How This Course Works

PC troubleshooting
Tired of paying for PC repairs? Learn simple troubleshooting techniques that anyone -not just power users -- can follow to fix many of the most common PC problems. Learn
how to distinguish between software and hardware errors, update device drivers, work
with alternative boot modes and BIOS setup, analyze running processes, troubleshoot
conflicts with hardware and software, and much more.
Lessons
1. Introduction to PC troubleshooting
Shift your brain into troubleshooting mode and learn how hardware, BIOS, and
the operating system work together, and what can happen if they don't. You'll
also learn which tools and utilities you need to do your own PC repair.
2. Hardware and BIOS problems
In this lesson, you'll learn the symptoms of hardware failure for essential
components. You'll also find out more about the BIOS and how it affects
hardware performance, as well as how to update it.
3. Device troubleshooting in Microsoft Windows
Most hardware is pretty reliable -- it's Microsoft Windows that's often the culprit
in PC problems. In this lesson, you'll learn how to install and update device
drivers for your hardware and troubleshoot problems with display, sound, and
communications.
4. Microsoft Windows and application troubleshooting
While we're on the subject of Microsoft Windows, in this final lesson, you'll learn
how to troubleshoot Windows startup and operational problems, how to find and
fix application errors, and how to repair or reinstall Windows.
Introduction to PC troubleshooting
Shift your brain into troubleshooting mode and learn how hardware, BIOS, and the operating system work
together, and what can happen if they don't. You'll also learn which tools and utilities you need to do your own
PC repair.
Welcome
Welcome to PC troubleshooting. If you're interested in learning more about
your PC and finding out how to fix some of the most common problems, you're
in the right place.
How this course works
This course consists of four lessons, each one with an assignment and a quiz.
Read a lesson, and then complete its assignment (if you want to -- they aren't
graded) and test your knowledge by taking the quiz.
Many people find that the most helpful part of a course is the Message Board.
Here, you can communicate with your fellow students about their experiences
in PC troubleshooting. Having a problem with your PC and not sure how to
proceed? Ask your classmates for their feedback.
Who should take this course
This course is for people who already have a basic knowledge of computers
and Microsoft Windows from a user standpoint, but would like to learn more.
Perhaps you have a specific problem you're trying to solve with your PC, or
perhaps you're just curious. Either way, welcome.
If you're not sure whether you're ready for this course, stick around -- at least
for Lesson 1 -- and give it a try. You'll find that there's a wide range of
experience levels among your fellow students, ranging from brave beginners to
people who fix computers for a living. Be patient and helpful with one another,
and don't forget that everyone has something to teach and something to learn.
What this course covers
This course covers the basic principles of PC troubleshooting, focusing on the
Microsoft Windows XP operating system. Rather than just taking potshots at
specific problems, this course focuses on helping you develop a core set of
tools and techniques that will help you in any troubleshooting situation.
This first lesson introduces some of the essential tools and concepts for PC
troubleshooting. You'll learn about the relationship between hardware, the
BIOS, and the operating system, find out which hardware tools you need to
work on a PC, and explore some alternative boot modes and software
troubleshooting tools.
In upcoming lessons, you'll build on these principles by focusing on
troubleshooting specific problems with Windows and with various pieces of
hardware.
Let's get started!
Building your troubleshooting tool kit
You need surprisingly few tools to work on PC hardware. In most cases, the
only tool necessary is a medium-sized, nonmagnetized Phillips screwdriver.
And with some newer systems, you don't even need this because more and
more companies are moving to tool-free chassis that use latches and levers to
hold parts in place.
That doesn't mean, however, that other tools aren't handy. Here are some
other tools you might want:
Torx screwdriver: This is useful if you'll be working on Compaq computers,
because many of them use Torx screws. A set of Torx bits works as well.
Small flashlight: Helps you find dropped screws and distinguish between
similar connectors as you're crawling around under a desk.
Flathead screwdriver: Useful for popping off plastic or metal faceplates and
for wedging between crevices to remove covers.
Antistatic wrist strap: Keep static electricity from damaging circuit boards as
you work on the PC. You can accomplish much the same thing by touching
the PC's metal frame frequently as you work, but the wrist strap does a
better job.
All tools must be nonmagnetized. Many screwdrivers have magnetic tips to
help you pick up screws, but this is disastrous in a computer setting because a
magnetic field harms electronics. Magnetic fields and electricity generate one
another -- a magnetic field generates electricity and electricity generates a
magnetic field. This is why putting a magnet near electronics can cause serious
damage; it's not the magnetic part that's harmful, but rather the voltage it
generates.
Magnets and static electricity are the two biggest hazards when working on
PCs. You should also avoid getting any hardware wet, and avoid working
on any components while they're plugged in.
Besides items you would classify as tools, such as the preceding items, you
may also want to have a roll of masking tape; a can of compressed air; a soft,
lint-free cloth; and some premoistened monitor cleaner towelettes.
Masking tape is useful for temporarily holding cables where you want them (so
they don't fall behind a desk, for instance). You can also wrap a piece of tape
around a cable and write a label on it so you don't forget which cable plugged in
to which connector.
You should also have a bootable disk for whatever operating system your PC
uses. For Microsoft Windows 95/98/Me, you use a boot floppy created through
Add or Remove Programs in the Control Panel. For Microsoft Windows 2000 or
XP, you use the original Windows Setup disk.
Some systems that come preinstalled with Windows do not have a Windows
Setup disk included with them. Instead, they have some sort of recovery disk
that contains Windows Setup files, or they have a recovery disk that boots to a
restoration program that recopies the Windows files from a hidden partition on
your hard disk when they're needed.
In Lesson 2, you'll learn about repairing and reinstalling Windows.
Extras for pros
If you're responsible for troubleshooting and maintaining a large group of
computers, you'll find that your job is easier with a few extra tools. Here are
some suggestions for the "pro toolbox:"
Tweezers are handy for grasping small items such as jumper caps.
A part retriever, which is a tiny set of retractable claws with a spring-loaded
handle, can help you fish screws out of small spaces when you accidentally
drop them.
A digital multimeter enables you to take electrical measurements to
troubleshoot power supply problems and cable continuity.
Extra cables of various types will enable you to swap out a cable to see
whether it's bad.
An extra keyboard, mouse, and 3.5-inch floppy disk drive will enable you to
swap out these components for troubleshooting.
Extra screws of various sizes can help in case you drop or lose a screw
while replacing a hard drive or board.
A chip puller helps remove certain types of chips from circuit boards. It's a
special type of tweezers with indented ends that fit underneath chips so you
can pull them straight out of their sockets.
