayed a Blue Screen error message that identified the problem as a hardware failure but none of the usual sources of information Microsoft tech support the hardware manufacturers websites and the combined wisdom of the Internet could tell me exactly what was going wrong I hadn t added or removed anything so I didn t think the computer s configuration had changed None of the usual tests came up with anything The best anybody could tell me was that the Stop codes indicated that it had something to do with hardware rather than Windows and maybe something was warmer than usual After several weeks of pain I figured out what had changed the com puter began to fail shortly after the floor in another room of the house had been sanded and refinished When I opened up the computer I discovered that the cooler that was supposed to keep the central processor from over heating was full of sawdust Because the heat could not escape the processor would fail when the temperature increased Five minutes with an air hose and a soft brush was all it took to solve the problem Yup it was the dreaded
79. problem For example e If other users have their own accounts on this computer do they see the same problem e Ifthe computer is connected to a network do other computers on the same network have the same problem e Have you recently installed an update to Windows or to one of the other programs installed on your computer How about a new driver Is the problem related to a particular activity Does it occur every time you try to run a specific program or when you enter a specific command Does it happen at startup or at shutdown When you try to print or use some other peripheral device Make a note of all the symptoms that appear to be related to the problem and anything else that seems to be different from the performance you re expecting The more information you can provide the easier it will be to find a way to solve the problem 2 Try Restarting the Computer Before you try anything else try shutting down the computer and all the external components and then turn them back on Sometimes that s all that it takes to fix a problem This might happen when a badly designed program has grabbed a chunk of the computer s memory and not released it or when some internal software switch or setting has latched itself in the wrong posi tion When that occurs returning the computer and its peripheral devices to their startup configuration can be all it takes to get back to normal operation Don t dive for the power switch or the r
80. s menu bar and choose About Name Of Program e To identify the firmware versions of your computer s motherboard and other devices use the Start gt Run command and enter msinfo32 in the Open field The System Information window shown in Figure 1 6 will appear Click System Summary and look in the right pane for the BIOS Version Date entry and click each item under Components to see its release number and the date of the driver associated with it NOTE System Information ESE 0 Jarena Pah F a EB Famy h ii 2 ppg Aei 1 Mr Fein beia O des Sia ee i War H yada en iMai EP r papie a 4 T embetter ory em raeg commen er Figure 1 6 Use the System Information tool to identify the BIOS version and date If you re using an external device connected to the computer through a USB SATA FireWire or other port or a network adapter you may have to consult the device man ual or the manufacturer s website to identify the firmware version Look for a Solution Once you have defined the problem in detail you re ready to look for an explanation of its cause and a way to fix it Many of the best sources of problem solving information are literally at your fingertips they include the Help and Support Center built into Windows the printed manuals and text files supplied with your computer s hardware and software formal computer help desks and support services that you can reach with a telephone call or an
81. service people who answer those calls are pretty good about accepting reasonable stories so a major hardware update such as installing a new motherboard a new processor more memory and a new hard drive at the same time or loading Windows on a replacement for a stolen laptop should not be a problem But if you try to activate the same Product Key on two or three ora dozen completely different machines within a short period of time you re probably out of luck Dealing with Hardware Problems 173 174 Chapter 15 Is This a License to Snoop If Microsoft is sending information about your processor and hard drive to their product activation center are they also poking around the contents of your hard drive and reading your personal information Is product activation an invasion of your privacy Probably not The information in the hardware hash is stuff like the serial numbers of your hard drive and processor and the type of video card and IDE adapter inside your computer Even if you register as a Windows user at the same time you activate Windows none of this information is related to your personal identity Officially Microsoft says At no time is personally identifiable information secretly gathered or submitted to Microsoft as part of activation Product Activation is completely anonymous Several people have tried to disprove this claim but none have been successful so it s probably best to accept the whole produc
82. socket incorrectly If the jumper settings on both IDE drives are correct and the cables are connected properly but the BIOS still refuses to detect any of the drives connected to an IDE port it s possible that the cable is damaged or defective Turn off the computer and replace the cable Most new drives come with new cables so there s almost certainly at least one spare cable in your accumulation of odd computer parts Troubleshooting and Replacing Hard Drives 187 188 Chapter 16 SATA Drives If your BIOS does not detect an SATA drive after you install it confirm that the data cable connectors are firmly seated in the mating connectors on the drive and the motherboard and the power cable connector is seated in the drive If you re using an adapter cable between the power supply and the drive make sure it s connected to a cable from the power supply SCSI Drives SCSI drives are less common in computers running Windows XP than IDE or SATA drives but they are often used in network servers and other critical applications The SCSI interface supports faster data exchange than IDE but the difference is not always significant especially on a home computer or one used in a small business Unlike IDE devices that connect directly to a connector called a port on the motherboard or a plug in IDE controller card SCSI devices connect to the controller through a series of daisy chained cables that might connect several devices
83. software again e Check all the cables e You re using an obsolete version install the new release e Reinstall Windows e Nobody has ever had that problem before It must be your fault e Oh they all do that We ll fix it in the next release It s not a bug it s a feature e We don t support that it s Microsoft s fault I can t help you e If you re talking to a software company It s not our fault It s a hard ware problem I can t help you e Ifyou re talking to a hardware company It s not our fault It s a soft ware problem I can t help you e Without running any kind of diagnostic test It s a bad drive or video card or motherboard or some other component Give me a credit card number and we ll send you a new one e Reboot the computer You never know maybe the problem will go away Of course any of these might be a legitimate answer to your question You should have tried some of them like restarting the computer and check ing the cables before you made the call But if you sense that the support person seems to be giving you an all purpose answer it s time to insist that they escalate the call to someone who can give you some real help If it becomes obvious that the first line support person can t help you explain that you understand that they are expected to get rid of each caller as quickly as possible but you want a real solution to your problem Ask them
84. some program is running a scheduled event such as a virus scan or it s downloading and installing an automatic software upgrade If you can t connect to the Internet from your office computer call the system administrator to make sure the whole network isn t down before you tear into your own computer if there s some kind of unknown activity on your own computer open the Task Manager to see if a scheduled program is running Even if you re using a stand alone computer it s possible that some program is running in the background When the simple answers don t solve the problem it s time to perform a more systematic search Examine the System If a hardware component appears to have failed look for some obvious reason for the failure In particular check these possibilities e Make sure that all the cables and plugs are securely connected at both ends e Confirm that all the power switches are turned on and any other controls such as an On Line switch on a printer or the Brightness and Contrast controls on a monitor are set correctly e Check the status of any consumable supplies Is the printer out of ink or toner Look for a configuration window or menu Make sure all the settings and options are set correctly Turn off the computer unplug the power cable and remove the cover Make sure all the expansion cards and both ends of all the internal cables are firmly seated in their sockets If you ve just install
85. start ing the monitor after it has been turned off for more than a few minutes especially if you re using a monitor with a picture tube rather than a flat panel display Much of this information scrolls past too quickly to read it unless you re already focused on the section of the screen where the text will appear If you miss a line of text either because the monitor hadn t warmed up enough or because it zoomed past before you could read it you ll have to turn the computer off and back on again or push the Reset button if you wish to see it again Typically you will see the following information after you turn on the computer e Information about the video controller e Information about the BIOS including the name of the BIOS supplier the version and release numbers and a copyright notice e Amemory test that counts the number of memory bits e A list of PCI expansion cards e A table showing the computer s configuration and many of the devices connected to it You might also see some text that contains other information about the computer and maybe a graphic screen that identifies the make and model of the computer or the motherboard but they aren t included in every system Changing the BIOS Settings NOTE Some of the BIOS activities are organized to offer more than one config uration option Not every BIOS function is fixed in stone or silicon It s often possible to instruct the BIOS to ignore certain fu
86. start Try updating or reinstalling the device driver and restart the computer Code 12 This device cannot find enough free resources that it can use If you want to use this device you will need to disable one of the other devices on this system Code 12 A Code 12 error occurs when two or more devices are trying to use the same Input Output I O port the same interrupt or the same Direct Memory Access DMA channel To identify the conflict follow these steps 1 In the Device Manager open the View menu and select the Resources By Connection option 2 Open the Direct Memory Access DMA Input Output I O and Interrupt Request IRQ listings and look for the device that produced the Code 12 error You should see one or more additional devices in the same listing with the same DMA I O or IRQ number 3 Double click the name of one of the conflicting devices to open a Properties window and choose the Resources tab 4 Ifit s not grayed out remove the checkmark from the Use Automatic Settings option and click the Change Setting button 5 Change the value to a new setting that does not conflict with any other device 6 Ifit s not possible to change the resource value open the General tab and disable the conflicting device Code 14 This device cannot work properly until you restart your computer Code 14 Close and save any active programs and then restart the computer Start gt Turn Off Computer gt R
87. symbols at the top of the document or an entire document full of gibberish Or worst case the file won t open at all Windows uses the three letter file extension at the end of a filename to link a file type to a program If double clicking a data file s name opens a program that does not recognize the file format either the link between the file extension and the program is wrong or the same file extension is used on more than one type of file Sometimes you can make an educated guess about the nature of the file maybe the file extension is off by one letter or you recognize the format when you open it in Notepad but if it s a complete mystery use one of these online file extension directories to identify the file type http www fileinfo net http whatis techtarget com fileFormatA http file ext com http www webopedia com quick_ref fileextensions asp Try a Different Program If the program linked to a file s file extension won t open the file try using a different program Right click the file s icon in Windows Explorer and choose Open With to choose a new program If it s a text document try WordPad or Notepad if it s an image file try the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer program Check the File Extension Most programs automatically assign a file extension when you save a data file but sometimes a file will end up with a different extension or with no extension at all When that happens a program might no
88. t notice any problems you should check the manu facturer s website for updates and patches every time you install a new program or peripheral device In today s computer world new security holes are discovered exploited and patched all the time you can t be too careful Finding and Installing the Latest Updates Chapter 11 Some software including Windows XP and many antivirus and Internet security programs can automatically find and install updates through the Internet as soon as they become available but many other software publishers simply make their updates available online and wait for you to find them Installing Microsoft Windows Updates Microsoft issues major updates to Windows called service packs every couple of years and additional security patches almost every month If you haven t already installed the most recent Windows XP service pack do so now When this chapter was written the current service pack was Service Pack 2 also known as SP2 The latest rumors about SP3 say that it s scheduled for late 2007 SP2 includes improvements to Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player and improved support for wireless networks but the really important additions are related to security Microsoft is committed to protecting their users and many of the new features in SP2 seem to reflect that commitment However there is a potential problem here Some older programs and device drivers may not be completely compati
89. t pami tii j G i ae rL co Figure 16 4 GetDataBack shows the file type for each hard drive in a computer If the data recovery program can create a complete or partial image of the damaged drive you can use that image to restore your data If the recovery is successful it might be possible to reformat the old drive and reuse it but that s generally not a good idea It s safer to throw away the damaged drive and use a new one instead because there s a danger that the same problem that caused the original failure could still exist on the drive Recovering Data from a Laptop Drive NOTE If the drive in your laptop computer fails you will almost always have to replace it with a new drive because there s only enough space inside the computer for a single drive The best approach is to install the new drive load Windows from the CD and then copy your data files from the old drive onto the new one If you have a backup copy of your data it s easy to restore it to the new drive but if you must retrieve it from the damaged drive things become more complicated Because the connectors on a 2 5 inch laptop drive are not the same as the ones on a standard 3 5 inch IDE drive you will need an adapter like the one shown in Figure 16 5 to mount the drive in a desktop or tower case or a kit that converts the drive to a USB device These adapters and converters are available at large computer retailers or through the Internet
90. text of the item Follow these instructions closely Don t assume that you can add a similar item in a different location or that you can use a slightly different name or data format The Windows Registry Here Be Demons 113 114 Editing an Existing Registry Item When a procedure instructs you edit a Registry key it will probably include step by step instructions for finding and editing the key If you don t get detailed instructions follow these steps 1 Open the Registry Editor 2 Find the item you want to change In most cases the repair procedure will include the item s exact location If not use the Find tool in the Edit menu 3 Select the name of the item you want to edit in the list on the right side of the Registry Editor window You might have to scroll to the right to read the entire text of the key 4 Choose Edit Modify to open the Edit String dialog box as shown in Figure 9 5 Edit String nx C om Figure 9 5 Use the Edit String dialog box to change the value of a Registry key 5 Edit the text in the Value Data field to match the value specified in the procedure Click OK to save the change and close the dialog box Getting the Junk Out Registry Cleanup Tools Chapter 9 Every time you turn on your computer or restart Windows the computer scans the Registry to set all the configuration options that define the way your computer looks feels and performs When Windows takes too lo
91. text screen with a menu of startup options try the Last Known Good Configuration option again and if that doesn t work again try starting Windows in Safe Mode If neither Last Known Good Configuration nor Safe Mode works you might have to use the Recovery Console to remove one or more damaged system files or the Windows CD to completely reinstall Windows Bypassing Windows with the Recovery Console NOTE Chapter 3 The Recovery Console is a simple text based tool for changing the file structure that controls Windows and repairing or replacing damaged files The Recovery Console is a command line interface that accepts a limited set of troubleshooting and maintenance commands It s similar to the old DOS shell that we used before Windows and other graphical interfaces were introduced When Windows will not start in either Normal Mode or Safe Mode you can often use the Recovery Console to disable a driver or service that is causing a problem restore a damaged file or a corrupt Master Boot Record MBR on your hard drive or fix a host of other potential problems The Recovery Console can be a powerful tool for finding and fixing certain types of startup problems but if you don t know exactly what you re doing it can also allow you to create new problems that will complicate the ones that are already on your com puter or even completely trash Windows ability to start Therefore it s best to use the Recovery Console only wh
92. that contains the folder that won t open 3 Select Sharing And Security from the pop up menu In the Properties window remove the check mark from the Share This Folder option near the middle of the window 5 Click the Apply button Windows will change the setting and remove the serving hand from the icon 6 Now click Share This Folder again to restore the check mark and click the Apply button After Windows has reconfigured the setting the drive or folder should be visible to the network I Can t Edit a File Chapter 14 If you can read view or play the contents of a file through your network but the computer won t allow you to edit or delete the file check the Read only status of the file and the folders in which it is stored Also check the Allow Network Users option in the Properties window described in the previous section it s directly under the Share This Folder option in Figure 14 3 When Read only is active Windows will not allow any user to make any changes to the contents This is not really a network problem because it doesn t matter if you re trying to change a shared network file or one stored on your own computer any read only file or folder is protected To check the Read only status of a folder or file open My Computer or the file share window that contains the file or folder and right click the icon Choose the Properties item from the pop up menu The Read only status appears near the bottom of t
93. that the power switch is turned on and the power cable is plugged into both the printer and a live AC outlet If the printer is plugged into a power strip make sure the power switch on the strip is also on If the printer is turned on and receiving power look for a fuse in the printer most often located next to the power cable or power connector If the fuse blows again take the printer to a service center No Response If the lights are on but the printer does not respond when you send it a command from the computer there can be several possible causes Cable Confirm that the printer cable is connected to both the computer and the printer If the printer requires a bidirectional cable confirm that you are not using an older parallel cable The printer manual will tell you what type of cable you should be using Is there any other device between the computer and the printer such as a switch a buffer or a network server Is the intermediary device turned on and working properly Is the switch set to the right position to connect your computer to the printer Are all of the cables connected Printer Error If the printer has a digital display or a set of LED indicators look for an error code or an error message The printer manual should include explanations of all the codes and message that your printer can produce If not look for them on the manufacturer s website If Windows or an application program displays an error mes
94. the laptop has replaced the notebook or the yellow legal pad as the place where we store notes memos and other essential information Because laptop computers are attractive targets for thieves you should back up your data as frequently as it is practical to do so Maybe not every day but whenever you come home from a trip or an important meeting If you re on the road think about sending copies of important documents notes and files to yourself via e mail on a regular schedule How Often Should I Back Up My Data How many days of data can you afford to lose Your backup schedule will depend on how important you consider your data and other files to be If the Things to Do Now Before Your Computer Crashes 233 234 Chapter 20 files are absolutely essential to the conduct of your business you should make backups at the end of every business day or even more frequently On the other hand if the drive contains data that you can reconstruct from other sources it could be safe to make backups only once every week or even less often than that And of course there s no rule that says you have to create your backups on a formal schedule If you re working on an important project such as a thesis or the manuscript of a book or if you have just uploaded some irreplace able photographs from your digital camera you should make a backup at the end of each work day What Kind of Media It doesn t really matter what type of
95. the name is wrong click the Change button next to the Rename This Computer option to open the Computer Name Changes dialog box Change the name of the Workgroup to match the other computers on your network e If one or more computers appear to be offline but the others are accessi ble go to each of the missing computers and check its network config uration settings 1 Open the Local Area Connection Properties window Start gt Control Panel gt Network Connections gt Local Area Connections gt Properties in the Windows XP Start menu or Start gt Settings Network 158 Chapter 14 Connections gt Local Area Connections gt Properties in the Classic Start menu and select the Client for Microsoft Networks item as shown in Figure 14 1 Local Area Connection ME TE ne ee ierg F jhi Baer be aail is a je fo as eee aeg ta em Lets E pini Pene boia peat dd fa Pe ee td TAF mmni bu mi ee ee d Po ree peac ban eem umre a ea aA Tee Sears dese Ps ie A ee eA eT D sebb er mm en epee ber be ee ot on eed Figure 14 1 The Local Area Properties window controls the network configuration 2 Confirm that the Client For Microsoft Networks item is active If no check mark appears next to this item click the name to turn it on 3 Scroll down the list of items and confirm that the Microsoft TCP IP Version 6 and Internet Protocol TCP IP items are active If you don t see the Version 6 item upgrade Wi
96. to a default setting It might be one of the function keys F or possibly the ESC key If you don t see a default option on the screen or in the manual look for it in the list of commands on the screen and then press that key 4 Ifthe set default command doesn t automatically save the new settings and close the utility program save your changes and close the BIOS screen This should restore the BIOS settings to a configuration that will work It might not be the most efficient configuration or the one that makes the best use of every component but it should be adequate to get the computer started and Windows loaded If there s still a problem after you have returned to the defaults it prob ably won t be as serious Try again using the settings that you noted before you started messing around inside the BIOS utility and read the BIOS Settings section of your manual again If you still have to make changes change just one option at a time save the change and reboot the computer before changing anything else Updating the BIOS Motherboard manufacturers work closely with the BIOS companies to make sure that a computer built with a new motherboard will work properly with all of the latest keyboards tape drives disk drives sound cards and other widgets that people are likely to use and with the newest versions of Windows and other operating systems But like rust new product development never sleeps so the BIOS dev
97. to the network During the Great Y2K Panic when businesses were trying to update the software in all of their computers to prevent them from breaking down on January 1 2000 some network managers discovered long forgotten servers that had been operating for a decade or more Those old faithful machines weren t causing any problems but they did add to the overall complexity of their networks Even a small household network with just two or three computers con nected to it can develop problems often without any apparent warning And unlike problems in a big corporate network you can t just hand them off toa network specialist You ll have to examine the network and identify the problems yourself This chapter describes many of the most common network glitches and it offers guidelines for dealing with them Can t See Other Computers on the LAN You know there are other computers on your network you can see them and touch them But the My Network Places window doesn t show that they exist at all Here are some things to check e Confirm that the computer you want to reach is turned on and the net work cable is connected firmly at both ends e Confirm that power is connected to the network hub or switch e Right click My Computer on the Windows desktop choose Properties from the pop up menu and select the Computer Name tab Confirm that this computer and all the other computers on the network use the same Workgroup name If
98. to transfer your call to somebody who has more experience with the product And make it absolutely clear that you will not go away or allow them to end the call until the problem has been fixed If you can politely keep control of the call your chances of receiving real help are a lot better Working in a bad support center is a high stress job The support agents don t always receive adequate training and their supervisors are constantly pushing them to turn over calls as fast as possible And most of the callers are upset because their computers have died they ve been waiting too long for somebody to answer they don t really understand what has gone wrong and first two places they called told them to call somebody else Too many callers are rude arrogant or both or they blame the support person for causing the problem in the first place So it s better to treat the people taking your calls with sympathy rather than abuse You want the technician to think he s on your side so he will concentrate on solving your problem instead of making you go away Let him or her as the case may be feel that the two of you are a team facing the evil problem together Your call should be the one call that day that the support person actually enjoyed because she had to analyze an interesting problem and maybe even learned something new in the process Don t Be Afraid to Escalate In the last section I talked about escalating a service call
99. which can be shared by two or more processes Therefore updating or replacing a DLL can add or change a function without the need to replace the original process and a single DLL can respond to calls from more than one application so it can add or change more than one program at the same time From the user s perspective the important difference between a DLL and an application program is that it s not possible to run a DLL directly you must execute it through an application that calls the DLL Many Windows programs and processes use DLLs to add or update the functions that they can perform So it s not uncommon for software devel opers to distribute new DLLs as a convenient way to update their products You probably won t find DLL files as separate downloads but many applica tion programs and utilities include DLL files in the updates to their software Diagnosing a Driver Problem If a device connected to the computer such as a sound card a CD drive or a scanner does not work the way you expect it to be working there s an excellent chance that the driver that controls that device is causing the problem To check the status of all the device drivers in a Windows system open the Device Manager Start gt Settings Control Panel gt System gt Hardware gt Device Manager or type devmgmt exe in the Start Run window and look for either a yellow exclamation point or a red X over the icon next to the name of a d
100. you install a new program or device driver or an update or patch to existing software the Last Known Good Configuration tool can often solve the problem by returning the computer to the state it was in before the new software was installed and any other recent config uration changes took place Every time Windows starts successfully it stores a copy of the current configuration in the CurrentControlSet section of the Registry The copy is called LastKnownGood As the name suggests the Last Known Good Configuration tool returns the computer to that configuration and ignores any changes that might have occurred since then By returning to the last known good configuration you can sometimes fix Windows so that it will start this is kind of like turning back time To return to the last known good configuration follow these steps 1 With no disks in the CD drive or the floppy disk drive restart the computer What to Do When Windows Won t Start 45 46 2 When the results of the POST appear on your screen press the F8 key until the Windows Advanced Options menu appears 3 Use the up and down arrow keys to highlight the Last Known Good Con figuration option and press the ENTER key Windows should restart using the LastKnownGood control set If the LastKnownGood control set can load Windows the computer should restart and Windows should start with the old configuration settings If the restart is unsuccessful you should see another
101. your call or message are almost always using the Knowledge Base to find the information they provide to you Because the computer that suffered the Blue Screen error is for all practical purposes out of service you will probably need a second computer to connect to the Internet and search for articles in the Knowledge Base Your best bet 1s to set up a laptop or some other more or less portable computer next to the one you re trying to fix so you can read instructions off the screen and enter commands directly into the machine you re trying to fix Search for an Explanation It seems as if Microsoft changes the layout of their Help and Support Center home page every few weeks but there s always a Search the Knowledge Base section someplace on the page To find a description of a specific Stop message type the stop error number the hex number that begins with 0x in the top line of the Blue Screen into the Search field Try the error number immediately after STOP first if that doesn t produce anything useful return to the Search page and try the entire series of numbers within the parentheses Black Screens and Blue Screens 61 62 NOTE Chapter 4 For example if the stop error number is 0x0000007F the Knowledge Base will return a long list of links to Knowledge Base articles that describe different situations in which this error can occur as shown in Figure 4 5 Double click the link that seems to come closest to your
102. 53 S Safe Mode 12 13 48 95 Scandisk 239 240 SCSI hard drives 188 search tools Internet 87 Serial ATA SATA hard drives 181 182 188 service packs Windows See updates Microsoft Windows Services tool 12 Session Manager smss exe 42 software problems 12 software updates See updates spyware 34 136 138 242 startup sequence 27 29 40 42 See also POST power on self test failures during 42 45 Stop messages See Blue Screen subnet mask 146 System Configuration Utility 48 52 System Information tool 14 15 System Restore tool 89 95 T technical support services 21 83 84 210 220 AMD Processor Support Forum 33 Microsoft 212 215 Microsoft Product Support newsgroups 32 Tools menu 11 traceroute program 147 149 Trojan horses 135 troubleshooting plan 4 23 Troubleshooting Windows Stop Messages web page 64 U uninstalling programs 120 121 updates BIOS 105 106 130 132 Microsoft Windows 128 129 security software 130 USB Universal Serial Bus drives 182 183 troubleshooting 202 Usenet See newsgroups user manuals 18 19 utility disks 73 240 242 V viruses 34 134 135 242 voltmeter 10 Ww websites links to drivers 70 71 spyware adware removal programs 137 138 startup item explanation 51 52 wide area network WAN 146 147 152 153 Windows kernel 42 Windows Product Activation 171 174 Windows Recovery CD 227 228 Windows Registry 107 109
103. ATA Dr H HTS EL ITOT eR u aiia P 1 Fe HTA el err ETEN eae Fen 2 fi Tes ue 868OTO oe 48 Figure 20 4 The Microsoft Disk Defragmenter shows the current state of each hard drive in your computer Check for Other Disk Problems Fragmentation isn t the only problem that can occur on a hard drive If a few crucial data bits stored on the drive become corrupted it may no longer be possible to find or retrieve an entire file If some extremely crucial bits become corrupted the whole drive could become impossible to read These errors are caused when Windows shuts down without properly saving open files but it s also possible for disk errors to occur due to nonspecific bit rot Chapter 2 of this book includes instructions for recovering from some of these problems after they occur but you can also take some steps to prevent them Sometimes the drive s file system might have an incorrect setting that instructs it to assign more than one filename to data in the same location Of course the data at that location belongs in only one file the second assignment is a mistake called a cross linked file error It s also possible for data to exist on a drive but not in the file system If the data doesn t have a filename assigned to it the computer can t read it without special tools The portions of the drive that contain these orphans are known as lost clusters or lost fragments Modern disk drives are a lot more reliable than th
104. Ag ueaeasis attends abs 122 lGa t Read aFile irrar cence eavartusneduanchaecuespsiareatsaiiacensehs ei AA EAA 124 Try a Dif r nt Program aiora enee e eeraa EEE EEEN ANa 124 Gheckthe File EXTENSION sit ahei don a a a a e S 124 Thekile Wont Prini eteten een n A E e stabs a e ei 125 11 SERVICE PACKS PATCHES AND OTHER UPDATES 127 Whento Update nisshe rihin n aei aa aE ESEA ASe a Baa NE ara aTa SERA ENER hA 128 Finding and Installing the Latest Updates cccceseseeeseesseeeseeeeeesteestseseeesteeeneeenes 128 Installing Microsoft Windows Updates ccssccseeeestecsteenteenteeeneeneenaees 128 Updating Security Software cceecccesceeseesessecstecnteesseeentecnaeenteeeneeneenaees 130 What If an Update Creates Problems o cecceccceseseeeceeseeesneeeeseeseesnseseeestteeneeeses 130 Updating the BIOS riie mee a eden aba Eo a aeiia at 130 Usethe Right BIOS wa soc setae e late E a darter th oboeats 131 Follow the Instructions ss cchcssscveeveudeawseerssnesvectecesan e E osas e EENE 132 12 VIRUSES SPYWARE AND OTHER NASTIES 133 Protecting Your System aiia e T A VE RA TR E R tebe 134 Viruses Worms and Trojan Horses cccccceesceeeeseeeeseceeseecesececeeeeeeeeeeneeesseeensees 134 Antivirus Rrogram S saiae ane atueeas ss Saunt anneesse dashes sacs TA A A 135 Take Precautions issn akene niae eese SE AE AEE 136 SPY WOME sais sa Sa a wav aE I E EL TT A A E A A 136 Where Did That Come From eccceecessecceeec
105. Be sure to include the names of the people who provided the great service this will make them look good to their bosses Writing a positive letter will remind the company that somebody does notice when they provide quality service and sup port Remember that an actual letter on paper will attract more atten tion than either a telephone call or an e mail message You can probably find the company s address on their website send the letter to the corpo rate office or directly to the head of the company and let them pass it along to the right department possibly with their own attaboy note attached Keep your sense of humor Don t let bad service get under your skin Remember your experience good or bad when you re ready to buy a new widget or a new software product Reward good service with your repeat business 19 CUTTING YOUR LOSSES WHAT TO DO WHEN NOTHING ELSE WORKS As painful as it might be to admit some Windows problems just won t go away In spite of everything you have tried everything suggested by local computer experts the manufacturer s technical support center and the combined wisdom of the Internet your computer continues to display symptoms of a serious problem Neither the Windows Knowledge Base nor any of the advice in this book contains anything that does much good At some point in the process of troubleshooting the amount of wasted time and aggravation you expend on the whole mess is
106. Before you change a BIOS settings write down the current configuration so that you can return to your original settings if a change creates new and possibly even more dramatic problems To protect against a future disaster keep the list of BIOS settings with your computer manuals lists of Internet settings and other documents NOTE LL SL ER Daa Ai maa aye tem be ea of SMRRT TAB t Lagaey DALES EiS a na select field Lange Engi shh o of ta Primary IDE Bedi OTRO ay cont ye iam slact Screen faelact lies Change inn Genaral Se Eaua and Beat TTT Tr rrr Fase js Reap ANECA Part Setup BAGG Eg Pir MTD ee Pari Caf igi atime fiendeed Se Festeres Lead Fail fede Bed onl ie Advanced BIS Frai fdyenced Ghipest Poatuene Se er Periphery Pa P Hanaeeen Pring M H oy Host 1 Febrian le bias Laad PROP TLE Peon Diet Figure 8 2 while the AwardBIOS main menu contains only links to submenus If you re troubleshooting the BIOS on a computer without a copy of the original set lings either try the Default settings option if it s available on the top level menu or check the motherboard manual for the preferred settings Some BIOS options can change things that you probably won t need to worry about like Resource Exclusion and IRQ assignments But several like the ones discussed in the following sections are more likely to need your attention Date and Time The BIOS setup tool
107. DOWS PROBLEMS AND FAILURES The range of things that can go wrong with Windows XP is truly amazing Some problems are more serious than others but they all can interfere with your ability to do the work you want to do on your computer Each type of problem demands a different set of solutions so recognizing what type of failure you re experiencing is the essential first step toward fixing it and getting on with your work This chapter contains brief descriptions of some common Windows problems and some common computer problems that don t involve the Windows operating system If there s a simple fix the description includes the steps for solving the problem if it s more complicated the description provides a pointer to another chapter of this book with more detailed information No Power If absolutely nothing happens when you turn on the computer no sound no lights nothing on the display the source of the problem is almost certainly related to the computer s electric power Either the power to the computer has failed something has been turned off or a cable is not connected Checking Power on a Desktop Computer On a desktop computer or a tower computer that normally sits on the floor there are some things you can do to identify possible problems e Confirm that the power cable from the computer to the AC outlet is plugged in at both ends e Confirm that the monitor s power cable is also plugged in and th
108. Drive in a Laptop Computer Hard drives in laptop computers have smaller dimensions than the ones in desktop computers Each maker has its own system for opening up the case and mounting the drive so it s much more difficult to offer general instruc tions for replacing a drive On some models it s just a matter of releasing the keyboard and lifting it out of the way but on others it s a form of major surgery If you re not comfortable working inside a laptop computer don t try to learn how to do it now it s more important to recover the data on your drive than to develop skills as a hardware technician After your data is secure you can either pay somebody to install a new drive or ask the laptop maker s technical support center for instructions on doing it yourself To recover the data connect the laptop computer to another computer through a network and follow the instructions in the next section of this chapter What About USB Drives Chapter 16 USB and FireWire hard drives and other storage media such as pocket size flash drives are separate devices that plug directly into a USB port or some other kind of input output socket Because it s easy to connect and disconnect these drives they are extremely convenient for backing up data storing data offline and moving data from one computer to another Windows XP should automatically detect a USB FireWire or flash drive as soon as you connect the drive to the
109. Help And Support or the Help menu in any Windows Explorer My Computer window Unfortunately the quality of the information supplied in online Help varies from one program to another Some software like Windows XP includes a tremendous amount of useful advice and instructions with a detailed index and direct links to additional information on the Internet Others offer little more than the text of the hard copy documents supplied with the program or worse just a page or two that might explain how to install the program which you have already figured out or you wouldn t be using the Help command or a web address The amount and quality of the Help information supplied is often a case of you get what you pay for A program that costs a couple of hundred dollars or the equivalent in euros pounds or yen is more likely to include extensive Help than a piece of shareware that sells for peanuts Of course you may find some exceptions on both sides there are expensive programs with lousy Help and freebies with excellent Help In Windows XP the Help and Support Center offers several ways to find information about a specific problem The home page shown in Figure 6 1 includes both a search tool and a list of common Help topics There s also a link in the toolbar to the Help index which offers both another search tool and a more detailed list of Help topics than the one on the home page Most of the items in the list of Help topics
110. K 14 qqa fae Pele be D ee imeri eaae red Pires ml er d be es g CE a j Figure 3 1 Running the System Configuration Utility In Windows XP the System Configuration Utility window see Figure 3 2 has six tabs In earlier versions of Windows you may see fewer tabs All but the General tab contain a list of individual commands programs and services that normally start as part of the Windows startup sequence System Configuration Utility z E Gee joes S os eaa eel Tki hee e U Perma lisia emi me Bora r m er T DFE ihk a aed A Fh T gmna mai G pn PP Bal Fite E e E Pe sa pee ram E geet Sr Eo ie ee Figure 3 2 The System Configuration Utility offers startup options under six separate tabs The two tabs at the extreme right Services and Startup open pages that list the programs and services that load during the final startup phase Fig ure 3 3 shows the Startup page If the Windows desktop appears on your screen but the computer never completes the startup sequence the source of the problem is probably one or more of the items listed on these pages What to Do When Windows Won t Start 49 50 Chapter 3 B mear E WERNA h res D hE P Ser ee ee Gi chm Che ie Cape p R at ee ee i emis T rag es eee der talpra ain purat ee 1E e x CP E a ee ee ee ee etree T Pape Fiery i inae ap Tec prp pees B rm DER e e F TE Pirar TE B hiem Cipi e r ey lr a ee eure BAe ee nie Fede pe ea Br E URENA Coes E
111. Microsoft Knowledge Base doesn t tell you anything useful it s time to put yourself at the mercy of the Collective Knowledge of the Internet Use Google or your favorite web search tool to search for the exact text of the error message or if it s a long message try searching for the first five or six words If the message has an ID code try searching for the name of the product and the com plete ID code Don t forget to include Internet newsgroups in your search Among others try searching in the archive of Usenet newsgroups at http groups google com It contains something like 20 years of past entries in several thousand groups You can also access the separate Microsoft Product Support newsgroups at http support microsoft com newsgroups default aspx Many other Internet sites contain forums and bulletin boards devoted to individual products and systems Some are maintained by the product manu facturers and others are independent So it s sometimes productive to look at the web pages operated by your computer manufacturer and the manu facturers of individual components inside the box including motherboards video adapters sound cards and networking devices If your computer contains an AMD processor you might also find help at the AMD Processor Support Forum http forums amd com Unfortu nately Intel does not offer a similar forum for its processors but its website does include an extensive list of Frequently Asked
112. No Starch Press Inc 555 De Haro Street Suite 250 San Francisco CA 94107 phone 415 863 9900 fax 415 863 9950 info nostarch com www nostarch com The information in this book is distributed on an As Is basis without warranty While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this work neither the author nor No Starch Press Inc shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in it Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Ross John 1947 It s never done that before a guide to troubleshooting Windows XP John Ross p cm Includes index ISBN 1 59327 076 3 1 Microsoft Windows Computer file 2 Operating systems Computers I Title QA76 76 063R682 2006 005 4 46 dc22 2005028821 BRIEF CONTENTS Acknowledgments ssis eeestis xv IntodUCHON raras arenai a e pec A AA AE A thc AEE HAAAT AESAAT xvii Chapter 1 Troubleshooting Methods and Tools ccscceeceesseeeeeceteceneeeseeeeeneeeteeenseenaeens 1 Chapter 2 Types of Windows Problems and Failures ccscccseceeeeeteeceeeeeteenteeseteenseens 25 Chapter 3 What to Do When Windows Won t Start cceccesceceeeceeeceneeenteeeteeeneeseeenaeens 39 Chapter 4 Black Screens and Blue Screens ccceceseeseeeseeeeseeeeesteestseeeeeenteeneerseenaeees 55 Chapter 5 Solving Device Driver Problems csccss
113. Recovery Console to restore a missing or damaged copy of ntldr or the NIDETECT COM startup file and to replace the Master Boot Record and the boot sector To enter a command into the Recovery Console type the command at the C WINDOWS gt prompt Press the ENTER key at the end of each command to send it to the computer To replace ntldr enter copy drive i386 ntldr In place of drive use the drive letter for the CD drive To replace NTDETECT COM enter copy drive i386 ntdetect com In place of drive use the drive letter for the CD drive To replace the Master Boot Record enter fixmbr To replace the boot sector enter fixboot The Recovery Console will ask Overwrite system Yes No Al1 Enter Y for yes each time the question appears When the ntldr and NTDETECT COM files have been damaged you may also have other damaged system files at the same time Using the Recovery Console to restore those files alone might not be enough to get Windows up and running but it s a good start What to Do When Windows Won t Start 47 48 Safe Mode NOTE Safe Mode is a special startup sequence that loads only the files and drivers needed to run Windows and nothing else It s a valuable troubleshooting tool because it starts the core Windows services without any of the additional programs or services that normally start with Windows If Windows won t start normally but it will start in Safe Mode the cause
114. Screen 29 30 56 57 Blue Screen 30 57 64 error messages interpreting 57 58 64 boot disk 241 242 boot ini file 41 boot loader 28 29 41 Boot Log ntbtlog txt file 52 54 boot sequence 103 104 c cables 9 calling tech support 21 83 84 210 220 changes in performance 4 configuration settings 11 33 34 BIOS 99 105 179 for hard drives 186 190 for Internet connections 150 151 conflicts See hardware cross linked files 239 data backup 73 222 225 232 236 240 242 data recovery 183 186 default gateway 146 defragmenting hard drives 236 239 Device Driver Rollback tool 91 92 device drivers 65 68 Device Manager 68 69 dial up connections 151 152 Disk Defragmenter Windows 238 239 Disk Management tools 229 230 diskette drives 103 driver files installing and updating 70 73 restoring 58 59 69 rolling back 72 73 91 92 Driver Forum 71 dust 243 244 dynamic link libraries DLLs 66 68 e mail viruses 135 error messages 4 5 See also Blue Screen Device Manager error codes 69 interpreting 32 33 260 INDEX error messages continued nonfatal 31 32 startup 43 45 event logs 5 Event Viewer 5 6 fatal errors See Black Screen Blue Screen Files and Settings Transfer Wizard 223 225 files problems with 124 126 239 240 sharing over local network 160 163 file types and extensions 121 122 124 firewalls 140 142 155 159 242 FireWire troubleshooting 202 form
115. TT HSF EN TA A Pipar ee Beer DTA ete TT BL Re ee a Ees T Pimpa Fi ETAT ie EF eer tert System Configuration Utility j xj mere peruse amma eo emn erie Figure 3 3 The Startup tab opens a list of all the programs that run when Windows starts To identify the specific program or service that is causing the problem follow these steps PROS R oe 10 11 Open Windows in Safe Mode Open the System Configuration Utility Start Run gt msconfig Select the Services tab or the Startup tab At the left side of the list of Services or Startup Items click one of the check boxes to remove the check mark The next time you restart Win dows the program or service on the same line as the unchecked box will not start Click the OK button at the bottom of the window The Configuration program will ask if you want to restart your computer now Click the Restart button Watch the screen as Windows restarts If Windows starts normally the program or service you unchecked was the source of your startup problem If Windows continues to hang use the Reset button on the front of the computer to restart the computer and press the F8 key to start in Safe Mode Open the System Configuration Utility again Select the Services tab or the Startup tab and restore the check mark that you removed in Step 4 Uncheck the next item in the list and repeat the restart process Continue to disable one program
116. This is an impor tant word and concept it pays to learn how to use it In almost every support center the people who take incoming calls are at the bottom of a pyramid that might have two three or even more higher levels The people at each level have more experience and more knowledge about the products they support than the levels below them As a result your chances of reaching somebody who can actually provide help should increase as you move up the line If All Else Fails Call Tech Support 217 Give the first tier person a chance to solve your problem before you give up on him or her But if it s clear that you have gotten as much as you can from that person politely ask to escalate the problem to the next level In most call centers a support agent must honor a request to escalate If yours refuses or tells you that they can t do that ask for a supervisor Remember you want to keep control of the call rather than letting the technician run the show When you reach the next level don t assume that the new person has been listening to your earlier conversation There s probably a written summary on the computer screen in front of the second tier person but it s entirely possible that the person who originally took your call did not under stand your problem well enough to describe it in the incident summary You should offer to start over from the beginning and describe all of your symptoms and unsuccessful attempt
117. Utility to add the drive See BIOS Settings on page 188 for detailed instructions On the other hand if the old drive is more than about five or six years old it s probably close to the end of its useful life a hard drive is a mechanical device and eventually all hard drives do wear out or break down And that ancient drive s capacity is probably just a fraction of your new one so it s best to just copy the data files from the old drive and then discard it Remember that your drive probably contains personal data files that you won t want strangers to see Before you dispose of an old drive use a data shredder program such as BPS Data Shredder www shareup com BPS_Data_Shredder download 13608 himl to destroy the data on the drive or physically destroy the drive by removing the circuit board opening the case and scratching or bending the disks inside What to Tell the Service Guy If the thought of opening up your computer and adding or removing a hard drive seems as unlikely as removing your own gall bladder it s okay to let somebody else do the job Either a computer service shop or your cousin who builds computers for fun should be able to do the job for you But it s important to explain exactly what you want done If you have to take the computer to a repair shop bring your Windows CD in the package that contains the Product Key The technician will need your key code to reinstall Windows on the new drive If you
118. Wait Don t Let the Message Disappear Many Blue Screens display the failure message blue screen for a few seconds and then automatically restart the computer before you get a chance to read the message text If the restart clears the problem that s great But that Black Screens and Blue Screens 59 60 automatic restart can drive you round the bend if it happens over and over and over If you can t read the message you probably can t do much troubleshooting To shut down the automatic restart follow these steps 1 When the computer restarts press the F8 key several times until the Windows Advanced Options menu appears 2 Use the up and down arrow keys to highlight Safe Mode and press the ENTER key 3 After the computer opens in Safe Mode select Start gt Settings gt Control Panel gt System The System Properties window opens on your screen 4 Choose the Advanced tab to open the dialog box shown in Figure 4 3 and click Settings in the Startup And Recovery box ies as ee ee ee Hii aed Tem neim oe eed h et aed ee Be oars asi es ee ee eee eee a ee Figure 4 3 Click the Settings button in the Startup And Recovery box to turn off automatic recovery 5 In the Startup And Recovery window shown in Figure 4 4 click the Automatically Restart option to remove the check mark 6 Click the OK buttons to close the Startup And Recovery and System Properties windows 7 Restart the computer Th
119. a Other drives might use a SCSI or a SATA interface Motherboards that use the ATA interface system usually have two IDE connectors each of which can support two drives The two connectors may be marked as IDEO and IDE1 or IDE1 and IDE2 but the BIOS identifies them as the primary channel and secondary channel or as IDE channel 1 and IDE channel 2 The standard IDE cable has connectors for two drives The two drives connected to each IDE channel are known as the master and the slave If only one drive is connected to a channel it s the master unless it s a Western Digital drive in which case it s a single drive You can have a NOTE master with no slave but you can t have a slave without a master This is a technical definition only We leave the philosophical implications of that sentence to you If the boot disk the one that contains the boot sector and the Windows XP operating system files is an IDE drive it should be the master drive on the primary channel IDE channel 1 You can use the other channels for either hard drives or other storage media Western Digital drives use a slightly different jumper system from all of the other manu facturers they require different jumper settings for a master drive with a slave on the same channel and for a single drive If you re adding a slave to a channel with an existing Western Digital drive you must move the jumper on the old drive from the single position to t
120. a system into two segments and test each half One segment will work properly and the other will not Divide the defective segment again and test each of those segments Repeat until you have isolated the problem to a single component For example a broadband DSL connection to the Internet looks like Figure 15 1 Your computer connects through a LAN router to a DSL modem which uses a telephone line to connect to the telephone company s nearest central office At the central office the line connects to a device called the digital subscriber line access multiplexer DSLAM that passes the signal onward to the Internet Router DSL Modem DSLAM User s Home or Office Telephone Company Internet Service Provider Central Office Figure 15 1 A DSL connection passes through several links between your computer and the Internet If the connection fails a service technician might start troubleshooting the line by sending you a series of test signals that move through the entire circuit from the Internet all the way to your computer If you don t receive them the next step could be to try sending tests from the ISP to the central office and from the central office to your computer If you don t receive the test from the central office the technician will tell you to watch the lights on your DSL modem as another test comes through If the lights don t flash the modem didn t receive a signal so you have isolated the problem to t
121. a file rather than sending it directly to a printer This makes it possible to take the stored file to another computer on a floppy disk a recordable CD another form of portable media or through the Internet At the distant computer the recipient can print the document even if the original program is not installed on that computer This can be useful in a household with several computers in different rooms but no network connections between the computers If nothing happens when you try to print a document directly from a program make sure the Print To File option in the Print Setup dialog box is not turned on Printing Through a Network If your printer is connected to your computer through a network a printing problem can be located in your own computer in the network in the print server or in the printer itself If none of the troubleshooting methods in this section solve the problem talk to your network support person if you have one If you don t have a network support person look for a problem in a switch or router in a network interface at either the print server or the printer itself or with a bad address or another incorrect network setting On a large network it s also possible that too many users have tried to order print jobs at the same time overloading the buffer Problems Whether the display monitor connected to your computer is a flat panel or an old technology cathode ray tube CRT most of the troubleshooti