Understanding hardware, software, and firmware
This course is based on a troubleshooting sequence that checks four things in
a fixed order: hardware, BIOS, operating system, and applications. Perhaps
you already know what all of these items are, but just in case, let's review
them.
The physical parts of the computer are known as hardware. Hardware includes
the monitor, the system case, the motherboard, the keyboard, the mouse, and
so on. Any part that you can touch and see is a hardware component.
Hardware is just a heap of metal, plastic, silicon chips, and electrical circuits. It
doesn't know how it should behave. For that instruction, it turns to software,
which is the programming code. Software is stored on a disk (such as a hard
disk, floppy, or CD [compact disc]) until it's needed, and then it's loaded into
memory and executed.
Perhaps you see the catch-22 situation here: the software must run from
memory, but memory is hardware and can't do anything until software
commands it. This problem is circumvented by a special category of software
called firmware.
Firmware is software that's permanently stored on a hardware chip. Its name
comes from the fact that it's not exactly hardware and not exactly software -- it's
something in-between the two. When the computer starts, a firmware chip
called the BIOS is accessed. Its low-level startup instructions are read into
memory and processed, making it possible for the operating system (for
example, Windows) to load. The BIOS can be controlled by a BIOS Setup
program, which you'll learn about in Lesson 2.
There are two levels of software: the operating system and the applications.
Windows is the operating system on the vast majority of computers; other
operating systems include the Mac OS, Linux, UNIX, and MS-DOS. The
operating system is in charge of the user interface -- that is, accepting and
processing human commands -- and also talking to the hardware. An
application runs over the top of the operating system, and allows the user to do
something useful such as write a letter or calculate a budget.
Where's the problem?
So, what's the problem with your PC? The first step is to determine in which of
the four aforementioned areas the problem falls.
Start with solid
PCs
It may be a hardware problem if the following situations exist:
The device does not seem to be getting power.
The device is making a strange noise, such as grinding or whirring.
The PC sounds like it's starting up but there's no text on the screen.
The BIOS and operating system do not see the device, even though you've
run the device's Setup utility or installed its driver.
One or more fans on the computer are not spinning that used to spin.
The PC runs fine for a few minutes but then locks up or shuts down after it
gets warmed up.
If advanced features,
security, and serviceability
are your priorities, look no
further than our high
performance desktops.
It may be a BIOS problem if the following situations exist:
Someone has recently made a change to a setting in the BIOS Setup
program.
The hardware device you want to use is set to Disabled in BIOS Setup.
You find information about a known problem with your PC that can be
corrected by installing a BIOS update.
» HP 7000 series desktop
PCs
It may be a Windows system problem if the following situations exist:
The PC seems to start up okay, with text on the screen, until it tries to load
the Windows desktop.
Error messages appear when you first start Windows.
Error messages appear that are not associated with any particular
application.
Windows locks up for seemingly no reason, and it doesn't matter which
application you're using.
A certain device will not work in Windows even though it appears to have
power.
» Desktop buying guide
It may be an application problem if the following situations exist:
The problem occurs only when you try to run a certain application.
An application terminates unexpectedly, either with or without an error
message.
The computer locks up when you're using a certain application.
The preceding is an oversimplification, of course. Real-life problems can be
messy and complicated, and can involve more than one component.
A troubleshooting example
An effective troubleshooting technique is to go down the preceding list,
eliminating each possibility until you come to the likely cause. As a reminder,
the order is hardware, BIOS, Windows, and application.
For example, let's say a friend has asked you to look at his PC. He says that
his CD-RW drive won't write CDs, and when he inserts a blank CD, Windows
acts like it doesn't see it. Here's how you might troubleshoot that using the
preceding list:
1. Check the hardware. When you turn the computer on, does the light on
the CD drive illuminate? Yes. That means it's physically getting power.
When you put a CD into the drive, does it spin? Yes. That means the
drive itself is operational.
2. Check the BIOS Setup. (You find out how to do that in Lesson 2.) Does
the drive appear in the list of IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) devices
attached to the motherboard? Yes. That means that BIOS sees the
drive. If you're in a hurry, you can skip this step, and come back to it
only if Step 3 fails.
3. Look for the drive in Windows (in My Computer). Does the drive's icon
appear there? Yes. That means Windows sees the drive and an
appropriate driver for it is in place.
4. Try to read a regular CD in the drive through Windows. If it reads okay,
you know that at least the reading portion of the drive is working.
5. Insert a blank CD-R. Windows' CD burning software pops up to tell you
"please insert a blank CD," meaning it can't read the blank correctly.
You've found the problem, just where your friend said it would be. But is
it a problem with the CD drive's device driver, or is it the CD burning
application?
6. Try to write to the blank CD using some other CD burning program (such
as Easy CD Creator or Nero Burning). If it works just fine, you know that
there's nothing wrong with drive or its Windows driver. The problem is
with Windows XP's CD burning application.
7. Check the Microsoft Knowledge Base to see whether there are any
known issues with this problem. Also search the Web in general for
information. From this search, you find that there's an entry in the
Registry that some people disable (using the MSCONFIG utility, which
you'll learn about in Lesson 4) because they can't figure out what it's
used for; however, it's necessary for CD burning through Windows and
disabling causes problems.
8. Check the computer's startup with MSCONFIG to see if your friend had
disabled that line. Sure enough, he had. You reenable it, and the CD
writing works fine.
This is just one example, but this same basic procedure holds true in nearly all
cases. The rest of this course is structured around this process. In Lesson 2,
you'll learn about system hardware and BIOS problems; in Lesson 3, you'll look
at Windows device issues; and in Lesson 4, you'll find out about Windows
system and application problems.
Using system information tools
Now let's continue to build your toolkit by looking at some software utilities you
can use to gather information about your PC. You may need such information
to troubleshoot a problem yourself, or to communicate with a technical support
professional at a hardware or software company.
Windows system information
In Windows XP, select Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools >
System Information to open a System Information window similar to the one
shown in Figure 1-1.
Figure 1-1: Windows XP System Information.
Enlarge image
From here, click a category at the left to see detailed information in that
category. This information can be useful for identifying components and for
determining which system resources those components are using.
In addition, the System Information window also has a Tools menu that
contains shortcuts to several useful troubleshooting utilities, including:
Net Diagnostics: Scans your system to gather information about your
network connections.
System Restore: Lets you save a snapshot of your system settings, for
restoration later if you run into problems. (This is the same System Restore
that you can access from the Start menu.)
File Signature Verification Tool: Checks the digital signature on Windows
system files to determine whether any have been corrupted or changed.