122. a particular product use the search tool within your newsreader program or on the website In addition to the public Usenet newsgroups some companies including Microsoft and Symantec maintain their own news servers that are devoted exclusively to discussions of their own products Sometimes the same newsgroups are accessible both through Usenet and through the company s own website You can find Microsoft s newsgroups on Usenet under the Microsoft public product name topic hierarchy or on the Web at www support microsoft com newsgroups or through www windowsforums com Hundreds of paid and volunteer experts watch the Microsoft news groups and are ready to jump in and answer questions from perplexed users so the quality of the information in the newsgroups is at least as good as the advice provided by the tech support staff Using the Microsoft Knowledge Base and Other Online Resources 85 86 Chapter 6 The newsgroups on Usenet and on the Microsoft support site are exactly the same if you post a message on either system it will immediately appear in both places Figures 6 5 and 6 6 show the same message on Usenet and the Microsoft site Latelp ey sels aoe mr aleh opp war eee n tper ma ery pamaen iad m tbe pamir prng be araar op bebe before hE tg he Spi bayin ppan bon thee giran Go i oe a ee ae biip tel ihe iN EEE mEn HEE E hieni in Wiriddowa UF Help and Supper Tol emis Ui e l ee e
123. aid repair service for at least a year after the purchase date If your computer is still under warranty the manufacturer s support center is the first place to call for help If your computer was made by a major manu facturer such as Dell Lenovo formerly IBM or Hewlett Packard among others the support center has an extensive set of information about symptoms and solutions and it also has direct access to the Microsoft Knowledge Base And depending on the specific terms of your warranty the support center can sometimes authorize a local service technician to come to your home or office to repair a hardware problem at the company s expense And of course the manufacturer is the expert on any proprietary software that was supplied with the computer The big computer companies all ship their computers with customized versions of Windows that include features that are slightly different from the generic operating system As part of their contract with Microsoft the comp anies that provide custom versions of Windows are also obligated to provide technical support for their own customers that s you Even if your computer came from a white box supplier that assembled the system from parts the supplier included some kind of warranty with the computer and the software You paid for that warranty support so you should use it You might have to take the computer back to the store or to a local service center but that s often bette
124. alists often have more experience and skill than the people who take calls from the general run of users Because your local help desk staff members talk to these people all the time they can often cut through a lot of bureaucracy and wasted time If you have access to a help desk you should call the help desk instead of going directly to an outside support center Even if the computer is still under warranty let the help desk handle the problem In a business with more than three or four computers there s almost always somebody responsible for keeping them working properly They may not have a title that identifies that part of their job but that person probably fills the niche of your local help desk Depending on the size of your organization the help desk might be one or two people in the same office where you work an entire department halfway across the continent or even an independent group that provides computer support under contract Some help desks prefer to receive requests for assistance by telephone and others want you to make your initial contact by e mail If you re having a problem with a laptop or other portable com puter they might even accept walk ins It s always a good idea to know who to call and how to call them before your computer fills your office with orange smoke or smoke of any other color for that matter These same people are probably responsible for things like maintaining your security programs and in
125. all Again If the program still won t run after you install it on top of an old copy the next step is to completely delete the program and install it again Some programs offer their own Uninstall function but the most reliable method is to use the Add or Remove Programs tool in the Control Panel shown in Figure 10 1 To delete a program follow these steps 1 Open the Control Panel From the Windows XP Start menu select Control Panel from the Classic Windows Start menu select Settings gt Control Panel CEMER E E ow lh N Curreeti erioed programe and updoh i Soe pAr Sart be S id issrhar E ECET EN Sm AHA Ol adie Deodar F See F aE amiss fed Pappien beh dine OSD Dl amb uta ae fa FTT Comer Henti iare a Fae f deere Gehe Chape heh wisi Hi irene ee aca Seach Faria 10 Bath S002 T asii dare PE TT A avi Frrr Edra i LT Wirion 403 Sine Ua di E k Aea Grtvere m J5 E Ei hahh OP Br aa Figure 10 1 Use the Add Or Remove Programs tool to delete a damaged program 2 Open Add Or Remove Programs from the Control Panel 3 Scroll down the list of currently installed programs until you find the name of the program you want to remove 4 Click the name of the program The description of the program will expand to display additional information 5 Click the Change Remove button to delete the program Some programs will start their uninstall routine immediately but others might ask for more
126. all Windows However if your computer came with restore files in a folder or a hidden partition on the hard drive you might have a serious problem if the drive breaks down You must make your own restore disk before the hard drive fails When you unpacked the computer the instructions for assembling the system and starting Windows probably included a section about making restore disks almost nobody pays any attention By that time your shiny new computer was up and running and you were exploring all the exciting new bells and whistles that came with it Now that you have had plenty of opportunity to ring the bells and blow the whistles take the time to make your restore disks now There s probably a command in the Windows menu that will start the process if you can t find it look for instructions in the startup guide and other manuals that came with your computer Make a Boot Disk When the system drive won t load Windows even in Safe Mode it s often helpful to start the computer from a boot disk that loads a simple operating system You can use this system to examine and evaluate the contents of your drives and possibly create copies of data files that you can use on another computer If the computer has a floppy disk drive as well as a CD drive you should make boot disks in both formats To create a simple startup diskette a floppy disk follow these steps 1 Insert a floppy disk in the diskette drive 2 Open My
127. all their support center for help Internet Connection Problems 149 150 Chapter 13 Amarica Online g D Dptimin d SE Amuriza Online a hiami Pa ah am di nier eenn er ees ip ee aeee Ciam ey ee o ee ee ee eee _ i a a m EEE A r e an e m e a r A a ee iy et eee er eet E aE Figure 13 6 AOL uses a Setup dialog box to set connection options Network Configuration Settings The configuration settings that you entered when you set up your computer to connect to the Internet should not change unless somebody or some thing changes them But if any of the settings do change the computer won t connect so it s important to know where to find them and how to correct them Your ISP has probably given you an information card or sheet with a list of IP addresses telephone numbers passwords and other information that you should use to set up your account Some large ISPs including America Online MSN and EarthLink also provide a CD with their proprietary soft ware that might configure your system for you This is important information to keep around You should store the information and the CD if there is one with your other computer manuals Here are the essential addresses you must use to set up an Internet connection e The computer s IP address e The subnet mask probably 255 255 255 0 e The default gateway that provides the interface between your ISP s wide area network WAN and the Internet
128. ame copy of Windows on another machine For more information about additional licenses take a look at www microsoft com windowsxp pro howtobuy addlic asp If you have five or more computers you might qualify for a volume license at a significant discount You can find information about volume licenses at www microsoft com licensing How Product Activation Works Each retail copy of Windows XP comes with a unique Product Key printed on a sticker in the package that contains the CD You will enter the Product Key during Windows installation Microsoft will also ask for the Product Key when you request technical support During product activation Windows uses the Product Key to create a product ID code and a hardware hash code that contains information about eleven different hardware characteristics e The display adapter e The SCSI adapter if any e The IDE adapter e The MAC address of the network adapter e The amount of RAM memory e The type of processor e The processor s serial number e The type of hard drive e The hard drive s volume serial number e The CD or DVD drive e Whether the computer uses a docking station or PCMCIA socket There are two ways to submit product activation information through the Internet as digital data or by talking with a Microsoft customer service representative by telephone The Internet option is a lot easier and faster but it s not always practical Windows will ask if you want to r
129. ams and settings Use Device Driver Rollback If your problem appeared immediately after you installed a new device driver try using the Device Driver Rollback tool to return to an earlier driver Here s how to use this tool 1 From the Start menu choose Run and enter devmgmt msc in the Open field Using System Restore and Other Rollback Techniques 91 92 2 When the Device Manager window appears look for a yellow excla mation point next to the name of the device you just installed If you find one double click the device name to open a Properties dialog box 3 Choose the Driver tab as shown in Figure 7 1 and click the Roll Back Driver button 3x Dees Vera iHD e Chetan Ta verw ited ocean Lipie e Ta upd Pa irer for a dae Gower pe dern a Bebe atte copay Poe ewes ISA Goh Hea Back E Pa a eria eari wir bremal Ta renas ha drew Airne EE Reet Figure 7 1 Use Roll Back Driver to return to an earlier version of a device driver Creating Restore Points Chapter 7 Windows automatically creates a new restore point every 24 hours or when it has been more than 24 hours since the most recent restore point was created usually because the computer was turned off It also creates a new restore point after most device drivers programs or automatic updates are installed The daily restore points and the automatic restore points that are set when a driver program or update is installed are almos
130. ams or services listed in the Services and Startup tabs one at a time Let the Configuration Utility restart Windows in Normal Mode If the Black Screen doesn t come back you have identified the source of the problem if it does reappear go back to the Configuration Utility restore the check mark that you had previously removed and uncheck the next item in the list Keep trying until Windows starts successfully Look for a Hardware Problem If Windows won t start in Safe Mode the problem is almost certainly in the computer hardware Try restarting the computer again and this time watch the screen as the startup testing information scrolls past You might see a text message that identifies the problem If there s no obvious source for the problem turn off the computer disconnect the power cord and open the case Look for power and data cables that might have come loose from the motherboard or some other component and confirm that the memory modules and the main CPU processor are properly seated in their sockets Of course if the computer doesn t respond at all when you try to turn it on no lights no noise no nothin it s likely that the problem is a power failure Either the computer is getting no power from the AC outlet or battery or the internal power supply has failed Blue Screens Blue Screens are more common than Black Screens but they re often equally irritating Fortunately because the computer has enou
131. and any other programs or drivers related to Windows XP or the operat ing system you plan to install on this drive 3 Follow the instructions supplied with the installation software to create an installation CD or floppy disk 4 Place the CD or floppy disk in the appropriate drive and then restart the computer The computer should load and start the installation software from the CD or floppy disk 5 Follow the instructions on the screen to partition and format the drive In most cases you will want to accept and use the default settings for the number of partitions and other options 6 When the installation program is complete and the computer restarts place your Windows XP CD or restore CD in the drive and restart the computer one more time to load and install Windows on the newly for matted C drive If you have two or more hard drives in your computer you can use the Win dows Drive Management tools to reformat a drive that is not the system drive 1 Choose Start gt Run and type diskmgmt msc in the Open field The Disk Management window shown in Figure 19 4 will open pone Pia sare curs ere Spacu 0 tren Poe Tote Teeri Fats Tain Overh forties Beer NTFS Le bac ai li terion Gere jO fara fee HTP Heh 2457s Sd a ha 0 PmIGh Forties fom NTFS Hah 17550 MUG 67M 70 Pe SO Parties Bem NT bine iar SOP iE OMe 2238 T F li H i ri T
132. and assign the settings specified in the device s manual on the manufacturer s website or printed on the device itself 6 Follow the instructions on screen to move up one level and repeat the process for each additional IDE device installed in your computer 7 Once you have configured all of the IDE devices follow the on screen instructions to save your settings and restart the computer Diskette Settings In the unlikely event that your computer has more than one floppy disk drive the diskette options specify the size and capacity of each drive You probably won t change these settings unless you try to install a second drive to read old 5 25 inch floppies To change these settings choose the main or CMOS Settings menu item for Drive A or Diskette A to open the submenu for the A drive If your machine has a second diskette drive a B drive choose the Drive B or Diskette B menu item to set its configuration Boot Sequence When your computer boots or starts up it s probably set to look for an operating system on a floppy disk or a CD first If there s no disk in the drive it will load the operating system from its primary hard drive usually the C drive By attempting to boot first from a floppy CD or other removable media the computer can load a a virus scanner or a data recovery program when there s a problem with the hard drive It can also load the Windows repair Underneath It All The BIOS 103 104
133. and look for a keyword in the pane on the left side of the window 2 Help and Sopoet Cee s Qha Q7 a iie eie Hoy e Ask for asusianoe Ahala ree in Wirio EP D lwir a freed bo coast bo pour empier wth Reh p iiinis Hunnic vidas gamen ami photon Oe eee oe fed eee oe Wares EP pegged gt Windows basic Pick a tars ee eS ae O kep pour computer uo bode ae Mindoan Update i Obed pmmpatibls harass ard sofa for Wroosa 1P Nebworking sal tha Wai O Undo change io pour compis with Syebam Restore Working peentehy D Us Toole te cane your computer mformation and dagno a Speen abe rai 3 Did you know B Cursing your computer When pou int c ram to the Lome Chen rea mi play iria Anpasaihiliy Hmi heip srd uppat niomation you wint to correct bo th imiema naa stert the Mew Coanectiqn Wirard snd wee how ts emtieh a Beh coer hvj an Lert sere pre Figure 1 7 The Windows XP Help And Support Center window contains links to many troubleshooting resources In most other programs you should find a Help menu in the toolbar at the top of the program window When the Help window opens type a one or two word description of the problem into the Index or Search tool If that doesn t produce anything useful try scrolling through the list of keywords until you find something close to the problem you re trying to solve Open the Windows Help and Support Center The Help and Support Center in Windows XP includes
134. and offer to download and install the miss ing service pack along with all of the other recent updates necessary to bring your system up to date Automatic Updating SP2 also includes an automatic tool that downloads additional updates from Microsoft and installs them on your computer as they become available After you install SP2 you can turn on the Automatic Updates feature to allow Windows to take care of future updates The alternative to downloading the service pack through a slow Internet connection is to request the latest Service Pack on a CD from www microsoft com windowsxp down loads updates sp2 cdorder en_us default mspx Patches In addition to the general distribution Windows updates and service packs Microsoft also offers software patches through the Knowledge Base to repair specific problems Some of these special patches might appear in future service packs but others are designed to deal with unusual problems that affect only a few users If you find a link to one of these patches in a Knowledge Base article and it seems like that patch will solve a particular problem that you are having follow the instructions in the article to install the patch Updates for Other Microsoft Products Unfortunately other Microsoft products don t offer the same automatic update service as Windows XP so you must go to the Microsoft website to search for updates To find the latest improvements to all things Microsoft go to www micro
135. and running remember to run Windows Update and install your security programs before you do anything else Computers that use a hidden partition or a rescue folder to recover from a Windows crash don t do much good when solving a disk drive problem that requires either a full reformat or a complete replacement of the drive that contained the recovery files If you didn t create a set of recovery CDs or DVDs before the system broke down your only choice is to telephone or e mail your computer manufacturer s support center and ask for help Make that call before you buy a new drive someplace else If you have a Dell or a Sony computer they might send you a new copy of Windows on a CD or even a whole new hard drive with their version of Windows already installed Most other manufacturers won t replace the drive unless the computer is still under warranty but they will provide a true recovery CD upon request some times for a nominal charge When you call have as much of the original paperwork and the CDs that came with the computer within reach as poss ible You may need an invoice or a serial number to convince the support center that your computer is still under warranty If it s out of warranty the support center still might want some kind of proof that you re asking about one of its company s products Reformatting the Drive Chapter 19 Short of dumping the whole computer or replacing major components the most extreme fo
136. ands or data entry or it refuses to save or open a file the problem could have one of several causes 122 Chapter 10 The document is damaged The document is set to read only The program file is damaged The best way to identify the problem is with a systematic approach First try saving the document or file this probably won t work but it s worth a try Try to select the entire document or file and then use the Copy com mand in the Edit menu to move it to another program For example if you re trying to save a text file open WordPad Start gt Programs or All Programs gt Accessories and paste the document into the new pro gram Save the file in the new program Next exit the original program reboot the computer and run the pro gram again This should open the program with no file loaded into it which will give you a chance to test the program by itself Load the file into the program This might be enough to solve the problem If not try loading a different file or document If that works the original data file is causing the problem Sometimes you can salvage the contents of a damaged file by opening it ina different program try Notepad or WordPad for document files but often you will have to reconstruct the file from a backup copy or from scratch You do have a backup don t you If the program can load a file but you still can t change it or save it find the file in Windows Explorer
137. annot start new hardware devices because the system hive is too large exceeds the Registry Size Limit Code 49 This is a rare error condition that occurs when the Windows Registry contains too many entries It s possible that the Registry still includes listings for devices that are no longer connected to the computer To fix the problem expand all of the top level entries in the Device Manager and look for hardware devices that you no longer use Right click the name of each of these devices and then select the Uninstall option from the pop up menu If that doesn t clear the error condition reinstall Windows from the distribution CD POST Beep Codes These lists of beep codes are taken from the BIOS manufacturer s specification documents For more detailed information about BIOS POST error codes consult the documents identified as the Source of each list of beep codes Table A 1 AwardBIOS Beep Codes Number of Beeps Error Message Explanation 1 long 2 short Video adapter error Either the video adapter is bad or it is not seated properly or the monitor cable is loose The only AwardBIOS beep code indicates that a video error has occurred and the BIOS cannot initialize the video screen to display any additional information This beep code consists of a single long beep followed by two short beeps Any other beeps are probably RAM Random Access Memory problems Source AwardBIOS Error Messages www phoenix com e
138. approach to troubleshooting The tools for understanding most computer problems are out there on the Internet in manuals and user guides and through both on and offline communities of people who use similar equipment and programs But they won t do you any good unless you know where to find them That s what this book is for This is a book for people who use their computers all the time but who don t always know how to deal with the major and minor problems that eventually seem to attack most computers It will tell you how to apply troubleshooting techniques and methods to evaluate and solve computer problems with an emphasis on computers running Windows XP It won t tell you exactly what to do for every possible problem that might appear but it will tell you where to find detailed explanations of most problems and instruc tions for fixing them I will also show you how to recognize specific symptoms and how to understand and use error messages beep codes and other diagnostic tools that aren t always clear on first inspection I ll also show you where to find help from Microsoft from other manufacturers and users and from the Combined Wisdom of the Internet And finally I will tell you how to decide if the time and cost of a repair just isn t worth the effort Equally important as the book s author I ve made every effort to reassure you Your computer isn t haunted although it might be infected by a virus computers don
139. as severely corrupted the files on your hard drive At this point if you can t get rid of the problem your only remaining choice is to reformat your C drive the boot drive install Windows from scratch and then rebuild your entire file system Don t take any of these steps unless they re absolutely necessary and don t jump into them until you have done as much as you can to preserve your data and program files Reinstalling Windows from scratch will destroy all of the system configuration settings including your Internet Explorer bookmarks the icons and shortcuts on the Windows desktop and all of the other customized settings that define the look and feel of Windows on your computer It will also destroy the registry entries for all of the programs and utilities that had been installed on the computer Reformatting the drive is even more serious you will lose absolutely everything on that drive unless you have a backup Before you start this process be sure you have enough time to complete it Between reloading and activating Windows installing the latest Windows service pack and installing the drivers for your network adapter your sound and video controllers all your other peripheral devices and all of the utili ties and application programs that you want to run on this computer you can easily spend four or five hours at the very least before you get the computer back to normal If you have a project that requires your imme
140. at includes the device whose driver you want to roll back 4 Double click the name of the device whose driver you want to restore In the Properties window for that device click the Driver tab and click the Roll Back Driver button 6 Click Yes to confirm that you want to roll back this driver If the Roll Back Driver program can t find an earlier version of the device driver it will display a message like the one in Figure 5 5 offering to run a Troubleshooter In this case the Troubleshooter probably won t offer any useful advice so your best bet is to choose No CD ROM Driva aj Ho driver files have been backed up for this device TY you are having problema with thi devine you whould view the Troubleshooter information Would you like to launch tha Tireubleshooher ves mm Figure 5 5 If the Roll Back Driver program can t find an earlier device driver it will display this dialog box When it works rolling back the device driver can save a lot of time and trouble but it does have a few limitations First it can return to only the driver version immediately preceding the current one therefore you can t go back to a driver older than the last one If you try one new driver that doesn t work and then install a second driver from a different source you can t return to the original driver because that one is now two generations behind you And second the Roll Back Driver tool does not work on printer d
141. at panel screen each point a picture element or pixel in the display receives an electric charge controlled by a separate transistor within an integrated circuit in the monitor s control circuit If a transistor fails the corresponding pixel either goes dark or remains a bright solid color all the time Either way the bad pixel appears as a tiny dot that does not change color when you view an image Many monitor manufacturers consider a very small number of dead pixels to be acceptable but if you discover bad pixels on a new monitor or laptop display return it for a replacement as soon as possible If your monitor Troubleshooting and Replacing Other Hardware 207 208 develops bad pixels after the warranty expires there s not a lot you can do about it Some people have had good luck using a soft cloth wrapped around a finger to rub the screen very gently around the bad pixel but that doesn t always work Audio Problems Chapter 17 The most common problem in a computer s audio system is complete silence when you are trying to play a sound file or when you are listening to streaming audio from the Internet Look for one of these causes e Are the speakers plugged into the computer s sound card e Is the speaker s power unit connected to the speakers Is it plugged into an AC outlet e Is the volume control knob on the speaker turned all the way down e Are any of the software volume controls turned all the w
142. at the most inconvenient time So it s a good idea to spend some time looking for the cause rather than simply working around it Start with a Plan Chapter 1 A formal troubleshooting plan may itself seem like a lot of trouble but it s almost always the most effective way to move from a problem to a solution A typical troubleshooting plan might include the steps presented here 1 Identify the Symptoms Any unexpected behavior can be considered a problem even if the com puter does not actually fail The troubleshooting methods are the same for minor irritations and catastrophic failures First define the problem Does an error message appear on the screen Has some hardware component stopped working Is some element of the computer s behavior different from what you re expecting Just exactly what is wrong Changes in Performance The most obvious problems are the ones that cause the computer to crash If the keyboard or mouse stops working if the monitor screen goes dark or if Windows won t start you have a pretty clear indication that something has gone wrong Other problems are more subtle A program takes forever to start or a network link that worked yesterday won t work today Or maybe your web browser is taking you to a site that you didn t request When you discover that something isn t working the way you expect it to work try to describe the problem to yourself in detail If the problem seems conn
143. at you should try it before moving on to other possible methods If it s a one time glitch or it occurs very rarely that might be all you ever need to do but if the problem returns frequently you will want to continue with the trouble shooting process to fix the underlying problem 3 Look for an Explanation Eliminate the simple reasons for a failure first For example if the printer won t print make sure the power cable and the signal cable are still connected the ink or toner supply hasn t dried up the power switch is turned on and the printer is On Line before you start running diagnostics When power to the computer disappears make sure your cat hasn t walked across the power outlet strip and turned it off or the person polishing your floor didn t cut the power cord If no sound comes out of the speakers open the Volume Control window and the control for your audio program and make sure none of the Mute options are active and check the physical cables and volume control on the speaker box In general look for the quick fixes before you spend a lot of time searching for something more complicated Problems like that are quick and easy to check and even easier to repair so you should get them out of the way before you waste a lot of time looking for something more serious and complex Sometimes an apparent problem can occur because somebody else on your network is running tests or installing new software or hardware or
144. at you want to open Choose Properties from the pop up menu 4 Ifyou re looking at a dial up connection choose the Networking tab If you are using a LAN or broadband connection choose the General tab 5 Select the Internet Protocol TCP IP item from the list of services and click the Properties button You might have to scroll down the list to find the Internet Protocol item The Internet Protocol TCP IP Properties window includes spaces for the IP addresses assigned to this computer and the domain name service DNS servers Troubleshooting a Dial up Connection The Properties window for a dial up connection includes tabs that control the telephone number of the ISP s host and the IP addresses that the system will use to establish your Internet connection The General tab shown in Figure 13 7 sets the telephone number and offers a link to the Modem Configuration window If your ISP changes its telephone number you can enter the new number here Many ISPs have more than one local telephone number to spread the load among several trunk lines Your ISP s support center can give you a complete list of local numbers if it was not included with your startup package or if it wasn t on the setup CD If you add an alternate telephone number you can also instruct Windows to dial that number if the main number is busy To add additional numbers click the Alternates button Internet Connection Problems 151 152 Chapter 13
145. ating the combination of commands and active programs you are part way to fixing the problem One possible cause of a system freeze is a conflict between the computer s video display controller and some other component To search for conflicts open the System Information window Start gt Run and type msinfo32 and select the Conflicts Sharing display under Hardware Resources as shown in Figure 2 2 LD Gavia nfaeraties File Edt View Tosh Hep npp Bee as an be WATE s G F ima l Bae ee TT ot n na iaramn x i Dimni RREPA tia be RO itPjm F pamain E m RD EA IA rms diii arak wu ma see ase Lee a a al a 3 a ra pem 3 bg Cree E ET TT a Se le itas ares l iri l EFI Ni Ms aT T cP ye iF jig _ Figure 2 2 The System Information window can identify hardware conflicts In this example there appears to be a possible conflict between the VIA CPU to AGP controller and the SiS 315 video adapter because they re both using the same memory addresses If a spare is available replacing the video card to eliminate the conflict would be the best solution if the system does not freeze again the conflict was the source of the problem But the computer might lock up again because the actual cause may be something else entirely Like most trouble shooting efforts this one involves an element of trial and error Nonfatal Error Messages Fortunately not every Windows problem produces
146. atings of your new modules are exactly the same as the ratings of the modules already in place Also try not to mix and match memory speeds even if they are brand names In theory you should be able to do this but I have had ugly Blue Screens caused by mismatched modules If you discover that your memory problem was caused by mismatched modules don t throw away the modules that you remove from your computer You might find a use for them in another computer some time in the future NOTE Look for a brand name such as Kingston Crucial Corsair Viking PNY or Mushkin among others on the module that caused the problem and use Google or another search tool to find the manufacturer s website Most quality memory module suppliers offer lifetime warranties so you might be able to obtain a free replacement from the product support center If your memory module is a no name product or if there s a brand name on the label but you can t find a website it was probably cheaper than a brand name unit because it didn t include a warranty As that old TV commer cial for auto parts said You can pay me now or pay me later Replacing the Motherboard Installing a new motherboard is the computer equivalent of a brain trans plant It s major surgery that replaces the central components that control everything the computer does Obviously you won t perform a motherboard swap very often but if you are a truly dedicated hardware ge
147. atting drives 179 181 fragmentation 237 frequently asked questions FAQs 84 85 frozen display or program 30 31 122 124 Funny Microsoft Q Articles web page 83 G gateway 146 147 default 146 GetDataBack data recovery software 184 185 Google Groups 85 Google Toolbar 36 hard drives data recovery from 183 186 defragmenting 236 239 installing a new drive 177 182 moving to a new computer 190 192 portable storage media 182 183 reformatting 228 230 replacing a damaged drive 176 177 replacing a damaged drive in a laptop 182 SCSI 188 Serial ATA SATA 181 182 USB 182 183 hardware 11 12 36 37 See also device drivers network problems printing prob lems Windows Product Activation audio problems 208 conflicts 30 31 73 74 keyboard cleaning 200 201 memory problems 37 193 197 monitor problems 206 208 244 motherboard replacement 197 198 mouse problems 199 200 power supply problems 198 199 troubleshooting guidelines 166 171 help and resources online 14 22 See also technical support services BIOS settings 100 boot disk 242 data backup services 223 device drivers 70 71 file extension directories 124 memory 196 startup configuration 51 52 Troubleshooting Windows Stop Messages website 64 Help and Support Center 16 17 76 help desk 19 20 210 211 Help screens and menus 15 16 76 78 hijacking software 34 HijackThis antispyware software 139 IDE Integrated De
148. ay break taking all your information with it You should either perform these preventive maintenance tasks on an automated schedule or remember to run them manually Like changing the oil in your car there s no immediate satisfaction to these tasks but you know that they need to be done As those people who sell the expensive sneakers keep saying Just Do It in the long run the potential cost of not making backups or defragmenting your drive is a lot greater 232 Back Up Your Data Chapter 20 It may not happen today or tomorrow but eventually your hard drive will stop working Either a mechanical part will wear out or an electronic compo nent will die or your computer will be exposed to a massive electric surge or something else will cause it to fail Hard drives do not last forever If you have a laptop or other portable computer there s still another risk somebody will steal your computer When that happens you will have one of two reactions either you will experience a horrible sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach as you try to resuscitate the thing because it contains all the details of your entire life all of your business and financial records and all the work you ve done for the last six months or you will curse briefly and then go to the place where you stored a backup copy of your data load the data onto another drive and get on with your life There s an obvious lesson here that lesson i
149. ay down Check the application program that is playing the sound file such as Real Player or Windows Media Player the control program that works with your sound card the Windows Volume Control and the Sounds and Audio Devices Properties window open the Properties window from the Windows Control Panel e Is the Mute option turned on in any of the programs that control the sound Again check the application program the control program the Windows Volume Control and the Sounds and Audio Devices Properties window If the speakers still don t work or if the sound is distorted the speakers or the amplifier that controls them have probably developed a problem This could occur because you have been playing the speakers too loudly or because of a wiring problem If turning down the volume on the speakers doesn t solve the problem it s time to replace them When shopping for new speakers look for a set that can comfortably handle the volume level you expect to play without distorting the sound In general the solutions to hardware problems are likely to be more obvious or at least easier to understand than the ones produced by obscure wrinkles in software code If none of the specific techniques in this chapter help you find a problem take a break for a cup of coffee or whatever it takes for you to relax for a few minutes and then go back to the general trouble shooting methods at the beginning of the chapter Take a closer look
150. ble with SP2 If you find that one of your programs stops working after you install SP2 or if a device driver fails check the software or device manufacturer s website for a patch or NOTE NOTE update If nothing is available try using the Windows Compatibility Wizard Start gt Programs Accessories Program Compatibility Wizard If that fails your only remaining option may be to use Add Remove Programs to uninstall the service pack Ifyou have a high speed Internet connection it s easy to update Windows XP Just click the Windows Update item in the Start menu or in the Internet Explorer Tools menu This connects you to a Microsoft web page that will examine your computer to learn which updates you need and it will download them automatically You can do the same thing through a dial up modem connection but some of the update files are very large so it might take several hours to download them Windows Update can also search for new device drivers that have been certified by Microsoft though more recent versions are often available directly from the manufacturer The manufacturer s website might also offer some additional diagnostic programs and other software to enhance the perform ance of its products If you purchased your computer or upgraded to Windows XP after a service pack was released that service pack is almost certainly installed already If it s not the Windows Upgrade website will let you know about it
151. both the local help screens and other tools such as System Restore and several diagnostic screens as well as links to Microsoft s online support center and Windows newsgroups The help screens in Windows XP are the closest thing to a user manual supplied with the software When you re looking for instructions for finding and changing any of the settings and options start here Because Microsoft has thrown so many things into the Help and Support Center it s not always easy to find the route to the information you need To go to the help screens choose the Index button in the toolbar at the top of the window Type a keyword or use the list of keywords in the Index pane to find the specific information you need Most of the time your initial keyword search will open a page that contains a lot of text but not the specific information that you want It s often quite astonishing how well and how often Microsoft s help writers can avoid answering the most obvious questions at the top layer of a help hierarchy But don t give up yet If the initial help screen linked to a keyword doesn t tell you what you want to know scroll to the bottom of the text and click the Related Topics link You may well find that the pop up menu that lists other topics often includes more useful information than the original page Look for README Files README files are text files that contain last minute information such as descriptions of compatibility p
152. can find the driver CDs that came with the computer or motherboard the video controller and other devices inside the computer bring them too If you don t have those disks though the technician can download the drivers through the Internet If the drive is scraping grinding or making other unpleasant noises ask the technician to remove the damaged drive and install a new one Otherwise explain that you want to install a new drive and try to use recovery software to create an image of the damaged drive on the new one First explain that the C or whichever drive is damaged and you want to try to recover the data Emphasize that you do not want to run Check Disk or defragment the damaged drive Tell the service person that you want to install a new C drive and set the broken drive as a slave Ask the technician to load Windows XP and the latest patches and service pack on the new C drive along with the drivers for your video controller network interface and other peripheral devices After the new C drive is in place and Windows XP is up and running again ask your technician to run GetDataBack or another data recovery program to create an image of the damaged drive on the new drive If the people in the shop are not familiar with the data recovery software show them the information in this chapter Troubleshooting and Replacing Hard Drives 191 192 After the data recovery is complete or if the technician discovers that the
153. ce for just one drive Troubleshooting and Replacing Hard Drives 177 178 NOTE NOTE Chapter 16 It s not essential but many computer retailers and mail order or online places sell inexpensive round IDE cables that replace the flat ribbon cables supplied with most drives and motherboards The round cables are more flexible than the flat ones so they re easier to handle inside the computer case When you buy your new drive think about getting a round IDE cable at the same time Mounting the Drive The first thing you must do is to open up the case and find a place to put the new drive Most desktop and tower cases have spaces for several drives but the exact location varies from one case to the next You can usually find a place for an additional drive directly above or below the existing hard drive or behind an unused panel on the front of the cabinet Even if you re planning to replace the existing drive it s a good idea to leave the old one in place until you can copy your data files to a new drive See Recovering Your Data on page 183 for information about retrieving data from a damaged drive It seems as though every computer case uses a unique mounting arrange ment for hard drives and other storage devices CD and DVD players might slide in from the front of the case or they could move forward from the inside Some use removable tracks racks or sliders and others bolt the drives directly to the framework of
154. ce this error code First try uninstalling and reinstalling the driver Close the Properties window for this device Right click the name of the device in the Device Manager Choose Uninstall from the pop up menu eoo hae When the uninstall is complete open the Action menu and select Scan For Hardware Changes If reinstalling the driver doesn t solve the problem you probably have too little memory installed in this computer As a temporary fix try changing the memory usage settings 1 Open the System Properties window Start gt Settings Control Panel gt System and choose the Advanced tab 2 In the Performance box click the Settings button 3 In the Performance Options window choose the Advanced tab 4 Change the active setting in the Memory Usage box from Programs to System Cache 5 Click OK to save your changes and close all the open windows Adjusting the memory usage might solve the immediate problem but you should seriously consider installing more RAM This error code is a strong indication that you can improve the computer s overall speed and performance by adding another memory module Code 10 If the Windows Registry listing for this device includes a FailReasonString in its hardware key the Device Manager will use that string as the error message If not the Device Manager uses this generic error message This device cannot start Code 10 A Code 10 error occurs when the device failed to
155. ced that most of the world s computers would break down at the turn of the millennium because they wouldn t understand that the date shown as 1 1 00 was January 1 2000 and not January 1 1900 so everything from the electrical grid to traffic lights and soda vending machines would stop working and we would all have to go back to counting on our fingers and toes As you might have noticed it didn t happen but it did keep a lot of programmers busy fixing old code Most computers that can handle Windows XP are recent enough that they won t have this problem but if your computer won t accept the correct year or if it loses the date every time you reboot the BIOS may have a Y2K problem A BIOS update ought to bring the computer into the 21st century If you lose the time and the date every time you reboot the computer the problem is likely to be a weak battery The battery provides constant power for the BIOS and the clock so the time date and other settings aren t lost when the computer is turned off Try replac ing the battery on the motherboard before you update the BIOS Once you replace the battery you must reset the time and date and change any BIOS settings that should not use the default values If you have a good reason to update your BIOS follow these steps 1 Find the make and model number of your computer s motherboard If you don t have a manual use a system information utility such as Everest a free download fro
156. code number U S Robotics 56K Farmos GE n HT Pisina PE l mmie V n ER E T a Bed Ob Sete pee a FET ef PT i Eee eee lema rea oe eee ee 0h i ee iee p mee Pm ira Lem r ame Figure 5 3 The Device Manager links to Properties windows that identify driver problems If the Troubleshoot instructions don t solve the problem see Appendix A of this book for explanations of the most common Device Manager error codes For more recent information go to the Microsoft Knowledge Base and search for Article No 310123 This article contains Microsoft s latest updates to its list of error codes Regardless of the cause the most common fix for driver problems is to reinstall the driver If the version already installed on your computer doesn t load or if it does but the problem comes back again it s always a good idea to search online for an updated version of the device driver file And even if the existing copy is the latest release go ahead and download a new copy from Microsoft or the manufacturer s website it s possible that the copy on your computer is damaged or corrupted Solving Device Driver Problems 69 70 Where to Find New Drivers Chapter 5 Microsoft and the manufacturers of equipment that works with Windows make a strong effort to distribute the drivers necessary to support most popular peripheral devices The Windows CD and the Windows Update website contain drivers for hundreds of external devic
157. connected See Chapter 16 for information about how to troubleshoot hard drive problems and recover data from damaged drives You might also see a Non system disk message after you install a new primary hard drive because the processor won t find a copy of Windows on that drive until you install Windows from the CD Master Boot Record Problems The Root of Everything Microsoft describes the Master Boot Record MBR as the most important data structure on the disk If the computer s processor can t read the MBR it won t make sense of anything else on the same drive or floppy disk Without the MBR the rest of the drive is useless The MBR is stored in the first sector of each hard drive When the POST is complete the computer loads the MBR from the drive that contains the operating system software into memory and the MBR runs the ntldr startup program that loads Windows If the computer can t read the MBR due to a corrupt file a virus or other damage to the hard drive one of these messages might appear Invalid partition table Error loading operating system Missing operating system A disk read error occurred NTLDR is missing NTLDR is compressed The first thing to do when you see one of these messages is to place an antivirus boot disk in your computer s floppy drive or CD drive whichever drive the computer tries to read first and run an antivirus scan Most com mercial antivirus programs inc
158. ctory including all of the propri etary programs and tweaks supplied by the manufacturer whether you want them or not Still others place the compressed recovery or rescue files on either a hidden partition on the computer s hard drive or a folder called 1386 with a special program that opens the files and restores the operating system to the C drive If the recovery files are stored on the computer s drive the manufacturer expects you to create your own set of recovery CDs or DVDs The instructions for making those disks are included somewhere in the printed matter supplied with the computer but many people ignore those instructions until Windows has already crashed Most recovery disks don t offer the choice of a partial repair installation When you run the recovery program it completely overwrites the existing Windows installation including all the updates and service packs and every thing in the registry If you were able to run the File And Settings Transfer Wizard described earlier in this chapter you can use same program to restore your old settings after the recovery program has done its work Cutting Your Losses What to Do When Nothing Else Works 227 228 To restore Windows from a recovery disk place the CD or DVD in the drive and restart the computer The recovery program should auto matically run from the CD and display instructions on your monitor screen for reloading Windows Once Windows is up
159. d or to the magnetic platters that actually hold the data Fortunately software failures are a lot more common and it s a lot less difficult and a lot less expensive to recover the data from a disk with software problems If the drive is making grinding or scraping noises or if you see signs of burned components on the drive s circuit board don t try to recover the data yourself Turn the computer off immediately and remove the drive Any attempt to read data on a physically damaged drive could do even more harm and it could reduce the chances of reading the surviving data Retrieving the data from a drive with physical damage is a job for a commercial recovery service On the other hand if your computer still recognizes the drive there s a very good chance that you can use a specialized data recovery program to copy your files to another drive If you decide to try using a recovery program you must connect the damaged drive to the computer running that program In most cases you can simply set the jumper on the drive to make it a slave if there s an existing slave disconnect it first and plug in the power and data cables without fitting the drive into a mounting frame inside the computer s case Depending on the exact location you might want to place the drive on top of a small box ora couple of books next to the computer Troubleshooting and Replacing Hard Drives 183 184 Chapter 16 Follow these steps to connect
160. d Settings Transfer Wizard 1 From the Start menu open All Programs or Programs in the Classic menu gt Accessories gt System Tools gt Files And Settings Transfer Wizard Cutting Your Losses What to Do When Nothing Else Works 223 224 Chapter 19 2 Click Next to move to the Which Computer Is This window shown in Figure 19 1 a Treader Wira Figure 19 1 Choose the Old Computer option to back up your Windows settings Choose the Old Computer option and then click Next After the wizard processes your request it will display the Select A Transfer Method win dow shown in Figure 19 2 E Trans i Wara Figure 19 2 Choose the location where you want to store the backup files and settings Choose the media or network destination where you want to store the backup information Click Next to move on to the next window The What Do You Want To Save window offers the choice of saving set tings only files only or both If you choose the Custom option you can choose the specific settings folders and file types that you want the wiz ard to save To save space on your backup media consider removing file types you don t need from the list If you have already backed up your data files you can remove all of the file types and just save the Settings and Folders 6 Click Next to collect and copy the files and settings you want to save When you are ready to restore the settings run the wizard again and ch
161. d an answer Hundreds of experienced Windows users and Microsoft employees monitor the newsgroups so your question will probably receive one or more replies within an hour or less To read old messages or send a new one drill down from the top level menu through the language list to the specific product that you are trying to work with Within each product there s a submenu of versions and indi vidual topics For example questions about Windows XP are located in the English Windows General Discussion Windows XP Help and Support newsgroup Before you jump in and submit a new question use the Search tool at the top of the list of messages to look for an earlier posting on the same subject Type the stop error number that appears at the top of the Blue Screen in the Search For field to look for previous questions and answers about that error message If that doesn t produce any hits try again using the exact text of the symbolic name including the underscore characters between words Black Screens and Blue Screens 63 64 Chapter 4 If you can t find an old question about your problem go ahead and send one of your own to the newsgroup Be sure to include both the stop error number and the symbolic name in the text of your message and describe everything you ve already tried Remember that most of the people in the newsgroup who are trying to help you are volunteers so it s best to give them as much information to work with as pos
162. d when all other expansion cards are absent consult your system manufacturer s technical support If beep codes are not generated when all other expansion cards are absent one of the add in cards is causing the malfunction Insert the cards back into the system one ata time until the problem happens again This will reveal the malfunctioning card 8 short Display memory error If the system video adapter is an add in card replace or reseat the video adapter If the video adapter is an integrated part of the system board the board may be faulty 9 short ROM checksum error 10 short CMOS shutdown register read write error 11 short Cache memory test failed See Troubleshooting Action for 4 7 short 1 long POST has passed alll tests n a Source AMIBIOS8 Check Point and Beep Code List Version 1 71 www ami com support doc AMIBIOS codes pdf FREE AND INEXPENSIVE SECURITY PROGRAMS FOR WINDOWS XP This appendix contains pointers to online sources for utility programs that provide antivirus antispyware and other forms of protection for computers running Windows XP Ata bare minimum every Windows user should install and use an antivirus program an antispyware utility and a firewall Antivirus Programs These free programs are generally for private noncommercial single home use only Businesses nonprofit organizations and others who don t qualify for the free license may order a paid copy th
163. dd Hard ware Wizard When the wizard displays a list of devices or manufacturers click the Have Disk button as shown in Figure 5 4 If the driver is on a floppy disk or a CD insert the disk with the driver file in the computer s drive if it s on your hard drive use the Browse button in the Install From Disk dialog box to find the driver file ets gree peg ete arin e p mep paaa E Sd ia hal Se Ss SS Se SS al Ce ee Figure 5 4 Use the Have Disk button to install a device driver from a file If a driver is supplied as an information file with a inf file extension you can bypass the Add Hardware Wizard and install the driver by opening the folder that contains the file right clicking the file and selecting Install from the pop up menu Solving Device Driver Problems 71 72 Returning to an Earlier Version Chapter 5 Sometimes a new device driver creates more problems than it solves This may occur when you re using an older device that doesn t have the latest internal firmware or simply because the new version is defective If this happens Windows offers an easy way to remove the newer driver and restore the one that was in use before Follow these steps to roll back a device driver 1 From the Control Panel open the System Properties dialog box Start gt Settings Control Panel gt System Choose the Hardware tab and click the Device Manager button If it s not already expanded click the category th
164. detailed information about recovering from a Black Screen of Death Types of Windows Problems and Failures 29 30 NOTE Ifa Black Screen appears before Windows starts it s possible that one of the startup files is seriously corrupted Use the Recovery Console described in Chapter 3 to replace the Master Boot Record MBR the boot sector and the ntldr and Ntdetect com files Don t confuse a Black Screen failure with a power failure If somebody pulls out the computer s power cord or if the AC power in the building goes out the screen will go to black and the LED indicators on the front panel of a desktop or tower computer will also go dark Also your computer will suddenly become very quiet because the fan and the hard drive will have stopped spinning and making noise And if the power to the building goes out the lights in your room will probably go dark at the same time Blue Screens A Blue Screen error is also a fatal error but the display on the computer s monitor will show a screen full of text on a solid blue background The text contains specific details about the cause of the failure Microsoft calls Blue Screens Stop messages Blue Screens are not as bad as Black Screens but they re still fatal errors Obviously the fatal error metaphor has broken down here both Black Screens and Blue Screens inform you that Windows has suffered a fatal error but a Blue Screen isn t as fatal as a Black Screen It seems
165. devices look for a problem in the device that should be next on the list Traceroute probably won t show the names of the local devices but the IP addresses should be enough to identify each local device Windows XP includes a command line traceroute program as shown in Figure 13 4 To run a trace open a command window Start gt Programs gt Accessories gt Command Prompt and type tracert destination using the domain name the Internet address in place of destination For example to trace a route to No Starch Press enter tracert nostarch com Internet Connection Problems 147 148 Chapter 13 Command Prompt Figure 13 4 The command line traceroute program supplied with Windows shows a connection path in a text window If you prefer you can use one of several free programs that convert the traceroute data to a graphic display One of the best is HyperTrace from AnalogX www analogx com contents download network htrace htm shown in Figure 13 5 Others include 3D Traceroute www d3tr de Visual Trace Route www itlights com traceroute html PingPlotter www pingplotter com and WinMTR http winmtr sourceforge net AnalogX HyperTrace won o st hes an maae megini Fi aga T Hig HF Zz How E tse pee Ware gran tia i r a L 1 E i wit 1 St OF oh FR Wes GE CA SS Ha Ts U mp br gi E ie ie eatin iih a P j a Biad hes Tien am cmi fume Figure 13 5 Hy
166. diate attention it s often best to move to a different computer to complete the job before you try to deal with restoring the original machine Preserving Your Data Chapter 19 Before you reload Windows or reformat the C drive do what you can to save the files stored on that drive If possible copy the important files from that hard drive to one of these destinations e A second physical drive in the same computer e An external hard drive temporarily connected to the same computer through a USB port or a FireWire port e A hard drive located on a different computer or on a network server e A tape drive a CD or DVD drive or other removable media drive NOTE e Anonline backup service These services connect to your computer through the Internet and store your data in a secure location The com panies charge a monthly or annual fee that varies with the amount of data and the specific services each company provides Online backup ser vices are generally intended for regular periodic backups rather than one time emergency use Major online backup services include backup http backup com BackUp Solutions http www backuphelp com Data Protection Services _http www dataprotection com Data Protector http onlinebackup connected com IBackup http ibackup com Xdrive http www xdrive com The method you should use to copy your files will depend on the nature of the problem that is affecting your computer e If Wind
167. doesn t provide any specific infor mation about the cause of the failure since it can t display any text at all Windows can t tell you anything about the problem so you must resort to more general troubleshooting methods Open Windows in Safe Mode To begin trying to fix this problem first try restarting the computer with either the power switch or the reset button on the front panel of the proc essor case In some cases the failure will have been caused by a temporary problem that disappears when you reboot This kind of temporary glitch can be hugely irritating but the repair is relatively painless except for the data you might have lost when Windows failed If that doesn t work or if the Black Screen occurs again after the com puter has been running for a short time try restarting Windows in Safe Mode If Windows appears to start properly in Safe Mode take a look at the Device Manager Start gt Settings gt System gt Hardware gt Device Manager to confirm that all of the controllers adapters and other devices are working If there s a red exclamation point or a yellow question mark next to any of the items listed in the Device Manager double click that item and follow the troubleshooting procedure in the Properties window If there s no apparent hardware failure and if the Black Screen occurred during startup go to the System Configuration Utility Start Run gt msconfig and try turning off the progr
168. drive is damaged beyond the ability of the recovery software to create an image ask the tech to remove the damaged drive from the computer and return it to you Even if you don t send the drive to a recovery service you don t want a stranger or even a relative to keep a drive that contains your personal data Problems with Other Storage Devices CD drives DVD drives and most other storage devices use the same IDE SCSI or SATA interfaces used by hard drives Therefore many of the same problems can occur with these drives loose connectors incorrect jumper settings on IDE drives and mechanical failures If Windows does not detect a newly installed drive check the cables and the jumper settings and run the BIOS settings utility If the autodetect feature in the BIOS tool does not identify the new drive automatically try changing the individual settings for that drive If the BIOS won t recognize a new drive it s possible that the drive was introduced more recently than the BIOS version running on your system Check with the manufacturer of your computer or motherboard for infor mation about obtaining and installing an update to the BIOS software If a drive stops working after it has been in use the cause is most likely either a damaged driver file or a mechanical failure of the drive itself Try reinstalling the driver software first the device manufacturer s website should offer downloads of the most recent driver release
169. e In the future SATA will also allow faster data transfer than the older IDE drives Most computers and motherboards made in the last couple of years support SATA drives even if they came with older style IDE drives However you should confirm that your own system can support SATA before you buy a new drive If you can t find the information you need in the manual consult the tech support center for your computer or motherboard by telephone or e mail Figure 16 2 SATA data cables are smaller and easier to handle than IDE cables If your computer s power supply does not include a SATA power con nector you will need an adapter like the one shown in Figure 16 3 to connect power to the drive These adapters are often included with SATA drives Troubleshooting and Replacing Hard Drives 181 182 Figure 16 3 Use a power adapter to connect an SATA drive to an older power supply Installing an SATA drive is easier than installing an IDE drive because it doesn t require any jumpers and the computer s BIOS can automatically detect multiple SATA drives If your BIOS does not detect an SATA drive after you install it confirm that the data cable connectors are firmly seated in the mating connectors on the drive and the motherboard and the power cable connector is seated in the drive If you re using an adapter cable between the power supply and the drive make sure it s connected to a cable from the power supply Replacing a
170. e Dell IBM now Lenovo and Hewlett Packard all have access to the same information resources as the support people at Microsoft and they should also have detailed information about your computer s hardware that might make the trouble shooting process go more quickly In practice some manufacturers are a lot worse than others about providing truly helpful software support If you reach a support center that can t or won t help you with a Windows problem your best bet is probably to post your question on one of the Microsoft support bulletin boards described in Chapter 6 When you telephone the Microsoft support center the first person you reach will be a call screener Call screeners know how to direct your call to the right specialist and how to take your name and product ID number but they can t help solve your technical problem Be nice to these people they have the power to direct your call to a hotshot support specialist at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond or a bored contractor in Bangalore And like that unfortunate incident with the goldfish in the second grade if you acquire a reputation as an abusive or overly demanding caller it goes onto your Permanent Record a warning about you will appear at the call center every time you request support on any Microsoft product The quality of Microsoft s support varies wildly depending on the exper ience of the support technician assigned to your case Many Microsoft support people
171. e a useful result Sometimes a Microsoft document or some other company s tech support website will mention a Knowledge Base article by number To open an article when you know its number type KBxxxxxx with the article number in place of xxxxxx in either the Search the Knowledge Base or the Search Microsoft com for field in any Microsoft support web page Reading a Knowledge Base Article Every article in the Knowledge Base follows a standard format Most articles do not include every standard heading but headings almost always appear in the same order Figure 6 4 shows the top of a typical Knowledge Base article ee he i En System Aastaro Removes Files During a Resters Procedura Bim aCe ED i Ags A isst an ti ache eii prevent pclae mimi LIB L 1B Smirin apport ime jia Ean Gu Haia paga bmi imir i biki ieee el TF raer LE er FURAI Taim Sppe Cin Te hr er MoAL it ie om e ee ETAIU rena ma eer Cee SYMPTOMS sober pai ome de dpr Rees Airy eee i Bes ae eo eel os ha i ee oe ee ami ress ei riai Kin ba eee lisp upi ees ee iy ee oe ee iy ee ot sh ee ep hse Rep ar oto Pe NR RG E a u Sine ami emi p Fu p a Paa a f i imin to we a an LETETT CAUSE a Tmerr Tis aani cme l sling nos e b Tia Kies ag en ef ee ps te peed nee pes valid aris iss Figure 6 4 Knowledge Base articles always include standard elements The sections of Knowledge Base articles appear in this ord
172. e a Ay mit oe bt eres 5 C T a iam ami ba i ih ia m ie mrar ame miey arip ari eet i Saa ee Ma m mamma 2 p EE ai oy ieee eg e ii p eee ee be hppa limiti 21 emi o ari i irig ipat arr Pa parami ee m uma a aa R hirr cs eon ge caves fet eter ee Tent CCTC Imi j Di ee ee ey E DOM Miint Lie eh AP ie e ed l LA ERM T Figure 6 6 or through Microsoft s Support web pages Search Online for the Symptoms In addition to the support sites maintained by Microsoft and other hardware and software developers and the Usenet newsgroups the Internet is full of independent websites that offer Windows hints and tips and bulletin boards where users can share their experiences and answer other users questions Some are operated by hobby groups and magazines and others are stand alone projects created by self appointed experts who want to inflate their own reputations and generate some income from on screen advertisements Whatever the source if some crucial snippet of obscure information can solve a problem for you go ahead and take advantage of it The trick is knowing how to find the particular snippet you need when you need it That s why search tools like Google Alltheweb and Ask Jeeves ought to be essential parts of your troubleshooting tool kit A web search for the text of an error message or a description of a problem often produces links to independent sites along with the Microsoft Knowledge Base and o
173. e computer but as the dust collects on the screen it reduces the amount of air that can flow through the screen and into the computer This can allow the internal components to overheat Use a vacuum an air hose or a soft brush to remove the dust from each screen or filter Clean Your Screen Chapter 20 A dirty monitor screen won t break down any sooner than a clean one but it s harder to see the information on the screen through all the crud If your monitor has a glass screen use a household glass cleaner spray and a soft cloth to clean it if it has a flat panel screen use a soft brush or a soft dry cloth As I said at the start of this chapter all of this maintenance is easy to ignore because it s tedious and time consuming and it doesn t provide any kind of instant gratification after you ve done it But it s worth the time and trouble losing the contents of your hard drive to a disk failure or other disaster can ruin your entire day Indeed if the information stored in your computer is important enough losing it could destroy your business DEVICE MANAGER ERROR CODES AND BIOS POST BEEP CODES This appendix contains explanations of the numbered error codes produced by the Windows XP Device Manager and the beep codes produced by the three major BIOS manufacturers power on self tests POSTs Windows XP Device Manager Error Codes To view an error code open the Device Manager right click My Computer gt
174. e drives that were provided with computers ten or fifteen years ago but they can still suffer from file system errors So Windows includes a utility program called Scandisk that examines all the data on a drive and identifies cross linked files and lost clusters When the program detects these errors it can either correct them automatically or display a list of errors and wait for a separate command to fix them Things to Do Now Before Your Computer Crashes 239 240 Windows automatically runs Scandisk when you turn on the computer after an improper shutdown You can also run it from within Windows by following these steps 1 From the Windows desktop double click the My Computer shortcut to open Windows Explorer 2 Right click the icon for the drive you want to test Choose Properties from the pop up menu The Drive Properties window will open 3 Select the Tools tab in the Properties window The System Drive Proper ties dialog box will appear 4 Click the Check Now button in the Error checking section of the Tools dialog box The program will offer some options 5 The options include automatically fixing errors and scanning for bad sectors These options appear slightly differently in different versions of Windows but they have the same effect Turn on the Automatic Fix option but don t bother scanning for bad sectors Click the Start button to begin the scan 6 A complete scan will take less than half an hour un
175. e keys by gently prying upward with a screwdriver but it s a lot easier with a tool like the one shown in Figure 17 4 that fits around the side of a key available from Design Components http members aol com capsoff Don t try to remove the space bar the ENTER key or any of the other large keys they re extremely difficult to reinstall Figure 17 3 The 3M Keyboard Cleaner Kit includes cleaning fluid and a special tool for reaching the sides of individual keys Figure 17 4 To remove a key cap with a tool like this one fit the wires around the key and lift To replace each key place it over the shaft and push down Be sure to replace each key in the right place For reference Figure 17 5 shows the standard American English keyboard layout For keyboards used in other countries look at the Windows Keyboard Layouts web page at www microsoft com globaldev reference keyboards mspx J sf 2 3 4 sf s z 8 of of j aasa rb Of WI EJRITI YIU ole Lid cs al siolriciii ul si con Site Zh Xf Ch 8h NEM lf i Sate Ce ee Figure 17 5 Use the standard keyboard layout when you replace the keys after cleaning them Troubleshooting and Replacing Other Hardware 201 202 USB and FireWire Problems If you assembled your own computer or if you bought the computer from a screwdriver shop that built it out of standard parts you might be using a case that has more USB or FireWire sockets on the front and bac
176. e moni tor is turned on e Ifthe computer is plugged into a power strip a surge protector or an uninterruptible power supply UPS confirm that the power switch on the power unit is turned on and that the power unit s own power cord is plugged into an AC outlet e Confirm that the AC power from the wall outlet has not failed Try plug ging a lamp or a radio into the socket that normally powers the com puter if there s no power check for a blown fuse or circuit breaker e Look for an on off switch on the computer s power supply at the back of the processor unit separate from the power switch you normally use to turn on the computer not all power supplies have separate on off switches If there is a power switch make sure that it s turned on e Try a different power cord If all of the external cables are connected properly and there s AC power reaching the computer disconnect the power cable open the case and confirm that the cables from the power supply are plugged into the motherboard and each hard disk drive floppy disk drive and CD drive and any other devices Also confirm that the cable from the front panel power switch is plugged into the correct pins on the motherboard on many boards it s easy to plug that cable into the wrong place and even a one or two pin offset could be enough to cause a problem e Ifyour computer uses SCSI devices make sure that all the SCSI devices are properly terminated and that
177. e speed rating of your memory modules The speed rating is usually marked on each module and is reported by the Memtest86 diagnostic tool Latency is the amount of time that it takes a memory circuit to respond to different kinds of commands expressed in clock cycles The latency rating of a memory module shows the amount of delay for three or four command types so a typical rating might be 2 5 3 3 7 or 4 4 4 Lower latency rating numbers indicate better performance If you can identify a specific memory module as the source of your problem remove it from your motherboard If it s the only module in the system replace it with a new one with at least the same number of megabytes MB Look in the user manual for the computer or the motherboard or the manufacturer s website for information about the type of memory your system needs You can also find tools that specify the right memory type for specific computers at these memory manufacturers websites www corsairmemory com corsair configurator_search html www crucial com www kingston com www mushkin com doc products advisor asp www pny com configurator www buffalotech products memory configurator php If you have less than 512MB of memory in the computer this is probably a good time to add more Installing more memory to bring the total up toa gigabyte or more is the single least expensive way to improve your computer s performance Make sure the speed and latency r
178. e the mounting screw holes in the same locations so replacing one brand of drive with another will not present any new mounting problems The physical mounting arrangements are the same but each drive manu facturer uses a slightly different system to configure and format the drives so it s essential to follow the specific instructions supplied with each drive That s NOTE fine in theory but some retailers buy drives in case lots and resell them without manuals or other documents If you don t have a manual download a manual and installation software from the manufacturer s website before you try to install the drive In some computer cabinets it s very difficult to reach the tiny machine screws that hold the drives to the frame A 1 Phillips screwdriver with a shaft at least three inches long can often make it easier to insert or remove the screws While you re at it make sure that you don t use a magnetized screwdriver around your computer the magnetic field could erase or damage the data on your hard drives and floppy disks Before you mount the drive look for the labels that identify its make and model number along with several other important characteristics Note these values e Name of the manufacturer e Model number e Capacity e Number of cylinders e Number of heads e Landing zone e Number of sectors If the BIOS does not detect them automatically you will need to type these values into your computer
179. e useful for troubleshooting When you find an entry that corresponds to the problem you re trying to fix make a note of the codes and other information in the Event Properties window Power on Self Test Errors Other error messages appear during the startup routine before Windows starts These are usually caused by hardware problems detected by the com puter s power on self test POST which is generated by the basic input output system BIOS software that runs when you turn on the computer For more information about these startup errors see Chapter 3 Troubleshooting Methods and Tools 5 EFFETS ay UPES EDAJA Apbetien Haag FRDO it hi Sererfplenter sO Ba Apia Sr AARDS JOI AM scree FE z iT EFEFLE FEER a Figure 1 1 The Event Viewer displays information about Windows events and errors Other Log Files If Windows or an application program creates a log the data in the log file may be helpful for troubleshooting Look for entries that correspond to the approximate time that the problem or failure occurred Most log files are located in the root directory of your primary hard drive in other words they re generally in the top level directory on the C drive Event Properties Figure 1 2 The Event Properties window can include a description that might identify the source of a problem 6 Chapter 1 NOTE What Else Was Happening Look for other elements that might be related to the
180. eady have a firewall an antivirus program and an antispyware program installed on your computer do it now Make sure the automatic update features are active Get Rid of the Dust One more form of preventive maintenance is often overlooked Over time most computers are likely to accumulate dust and other crud inside the case Unlike the dust bunnies under your sofa the ones inside the computer are more than just an aesthetic disaster Excess heat is a common cause of damage to the CPU and other electronic components inside computers The parts that produce the most heat usually have fans or other cooling devices attached to them and the ventilation holes and fan in the case pull the hot air out and cooler outside air in But if a blanket of accumulated dust insulates the components from the moving air the heat might not have a way to escape Therefore keeping the inside of your computer clean can also extend its life The same intake and exhaust fans that are supposed to move a stream of air through the computer case can also pull airborne dust into the machine so dust collects on most internal parts whenever the computer is turned on And if you have a cat or a dog there s probably a lot of their hair inside the computer too In particular these parts will run cooler and better when they re clean e The motherboard e The heat sink and the fan on top of the CPU e The video or graphics adapter e The memory modules e The fans
181. ected to a particular program identify the program by name and release number If you re seeing a strange website note the web address and anything else that might identify the site If the computer crashed try to remember exactly what you did and what the computer was doing before it stopped working The point of this exercise is to provide as much information as possible to the people and other resources that will help you to solve the problem Whether it s a human tech support representative or your brother in law or an online list of problems and solutions you will have to describe the problem before you can find a way to fix it Error Messages If an error message appears make a complete copy of the text If it s a brief message you can make a handwritten copy or use another computer to copy it into a text editor but it s often easier to use the Print Screen function to take a picture of the error message window Either way make sure you NOTE include the exact language of the error message in your notes including all the cryptic codes We ll talk more about Windows error messages and screens in Chapter 4 Unfortunately the Print Screen function won t work when Windows produces a Blue Screen error following a catastrophic failure In that case you ll have to copy the text by hand Follow these steps to capture an error message window 1 Make the window that contains the error message the active window 2 H
182. ed a device confirm that the ribbon cables are not upside down the red stripe on the ribbon cable should be closest to the No 1 pin on the sockets at both the motherboard and the drive or other devices If you have a copy of the user manual for the motherboard confirm that all of the switches and jumpers are in the right positions If the computer produced beep codes or other error messages related to system memory according to your user manual or your BIOS manufac turer s help make sure that all of the memory modules are firmly seated in their sockets While the computer is open use an air hose a vacuum cleaner or a soft brush to remove any dust that may have settled inside Pay particular attention to the motherboard and other circuit boards the heat sinks on the central processor chip and all of the grilles and ventilation holes in the computer s case that are supposed to allow air to move through the box Get that floor dust out of there Before you replace the cover plug in the power cable and any other external cables that you may have disconnected turn on the computer and confirm that all of the fans and blowers are operating In particular look at the fan mounted over the central processor on the motherboard and the exhaust fan on the power supply Plug a cable from the computer s internal power supply into an inexpen sive power supply tester available from a computer supply retailer like Fry s or CompUSA to c
183. ed program Defragmenting a modern hard drive with a huge amount of space on it can take several hours or more and it s not practical to try to do any other work on the same computer while that operation is in progress Instead you might want to run the program overnight or on a day when you don t plan to use the computer for any other purpose If another program adds or deletes data to the drive while a defrag menter is running the Windows defrag program might start over from the beginning of the drive Therefore a defragmenter running on an active drive can take forever to finish the process You might come back after eight or ten hours and discover that only ten percent of the drive has been defrag mented just because the e mail program has automatically checked for new mail every ten minutes To eliminate this problem turn off as many other programs as possible before you start the defragmenter use the CTRL ALT DELETE command to bring up the Windows Task Manager and shut down all the programs currently running in both foreground and background If that Things to Do Now Before Your Computer Crashes 237 doesn t solve the problem shut down Windows and restart in Safe Mode press the F8 key while Windows reboots and follow the instructions on the screen and then run the defragmenter program To run the Windows defragmenter follow these steps 1 From the Windows desktop open My Computer and right click the drive you want
184. ee eee O keep pour computer uo toda s Windes Ligeia Obed compatible harcore ard sofa for Virco 1P a Fieteercaricing snl thes Waly O Undo changes bo pour compie with Syebam Restore Working remobely D Us Tooke te wane yr computer migra andi dagno System advninistration oe Did you know Customizing poe compuber iiey yeu are contented B the Interret thin area wlll dkaphiy End t Aocesaibdliny Greely heip ard uppat infomation you m nt to corenct bp th internat nga stert the Mew Coanection Wirsrd end pe how t embish a Beh teenie hajh an niemei pero per Figure 6 1 The Windows XP home page contains links to many information resources Many Help articles include a Related Topics link at the bottom of the page If the current article doesn t include the specific information you need or if you want to find more details try one of the linked articles Intex Eh ris bime inihi ed see eg ee er et ee See F inim peren pes et ee ara bo basir eed eee e Figure 6 2 The Index pages in Windows XP Help include a list of Help articles Using the Microsoft Knowledge Base and Other Online Resources 77 78 Many of the programs and utilities that are part of Windows XP include their own Help files that contain information that may not be included in the general Windows XP Help and Support Center So the first place to look for Help about the program you re currently using is the Help menu in that program s toolbar Within the Help
185. eeeseeeneeeneeeereees 153 Computer Connects When You Don t Want It to Connect eeceeeeeeeeeeseeetseeeeeenreees 154 The Internet Disappears sioro oa det ca ar N a EE a A r SATE agen 154 Firewalls and Gateway Servers ccccescceseseesseeereeseseeeseeeeeeneeeereesneestseseeesteeeneeesas 155 14 LOCAL NETWORK PROBLEMS 157 Can t See Other Computers on the LAN cccecceesecsteeeeseeeeeeenseeneeeeeeeeseeeneeeereeeteee 158 Fil Sharing Doesn t Work nsc ncidaseeentbek e a e a eE REESS 160 Cant Edita Filets a a itd a ed aid E AREA E A RS 162 15 DEALING WITH HARDWARE PROBLEMS 165 Problems with New Hardware ccsccssscssscesseeeseceneeeseeeeseesneceneesereeereeentesereeereee 166 Hardware Troubleshooting c ccscccsssessecesecesecesseceeeeeseeeeeeeaeeeneesereseseesnteseresereee 166 L k f ra Simple Fik onanie tackvattesueuctey sit Genes ptt e aE S 167 Replace and Test Each Component cssccseceseeeeeeeeenseeneenecnteenieeneennees 167 Move the Device to Another Computer ccceseseseceeeeseteseseseeeneeenteeneeenes 168 Divide the Circuit cecon neiii eacds iee E n E EE EE A i te Sen tees 168 Repair or Replace said towne tk Mie cutee en Bact de cau tulon la otuelsl uote boat calles 170 Microsoft s Product Activation Not a Big Deal eccecceecseesteeereeeneeetseseteeeteeeneeeaes 171 How Product Activation Works ccccescseeeseeereeereesneeeeseesneesnreseeeeneeeneeesas 172 What Happens If
186. ek and you re not afraid to tear the whole computer apart it can be done Just follow the instructions that come with motherboard take your time and double check all the little details As long as you pay attention to what you are doing it isn t that difficult Every other component in the computer connects to the motherboard so there are plenty of opportunities for something to go wrong If the com puter does not work at all after you install a new motherboard look for these possible reasons e Is the power supply turned on Is the AC power connected e Are all of the power cables plugged into the motherboard e Are all of the data cables and control cables plugged into the correct out lets and pin connectors Are all the external components mouse key board video monitor plugged in e Are the central processor chip and the memory modules properly mounted e Are there any loose screws or other small parts rattling around inside the case To remove them pick up the case turn it upside down and shake it e Is the bottom of the motherboard grounded to the case Most mother boards allow enough space for the screws and washers to keep away from the printed circuit but sometimes they do touch part of the electrical path Try placing an insulating fiber washer between the motherboard and each of the brass spacers that support the board inside the case as shown in Figure 17 2 If you have trouble keeping the washers in place
187. elopers have to provide a way to update the BIOS to support new devices and new versions of Windows or other operating sys tems that weren t available when the BIOS shipped This is one case where if it ain t broke don t fix it applies Don t install a new BIOS just because it s a freebie from the motherboard manufacturer wait until you have a real reason to make the update If the bells and whistles connected to your computer and Windows appear to be working properly don t bother with a BIOS update An update probably won t make the com puter work any better unless you install some new device that wasn t supported in the old BIOS and a failed BIOS update can make your computer unusable Of course when you do need it a BIOS update can be a lifesaver Almost as if by magic that shiny new thing you recently installed will start working Some computers will require a BIOS update in order to take advantage of the features and functions supplied with Windows XP If you have trouble using some of XP s advanced features or if the update from an earlier Underneath It All The BIOS 105 106 NOTE NOTE Chapter 8 Windows version doesn t work check the motherboard manufacturer s website for information for updates required for Windows XP There s one more condition that might need a BIOS update the famous Year 2000 or Y2K problem Remember the Y2K problem Back in 1998 and 1999 lots of people were convin
188. en you have detailed instructions for performing a specific task from a reliable source such as the Microsoft Knowledge Base or your local help desk the procedures later in this chapter count as a reliable source The best way to load and use the Recovery Console is to run it directly from the Windows XP CD To do so follow these steps Place the Windows XP CD into the drive 2 Restart the computer from the CD 3 At the Welcome to Setup screen press the R key The Recovery Console starts and shows a list of Windows installations on your computer In most cases there will be just one item in the list 4 Enter the number of the version you want to use and press the ENTER key The Recovery Console will ask for the administrator password NOTE Type the same password you would normally use to log into Windows as an administrator and press ENTER If there is no administrator password just press the ENTER key When the Recovery Console accepts the pass word it will display a C WINDOWS gt prompt To close the Recovery Console type Exit at the C prompt Solving Startup Problems with the Recovery Console As I explained earlier in this chapter the BIOS built into your computer s motherboard uses ntldr to begin the process of installing and running Windows It uses NTDETECT COM to find and configure input and output devices If the BIOS can t process either of these program files Windows cannot load You can use the
189. ep careful notes about your conversations explain the symptoms and what you ve already tried and treat the technician as a partner in your battle against the computer With their help you should eventually find a solution to the problem E mail Bulletin Boards and Other Ways to Avoid Talking to You Many computer hardware and software manufacturers hate providing live technical support to their customers Dedicated staff special telephone lines live message centers and internal information resources all increase the cost 218 Chapter 18 of a product without producing any apparent compensating revenue Even if a manufacturer charges for support requests it s never more than a break even deal So the big companies all spend money and other resources to create alternatives to those expensive one on one telephone call centers Some of them provide detailed manuals and other documentation Others including Microsoft have publishing departments that sell separate manuals that really should come with the product Many companies have created online FAQ lists and knowledge bases that allow the product staff to write about known problems just once and supply the information to an unlimited number of users without the need for individual hand holding And as yet another way to save money they also establish online forums or bulletin boards that encourage their users to provide free support to other members of the WhizBang 901 community
190. eparate error window in another program Several things can cause a failure to make an Internet connection e Your computer s network configuration settings are wrong or missing e A firewall or other security software is blocking the connection e The modem that dials the ISP is improperly configured e Someone else is using the telephone line connected to your dial up modem e The local network router is improperly configured e The ISP s network server has a problem e The server you are trying to reach is offline Does Your ISP Provide Its Own Software Many large ISPs including AOL MSN and EarthLink supply their own proprietary software that automatically configures Internet access through their networks and installs an additional layer of software that may or may not add value to a generic Internet connection If you are using one of these services it may not be possible to connect to the Internet or change your configuration without using the ISP s software For example if you are an AOL subscriber you should use the America Online Setup window shown in Figure 13 6 to change your configuration rather than using the Windows settings described in the rest of this chapter If you are working with an ISP s proprietary software don t try to second guess the configuration by making changes to the Windows Network Config uration settings If you can t find a solution to the problem within the ISP s own software c
191. er Title The title of a Knowledge Base article is a description of the article s sub ject In most cases the title is a single sentence or phrase that identifies a problem condition or procedure Knowledge Base Information Each article includes a box at the upper right under the title with the Article ID number the date of the most recent review and the revision number Summary The summary contains a short explanation of the information that is pre sented in more detail later in the article In most cases the first few para graphs of the summary are enough to tell you whether or not the article applies to the problem you are trying to solve or the condition you want to understand However when you re trying to interpret an error mes sage you should also look for the text under the More Information or Symptoms headings Symptoms The Symptoms section contains descriptions of the visible or audible effects of the condition described by this article Cause The Cause section explains why the problem or condition occurs Using the Microsoft Knowledge Base and Other Online Resources 81 82 Chapter 6 Workaround A workaround is a technique for bypassing a problem It does not solve or repair the underlying condition but it does give you a way to avoid the symptoms A workaround might be the best approach if Microsoft has not yet figured out the cause of a problem or if the new software nec essary to permanently fix it
192. ers to use the Knowledge Base to help you find solutions to your computer problems but there are plenty of horror stories about poor training pressure to get rid of every call within six minutes or less and one solution fits all problems policies Have you tried rebooting the computer It still doesn t work Try reformatting your hard drive and reloading everything You tried that Well it must be a bad motherboard Let me transfer you to shipping where they ll take your address and credit card number Microsoft may not always allow their own tech support people to talk with you but they re happy to let you consult the Knowledge Base on your own The Knowledge Base is not limited to problems caused by Microsoft products because many users call Microsoft for help with problems that were actually caused by some other company s products the Knowledge Base often includes information about fixing those problems and pointers to the other company s website or tech support center Opening the Knowledge Base To find an article in the Knowledge Base start at the Microsoft Support home page http support microsoft com shown in Figure 6 3 Microsoft changes the layout and content of this page all the time but it always includes a Search the Knowledge Base field someplace near the top 1 Merocett Hele sad Support Micregoft Isternat dainai plesk ha m ms ESSE Ts L3 Ler izes inem bma jarul Supponi Merere rel a a Daa h
193. es and there s almost always a software disk included with your new printer hard drive mouse or other external device that contains drivers for Windows and other operating systems When you install Windows or upgrade to a newer Windows version the Setup routine includes an automatic update that connects your computer to Microsoft s online Windows Update center and finds the latest drivers for the hardware your system is using When you connect a new piece of hardware Windows will probably detect it automatically and it will try to find and load a driver from your computer s hard drive from the Windows distribution CD or from a file supplied by the hardware vendor If it fails to find the right driver file Windows won t complete the installation But what if the driver file s not on the Windows CD The first place to look is the Microsoft Windows Update center If the latest device driver has passed the Designed for Windows requirements Windows Update can automatically detect and install the latest version To find device drivers through Windows Update follow these steps 1 From the Windows Start menu or the Internet Explorer Tools menu choose Windows Update 2 When the top level Windows Update web page appears choose the Custom option and scroll down to Optional Hardware Updates 3 Click the Review And Install Updates link to view a list of available new device drivers If Windows Update can t supply a ne
194. es 87 Dont Panie Yet innser raen n eh cee es tee a ded hw ace Wh ee 87 7 USING SYSTEM RESTORE AND OTHER ROLLBACK TECHNIQUES 89 Before You Try System Restore sesioni daea i aE a a RE 90 Creating Restore Points tresier a e EE o aa a 92 Returming toa Restore Point asrasin a a a a a Aa aS aea 94 Starting System Restore in Safe Mode scceecceeseesteceteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeneeeeeeeeeesnteeereeereees 95 8 UNDERNEATH IT ALL THE BIOS 97 ThePower onSelf Test siais seclebs Salad as dees PA date ana a E A T bade tea gees 98 Changitig the BIOS Settings s cccsscauseceszesdiecutnepstvesadesdorsecdeueatosdhaecdanesdudsendeyesgeusange ens 99 Opening the BIOS Setup Tool oo eeceeceeeceeeeeeeeseseneeseeestresteeesneesnsestieeeteeentesnienses 100 Changing BIOS Settings mierenia e a Levan acadesak dae n i atiae 100 Date Gd Time yetinen eee ried swe EEE E lochs AN E ATG 101 Configuring Hard Drives and Other IDE Devices 101 Diskette SettifigSisvgces ities ses Bik e ei deeb le i E EA E ee O 103 BOOHSSQUCNCE ame eea a a a Ss te deli 103 Turn Num Lock Onor Of cre Tentin e o aE E ones 104 Other BIOS Setfing sare notasi stant anata A ei aa E iian As A e C AE TAA 104 If All Else Fails Return to the Default ssssssosossseeeeessieeereisieisrsrrirrrrriririrrrrrrrrrerrrrrrree 104 Updating the BIOS sniene tsssenetes sah a aa cn A dd Alba Ghasat O A a 105 9 THE WINDOWS REGISTRY HERE BE DEMONS 107 Opening Reading and Editing the Registry eccesce
195. eseeeseseseeeeesteesneeseneeenreeneeeaas 136 Protecting Against Spyware ssssssssssssressssssreeitrrerrssesesiererrentnnnsrrrerrnns 137 Finding and Removing Spyware sssccsesesesesseeenteeeesesneeeneeeteesneeneenaees 137 Identifying MalWare s mrene cb erent e En eta eae gS A e e obec VE TEE 138 Stopping Break ins Firewalls ccseceseseeeceeeteeneeeeesecssecneesseecneeenaeenteeeneeneenaees 140 Firewall S fWare trenie her eer seii e AEA EA E lace E A bares 140 Firewall Hardware iini i aa des o TE 142 13 INTERNET CONNECTION PROBLEMS 143 Isolate the Problem enemi nnen E E Mise ERT E 144 Follow th Signial sneis a a a tb detonaie 144 The Local Network Hub or Router cccccecceseeceseceeeeesneceneeseseeneeeeteenresereees 146 X Contents in Detail The ISP s Gateway mor aai tis a a ea a deter T aR NAER 146 Tracing the NefwWork ssiru teienei e oe i A a aar RE Aae 147 My Computer Can t Find the Internet 0ccccscseseseeeceeeeseeesesneeesneesneesteeeeneesnteeneeeaas 149 Does Your ISP Provide Its Own Software cccccecessseesteeeteeeteeneenseenaees 149 Network Configuration Settings c cesccsscesseeeseesseeeeeeeeeeeaeenteeeneeneeaees 150 Troubleshooting a Dial up Connection cecceeceeeseeeeeceeeeeneeeeeeeenteenreeneeees 151 Troubleshooting a Connection Through a Local Network ecceeeeeteeeeees 152 The Computer Can t Find a Particular Website ccccesceeeseeeeeeeeeeeee
196. eset button until you have copied the text of the error message or noted the other symptoms of the problem Sometimes a problem will pro duce a different message or another symptom the next time it appears and knowing that can be another valuable troubleshooting tool When you restart the computer don t just use the Restart option in the Turn Off Computer window try the Turn Off or Shutdown option and then either disconnect the power cable or use the power switch on the back of the computer to turn off the power supply Count to 10 and then reconnect the power plug or turn the power switch back on The idea is to completely remove power from all of the computer s internal circuits for long enough to remove any residual charge and return to the startup condition If it seems relevant to your problem you can also shut down and restart one or more of the external devices that are connected to the computer or even disconnect them These include the video display monitor the modem the router or switch that controls your local network and your connection to the Internet and anything else that takes power from a wall outlet If the device has a power switch turn it off count to 10 and turn it back on if there s no switch disconnect and reconnect the power cable where it plugs into the device or the wall outlet Troubleshooting Methods and Tools 7 NOTE Chapter 1 Restarting doesn t always work but it s a common enough fix th
197. esource but it s important to remember that you re asking for a personal favor Depending on the other demands on their time they might not always be able to drop whatever they re doing when you call and take the time to help you When you call a help desk or a helpful friend or relative try to give them as much information as possible about the problem including all of the things described in the first part of this chapter The symptoms the text of any error messages that you have received and the things you were doing when the problem occurred are all important hints that will help an advisor identify the problem and tell you how to solve it If you call a particular help desk or informal advisor often consider some kind of light weight bribery after they take your fourth call in one week or when they spend two hours talking you through a particularly nasty problem a pot of flowers from your garden or a batch of fresh baked cookies can do wonders in convincing someone that they should continue taking your calls They might even move your next request for assistance to the top of the stack Consult the Microsoft Knowledge Base The Microsoft Knowledge Base is a huge collection of articles that describe problems and answer questions about many Microsoft products They include error codes and other messages that were written into the software code and descriptions of potential problems that were discovered during prerelease testin
198. essages in a newsgroup before you post your own question There s an excellent chance that somebody else has had a similar problem and your question has already been asked and answered If your newsreader program has a search tool you can use the tool to scan the entire newsgroup for messages related to your own problem In many technical newsgroups one or more of the regular participants have created a list of frequently asked questions or FAQs that new readers ask all the time An FAQ document is a list of common questions with an answer to each one These might include the basic How do I change fonts on my desktop type of questions along with questions about widespread bugs in software If there is an FAQ document for a newsgroup the creators probably post a new copy once a month or once every few months It s a courtesy to the regulars in a newsgroup to read the FAQ before jumping in with yet another version of the same old question There are several ways to participate in public Usenet newsgroups If your Internet service provider ISP offers access to a news server you can use a dedicated newsreader program such as Agent or Free Agent from Fort www forteinc com or a combined news and e mail program such as the Outlook Express program included with Windows XP or Mozilla Thunderbird Your ISP s tech support center can tell you how to set up your news program to connect to their server Unfortunately some of the large
199. esseeeteeereeeseeetseeeeeettesneeeaes 109 How the R egistry Is Organized si co ccs seeusteacdeuscho is ceeshtesedouens ek lt danetasfasastes sdeovathe 110 Using the Registry to Repair or Modify Windows ceccesceeseeeseeeeeereestteeereeeseeeeaees 111 Deleting a Registry Item ceecceeeseeseeeceeseseeeseesseeseeeeeeeecaeeeteeseeeeneeeneeeaas 112 Adding a New Registry Item csscceecceeseceseceneeeseeeeneceeeeeeeeeeeeeneeenteeneeees 113 Editing an Existing Registry Item cecceceseeeceeseeeeeeesecneecneenteeeneeneenaees 114 Getting the Junk Out Registry Cleanup Tools c cescesceeseeseeeseeeteestsesereeeneeeneeeees 114 Contents in Detail ix 10 DEALING WITH INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS AND FILES 117 The Program Won t Starea sn Nis in Adee 8s dra totetedtm boa a a i 118 Have You Used This Program Before seccseeceseeesteeeteenteceteeeneeenseeaees 118 Have You Just Upgraded soseen aeann aa ariaa E iraa a oBigh dna se 118 What Else Has Happened Lately oo eeeceeeeeeeeeeeseesneceneeesseeeseeenteenteseeeees 119 Is There Another Way to Open the Program ccseesceeseestesereeetseeneeeses 119 Reinstall the Program sestese e cea E na a EES 120 Delete and Reinstall Again c ceeceececesseeeeeseeeeteeensesntecneeneecneeneenaees 120 A File Opens in the Wrong Program cscceseseeeseeereeensecesesneeeseesneesteeeeteeeneeeneeeaes 121 The Program Freezes vonon cx ta caves oneness GaN
200. estart Code 16 Windows cannot identify all the resources this device uses Code 16 Code 16 errors occur when the device configuration is not complete To assign additional resources to this device follow these steps 1 Double click the name of the device in the Device Manager and select the Resources tab 2 Look in the list of Resource Settings for a question mark next to the name of a resource 3 Select the item with a question mark and click the Change Setting button If that button is grayed out turn off the Use Automatic Settings option Device Manager Error Codes and BIOS POST Beep Codes 247 248 Appendix A If the device that produced the error is not a plug and play device you won t see an Automatic Settings option It may be necessary to use some other method to change its configuration and the procedure should be described in the manual supplied with the device If the manual is not available contact the device manufacturer s technical support center for instructions Code 18 Reinstall the drivers for this device Code 18 Error Code 18 appears when Windows is unable to read the device driver To solve the problem follow these steps 1 Right click the name of the device in the Device Manager and choose Uninstall from the pop up menu 2 Open the Action menu and choose the Scan For Hardware Changes option to reinstall the device driver you just uninstalled If the same error code appears again
201. eter and have metal probes at the other end Follow these steps to measure voltage 1 If your meter has a power switch turn the meter on 2 Set the selector switch to one of the DC Volts settings Use the range that is the next setting higher than the voltage you re measuring to measure the 5 VDC and 12 VDC voltages from a computer power supply on the meter shown in Figure 1 4 set the switch to the 60 DC V range To measure the power from a battery or external power supply look at the label on the power supply to find the voltage 3 Insert the test cables into the and sockets or the COM and VDC sockets on the front of the meter 4 f you re measuring a power supply turn it on 5 Touch one of the test probes to the terminal or connector on the device you Figure 1 4 Set the meter to one want to measure touch the other probe to of the DC V ranges the terminal or connector Figure 1 5 shows the correct voltage on each pin in the cable connector 6 Look at the meter s display The needle or the digital display should show the voltage of the device If the needle on your analog meter moves to the left reverse the two test Figure 1 5 Measure the voltages leads on the power connector F eld wie Lanna th yie e Sometimes a laptop computer will work with external power only when there s no internal battery in place This may mean that the battery is completely drained or that the external p
202. ething else If the attempted fix didn t work return the setting to its original state before you move on to something else Obviously that doesn t mean that you should replace the dust that you removed from inside the computer or loosen the plugs and circuit boards that you inserted firmly into their sockets but when you change a configuration setting or a software option change it back if it doesn t solve the problem Otherwise you run the risk of creating new problems before you solve the original one Isolate the Problem Hardware For hardware problems it can often be helpful to isolate the problem by replacing individual components and cables one at a time until the problem disappears If you don t have your own set of spares ask your friends and colleagues if they have a junk box full of cables video cards modems net work interface cards and other parts to try If there s another computer nearby try swapping major components like the video monitor keyboard or printer If the problem disappears when you install a replacement you can be pretty certain that the original device is the source of the problem If the offending piece is an inexpensive item like a cable either leave the working spare in place or buy and install a new one Troubleshooting Methods and Tools 11 12 NOTE Chapter 1 If the bad component is something more expensive such as a printer you might want to either try to repair it yourself or
203. evice Figure 5 2 shows the Device Manager with a damaged device driver Device Manager ET File Action Wiw Help 7S eet a Dmagng dowtes al Keyboards i Mice ond other porthing devices L Modems atics BAE Formadem Win IBS 2 i F Mentors i heteork odeoters Ports COM A LPT b Processors i 4 SCSI ond RAID controllers Sound video ond game controllers Storage volumes zj Figure 5 2 The Device Manager has identified a problem with the modem driver 68 Chapter 5 NOTE NOTE When the Device Manager detects a problem it automatically expands the category list that includes the damaged driver so there s no need to open the compacted category item listings Both red and yellow flags indicate that a problem exists with the device named next to the icon the red X is more serious than the yellow exclama tion mark but both tell you that the device is not working properly The red X generally indicates that the device has been completely disabled For detailed information about a particular device problem double click the device s name to open its Properties window The Device Status box in the General tab see Figure 5 3 will explain the problem and offer advice for repairing it If the fix is more complicated than reboot the computer the Properties window will include a Troubleshoot button that opens another window with more detailed instructions The Device Status box might also include a
204. f hardware and software that you re using and they will know how to fix common problems for you If there s a virus or other intruder going around your network or workgroup they will know about it and they ll be able to cut through a lot of the usual diagnostic methods to focus in on the current local plague Different help desks offer different levels of support Some work entirely by telephone or e mail while others will send a live expert to your site If it s possible to solve the problem by talking you through the fix that s often the fastest way to get your computer up and running again but when the com puter is suffering from a hardware failure or if you re in the same building as the help desk it might be easier for a technician to come to you Some help desks may want to use the Remote Assistance feature in Windows XP or a similar third party program that allows a technician to take control of your computer through the network If your technician or help desk advisor wants to use Remote Assistance they will tell you exactly how to make the feature active on your computer Ask the Family Expert If you don t have access to a formal help desk a knowledgeable friend or relative can sometimes be the next best thing If your daughter or brother in law or a family friend is a computer expert it might be possible to call them for help when your computer breaks down This kind of unofficial technical support can be a great r
205. f you re attempting to reach the site through a Google search you can often find a copy by choosing the Cached link in the item description 3 The web server that contains the page you wanted is offline or over loaded because a lot of people are trying to reach it at the same time or it has some other problem If a traceroute described earlier in this chapter breaks off before the actual site you want that s a good indica tion that the server is offline If you can reach other websites or other Internet services but not the one you want the problem is located at the distant system rather than your own computer or network When that happens there s not much you can do to fix the problem other than notify the owners of the site by telephone or by some other method that does not involve using the Internet if their web server is down they might not have working e mail either If you can t find an alternative site that can supply the same information your only other option is to wait until the problem is solved Computer Connects When You Don t Want It to Connect The opposite problem a web page that you did not request spontaneously appears on your screen is probably the result of either a scheduled task in a program that automatically searches for updates or a hijack program that is misdirecting your browser The first category a page related to a program such as an antivirus utility is generally a valuable se
206. files 10 If the BIOS detects the drive save the BIOS settings and let the com puter restart Windows Data recovery software is available from several sources I ve had very good luck with GetDataBack from Runtime Software www runtime org but a Google search on data recovery software shows several other products that may do the job as well or better GetDataBack is available as a free down load that can examine your drive and open individual files but it requires a one time payment to create and store copies of the files from the damaged drive on a second hard drive GetDataBack offers separate versions for drives that use FAT and NTFS file systems To learn which system your damaged drive used open either version of the program and let it scan your system The screen shown in Figure 16 4 identifies the file system used by each drive In this example all of the drives use NTFS but the program is GetDataBack for FAT To read files on these drives it will be necessary to download and install GetDataBack for NTFS A good data recovery program can often perform miracles on a drive that appeared to be a lost cause but it s not perfect Some files on a damaged drive may indeed be completely lost with no hope of recovery snl x E i a gs S amp 8 g i io lpr kaas the muaya pes pi iy pe ee eee en pee es eet ee pp a eg Sef od ee ET all Ton T irm 2 es Ird perme DT araid j i 1T a m Ty as ba z CEN m eo ED
207. fixing many of the most common devices and components in and around your computer Memory Problems Working with memory in older computers was easy If the memory modules fit into the motherboard sockets you could generally expect that the com puter would successfully recognize and use them Even if some of the modules were not identical to the others the system would default to the slowest one and continue working But today as computer processors and motherboards have become faster and more complex adding more memory to your computer has also become more complicated If all of the memory modules in the computer are not exactly the same the system can become unstable and crash Memory problems fall into several general categories one or more of the physical memory chips mounted on a memory module might not be working properly the memory modules installed in the computer could have different ratings or the memory modules might not be compatible with the CPU or other components on the motherboard NOTE You will have to open your computer and add or remove memory modules to identify a damaged or defective memory module by swapping them and changing sockets If you re not happy about working inside the box you can still run the Memtest86 diagnostic tests described in the following section to determine whether there s a memory problem If Memitest86 identifies a problem let somebody with more experience repeat the Memtest scan and