DirectX Diagnostic Tool: Checks your system's audio and display hardware
and drivers to make sure they're compatible with DirectX programming
typically used in popular games.
Dr. Watson: Starts a background monitor that collects detailed information
about errors as they occur. Dr. Watson's files can be uploaded to Microsoft
to help its support staff troubleshoot unusual problems.
Device Manager
System Information is great if you want to see device resource settings and
statuses, but to change them, you must work in Device Manager.
To enter Device Manager, open the Control Panel, and then double-click
System.
Alternatively, open the Start menu, right-click My Computer and select
Properties. On the Hardware tab, click the Device Manager button.
By default, Device Manager appears with a list of hardware categories. Click a
category to see the devices within it, and then double-click a device to see its
properties, as shown in Figure 1-2. You can change how the list is sorted by
selecting a different view from the View menu in Device Manager. Lesson 3
covers Device Manager and device configuration in detail.
Figure 1-2: Device Manager.
Using Windows administrative tools
The Administrative Tools folder in the Control Panel contains shortcuts to
several useful utilities for troubleshooting and maintenance. Here are a few of
them:
Adding more tools
to your toolbox
Event Viewer: This window shows a history of system events such as errors
and failures. You can use it to get more detailed information about a failure
than would normally be provided through an error message. Figure 1-3
shows an example.
HP provides tools to make
PC troubleshooting easier
than ever with support and
training tools that put you in
charge -- with a little help
from us.
» HP Total Education One
Figure 1-3: Event Viewer reporting a problem with synchronizing the system
clock.
Enlarge image
Performance: This window shows graphs of various system performance
measurements and enables you to customize them to see the statistics that
you're most interested in, as shown in Figure 1-4.
Figure 1-4: The Performance Logs and Alerts window shows graphs of various
system performance indicators.
Computer Management: This window is actually a multipurpose console that
provides access not only to Event Viewer and Performance logs and alerts,
but also to several other utilities including Disk Management (which is where
you can partition and format new hard disks from within Windows XP).
Networking utilities
The Net Diagnostics utility under System Information is useful for
troubleshooting network problems. There are also several command-line
utilities available for network troubleshooting. To display a command prompt,
select Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt or Start > Run >
type in CMD and hit enter, then use one of the following:
IPCONFIG: This utility displays the PC's IP (Internet Protocol) address.
There are also switches you can use with this command to renew or release
the address. Type IPCONFIG /? for help. Knowing the PC's IP address can
be useful for network troubleshooting, which is beyond the scope of this
course, but can be discussed on the Message Board.
PING : Use this command to check whether a particular network address is
accessible. For example, if you have trouble reaching Microsoft.com through
Microsoft Internet Explorer, you could type PING MICROSOFT.COM to see
whether it's the browser's fault or not. If PING works but Internet Explorer
doesn't, you know it's a software issue, not a network issue.
TRACERT: Use this command to trace the path between one network
location and another. For example, to see the path taken through the
Internet from your PC to HP.com, type TRACERT HP.COM.
Add-on utilities
In addition to the system utilities that come with Windows, there are a variety of
free and shareware system information programs. A very good one is Belarc
Personal PC Audit.
If you have a favorite system information utility, tell your classmates about it
by posting a message on the Message Board.
Using system maintenance utilities
Now let's look at some utilities that can improve your system, not just analyze it.
All of these utilities should be staples in your arsenal of troubleshooting tools.
Windows Update
If you have Windows XP Service Pack 2 installed, Windows is probably set for
automatic updates. And that's great. Leave it that way.
However, you can also use Windows Update (the manual updater) to download
updates. Windows Update also gives you access to noncritical updates too,
such as updated drivers for supported hardware or updated versions of
Windows accessories, such as Microsoft Windows Media Player. Therefore, it
might be worthwhile to visit Windows Update occasionally even if you use
automatic updating.
To use Windows Update, open Internet Explorer, select Tools > Windows
Update, and then just follow the prompts.
Check Disk
If you used Windows 9x, you probably remember a utility called Scandisk that
checked your PC for errors. Well, in Windows 2000 and XP, Scandisk doesn't
exist. Instead there is a Check Disk utility. (Same thing, different name, for the
most part.)
To run Check Disk, open My Computer, right-click the hard disk and select
Properties. On the Tools tab, click the Check Now button.
Check Disk fixes two kinds of errors. The basic Check Disk operation finds and
repairs logical errors in the disk's table of contents. These errors, if left
uncorrected, can cause problems reading and writing files and can even make
Windows itself crash. Therefore, it's a good idea to run Check Disk once a
month or so (and immediately if you start experiencing errors and crashes in
Windows).
The other kind of error Check Disk fixes is a physical bad spot on the surface of
the disk. It doesn't really fix this, but it attempts to relocate any data stored on
that spot, and then it marks the spot as unusable. This type of error takes a lot
longer to look for, so Check Disk doesn't do this type of check unless you mark
the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors checkbox in the Check Disk
dialog box, as shown in Figure 1-5. You want to do this kind of check if you
started having errors reading or writing to the disk.
Figure 1-5: Use Check Disk to find and correct disk errors.
Antivirus software
Many people find that PC problems that seem on the surface to be system or
hardware-related are actually caused by viruses or spyware or adware (see the
next section).
Windows XP does not come with antivirus software, but it's absolutely essential
that you use such a program. The two big contenders are Norton Antivirus and
McAfee VirusScan. Both are very good and both offer a free trial.
Spyware detection and removal
Spyware is software that installs itself on your PC, and then hides, secretly
gathering data about you and sending it back to its owner. This information can
include shopping habits and even credit card numbers and passwords. Adware
is a related product that pops up advertisements on your screen. Both can be
acquired when novices surf the Internet and innocently click pop-ups and
banners that offer some free service. Such "services" are not only a nuisance,
popping up endless ads, but they also can make the computer slow down
because of the increased overhead. Many PCs perform sluggishly as a result of
adware.
Spyware and adware removal programs are becoming almost as essential as
antivirus programs these days. There are several good ones, including AdAware and Spybot Search & Destroy.
Troubleshooting resources online
Truly great PC troubleshooters know that they don't have to go it alone. The
Internet is an amazing resource for troubleshooting help, so take advantage of
it! In the troubleshooting example earlier in this lesson, for example, Internet
research played a part in identifying the problem with the CD writing
application.
Storage solutions
Make sure you protect your
valuable data. HP offers
Here are some places to look on the Internet:
industry-leading network
storage products and
solutions for all business
needs.
This is just a sampling; you might like to post your favorite links on the
Message Board as well.
Microsoft Support Knowledge Base : If you have a problem with anything
made by Microsoft, this should be your first stop. Select the application
you're having a problem with, and read articles detailing known issues.
Microsoft Hardware Compatibility List : Windows works with a lot of different
hardware, but it doesn't work with everything. If you're not sure whether you
can use a particular hardware device under a particular Windows version,
look up the device for your Windows version. Sometimes stuff just doesn't
work. This won't make it work, but it'll make you feel better about giving up
trying to make it work.
Answers that Work : Useful troubleshooting information here, including a
great list of task list programs and what they do. (And in fact, you'll be using
it in Lesson 4 when you find out about running processes.) There's also a
great shareware Floppy Disk Manager program that you can use to create
boot disks for various DOS and Windows versions. Browse all their
"Downright Useful Downloads" utilities!
Tom's Hardware Guide : This is where the professionals go to talk about PC
hardware. It's a very rich source of detailed information, even if sometimes
some of it might be over your head.
ExtremeTech : Here's another high-end techie Web site for hardware
enthusiasts. If you're past the basics and want to talk about expensive
equipment, overclocking, and new technology innovations, this is the place.
» HP ProLiant storage
servers
Moving on
In this lesson, you started on your way to becoming a PC troubleshooter. You
learned about the four types of PC problems: hardware, BIOS, operating
system, and application, and the order in which to check for them. You learned
which tools you'll need for a computer repair toolkit, and you learned about
some software utilities that are available in Windows itself and elsewhere.
Before you move on, do the assignment and take the quiz for this lesson. Then
post any questions you might have on the Message Board.
In Lesson 2, you'll get into the first two steps in more detail: hardware and
BIOS.
Assignment #1
Here's where you get to practice everything you learned in Lesson 1! To get the most out of
this course, try as many of the following activities as possible.
Locate a Phillips-head screwdriver that you'll use for working on PCs. Test it to determine
whether it's magnetized by trying to pick up a screw with its tip. If it picks up the screw, don't
use it.
Open System Information in Microsoft Windows and try at least three of the tools on the
Tools menu.
Open Device Manager, and then look at the Properties for at least three different devices.
Open Administrative Tools from the Control Panel, and then open Computer Management.
From there, look at Event Viewer, Performance, and Disk Management.
Open a command prompt window and use the IPCONFIG command to determine your PC's
IP address. Use PING and TRACERT commands to check connectivity to CNET.com.
Run Windows Update, and then download and install any critical updates (unless you have
some reason not to do this, such as a company policy or a known software or hardware
incompatibility).
Use Check Disk to check all your hard disks for errors.
Make sure that the virus definitions are current in your antivirus software.
Download and run a spyware detection utility, such as Spybot Search & Destroy.
Go to the Microsoft Knowledge Base and look up a problem that you've had with a Microsoft
product.
Quiz: #1
Question 1:
Which type of screwdriver should you never use on a PC?
A)
Torx
B)
Plastic
C)
Metal
D)
Magnetized
Question 2:
Why would you want to wear a wrist strap when working on a PC?
A)
To avoid damaging the PC with static electricity
B)
To avoid damaging the PC with magnetism
C)
To avoid injuring yourself
D)
To avoid making the PC boot slower
Question 3:
Which of these is an example of firmware?
A)
Microsoft Windows XP
B)
Keyboard
C)
BIOS
D)
Monitor
Question 4:
In which order should you troubleshoot PC problems?
A)
BIOS, hardware, operating system, application
B)
Hardware, BIOS, operating system, application
C)
Operating system, hardware, BIOS, application
D)
Application, operating system, BIOS, hardware
Question 5:
To get access to utilities such as Event Viewer, Performance, and Computer Management in Windows XP,
which feature do you select from the Control Panel?
A)
Network
B)
Administrative Tools
C)
My Computer
D)
Diagnostics
Hardware and BIOS problems
In this lesson, you'll learn the symptoms of hardware failure for essential components. You'll also find out more
about the BIOS and how it affects hardware performance, as well as how to update it.
Diagnosing hardware problems
Welcome back! In Lesson 1, you learned a four-phase process for PC
troubleshooting. Those phases in order are hardware, BIOS, operating system,
Save on HP
and application. This lesson covers the first two of these: hardware and BIOS.
You start with hardware for the same reason your doctor always takes your
temperature and blood pressure, even when you've come in for something
totally unrelated. It's good practice to be systematic and try any "easy" fixes
first, before you get into the quagmire that is Microsoft Windows. In many
cases, you can eliminate hardware as a possible cause with just a glance, so it
costs you very little in terms of effort to check hardware first.
No power to the PC
Let's start with the most extreme PC problem: It's completely dead. Is it
plugged in? Is the power strip turned on? Did you press the power button on
the PC? Did you turn on the monitor? These might seem like simple questions,
but it's amazing how many times someone (especially a beginner) will think a
device is broken when it actually is just not receiving power.
Assuming you've eliminated all these factors, let's have a look at the PC's
power supply. The power supply is inside the PC. One side of it fits up against
the outside rear of the PC, and the PC's power cord plugs in to it. Inside the
PC, it appears as a big silver box with colored wires coming out of it, as shown
in Figure 2-1.
Figure 2-1: A power supply removed from a case.
Why is a power supply needed? Well, the electricity from your wall outlet is
110V AC. The sensitive electronics inside your PC can't use that; they require
DC current, in much lower voltages. The power supply, then, has two jobs: it
converts AC to DC, and it decreases the voltage. Each of those colored wires
coming out of the power supply delivers a different voltage.
The power supply might have a switch on it to change between 110/115v
and 220v. In North America, it should be set to 110 or 115v. In other areas,
set it to whatever the local electricity voltage is.
When you press the PC's power button, you should hear the power supply's fan
spinning. If you look at the PC from the back, you can see the fan through its
vent and feel the air coming out of it. If the fan doesn't spin, the power supply
might be faulty.
This is not a sure thing, though, because sometimes the failure of the
motherboard, CPU (central processing unit), or RAM (random access memory)
desktops
No matter how well you take
care of your PC, it is
sometimes more cost
effective to invest in a new
machine than to continue to
repair and upgrade an older
model. Save with these
special offers on desktops
from HP.
» Special offers - HP
desktops
can also cause the power supply to refuse to operate. If you have recently
replaced or altered any of those components, suspect them first. Otherwise, it's
probably the power supply. Motherboards, CPUs, and RAM do occasionally
fail, but because they have no mechanical parts, they're more reliable than
power supplies. When they do fail, it's usually due to being shocked by static
electricity, a lightning strike, or a power surge or sag.