208. formation There are dozens of settings and options that affect the appearance of windows text data icons backgrounds sounds keyboard response and just about every other element of the interface between you and the computer When one or more of those settings changes something on your screen or your speakers or your printer may be completely different from what you expected In fact as many have experienced repeatedly if enough settings and options change it s possible to mess up Windows beyond all recognition Unfortunately most of those settings are buried under two or three layers of dialog boxes menus and configuration windows Even if you do find the one you need to make an adjustment it s easy to forget where a particular setting is hidden when you want to change things back to normal Even worse some hidden settings change without a specific action by a user for example you might hear some unexpected sounds coming from your speakers after changing the visual theme Microsoft does not give you a printed instruction manual with Windows and there s often no obvious logic behind the location of certain options and settings so it can be difficult to learn where to find the settings you need to Types of Windows Problems and Failures 33 34 change some particular element of the user interface You can probably find specific information about the element you want to change through online help or a web search or you
209. g When a user tells Microsoft about a new and previously unknown problem that problem gets added to the Knowledge Base so the next person who calls with the same problem doesn t have to start from scratch There are full time groups of people at Microsoft who spend their time keeping the Knowledge Bases for various products up to date When you call or e mail Microsoft s technical support center or your local help desk the technician who takes your request for help uses the Knowledge Base to find and help solve your problem However it s not necessary to go through a technician to get to the information in the Knowledge Base you can read most Knowledge Base articles on Microsoft s website at www microsoft com Chapter 6 of this book explains how to use the Knowledge Base and other Microsoft resources Try a Manufacturer s Tech Support Center Microsoft is not the only company that offers technical support for its prod ucts Most major hardware and software manufacturers will answer questions from users who are having trouble installing or using their products Some companies prefer to take technical support questions by telephone but others will accept them only via e mail or though an interactive website Unfortunately requesting tech support is not always particularly effective Too often it involves spending a lot of time waiting for somebody to answer the telephone or reply to an e mail only to receive nonspecific answers tha
210. gh life left in it to display text on the screen Blue Screen errors do provide some information that can help identify the reason for the failure although the messages can be rather cryptic How fo Read a Stop Message All Stop messages use the same format like the one shown in Figure 4 1 The stop error number at the top of the screen identifies the specific type of problem that produced the error Stop error numbers are in hexadecimal numeric format and they always begin with an Ox prefix The stop error number also known as the bugcheck code is followed by a series of additional hex codes in parentheses DEMIE IBQL SOT OTS OR TQUAL LE thin i tha firit tise you ve teen thio tap orror sereen rr la art wur cConpiter If thie recresen appears again Tallow thers wteget Cheri I gt mat w nla Hie CLE i oe shadowing 1 ef to ave tele tmmpeted parni PA be hegi BETTS Adiieri PP bacs sti CO Be tp MGOTE 1 ferme Debugger He ip E BIE Hawd Bate Pe Ber of Phys E Lm Caaiecti weer nwiten e niniaterator or Ceckedeel u Figure 4 1 Blue Screen error messages always follow the same format Each stop error number corresponds to a symbolic name that appears beneath the generic A problem has been detected text a few lines down the screen For example a stop error with a 0x000000000A code always uses the symbolic name IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL Unfortunately most of the symbolic names in Bl
211. gistry and starts the secondary programs and background services that have been set to load during startup Once the kernel finishes running the startup instructions in the Registry itruns the Session Manager program smss exe which among several other important functions shifts Windows from text mode to graphics mode In other words this is the point at which you begin to see graphic images on your screen Logon At this point Windows XP is in control of your computer The logon routine requests the current user s username and password if any Once that user logs in Windows loads any additional startup programs specified in the Registry for that user s account It s possible to set Windows to load the username and password automatically in which case you might not see the logon screen but Windows always runs a logon sequence The Registry specifies a set of logon scripts startup programs and services for each user These might include enhancements to the core Windows operating system security such as antivirus or antispyware programs and other utility programs that run in the background Once Windows finishes running those scripts and all specified programs and services have started the Windows startup sequence is finished your Windows desktop is visible and the computer is ready to use Well that s the idea anyway So What Can Go Wrong Chapter 3 When everything is working properly all of this takes longe
212. gn All of us have files that contain private information that we don t want to share with anybody else these might include personal financial data competitive business information or even old photos love letters and blackmail notes If another person has unlimited access to all the files on your computer there would be nothing to stop them from reading changing or deleting those files Because of these risks Windows doesn t share your files unless you turn on file sharing If you want to allow other people to read change or delete your files you must take a couple of steps Each computer controls access to its own files so you can t just turn on your own computer and automatically expect to see everything else on the network You have to go to each computer and change that computer s configuration first To turn on file sharing follow these steps 1 Run the Network Setup Wizard Start gt Network gt Network Setup Wizard in the Windows XP Start menu or Start gt Settings gt Control Panel gt Network Connections Network Setup Wizard in the Classic Start menu and step through each wizard screen 2 When you reach the File And Printer Sharing screen shown in Figure 14 2 choose the Turn On File And Printer Sharing option Figure 14 2 Use the Network Setup Wizard fo turn on file sharing 3 Continue through the wizard to the end You re not done yet Turning on file sharing is only part of the process Yo
213. gs built into the BIOS in this chapter One of the first problems that computer designers have to solve is that of loading an operating system such as Windows into the computer s memory Starting with nothing at all running the computer must use relatively simple internal software to install the more complicated OS This process is known as pulling the computer up by its own bootstraps or booting the computer This is similar to the job performed by a car s starter motor which uses a battery to give the main motor an initial push to get it moving 98 NOTE In a computer that will run Windows and other operating systems including some forms of Unix and Linux the internal boot software is called the ROM BIOS usually referred to simply as BIOS ROM is an abbreviation for the read only memory chip on the computer s main circuit board that holds the startup software and BIOS stands for the basic input output system that instructs the computer to recognize certain input signals and to send signals to certain outputs Every time you turn on the computer the BIOS runs the power on self test POST to confirm that various components of the computer are operating correctly Next it loads a series of instructions into memory that the computer needs to exchange commands and data with the rest of the world The rest of the computer s world might include the keyboard system clock hard drive and other storage devices video dis
214. h key Unless you are using an expensive ergonomic or wireless keyboard it s generally not worth the effort involved in trying to repair a keyboard You should be able to find a better quality keyboard than the ones supplied with most computers for less than 20 For a little more you can splurge on a fancier keyboard with special features for more comfortable operation and extra keys that automate certain frequently used commands However there are some things you can try before you throw away your old keyboard and buy a new one If a single key or a small group of keys stops working the problem could be dirt between the membrane and the circuit board Try shaking the keyboard or rapping the edge of the keyboard gently against a tabletop to dislodge the dirt If the keys become sticky or if somebody drops or spills food crumbs coffee soda or some other form of goop into the keyboard it s often possible to clean it For minor spills a cotton swab can sometimes fit between the keys or try using compressed air or a vacuum cleaner with a small nozzle to dislodge the stuff under the keys For cleaning the tops and sides of the keys the 3M No 674 Keyboard Cleaner Kit shown in Figure 17 3 works well but you might accomplish the same thing with a damp cloth For a more complete job you can remove the character keys use a vacuum cleaner or air hose to clean the tray and wash the loose keys in warm soapy water It s possible to remove th
215. hanges commands and data with your computer through a serial port To find the specific routine for your own equipment look in the manual for each device or ask your ISP s support center for help Wireless base stations access points are similar to routers for the purpose of this discussion If they re not integrated with a router or a modem they just add one more layer to the system To use the graphic configuration utility for your modem or router open your web browser and type the device s numeric address in the address field The configuration utility uses an access port on the router or modem that can only be reached from the local network so it s not possible for outsiders to change your configuration through the Internet Most configuration utilities require a password you can find the default password in the manual or you can obtain it from the manufacturer s website or tech support center You might need to use a computer connected to a different network or use a modem connection to reach the website if the router is not working Every other user on your network can also find those default passwords including people who have no business changing the device s settings Unless you trust everybody on the network to leave things alone including your children if it s a home network you should change the default password Figure 13 8 shows the configuration utility for a Linksys router Other manufacturers organize the
216. he link between the central office and the modem To apply this technique to a computer problem start by making a list of all the components in the chain between the apparent failure and the com puter s motherboard The analogy to a communications circuit may not always be perfect but it can often help you isolate the problem For example if your computer stops playing music or other sounds the list might look like this e Speakers e Cables from speakers to sound card if they re not permanently attached to the speakers e Sound card e Motherboard Dealing with Hardware Problems 169 170 Chapter 15 To split the chain unplug the speaker cable from the back panel of the computer and plug it into a different computer If the speakers still don t work you now know that the problem is either in the speakers or the cable Now try the same speakers with a different cable If they work this time you have isolated the problem to the cable If the speakers and the cable work on the second computer you can make an educated guess that the problem is in either the sound card or the motherboard Here s another example When you turn on the computer an error message tells you that the computer can t find your C drive In this case there are several components in the chain the motherboard the BIOS which is software that controls hardware the cable from the motherboard to the hard drive and the drive itself You can as
217. he master drive when a slave drive is present or when there is only a master drive without a slave Others use the same jumper settings for a master regardless of whether there s a slave or not If you add a new slave drive to an existing master drive check the manual or manufacturer s website for the master drive to make sure that the jumper is still in the right place For more about setting jumpers and the relation ship between masters and slaves see Chapter 16 Almost all motherboards have at least two IDE connectors which the BIOS identifies as primary and secondary If there s a third IDE connector the BIOS will see it as tertiary or third or identify it with some other word that means the same thing When two IDE connectors are present the BIOS will have IDE configuration settings for a primary master a primary slave a secondary master and a secondary slave Some motherboards also have connectors for SATA Serial ATA drives When the jumpers are set properly on each drive your computer s BIOS should detect and identify each IDE or SATA drive automatically but you might have to use the configuration utility to tweak a new drive If the BIOS doesn t detect a new drive Windows won t find the drive either and if the undetected drive contains your Windows XP software Windows won t start To add a new drive or restore a drive that s missing from the BIOS configuration follow these steps 1 Restart the computer a
218. he master position To set a drive as either a master or a slave move the jumpers located on the back of the drive next to the data and power connectors to the position shown on the diagram on top of the drive and in the user manual If you can t find a diagram try one of the links from www ontrack com jumperviewer Depending on the physical location of the drive you might have to remove the drive from the frame to change a jumper setting If the BIOS does not detect your new drive double check the jumper settings on the drive to make sure that the jumper is connecting the correct pair of pins If the new drive is set as a master confirm that the other drive connected to the same data cable is the slave If the new drive is the slave confirm that the other drive is the master Cable Connections The cables that connect drives to the computer s motherboard are another possible source of trouble If the data and power connectors aren t firmly attached to the drive or if a cable has one or more broken wires the drive won t work correctly ATA Drives Confirm that the plugs on the cables that connect the drive to the computer s motherboard or a driver card plugged into the motherboard are firmly seated into the mating connectors at both ends The connectors have molded shells that only allow the connectors to fit in one position but if there s a problem it won t hurt to make sure that the connector wasn t forced into the
219. he window shown in Figure 14 5 The Great Eastern Propertiamie 2 1 Ta Te te H 2m ZE W L E H ai basis A ODT at Jia Dam Impa Dase Pa a ol Ee E amn pE m ee E E Figure 14 5 To change the Read only status of a file or folder open the Properties window At first blush a local network for home computers might seem like a toy for geeks and gamers rather than something that the rest of us would ever need But like the computer and the Internet a home network can rapidly become an essential tool Once you start using it the network will become one of those things that you expect to find when you turn on a computer When the network doesn t work the way you expect it to work you should know enough about troubleshooting to solve the most common problems and restore your connections Local Network Problems 163 ID DEALING WITH HARDWARE PROBLEMS Not every computer failure is caused by a software issue Many problems that appear to be related to Windows are actually caused by some kind of hardware malfunction or by a conflict between two or more incompatible hardware components inside the computer This chapter describes many of the most common problems that you might encounter when you try to add move or change a component inside your computer Most of these problems have relatively easy solutions if you know where to look Finding and fixing hardware problems requires a different set of troub
220. housing If it s a trackball with the ball on top just turn it over or turn the retaining plate 2 Remove the ball 3 Use a soft moist cloth to clean the ball Troubleshooting and Replacing Other Hardware 199 200 4 Look into the space that held the ball to find the three rollers If they are not immediately visible use a flashlight There is probably a vertical line of dirt and other crud across each roller Use a sharp knife an X Acto knife or the small blade of a Swiss Army knife work well to scrape the dirt away from each roller Use compressed air to remove any loose dust from inside the cavity 5 Replace the ball and reassemble the mouse Cleaning an Optical Mouse There are no moving parts in an optical mouse so cleaning it is easier than cleaning a mechanical unit Use a soft damp cloth to remove all the accum ulated dirt and gunk from the bottom of the mouse and make sure there is nothing obstructing the light or the reflective surface Keyboard Problems Chapter 17 A computer keyboard is a mechanical device that sends electrical signals to the computer Each key on the keyboard produces a different signal which the computer interprets as the letter or other symbol printed on the key cap Most keyboards are cheaply constructed assemblies that use a membrane under the plastic keys to make contact with a printed circuit board when you press a key Some more expensive keyboards use individual switches for eac
221. i IT S NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE A GUIDE TO TROUBLESHOOTING WINDOWS XP JOHN ROSS IT S NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE A Guide to Troubleshooting Windowna XP by John Ross NO STARCH PRESS IT S NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE Copyright 2006 by John Ross All rights reserved No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopying recording or by any information storage or retrieval system without the prior written permission of the copyright owner and the publisher g Printed on recycled paper in the United States of America 123456789 10 09 08 07 06 No Starch Press and the No Starch Press logo are registered trademarks of No Starch Press Inc Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners Rather than use a trademark symbol with every occurrence of a trademarked name we are using the names only in an editorial fashion and to the benefit of the trademark owner with no intention of infringement of the trademark Publisher William Pollock Managing Editor Elizabeth Campbell Cover and Interior Design Octopod Studios Developmental Editor Peter Spear Copyeditors Judy Flynn and Publication Services Inc Compositor Riley Hoffman Proofreader Stephanie Provines Indexer Publication Services Inc For information on book distributors or translations please contact No Starch Press Inc directly
222. ically assign an address when you connect to the network dynamic IP address When you set up your account your ISP will advise you about which IP address to use or it will show you how to accept an automatic assignment The Local Network Hub or Router If your computer shares its Internet connection with other machines by way of a local network the network uses a rouler a device that transfers inbound and outbound data between the local network and the shared Internet con nection The router presents its own IP address to the Internet and manages the addresses of all the other devices on the local network The router s address is the IP address assigned by the ISP The local router uses two sets of addresses one for the local network and one for its connection to your ISP The user guide or other instructions for your network router should include the local address If you don t have a user guide for your router check the manufacturer s website Your ISP will assign an address for your Internet connection The ISP s Gateway Your computer is connected to your ISP s WAN through a telephone line a cable TV system or another wired or wireless link At the ISP s control center you and the other subscribers on the same WAN connect to the Internet through yet another router which connects to the Internet through a gateway Figure 13 3 shows the flow of data from your computer through your local network to your ISP and on to
223. ices are probably at the big national chains where there s almost always one brand or another on sale with a mail in rebate offer Look for the best combination of drive size and price but make sure the new drive is at least as big as the old one We re assuming that the damaged hard drive uses an Integrated Data Electronics IDE connection to the computer s motherboard If it s a Small Computer System Interface SCSI drive or a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment SATA drive you will want to replace it with a new drive of the same type See the section SATA Drives on page 181 To remove the old drive follow these steps 1 Turn off the computer If there s a power switch on the back of the case turn that switch off 2 Unplug the AC power cable from the computer case Disconnect all of the other cables from the computer s back panel Remove the outer cover from the computer This probably involves removing two or more hex head screws or thumbscrews to separate the cover from the case 5 Find the hard drive It s probably located directly behind the front panel of the computer but it might be someplace else inside the case 6 The drive is connected to the rest of the computer through two cables one for power and the other for data Carefully disconnect both cable connectors from the back of the drive Don t unplug the data cable from the motherboard 7 If there are screws holding the drive to the case
224. icrosoft receives an activation request for a product ID code that has already been activated it will compare the information in the hardware hash to the earlier activation If all the hardware is the same there s no problem and the activation goes through But if the hardware hash shows that four or more elements have changed the activation system won t return a confir mation because it assumes you re trying to use the same copy of Windows on more than one machine What Happens If I Upgrade My Hardware When Windows Product Activation detects one two or three hardware changes it accepts the changes and reactivates your system just as if there had been no changes So you can add more memory or a bigger hard drive to your computer or replace the video card and go on with your life without any interference from Microsoft But if you try to change too many components at the same time or if you try to install an existing copy of Windows on a new computer after the old one was destroyed or stolen the online activation system will reject your request In most computers it takes four or more changes before Windows refuses to activate However the Windows activation system will automatically accept major changes four or more of the items that trigger reactivation through the Internet up to four times a year If online activation rejects your request Windows will display a telephone number and ask you to call and explain The customer
225. ideas Each Knowledge Base article includes these sections Symptoms A description of the problem including the text of the error message Cause An explanation of the conditions that produced the error message Resolution One or more detailed step by step procedures for solving the problem and restoring Windows to normal operation More Information Additional advice about the cause of the problem and links to other Knowledge Base articles with related information Applies To A list of the Windows versions or other Microsoft products in which the problem described in this article might occur Gonoral Causes of STOP O20000007F Errors sticks Freestone ee ee ar Ei ni ria ma paai pihai ra ijj Pe Briiir ba LOPES Tiari rene beara Iara Da ee ra TEDE a Yo tear Li ee ara ki Mt mans 8 Te aber ia SYMPTOMS fever ma Pueg rie iai u jaha mwa pa n kme arra reee a pemp mnam ai r Figure 4 6 Every Knowledge Base article follows the same format Look in the Newsgroups If there s nothing useful in the Knowledge Base the next place to look for help is in the community newsgroups that Microsoft maintains to allow their users to exchange advice and help http support microsoft com newsgroups There s an excellent chance that your question has already been asked and answered by somebody else facing the same symptoms but if not you can post your own question to a newsgroup and wait for somebody to sen
226. ight receive an instruc tion from the processor to print the letter Xon a page It s up to the device driver to know if the printer should strike a particular type bar or a particular set of dots against a ribbon or deposit ink or laser toner in a specific pattern directly onto the paper Another device driver might tell the computer which input output I O port carries data to and from the keyboard tell it how to convert keystrokes into input data and turn the Caps Lock Num Lock and Scroll Lock lights on or off In general device drivers will specify whether the device uses a serial or parallel port a USB port a PCMCIA socket one of the internal expan sion slots on the computer s motherboard or some other form of data exchange The device driver also deals with memory management and timing and it specifies the input and output ports and the methods that the device will use to exchange data with the processor Figure 5 1 shows how a computer exchanges information with a peripheral device through a device driver Generic Commands Device Specific Commands and Data Driver and Data Central Peripheral Processor Device Figure 5 1 A device driver is the interface between the central computer processor and an external device Windows isn t the only operating system that uses device drivers Just as a device driver can convert generic Windows commands to the specific instructions that a particular device needs a different dri
227. immediately after you install it it s possible that the program is not compatible with the version of Windows installed on your computer You can think of this as a square peg in a round hole problem This could happen if you are trying to run a very old program that was designed for an earlier version of Windows or a very new program that requires some features of the latest Windows update If your newly installed program is not compatible with Windows XP you can either look for a newer release of that program or try running the program in Compatibility Mode described later in this chapter The software manu facturer almost certainly knows about the problem and they can probably offer instructions for updating Look for information on the manufacturer s website and in the Microsoft Knowledge Base If it s a new program that requires the latest Windows service pack go ahead and install the service pack See Chapter 11 for more about Windows updates and service packs They re free and they will improve the perfor mance of Windows in general so what are you waiting for Have You Just Upgraded If a program stops working after you install a new patch service pack or other upgrade to Windows or when you update the program itself there s probably some kind of conflict between the program and the operating system If it s an old program and a new Windows version the Program Compatibility Wizard next section might solve the pr
228. information first Answer any on screen questions as you step through the removal process After the uninstall is complete restart your computer in order to remove any residual portions of the program from the computer s memory When the reboot is complete install the program from the CD or other distribution media just as if you were installing it for the first time When the installation is complete check the program manufacturer s website for updates and patches that may have been released since you acquired the program A File Opens in the Wrong Program Many programs establish links to certain file extensions that allow Windows to automatically load a text or data file into a program that can read or process it For example files named with doc extensions might be linked to Microsoft Word or some other word processor and image files with names ending in jpg might be linked to Photoshop When you open a file its contents normally appear in a linked program But sometimes the text image or other data will load itself into a different Dealing with Individual Programs and Files 121 program from the one you were expecting A sound file plays in Windows Media Player instead of Apple QuickTime or a text file appears in WordPad instead of Microsoft Word In some cases this is just a minor nuisance because you can still view or hear the contents of the file but at other times the pro gram that opens the file won t recognize all of
229. ing Some Test Pages sheni a aaen sates AT EEA ERE EE AAT 205 Tryta Different Programi oa aae aaeain eerie Eea a A a a t 205 Printing toa Files ena ne E NET TT ATN 206 Printing Throvgh a Network sosiaa osasia enansar eiaa enira AAAS SEE oTa naasia 206 Monitor Problemstacsts cecceaete Sete ae E E ua was A Sevag EEE NE NA 206 Screen Is Completely Dark No Image ssseeneereeesrrerrerreserereer n 207 Thelmage ls Squashed niiin niir no eiie ERE K E E e E ee 207 The Shape of the Image Is Distorted ecceecceeeeeeeeeteeeteeeeeeeeeeeeneeeneeeeeeees 207 Color I Wrong acid essere cede estate ahde a a E ated es ae dele dete pate ea 207 Missing Pixels stissi ar Cede seraseasabeavea e A 207 Audio Problems eieae ees no r E E Ea e aaa Ee E ES 208 18 IF ALL ELSE FAILS CALL TECH SUPPORT 209 Waranty Services fc ss acter t 2 averseh nett A S inate even E A TAS 210 Try Your Help Desk First If You Have One eccsecceeecceseesseesneeeneeeeeeeeseesneeeeeeeereees 210 In Laws and Other Informal Tech Support ccecceeseceseeeeeeesseeeneceneeeeeeeeseeeneeeneeeereee 212 Dealing with Microsoft Tech Support ccceccesseeeseceteceeeeeeeeeeneeenseveeeeeseeeneeeeresereee 212 Other Vendors Tech Support ccceeceeeseeeceeeseeeeseseeeeneecneesseeesneestsestseseteesteeeneeeaes 215 Don t B Atraid te Escalate stnn aA a mat Leena awe tas 217 Wait The Last Person Told Me Something Different c ceseceeteeereeeeee
230. ions If you suspect that your firewall is keeping another program from connecting turn off the firewall and try to connect again If the connection works without the firewall look in the firewall s manual or online help for instructions about adding the blocked program to the list of accepted connections Don t forget to turn the firewall back on when you re done Don t be intimidated by an Internet problem just because it s the Internet Like electricity water telephone service and other public utilities the Internet works reliably almost all the time When it doesn t work the problem is almost always limited to a small portion of the system The Internet may be big and complicated but it follows a set of well defined rules that make troubleshooting relatively easy If you apply a logical approach to locating the cause of a problem you can almost always find a way to fix it Internet Connection Problems 155 14 LOCAL NETWORK PROBLEMS Any time two or more computers and their related devices are under the same roof they should probably connect to one another through a network Networking allows users to share files and printers and to share access to the Internet through a common modem or broadband connection Windows XP includes tools and wizards that make it relatively simple to set up a network but a network is always more complicated than an isolated stand alone computer Network problems don t often inte
231. ir utility screens differently but they all contain the same basic information Gibi a Pua int Tifis Bi Biki PF E TELTAN TT CEF Some toe Figure 13 8 This Linksys router configuration utility specifies the IP addresses that the router uses fo connect fo both the Internet and the local network Confirm that the router s settings match the settings for the individual computers on the LAN side and the settings assigned by the ISP or the next upstream device such as a modem on the WAN side If any of these settings are incorrect you won t be able to connect to the Internet The Computer Can t Find a Particular Website When you enter an address into your web browser you expect a page to appear on your screen If the network returns some kind of unable to connect message instead of the information you wanted there s a problem somewhere in the chain of devices between your computer and the server that contains that web page Internet Connection Problems 153 The most likely causes of a connection failure include 1 The address is not correct Confirm that the name you typed into the Address field is correct and that all words are spelled correctly Make sure that all punctuation marks or symbols such as amp signs or underscores are correct 2 The site you requested does not exist Websites appear and disappear without warning so it s entirely possible that the one you wanted has closed down I
232. irus programs the spyware programs shouldn t conflict with each other For example SpyCop and Spybot Search and Destroy both seem equally effective in finding and removing known spyware but sometimes a program will slip past one or the other usually because you re not using the most recent update SpySubtract also scans cookies placed on your computer by websites that want to track your use of their services Spy Sweeper seems to find more problems than other programs including redirected web searches and unwanted additions to your Favorites and startup list Webroot s subscription service supplies weekly updates to the Spy Sweeper shields Most antispyware programs will monitor your computer for new spyware infections When the program detects active spyware it either blocks it or displays an alert and advises you to remove the offending program Some programs also run a system scan at Windows startup to make sure that no new spyware processes have loaded All of the major antispyware packages should perform adequately as long as you keep them up to date A program that runs an automatic scan during startup might increase the amount of time that Windows takes to load but if you re committed to keeping spyware out of your computer that s probably an acceptable trade off Several major software companies including Symantec and McAfee offer inclusive Internet Security products that bundle antivirus antispyware and firewall
233. is to use the Program Compatibility Wizard Start gt Programs gt Accessories gt Program Compatibility Wizard As the wizard steps through the setup routine you can choose the program and specify the version of Windows that it was intended to use If you still have the program s original manual look in the Specifications section to learn which version of Windows to use If you don t have a manual you ll have to resort to trial and error Set the Compatibility Wizard to Windows Me first and if that doesn t work try each earlier version of Windows in turn If there s a video problem such as a distorted image or a strange looking mixture of colors try changing to one of the alternative display options What Else Has Happened Lately It s not common but sometimes two unrelated programs can conflict with one another If Program B stops working after you install or modify Program A there s a good chance that the two programs are fighting each other If both programs depend on the same DLL dynamic link library file the version that was supplied with the newly installed program might not be compatible with the old program If you discover that an existing program has stopped working after you installed a new one contact both manufacturers technical support centers for advice In the meantime you can try reinstalling the older program Is There Another Way to Open the Program Windows offers several ways to start a p
234. is disconnected To fix the problem reconnect the device to the computer If it s an external device check the power switch and the power cable if it s an internal device make sure the card is firmly inserted into the motherboard or confirm that the data and power connectors are in place on both the device and the motherboard Code 46 Windows cannot gain access to this hardware device because the operating system is in the process of shutting down Code 46 This error appears during Windows shutdown Let the shutdown continue the device should work when you start the computer again Code 47 Windows cannot use this hardware device because it has been prepared for safe removal but it has not been removed from the computer Code 47 A Code 47 error appears when a user has used the Safe Removal command on a removable device such as a PCMCIA card a docking station or certain USB devices or the user has pushed a physical Eject button To clear this condition either remove and replace the device from its socket or dock or restart the computer Code 48 The software for this device has been blocked from starting because it is known to have problems with Windows Contact the hardware vendor for a new driver Code 48 A Code 48 error indicates that the device driver is not compatible with the current version of Windows To solve the problem contact the device manufacturer s technical support center Code 49 Windows c
235. is s Aa as SEa a AARE A TORSE de 23 2 TYPES OF WINDOWS PROBLEMS AND FAILURES 25 No POWEr y wai See ea a ee a ee 26 Checking Power on a Desktop Computer 0 ccccsccceeseeeeeeeteenteestseeneeneensaes 26 Checking a Laptop Computer cccceccseceeeeeseecsecetresteeeneenaeesteesnaeeneensaes 27 Errors During StAtUs sh mshi ves ch cis dessa an detatewiacieetith nage sean eaa Ma A raed anes 27 Troubleshooting Windows Failures 0 c ccseceesteeeeseseeeeeecetsesseesneeeneesseeeneenaeensaes 29 Black Sereents efi A ited WUE NM Slt eA ee la a E E bade tite al 29 Blue SCreON S08 Jetsons iecetacctuens iecTiteaed e ERE E E NE ATN ENEE 30 Everything Frozen in Place Aroen aoee ae an aaa o ta Eaa iaa ia iiae ana Aaaa ARE EN AAE 30 Nonfatal Error Messages ita sien atenei n eia TEE EE E AAE Ea Seat 31 Responding to Nonfatal Error Messages sssseseeeseeseeeeeneesteeenseenseensaes 31 Error Messages Finding Translations from the Cryptic c cccceseseeseeeseeeseeereeenteeteeeens 32 What to Do When Windows Is Acting Oddly ecccseseeseeeeeeeeeeneeeneeeeneeeneeeneeeereens 33 Pop up Ads and Redirected Web Pages Your Desktop Under Attack cccseeseeereee 34 Hardware Problems sitno n a hadi ania ng vival des aS 36 Memory Problems evs szccsvsedates recabanacheageatoascaalshawhcadessves SASEN EEOAE 37 Internet Connection Problems csecccesseseteeeeseeeeeseeeseeseeeeseveseeeeestseeeesentesteesens 37 Local Network
236. is time the Blue Screen should remain on the screen until you turn off the computer Finding a Fix Chapter 4 It may not be obvious but the text of a Blue Screen error message is Windows s best effort to tell you exactly what has gone wrong with your computer and how to deal with it Using the text of the message you can look for helpful advice from Microsoft s own technical support infrastructure and plug yourself into the collective wisdom of other users who have faced the same problem themselves NOTE oe esa SS SEED T em ia giar et of ee mig op 3 ET ie ia epg reme eee tees eee eel Pa pe ora a eee Be elle ih e i Toit Abe T m rran i tm y T y Sw a eT U asme en i iea n is D peret simt C om Figure 4 4 The Automatically Restart option is located in the System Failure section of the Startup And Recovery window The Microsoft Knowledge Base The first place to look for an explanation of a Blue Screen error message is the Microsoft Knowledge Base at http support microsoft com The Knowl edge Base contains articles written by Microsoft s developers and technical support experts that identify and explain real and potential problems When a new and previously unseen problem arises Microsoft uses the Knowledge Base to distribute information to their own support staff and to outside users When you request help from Microsoft via e mail or telephone the first level support advisors who take
237. issing or recorded incorrectly Code 40 A Code 40 error appears when the service subkey for this device in the Windows registry is not valid To fix the problem uninstall the driver and use the Scan For Hardware Changes command in the Device Manager s Action menu to reinstall it Code 41 Windows successfully loaded the device driver for this hardware but cannot find the hardware device Code 41 A Code 41 error occurs when Windows loads a device driver but it is unable to find the device itself This can only happen with non plug and play devices The device might be missing or turned off or the device driver could be missing or damaged To solve this problem follow these steps 1 Confirm that the device is in place that it is connected firmly to the computer and that the power is on 2 Right click the name of the device in the Windows Device Manager and choose the Uninstall option from the pop up menu 3 Download a new copy of the most recent device driver for this device from the manufacturer s website 4 Open the Action menu in the Device Manager and choose Scan For Hardware Changes 5 When the Wizard detects the device instruct it to use the version of the device driver that you downloaded in Step 3 6 If Windows does not automatically detect the device open the Windows Control Panel choose Printers And Other Hardware and click Add Hardware in the See Also list on the left side of the window in Classic
238. istry cleaner tool but they re basically harmless What to Do When Windows Won t Start 53 54 Chapter 3 However if you find one or more Did not load driver items at the end of the Boot Log they are probably the ones that caused Windows to stop loading With this information in hand the best approach to repairing the startup routine is to work backward from the end of Boot Log Once you identify the drivers that failed to load you can determine if a driver is damaged by examining the file properties for the driver file To view a file s properties move your mouse cursor over the name of the file in the Windows directory in My Computer and click the right mouse button If the file is completely missing or if the file properties list show that the file size is 0 bytes or if the date and time stamp shows a date that is different from the date you installed Windows XP the Created and Modified date stamps should be the same as the ones for C Windows explorer exe and C Windows notepad exe the file is damaged That s what did not load means If your file is damaged you can do one of two things e Copy the damaged or missing file or files from another computer run ning the same Windows version and the same service pack e Reinstall Windows from the distribution CD Use the repair option rather than a full Windows installation If another driver fails to load after you restore the first damaged file you ma
239. ity should be to remove the damaged drive from your computer and install a new C drive After you have Windows working again you can worry about recovering the old data Reinstalling Windows from scratch on a new or different drive is a time consuming process but it s the only way to be sure that you don t lose data on your damaged drive You will probably kill at least half a day messing with the computer before you get it back to its state before the drive failed If you have never done it before removing and installing the drive itself formatting the drive installing and updating Windows downloading and reinstalling drivers reinstalling and updating security software such as antivirus and firewall programs reinstalling and updating software and tweaking your personalized settings can easily consume a full day or more If the damaged hard drive is the only one inside your computer you will need to buy and install a new drive If you have more than one drive you can use the other drive as the boot drive but considering the low cost of new drives you might just as well buy a new one instead You will need at least two gigabytes of free space for the Windows XP software alone plus space for all of the programs and data that were stored on the damaged drive You can buy a new hard drive at most places that sell computer supplies including most computer retailers mail order and online merchants and office supply stores The best pr
240. k of the case than the motherboard can support When you try to install a new USB or FireWire device several months after you built the box it s possible that you will try to plug into to a socket that isn t connected to the motherboard If Windows fails to detect a USB or FireWire device when you connect it to the computer try using a different socket If the first socket you tried was on the front try one on the back If that doesn t work open the case and confirm that there are cables connecting the sockets on the case to sockets on the motherboard If Windows still can t find the device try reinstalling the USB or FireWire driver supplied with the motherboard Printer Problems Chapter 17 Printers are mechanical devices controlled by computers so they can suffer from the worst of both worlds mechanical failures and bad data When a printer fails to produce the document you expect or the document doesn t look the way you expected it to look you should look for both types of problems Restart the Printer Sometimes the printer s options and configuration settings will return to the correct values after you turn off the printer and then turn it back on again This is a very quick and easy fix so it s worth trying first before you spend a lot of time looking for something more complicated No Lights If none of the lights or LED indicators on the printer is on the printer probably has an electrical problem Confirm
241. keys to Windows s design is its modular structure The core operating system calls out to separate modules that provide support for many types of hardware and software so the developers of that hardware and soft ware can create their own feature sets rather than limiting themselves to the 66 ones built into Windows The modules that act as the interfaces between the central computer and external devices are called device drivers The modules that add functions that are not part of the executable code in a process are called dynamic link libraries DLLs As a user it s not essential to understand exactly how individual device drivers and DLLs work but it is important to know that they re out there and that you must find and install them in order to make many kinds of hardware and software work with Windows If an essential driver fails or if the file that contains the driver becomes damaged either Windows will disable the device controlled by that driver or if the driver is essential to Windows s operation it will shut down and produce a Blue Screen error message Every peripheral device connected to your computer whether it s your keyboard the video display the hard drive or another device uses a device driver to exchange data with the computer s central processor Windows uses device drivers to convert generic input and output signals to and from the specific commands and responses that each device uses to perform it
242. ks that you never requested appear in your desktop or your Favorites list e Certain programs or Windows utilities won t start e The LED indicators on your modem or broadband Internet router appear to be flashing a lot when you haven t entered any Internet commands Obviously this stuff can make it a lot more difficult and unpleasant to use your computer Some spyware such as the programs that can steal your credit card information when you type it into the computer can complicate your whole life It s absolutely essential to remove any malware that has infected your computer and to protect yourself from new attacks For now try running a complete antivirus and antispyware scan see a list of recommended pro grams in Appendix B of your computer s memory and hard drive and install programs that will keep new infections out of your system With luck that will be enough to find and remove any problem If not try the detailed instructions I give you in Chapter 13 Finally don t overlook the possibility that your browser took you to the wrong web page because you mistyped the address in the Address field Check your spelling and try again Not all pop up windows are malware Some pop ups can contain status messages from legitimate programs that are running in the background such as firewall antivirus and antispyware utilities and communication through instant messaging programs For example the Microsoft AntiSpyware utility
243. last thing you want to do is to waste another day trying to remember exactly where the you found the specific information that solved the problem If the same problem happens again you should know what to do about it It s easy to tell yourself P1 remember how to fix this but it s not always true Six months from now will you know where to find that obscure setting that s buried under three layers of configuration windows Or which website has the downloadable patch that repairs the bug in the original software or deletes a particular type of spyware Don t count on it The best way to deal with this is to keep a simple log or notebook that describes each problem and how you fixed it complete with web addresses configuration settings and everything else that will help you go directly to a solution without any of the dead ends that waste so much time You can create and store the log as a text file in your computer but remember that the computer might not be accessible when you re trying to solve the problem So it s a better idea to print each description and store them in a file folder or a loose leaf binder near the computer Or stick your notes between the covers of this book to keep everything in one place If you consulted an online forum or newsgroup to find help solving the problem remember to post a message to let the other readers of the same thread know that you have found a solution Even a simple message like
244. le shooting tools and techniques from the methods we ve been using to deal with Windows and other software When you re dealing with physical devices and components it s almost always possible to either physically examine the suspect part or swap it out with another piece Sometimes a hardware failure is easy to spot because there s some kind of clear physical evidence that a component has gone bad Clear signs that the apparent problem was caused by hardware not software include a con nector that has become unplugged and a blackened area on a printed circuit board caused by burned insulation But just as often the difference between 166 a software problem and a hardware failure is not that easy to identify For example if an audio player or a video image fails the problem could be caused by either a device driver software or a damaged controller card or other hardware If a problem has no obvious cause such as a melted component on a printed circuit board or a plug or jumper in the wrong place it s good practice to eliminate a possible software glitch as the source of the problem First try updating or reinstalling the device driver software before you replace any hardware Problems with New Hardware It s a unique feeling when you install a drive memory module or mother board connect up all the cables and turn on the computer and the computer just sits there doing nothing Adding moving or replacing a
245. le connec tors plugged into the computer s case all the internal cables connected to the motherboard and all the other devices inside the case e Are the controller cards and other expansion boards firmly in place Are all the cable connectors and jumpers in the right places e Is there a loose screw or other part rattling round inside the case Pick up each device and gently shake it to make sure A screw or other metal part could create a short circuit that causes an electrical device to fail e Is an adjustment such as a volume control or brightness control turned all the way down e Ifa problem appears to be in one of the PCI cards mounted onto the motherboard try moving the card to a different PCI socket e Is there a software control that has disabled the device For sound check the Mute options and levels in the Volume Control window for video look in Display Properties gt Settings to make sure the display is active On all devices look in the Device Manager Start gt Run gt devmgmt msc for a yellow question mark or a red exclamation point next to the name of a device Replace and Test Each Component If you have a spare cable video card or other component try removing the one that might have failed and installing the spare If the problem disappears you can be pretty certain that the old part was causing it If the problem remains replace the original part and try a different component Be sure the
246. less your drive is seriously corrupted Don t run any other programs while the scan is in progress Unlike the defragmenter which you can run and ignore until the job is complete you should check the computer for error messages every few minutes When the Scandisk program finds an error it will either flag the problem and bring it to your attention or it will automatically fix it by deleting the cross linked file or the lost cluster and creating a new text file that contains the data that had been in the deleted file or cluster It s a good idea to take a look at each of those files after the scan is complete to see if they contain anything you want to keep The contents will most often be digital gibberish which you should delete If there s a useful string of text in one of the salvaged files copy it to a new text file using a text editor such as WordPad and assign a name that describes its contents Create a Set of Utility Disks Chapter 20 Normally your computer uses the files on your system drive to start Windows but when your system drive fails or the Windows files become corrupted you ll have to use software from a CD a floppy disk or another source to start the computer The time to make those disks is now before you need them Make a Restore Disk Whether you have a copy of Windows XP in the original Microsoft package or a restore CD that came with your computer you can use the startup files on that CD to reinst
247. like a failure is either fatal or it isn t but a Blue Screen appears when the computer still has enough life to tell you what has gone wrong whereas a Black Screen indicates amore complete failure and doesn t give you any hints about its cause Blue Screens always follow a standard format In most cases a Blue Screen will provide enough information to identify and solve the problem if you know how to interpret the cryptic text Sometimes they even include specific instructions for dealing with the failure But more often you will need an explanation of the data on your screen from another source See Chapter 4 for an explanation of each element in a Blue Screen where to find more details and how to use that information Everything Is Frozen in Place Chapter 2 Another form of system failure is similar to a Blue or Black Screen error the display remains visible on the monitor but the computer fails to respond to instructions from the keyboard the mouse or any other input device For all practical purposes the computer has frozen As with a Black Screen there s not much you can do about this except restart the computer If it happens again look for a pattern that might help identify the cause Does the computer freeze when you are running a parti cular program or performing a specific action What other programs were active at the time Was some automatic activity running in background If you can duplicate the lockup by repe
248. list and open the submenu You will see a list of options like the one in Figure 16 8 Follow the instructions on the screen to automatically detect the drive s characteristics including the data capacity the number of cylinders and heads and other values In this example press the ENTER key Don t worry if the utility does not show the correct capacity for your new drive You will fix this when you format the drive Troubleshooting and Replacing Hard Drives 189 190 E kebap Gab haa er lime inp Figure 16 8 The submenu for each IDE device shows that drive s characteristics 6 In most cases the BIOS will obtain the correct values directly from the drive and display them in the submenu If the autodetect function does not recognize your drive advance to each line of the menu and enter the correct values by hand these are the values you copied before you mounted the drive in the case If the values are not printed on the drive label look for them on the manufacturer s website 7 Follow the instructions on the screen usually at the bottom or on the right side to save your changes and close the BIOS Setup Utility The computer should restart and load Windows Moving a Hard Drive to a New Computer Chapter 16 Moving an old drive to a new computer is often the best way to continue using the same data after you start using the new machine However it s often not possible to use the old drive as the boot drive
249. lude an emergency boot disk that can perform a startup scan If the scan does not detect a virus use the Recovery Console see Bypassing Windows with the Recovery Console on page 46 to restore the MBR the ntldr file or a corrupted boot sector I d suggest considering first any changes that you ve recently made Sometimes I think even running the recovery tools can mess up your system If it s not a virus it will be a damaged file Undoing changes is unlikely to repair the damage Other Startup Error Messages After the ntldr runs the boot loader it starts the Ntdetect com program which gathers information about additional devices installed in your com puter These devices include the time and date set in firmware and the video adapter keyboard mouse communication ports disk drives and other devices on plug in expansion cards If ntldr detects a problem with any of these devices it will display an error message during startup Each device produces different messages so there s no universal standard message text To find more information about a message run a web search on the exact text of the message In most cases a search on the first three or four words is enough to find an explanation of a message Place quotation marks at the beginning and end of the phrase to restrict your search to the exact phrase rather than the individual words Returning to the Last Known Good Configuration If Windows won t start after
250. ly when you start Windows and the default folders that store data files created by application programs Every time you install a new program or change a configuration setting part of the Registry changes All the dialog boxes and Properties windows that you use to change Windows settings are really just somebody s idea of an easier way to change one or more Registry listings The Registry is located in a hidden subfolder so items in it don t show up when you use the Windows Search tool The Registry contains thousands of entries that occupy a lot of space on your hard drive typically more than 33MB If you re curious you can download a tool to measure the amount of data stored in the Registry from www microsoft com windows 2000 techinfo reskit tools existing dureg o asp Because the Registry was designed as an internal database that tells Windows and other programs how to handle various details it s a very dense set of listings without obvious explanations of the particular function of each line In fact it s often impossible to know what a line in the Registry does just by looking at it And because changing one or two characters in the Registry can render a program or a Windows utility completely useless trial and error is probably not a productive way to solve Windows problems or to tweak your system The conventional wisdom about the Registry is Don t mess with it unless you know exactly what you re doing With
251. m amai ah mide fie ma cern od Tpm ebp pri prei ie Tora Pe l g oppii Bete eg es T ne ee Fmi Pa arem saem Dipi i j l Figure 7 3 The Create A Restore Point window includes space for a description of the new restore point Using System Restore and Other Rollback Techniques 93 3 Type a name for this restore point and click Create The wizard will create the new restore point and display a confirmation Returning to a Restore Point If none of the suggestions in the previous section solve the problem it s time to try a full system restore Follow these steps to return Windows to a restore point Shut down any programs that are currently running 2 Choose Start Programs Accessories System Tools System Restore 3 Choose Restore My Computer To An Earlier Time and click Next The Select A Restore Point window shown in Figure 7 4 appears T System Restore eled a Restore Point Pa en A A ee E i ra ee Pa es Se E ee be H i Ta erie her hi Pat e eiii Se Pr era eT hrde haabe ann 2a pa es ed aes ee ees oe Sa FPG Pad Pe SS D ARL PE APE E ET ERE E Pe ee ee ee ee ee pmi Oe ed Se el ec Tiii ia l bY Bemmi hE Peete ie EHAAk ented TT rw Dimi ied Ea Diabas jaa tila LEME AH pmid diriam iF lar mr mh Figure 7 4 Use the Select A Restore Point window to choose the age of the restore point 4 From the calendar choose a date just before the problem occurred For example if a system failure has jus
252. m www lavalys com products php to identify the motherboard If all else fails open the computer s case and look for a name on the board itself 2 Find and download the most recent BIOS update from the computer s manufacturer or directly from the BIOS supplier You can find links to most sources of BIOS updates at www bios drivers com or http simplythebest net drivers bios_updates html 3 The BIOS update file for your motherboard might include a separate update program or it might be a single executable program that loads the update automatically Read the instructions for installing the update and follow them carefully Ifyou re viewing the website or the text file on the machine whose BIOS you re updating print a copy because you won t be able to see them on your screen while the update is in progress Remember that the BIOS software includes the very low level set of instructions that the computer uses to communicate with the rest of the world through the keyboard the video display and all of its other inputs and outputs Without a working BIOS your com puter is simply a box of parts It s absolutely essential that you follow the instructions supplied with the update tool Don t assume that you know how to perform an update just because you ve done it before Read the instructions and perform every step exactly as described THE WINDOWS REGISTRY HERE BE DEMONS Remember those old maps that early explorers u
253. major hardware component in your computer can provide several opportunities for trouble Most new hardware problems are relatively easy to fix Most often either the cables or jumpers are set incorrectly or an electrical short circuit is causing the device to fail or a new component is not compatible with the rest of the equipment inside the computer Or of course it s always possible that the new device is DOA dead on arrival right out of the box because of a defective electronic component or faulty assembly but you probably won t discover that until you eliminate the usual installation errors Hardware Troubleshooting Chapter 15 A hardware failure might present itself as a complete failure or it could appear as reduced performance For example a video monitor might not display any image at all it could lose one or more of the separate colors that it blends to create full color images or it might compress the image on the screen into a small horizontal band at the center of the screen When a network component such as a modem or a router breaks down your computer could completely fail to exchange data with the Internet or your local network or it might reduce the data transfer rate to a fraction of its original speed The best way to identify a hardware problem is to isolate the problem to a single component cable module or connection When you evaluate a possible hardware problem in a peripheral device try to identify and
254. me For more about finding and fixing memory problems read the section Memory Problems on page 193 Internet Connection Problems Whether your computer connects to the Internet through a dial up telephone line a high speed DSL or cable TV connection or a local area network it ought to be easy to make the connection You might have to log on to an account through your Internet service provider but after that the link between your computer and the one that provides a web page e mail or some other service should be completely transparent you shouldn t have to worry about any of the Internet s internal plumbing But before you can make an Internet connection you must configure your own computer and the router or modem or both that moves data between your computer and the Internet If any of the configuration settings are wrong your connection may not work Those settings should not change at random but the configuration screens are the first place to look when a connection fails Types of Windows Problems and Failures 37 38 Other possible but less common sources of connection problems include trouble with the telephone line or cable TV connection problems with the proprietary software supplied by the Internet service provider and failures at the Internet service provider or someplace else along the way See Chapter 14 for more detailed information on troubleshooting your Internet connection Local Network Problems
255. me so it s not possible to offer anything like an exhaustive list of symptoms in a stable medium like this book but the developers of antivirus and antispyware programs devote substantial resources to keeping up with them Your best defense is to install and use those programs and keep them current Stopping Break ins Firewalls Chapter 12 It may seem like an odd form of entertainment but there s a whole sub culture out there of people who spend their time trying to break into other people s computers Some of these people are just in it for the game but others are cracking into computers as a way to steal personal and corporate information As anyone who has ever had to deal with identity theft can tell you taking back control of your life after someone has stolen your credit card numbers computer passwords bank account numbers and other per sonal data is the bureaucratic equivalent of root canal surgery Anytime your computer is connected to the Internet or a local network there s a possibility that someone will try to break into your files It s not that the data on your computer is anymore attractive than the data on any of the millions of other computers online but the most common way for people to find unprotected machines is to systematically scan through every possible numeric Internet address If your computer is connected to the Internet all the time attempts to gain access to your system can occur dozens of times
256. mi i haa BDE bead ja mia am in dau m Da brimad H ricin Bea a i ee ee ee a a Coscia bree n d e E b m te L 4 is w 1 bmadp Se rd eee Bess Eia ut ges EE ian br p sreusieee aha maar meia me aning Fap Ia P kmkmieeiry rays miima i omme m irera Eare 2 imm l ber tem aain rain CESET acl i T A aE Pee P hii a laan TEEM hie ppi Im bei be a me erie em iee Pt e an E et det ee ee et Heit om Figure 6 3 Microsoft s Help and Support web page is the gateway to the Knowledge Base Using the Microsoft Knowledge Base and Other Online Resources 79 80 Chapter 6 Back in Chapter 1 I told you that the first step in solving a problem is describing it This is where describing the problem becomes important To find one or more Knowledge Base articles related to a specific problem type a keyword that describes the problem into the Search box If Windows or another program has generated an error message type the first three or four words of the message in the Search box If there s an error code number or other unique identifier try using that as a keyword For example if you see an error message that says Smrtbltz dll is dam aged use Smrtbltz dll in your keyword search The search tool will give you a list of all the Knowledge Base articles that mention Smrtbltz dll If you chose a keyword that appears in one or more Knowledge Base articles the search tool will display a list of articles related to that keyword or phrase
257. n Customer Services BIOS AwardBIOS Award Error Codes htm Table A 2 PhoenixBIOS Beep Codes Beeps Description 1 2 2 3 BIOS ROM Checksum 1 3 1 1 Test DRAM refresh 1 3 1 3 Test 8742 Keyboard Controller 1 3 4 1 RAM failure 1 3 4 3 RAM failure 1 4 1 1 RAM failure 2 1 2 3 Check ROM copyright notice 2 2 3 1 Test for unexpected interrupts 1 long 2 short Checksum failure Source PhoenixBIOS 4 0 Release 6 0 POST Tasks and Beep Codes www phoenix com NR rdonlyres 81E6C43C 93BD 4097 A9C4 62F05AAD6025 0 biospostcode pdf Device Manager Error Codes and BIOS POST Beep Codes 255 256 Appendix A Table A 3 AMIBIOS Beep Codes Number of Beeps Error Message 1 short Memory refresh timer error Troubleshooting Action Reseat the memory or replace with known good modules 2 short Parity error in base memory Reseat the memory or replace with known good modules 3 short Base memory read write test error Reseat the memory or replace with known good modules 4 short Motherboard timer failure 5 short Processor error 6 short Gate A20 test failure 7 short General exception error These are all fatal error messages that indicate a serious problem with the system Consult your system manufacturer Before declaring the motherboard beyond all hope eliminate the possibility of inter ference by a malfunctioning add in card Remove all expansion cards except the video adapter e If beep codes are generate
258. n it s not always easy to do so espe cially when you have to flip back and forth between two or more pages To reduce the pain print copies of each page or chapter that applies to the problem you are trying to solve If the manual contains less than a couple of dozen pages consider printing the whole thing and placing the pages in a loose leaf binder The quality of the manuals supplied with modern computer hardware and software varies Some manuals are excellent with full details about how the product works and instructions for installing using and trouble shooting every feature But many others seem to have been an afterthought assembled at the last minute by an outside contractor who may or may not have ever used the product And some products including Windows XP itself don t include any manuals at all Some manufacturers might offer a complete printed manual as an extra cost add on item If you use a program or device a lot try calling its tech support line and asking about obtaining a printed manual Don t bother asking Microsoft for a Windows man ual they Ul point you to the books about Windows published by Microsoft Press and other publishers If you do have manuals for any of the programs or hardware related to a problem read them Look for descriptions of the configuration settings and explanations of specific features that might be the source of the trouble If there s a troubleshooting section there s a good cha
259. n Restore Files To menu to choose the location where you want the place the restored data 5 Click the Start Restore button Defragment Your Hard Drives To understand why you must defragment your hard drives it s useful to know something about how a hard drive stores information When you write a string of data onto a disk Windows finds space on the disk that doesn t already contain data On a new drive most of the disk is empty so it s easy to write a large file or other string of data in a blank area on the disk But when you delete a file the drive returns the space that the file had occupied to its bank of space available for new files Chapter 20 However the next file that you try to store might be bigger than the amount of space available in any single block So the computer breaks the file into smaller pieces called fragments and stores each fragment in a different location on the disk This is known as fragmentation On a severely fragmented drive a single file might be split into a dozen or more pieces When the computer retrieves a fragmented file it must reassemble the pieces before it can load the file into a program so a fragmented file can take a lot longer to load than a file that s all in one place on the drive Keep in mind that Windows is constantly reading and writing temporary files and other data to the hard drive so your computer will gradually become more and more fragmented even if you don
260. n a security audit see the previous section for pointers to online firewall audit services before spending additional time and money to obtain and install a firewall from another source If you re connected to the Internet through a local network turn off the Internet Connection Firewall and use the firewall in your network hub To turn on the Windows Internet Connection Firewall follow these steps 1 From Control Panel select Network Connections and choose the icon that identifies your connection to the Internet The dialog box in Fig ure 12 2 should appear issi km irim tah te om ati immi Eam nay w GT ens Cok boas a s ti Figure 12 2 The Connection Status window shows the current condition of a network connection Viruses Spyware and Other Nasties 141 142 Chapter 12 2 Click the Properties button A Properties window will appear Select the Advanced tab and click the Settings button to display the dia log box shown in Figure 12 3 Windows Firewall eed of rms ib msl ens red Gi eed eee gee ae bem meem moneh ro angare Deeg k hemme oo p iaai 2 Co Da jp a campan at ba pect et ec i eed on Pn d mee ca DO Den atl errs HE Te PS ey OTT a eG i iy pe p aqpan np ai rer pa numim le ee ims papam Wmm oe Do ns id aF a par 9 O DF ied oo ell Am nag eg Sao or en ad a mE mnpm wn ir mar gi resim Figure 12 3 The General tab of the Properties window controls the In
261. n away one or more perfectly good parts Move the Device to Another Computer Sometimes it s easier to connect a suspect component to a working computer rather than replacing the item on the broken machine This approach is particularly useful when you re testing relatively large devices like keyboards monitors and modems that connect to the computer and the computer s motherboard through external cables For example if your keyboard stops working even after you turn the computer off and back on again try conecting it to another computer If the keyboard works on the second computer you can eliminate that keyboard as the source of the problem If it still doesn t work on the second computer you can usually deduce that the keyboard was faulty When you test something on a second computer however make sure you check the obvious settings if there s a power switch confirm that it is turned on if the device uses external power be sure that it is plugged in toa working AC outlet and if the device requires a device driver install the driver on the second machine before you assume that the device itself is broken Divide the Circuit Dividing the circuit is an old telephone technician s method for finding a defective component in a communications circuit as quickly and efficiently as possible In certain situations such as troubleshooting a LAN it can also be helpful for finding computer problems In simple terms you divide
262. n is exactly what the name suggests the monitor goes completely dark with absolutely no information or images in the display and there s no response from the keyboard the mouse or any other input device You ve probably heard of the Blue Screen of Death A black screen is often called the Black Screen of Death For all practical purposes the computer has frozen up Ifa Black Screen error does occur you will probably lose whatever work you were doing when the computer failed Fortunately Black Screens are not common in Windows XP But when they do occur the only thing you can do is to turn off the computer and turn it back on again First try pressing the CTRL ALT and DELETE keys at the same time to enter a restart command CTRL ALT DELETE probably won t do anything but it s the gentlest way to restart Next if there s a Reset button on the computer s front panel this is the time to use it If you re lucky the Black Screen was caused by some kind of temporary problem and restarting Windows will allow you to get back to whatever you were doing before it appeared Rumor has it that there s an entire department at Microsoft head quarters in Redmond in charge of generating these random unrepeatable errors But as with most rumors we re sure it isn t true Aren t we If restarting the computer doesn t work or if the Black Screen appears again you will have to figure out what has gone wrong See Chapter 4 for more
263. n the Keyboard Features submenu under the Main menu Other BIOS Settings In general the other options in the BIOS Settings tool are more obscure than the ones described here but some of them will be useful to those who like to play with their hardware Before you change a setting that you don t understand look in the computer or motherboard manual for an explana tion of each option If the manual doesn t provide enough information try running a web search on the name of the option If All Else Fails Return to the Default Chapter 8 It s too easy to change some critical BIOS option to a setting that will make things worse than they were before you started When that happens the computer might not start at all or the POST will report one or more errors or a hard drive or a network connection won t work This is the point at which you will probably want to throw something through the monitor screen or start shouting obscene curses at your computer Stop Turn off the computer Take a deep breath Go get a cup of coffee or a cool drink or something Eat a chocolate chip cookie Scratch your cat s ear Do not give up hope All is not lost When you have more or less recovered your composure follow these steps to return the computer to a BIOS setting that will work in most cases Turn on the computer 2 Start the BIOS configuration utility When the configuration utility appears find the command that returns the system
264. nal Firewall or a similar program from McAfee or other suppliers is generally your best choice The Norton and NOTE McAfee products are often bundled with other programs in those Internet security suites we discussed earlier The Home PC Firewall Guide www firewallguide com keeps up with the latest versions of many firewall pro grams and offers links to sources for free and trial downloads Most firewalls compare each connection request to the entries on a list that identifies acceptable or restricted origins and destinations When an incoming request for a connection to your computer tries to read a file or run a program that should not be available to outsiders the firewall blocks the connection But when the request is headed for a safe destination such as your web browser the firewall lets it pass The firewall treats outbound communication attempts the same way If a request to connect to the Internet originates in a program that should not be sending messages the firewall will block that message Most firewall programs offer a default configuration that provides the best compromise between protection and convenience You can generally override the default settings to allow access to a specific program or data port Windows XP SP2 includes Internet Connection Firewall software that can perform many of the same functions as a third party firewall program Because you already have it on your system you might as well turn it on and ru
265. nce For example Dr Hardware available from www dr hardware com produces a display like the one in Figure 11 1 REE Fie Hep joel aM AE w E a EE ee DSi y O enen aa AML Ta CT Py ji a Aa e A Re tt Bally Dimma ee TF e TED kahbe res Br hlari Figure 11 1 Dr Hardware identifies this computer s motherboard as an Abit KV8 Pro Service Packs Patches and Other Updates 131 132 NOTE Chapter 11 Once you know which motherboard you re using go to either the com puter or motherboard manufacturer s website and look in the Support section for the latest BIOS updates If it offers a separate BIOS installer download it along with the BIOS itself The more enlightened motherboard makers tell you what improvements they have added in each BIOS update For example Figure 11 2 shows the BIOS update section of the website for an Abit motherboard that lists the changes in each release If you can find the specific problem you want to solve in the list of changes you can be reasonably certain that updating the BIOS will solve your problem Ea FT inea ia Selienteed Bat PEPI ET HI Pee st ifewaiesd Bei cned Bete AL bi E Figure 11 2 In this example you must update to version 21 to use the motherboard with AMD Sempron processors Follow the Instructions Follow the installation instructions supplied with the BIOS update exactly as written If you don t load the new BIOS correctly you could disable the o
266. nce that you might find a fix for your problem Don t forget to look in the back of the book for appendixes that contain lists of error messages settings for switches and jumpers and other essential information Find Your Symptoms Online The alternative to reading the manual is to consult the Collective Wisdom of the Internet This is where the specific description of the problem discussed earlier in this chapter becomes important Use Google or some other Internet search tool to look for specific answers to your questions and solutions to your problems Include the name of the program in the search field along with one or more keywords that describe the problem such as XP can t find USB scanner or Whizz com 643A smoke Ask Your Help Desk for um Help A help desk is a technical support center that exists to answer questions and help employees or customers use their computers and network services If you have access to a help desk a quick telephone call or a walk across the office can often be an easy way to solve a problem and get back to work The people who work at help centers are there to make your job easier by keep ing your computer running properly Troubleshooting Methods and Tools 19 20 NOTE Chapter 1 If you can t find the solution to a problem on your own your help desk is the first place to call for assistance The people who work there are probably familiar with the specific combination o
267. nctions and to use specific values or other settings for other actions For example the BIOS includes optional configuration settings that identify every hard drive and other storage device connected to the motherboard and others that allow the computer to start when it receives an incoming instruction through its net work interface There are a couple of dozen of these options in most BIOSes so there s always a way to examine and change the configuration settings Most of the time however there s not much reason to mess around with the BIOS settings In fact it s likely that a huge proportion of the people who use Windows don t even know that these settings exist Of course that means that those people will have to call for help in order to change a setting when something does go wrong This might be just as well because it s entirely possible to screw up the computer s configuration beyond all recognition by incorrectly changing BIOS settings In general it s a good idea to leave the BIOS alone unless you know what you re doing and have a good reason to make a change You won t look at the BIOS configuration very often but you should know that it s there and how to get to it as part of your troubleshooting routine Some of the options are pretty trivial like the one that turns the Num Lock setting on or off on your keyboard when you turn on the computer but others can create serious problems if they re set incorrectly
268. nd immediately press the key that opens the BIOS setup utility The Main BIOS Setup Menu screen will appear 2 Insome systems the main menu contains links to several submenus In others the main menu displays some of the most frequently used config uration settings including the time and date and links to submenus for each IDE device If the main menu on your screen does not include links to the primary and secondary master and slave look for a submenu called Standard CMOS Settings 3 Use the up and down arrow keys to move around the screen and then open the submenu for each IDE device one device at a time Figure 8 3 shows a typical IDE device configuration screen 4 Some BIOS tools automatically detect the settings for each drive when you open the submenu others offer autodetect as a menu option If the display does not already show your drive type select Autodetect from the menu and press ENTER For most drives manufactured in the last few years Autodetect should automatically identify the type of drive and con figure it properly Peimary TE Master Device 1 Herd Dis Tandes lt Baator fo8OLo i 2h oe o Bapportef 1 Lf Sectere i 4 aL ie Ga Hode Block aaltd sector Tremeterd PTO Bike CMA Micia Baart Booditoring S78it Gata Trensfar Figure 8 3 The BIOS tool includes settings for all the essential IDE device values 5 IfAutodetect doesn t recognize a device move down to the other lines in the menu
269. nd to outside organizations that support Windows users More than 150 000 Knowledge Base articles explain how to interpret and respond to error messages work around bugs in Microsoft products and find solutions to problems Most of the same Knowledge Base articles are available to the rest of us through the Internet Whenever somebody within Microsoft discovers a new Windows problem or a problem with some other Microsoft product or a new fix for an old problem or a new way to improve performance that information will be added to the Knowledge Base It s a living document or set of documents that keeps dozens of people at Microsoft busy writing and posting updates When you telephone or e mail Microsoft tech support the person who takes your call could be located at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond Washington or at a support center in Texas Nova Scotia or India wherever they might be they all use the Knowledge Base to find answers to your questions Microsoft charges for many of those support calls and others require a long distance telephone call that might last an hour or more so it s often better and less costly to go to the online version of the Knowledge Base first to try to find the same information on your own If your copy of Windows XP came with a new computer you might have to depend on the computer manufacturer s tech support center for help with Windows Microsoft expects the support representatives in those cent
270. ndows XP to Service Pack 2 or later e Look for a firewall or other security program on the missing computer Some security programs such as Norton Internet Security or the stand alone Norton Firewall program default to blocking access from other computers on a local network In either Norton program follow these steps to configure the firewall to recognize other computers on your own network 1 From the main Norton Internet Security screen choose Personal Firewall and click the Configure button 2 In the configuration window choose the Networking tab Click the Wizard button near the bottom of the window The Net work Wizard will step through a series of screens that will configure your system to recognize other computers on the same network Other firewall products may require a somewhat different or more complicated routine to permit access to other computers on the same network The basic requirement is to specify either the individual numeric IP addresses assigned to other computers on your network or a range of addresses that includes all the computers on the network Your firewall s online help or its user manual should explain how to set these options Local Network Problems 159 160 To find the numeric IP address assigned to each computer running Windows XP open a Command Prompt window Programs gt All Programs gt Accessories gt Command Prompt or Programs gt Accessories gt Command Prompt and t
271. ng methods are similar When a monitor does break down there s not a lot that you can do to fix it without a well equipped electronics test bench And that s just as well because some of the capacitors inside a CRT monitor can hold an electric charge strong enough to injure or kill you even if the power cord is not plugged into a live outlet Unlike the rest of your computer the monitor does not contain any modules or other parts that you can remove and replace so it s best to either retire a sick monitor or take it to a qualified repair shop The price of CRT monitors has dropped so much that it s almost always less expensive to buy a new one instead of sending the old one out for repair Not every display problem indicates a dead monitor If you have access to a second monitor try disconnecting the one with a problem and connecting the spare If the replacement displays the same symptoms the problem is almost certainly in the video card inside the computer rather than the monitor You can also try connecting the suspect monitor to a different computer if the problem is still visible then the trouble is in the monitor The following are some common symptoms and fixes Screen Is Completely Dark No Image If you don t see any image at all check these connections and settings e Is the monitor s AC power cord plugged in at both ends e Is the power switch on the monitor turned on e Is the signal cable connected to a video ada
272. ng to start and its response to your commands is sluggish the Registry probably contains too many entries and Windows is spending too much time reading it A Registry loaded with junk takes longer to scan than one that contains only useful information Registry junk can take many forms For example many badly constructed programs won t completely remove every trace of themselves from the Registry when you uninstall them Other Registry items might be remnants of old deleted desktop shortcuts Hardware can leave even more junk behind For example when you connect a plug and play device to your computer Windows adds configura tion information about that device to the Registry However if you disconnect the same device the Registry entries often hang around even though they no NOTE longer serve any purpose Over time the number of useless entries in the Registry can increase and accumulate to make the Registry and therefore your computer less efficient than it ought to be The solution is to run a utility program that scans the Registry for unnec essary items and offers to remove them Some of these programs are stand alone products and others are part of general purpose utility packages Microsoft s Windows Marketplace www windowsmarketplace com results aspx bcatid 780 offers links to dozens of free or low cost Registry cleaners editors and optimization tools Some of these programs are more aggressive than others For exam
273. ngs Before Windows can exchange data with a hard drive the computer s BIOS must detect the drive and identify the drive s characteristics The BIOS can automatically recognize the characteristics of almost any drive that you re likely to install unless it s more than six years old but you do have to instruct the BIOS to go looking for the drive If the BIOS settings and the drive values don t match the computer will either display a possibly fatal error message during startup or it will ignore the drive To instruct the BIOS to detect the drive follow these steps Install the new drive Make sure the power cable and the data cable are both connected and the jumper setting described in the previous section is correct Turn on the computer and immediately press the key that opens the BIOS Setup Utility Move to the screen that includes the IDE and other drive options This might be in the main menu in a submenu called Standard CMOS Features or someplace else in the Setup Utility Look for a section of the menu that lists either primary and secondary masters and slaves like the one in Figure 16 6 or two or more IDE channel numbers with masters and slaves Figure 16 7 Figure 16 6 The BIOS Setup Utility might show the hard drive configu ration options as primary and secondary masters and slaves Figure 16 7 or as numbered IDE channels To set the options for a drive select that drive from the
274. ny older drivers are available Windows will display a list Choose the old driver you want to install and click the OK button USING THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE AND OTHER ONLINE RESOURCES If you can t solve a problem using the obvious troubleshooting methods following the instructions in an error message shutting down and restarting the computer or an individual program looking for a disconnected cable reading the instruction manual the next step is to search for advice from Microsoft from the hardware and software manufacturers and from other users Someone somewhere has probably seen and solved the particular problem that you re having you should take advantage of their experience rather than starting from a blank slate The Internet is the key to finding all of this information because answers to Windows questions are spread among hundreds of web pages users forums lists of frequently asked questions FAQs and independent user groups 76 Try the Help Screens First Chapter 6 Before you start looking for information on the Internet check the help screens that come with most software programs In Windows XP the help system is called Help and Support but in most other programs it s just plain Help The Help menu in most Windows programs but not always in Windows itself is the rightmost menu in the program s menu bar In Windows Help and Support is accessed via the Start menu Start gt
275. o Find New Drivers stccssesetcstasevesuceasevdetehavera O TK T AE ESN TENE 70 Installing New Drivers cccccecccsecceseeeseceeneceneceneeeeeceseeseeeeeecesseeeeeeeeeesaeesnteeneeeereees 71 Returning to an Earlier Version ccccesceeeseeeeeeceeeeseeeseeeeeceeeeeseeseesiseeeeeeitesteeeeas 72 Storing and Organizing Your Drivers ccccseseseseceeeseeesseenseseeecteesteesseeesteeeteesteeeas 73 Use Device Driver Rollback to Solve a Conflict oo cccceecceeseeececereeereeeteestseeeeeenseeteeeas 73 viii Contents in Detail 6 USING THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE AND OTHER ONLINE RESOURCES 75 Trysthe Help Ser ens First a2 ge oe fee ne bacede teas a e eR aks 76 READMESFilGS 4 tee cnt Ar tales Lo GA Sth St AS Glee de E hid at Sok ol Mea ae 78 The Microsoft Knowledge Base cccceesecesseeeeeeeeeeseesseeseeseseeeseeseesieeeeeesntesteeeas 78 Opening the Knowledge Base ssccseceesesessteeeeecetsesseeeneenseesteesnieenaeensaes 79 Reading a Knowledge Base Article ccccecseeeseeeeeereeeteeensesteesteestteesseeeas 80 Buried Treasure in the Knowledge Base ccesseseeerseetseeesetsteeeteeetteensenens 82 Hardware and Software Manufacturers Websites ccccccseseseeeseeesseesseeereeentetteetens 83 Newsgroups and Independent Support Services cccccceeseeeseeeteeeteesseeeeeeentetteeens 84 Search Online for the Symptoms c ceccesseceseceseeeseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeveeeseeeeeeeenteeereseree
276. o away quickly Don t give up control of the call e Keep track of the time and date of your call and the name of each per son you talk to e Note the length of time you waited for somebody to answer the tele phone and how long you were placed on hold This can be useful if you have to complain later e Remember to ask for an incident or case number This will speed things up the next time you call about the same problem If All Else Fails Call Tech Support 219 220 Chapter 18 You have paid for support either as part of the cost of the product or on a per incident or a per minute basis Don t let the support representative off the hook until your problem has been solved Be nice to everybody you talk to Don t blame the support people They didn t cause the problem If the person handling your call can t help you escalate to the next level Keep careful notes If you see the same problem again on another com puter you shouldn t have to place a second call to solve it If you receive particularly awful service write a letter to the head of the department or write to the president of the company Make sure to include all the horrible details including the time and date of the call and the names of the people involved On the other hand if you receive very good service write a letter to the company that provided the service letting them know that you appreci ate their excellent service and support
277. o consider before you spend a lot of money on an expensive new video controller card or some other major component or worse replacing several parts at the same time If your computer is more than two or three years old even a relatively inexpensive new computer will probably give you better performance than the old one could even after you replace a bunch of individual components Microsoft s Product Activation Not a Big Deal Beginning with Windows XP Microsoft has introduced an anti piracy scheme that requires every Windows user to contact the mother corporation within the first 30 days after installation and again whenever a major hardware change occurs This is intended to prevent people from installing the same copy of Windows on more than one computer Windows Product Activation only applies to copies of Windows sold at retail and some versions that come pre installed on new computers If your company has a volume licensing agree ment or if you bought your computer from a major manufacturer such as Dell or IBM you won t have to worry about activation unless you add or replace several major hardware components such as a hard drive or a motherboard At best activation is a minor nuisance that allows Microsoft to protect their intellectual property at worst it provides an opportunity for the world s largest and most profitable software company to inspect the contents of your computer and track the way you re using their pr
278. oblem And you probably have firewalls filters and other security programs in place But sometimes it s easy to assume that those protective tools are doing their job and that a glitch in the computer s performance must be caused by some other type of problem In fact the war between computer miscreants and the good guys who are trying to stop them seems to go on forever so it s always possible that a new type of attack has been successful Therefore scanning for embedded viruses spyware and other malware should be part of every troubleshooting routine Even when your antivirus antispyware and firewall programs are all actively monitoring your system you can t rule out the possibility that something nasty has found a way into your system Worms and Trojan Horses Computer intrusions can take several forms including viruses worms and Trojan horses Viruses Viruses are snippets of software code that are usually delivered hidden inside another apparently innocuous program or data file When you open the file that contains a virus the virus program runs and does whatever damage it was designed to do Many viruses also attach copies of themselves to other programs or data files so that they can spread to other computers just like a biological virus spreads from person to person An email virusis embedded inside an e mail message When recipients open infected messages the virus runs on their computers and also sends copies
279. oblem Otherwise look in the Support section of the program manufacturer s website for information about using the program with Windows XP If you don t see any discussion of this problem telephone or e mail the manufacturer s support center Program Compatibility Mode Some programs have never been updated maybe the company that pub lished the program has gone out of business or the developers have decided that there is no demand for a new version Or maybe you just don t want to spend the money for an upgrade because the old version does everything you want it to do But now that you have replaced your Old Faithful wood burning computer with a shiny new machine that runs Windows XP some of those old programs might not run anymore And other programs might have trouble with modern video drivers Don t give up quite yet Windows XP includes a Program Compatibility Mode that should help It won t work with old antivirus or backup utilities and some other system programs but you will want the latest and greatest editions of those programs anyway because older antivirus programs won t know how to handle the current generation of viruses and old backup utilities can t always deal with today s file formats and structures For applications Compatibility Mode can make XP look to the balky application like an older Windows version that the program can work with The easiest way to set up a program for Program Compatibility Mode
280. ocal 38 158 163 See also Internet connections troubleshooting local area network LAN newsgroups 21 22 32 63 64 84 86 newsreaders 85 nonfatal errors 31 35 Non system disk error message 44 ntbtlog txt file Boot Log 52 54 NTDETECT COM program 41 45 47 ntldr NT boot loader 41 45 47 ntoskrnl exe program Windows kernel 42 Num Lock 104 0 online resources See help and resources online optical mouse 200 P patches software See updates performance changes in 4 peripheral devices getting drivers for 70 pop up ads 34 36 INDEX 261 262 INDEX Pop up Blocker tool 36 POST power on self test 5 28 40 41 98 99 power problems 26 27 power supply tester 9 preventative maintenance 128 243 244 printing problems 125 126 202 206 Print Screen function 4 5 Print Test Page function 205 problems hardware 11 memory 37 193 software 12 Program Compatibility Wizard 91 118 119 129 Program Files folder 120 programs misbehaving 117 126 README files 17 18 78 recovering lost data 183 185 Recovery Console 30 45 46 47 red X 68 69 reformatting the hard drive 228 230 Registry Windows See Windows Registry reinstalling programs 120 121 Windows 225 227 Remote Assistance 20 resources online See help and resources online restarting the computer 7 8 restore disk 240 241 restore points 89 95 Roll Back Driver 72 73 91 92 routers 146 152 1
281. ocessor or a memory module fails the computer won t start at all or if it does it will fail the POST Ifit s a hard drive the computer will start but Windows will not load And if the problem occurs in some other input or output device Windows might load but that device won t work Chapter 5 contains a more detailed explanation of device drivers including instructions for finding and installing them In Chapter 16 I offer more general information about hardware troubleshooting Memory Problems Memory problems can present an entirely different set of issues If one or more of the memory modules inside your computer is defective or if the computer contains two or more incompatible modules for who knows what reason the computer can display Blue Screen error messages freeze up or simply fail to run If your research suggests that a memory problem is possible the first line of memory troubleshooting includes these techniques e Run the free Memtest86 memory test utility from a boot disk or CD You can download Memtest86 from www memtest org e Ifthe computer contains more than one memory module try removing amodule and running the machine with the remaining modules to see if the one that you removed is bad Do this for each module one at a time Consult the motherboard manual to learn how to arrange the remaining modules If the manual specifies that the system requires memory mod ules in pairs test the modules two at a ti
282. oducts and those of their competitors Either way Microsoft has a legitimate gripe against people who try to install Windows without paying for it Without some kind of authentication it would be easy enough to buy a single copy of Windows or any other program and install it on two or more computers The fine print which almost everybody accepts without reading limits the use of the software to a single computer but Bill Gates has enough money already doesn t he Well maybe but the fact remains that Microsoft has both a legal and an ethical right to restrict the use of a single copy of Windows XP to just one computer They spent a lot of time and money to create Windows and they can decide how they want it used With Windows Product Activation Microsoft has an effective way to enforce that restriction Dealing with Hardware Problems 171 172 Chapter 15 Like it or not you really don t have any choice about activation If you want to use Windows XP you ll have to activate it And you can t buy just one copy of the Windows upgrade package and install it on all of your home computers your laptop and the one in your office It is possible to buy up to three additional Windows licenses at a slight discount Each license has a different Product Key and each license allows you to install Windows on one additional computer In other words you ll pay about 85 percent of the original price for a code that allows you to load the s
283. of itself to e mail addresses in the recipients address books Worms A worm is software that is designed to take advantage of security problems in widely used programs often e mail programs The worm distributes itself from computer to computer through the Internet and across other computer networks Many worms also do other damage such as replac ing web pages on infected servers with content created by the worm s originator Worms can also direct massive attacks on specific computers computers at the White House and Microsoft are popular targets in order to overload and crash their Internet access Trojan horses A Trojan horseis a program in disguise For example it may be identified as a downloadable game or music file but when it is opened it s actually something else entirely That something else usually does some kind of damage such as erasing the contents of a hard drive or forwarding data to another computer through the Internet Antivirus Programs NOTE Obviously you don t want to let any of these things into your system but unfortunately a virus may be secretly active on your computer even if you don t notice any symptoms Therefore you should always run a full time virus monitor and perform periodic manual antivirus scans as part of your security routine And just to be doubly sure that your computer is not infected run an occasional scan of your system using a different antivirus package from the one you n
284. of the equipment inside your computer This information could actually be useful if you ever ask Microsoft to help solve a problem but Microsoft can also use it to support their market research and to send you advertising from Microsoft and other companies It s your choice Windows won t stop working if you don t register and you might reduce the amount of junk mail you receive But it s probably harmless If you want Microsoft to send you new product announcements and other sales offers or if you think the information you send will help improve the next generation of Microsoft products go ahead and fill out the Registration Wizard The rest of us will skip it and we ll be none the worse for it TROUBLESHOOTING AND REPLACING HARD DRIVES Hard drives are a special case On a cost per bit basis drives are cheap and getting cheaper all the time When a drive fails the cost of replacing the physical device is relatively small but the data stored on the old drive is often irreplaceable So you shouldn t throw away an apparently broken drive until you have done everything possible to recover the data and you shouldn t do anything to the drive that might erase or damage any more data When your boot drive almost always the C drive fails you have two related problems the first is to get the computer working again and the second is to recover as much of the data from the broken drive as possible If a secondary drive fail
285. of the problem is not in the Windows kernel Even though Safe Mode loads a limited version of Windows it may be enough because it will often let you bypass whatever is keeping you from running Windows normally such as a device or software conflict and let you use troubleshooting tools and techniques to identify and solve a problem If Windows will run in Safe Mode but it won t start normally you can usually isolate the problem to one of the add in drivers or services that normally start with Windows To enter Safe Mode follow these steps 1 Turn the computer off and then on again and immediately press F8 a few times A text screen that contains the Windows Advanced Options menu should appear 2 Use the up and down arrow keys to choose Safe Mode or Safe Mode With Networking A window appears and asks you to confirm that you want to work in Safe Mode 3 Press ENTER or use your mouse to select Yes Safe Mode is a troubleshooting tool Your desktop in Safe Mode will probably look quite different than it usually looks different resolution larger text and icons no background image because Safe Mode does not load the configuration file that controls its appearance Because Safe Mode supports only essential devices and services including the mouse the keyboard the hard drives and the CD drive and most VGA display con trollers when Windows is running in Safe Mode you won t be able to use audio devices printers or most other
286. of the program that offers instructions for removing it If you see a pop up window or a web page you didn t expect search for the name shown in the title bar at the top of the offending window For example if the browser s title bar says Fubar Spyware Redirector Microsoft Internet Explorer search for Fubar Spy ware Redirector e Scan your computer with HijackThis www spywareinfo com merijn downloads html to find many types of embedded spyware code see Figure 12 1 Most of the items listed in a HijackThis scan report are not spyware but the program can often find embedded programs that other tools miss If you find an item in the results list that you don t recognize use the Info On Selected Item button at the bottom of the window to see an explanation To delete an item check its name on the list and note the address in the listing Click Fix Checked to delete the program from active memory and then use Windows Explorer to delete the file itself If the same program reappears in another HijackThis scan run a web search on the filename to find more information SS ee ee ee E a al we Ri a De ey aT TH Ds ot ta a dy Sue Sz SS SS ETT jiji Irii 1 oan aaa EE DE coe m a i epee A TL is ee napa a Aeh anir pa oo is ieia om a Mera e Figure 12 1 HijackThis can find embedded spyware that other programs often miss Viruses Spyware and Other Nasties 139 140 New malware appears all the ti
287. ogram or dialog box where you must enter commands select options or read text And when the troubleshooting procedure tells you to restart the computer your informa tion page will disappear If you can t move a second computer next to the one you re trying to fix the next best approach is to print the web pages and other information sources that contain the possible fix before you start to step through the procedure and work from a paper copy Describe the Problem If you can describe the specific symptoms of your problem you can probably find help fixing it But before you go online or pick up the telephone in search of help make a list of specific facts related to the problem including the names and version numbers of the software that was running when it occurred a complete description of the symptoms and the things you have already tried The more useful the information you can offer to the people trying to help you the better the chances that they ll know how to solve the problem e To identify the version of Windows XP currently running on your computer choose Start gt Control Panel gt Performance And Main tenance System in the Windows XP menu or Start gt Settings gt Control Panel gt System in the Classic Start menu and look at the General tab The version of Windows XP is listed under the System heading e To identify the version of most Windows programs open the Help menu at the right end of the program
288. old down the ALT key and press the PRINT SCREEN key to the right of the regular keyboard 3 Open the Windows Paint program in the Start gt Programs gt Accessories or Start Programs gt All Programs gt Accessories menu or some other graphics program Choose Edit gt Paste to display an image of the window 5 Print the image Don t forget the digital readout or the LED indicators on your printer and some other external devices There are generally more and better diagnostic displays on more expensive printers than on low end units but even a flashing LED can sometimes provide some kind of useful information If an error message or some other unfamiliar display appears anywhere in the system make a note of it For network problems look at the lights on the interface card s back panel and on the router or data switch some network devices identify problems with specific displays Event Logs Windows and other programs often use log files to store lists of specific events Most of the entries in the Event Viewer are routine actions but the Viewer also lists some types of errors that can be useful as troubleshooting tools To open the Event Viewer use the Start gt Run command and type eventvwr msc Figure 1 1 shows the Event Viewer For details about a log entry double click the listing for that entry The Event Properties window shown in Figure 1 2 contains information about the event including a description that can b
289. ollow these steps Shut down and restart Windows 2 When the computer restarts press F8 a few times A list of startup options will appear on your screen 3 Choose one of the Safe Mode options and press ENTER The computer will open Windows in Safe Mode Don t be alarmed if the screen doesn t look the same as it did before One of the extra services that Safe Mode ignores is the display setting It will return to normal when you leave Safe Mode Retrace Your Steps Even if a computer problem seems to appear without warning it was prob ably caused by something that has changed within the hardware or software Therefore trying to reproduce the problem by repeating your steps can often help identify and solve it Your troubleshooting routine should include asking these questions e What programs were running when the problem occurred e Have you recently installed or removed a program device driver or other software e Have you recently tried to update or upgrade Windows or some other program e Have you changed any settings or options e Have you added or removed any hardware devices e Is anybody else using this computer Have they made any changes e Did the computer receive a command or message through its network connection Don t forget about external events that might have caused a computer problem For example has there been a change to your power source are you using a different power outlet or ha
290. olve the problem try uninstalling and reinstalling the device If that doesn t work run the Troubleshoot Wizard from the General tab of the device s Properties window Code 28 The drivers for this device are not installed Code 28 This error appears when Windows detects a device but can t find the device drivers To install the drivers choose the Driver tab in the device s Properties window and click the Update Driver button Code 29 This device is disabled because the firmware of the device did not give it the required resources Code 29 Some hardware devices such as video display adapters have firmware software code stored on a read only memory chip that can become cor rupted If a Code 29 error appears follow the instructions provided by the hardware manufacturer to reinstall or update the firmware If there s nothing in the manual supplied with the device check the manufacturer s website or call its tech support center Device Manager Error Codes and BIOS POST Beep Codes 249 250 Appendix A Code 31 This device is not working properly because Windows cannot load the drivers required for this device Code 31 A Code 31 error indicates yet another sort of problem with the device driver Either the device driver software is not compatible with the current Windows release or you have installed the wrong device driver To fix a Code 31 problem follow these steps 1 Download the most recent device d
291. omputer stops and the Internet begins For most of us it doesn t matter if a particular resource is physically located on a local hard drive one inside your PC or a network server or a computer halfway around the world Either way it s just a matter of keystrokes and mouse clicks to view it on the screen or listen to it through speakers plugged into your computer Of course this assumes that your connection to the Internet is working properly If you can t view web pages send and receive e mail or use any other Internet services there s probably a problem somewhere between your com puter and your Internet service provider s ISP point of access to the Internet That problem might be due to a configuration error in your own computer or in the router modem or other device that connects you to the ISP It could even be a breakdown in your ISP s equipment On the other hand there s nothing you can do to break the Internet You can be reasonably certain that the Internet itself meaning the set of 144 backbone networks and exchange points that connect millions of smaller networks and individual computers to one another is still out there no matter how severely your equipment is broken The Internet was designed to route traffic around damaged links and interconnection points so it s likely that nothing short of simultaneous explosive charges in about a hundred separate locations around the world could completely shu
292. on for everything and second it s almost certain that you re not the first person whose computer has suffered from this particular type of failure And thanks to the Internet somebody has probably posted an explanation of the prob lem and instructions for repairing it on a website or newsgroup So the forums bulletin boards knowledge bases and other online resources are among the most valuable troubleshooting tools you can use Take advantage of them The feeling of relief after you have recovered from a computer problem is almost worth the original pain Using the Microsoft Knowledge Base and Other Online Resources 87 USING SYSTEM RESTORE AND OTHER ROLLBACK TECHNIQUES A huge proportion of all Windows prob lems occur immediately after you install a new program update a device driver or change configuration settings that create a conflict with the setup that had been working properly up to that time For example when you install a new video card or sound card the software associated with that card could cause other devices to stop working As such the best way to recover from a Windows problem is often to undo recent changes and return the machine to the state it was in before the problem existed Windows XP s System Restore tool makes it easy to automate this process System Restore is like an undo command for Windows configuration settings It saves snapshots of the Windows Registry and other important configura