The professional way of checking a power supply is to use a power supply
tester, or alternatively use a voltmeter to check the voltages on each wire
by hand.
A power supply costs anywhere from $20 to $100 or more to replace. Spring for
a good-quality power supply rather than going with the cheapest one you can
find, because the better power supplies deliver cleaner, more consistent power
and that, in turn, makes all your other components last longer. One source of
high-quality power supplies is PC Power & Cooling.
Replacing the power supply is fairly easy. Just open the PC, carefully
disconnect all the power supply connectors from all the boards and drives, and
then remove the power supply from the case by removing the three or four
screws that hold it to the back of the outside of the case. Figure 2-2 shows a
power supply mounted in a case.
Figure 2-2: A power supply in a case.
To select a replacement, you can either determine which type you need by
examining the connectors on it (which is beyond the scope of this course), or
you can just take the power supply to your local computer store and have the
clerk help you find a compatible replacement.
There used to be just a few types of power supplies, and most systems
used either an AT or an ATX model. However, lately several variants of
ATX have hit the market, so it can be difficult for a beginner to figure out
exactly what's needed. If you need help identifying your power supply, post
a message on the Message Board.
Troubleshooting other power supply issues
Besides out-and-out failure of a power supply, you can also have less severe
power supply problems, which can be solved by replacing the power supply as
well.
If the power supply's fan seems to rev and sag, changing its speed, this is a
sign of a failing power supply, whether the computer will start or not. Similarly,
a very noisy power supply fan might have bad bearings, which means it's time
for a replacement. Power supplies can be repaired, but only by a professional,
and the repair cost is typically as much as a new power supply.
Don't open the power supply's box yourself and try to fix or replace the fan.
There are electrical capacitors inside that can hurt you.
A power supply can also simply be underequipped for powering your system.
Every time you add a new drive, circuit board, or other device to your PC, you
increase the amount of power drawn. A power supply must have adequate
wattage to power everything, but there's no built-in mechanism that verifies
whether the wattage is adequate. Therefore, it's possible for an insufficientwattage power supply to cause system problems. Symptoms of inadequate
power might include:
Spontaneous reboots, especially when accessing a drive or when starting up
a PC from a power-off state (because it takes a lot of power to start the
drives spinning).
Frequent disk errors that keep cropping back up even after you've fixed them
with Check Disk (or Scandisk). This can occur when a drive is not getting
enough power.
The power supply's box should have a sticker on it telling you what wattage it
provides. To determine how much wattage your PC needs, add the watts from
the following table, from PC Power & Cooling, and then multiply the watts by
1.8. It's necessary to multiply by 1.8 to be on the safe side because some
devices draw up to twice their rated power as they're starting.
Wattage is voltage times amps. So, for example, if a device uses 1.5 amps of
+12v power, it's using 18 watts. Some devices list the wattage they use on their
label; others list the amps of each voltage that they use and you must do the
math yourself.
Device
Estimated Wattage
Case/CPU fans
3 watts each
Motherboard
25 to 40 watts
RAM
8 watts per 128MB
CPU (depends on CPU type):
30 watts
Pentium II
38 watts
Pentium II
70 watts
Pentium 4 or Athlon
Drives:
IDE hard drive
SCSI hard drive
CD or DVD drive
Floppy disk drive
5 to 20 watts
10 to 40 watts
10 to 25 watts
5 watts
Expansion boards:
SCSI controller card (PCI)
AGP video card
Average PCI circuit board
Average ISA circuit board
10/100 NIC
20 watts
30 to 50 watts
5 to 10 watts
10 watts
4 watts
Table 2.1: Wattage Estimates
Cooling problems
PCs generate a lot of heat as they operate, especially the large chips like the
CPU. Those chips must be adequately cooled or problems can ensue.
Affordable
computing
The most common symptom of a cooling problem is a PC that works fine for
the first few minutes, and then locks up (common on a desktop PC) or shuts
down (common on a notebook PC) for no apparent reason. After you turn it off
and let it sit for a few minutes, it works fine again -- for a while.
The keys to a properly cooled PC are:
Well-designed case that allows air to circulate through it, with fans positioned
strategically to help with airflow. (A brand name PC probably has a good
case design; a home-brewed model might not.)
A CPU heat sink and/or cooling fan of adequate effectiveness for the CPU
you're using. Each CPU has a recommended cooling method; the PC
manufacturer should have followed this recommendation when assembling
the PC. Again, a brand name PC is probably okay in this regard.
A working fan on the CPU's power supply.
(Optional) One or more additional fans in the case to help with airflow. This
is not needed in some case designs.
(Optional) Additional heat sinks on other chips that generate a lot of heat,
such as the north bridge chip on the motherboard or the main chip on the
video card.
There's not much you can do about bad case design, other than upgrade to a
new case. And with a brand name PC, you can assume that the correct heat
sink/fan has been used for the CPU. So the main troubleshooting task is to
ascertain whether all the fans are working.
With mainstream features
and flexibility for a wide
range of business needs, HP
desktop PCs are the smart
choice for your office.
» HP 5000 series desktop
PCs
» HP Onsite hardware
support with disk
retention service
Open the PC, turn it on, and then check all the visible fans. If any aren't
spinning, make sure they're connected to the power supply (or to the
motherboard, which in turn gives them some of its power). Replace them if
needed. Your local computer store should have replacements.
You can't replace the fan inside the power supply; the whole power supply must
be replaced.
Testing system hardware components
Now let's take a look at the base-level PC hardware. A lot of technicians skip
rigorous hardware testing unless there's evidence of a hardware problem -- and
as you get more advanced with your troubleshooting, you might select to do so
also. However, for learning purposes, let's follow the sequence.
When a PC is manufactured, the company puts it through a burn-in test before
they pack it up and ship it out. This is a comprehensive hardware analysis that
makes sure all the basic hardware components are physically functioning.
You can run these tests on your PC at any time too, just to make sure that
nothing is physically broken or defective. However, most PCs do not come with
the testing software, so you'll need to acquire such a program.
The world of
wireless
Whether you are thinking
about adding a wireless
network to your office or find
that you need to support
increasingly mobile
employees, HP can help you
implement wireless
technology for your business.
There are several good freeware and shareware programs available that will
run the tests. Further, on some PCs, you can enter a built-in diagnostic mode at
startup that will test RAM. (Check your PC's documentation.)
One good program for hardware checking is BurnInTest, at least on systems
that are functioning well enough that Microsoft Windows will run. The free
version is a 30-day trial. Figure 2-3 shows this utility being used to check RAM
integrity.