293. onfirm that all of the necessary voltages are present Figure 1 3 shows a power supply tester Figure 1 3 A simple power supply tester makes it easy to check power supply voltages Troubleshooting Methods and Tools 9 10 Chapter 1 If the computer or any other components run on batteries make sure the battery has not run down Try replacing the battery with a new one or use a voltmeter to measure the voltage at the battery s terminals If there s a power socket that allows you to use the computer on house cur rent see if it will run with external power USING A VOLTMETER An inexpensive voltmeter is often helpful for testing the outputs of power supplies and batteries You can spend hundreds of dollars for a durable high precision test instrument but that s more than you will need for computer troubleshooting If you have a meter and you know how to use it you can use it to measure the voltages If you re not comfortable using a voltmeter let a qualified technician do it for you Most voltmeters are actually voltohm millimeters that can measure electrical potential volts impedance ohms and current amperes or amps The selector switch at the front of the meter chooses the type of measurement Voltmeters are either digital with numbers in the display or analog with a needle that moves to show the measured value either type is fine for our purposes Your meter should come with two test cables that plug into the m
294. oose the New Computer option in the Which Computer Is This screen You will also want a written copy of the computer s network settings Follow these steps to find these settings 1 From the Windows XP Start menu choose Connect To gt Show All Connections and select Local Area Connection if you use the Classic menu choose Start gt Settings gt Network Connections gt Local Area Connection 2 When the Status window appears choose the Support tab Note all four of the Connection Status settings Address Type IP Address Subnet Mask and Default Gateway 4 Click Details The Network Connection Details window shown in Figure 19 3 will appear Netwerk Connection Di aixi Serri eee Tim Tia Figure 19 3 Make a written copy of the Network Connection Details before you reinstall Windows 5 Add the addresses of the DHCP server and the DNS Servers to the list you made in Step 3 Reinstall Windows To reinstall Windows you will need your original Windows XP CD and the Product Key code supplied with the CD If Windows was supplied with your computer you might have a recovery CD instead of the full Windows XP disk See the section on recovery disks later in this chapter for instructions on using a recovery disk Cutting Your Losses What to Do When Nothing Else Works 225 226 Chapter 19 Assuming you have either the full Windows XP CD or an upgrade disk follow these steps to reinstall Windows 10 11
295. oot Disk rriei atni cee techs toad ER ES 241 Scan for Viruses and SpyWare csecseseceeeesseeseceesesseeeneeceeesseesneeenseenteesnieeneenates 242 Get e Kel ADU AE A head sateveiehaaMrruae eats 243 Clean Your Sereen aiororree oeoa iee Eo E rea E TE OE ES SE EN EErEE EEKE EE 244 A DEVICE MANAGER ERROR CODES AND BIOS POST BEEP CODES 245 Windows XP Device Manager Error Codes ceceeecseeceesseeeeeenseensesnseeentesnteeneeenes 245 POST Beep Codes x ctisc vedasvacuideg etauhteg poseeecastsauliats seen A R E e ces 255 B FREE AND INEXPENSIVE SECURITY PROGRAMS FOR WINDOWS XP 257 Antivirls PrOgrams cvivssy2 4 00s T situa N ees adee ade REA EVE TE 257 Antispyware Programs ccccccceceessesscesceseeeceeseesaeeeseeeeeseeeseesaeseeseeseneseseaseasess 258 Firewall Programs sanirim koria et E E Tee Tataeid E seeds deeds 258 INDEX 259 Contents in Detail eee XIII ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This book carries my name as author but it has been improved through the efforts of many other people In particular thanks to Bill Pollock for his guidance in moving from concept to finished book and to Peter Spear for his editorial attention and advice The editorial and production staff at No Starch Press including Riley Hoffman and Elizabeth Campbell have made the book far better than it might otherwise have been As always their professionalism and enthusiasm make working with them a pleasure INTRODUCTION This book was inspired by the cove
296. or CD that automatically runs a series of detailed memory test scans to search for bad memory If Memtest86 does not find any problems then the memory modules are good but a conflict between the memory and something else on the mother board might be present Try these methods one at a time to find and fix the problem e Confirm that you are using the latest version of the drivers that control the motherboard Go to the websites maintained by the manufacturer of your computer or motherboard to find and download the latest mother board drivers Look for a new video controller driver at the video card maker s website e Update the BIOS to the most recent version available at the computer or motherboard manufacturer s website The same website should also offer a software tool for performing the update e Choose the default BIOS setting command or Optimized Defaults set tings and save the new settings e Ifthe computer has more than one memory module installed try run ning the computer with just a single memory module in place If the computer appears to be stable remove that module and try another until you have tested each module If one module causes the computer to be unstable that module is almost certainly the source of the prob lem If you have more than two modules replace all the others and test the computer again e Ifyou have more than one memory module try swapping sockets Put the second module in the first socket
297. or anything else For example the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SOFTWARE MMicrosoft Windows CurrentVersion Run folder contains a list of the programs that run automatically when you start Windows and the CurrentVersion Fonts folder contains an entry for every typeface that Windows can use Using the Registry to Repair or Modify Windows Entire books have been written about the Windows Registry and how to use it to modify the way Windows performs but we won t go into that sort of detail here Other than modifying some obscure things like the text in a configura tion window you ll probably find a Properties window or tweaking tool that will let you modify something that is controlled by the Registry without actually having to edit the Registry yourself Unless you want to carefully The Windows Registry Here Be Demons 111 112 NOTE Chapter 9 study the Registry s syntax and structure you re better off leaving things alone rather than trying to edit the Registry directly But if you don t have any other choice here are some things you will need to know Deleting a Registry Item You may find it necessary to delete a Registry item to remove a virus spyware infection or leftover fragments of an old program In a few uncommon cases a Registry item might be the source of a conflict that interferes with the operation of another program or configuration setting Do not delete anything from the Registry unless you know exac
298. or if you see other symp toms of a power supply problem use a meter or a power supply tester like the one described in Chapter 1 to check the power supply s output voltages If the voltages are correct replace the fan Some cheap power supplies might provide all the correct voltages but their internal components can generate radio signals that can interfere with other electronic equipment including radios telephones both wired and cordless TV sets computer displays and even heart pacemakers and other medical devices If you hear a buzz on a radio or telephone when you turn on the computer or if you see a series of horizontal lines moving across a video display try turning your computer off and back on again If the interference goes away when the computer is off and it comes back when it s turned on replace the power supply It might be possible to repair a broken or noisy power supply by replacing one or more of the internal components but it s almost never worth the time and trouble Replacement power supplies are not expensive and they re likely to be more reliable than a repaired unit When you buy a new power supply look for one with at least the same number of watts as the old one You can find the power rating on the label attached to the power supply s case To replace a power supply follow these steps Turn off the computer Disconnect the power plug from the computer Remove the cover from the computer
299. or install the font from the application CD Double check the connectors plugged into both the printer and the computer to make sure they are firmly seated into their sockets Make sure the application that is using the printer is not set to draft output or another draft setting Wrong Colors If some or all of the text or image is in the wrong color it s possible that one or more of the ink or toner color cartridges may be empty or the ink in a cartridge may be clogging an ink jet To solve the problem try removing and shaking each cartridge If that doesn t work replace the cartridge that contains the color of ink or toner that does not print Wrong Size If the text or image runs off the edge of the paper confirm that the Printer Settings are configured for the right paper size and image size and that you have selected the correct printer If both of these settings are correct look for updates to the printer driver and the application program Try Printing Some Test Pages Most printers have a diagnostic feature that will print a test page when you press the right combination of buttons or switches Your printer manual or the printer manufacturer s website will tell you exactly how to run a test page on your particular printer When the printer does not respond to a print command from the computer try printing a test page If the test is successful the printer itself is working correctly so you should direct your t
300. or troubleshooting when it just won t start 40 The Windows Startup Sequence Chapter 3 Every time you turn on your computer the machine and Windows XP perform a series of actions always in the same order First the read only memory basic input output system ROM BIOS performs a series of diagnostic tests to confirm that the processor and memory are working properly Then it tests some of the computer s other components including the hard drive and the video display When those tests are complete the BIOS runs the first of a series of programs that lead to starting the full Windows operating system In other words the whole startup process uses a relatively simple program located on a memory chip to start other more complex software in several stages Power on Self Test POST The power on self test POST is the first thing that happens when you turn on the computer During the POST the central processor uses instructions in the BIOS firmware software located in a memory chip on the computer s motherboard to confirm that the power supply is working properly run some memory and hardware tests find operating system software on a hard drive or some other storage media and set the configuration options specified in the BIOS When the computer detects a problem during the POST it either dis plays a text message that describes the error or it sounds a series of beeps actually beep codes If the problem is so serious that
301. ore them with the backups of your data files Data files are much more difficult if not impossible to restore from other sources If the only copy of your novel your company s accounts your digital photos and videos or any other work is on a hard drive and that drive dies you re out of luck The data and the time it took to create that data is lost You should definitely make backups of those files Some programs store the data that they create in subfolders within the program folder For example your e mail program probably keeps copies of all the messages that you have sent and received in files and folders stored in the same folder as the software that controls the program itself So you can t ignore the subfolders that Windows stores within the Program Files folder when you re backing up your system You should look at each program folder and make sure there aren t data files inside Most backup programs include a list of all the files on each drive and a method for selecting individual files and complete folders for the backup When you re ready to make your backup you should step through the list of folders and files and choose the ones you want to copy Your rule of thumb should be When in doubt back it up It s a lot better to have a backup copy of a file you never use than to skip a file that turns out to have been essential after your drive has failed And don t forget your laptop computer For many of us
302. ormally use Some viruses target antivirus software and can shut it down without your knowledge More than two dozen companies offer antivirus programs for Windows XP For a current list of antivirus programs that Microsoft has tested go to www microsoft com athome security viruses wsc en us flist mspx Several companies offer free versions or free trials of their antivirus products so you can test a few programs before you settle on one Most antivirus programs are effective against all the common viruses and they all provide frequent updates to add protection against newly discovered threats The important differences among these programs are cost and ease of use The antivirus programs that offer free versions for personal use including Avast www avast com and AVG http free grisoft com are entirely adequate for most home users As a supplement to your installed antivirus program you can also run a free online virus scan from Trend Micro http housecall trendmicro com Panda Software www pandasoftware com activescan activescan or BitDefender http bitdefender com scan8 ie html You may need to turn off the installed virus scanner in order to avoid conflicts with an online virus scan Viruses Spyware and Other Nasties 135 136 These websites download and run antivirus programs through the Internet to examine your computer and identify or repair infected files The online scans are free because the companies hope that
303. ossible repairs on the screen of the second com puter and immediately try them without the need to copy or print them and carry them back to your own home or office or from one room to another What May Have Gone Wrong Windows does not suffer from completely random failures There s always a cause or a combination of causes when Windows goes haywire If your com puter has been operating more or less correctly and then it fails something has changed it might be a new piece of software two different programs fighting for the same segment of memory or a hardware component that has failed That s why many problems occur just after you load a new program or a new version of an existing program or install a new piece of hardware the thing that you tried to add doesn t work properly with all the stuff that was already running This is why Microsoft has included a restore function in Windows XP that returns the computer to an earlier configuration What Has Changed If the fix for a problem is not immediately obvious it s always useful to ask What has changed The change that caused the problem won t always be apparent but it s usually there Have you installed a new driver for your network interface or loaded the newest update to your antivirus program Did you connect a new sound card or mouse to the computer Has some kind of software loaded itself through the Internet without your knowledge Has somebody turned off the
304. ou download a program run it on a computer with a floppy drive and then copy the contents of the floppy to a CD Scan for Viruses and Spyware Chapter 20 As Chapter 13 discussed every computer user must take steps to keep viruses spyware and other security threats out of their systems It s an unfortunate fact that every computer that connects to the Internet will almost certainly become a target for viruses spyware and other forms of malevolent software Security experts report that an unprotected computer will start to receive probes from unwanted intruders within a few minutes after it establishes an Internet link so it s absolutely essential to use effective tools to find and remove infections that have already installed themselves and to keep additional nasties away from your system In order to keep your computer clear of these potential problems you must use these tools e A firewall to keep unwanted programs and other intruders from gaining access to your computer e An antivirus program to inspect incoming e mail check file downloads and block viruses that can destroy data files and consume memory and storage space e An antispyware program to detect and block programs that can hijack e mail clients web browsers and other Internet services e All of the security patches and service packs released by Microsoft and other software vendors that apply to the programs installed on your computer If you don t alr
305. ou have already tried and the numbers of any Knowledge Base articles that seem to apply to this problem e As soon as you re connected to a support person not the call screener who answers your call ask for their full name e mail address and a direct telephone number You won t always get all three many support people won t give out their full names to protect their privacy but if you explain that you want to know how to reach them if the telephone or messaging system drops your call most people will give you their contact information Keep a copy of this information on paper If you talk to any body else during your call remember to get the same information for each of them e Ask for your case number or trouble ticket number If you have to talk to another technician the case number gives them a way to read the pre vious tech s notes on your problem e Ifyou become convinced that the person taking your call can t help you ask to escalate the call to the next level If the first support person won t do it insist that they transfer your call to a supervisor This won t happen often but it can sometimes be useful If the technician puts you on hold several times to ask somebody else about your problem ask to talk to that person e Benice If a support call has lasted an hour or more with no end in sight ask the technician if you re going past his or her quitting time and if so offer to let them eithe
306. oups and e mail lists devoted to other technical subjects can be equally valuable when you re trying to restore an antique radio or find a part for your 1959 DeSoto Look for Other Websites In addition to the official sites maintained by hardware and software suppliers the Internet also offers a wealth of sites created by user groups and self appointed experts and a web search using a search tool like Google can frequently produce useful results If you see an error message try searching for the exact text of the message the first few words of the text the error code number or anything in the message that seems to make it unique If that doesn t work try searching for one or two keywords that describe the product and the problem Some of the hits will be more valuable than others but keep looking through the first hundred or more search hits Again Chapter 6 contains more information about searching for symptoms online 5 Try a Fix When you find a possible solution to your problem go ahead and try it Follow the instructions as closely as possible and keep careful notes that describe exactly what you have done If the first things you try don t solve the problem remember to undo any changes before you move on to another possible approach 6 Check the Result Once you have applied whatever fix your research has told you will solve your problem take a close look at your system to confirm that the problem has in fact gone a
307. out changing BIOS settings Code 37 Windows cannot initialize the device driver for this hardware Code 37 This error occurs when the DriverEntry routine in a device driver returns a failure indication To solve the problem uninstall the device and then choose Scan For Hardware from the Action menu in the device Properties window Code 38 Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware because a previous instance of the device driver is still in memory Code 38 A Code 38 error occurs when Windows fails to clear the device driver after the device has been shut down To clear the problem restart your computer Code 39 Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware The driver may be corrupted or missing Code 39 This error code appears when Windows is unable to read a driver To solve the problem follow these steps 1 Right click the name of the driver and select Uninstall from the pop up menu 2 Open the Action menu in the Device Manager and choose the Scan For Hardware Changes option Windows will try to reinstall the device driver 3 Ifthe problem continues install a new copy of the device driver from the disk supplied with the device or download a new driver from the manu facturer s website See Where to Find New Drivers on page 70 for a list of links to device driver download sites Code 40 Windows cannot access this hardware because its service key information in the registry is m
308. out of Microsoft technical support will also work with other companies Just about every supplier of computer hardware and software provides some kind of support for their products Some offer toll free telephone lines and their own knowledge bases online bulletins or discussion boards but many companies don t supply any kind of free telephone support They will only accept questions by e mail As a general rule the number of tech support options increases along with the price of the product If All Else Fails Call Tech Support 215 216 Chapter 18 If you re calling a tech support center that charges by the hour or by the minute for the time you spend talking to a technician do everything you can to save time before you place the call Gather all the paperwork related to the product and note the version number release number and serial number If it s a hardware problem remove the screws from the case so you can lift it off without wasting a lot of time One sign that a tech support center is overloaded is a very long wait to reach a live person If you have to listen to bad music and your call is impor tant to us announcements for more than about five minutes try using another way to ask for help such as e mail or an online forum You can also try calling back at another time of day late morning and early afternoon are often the best times If the company offers round the clock support it s often much easier to
309. ower supply isn t strong enough to run the computer and charge the battery at the same time Compare the power requirement in volts and amps specified for your computer in the user manual or at the manufacturer s website with the capacity marked on the power unit If the computer needs more amps than the power supply can provide find a different power unit e Ifthe computer s clock or calendar doesn t display the current time and date replace the coin size battery on the computer s motherboard You will have to reset the computer s BIOS settings after you remove and replace the battery e Try running a complete virus scan and a scan for spyware If you don t already have antivirus and antispyware programs installed on your com puter see Chapter 11 for more information For problems with Windows or other software look for a configuration setting that might be the source of the problem There is no universal standard for finding settings and options in Windows programs but the Tools menu in the toolbar at the top of most program windows is a good place to start Many programs include a menu item called Options while others offer one or more separate settings Look in each configuration window and dialog box to see if there s a setting that might be causing the problem Anytime you change either hardware or software note what you have done and test the system to see if you have solved the problem before you move on to som
310. ows is running normally either use a backup program or simply drag and drop the folders and files that you want to copy from one drive to another You can also transfer files from one computer to another through your network e If Windows is not running normally try starting the computer in Safe Mode see Chapter 1 for instructions When Safe Mode runs drag and drop the folders and files you want to copy e If Windows won t run at all use a file recovery program such as Get DataBack to copy the files See Chapter 15 for more about using GetDataBack If the original problem was caused by a virus or spyware program it s possible that copying program and configuration files will transfer the infection to the destination drive or computer Rather than copying everything on the old drive select text and data files only Don t copy any files whose names end with exe com or dll Immediately after you copy the files run up to date virus and spyware scans on the computer that contains the copied files If your computer will load Windows you can use the Files And Settings Transfer Wizard to copy the configuration settings from your existing Windows setup including Internet Explorer Outlook Express the desktop and the display settings After you install a new drive use the Transfer Wizard to quickly configure the system to the same settings you were using before the original problem occurred Follow these steps to run the Files An
311. p www adriansrojakpot com Speed_Demonz BIOS_Guide BIOS_Guide_Index htm Opening the BIOS Setup Tool NOTE To change the BIOS configuration settings you need to open the BIOS setup tool To do so press the key identified on screen immediately after the computer finishes its POST If you can t figure out which key that is check the user manual or try F1 F2 or the DELETE key The timing on this can be a bit fiddly because there is usually no visual or audible indication the test has finished unless it identifies a problem If you press the key too soon nothing happens but if you re too late the BIOS has already begun to load Windows If you miss the chance to enter the BIOS setup utility just let Windows complete its startup routine and then restart the computer and try again It does no harm to hit the key too soon You can start clicking the key up and down as soon as the computer restarts It will be obvious when you succeed Changing BIOS Settings Chapter 8 Whenever you consider changing the BIOS configuration take the time to read the description of the option you want to change in the user manual supplied with your computer or motherboard Each BIOS configuration utility has a different layout but they all have similar elements The instruc tions on screen and in the manual should give you the information you need for your own system Figures 8 1 and 8 2 show two typical top level BIOS utility menu screens
312. p up Blocker option The Google Toolbar download it from www google com downloads also includes a blocking tool Both of these utilities allow you to bypass the blocker when you want to view a specific window You can test the effectiveness of your pop up blocker by using the tools at www popuptest com Hardware Problems Chapter 2 Sometimes Windows is working fine but one of the hardware components the central processor a memory module or some other part of the physical machine is not working properly Hardware problems can occur in several forms e A physical component such as a cable a capacitor or an integrated circuit within a hardware device can fail or it might have a manufactur ing defect e Acomponent or connector might have come loose from the socket in which it was mounted e A connector might have been installed incorrectly e The software embedded in a memory chip inside a component the firmware can contain bad or damaged code e The software interface between the device and the central processor can conflict with some other device e The device driver the software that exchanges commands and data between the device and the central processor may be damaged it may contain bad code or it may be completely absent When any of these problems occur the component affected by the problem won t work properly if it works at all If an essential major com ponent such as the power supply the central pr
313. perTrace uses a graphic window to show the same information as the Windows command line program In these examples the first two hops pass through the local router with IP address 192 168 0 1 From there it moves through the ISP s Internet gate way at 206 251 63 1 not the real address and on to the ISP s network The next two IP addresses are hidden for security reasons but after that the connection moves out to the Internet on the way to the BBC s website in London If the trace fails to show the local devices the problem is in your local network Check the Network Properties settings in Windows to confirm that all of the addresses and other values are correct see the next sections of this chapter for details If the trace makes it through the local network but stops at the ISP call your ISP s support center and ask for assistance My Computer Can t Find the Internet Whenever you try to use a program that connects to another computer through the Internet you should make the connection without any unusual interruptions You might have to enter a password to gain access to your Internet account but after you have convinced your own ISP that it knows who you are everything else should be automatic But sometimes you might see an error message that is a variation of unable to connect Depending on the program and the type of connection this message could be text in an Internet Explorer or another browser window or in a s
314. perform the physical repairs Identifying Memory Problems The POST runs a quick memory test every time you turn on the computer If the POST shows less memory than the amount installed in your com puter there s at least one bad module in place If you don t know how much memory is installed in your computer look in the General tab of the System Properties window Start gt Settings gt Control Panel gt System as shown in Figure 17 1 The amount of memory appears at the bottom of the list of system details System Properties E x betes ipia I dbm ea nes hyaan ieee Woke E Se iat a Depen e E Caj m Figure 17 1 The speed of the CPU and the amount of memory avail able to Windows appears at the bottom of the list of system details 194 Chapter 17 To find the bad module turn off the computer remove all but one module from the motherboard and turn the computer back on If the POST shows the correct amount of memory on the remaining module repeat the test with a different module until you find the one that does not pass the POST If the POST does not identify a problem but you get a Blue Screen with a memory error code or a Stop message after Windows starts the problem could be either a bad module or a conflict between modules with different ratings For a more extensive memory test download and run the Memtest86 diagnostic program from www memtest86 com Memtest86 creates a startup diskette
315. peripheral devices Safe Mode is also useful because it can sometimes allow you to bypass the problem that was interfering with startup and run Windows with enough power to support many applications If you don t have time to fix your computer until after you complete your current project you might be able to use Safe Mode after Windows crashes to make a copy of your work that you can then use on another computer When that kind of disaster happens a computer at the public library or a 24 hour copy shop can be a lifesaver The System Configuration Utility Chapter 3 As I explained earlier in this chapter Windows often loads additional programs and background services after the core Windows software starts Because the commands that load these programs can be located in at least half a dozen different places in the Windows Registry it can be confusing to say the least to find and control all of these startup commands The System Configuration Utility gathers all the startup programs into a single list and makes it possible to disable each program As a troubleshooting tool the Configuration Utility can instruct Windows to skip one startup program at a time during startup if Windows starts successfully without one of the programs that one is probably the source of the problem Follow these steps to run the System Configuration Utility 1 Choose Start gt Run 2 Enter msconfig in the Open field as shown in Figure 3 1 and click O
316. plain and simple Not only does it involve the unauthorized use of computer and network resources but it also ties up processor cycles memory and network bandwidth without permission 134 Protecting Your System Viruses Chapter 12 Because there are so many kinds of malware out there and because they can do so much damage it s absolutely essential to do everything you can to pro tect your computer This protection should include prevention in the form of firewalls and filters as well as programs that can remove and repair attacks that might slip through your armor At a minimum your computer should have all of the following forms of protection in place e A hardware or software firewall or both to filter unwanted attempts to connect to and from your computer through the Internet Windows XP SP2 includes an adequate firewall but you might want to add at least one more layer of protection with a separate firewall program or a firewall built into a network switch or router e An antivirus program to protect the computer from viruses that dupli cate themselves and can interfere with the computer s operation by reformatting a hard drive deleting or altering program and data files or loading unwanted programs e An antispyware program that filters and removes programs that gather information from your computer and sends that information to a dis tant host As an experienced computer user you know that security is a pr
317. planet com www driverzone com or www pcdrivers com for links to most manufacturers download sites 2 From the Device Manager right click the name of the device and select Update Driver from the pop up menu The Hardware Update Wizard shown in Figure 4 2 appears F pena heme Loe eS oe edad l Se h r i r Bha Eo eS SUT E E aa Pe sieer oror h Pe eee T mma a y ir a p p e aap ee E Figure 4 2 Use the Hardware Update Wizard to install a new driver file 3 Choose the Install From A List Or Specific Location option and click the Next button 4 In the Choose Your Search And Installation Options window choose the Don t Search option and click the Next button 5 In the Select The Device Driver window click the Have Disk button 6 In the Install From Disk window click the Browse button and find the location of the driver file either on the driver disk or in the directory folder where you stored the downloaded driver 7 Follow the instructions in the wizard windows to complete the driver installation 8 Restart the computer in Normal Mode At the bottom of the Blue Screen message you might see a block of text that shows Debug port and status information If the kernel debugging option was turned on when the failure occurred this text will show where the debugging information was stored It s unlikely that this option was active unless you ve been working with a help desk or tech support person Wait
318. play and speakers Finally the BIOS searches for the operating system software which may be stored on a floppy disk hard drive or other storage device perhaps a USB key Once it finds the operating system it loads into the computer s random access memory RAM Think of the BIOS as the foundation of a building with everything else built on top of it The BIOS sets the rules and provides the tools that the operating system and the application programs must use to do useful work The designers of the BIOS and the designers of Windows consult closely to make sure that everything works together properly For the rest of us it s enough to know that some low level configuration options are set in the BIOS and that a new operating system or a new hardware device might require an updated BIOS in order to take advantage of new features and functions The BIOS code is the bridge between the generic machine code used by the central pro cessor and the specific commands used by everything else in the computer Therefore it s often necessary to add new code to the BIOS when a new operating system or a new type or version of hardware becomes available after the original BIOS was installed The Power on Self Test Chapter 8 As you read in Chapter 3 the power on sequence begins as soon as you turn on the computer and much of the information acquired is displayed on the computer screen You might not see the first few lines of text if you re
319. ple compare Norton Utilities WinDoctor part of Norton SystemWorks with the stand alone Registry Clean Expert program Figures 9 6 and 9 7 show the results of Registry scans on the same computer by Norton WinDoctor and Registry Clean Expert Notice that WinDoctor found only 8 problems while Registry Clean Expert found almost 100 That s a significant differ ence As a tool for improving slow Windows performance by streamlining the Registry the more thorough program is probably the better choice Be careful when removing found Registry problems with these Registry tools Some tools are too aggressive and may result in your damaging the Registry Remove any Registry entries with care iix Eile Proben bew Hep ase ff A a S be i oe Unde Erani ore ah Scan aT de f martina perce ha Fis Eaten eee pi pian ido Peery pore oa u reee ee eee era co ians Dis atadi bi baih aiai Ch ineshaj Biese peebdeena Papja one shark on PHF bbg H fio an Pai Aep Gee Ie Ci o CH U e e E Minig Fie E ORAL TOY E 5 ysha SMAPS TTA ExE Peeters WKS fap APES EO aad mated rey Ba popes a Rany Pater i kE Figure 9 6 Norton WinDoctor scans the Windows Registry and identifies problems The Windows Registry Here Be Demons 115 116 Chapter 9 tr EEEE lees jr Pee beet he en de Se ee Cee arty dries jE ees iamm Te OS aoe pare Oe es Se re ey Tig oy Leh bema mpe mos bea ie rar eee nee on cies parry Lee ee
320. programs into a single package They also include additional security features and functions such as an e mail spam filter and a program that deletes advertisements from web pages If one or more of those added features is important to you or if the convenience of a suite of programs that performs several jobs is attractive then you might want to consider one of these combined packages instead of using separate programs Identifying Malware Chapter 12 If you ve run your antivirus and antispyware cleaners and you still suspect that you have a malware infection use a systematic approach to identify the specific type of virus or spyware that might be affecting your system e Run complete scans with both an antivirus and antispyware program e Use the Windows Task Manager to identify all the programs and services that are currently running To open the Task Manager press the CTRL ALT and DELETE keys at the same time Look in the lists of programs and services listed in the Applications and Processes tabs to find items that don t seem to belong there If you don t recognize the name of an item look in an online list of startup programs such as www pacs portal co uk startup_content or www answerthatwork com Tasklist_pages tasklist htm or run an Internet search for the name of that item If you find a suspect program or service and can t figure out how to kill it run a web search for its name There is probably an online discussion
321. pter in the computer e Is ascreen saver or an energy saving program running Press the space bar on your keyboard to restore an image e Is the brightness control on the monitor turned all the way down If none of these tests solve the problem the monitor s internal power supply has probably failed It s time to repair or replace the monitor The Image Is Squashed If the image is compressed either vertically or horizontally toward the middle of the screen try using the controls on the monitor or the on screen adjust ments to restore the image This might solve the problem for a short time but it s a warning that the monitor s vertical or horizontal output is failing If you can t restore the image or if the image is reduced to a very narrow vertical or horizontal line through the center of the screen replace the monitor or send it for repairs The Shape of the Image Is Distorted A distorted image is probably caused by physical damage to the deflection coils around the CRT Try using the controls on the monitor to adjust the Pincushion or Geometry settings If that doesn t help replace the monitor Color Is Wrong A color video display uses three separate image scans to display a mixture of different colors If one of the color scans fails the colors in the on screen display will look peculiar because the red green or blue scan is missing If this happens replace or repair the monitor Missing Pixels On a fl
322. r a suspect program in the System Configuration Utility s Startup list the program that runs when you enter the msconfig command from Start gt Run you should immediately disable it in Startup and take steps to remove it completely But deleting obvious spyware isn t enough to be sure you have found and disabled all the spyware that has occupied your computer Several excellent antispyware programs can scan your entire file system to find hidden spyware Some of the best are free and others are either try before you buy shareware or they are included in commercial products Among others Ad Aware www lavasoft com Spybot Search and Destroy www safer networking org Spy Viruses Spyware and Other Nasties 137 138 NOTE NOTE Sweeper www webroot com Trend Micro Anti Spyware www trendmicro com SpyCop www spycop com and the Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware tool www microsoft com are all effective programs The PC Hell Spyware Removal Help page located at www pchell support spyware shtml includes links to pages that explain how to remove many of the most common spyware programs If you suspect that a program in the Startup list is spyware but it s not listed at PC Hell look for it in the list at www pacs portal co uk startup_content him Because each program takes a slightly different approach you should install more than one of the freebies even if you also use a commercial Internet security product Unlike antiv
323. r call you back the next day or pass you to some body else so they can go home Remember that the people you re call ing might be in a different time zone continent or country or be working an odd shift so it might be going home time for them when it s early afternoon on your time There is another way to reach Microsoft support staff without paying for a support request Many product support specialists and experienced users monitor the Microsoft newsgroups described in Chapter 6 and often post replies to questions almost as soon as they are posted NOTE Asan alternative to Microsoft s support services you can request help from a third party Microsoft Partner support center that charges by the minute for telephone support To find links to a list of these support service providers go to http support microsoft com oas default aspx and follow the links to your version of Windows XP Look for the Partners section with links to support services that have been approved by Microsoft One such service is www ingenio com documents partner microsoft support getadvice asp These time based services are often a better deal than Microsoft s flat rate service for questions with simple answers but if you have a complicated or particularly obscure problem that will take more than just a few minutes to solve it s probably better to call Microsoft Other Vendors Tech Support Most of the same methods for getting the most
324. r of a Datamation magazine that appeared about 20 years ago It shows a man in an office with what used to be a desktop computer on the table in front of him The poor guy has his hands poised over the keyboard but the rest of the machine is in tiny pieces all over the room His eyebrows have been burned off his hair is blown straight back and his coffee cup has tipped over There s a huge cloud of black smoke over his head It s obvious that the computer exploded about five seconds earlier He s thinking It s never done that before Most computer problems aren t that violent or that dramatic but the immediate result is often the same you sit there in a state of shock staring at the computer saying to yourself What happened What should I do now It s never done that before This book will tell you how to understand and fix most personal computer failures whether they were caused by the computer hardware by the Windows operating system or by some other program running on the computer xviii Introduction There s not much you can do when your computer explodes except to sweep up the remains and open a window to let the smoke out of the room But if Windows won t start or your hard drive breaks down or you get a cryptic Blue Screen error message or any of a jillion other things go wrong you can almost always restore the machine to useful operation and recover most of your data if you take an organized
325. r than packing up the whole system and shipping it halfway across the continent Try Your Help Desk First If You Have One Chapter 18 Many of us don t have the luxury of access to a formal help desk Those of us who use the computer at home or in a small business generally don t have a full time in house support center available to us In many cases we are the help desk for many of our friends relatives and coworkers If you do have access to a help desk or other in house computer support center or if you subscribe to a commercial computer support service that s the first place to call The people who work in those centers probably know exactly which components and software are in your computer and they will be among the first to learn about localized problems like virus infections that are going around the office and your local network If somebody else within your company or organization has faced a similar problem the help desk might already know exactly what you have to do to fix it And they have access to administrator privileges diagnostic tools and other resources that you can t always reach as a lowly user If your company has support contracts with Microsoft or the maker of your computer and with other hardware and software companies your help desk often has a direct line or a list of private telephone numbers and e mail addresses to support specialists who are assigned to your company s account Those speci
326. r to describe than it takes to complete The whole startup process should take no more than two or three minutes unless there s some time consuming program such as a complete antivirus scan included among the list of programs that run automatically after logon Obviously there are a lot of separate processes involved in starting Windows Each of the phases described in this section depends on the ones that precede it if something goes wrong in any of them the whole sequence will probably stop So the key to troubleshooting a startup failure is to identify the particular startup phase that failed and the individual process that failed within that phase When startup fails one of the following things will happen e A POST beep code will sound and the computer will either freeze or shut down e The scrolling text display will freeze e The computer will display an error message as it scrolls the startup text e The monitor will go dark e The Windows is loading graphic image will remain on the screen permanently e A Blue Screen error will appear e An error window will appear Yes there are quite a few possibilities Fortunately the type of failure should give you a good idea of where in the sequence the failure occurred e Ifyou see an error message in text mode in a Blue Screen or a in pop up error window you can use the text of the message to identify the source of the problem e Ifthe computer freezes
327. r version of Windows but isn t compatible with Windows XP you may need to change the program s compatibility mode before it will work properly The easiest way to make these changes is with the Program Compatibility Wizard 1 From the Start menu choose Programs or All Programs gt Accessories gt Program Compatibility Wizard 2 Step through the wizard until you reach a screen where you can select the program that you recently installed Select the suspect pro gram and then click Next to move to the screen that offers a choice of compatibility modes 3 How do you determine which mode to use If the program was designed for a specific version of Windows such as Windows 98 or Windows 2000 choose to run it in that mode If you re not sure check the software publisher s website 4 Move on to the Display Settings screen Again consult the program manual for the correct setting 5 At the Test Your Compatibility Settings screen confirm that the set tings you chose will work with this program If the program does not pass the test use the Back button to return to earlier screens and try a different display setting or compatibility mode 6 Click Next to step through the rest of the Compatibility Wizard Try uninstalling a program A problem that occurs immediately after you install a new program is probably related to that program so removing the program may be all you need to do to eliminate the conflict with other progr
328. re better off replacing the part If a device or a component is still covered by the manufacturer s warranty the choice is obvious remove it and send it back to the factory Look in the user manual or the manufacturer s website for information about obtaining warranty service most companies require a return authorization before they ll accept a broken device for service When they receive your shipment they ll either repair the original item or send you a new one usually within a few days For small and inexpensive parts you might not even have to return the broken part when you telephone or e mail the manufacturer s support center they ll just send it to you right away For relatively cheap parts it s just not worth the time and trouble to repair them You have better things to do with your life than spending an hour to repair a 3 cable or a 15 keyboard especially if you have to buy 35 worth of tools to perform the repair If you can t fix a part yourself check the cost of a replacement before you commit to a repair Unfortunately the cost of repairing a more expensive device like a video monitor or a motherboard can often be more than the price of a new one At some point the cost of repairing or replacing individual parts can be as much or more than simply buying a whole new computer especially if you can move your existing video monitor to the new system Obviously this isn t always true but it s something t
329. reate a new log The Boot Log itself is contained in a file called ntbtlog txt located in the system root directory usually C Windows If you can t find ntbtlog txt in that directory just search for it Start gt Search To turn on the Boot Log follow these steps Find the existing ntbtlog txt file and rename it ntbtlog old txt 2 Restart Windows 3 Once the computer shuts down and begins to start again press F8 repeatedly to open the Windows Advanced Options menu 4 Select Enable Boot Logging from the Options menu and press ENTER Windows will load normally but it will also create a new Boot Log If Windows does not start successfully once you have turned on the Boot Log restart the computer in Safe Mode You may have to use the Reset button on the front panel to turn the computer off and back on again To read the Boot Log change to the system root directory probably C Windows and double click the ntbtlog txt icon The Boot Log will appear as a text file as shown in Figure 3 5 NOTE ee Lope doe nog te al SAP RE Eyr es att ami Sher byrion imiy d hr r i eye Pee be ag id Patel iibl air fd or losd diar kyu enkan keep ma Pam Fe bar le eee oe LEN bpn Aegon ema ieee oc ia ae ty i mehe iyi relr k a yoi te PW iad harp ee 1 e interest See a ee PL tor i Y me mad a er SE EESO payan D EFL ERRAN VPLTEL Z L ut eed dri iyi pL eae ar ee Les eee Sa a ee bees eT anne ine
330. reer rekon eg es ee oe ee B teers i TELT els he Oa Paes J phinn ace fms Laj biy Cie pec j tee i BR Seo Bi cede d rein i aik MI he i R Baa Tia Fain it a i Eria eaae Be ber ie gt Weim My Fee pe bet Figure 20 1 Use the Backup Utility to back up your hard drive in Windows XP 5 Use the tree structure to find and select each of the files and folders that you want to include in this backup Click the symbol next to each drive or folder name to expand the list of its contents 6 Use the Browse button at the bottom of the window to choose a location where you want to store the backup file 7 Click the Start Backup button at the lower right corner of the window The program will copy your files to the location that you have specified 8 When the backup is complete remove the storage media that holds the backup and place it in a secure location Things to Do Now Before Your Computer Crashes 235 236 To restore the backed up data open the Backup Utility and follow these steps 1 Connect or load the media that holds the backed up data to your computer 2 Open the Backup Utility and select the Restore And Manage Media tab shown in Figure 20 2 oleh k Et View Teoh Fie te n Figure 20 2 Use the Restore And Manage Media tab to recover files and folders from your backup 3 Expand the backup tree structure to find and select the file or folder you want to restore 4 Use the drop dow
331. replacement is similar to the original For example don t try to install an SATA drive if your computer s motherboard only uses IDE drives Don t try to force a video card designed for a PCI socket into an AGP slot If you re replacing an IDE drive whether it s a hard drive CD drive or some other type make sure the jumper settings master or slave are identical to the settings on the original device Dealing with Hardware Problems 167 168 Chapter 15 For each component you want to test the process should include these steps 1 Turn off the computer and all the devices connected to the computer and then remove the suspect device or part Install a replacement for the part you removed in Step 1 3 Turn on the computer and the other devices and check whether the original problem is still there If the problem remains replace the component remove another component and test the computer again It s important to replace and test components one at a time rather than simply throwing a complete set of spares into the broken computer all at once If you don t check each component separately you might restore the computer s functions but you will never know which of the components you removed was the source of the problem In other words all of the pieces you replaced will be suspect which means that you will either end up returning one or more broken components to your collection of spares or you will have throw
332. rfere with the performance of your own computer but they can be a source of serious aggravation when you need to open a file located someplace else on the net work or use the network to print a document Like any other type of computer troubleshooting however fixing a network is usually a matter of examining each element and returning the configuration back to the correct settings The sources of most network problems are either configuration settings on one or more network devices or firewalls and other Internet security software that block access to the other devices on the network Of course the complexity of a network increases with the number of devices connected to it so troubleshooting a large network can be a long and tedious process Big sophisticated networks can have their own set of problems separate from those of the individual computers connected to them Network trouble shooting often requires a specialized set of tools and skills but the general principles are relatively simple check the connections and configuration of every device connected to the network including all the computers switches gateways modems routers and all of the interconnecting circuits In a corporate network it s entirely possible that some of the computers connected to it have been cranking along without any attention for many years If your network develops a problem the first step in solving it is often to identify all the devices connected
333. right click the name of the device and then choose Update Driver from the pop up menu Code 19 Windows cannot start this hardware device because its configuration infor mation in the registry is incomplete or damaged To fix this problem you can first try running a Troubleshooting Wizard see below If that does not work you should uninstall and then reinstall the hardware device Code 19 Code 19 errors are caused by these registry problems e Two or more services are defined in the registry for a single device e The service subkey has failed to open e The service subkey failed to obtain the driver name Use the following steps to repair a Code 19 error 1 Starting at the General Properties tab where you see the error message click the Troubleshoot button The Troubleshooting Wizard will open 2 Follow the instructions in the Troubleshooting Wizard 3 Ifnone of the Troubleshooting Wizard s suggestions solve the problem close the Properties window and right click the name of the device in the Device Manager list 4 From the pop up menu choose the Uninstall option 5 Open the Action menu in the Device Manager window and select the Scan For Hardware Changes button Windows will try to find and install a usable copy of the driver you just uninstalled 6 Restart the computer and immediately press the F8 key repeatedly until the Windows Advanced Options Menu appears 7 Use the up and down arrow keys to select the
334. riginal BIOS and your computer Without a BIOS your computer won t run which will make it most useful as a doorstop or a boat anchor but not at all useful as a working computer If you have trouble during a BIOS installation contact your computer or motherboard manufacturer s support center for help They should be able to either talk you through the repair procedure or send you a new BIOS chip to physically replace the one in your computer Remember that replacing the BIOS is a form of major surgery don t try it unless there s no other way to solve a problem But if you do it correctly an update can solve a lot of problems VIRUSES SPYWARE AND OTHER NASTIES External attacks on your computer come in many forms viruses worms spyware and Trojan horses are just a few of the most common types This malware or malicious soft ware presents threats to your computer s operation the security of your data your privacy and your identity If your computer is doing something strange for no apparent reason a virus or spyware program could be to blame Sometimes though there are no visible signs For example a virus could quietly fill up your hard drive with garbage data or spyware could secretly capture your keystrokes and send them back to an attacker s computer where the attacker will search your text for account numbers and passwords Besides the privacy issues this stuff is inherently evil because it s theft
335. river version from Microsoft or directly from the device manufacturer see Where to Find New Drivers on page 70 for sources 2 Select the name of the device in the Device Manager window and select Update Driver from the Action menu 3 When the Hardware Update Wizard window shown in Figure A 1 appears select the Install From A List Or Specific Location option and then click the Next button Wiokasmo he Pen Papau elal Luni Te mept ei es dad eee T IEE Ceo gt Eyar bore ram eih on pilan CI oes de men ee Ce oe a a pad te att Ge oh Det T mma my il a gy bem eer el Figure A 1 To solve a Code 31 error run the Hardware Update Wizard 4 Use the Browse button to specify the location where you stored the downloaded device driver file Click the Next button 5 Continue to work through the Hardware Update Wizard to finish install ing the new driver If the Code 31 error continues to appear it s possible that the device in question is not compatible with Windows XP Look in the device maker s website or the Microsoft Knowledge Base for more information Code 32 A driver service for this device has been disabled An alternate driver may be providing this functionality Code 32 This error occurs when the Start Type setting for this device driver in the Windows Registry is disabled To restore this device follow these steps 1 Use one of the device driver websites listed in Where to Find New D