» Wireless and mobility
solution center
Figure 2-3: BurnInTest is a Windows utility that checks your hardware.
If you can't get into Windows, you'll need a diagnostic program that works at
the BIOS level or from a bootable floppy disk (assuming you have a floppy
drive).
Unfortunately, it's difficult to find a free version of this type of utility, or a demo
version that's full-featured. Here are a couple of trial versions with which you
can experiment.
If you know of any free programs of this nature, please post links to them
on the Message Board so that your fellow students can give them a try, too.
TuffTest Lite : The lite version checks only the first 8 MB of RAM and only a
few ports. The regular version is only $10 and the full version is $30.
PC Check (ExpoData Systems) : This page has a download of the PC Check
demo and links to many freeware and shareware utilities. The free version of
PC Check checks only the first 4 MB of RAM, and has some other limitations
as well. The full version is rather expensive (at about $275).
Troubleshooting hard disk problems
Hard disks can be challenging to troubleshoot because there are so many ways
they can fail. Suppose you can't read the data from your hard disk. That could
be caused by anything from a physical failure to a virus to a corrupted file
allocation table.
So how do you tell? Again, you use the same troubleshooting method you've
been dealing with. Start with the hardware, move to the BIOS, and then check
the operating system and the application. (Is that sequence sinking into your
memory yet? Good!)
When you turn the PC on, the BIOS is supposed to automatically detect the
hard disk, briefly flash a message to that effect on the black screen, and then
start loading Windows.
If you start the PC and it pauses a long time after identifying the keyboard and
mouse, it's having trouble seeing one of your disk drives. It could be a CD drive
or a hard drive. As it pauses on that black screen, notice which drives are
already listed there are "seen." Whichever one is not yet seen is the one
causing the problem. For example, in Figure 2-4, there are supposed to be two
hard disks but it's only seeing one of them, and it's pausing, struggling to
identify the other one. This is a bad omen. In most cases, a slow startup like
this means the drive is physically failing -- backup your data as quickly as you
can to another source and replace the drive.
Figure 2-4: A slow startup waiting for the drives to be detected can signal a
failing drive.
On the other hand, if the PC starts swiftly but doesn't recognize the drive, it
means that as far as the PC is concerned, the drive doesn't exist. It's either not
receiving power, not connected, or completely dead. Check the connections
inside the PC case. As the PC is running, place the palm of your hand on the
side of the hard disk. Do you feel any vibrations? Vibrations indicate the drive is
spinning (which is a good sign -- it means it's physically working).
When installing new drives, you must set jumpers on the new drive (and
sometimes on existing drives) to indicate their IDE positioning: master,
single, or slave. Not having these jumpers set correctly can make BIOS not
see the drive.
There are several levels of "recognizing the drive," and each one works at a
different level. If a hard disk isn't working, first you want to check whether the
BIOS sees it. Later in this lesson, you'll see how to enter BIOS Setup and make
that determination.
If BIOS Setup sees the drive but Windows does not, it probably means that the
drive has not been partitioned yet. You must use a partitioning utility to prepare
a new hard disk for use. For MS-DOS and Windows 9x, use FDISK, which
comes on the startup floppy disk for those versions. For Microsoft Windows
2000 and XP, use the partitioning feature built in to Windows Setup to partition
a drive as you install Windows on it, or use Disk Management, which is part of
Computer Management in Administrative tools, to partition and format
additional hard disks.
If it's an existing drive that suddenly stopped working, its partition information
has probably been damaged (perhaps by a virus). You can use a data retrieval
utility to try to fix it, or you can simply wipe everything off the drive and
repartition and reformat it (assuming, of course, that the problem is caused by a
virus or other software glitch and not by a physical failure of the drive).
If Windows sees the drive (in My Computer) but cannot read anything on it, it
probably means that the drive has not been formatted yet, or that its formatting
has become damaged. If the drive is new or contains nothing you want to keep,
you can right-click the drive icon in Windows, and then select Format to format
it. Formatting the drive will wipe out any data that was previously there, though,
making it nearly impossible to retrieve it. Try a data retrieval utility if you think
there's data on the drive that you need.
Data retrieval utilities are unfortunately not cheap. One of the best in terms of
friendly interface is EasyRecovery by OnTrack. A free trial version enables you
to test your drive to see if there's anything recoverable on it; use this first to see
if buying the full product would be worthwhile. The for-pay version allows you to
actually recover the data. The Lite version lets you recover up to 25 files per
session, and costs about $100; less limited versions range from $300 to more
than $1,000. Many other companies offer similar products. If you know of one,
post the information about it on the Message Board.
If Windows can see the drive and pull up a listing of files on it, any problems
are probably software-related. Try running Check Disk (or Scandisk) to correct
any errors in the disk's index. If you're getting data errors reading or writing the
drive, run Scandisk with the Thorough option or run Check Disk with the option
for checking for surface errors.
Using BIOS setup
There are many other types of hardware, of course, and this lesson has only
scratched the surface. You and your fellow students can discuss other
hardware devices and their common issues on the Message Board.
Now, however, you move on to the next rung of the troubleshooting ladder: the
BIOS. Recall from Lesson 1 that the BIOS is the low-level startup instruction -the firmware -- built in to the motherboard. It tells the PC how to start up and
how to transfer control to the operating system after the operating system has
been loaded into memory.
For the most part, the BIOS works fine all by itself. Modern systems are Plug
and Play, which means the BIOS can recognize most of your devices and
configure them automatically. However, sometimes it needs a little help.
Therefore, a BIOS Setup program is provided. This program is built in to the
BIOS chip itself. You can access it by pressing a certain key as the PC boots.
Don't compromise
Look to HP notebook PCs for
the kind of performance and
lifespan you're used to from a
desktop, but with the
flexibility provided by a
notebook.
» HP Compaq nc8430
notebook PC
Which key? Well, it depends on the system. A message appears briefly at
startup telling you which key to press. There's a short window of opportunity
where pressing that key takes you into BIOS Setup. If you miss it, you have to
reboot and try again. In Figure 2-5, for example, it's F2.
» Notebook buying guide
Figure 2-5: Press F2 to enter BIOS Setup.
Figure 2-6 shows a typical BIOS Setup Utility. However, different PCs have
different BIOS Setup programs, and some of them look and operate very
differently from what's described here.
Figure 2-6: A typical BIOS Setup Utility.