336. rivers on page 70 to find and download the most recent Windows XP device driver file for this device 2 Right click the name of the device in the Device Manager and select the Uninstall option 3 When the uninstall is complete open the Action menu and then choose Scan For Hardware Changes Windows will find the device and reinstall the device drivers Use the Install From A Specific Location option to specify the driver version that you obtained from the manufacturer s website Code 33 Windows cannot determine which resources are required for this device Code 33 Code 33 errors are hardware problems The translator that specifies the resources used by Windows to use the device has failed Try uninstalling and reinstalling the device driver If that doesn t fix the problem confirm that the hardware configuration settings are correct or replace the device Code 34 Windows cannot determine the settings for this device Consult the docu mentation that came with this device and use the Resource tab to set the configuration Code 34 Code 34 errors occur when a hardware device that requires manual configuration is not set correctly Some devices use jumpers or switches while others use on board firmware consult the manual supplied with the device for specific instructions Other devices require manual setting of the resource settings that they use to exchange commands and data with the computer s central processor Open
337. rivers Finally if you re using a device that uses more than one device driver such as a combination card or a complex audio device you must roll back each device driver separately Storing and Organizing Your Drivers NOTE Once you download and install new device drivers and software updates you should store copies of the update files along with the distribution copies of Windows and your application programs on CDs or floppy disks You won t need to use those files again unless you have to replace a hard drive or move a device to a different computer but remember that you won t be able to read these files from a hard drive when you re trying to recover from a disk crash When you do have to reinstall a driver or restore a drive you might want to go back to Microsoft or the original manufacturers websites to download new copies of all your drivers rather than loading your older copies This will assure that you can take advantage of the latest version of each driver including any improvements patches and bug fixes that may have been added since your last install If you travel with a laptop and other portable computer users create an emergency repair CD that will live in one of the pockets of the com puter case or bag In addition to any utilities supplied by the computer manufacturer the CD should have a top level directory folder called Device Drivers with a separate subfolder for each peripheral device mouse network
338. rk try using a web search tool such as Google to find the company s main site If your computer is still under warranty or if the problem appeared after you installed a new or replacement hardware component or software product call or e mail the company behind that product first before you try any major repairs You don t want to give anybody an excuse to say You voided the warranty when you followed some other company s advice And Using the Microsoft Knowledge Base and Other Online Resources 83 84 if your employer has a help desk or your computer is covered by a service contract call the service provider before you get in too deeply you or your employer have already paid somebody to help you fix the computer so you should let them do their job Every manufacturer s website has a different layout and design so it might take some detective work to find the section of each site devoted to technical support In most cases there s a Support link at or near the top of the page or along the right or left side On other sites you ll have to jump to a page devoted to the specific product or service youre trying to troubleshoot and then look for a support page Newsgroups and Independent Support Services Chapter 6 Today the online technical newsgroups are still among the best places to find help with computer problems The worldwide Usenet system of newsgroups has been around since 1979 when a group of graduate s
339. rm of computer repair is to completely wipe out everything on the C drive and start over from square one Reformatting the drive should only be done as a last resort but if you continue to see the same problems after you run a full Windows reinstallation you can eliminate those problems along with everything else on the drive with a reformat If the drive you want to format is the only drive in your computer your best bet is to use your drive manufacturer s installation software Each manu facturer supplies an installation CD with new drives and they also make them available online for free download Most computer manufacturers however don t supply hard disk driver CDs so you will want to download the driver files directly from the disk manufacturer Even if you have an installation CD go ahead and download the most recent version which might include features such as drivers for the latest Windows service pack that were not available when the CD was shipped To find the name of the drive manufacturer and a web address from which you can download driver files open the computer case and read the label on the drive Use the following steps to use installation software to format your drive 1 Back up the data from the drive you want to reformat to another storage media if possible 2 Use another computer to connect to the drive manufacturer s website Link to the Support section and then download the installation software
340. roblems with other hardware or software changes since the manual was published and workaround instructions for bugs It s always worth the time to look for a README file on the CD or floppy disk or in the download directory that contains new software or updates to an existing product Unfortunately there s no standard format for README files They can be text files formatted documents web pages or PDFs Sometimes the Install or Setup routine will place a link to the README file on the Windows desktop or the Programs menu Rarely they are printed pages inserted in the box along with the software or they are links to an online site The file might be called readme txt or doc or pdf or htm or read me or something else entirely Regardless of their exact name and format a README file is often the very last thing that a manufacturer or software developer adds to the product before releasing the package to manufacture or posting it on the Internet So it s the last opportunity to tell you about problems that appeared late in the development and testing process For example the README file on the Windows XP Service Pack 2 CD is called READMESP HTM shown in Figure 1 8 It s a document formatted as a web page with links to other files on the CD and additional information on Microsoft s website The file includes a list of the updates supplied in the service pack instructions for installing and removing the new software and links
341. rogram You can use a shortcut on the desktop or the Start menu open a data file whose format is linked to the program enter the name of the program or a data file in the Run window or use the Windows Explorer shell to run the program Some programs can also open automatically from within other programs such as an audio or video player inside a web browser Ifa program fails to run it s always possible that a problem exists in a short cut to the program file or the link between the program and a file extension rather than in the program itself It s often productive to try some other method to run the program before you go to the trouble of reinstalling it Dealing with Individual Programs and Files 119 120 If you can t open a text or data file from the desktop try running the program first and then use the File gt Open command to load the document or file For example if nothing happens when you double click the name of a text file with a doc file extension go to the Start menu and try to open Microsoft Word or some other word processor first If Word won t run from the Start menu try opening My Computer on the desktop and moving to the Winword exe program in the C Program Files Microsoft Office Office folder Most program files are normally located in subfolders within the C Program Files folder However some users prefer their own customized file structure If you can t find what you want in the Program Files folder
342. rom the Microsoft Knowledge Base or from one of the other sources of troubleshooting advice described in Chapter 1 of this book Using the Configuration Utility to Streamline Startup When you open the System Configuration Utility you probably won t recog nize all of the programs and services listed in the Services and Startup tabs Some of these might be useful programs or obscure parts of Windows but it s quite possible that some other programs have added themselves to the startup list without your knowledge or permission Each of these programs increases the amount of time needed for Windows to start and ties up some small amount of the computer s memory that could otherwise be used for more valuable work so it s a good idea to permanently disable them But how can you tell which programs and services are essential and which are junk In some cases the name of the startup item or service or the text of the command is a giveaway but other names are more cryptic For an explanation of any unfamiliar program or service use a web search tool such as Google to find a description of the name you see in the Startup Item or Service column Several websites are dedicated to explaining most of the items that appear in the Configuration Utility with a recommen dation for each item to either keep or disable it Here are some websites that offer useful explanations of startup items www auditmypc com www tasklist org What to Do When
343. roubleshooting efforts to the cable and the computer Don t forget to return the printer to its On Line state Windows also includes a Print Test Page function that can test the link between the computer and the printer To print a test page from the Windows XP menu open Start gt Printers And Faxes from the Classic Windows menu open Start gt Settings gt Printers And Faxes Then right click the name of the printer select Properties from the pop up menu and click the Print Test Page button at the bottom of the General tab If this test is successful then the problem is probably in the application program that produced the print command rather than with Windows Try a Different Program After you confirm that the printer itself is working properly and that the Windows printer driver is also working try a different program to print your document or image If you can save the document or image that you want to print and open it in some other program you can sometimes print the document from the second program If printing from a different program is successful look in the original program for options or settings that control printing It s possible that one or more of these settings are directing the document to the wrong place Troubleshooting and Replacing Other Hardware 205 206 Monitor Chapter 17 Printing to a File Almost all programs that include a print command offer the option of sending the formatted document to
344. rough the developers websites For links to other antivirus programs including many that are available as try before you buy downloads see the list of Microsoft Partners at www microsoft com security partners antivirus asp 258 AVG Anti Virus Free Edition http free grisoft com avast Home Edition www avast com eng download avast home html AntiVir Personal Edition www free av com ClamWin Free Antivirus www clamwin com Veatch www vcatch com Antispyware Programs Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware www microsoft com athome security spyware software default mspx Lavasoft Ad Aware SE www lavasoft de ms index htm Spybot Search amp Destroy www safer networking org microsoft en html SpywareBlaster www javacoolsoftware com spywareblaster html Firewall Programs For most users the firewall software supplied with Windows XP Service Pack 2 should be enough to keep intruders out of their computers But a second hardware or software firewall can provide added protection ZoneAlarm www zonelabs com KerioPersonal Firewall www kerio com kpf_download html Appendix B INDEX A adware 34 AMD Processor Support Forum 33 antivirus antispyware tools 35 130 135 136 137 242 HijackThis software 139 backing up data 73 222 225 232 236 240 242 Backup Utility Windows 235 236 beep codes 40 BIOS basic input output system 5 28 40 41 97 98 settings 99 105 179 188 190 updating 105 106 130 132 Black
345. rror message might not tell you anything but those cryptic code numbers underneath the text can often lead you to a document buried in a knowledge base or some other website that reveals everything This book can help you find that document I don t expect you to read this book from cover to cover but it won t hurt to skim the chapter titles and main headings before you encounter a problem With luck you will remember that the book includes a section on understanding error messages or restoring Windows settings or whatever other information you need to fix your computer and you ll come back to find specific advice and information when you need it I do encourage you to take a close look at the final chapter on preventive maintenance right now and to do what you can to reduce the likelihood of some avoidable problems I hope the troubleshooting tools and methods in this book make your life as a Windows user more pleasant and less stressful Over time some of the basic techniques try restarting the computer look for the cheap fixes first isolate the problem and so forth will become second nature to you and you ll solve many problems almost without thinking about them But be warned When you gain a reputation as somebody who s good at fixing computers some of your relatives and friends will start calling and visiting more often If they re good friends or close relatives go ahead and help them blood and friendship are thicker
346. rsation It s almost never successful If someone asks you about a basketball or baseball game I recommend shifting the conversation to last week s cricket match The cost is the same for all three types of support telephone e mail and text chat so you can choose the one that seems most comfortable to you E mail and text offer the advantage of a printed record of the information provided by the support representative but voice calls can often go more quickly because you don t have to wait as long for answers to your questions The time lag between responses in e mail and chat often gives the impression that the same technician is handling several conversations at the same time When you telephone or exchange messages with Microsoft or any other product support center it s important to know how to make the system work to your advantage Here are some things to remember e Before you call gather all the information the support person might need including the version of Windows the latest service pack you have installed and the Product ID number of your copy of Windows right click My Computer and choose Properties from the pop up menu to see the ID number in the General tab of the System Properties window If you can t get far enough in Windows to view the Product ID number you will need the Product Key printed on the original plastic case or paper sleeve that contained the Windows CD e Make a list of all the things y
347. rvice that you should allow to continue But a hijack program that opens an unwanted web page is definitely something to eliminate If scanning your computer with an antispyware program doesn t get rid of the problem run a web search on the name of the program or unwanted site as it appears in the title bar at the top of your web browser window Within the first two pages of matching sites you should find at least one website devoted to killing and removing the spyware that is causing the problem In most cases following that advice will solve your problem The Internet Disappears Sometimes your Internet connection suddenly seems to stop working without any notice or it doesn t work after you have turned on the computer for the day If you re not able to open any web pages or download any files check all 154 Chapter 13 of the cables between your computer or your wireless access point and the wall outlet that carries your telephone line DSL connection or cable modem signal If you re using a dial up modem connection make sure nobody else is using the same telephone line Make sure the modem and router and any other device between the computer and your Internet connection are turned on and that the power cables are plugged into their respective outlets If none of the cables have come loose and everything is turned on turn off your com puter and the modem or router wait 30 seconds and turn everything back on again Sometimes
348. ry the built in Windows Registry Editor is fine for most users The Registry Editor doesn t show up on the Start menu so choose Start gt Run and type regedit to open it Click OK and you should be in the Registry Editor as shown in Figure 9 1 is Fle Ean View Frete tele i Wey Compatar Hare Type tena gt GHEY CLASSES BOOT thet al HES ST ishet i er D HEEY CLT _LSER 4 gt GHEEY USERS So HEEY_CRSET_OOMFLG ie le 4 1 Farti 4 Maree fe a Syne i riner Ds o er Figure 9 1 Use the Windows Registry Editor to add change and remove items from the Registry Always make a backup copy of the Registry before you try to edit it Type regedit from Start gt Run You are now in the Registry Editor Open the File menu and select the Export command Choose a location for the backup copy of the Registry Type a filename for your backup Nae ae eo At the bottom of the Export Registry File window shown in Figure 9 2 select All in the Export Range box 6 Click Save The Windows Registry Here Be Demons 109 110 S rma iiy Musie i My Pietinio liiy Seanons Paty Videos i 1 Le kai Ith Figure 9 2 Choose All in the Export Range box to save a copy of the entire Registry If you discover that the changes you made to the Registry didn t work as expected you should restore the Registry to the condition it was in before you started to fiddle with it If you changed jus
349. s Back up your data There are programs that can read files on damaged drives see Chapter 16 for more information about those programs and commercial services that can recover data from almost any dead drive unless the physical disk platter inside the drive is damaged but those programs don t always work and the services often charge hundreds of dollars just to look at the drive and let you know if the data can be saved The actual recovery can run into several thousand dollars or more It s a lot easier and safer to keep backup copies of anything you don t want to lose There s a lot more information about disaster recovery in Chapter 16 But there s no question that making backups every day or two is the absolute best way to avoid losing data Even so most people don t bother unless they work in a place where the boss insists on it not until they have already suffered through a catastrophic People who are serious about backups often make two sets of copies a daily backup that stays near the computer for convenient access and a separate weekly set that goes someplace where it will be safe after a major disaster such as a flood or a fire You might want to store the off site backups in your safe deposit box or maybe in a storage box at the home of a relative or good friend across town As you plan your system for making backup copies you should ask several questions e What data should I back up e How often should I
350. s the computer will probably continue to load and run Windows but you still have to find a way to recover the data from the broken drive Therefore you should treat the two objectives separately First get the computer and Windows running again and then worry about the data on the damaged drive If you re going to do this yourself you ll have to open up the computer case and install a new drive Bear with me on this it s not that difficult and it will save you a lot of money if you do the job yourself 176 NOTE But if you re absolutely convinced that you can t do this repair on your own at least read the section What to Tell the Service Guy on page 191 Of course if you have been careful about making regular backups of your data a drive failure is little more than a minor nuisance You can install a new drive load Windows from the Microsoft CD install new copies of your application programs and utilities and restore your data files from the backup media No big deal right Well yes but making backups is one of those things that we all know we re supposed to do every few days but most of us don t bother If you do have an up to date backup handy you have my permission to feel superior to the rest of us If not put down this book right now and go make backups of all your data Restoring the Computer to Useful Operation Chapter 16 When Windows won t load because of a hard drive problem your first prior
351. s 218 E mail Bulletin Boards and Other Ways to Avoid Talking to You ceseceeeeereeereees 218 Making Tech Support Work for YOU ecceesceeeeecseeeeeeeeneeeneeenseeeeeeeneeenternreees 219 xii Contents in Detail 19 CUTTING YOUR LOSSES WHAT TO DO WHEN NOTHING ELSE WORKS 221 Preserving Your Data cs sir eke stag hove vidoes ease ads EEEa TEE EE EEEE A AA 222 Reinstall Windows occas ceed toae a cadens suede Has evatinnt due iopaks Goats nevortoueeets Gone E yobs 225 Using a Windows Recovery CD or a Hidden Partition o eerren 227 Reformatting the Driven sieran cs ig i necedt E TA ds babavatap E EORI 228 20 THINGS TO DO NOW BEFORE YOUR COMPUTER CRASHES 231 Back Up Your Data isu ye sous sd ca Bia Cat pet Sake ace A aa en boa pnd Soden ete aAA aTe AAS 232 What Should I Back Up 2 uchterveostteecrs cd inetd taehe dd ancl ayers esl nee neste 232 How Often Should Back Up My Data oo ceceeccseeeeteceteenteenteeneeneenaees 233 What Kind of Medid i fsc2 ssn teuieol n n aed h hides one 234 What Backup Method reanna iaraa aonana na eaaa aA REVAS ar AAE AAE 234 Defragment Your Hard Drives assises nenprcnairnek ice ie e ariaa 236 Check for Other Disk Problems ccccccececeeseeeseceeeesceeeeeeeccaeeesseeeeneeeecseeeeseeene 239 Greate a Set of Utility Disks ccszncsentacasscesuaessucbesianeueee e neea 240 Make a Restore Disk sccisecsstesseaissneasdesesiauon seagetehtaeceuunssseavbadipneeusedapbeuineahs 240 Make a B
352. s Explorer which program or document file to open when you click an icon HKEY_CURRENT_USER This folder controls the profile that applies to the user currently logged on to Windows It specifies personalized options such as screen colors and Control Panel settings HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE This folder controls the options that apply to the hardware and software installed on this computer Among other things entries in this folder contain the version numbers of individual programs options that apply to each program display settings and communication options and settings HKEY_USERS This folder contains the hardware and software profiles for all users who have accounts on this computer along with the default settings that apply to all users HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG This folder contains the computer s active hardware profile and controls the settings that Windows applies at startup If the computer holds only one hardware profile the Current_Config folder contains the same information as the Local_Machine folder HKEY_DYN_DATA Not in Windows XP This folder contains temporary data that Windows uses to monitor the status of certain hardware functions As a group these keys control everything about the way Windows operates so changing an entry in the Registry is the ultimate way to change a feature or function a desktop image the text that appears in the bar across the top of a window the port that a network device uses to communicate
353. s case meee Laer Disconnect all of the power cables leading from the power supply to the motherboard the hard drives other storage devices and components oy Remove the screws that hold the power supply to the case gt Lift the power supply out of the computer 7 Place the new power supply in the location where you removed the old one and replace the screws 8 Connect the power cables to the motherboard the drives and the other components 9 Plug the AC power cable into the back of the computer Mouse Problems Mice and other pointing devices use a variety of technologies to transmit motion from your hand to the computer Some are purely mechanical with a small ball that rotates as the mouse moves while others use a light beam or laser to track mouse motion If the driver software is working properly the most common cause of mouse problems is dirt Cleaning a Mechanical Mouse A clean mechanical mouse uses a rubber ball to rotate three cylinders that translate motion across a flat surface such as a table or a mouse pad to three numeric values that the computer uses to place a cursor on the screen As the mouse passes along the surface it can pick up grease and dirt that can interfere with the motion of the ball and the rollers causing them to rotate less reliably To clean a mechanical mouse follow these steps 1 Turn the mouse over and rotate the small retaining plate that holds the ball inside the
354. s of things that can and do go wrong on Windows based computers And of course they re the first things to look for when you discover that It s Never Done That Before The remaining chapters of this book describe Windows failures error messages and less traumatic problems in more detail If you can t find information about the specific problem you re facing try reading the chapter with a title that comes closest to describing it Even if you don t find instructions for fixing a specific problem you will probably be able to use the methods described to deal with a problem in the same general category or follow a pointer to another source of information WHAT TO DO WHEN WINDOWS WON T START You know the routine Turn on the computer a bunch of text scrolls past as the monitor warms up you see a sequence of Windows is loading screens and then Windows starts You have to wait a couple of minutes for everything to load but eventually your familiar desktop fills the screen and you re ready to get to work After the third or fourth time you don t even notice that it s happening But one day for no obvious reason Windows won t load Either the screen goes dark or one of the Windows is loading screens stays there forever Or worse you get a Blue Screen error Yikes What happened This chapter explains what normally happens when Windows starts and how to use several tools and techniques f
355. s parti cular activity Many device drivers also include a configuration program that allows a user to change individual settings For example a mouse driver will specify the number of buttons on the mouse the way the computer responds when a user clicks each button the rate at which the cursor moves across the screen as you move the mouse and so forth Still other device drivers control internal functions such as the IDE channels and the system clock Each device driver is a separate file If one or more of these files is damaged or missing or if the device driver is not consistent with the device it s supposed to control the device will not work properly if it works at all When a mouse or keyboard does not respond the way you expect or when a scanner or a CD drive does not show up in Windows Explorer a device driver problem is probably the cause Device Drivers Chapter 5 A computer without device drivers is just a box Without the right device driver the computer won t know how to operate the devices that it uses to perform useful work and convey the products of that work to the world outside the computer The device driver recognizes incoming instructions and data from an external device and translates them to a form that the operating system can understand and it translates outbound commands and data from the processor into the specific controls that a peripheral device can use For example the device driver for a printer m
356. s to solve the problem When you get to the second or third level it s likely that you re talking to somebody who actually knows how the product in question works and how to fix or work around most of the known problems At this level the easy problems have already been solved so the job is generally more challenging and more interesting than talking to people who don t know how to use the CTRL key or open a Windows menu If you are dealing with an obscure problem these are the people who will know how to fix it if you have discov ered a new and exciting bug in the product that nobody has reported before these folks honestly want to know about it Wait The Last Person Told Me Something Different Don t be surprised if you receive contradictory information from different peo ple It s possible that the first person you reach or the first two or three people has never seen the problem before and it s not written up in any of their reference material so they re telling you to try some generic solutions hoping that one of them will work The next person up the chain has a different favorite all purpose technique so they ll tell you to try that one When you finally get to somebody with more experience with the product in question that person might know about an approach that has not been revealed to the rest of the tech support staff All of the same rules apply when you talk to second or third tier support people ke
357. sage on your monitor follow the instructions in that message to clear the problem For example if you see an out of paper message add more paper to the printer On Line Confirm that the printer s On Line indicator light is on If it is dark push the button or operate the switch to set the printer s setting to On Line Printer Driver Try reinstalling the correct printer driver Look for the most recent driver software on the printer manufacturer s website Properties and Preferences From the Windows XP Start menu choose Printers And Faxes or from the Classic Windows Start menu choose Settings gt Printers And Faxes and select the printer you are trying to use When the printer window opens choose the Printer menu and then the Properties and Printing Preferences commands The Properties and Preferences windows which are unique for each make and model of printer contain the specific settings and options that apply to that printer Confirm that all of the settings are correct When you enter the Print command from an application program make sure the Select Printer option in the Print window shown in Figure 17 6 is set to the correct printer Ink and Paper Check the printer s ink toner or ribbon If there is none left replace or refill the supply Confirm that the printer has enough paper to handle the current job If the printer has more than one paper path such as a laser printer with a fold down tray
358. sed to navigate to unknown parts of the world In some remote places on the map where there wasn t any reliable information but plenty of frightening rumors the mapmakers would draw pictures of dragons or sea monsters and include a note that said Here be Demons For most Windows users the Registry is similar they look at it as uncharted territory that might produce unthinkable disasters if they go there Relax It s not that bad The Windows Registry is the central database that contains almost all the configuration settings and options used by Windows and by most application programs written for Windows Therefore if Windows does something that It Has Never Done Before there s a strong chance that it was caused by a change to one or more lines in the Registry 108 NOTE NOTE NOTE Chapter 9 Some items in the Registry change automatically every time a program or utility runs Others change when you install or delete a program or change an option in a Properties window And still others change after you or someone else edits them directly It s also possible to change some Registry items without permission from the computer s owner or users Many viruses and spyware create problems in Windows by altering the Registry The Registry controls everything from the look of the Windows desktop and the image used as the tiny logo in the upper right corner of the Explorer window to the programs that run automatical
359. seeeseeereceeeeeeseeeeeseeeeeeeesaeesseeeeseeess 65 Chapter 6 Using the Microsoft Knowledge Base and Other Online Resources cc0 75 Chapter 7 Using System Restore and Other Rollback Techniques 89 Chapter 8 Underneath It All The BIOS 0 ec ceceeceeeceeseeseeeeseeeeeeeeseeeseeeeseeeeeeeeeeneeeeseeeas 97 Chapter 9 The Windows Registry Here Be Demons ccesccsseeeseceseeeeneeeteeeneeeneeenseens 107 Chapter 10 Dealing with Individual Programs and Files cescesseeeseeseeeeeeeeeseeeeeeenaes 117 Chapter 11 Service Packs Patches and Other Updates csccssecesseesesceteeeneeeneeeneens 127 Chapter 12 Viruses Spyware and Other Nasties ceccceeceseceseeeenteesseeeseeeneenteeesaes 133 Chapter 13 Internet Connection Problems cccceceseceseeeeetseeeeeseeeeneesseesneeeneenteeenaes 143 Chapter 14 Local Network Problems ccsccesseeseeceteceteceneeceeceeeeneeeeaeeneeeneeenreenseees 157 Chapter 15 Dealing with Hardware Problems ccsccsseceeseceseceneceeseeseeeteeenseenreenatens 165 Chapter 16 Troubleshooting and Replacing Hard Drives csccesccesseeseeceteeeeseeeeeeeeens 175 Chapter 17 Troubleshooting and Replacing Other Hardware eerren 193 Chapter 18 If All Else Fails Call Tech Support ccsecceeesececeeeteenteeeteesneeeneenteeenaes 209 Chapter 19 Cutting Your Losses What to Do When Nothing Else Works cceseree 221
360. sible Try Other Internet Resources The Microsoft websites aren t the only places on the Internet where you can find help interpreting a Blue Screen error message One particularly useful web page for finding help with Blue Screens is James Eshelman s Trouble shooting Windows Stop Messages http aumha org win5 kbestop htm This site offers an extensive list of stop error numbers and symbolic names with links to specific explanations for each one It s often faster to find a link from this page than to use the search tool on Microsoft s own website Many other sites also offer advice user forums and technical infor mation about troubleshooting Windows problems Some are more helpful than others but sometimes there s a nubbin of essential information buried in an otherwise useless site To look for information about a Blue Screen use a web search engine such as Google to search for the stop error number or the symbolic name that appeared in the Blue Screen message Some of these sites supplement information in books and magazines and others are there to create online communities of users or generate sales for shareware products Whatever the reason if somebody offers a possible fix for your broken computer grab it and hope that it will solve the problem Of course some of these self appointed experts are more reliable than others and there s no way to know which ones are which without trying their suggested fixes So it s
361. soft com move to the appropriate product family and then to either Downloads or Check for Updates Service Packs Patches and Other Updates 129 Updating Security Software Security updates are a bit of a different story Because new viruses spyware and other threats to your computer appear all the time the producers of security software release new updates very frequently Most of these programs include automatic update services that can find and install updates as they become available be sure to turn on these features In general software products that protect against viruses spyware and unauthorized intruders include automatic update features similar to the ones in Windows XP These programs call home through the Internet on a regular schedule to check for newly available software revisions When new software is available the update program either installs it automatically or it displays an on screen message that encourages you to install the update as soon as possible Given the choice it s almost always better to choose the ASAP route unless you re using a processor intensive program like a video or audio editor or engaged in some kind of real time activity that might suffer from an unwanted restart when a program update installs itself What If an Update Creates Problems Unfortunately some manufacturers don t test their update packages as well as they should so an update may solve some problems but create new ones at
362. some other source of AC power e Ifthe computer doesn t work or the battery doesn t charge when the external power unit is connected use a voltmeter I showed you how in Chapter 1 or other test instrument to make sure the power unit is pro viding the proper output voltage e Try removing the battery and connecting the external power supply If the power supply does not provide adequate current measured in amps there may not be enough power to charge the battery and run the computer at the same time This doesn t happen often because the manufacturer normally provides a power unit designed to match the computer s power requirements but if you buy a used or refurbished machine or if you re using a replacement power unit it is possible The maximum current of a power unit is almost always imprinted onto the device s case For example the power adapter shown in Figure 2 1 provides a maximum output of 2 2 amps at 16V Errors During Startup Between the time you turn on your computer and the point at which Windows is ready to accept commands there are many opportunities for failure If you understand what s supposed to happen before Windows starts you can usually identify the cause of a startup problem and find a way to fix it The startup routine is both complex and important so all of Chapter 3 is devoted to describing it in detail and explaining how to respond to error messages and other symptoms of startup problems Ho
363. ssage if you can t find it anywhere inside the window If the name of the program that produced the message does not appear anywhere in the error window look in the toolbar at the bottom of your screen to see which programs are active Error Messages Finding Translations from the Cryptic Chapter 2 The most important thing to remember about any error message is this They don t appear out of thin air And unlikely as it sometimes seems somebody someplace knows what it means When an error message appears on your screen it is there because a piece of code inside the software told Windows or some other program to display it when some specific event or combination of events occurred Therefore you can assume two things about that message First your computer is probably not the first one that has ever had this problem and second there s an explanation out there someplace So you should take the time to search for a set of specific instructions for solving the problem rather than wasting time reinventing a procedure on your own If the solution to the problem that produced the error message is not immediately obvious talk to your local help desk ask a knowledgeable friend or look for the text or the ID code in the user manual the software provider s support website or the online Microsoft Knowledge Base If when you can t find anything helpful either because you don t have the manual you can t find a website or the
364. st ISPs no longer offer access to Usenet newsgroups If you use America Online MSN or some other ISP that does not have a news server you can either connect to a public news server or use a website that publishes Usenet messages on web pages Public news servers are subscription services that will allow anybody to connect to Usenet through their systems Most of them offer free read only access but they charge for the privilege of sending a message to a news group For a huge list of public news servers take a look at www newzbot com or http dmoz org Computers Usenet Public_News_Servers If you prefer to use your web browser you can reach Usenet groups through Google s Groups service Start at http groups google com and choose the Browse All of Usenet link near the bottom of your screen to open the first of many pages of links to individual newsgroups The Google site is free so it might be a better method than one of the paid subscription services However it s not always easy to find a specific Usenet group in the Google list unless you already know its name So the best approach might be to use Outlook Express or another news reader program to find the group you want and read existing messages and then go to Google to post your own questions Because there are more than 50 000 separate newsgroups within the Usenet system it can be difficult to find the one that contains the informa tion you want To find a newsgroup dedicated to
365. stalling timely software updates and upgrades And if they have time you might convince them to come around and show you how to perform preventive maintenance and optimize your computer s performance When you talk to the help desk under non panic conditions be sure to let them know that it s not an emergency and that they should take care of more immediate problems before they handle your request The support folks will appreciate this and the next time you have a real computer crisis they ll know that you re serious They might even move you to the top of their list ahead of the chronic complainers It never hurts to have your support people think you re one of the good guys Before the computer breaks down ask your help desk or support center how they prefer to receive trouble reports Is there a special telephone number or e mail address Are there different people to contact for hardware and software problems Do they need some specific information about your account or your computer s location or network address The more you know about how the help desk wants to work the more you can help them solve your problem for you If All Else Fails Call Tech Support 211 212 In Laws and Other Informal Tech Support For those of us who can t call a formal help desk a friend or relative who is good with computers can sometimes provide useful advice and assistance Don t expect your nephew to have all the tools that
366. storage media you use to hold your backed up files as long as you have a convenient way to read those files If your computer has a CD ora DVD drive that can record onto blank disks that s an excellent choice recordable CDs and DVDs are cheap easy to read and they have a relatively large capacity Other recordable media such as Zip disks or tape will also work but the devices required to read them are less common and the storage media are more expensive Remember you re preparing for a worst case disaster in which your own computer has been stolen or damaged beyond repair so you shouldn t choose media that use an obscure storage type that will be difficult or impossible to read when you have to retrieve your data An external drive that connects to the computer through a USB or FireWire port is another practical storage alternative Tape drives hard drives and recordable CDs are all available in external packages with USB and FireWire connections Storing your backup data on another computer is still another alternative Making copies from one computer to another through a network can be fast and convenient but remember that you re making the backups to protect against a major disaster If the backup computer is in the same building as the original it s possible that a fire earthquake or lightning strike would destroy both machines at the same time And a burglar who discovers two computers in the same room will probably take
367. sume that the motherboard is okay because it is able to display the error message so the problem could be the BIOS the cable or the drive You can t test the drive without a cable so you should carefully examine the cable and replace it if you can t find an obvious problem like a connector that has come loose or a plug that is not aligned properly with the pins on the motherboard If the same error message appears after you replace the cable you have isolated the problem to either the BIOS or the drive In this case the problem might be either hardware or software if the BIOS does not automatically detect the drive check the BIOS settings first and then examine the drive Repair or Replace Isolating the problem to a single component is important but it s only the first step in fixing it Now you must decide whether it makes more sense to repair the broken device or simply install a replacement The choice depends on the amount of time it will take to perform the repair and the cost of the new part Sometimes the choice is obvious If you discover that a connector has shaken loose from a socket it will take just a few seconds to plug it back in and restart the computer But if a power surge has fried a dozen resistors and integrated circuits on your video card it s easier to install a new card As a rule of thumb if a repair requires a soldering iron or if you see signs of burned components on a printed circuit board you
368. t activation scheme at face value As far as anybody outside of Microsoft has been able to determine they don t collect any personal information from your computer There s no evidence that product activation does anything that isn t described in Microsoft s technical bulletins and marketing documents www microsoft com piracy basics activation Its only purpose is to force everyone who wants to use Windows to pay for the software and maybe to gather some statistical information about how many users are using different types of hardware The only thing Microsoft wants from you is money for separate copies of Windows on every computer you install and use If that s not acceptable to you switch to Linux or some other operating system What About Registration It s easy to confuse activation and registration but they re not the same thing They re not even related Activation is a required part of installing Windows XP that was designed to protect Microsoft from users who don t want to pay for every copy of Windows that they use registration is an optional process that supplies information about you and your computer to Microsoft s sales marketing and technical support departments The most important thing to know about registering Windows is that you don t have to do it If you do you will send Microsoft your name address and telephone number some information about how you use Windows and if you choose an inventory
369. t always enough to meet your needs but you can also create an additional restore point at any time To establish a manual restore point follow these steps 1 Choose Start gt Programs gt Accessories gt System Tools gt System Restore The System Restore Wizard shown in Figure 7 2 appears T System Restore Welcome to System Restore iPobeapied Gl piar Coad Pal ale a ia Meia sakat Ge eek thon yee eae km OAAR b ae eee ra ceed eed ere ee ba bear piee werd palh di eee doce ee ere ee ed ee fgets pop oepa to em saris tems ail Crt a riman pe Amp re a pE GPEOE Saan a ph repare e cer parbey rerien or ewer Romaba MHA eee parir ried maie cheep bn pe ce i i beter Arpe i ingie pmr eee ee ee TEE n ual E p ee ed i ma ee ee Eiai ham Epi of changes your irp gles Scie Se Teoria mipi m pion arad am iah am jies gt Cancel Figure 7 2 Use the System Restore tool to create a new restore point or to return to an earlier configuration Select the Create A Restore Point option and click Next The Create A Restore Point window appears as shown in Figure 7 3 T System Restore Cresta a Restore Point TAP DAAE ay CR SE ee PL EMELIE FH F D oo FEFE E Fouad leere pe ia omi Y reb Dampbad Ar sipli map mee eian e Jeb pl e Pe Poe Bet wheal i eu eae tar mele Bir be ras terime med e Fe bierg be ba emase Mate meer deari Pt a bm m imiy e n pes eel en oer pay argain ka Emir pan ira leo Terei bre wri ie
370. t appeared try using yesterday s date as your restore point If the problem has been occurring for several days try a restore point from last week If you think you know which program or other installation caused the problem look at the list of restore points for several dates until you find the list that includes that installation 5 If Windows created more than one restore point on the date you chose it will list all of them in the right box Choose one that was set before you made the change you re trying to undo Click the Next button to continue 94 Chapter 7 6 The wizard will display a window full of warnings and instructions Read the text to confirm that restoring the system won t do any irreparable damage and click Next Windows will display a progress indicator while it collects data about the restore point you selected and then it will restart the computer with the selected restore point settings Starting System Restore in Safe Mode Sometimes the conflict created by a new program or device driver is so serious that it won t allow you to start Windows normally In that event you should start Windows in Safe Mode and run System Restore from there However if the new program or driver conflicts with certain core Windows programs or services Safe Mode won t be able to start the Windows Explorer program that controls the Windows desktop and the desktop simply will not appear There is an alternative Rather than s
371. t don t help solve the problem Worse many companies now charge for access to their support services Therefore alternative source of information are often a better choice Chapter 18 of this book contains more information about finding and using manufacturers technical support services Join an Online Newsgroup The tradition of sharing information among computer users is older than the Internet Starting back when online computer discussions used store and forward bulletin board systems that sometimes took days or weeks to move messages from one location to another people who were looking for help would post their questions to online conferences and complete strangers would respond with detailed advice Today there are thousands of newsgroups forums and mailing lists distributed through the Internet devoted to just about every imaginable computer related subject Some are sponsored by hardware and software manufacturers and others are operated by independent user groups Still others are part of the worldwide Usenet newsgroup system Asking a question or describing a problem in an appropriate newsgroup can often be the most effective way to find a solution Chapter 6 of this book explains how to find newsgroups and similar online sources of help from other users Troubleshooting Methods and Tools 21 22 NOTE Chapter 1 And of course the generosity of Internet users isn t limited to help with computer prob lems Newsgr
372. t ever delete a permanent file Over time a drive that was zipping along when it was new will seem to take longer and longer to store and retrieve data and your computer s overall performance will become sluggish Depending on the size of your drive and the amount of activity you might not notice a difference for six months or more but it s happening and you should take steps to prevent it A defragmenting program reassembles each file into a single block and it creates the largest possible blocks of free space to allow room for new files without splitting them into fragments Some more sophisticated defrag menters also position the programs on the drives that are used most often close to the inside part of the disk This allows the drive to find them more quickly than other files that you don t use as often Windows includes a perfectly adequate defragmentation program but several other software vendors offer programs that do the same task more quickly or efficiently If you have one of the general purpose utility suites such as Norton System Works you can use the defrag program included in that package instead of the Windows utility but if you don t have other soft ware the Windows program is good enough for most users For a stand alone defragmenter with an excellent graphic display take a look at O amp O Defrag from O amp O Software www oo software com en products oodefrag Diskeeper www diskeeper com is another well regard
373. t it down Isolate the Problem Chapter 13 As with any computer problem when you have an Internet connection problem you must first find the problem before you can fix it Is it in your computer Is it in the local network that connects the computer to your ISP Could it be in the telephone line or broadband connection to the ISP or at the ISP itself And once you have located the problem you need to determine the cause The first thing to do when your Internet service fails is to locate the problem It could be in your own computer or your local network in the dis tant computer that is providing the data you see on your screen or someplace between you and the distant machine Follow the Signal The Internet is huge It connects tens of millions of computers together So it s absolutely essential to have a system that provides a name and location for each of those computers Therefore every computer and every intermediate routing device has a unique identity called a numeric Internet Protocol IP address assigned to it That identity is a set of four numbers each within the range from 0 to 255 A typical numeric address might be 206 83 231 2 or 192 168 0 1 To find a connection problem you must follow the signal as it passes through the Internet and identify the numeric addresses assigned to each device between your computer and your ISP s access point If you discover that the signal stops short of its intended destination tha
374. t one or two entries the easiest way to do this is to edit those entries back to their original form But if you aren t sure what you changed of if you made a lot of changes you can restore the Registry from your backup To do so Open the Registry Editor 2 Choose File gt Import Select the file that contains the backup you want to restore and press Open How the Registry Is Organized Chapter 9 As you may have noticed in Figure 9 1 the Registry Editor displays the Registry as a tree structure similar to the way Windows Explorer displays files and folders In Windows XP the Registry is organized into five top level folders or branches known as hive keys or handle keys In earlier Windows versions the Registry contains six top level folders The top level folders are HKEY_CLASSES_ ROOT This folder contains instructions that control the Windows user interface It specifies the properties of every type of object Microsoft defines an object as any resource that can be manipulated by a program or process including files directories links on the desktop shortcuts drives and network resources Properties specified in this folder include the associa tion between file extensions and object types the icons used by each type of object the options that appear in the pop up menu when you right click an icon and those that appear in each of the Properties windows Among other things this information tells Window
375. t one time and starts the file system that Windows will use to exchange data with the hard drive Finally the boot loader reads the boot ini file that identifies the location of the operating system files and runs the ntdetect com program to detect and configure the hardware connected to your computer Detect and Configure Hardware Windows uses the information gathered by ntdetect com to identify and configure the various hardware devices that it uses to send receive and store data This includes the keyboard and mouse disk drives and other data storage devices the video adapter that controls the monitor display the I O input and output ports including the serial parallel Ethernet and USB ports and any other input or output devices installed in the expansion slots on the motherboard Ntdectect com also reads certain information from the BIOS firmware including the time and date What to Do When Windows Won t Start 41 42 NOTE Load the Windows Kernel The file ntoskrnl exe in your Windows installation is the Windows kernel it contains the core of the Windows XP operating system The ntldr program loads the kernel into memory along with a file that contains information about the specific hardware installed on this computer Once these two files ntoskrnl exe and the hardware file load successfully Windows starts a series of programs called the Windows executive that reads configuration information from the Windows Re
376. t open the file If you know what kind of file you re trying to open e g it s an image file or a text file right click the filename and use the Rename command to add a file extension The File Won t Print If a file won t print the first thing to do is to save the file This will ensure that you don t lose the file s content and allow you to try printing through a different program Here are the things to check when a file refuses to print e Is the printer turned on Is the On Line indicator on the printer lit e Is the printer displaying an error code or error message If so consult the printer manual or the manufacturer s website for an explanation of the code or message and instructions for responding to it e Is the correct printer driver loaded into Windows From the Start menu open the Printers And Faxes window Start gt Settings Printers And Faxes in the Windows Classic menu to see links to all of the printer driv ers currently loaded on your computer If you don t see the exact make and model of the printer you re trying to use double click the Add Printer icon to load the correct driver e Is the printer selected as the active printer Look for a check mark that identifies the active printer next to one of the printer icons in the Print ers And Faxes window like the one in Figure 10 4 Pals Fes File Edt View Favorites Tools Help p Ly GAT T gt EJ w W Bins Aidis o Printers and Power
377. t show the new drive There s a formatting utility included on the Windows XP CD If you re installing a new drive as the C drive you can format the drive as part of the process of installing Windows 1 Place the Windows XP software CD in the computer s drive 2 Restart the computer The computer should start to install Windows from the CD If the computer can t find the CD open the BIOS Setup Utility and change the Boot Device Sequence to place the CD drive ahead of the hard drive 3 Shortly after the Windows Setup routine loads the initial programs to the computer s memory it will offer to format and partition your drive The Windows formatting tool bypasses the BIOS capacity so you should be able to reach the full capacity of the drive If you re installing a new drive into a computer that already has a boot drive start the computer and run the formatting and partitioning program supplied with the drive after Windows loads The package that contains the new drive should also include a CD and possibly a floppy disk with the formatting tools for the drive If not download the software from the drive manufacturer s website look for a link to support or downloads Follow the instructions on the website to create a CD or a floppy disk from the downloaded software In most cases the formatting program on either the Windows CD or the disk supplied with the drive will format and partition the drive without
378. t stopping point is probably the source of the problem More specifically you will need the IP addresses for these devices e Your own computer e The local network hub or router e The ISP s gateway to the Internet Your Computer When you set up your Internet account with an ISP the ISP will provide instructions for setting up your local connection Your computer s IP address is either assigned dynamically by your network via DHCP or it is set as a static address in the Internet Protocol TCP IP Properties window shown in Figure 13 1 lateral Protocol T Frew E eee ee i pa i en pe ye te E smars f ey E Diah oF aien he ae T ium Pan biagi min TE 7 T Diner DT pmm prr semmi O E Data iy E pve shino Pe aoe ir iin 4 Abemar A eae oe Ca _ cn Figure 13 1 In this example the network automatically assigns an IP address To view your computer s IP address download and install Microsoft s graphic IP Configuration tool from www microsoft com windows2000 techinfo reskit tools existing wntipcfg o asp You can also view the IP address by choosing Start Run then entering CMD and typing ipconfig The graphic program was part of the Windows 2000 Resource Kit but it also works with XP and it s more convenient than the command line version As you can see in Figure 13 2 the IP Configuration window shows the IP address along with several other addresses related to your Internet connection