Navigation within a BIOS program is usually keyboard-only. The left and right
arrow keys switch screens, and the up and down arrow keys move from one
setting to another. When a setting is highlighted, press Enter to access it. The
movement techniques vary somewhat depending on the version, but there are
usually instructions on screen. For example, in Figure 2-6, notice the
instructions along the bottom of the screen.
To exit from BIOS Setup, press Esc if you don't want to save your settings or
press F10 if you do.
These keys might vary in some BIOS Setup programs, but they're pretty
standard. Check the onscreen instructions for any differences.
Understanding common system BIOS issues
You might have to hunt around a bit in BIOS Setup to find the features you're
interested in checking or changing, as different versions organize themselves
differently. However, here are some basics:
Floppy disk drives: Floppy disk drives are not Plug and Play, so you must
manually tell BIOS Setup about them. They may be called Legacy Diskette,
Floppy Disk, or some other name. If you have a choice of drive formats,
select 3 1/2-inch 1.44 MB. (That's the most common type. Very few systems
have anything else these days.)
Hard disk and CD drives: A typical system has four placeholders for hard
disks, CD drives, and other drives: Primary Master, Secondary Master,
Primary Slave, and Secondary Slave. The designation depends on how
they're connected to the motherboard. If not all of your drives show up here,
one of them isn't working. For example, in Figure 2-7, it shows one hard disk
(Primary Master) and one CD drive (Secondary Master). The second hard
disk is on the same cable as the first one (so it should be the Primary Slave),
but BIOS does not see it. Back to the hardware troubleshooting.
Date and time: You can change the date and time in BIOS Setup. You can
also change it in Windows, and it's easier to change there.
Boot order: This might be called Boot Configuration, Startup, or Boot. You
can set the BIOS to prefer one drive over another when booting. This is
useful when you want to boot from a CD. If the hard disk is preferred over
the CD, you won't be able to boot from CD as long as the hard disk contains
valid boot files. But if you set the CD as the first boot device, it will check the
CD first, as shown in Figure 2-7, for example.
Figure 2-7: Set the boot order in BIOS Setup.
Parallel port (LPT) mode: There are several modes that a legacy parallel
(LPT, local printer terminal) port can operate in, and some work better than
others with some printers, especially if you're trying to share a single LPT
port among two devices. If you're having problems with a printer that seems
to be interface-related, try a different mode here, for example, Bidirectional,
ECP (Enhanced Capabilities Port), or EPP (Enhanced Parallel Port).
Power management/power savings: Many BIOS Setup programs have
power management options that will set the computer to standby (by turning
off certain components) after a specified period of inactivity. That's fine,
except that Windows also has this capability, and sometimes the two
interfere with one another and cause problems. If you're using Windows 95
or higher, it's best to turn off power savings features in BIOS Setup.
Help, I messed up my BIOS!
If you've made changes to BIOS Setup that have made things worse and you
don't remember what you did, there is hope. There's a reset jumper on the
motherboard that will clear CMOS, leaving you with the original startup values
in BIOS.
A clear vision
Find yourself squinting at the
screen? Upgrade to an HP
monitor with anti-static, antiglare coatings, which help
reduce reflection, glare,
eyestrain, and fatigue.
» HP LP2465 flat panel
monitor
To reset the BIOS, turn off the PC and locate the reset jumper. (Consult the
manual or look for a jumper with RESET written next to it.) Move the jumper to
its Reset position, turn the PC on for about 5 seconds, turn it off again, put the
jumper back to its normal position, and then restart the PC. All changes you
made to BIOS Setup will be cleared.
Updating the system BIOS
Modern BIOSes are not completely read-only; you can update them using a
special utility. This is good because otherwise you would have to remove the
BIOS chip from the motherboard and replace it to update BIOS.
You should not update the BIOS just because an update is available, because
updating the BIOS is a somewhat risky thing to do. If the power happens to go
off while you're updating the BIOS, it can corrupt the BIOS chip's data and
render the system unusable.
However, sometimes a BIOS update is just the ticket to correct a problem. For
example, if you have a computer that doesn't start up correctly when starting up
cold (that is, when the power is completely off), but works fine if you reset or
reboot it, the hard disk predelay may be set too low. Therefore, the PC may be
trying to read from the hard disk before it has a chance to get fully up-andrunning. If you download and install a BIOS update that creates a greater delay
at startup (not even one second more, but it made a difference), the problem
may go away. There may also be systems with incompatibilities with certain
hardware and problems with shutdown that could be fixed with a BIOS update.
There are two ways that BIOS updates are delivered. The older method is to
download a setup utility that creates a boot floppy. Then you boot from that
floppy and the BIOS update installs. The newer method is to download a setup
utility that runs the update from within Windows. You don't have a choice
(usually) as to which method will be used; the company providing the update
decides.
You can download BIOS updates from the PC manufacturer's Web site in many
cases. Just enter your model number and serial number and you'll be given the
correct file to download. If it's not a name brand PC, you might try the
motherboard's manufacturer.
It's absolutely critical that you get the right BIOS update for your system. It has
to be an exact match; otherwise, your system can become unusable.
Therefore, it's a good idea to check the BIOS's current model and version
number before you proceed. You can do this as the PC is starting from a cold
boot; the BIOS information flashes briefly across the top of the screen. To
pause booting so you can copy down the information, press the Pause key.
Another way to get the BIOS version number is to use a system diagnostic
utility, which you learned about in Lesson 1.
Moving on
In this lesson, you learned about troubleshooting system hardware, power
problems, and cooling issues. You also learned how to enter BIOS Setup,
make changes, and recover from bad changes. Very useful skills to know!
Before you move on, do the assignment and take the quiz. Also, feel free to
discuss these BIOS Setup issues further on the Message Board with your
classmates.
In Lesson 3, you'll move on to the third phase of troubleshooting: Windows.
You'll learn how Windows interacts with hardware, and how you can improve
and correct that interaction.
Assignment #1
1. Open your PC by taking off its cover, and then locate the power supply. Examine the
connectors on the wires coming out of it. Notice where it plugs in to the motherboard,
and where it plugs in to each drive.
2. Using the table from Lesson 2, estimate your system's power supply wattage
requirements. Check the label on your PC's power supply. Is it adequate?
3. With the cover off of your PC, start it and ensure that all the fans are working properly.
4. Download a Microsoft Windows-based utility, such as BurnInTest 4.0, and then install it
in Windows. Use it to test your PC.
5. (Optional) If you have a floppy disk drive on your system, find a floppy-based diagnostic
utility (for example, TuffTest Lite or PC Check) and use it to test your PC.
6. Enter BIOS Setup and find the settings for your hard disks and CD drives. Don't make
changes to their settings.