379. take it to a service center But don t be surprised if it costs more to repair the original unit than to buy a new one Technicians time is often a lot more expensive than hardware and the price of many computer components is dropping so it s often not worth the time and trouble to spend an hour or more fixing something like a 15 network interface or a 25 keyboard Monitors are especially notorious for costing more to repair than to replace The price of old fashioned video displays with cathode ray tubes CRTs has dropped through the floor as the newer flat panel displays have taken over the market You can find new high quality brand name 17 inch CRT monitors for less than 150 it could cost that much or more to repair an old one if your technician can find the parts I ve also seen decent used 15 inch units for as little as 5 At that kind of price you re ahead of the game if the thing lasts more than three or four months Don t try to repair a monitor yourself unless you know exactly what you re doing Unlike the low voltages inside a computer a video display can contain high voltage capacitors that can kill even if the power is disconnected Isolate the Problem Software Similar techniques can also work with software When a problem appears try closing each active program one at a time If the problem disappears once a particular program has been shut down that program could be the source of the problem If you recen
380. tarting Windows in the usual Safe Mode start in Safe Mode with Command Prompt which opens cmd exe the old DOS command line interface instead of Windows Explorer When Safe Mode with Command Prompt loads you will see a cmd exe window with a C prompt like the one shown in Figure 7 5 the address in the prompt shows the location of the cmd exe program file That prompt indicates that Windows is ready to accept a new text command mde Figure 7 5 Safe Mode with Command Prompt opens a command window instead of the Windows desktop To start System Restore from a command prompt type this command windows system32 restore rstrui exe The System Restore window that opens in response to this command is exactly the same as the one described earlier in this chapter Using System Restore and Other Rollback Techniques 95 UNDERNEATH IT ALL THE BIOS Before Windows starts the essential functions such as testing memory and reading software from a hard drive are under the control of a block of software code called the basic input output system BIOS which is stored on the computer s motherboard If the computer fails the initial tests or if it doesn t send or receive signals from essential components like the keyboard or the video display before Windows starts the BIOS is probably at fault either the code itself is corrupt or an optional setting is wrong We ll take a look at the configuration and option settin
381. ter to portions of the same physical hard drive you can partition the physical drive into two or more smaller logical drives Even if a drive has a very large physical capacity the actual amount of storage on the drive is determined by the computer s BIOS In many computers the BIOS has a maximum drive capacity limit that was much bigger than the designers expected to need at the time the computer was built That limit might be 4GB 8 4GB or about 130GB Every time the BIOS people raised the limit it seems as if the drive manufacturers intro duced a new line of even bigger hard drives If your drive s capacity is greater than the limit of your BIOS you must use special software included with Windows XP or supplied with the drive to bypass the capacity limit Don t be surprised if the BIOS or the formatting tool shows a slightly smaller capacity than the one on the drive package some drive makers show capacity in decimal kilo bytes equal to 1 000 bytes while Windows and the BIOS makers use binary kilobytes equal to 1 024 bytes so Windows will report the capacity of a 200GB decimal drive as a little over 180GB binary If you are using the new drive as your boot drive at this point the BIOS startup sequence will display a disk error message because the new drive does not contain any boot files If the new drive is not the boot drive the boot sequence will run and Windows will start but Windows Explorer My Com puter won
382. ternet connection firewall 4 Check the On option to enable the firewall Firewall Hardware A firewall built into a network router or switch is the better choice for users who have more than one computer connected to the Internet through a local area network LAN By placing the firewall where the local network connects to the Internet a single firewall can protect all the computers in the network and still allow file sharing among the computers behind the firewall You may already have a firewall in place if you re using a cable or DSL router to share your Internet connection among the computers in your home or small business If you re on a larger corporate or campus network the firewall might be a separate device The need for firewalls and spyware protection is just another reflection of the evil floating around in today s world Neither has anything to do with the things you want your computer to do for you but like locking the door when you leave the house you have to take some kind of preventive steps to make sure you don t end up spending a lot more time and energy later to recover from the damage that an unprotected computer can sustain It s unfortunate but protecting yourself from intruders and snoops is just one of the costs of running a computer INTERNET CONNECTION PROBLEMS The Internet has become such an essential part of most people s experience that it s sometimes difficult to know where your own c
383. than silicon and software But when you start hearing from complete strangers and fifth cousins twice removed why don t you suggest that they get their own copies of this book My publisher and I will both appreciate it Introduction xix TROUBLESHOOTING METHODS AND TOOLS Windows is pretty good at finding and diagnosing problems but it does a lousy job of explaining how to fix them and what has gone wrong The error messages and other information that appear on your screen when a problem occurs often make things more confusing rather than providing clear instructions for solving the problem In spite of appearances there is some kind of logic to the way Windows XP reports problems And there s usually some kind of detailed explanation available if you know where to look However there s a whole other category of problems that don t count as failures These are the times when some feature of the computer s behavior has changed and you don t know how to return to the original configuration That s the it s never done that before part of this book This is usually the product of somebody or something changing one or more of the settings or options that control the computer s performance and the Windows XP user interface This could be something as simple as the function of the middle button on a three button mouse or as complex as a completely different screen layout or an unexpected response to a command
384. that s all you will need to get the computer back online again it s amazing how often some kind of completely random bit rot mysteriously changes a critical setting If it s not a local hardware problem telephone your ISP s support center and ask whether there has been a wider failure Their technicians will either know about the problem already or they will tell you how to run some tests to help them identify the cause Firewalls and Gateway Servers Firewalls which might be either hardware or software are designed to thwart outside intruders attempts to introduce unwanted commands into a com puter and their attempts to possibly take control of it or steal data They accomplish this by limiting access to software ports on your computer that are commonly used for standard applications like e mail and web browsers Firewall design is a compromise between convenience and security so some firewall programs are more aggressive than others Some firewalls won t allow any program to connect to the Internet unless it s on a list of acceptable programs Well behaved firewalls display a message asking if it s okay to connect when you try to use an unknown program but others simply block the connection without any notice Therefore it s possible that a connection failure is nothing more than the firewall doing its job Each firewall is different but most of them offer an easy way to temporarily turn off their blocking funct
385. the C drive on your new computer You can t just drop the old drive into the new box and use the Windows software that you installed on the old computer Unless the old and new computers are exactly the same make and model or they use exactly the same motherboard and drive controllers many of the listings in the Windows registry will not apply to the new computer Rather than loading Windows the computer will probably display a Blue Screen In almost all cases the best method is to set up the new computer and install Windows XP on the drive that came with that computer and treat the old drive as a D or subsequent drive It might be possible to change the critical registry entries but making these changes to the registry can some times create more problems than it solves Article No 3140082 in the Microsoft Windows Knowledge Base contains more information about moving a system disk Even if you don t try to use it as the C drive in the new computer you still might want to install the old drive both to read the data stored on that drive and to increase the storage capacity on your new computer If Windows won t detect a drive after you move it from one machine to another consider these questions e Are the jumpers on all the hard drives and other IDE devices set cor rectly Remember that each IDE channel can have just one master and one slave NOTE e Has the BIOS detected the drive Restart the computer and run the BIOS Settings
386. the Internet Your ISP should have provided the address of its gateway to you along with other configuration information when you set up your account If you don t have the address call your ISP and ask for it Local Area Network Wide Area Network Telephone DSL or Cable Link Router Other Subscribers Laptop Computer Figure 13 3 Your computer connects fo the Internet through a local area network and your ISP s gateway Tracing the Network Now that you know the IP addresses of your own computer your network router and your ISP s gateway to the Internet you can trace the network connection all the way from your desktop to the Internet If you can connect to a particular point in the series of addresses but not beyond that point the device that fails to respond is probably the source of your problem To view a detailed list of the computers and other devices in a network connection use a traceroute program that shows the IP address of each device between your computer and a specified destination along with the amount of time it took to receive a response and the name assigned to each device Most of the information in a traceroute display is more valuable to net work administrators who want to follow signals through the Internet than to individual users but the first three or four lines of a typical report show the path through the local network and the ISP s WAN If the path stops after one of the local
387. the case Hard drives might fit behind removable faceplates or be buried deep inside the case The only certain thing is that there is a way to install the drives it s a safe bet that the person who assembled the computer didn t build all the sheet metal racks around the drives Laptop computers are no better On some machines you can simply lift up the keyboard to get to the hard drive but others force you to remove several layers of other components before you reach it Too many laptops seem to be products of the Trash Compactor School of Industrial Design that s the method that lays everything out on a big work table and then squeezes it all into a tiny enclosure Reversing the process is a lot more difficult If you can find an instruction manual that explains how to disassemble your computer that s the place to start Even it it s just one of those exploded diagrams with screws and washers flying off in all directions it will probably tell you what the designer had in mind and where to find that last critical screw that holds everything together If you don t have a manual and you can t find one on the manufacturer s website you ll have to spend some time staring at the drive to figure out exactly how to remove it On a more positive note once you figure out how to remove a drive from a particular case it s a safe bet that other drives use the same mounting technique Fortunately all of the drive manufacturers plac
388. the device s Properties window from the Device Manager and select the Resources tab to change those settings Code 35 Your computer s system firmware does not include enough information to properly configure and use this device To use this device contact your computer manufacturer to obtain a firmware or BIOS update Code 35 This error code appears when the BIOS on the computer s motherboard does not recognize the device because it is not listed in the Multiprocessor System MPS table within the BIOS To solve this problem you must update the BIOS firmware Chapter 8 of this book explains how to obtain and install a BIOS update Device Manager Error Codes and BIOS POST Beep Codes 251 252 Appendix A In a few rare instances the most recent BIOS version won t recognize a very new device type If that happens the device won t work with that computer Your only choices are to find a different device that does the same job or wait for a new BIOS update Code 36 This device is requesting a PCI interrupt but is configured for an ISA interrupt or vice versa Please use the computer s system setup program to reconfigure the interrupt for this device Code 36 A Code 36 error will appear when an interrupt request IRQ fails because the BIOS is set to recognize the wrong type of interrupt Restart the computer and change the BIOS setting The manual supplied with your computer or motherboard should include information ab
389. the drive to your computer Turn off the computer and unplug the AC power cable from the case 2 Remove the cover from the case If there s a spare IDE connector on the computer s motherboard or an SATA connector if you re connecting a SATA drive connect a cable from the drive to the motherboard Set the jumper on the drive to the master position 4 If both IDE connectors on the motherboard are in use disconnect the data cable on the CD or DVD drive and plug that connector into the damaged hard drive Set the jumper on the hard drive to the same set ting master or slave as the setting on the CD or DVD drive 5 Connect a spare four pin power connector to the drive 6 Reconnect the AC power plug to the computer case 7 Turn on the computer and immediately enter the BIOS setting menu On most computers you can open the BIOS menu by pressing the DELETE key or the F2 key You should see an instruction on the screen at the beginning of the POST that tells you which key to use 8 Go to the BIOS menu that lists the CMOS settings for your drives Select the drive you just connected to the computer and use the autodetect feature to configure the settings 9 Ifthe BIOS does not detect the drive check the jumper settings If they are correct but the BIOS still can t find the drive close the BIOS utility turn off the computer and then remove the drive You ll have to send the drive to a recovery service to retrieve your
390. the file s contents This misappropriation of a file extension can happen because another program has taken control of the file extension or when the same file exten sion applies to two different kinds of data Certain types of programs including graphics programs and audio players and editors are notorious for grabbing control of related data files whether you want them to become the default program or not Whatever the cause the solution is to change the file type association 1 Open Windows Explorer from the desktop or the Start menu 2 Find the data file whose association you want to change 3 Right click the file icon A pop up menu will appear 4 Select Open With gt Choose Program from the pop up menu The Open With dialog box shown in Figure 10 2 will appear hx W ae pep e Se ee N w an Eupan A ee g ry s ORAN eres aoga ed Ps ie e e Ef akts isie da SL a BD CEST upaa etre eae EE D hisp pe Fe epee preg es be ee By bed ar Fil m FA pepe An Se mea phn ee ee S A ie Te eas E TE e g Figure 10 2 The Open With dialog box offers a choice of programs fo link to the current file type 5 Chose the program you want to associate with this type of data file and turn on the Always Use The Selected Program option 6 Click OK to save your choice and close the dialog box The Program Freezes When a program won t do what you tell it to do it won t accept new com m
391. the problem to a single program If every thing else appears to be working properly there s a strong likelihood that the program that is performing oddly or not working at all is itself the source of the problem In other cases however a program appears to work properly but it refuses to handle a particular file or document The program has no apparent trouble with anything else but the document you want to use seems like a lost cause It won t open at all or if it does open it looks as if it has been translated into a combination of Swahili and Martian The general rules for fixing problems like these are similar to the ones for troubleshooting Windows find and isolate the component with the problem repair or replace the component test to confirm that the problem 118 has gone away repeat until fixed but the specific methods are not exactly the same When you re dealing with a single balky program you can probably limit your focus to that program rather than looking at the entire system The Program Won t Start Chapter 10 You click the icon on your desktop or you choose a program from the Start menu and then nothing happens If other programs are working properly the program you re trying to open is in trouble In most cases the solution will be to replace the program software but you should ask a few questions first Have You Used This Program Before If you discover that a program won t run
392. the same time When that happens especially with a product as widely used as Windows the problem usually comes to light very quickly and the manu facturer either announces yet another update or publishes other instructions for fixing it You will probably find third party websites and newsgroups about most programs run by users groups and enthusiastic individuals that offer the latest rumors gossip and news Often the first information about newly discovered bugs or other problems related to a particular product will appear on one of those unofficial sites rather than the official one To find the web sites devoted to a particular program try a Google search on the name of the product If you can t get help with a problem you re facing on the manufacturer s support center website or through a search try uninstalling the upgrade if you have the option to do so You won t always be able to If that doesn t work you ll have to completely uninstall the original program including the update and reinstall it from the original media Don t forget to reinstall any earlier updates and patches after you install the main program Updating the BIOS As you know or if you don t go back and read Chapter 8 your computer s BIOS contains instructions that the computer uses to interact with devices such as video cards as well as the commands necessary to start Windows 130 Chapter 11 When a new version of Windows appears
393. ther official information sources The search tools don t examine every message in places like the Microsoft newsgroups and the user forums on other manu facturers websites so you can t ignore the other methods in this chapter but sometimes a general web search will come up with items that you would not find any other way So once again the key to finding the web page with the information you need is to choose the right keyword or phrase for your search Try the exact text of an on screen message a message number combined with the name of the program or the model number of the product If that doesn t apply to your specific situation try a two or three word description of the problem Sometimes a keyword search will produce a huge number of hits most of them irrelevant to the problem you want to solve When that happens try to refine the search with one or more additional words or phrases in the search field or try to frame the problem as a question Don t Panic Yet There s nothing like the unique combination of horror panic and help lessness you experience when you watch your computer crash that horrible feeling in your gut when the only copy of an important document disappears from your screen or an unintelligible error message pops up when you turn on the machine When this happens to you it s important to remember two essential facts First computers do not suffer from random failures there s a reas
394. things that you didn t want to change For example if you choose a date two or three weeks ago or more as your restore point System Restore will undo all the changes you have made since that time including automatic updates to Windows and to your antivirus and anti spyware programs Therefore it s often best to try some other less extreme repair methods first Before you use System Restore try the approaches described in this section Reboot the computer Before you do anything else try restarting the computer More often than you might expect many problems will disappear on a reboot Return to Last Known Good Configuration If rebooting doesn t do the trick try returning to the last known good configuration To do so restart the computer and immediately press F8 to open the Windows Advanced Options Menu then use the up and down arrow keys to choose the Last Known Good Configuration option Press ENTER to restart the computer Returning to the Last Known Good Configuration reverts the system to the condition it was in before any changes that you made during the current session If the problem occurred when you installed a new program or device driver or when Windows or some other program tried to install an updated software version returning to the Last Known Good Configuration will cancel that installation Try the Program Compatibility Wizard If a problem appears after you install a program that was designed for an earlie
395. this display If your computer has such a display you can find a list of codes in the manual or on the motherboard maker s website Initial Startup What Happens When You Push the Button After the computer completes the POST built into the motherboard it may run additional tests on some of the other components including the hard drive and the video adapter Each of these tests can produce its own set of error messages When the POST is complete the computer tries to load the operating system software stored on the hard drive in this case Windows XP a floppy disk a CD or some other storage device A problem can occur during initial startup for several reasons e There s a disk in the floppy drive or the CD drive but it does not contain the essential startup files e The designated startup disk is damaged whether it be a floppy CD or hard drive e The hard drive has not been formatted e The hard drive has been damaged or the startup data is corrupt If the BIOS does not discover any problems it locates the boot sector on the startup drive and runs a Windows boot loader program called ntldr NT Loader or boot loader Ntldr takes over control of the computer from the BIOS The filename ntldr is left over from the earlier version of Windows called Windows NT hey whatever works Run the Boot Loader The boot loader program loads a series of startup programs instructs the central processor to handle 32 data bits a
396. ties If you don t already have programs on disks you can download a free Windows antispyware program from www microsoft com downloads Free antivirus programs for non commercial home users only are available from http free grisoft com www free av com www avast com eng avast_4_home html and www clamwin com 15 If you used the Files And Settings Transfer Wizard to save your configu ration run it again now to restore your old settings 16 If you didn t use the Transfer Wizard in Step 15 open the Control Panel from the Start menu and set the properties for your mouse printer scanner sounds and audio devices and other peripheral devices Each of these shortcuts opens a Properties window that shows all of the options and settings for a specific type of device 17 If you didn t use the Files And Settings Transfer Wizard open the Task bar and Start menu Properties window from the Control Panel to cus tomize your Start menu Open the Display shortcut to customize the appearance of your desktop 18 If you are running a full Windows installation from scratch install your other utilities and application programs Using a Windows Recovery CD or a Hidden Partition Many major computer manufacturers supply a recovery disk instead of a full copy of Windows XP with their products Unlike the full Microsoft Windows package a recovery disk can restore the version of Windows that was on the computer when it was shipped from the fa
397. tion settings called restore points on a regular schedule and 90 NOTE NOTE whenever there s a significant change If a configuration change causes Windows to fail the System Restore tool can return the system to a state that was presumably problem free The System Restore tool does not remove or change data files so restoring Windows to an older configuration will not result in the loss of recent documents e mail book marks or other data not directly related to the Windows configuration You can also return the system to an earlier restore point to remove the effects of spyware or a virus from the Windows Registry It s not a substitute for a complete system scan by an antivirus or antispyware program but combined with one of those scanning utilities the System Restore tool might get rid of some residual crud left over from the virus or spyware infection Windows normally saves older restore points for a couple of months depending on the size of your hard drive so you can try an earlier or later configuration if the first one doesn t solve the problem Before You Try System Restore Chapter 7 Although it won t delete data files or e mail messages System Restore does change a lot of files and Registry settings at once which is both its strongest and its weakest feature While it s much easier to make all those changes with System Restore than to make each one individually System Restore sometimes changes
398. tisements in pop up windows and web page banners Some of the worst offenders replace the messages and ads on web pages you visit with their own content or even force offensive material onto computers where they are not wanted Where Did That Come From How does spyware make its way into your computer In most cases it loads as part of other programs that claim to offer some kind of useful service such as an added toolbar for your web browser a file sharing tool such as those offered in Kazaa Morpheus and BearShare or a file compression tool such as DivX Gator one of the most common spyware programs claims to help fill out forms and remember passwords but it also tracks the websites that you visit and sells that information to advertisers Comet Cursor a program that can change the appearance of your mouse cursor also collects marketing information about users and Xupiter a search engine toolbar launches pop ups and adds advertising links to your Favorites menu There are dozens and dozens of others If your computer is connected to the Internet and if you have ever down loaded and installed programs from online sources there s an excellent chance that there are spyware programs lurking beneath the surface of your system If you share your computer with children or college students it s even more likely that you re harboring some kind of spyware Many of the popular file sharing programs used for downloading music files
399. tly installed a new device driver a software patch or a com pletely new program try uninstalling the new software and reinstalling the original version Software problems can occur when there s a conflict between two pro grams that try to use the same portion of the computer s memory at the same time To identify the program that is causing trouble use the Services tool to disable the active background software services one at a time Follow these steps to use the Services tool 1 From the Start menu open Run and enter services msc 2 The line for each active service includes the word Started in the Status column To turn it off right click the name of a service and select Stop from the pop up menu If the problem goes away when you shut down a service that service could be related the problem If stopping a service makes no difference turn it back on and try the next one Use Safe Mode to Simplify the System If the problem persists try restarting the computer in Safe Mode which loads a bare bones version of Windows XP without any extra programs or services If the problem still occurs when you boot into Safe Mode and you ve eliminated hardware issues you can pretty well assume that there s NOTE some problem with your Windows installation If the problem is gone in Safe Mode you can assume that it s caused by some other program or service that loads when Windows boots normally To start Windows in Safe Mode f
400. tly what you are doing If a procedure tells you to delete a particular item don t assume that you can use the same procedure to delete something else To delete an item from the Registry Choose Start gt Run and type regedit to open the Registry Editor 2 Highlight the item you want to delete in the tree structure on the left side of the editor screen To expand a branch or subbranch click the plus box next to the name of the branch Figure 9 3 shows a typical entry To search for an item by name open Find in the Edit menu Fig Ett Wem Ferie Mele iB My Gop ol CE _ CLA ROT D HEE OARENT_USER Sar Lota wae gt O HARDWANE E DJAM D sEnaIT Dp TAANI i JARIT DI Adkucheor ipn Sr aehan ai aT Bei ihi eii C1 a LP essai cetedowres k Inrisier Di Iiiih e e m ET iaa Figure 9 3 Many Registry items are nested several layers into the tree structure 3 Delete the currently highlighted item with the DELETE key NOTE Tf you select and delete a branch or subbranch rather than an individual item you will remove all of the subbranches and items under that branch Disabling a Registry Item It s sometimes helpful to temporarily disable a branch or an individual Registry item rather than to remove it completely because you might want to restore it if the deletion creates more problems than it solves To disable a branch or an individual item change its name as follows Open the Registry
401. to defragment 2 Select Properties from the pop up menu and choose the Tools tab A dialog box similar to the one in Figure 20 3 will appear In older versions of Windows the dialog box will also tell you when each tool was last run ime Iri Hier rome ieta rrorear jy THe mih an ir j a a aur Tiki Gia al eee et i ra tebe tem Ti b ee a rih ee af Figure 20 3 Use the Properties window for each drive to defragment that drive 3 Click the Defragment Now button The Disk Defragmenter will start If you have installed a third party defragmenter such as Norton Speed Disk or Diskeeper that program will run instead of the Microsoft utility Fig ure 20 4 shows the Microsoft Disk Defragmenter main screen 4 Click the Analyze button The program will examine your drive and display the current amount of fragmentation If the disk is heavily frag mented the program will recommend that you run the Defragment program 5 To defragment the disk click the Defragment button The program will analyze the drive again and then start to defragment the files This proc ess will take a long time to complete so you will probably want to do something else for a few hours or you can leave it to run overnight If the defragmenter doesn t seem to be making any progress confirm that everything else is turned off and try again 238 Chapter 20 T nh Defragmenter a dyrka apocr Fret Jpoct T Frot Spaci mS
402. to online resources that can be updated more easily than the CD itself Many software products that are distributed on CDs include a README file that does not show up on the autostart menu that appears when you insert the disk into a CD drive To find and open one of these files follow these steps From the Windows desktop open My Computer 2 Right click the icon for the CD drive A pop up menu will appear Choose the Open or Explore item from the menu to view the contents of the CD Troubleshooting Methods and Tools 17 18 Chapter 1 4 Look for a file called readme txt or something similar If there s nothing in the main directory try looking in each subdirectory When you find a README file double click the filename to open it It should display in an appropriate program 2 Heada for Macrosedt Windows OP Service Pack 2 Mle Fie Eat ee Feni Teak Hep G DT ajig i g cage Address larp AREADWESP HTE ie Se rn jli Windows Readme for Microsoft Windowe WP Service Pack 7 ReadMeSP htm Cate Marira wey See Pak J Whun irma r Fark j lerksirs Gteslegs IF eres Faulk Cietleting Mierke Pin errr Pack J T Tonm Campiei in Md Hami Pieire OF Bri re Yai liaa Gere Paik 9 Deel aie r r Pek P Booey arrer Peh F Figure 1 8 The README file on the Windows XP Service Pack 2 CD is an HTML document Read the User Manuals and Other Printed Matter In the early days of computing the manuals that came with a
403. troubleshooter Computer problems that require a soft ware update new driver or system patch can be particularly aggravating unless you know that the new software is available Therefore looking for an upgrade or a patch should always be part of your troubleshooting 128 routine and your preventive maintenance schedule The resources are out there and they re almost always free It s up to you to use them When to Update When you re trying to find and fix a computer problem a patch or an update may not jump out at you as the most obvious solution Unless a manufacturer s support center or some third party website or newsgroup points you in that direction you might never discover that an update is available Therefore you should consider checking for updates as a form of preventive maint enance just like defragmenting your hard drive and backing up your data Finding and installing software updates should be part of your regular computer maintenance routine It s not always necessary to install every update immediately after it becomes available but it s good practice to install new updates whenever you discover them Many manufacturers use updates and patches to distribute fixes to known problems including ones that you may not have discovered yet Look for updates and release notes that might describe other fixes when you encounter a problem with a newly installed device or piece of software In fact even if you don
404. tudents in North Carolina set up a small network that used dial up telephone connections to share information among computer users at several universities The system rapidly expanded and adopted other network connection types to connect millions of parti cipants around the world who use it to discuss thousands of separate topics Each topic occupies a separate newsgroup Many newsgroups are dedicated to technical topics including most computer operating systems and applications individual computer makers and other related subjects In many cases the newsgroups devoted to obscure or obsolete computers and software may be the only places left to find information about keeping those virtual dinosaurs alive If you re trying to restore an old mainframe computer or some other old technology there s probably a newsgroup where you can find others who share your interest More to the point there are plenty of active newsgroups for discussing current computer hardware and software The regular participants are often some of the most knowledgeable users of the products sometimes including their designers and product managers Many of the regulars are happy to answer questions from newcomers Of course it s best to look for those answers in the manual the on screen help and other sources first but asking for help in a newsgroup can sometimes produce results that are not available anyplace else It s also good practice to read some recent m
405. u must also change the individual file sharing settings for each drive or folder 1 From the Windows desktop open My Computer 2 Right click the name of the drive or folder you want to share 3 From the pop up menu choose Sharing And Security The Properties window in Figure 14 3 will appear Figure 14 3 The Sharing tab of the Properties window turns file sharing on and off Local Network Problems 161 162 4 To allow other users to view the contents of this drive or folder turn on the Share This Folder option in the Network Sharing And Security box If you allow sharing on a drive or a folder all of the folders and files within that drive or folder will be shared as well To permit other users to edit or delete the contents of files or folders within the drive or folder turn on the Allow Network Users To Change My Files option When sharing is active for a folder or an entire drive the icon for that object appears in My Computer and Windows Explorer with an open hand serving the icon as shown in Figure 14 4 Teagarden aa Figure 14 4 The hand under an icon indi cates that sharing is active for this item If other computers on the network can t open a folder or another shared resource even though file sharing is turned on and sharing is active reset file sharing for that item Open My Computer from the Windows desktop 2 Right click the icon for the drive that you can t open or open the drive
406. ue Screens are just about that cryptic They meant something to the programmer who wrote the code but they don t mean much to the rest of us without a detailed explanation Black Screens and Blue Screens 57 58 NOTE Chapter 4 The next part of the screen contains a block of plain text that offers one or more suggestions for recovering from the problem that produced the error Some of these recommendations are more useful than others but they re always worth trying Before you reach for the reset button or the power switch remember to copy the text of the Stop message including the stop error number the symbolic name and the driver infor mation you will need this information to troubleshoot the problem Look for More Details In too many cases the recommended user action is not enough to solve the problem because it often doesn t say much more than restart the computer and undo whatever you just did But the Microsoft Knowledge Base and other online sources can usually provide more details when you run a web search on the stop error number or the symbolic name Replace the Driver File If a corrupted driver file has caused the problem the third section of the stop error screen shows the name of a driver file To restore a bad driver file follow these steps Note the name of the file identified in the Blue Screen error message Restart the computer in Safe Mode Use the Start gt Search tool to find the bad
407. un activation during Windows Setup but you probably won t be able to establish an Internet connection until setup is complete unless you re upgrading an existing system So it s often best to skip activation until after you have configured your network link or set up your dial up Internet account on this computer Remember you have thirty days to complete activation so waiting an hour or two won t make any difference When you do connect to the Product Activation server through the Internet Windows will send a string of digital data from your computer to Microsoft and it will receive a confirmation packet in the form of a digital certificate The whole process is automatic and takes no more than a minute or two If you don t have a way to connect the computer to the Internet you can activate by telephone The telephone activation option in the Activation Wizard will display a list of countries and provide a telephone number for the country you select When you call that number a customer service representative will ask for the Product Key and the 50 digit installation ID code that Windows provides in the Activation Wizard Windows divides both the installation ID code and the confirmation code into short segments so you won t have to worry about mangling an outrageously long code number After the representative confirms that the code is valid he or she will give you a 42 digit confirmation code to type into your computer If M
408. ur web browser most often by changing your home page your Windows desktop or other parts of the computer to display advertisements in the browser or in pop up win dows e Viruses are programs often hidden inside other software that duplicate themselves and often perform other damage some might reformat a hard drive delete or change files or run malicious programs during startup These things are everywhere If you re connected to the Internet or you share programs on disks or CDs and you don t take positive action to shield your computer it will almost certainly become infected if it hasn t happened already Here are some of the symptoms of malware infections e The computer seems to be operating more slowly than it did when you first started using it e It takes a long time for Windows to start up e You see advertisements or other messages during startup e Advertisements appear in pop up windows without warning e Strange programs run at random times e Your web browser opens at a strange home page that you didn t request e The browser won t let you change the home page e When you run a search the browser takes you to a site you did not request e Your browser takes you to web pages other than the ones you requested e Nothing happens when you click a link to a website e Web links from programs such as a word processor don t work e You see extra toolbars on your browser or other programs e Lin
409. urers Websites Many other hardware and software manufacturers offer their own online technical support services including their own knowledge bases download able updates to software and firmware lists of frequently asked questions FAQs and bulletin boards or forums where users can share their experi ence with the sponsor s products If you can t find a satisfactory solution to a problem on the Microsoft site it can often be productive to look at another company s support center However it s not always easy to know exactly where to look If for example you have a Gateway computer with an Intel Pentium processor and a motherboard made by Tyan you might have to look at all three com panies support sites to find the solution to a problem that s a hypothetical combination I don t know whether Gateway uses Tyan boards or not If you re having trouble with a video display adapter card you might find support at both the card manufacturer s site and the site maintained by the people who made the video controller on the card For network or Internet access problems try your Internet service provider first and then the makers of your network gateway or router In general if you can t find an answer in the first place you look try to find another possible source As a rule most corporate sites use a web address in this format www brandname com with the name of the company in place of brandname If that doesn t wo
410. ve you moved the computer to a new location Check for Updates The problem you re facing could be due to a known bug in Windows in a driver or other software or in the firmware supplied with the computer s motherboard or other hardware Sometimes replacing the software or firmware with a new version is enough to solve the problem so check the various manufacturers websites to make sure that you are using the most recent releases And read their message boards to see if anyone is having a problem similar to yours Troubleshooting Methods and Tools 13 14 NOTE Chapter 1 4 Places to Look for Help Whenever you encounter a problem with Windows remember this It s extremely likely that somebody else has had to deal with exactly the same problem that you re trying to fix Somebody someplace has almost certainly come up against the same kind of failure or unexpected behavior before And there s probably a description of the problem someplace on the Internet in the Microsoft Knowledge Base or elsewhere If you re lucky you may even find an online forum where several people who have suffered from the same problem shared their experience trying to solve it Working with a second computer will make troubleshooting a lot easier even if the bro ken machine does have access to the Internet With a single screen you ll find yourself constantly switching between the web page or help screen that contains a procedure and the pr
411. ver can exchange commands and data with Unix Linux or a Macintosh operating system Because each driver presents the same appearance to the external device it s possible to use the same printer or monitor or other device with many operating systems Device drivers make Windows more flexible by separating the specific requirements of an external device from the general requirements of the operating system Therefore when the designers of a peripheral device introduce a new or updated product they can include new device drivers that will make that product compatible with Windows And when a new version of Windows appears they can create updated device drivers that take advantage of the operating system s new features and functions As a general rule you need one or more device drivers for every device that you want to run with Windows When you upgrade to a newer Windows version you may have to find and install new drivers at the same time Some of these drivers are included in the Windows upgrade package but others will require some detective work You can find pointers to several sources for information about obscure device drivers later in this chapter Solving Device Driver Problems 67 DLL Files A dynamic link library DLL provides a way for a process to perform a function that is not written into the process s executable code The code inside the DLL is linked to the process that uses it but it s stored in a separate file
412. vice Electronics devices 101 103 Internet Connection Firewall Windows 141 142 Internet connections troubleshooting 37 38 failure to connect 149 153 154 155 spontaneous connections 154 tracing connections 144 149 website connections 153 154 Internet service provider ISP Internet connectivity prob lems with 143 155 IP addresses 144 145 146 160 IP Configuration tool 145 146 ISP See Internet service provider ISP keyboard cleaning 200 201 Knowledge Base See Microsoft Knowledge Base L LAN See local area network LAN laptop computers data recovery from 185 186 hard drives replacing 182 power problems 27 Last Known Good Configuration 45 46 90 91 local area network LAN com puter connections with 142 153 158 169 Log Boot ntbtlog txt file 52 54 log files 5 6 logon procedure 42 lost data recovering 183 185 lost disk clusters fragments 239 M MAC address 145 maintenance preventative 128 243 244 malware 34 36 133 134 138 139 242 See also individual types antivirus antispyware tools manuals 18 19 Master Boot Record MBR 30 44 45 memory problems 37 193 Memtest86 utility 37 196 Microsoft Antispyware utility 35 Microsoft Knowledge Base 20 21 78 83 article format 62 63 80 82 Blue Screen errors 61 62 Microsoft Product Support newsgroups 32 monitors 12 206 208 244 motherboard replacing 197 198 mouse cleaning 199 200 network problems l
413. w driver try the hardware manu facturer s website If you can t find a web address on the package try www companyname com or use a web search tool to find them That will probably work most of the time If not go to one of the websites that offer links to every known source of drivers www windrivers com company htm www pcdrivers com www driverzone com www driverguide com www helpdrivers com www winguides com drivers www driversplanet com www totallydrivers com If you can t find a device driver that was specifically designed for Windows XP try installing the driver for Windows 2000 At the device driver level the two versions of Windows are very similar so Windows 2000 drivers will often work just fine with Windows XP As a last resort try the Driver Forum at www totallydrivers com forum the forum at www driverforum com or the user forums at the device manu facturer s website Search the forums for the specific make and model of the device you re trying to install if somebody else has asked about the same device there s probably a reply with a pointer to an obscure source for the driver file If you can t find anything about your device try posting your own request Installing New Drivers Installing a new device driver is easy If the driver disk or download includes a Setup or Install program go ahead and run it If not run the Add Hardware routine from the Control Panel and follow the instructions in the A
414. way This might be as simple as observing that the computer is no longer frozen but it s often more subtle than that If the problem occurred after you entered a particular set of keystrokes or when you turned on an external device try to reproduce the failure by repeating the same actions Of course the first repair you try or even the first six things you try may not produce the results you want In some cases they might even make matters worse than they were before you started That s the reason to keep track of each attempted fix Before moving on to the next possible solution do what you can to restore the computer to the condition it was in before you tried to fix it Otherwise the negative effect of a failed solution might get in the way of solving the original problem 7 Keep a Record of the Fix Eventually you will probably find a way to solve the problem It might require major surgery on your computer but most often it s a lot easier than that The most time consuming part of the whole process isn t loading the new driver or changing the configuration setting or whatever it might be it s NOTE finding the right solution Slogging through help screens websites and the Microsoft Knowledge Base can take up the better part of a whole day On the other hand when a friend or colleague comes up against the same problem that you have already fixed you can become the hero of the day by knowing exactly what to do The
415. wever many of the things that happen during startup and especially during a restart after a problem occurs can help you understand what s happening inside your computer s tiny little mind so it s useful to run through them briefly as part of this discussion of Windows failures Types of Windows Problems and Failures 27 28 Output rating Chapter 2 A Wa wil IMSDAOZIT 5 Figure 2 1 This power adapter has an output rating of 2 2 amps at 16V Here s what happens after you turn on your computer s power switch First the central processor tests the computer s memory and some other components to confirm that the hardware is working properly This is the power on self test POST Next the processor runs a simple program called the basic input output system BIOS that identifies the hard drives and other storage media the keyboard and mouse and various other inputs and outputs that allow the computer to run more complex software and exchange information with the rest of the world It also sets the time and date After the BIOS completes its configuration settings it runs another program called the boot loader from a hard drive The boot loader is the first of a series of programs that leads to Windows running on your computer Each program depends on the ones that precede it to provide essential information and controls and each supplies guidance to the next one in line When the whole sequence is complete
416. while you insert the screws use a tiny dab of rubber cement to hold each washer to the bottom of the motherboard Troubleshooting and Replacing Other Hardware 197 198 Mounting Screw Motherboard Fiber Washer Spacer Bottom of case Figure 17 2 Use fiber washers to insulate the motherboard from the bottom of the com puter s case Power Supply Problems Chapter 17 The computer s power supply converts 110V AC or 220V outside North America and a few other places house current to the lower DC voltages used by the computer s electronic components motors in the drives and fans Power supply problems can take several forms No AC input If the AC power cable isn t connected or if the on off switch on the back of the power supply is turned off or if an internal fuse has blown then the power supply won t have any power to convert to DC No DC outputs With no power the computer won t start the fans won t spin and all of the lights will remain dark If you suspect a power supply failure check the fans on the side of the power supply and the fans on the heat sink on top of the central processor chip Incorrect voltages If the voltages are too low the electronic circuits won t work or if they do work the computer restarts at random or Win dows produces Blue Screens If the voltages are too high some compo nents could be damaged Fan malfunctions If the fans aren t turning
417. wn to exist Keywords At the bottom of each Knowledge Base article there s a list of keywords that Microsoft uses for automated searches In most cases these key words are not useful for plain language searches They don t contribute anything useful to the content of the article itself Buried Treasure in the Knowledge Base In general articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base don t offer much opportunity for entertainment Most Knowledge Base articles are sober no nonsense descriptions of problems and solutions in Microsoft products but a few go beyond the usual boring content to offer some Really Strange content For example take a look at Article No 152697 Koi and the Kola Nuts The Story of Koi and the Kola Nuts Still others are explanations of odd error messages like this one Article No 330358 Keyboard Error or No Keyboard Present Press F1 to continue DEL to enter setup Or this one Article No 276304 Your password must be at least 18770 characters and cannot repeat any of your previous 30689 passwords Please type a different password There are other more productive places to look for amusing material online but it was probably inevitable that somebody has created a list of pointers to goofy stuff in the Knowledge Base You can find lots more of this stuff in Jill Dybka s Funny Microsoft Q Articles web page at www jazzkeyboard com jill qarticles html Hardware and Software Manufact
418. y Figure 19 4 Use the Disk Management program to format a nonsystem drive 2 Select the name of the drive you want to format from the graphic display Don t use the list of physical drives on the left side of the window The drive you select should be shaded like Disk 3 in Figure 19 4 Cutting Your Losses What to Do When Nothing Else Works 229 230 Chapter 19 3 Ifthe drive you want to format has two or more one partitions like Disk 2 in the sample select one of the partitions and choose Action gt All Tasks gt Delete Partition If necessary repeat until the drive has only one partition left 4 Confirm that the shaded drive is the one you want to format and choose Action gt All Tasks gt Format 5 Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the formatting routine When the formatting program asks if you want to use File Allocation Table FAT or NT file system NTFS volumes choose NTFS FAT for matting is required for some older Windows versions but NTFS will give you better performance with Windows NT or Windows XP 7 After formatting is complete you can either continue to use the newly formatted drive as a nonsystem drive or you can change the jumper set tings on the physical drive to make it the primary master drive and use the procedure earlier in this chapter to install a new copy of Windows from the Microsoft CD or the computer manufacturer s restore CD Reformatting a hard drive is a big
419. y need to run a new Boot Log to identify and restore that driver file BLACK SCREENS AND BLUE SCREENS When a problem in Windows forces the operating system to fail the computer often displays an error screen known as a Stop message that describes the cause of the problem At least that s the official name most people who are not on the Microsoft payroll call them Blue Screens of Death BSODs or just Blue Screens because these messages display text on a solid blue background When the failure is so complete that it interferes with the computer s ability to display an error message the screen goes completely dark Microsoft calls this a black screen error And as you might expect the rest of the world calls it the Black Screen of Death Rumor has it that the next version of Windows will also include a Red Screen of Death that presumably will appear when a new and even more horrible form of failure occurs Both Black Screens and Blue Screens are symptoms of very serious problems When one of these screens appears it almost always means that Windows has shut down everything that was running when it detected the 56 problem and any text image or other open file has been lost This is one good reason to save your work frequently many programs have autosave functions and keep backups Black Screens Chapter 4 More often than not a Black Screen is a symptom of a hardware failure Unfortunately though a Black Screen
420. you ll like what they have to offer and buy their more extensive antivirus packages Take Precautions In addition to your antivirus utility you must also take other precautions to keep viruses out of your computer e Never open an attachment to an e mail message unless you know what it contains and who sent it Never open files attached to unsolicited e mail e Keep your antivirus program up to date New viruses and other threats appear all the time so it s essential to have the very latest protective soft ware Most good antivirus programs can automatically update themselves several times per week Spyware Chapter 12 As the name suggests spyware is software that spies on you It gathers infor mation from your computer and relays it to another location Spyware can capture keystrokes or screen images identify the hardware and software installed on your computer and hijack your browser s home page replacing it with one that displays pornography advertising or other messages More malicious spyware can also collect account login names passwords and other personal information Still other spyware tracks the websites you visit in order to send you targeted advertising These programs are particularly insidious because they install themselves without your knowledge They often hide inside another program that offers some kind of useful service such as a computer tune up Many advertisers use spyware to distribute adver
421. ype ipconfig at the prompt The computer s IP address will appear under the Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection heading For computers running other operating systems enter the same ipconfig com mand at a command prompt Repeat this process for each computer on the network Three of the four sections of each IP address connected to the network should be the same the numbers in the fourth section should all be within a range For example the IP addresses might all be between 192 168 1 50 and 192 168 1 100 That s the range that you should instruct the firewall to accept After you have identified the IP addresses and instructed the firewall to recognize them go back to the first computer and then open My Network Places You should now see links to the other computers and other resources connected to your network File Sharing Doesn t Work Chapter 14 Even though My Network Places tells you that a particular computer is con nected to the network you won t be able to read or alter files stored on that computer unless file sharing is active The My Network Places window shows an icon for each computer but there appears to be nothing inside Or maybe you can view some of the contents of a drive but the particular file or folder you want is missing The default setting for file sharing is to restrict access to the local com puter If you think about it this is a useful feature of Windows networking rather than a flaw in the desi

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