7. Browse BIOS Setup and examine the other settings available. Exit without saving your
changes.
Quiz: #1
Question 1:
True or False: If the PC power supply fan is not spinning, the power supply is definitely bad.
A)
True
B)
False
Question 2:
What's wattage?
A)
Amps * volts
B)
Amps * ohms
C)
Volts * ohms
D)
None of the above
Question 3:
Which component most likely requires a heat sink or fan to keep it cool?
A)
Hard disk
B)
RAM
C)
CPU
D)
Floppy disk drive
Question 4:
If BIOS correctly identifies your PC's hard disk without an unusual delay, what can you assume?
A)
The hard disk is physically operational.
B)
The hard disk is partitioned.
C)
The hard disk is formatted.
D)
The hard disk contains a working copy of Microsoft Windows.
Question 5:
Why would you use the Reset jumper on the motherboard?
A)
To recover from bad Registry edits in Windows
B)
To recover from bad changes made in BIOS Setup
C)
To undo a BIOS Update that failed
D)
As a safety precaution before removing the BIOS chip from the motherboard
Device troubleshooting in Microsoft Windows
Most hardware is pretty reliable -- it's Microsoft Windows that's often the culprit in PC problems. In this lesson,
you'll learn how to install and update device drivers for your hardware and troubleshoot problems with display,
sound, and communications.
Working with Device Manager
The first two lessons dealt with the hardware and the BIOS settings; now you'll
take a step forward and look at how hardware interacts with Windows.
To check the connections between your hardware and Windows, you use
Device Manager. Device Manager is a Windows utility that enables you to see
which hardware is installed on your PC, and in some cases, to tweak hardware
settings. To access Device Manager, do the following:
1. Open the Start menu, right-click My Computer, and then select
Properties. The System Properties dialog box opens. (Another way to
get to this same dialog box is through the Control Panel.)
2. Click the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager. The Device
Manager window opens.
3. The categories of hardware appear on the list; click a plus sign to
expand a category and see exactly which devices you have of that type,
as shown in Figure 3-1.
Figure 3-1: Device Manager.
1. To see the details about a device, double-click it. For example, Figure 32 shows the properties for a DVD drive.
Figure 3-2: A device's properties from Device Manager.
When a device is not functioning properly, is it a problem with the device itself,
or with Windows? Here are some hints:
If the device does not appear in Device Manager at all, it's probably not
installed correctly or physically defective.
If the device appears in Device Manager with a red X through its icon, it has
been disabled. To reenable it, double-click it to open its Properties dialog
box, click the General tab, open the Device Usage drop-down list, and then
select Use this device (enable). In Figure 3-2, the device is enabled.
If the device appears in Device Manager with a yellow circle and exclamation
point next to it, it's physically installed correctly but there's a problem with its
driver or its resources. Both of these are explained later in this lesson.
If the device appears in the Other Devices or Unknown category, and has
the yellow circle and exclamation point next to it, you need to install the
driver for it. Drivers are covered later in this lesson.
Troubleshooting devices
To work in Windows (and to appear with no problem reported in Device
Manager), a device must:
Be physically installed correctly.
Have a usable driver installed for it in Windows.
Have appropriate resources assigned to it through Windows.
The physical installation part is actually the easiest part. Just follow the
instructions that came with the device. The other two things are a little more
complicated.
Maximize your PC's potential
Stay ahead of your business
demands with HP proven
technology that maximizes
your system performance
and productivity and products
to improve productivity and
efficiency while maximizing
your desk space.
Understanding Device Drivers
A device driver is software that acts as an interpreter between the operating
system and the device. Device drivers help Windows communicate with and
control a hardware device. Every piece of hardware requires a driver, but
Windows comes with drivers for the most essential components already built-in,
so their usage is invisible to you. For example, Windows comes with keyboard,
» HP Personalized desktop
office solutions
mouse, and disk drivers, as well as generic drivers for the display. (You can
improve display quality, however, by using drivers specific to your video card
and monitor.)
Windows cannot possibly have a ready-to-go driver for every piece of hardware
ever produced, however, so it relies on you to supply driver files for devices it
cannot automatically recognize and support.
The needed driver for a device usually comes with it, on a CD. If the device
was preinstalled when you bought the computer, the needed driver is also
preinstalled in Windows.
For optimal performance, a device driver must:
Be created for the exact model of hardware you have.
Be created for the exact version of Windows you have.
If either of these are not the case, problems can sometimes occur; therefore,
it's important to have the correct driver. You can usually download the correct
driver from the hardware device manufacturer's Web site if you do not have the
CD for it for some reason.
You can tell how old the installed driver is by looking at the Driver tab of the
device's Properties dialog box. This information can be useful if you're
searching online for a newer driver than the one you have.
Downloading a Device Driver
Hardware manufacturers continue to release new versions of device drivers
even after they stop making the hardware. This is done primarily to fix problems
with the interaction between Windows and the device that have been identified
by consumers after the hardware's initial release. Occasionally, a new device
driver might also add a new feature or control as well.
When you're experiencing a problem with a device, one possible fix is to update
its driver to the most recent version available. You can download the driver
from the manufacturer's Web site.
Downloads of driver updates come in one of these formats:
Executable setup program: A file with a .EXE extension. Double-click it to
automatically install the updated driver.
Executable self-extracting archive containing a Setup program: Also a file
with an .EXE extension, but instead of running a Setup program, it extracts
compressed files to a new folder on your hard disk. You must then browse
that folder, locate the Setup.exe file, and then double-click it to run it.
Executable self-extracting archive containing bare driver files: Also a file with
an .EXE file. It extracts compressed files to a new folder on your hard disk,
but when you browse them, you don't see any executable file (.EXE
extension) that runs the setup. Instead, you must update the driver manually.
You find out how to do this shortly.
ZIP file: Also a compressed archive file, but not self-extracting. Under
Microsoft Windows XP, which has built-in ZIP support, you can double-click
the file to open it as if it were a folder, and then drag-and-drop the files out of
it, into another folder. If you have an earlier version of Windows, you need an
unzipping utility, such as WinZIP, to access the compressed files. A ZIP file
can contain either a Setup program or bare driver files.
Installing a device driver manually
As mentioned, some device drivers have their own Setup program, which you
should use if possible. However, if there's not a Setup program, you can install
a driver manually.
The process for doing this depends on several factors, including whether
Windows has correctly identified the device and whether you have a driver CD
or a downloaded driver available. The following sections outline some of the
possibilities.
Installing by letting Windows search for a
driver
First, let's be optimistic. Here's how to update a driver by assuming that
Windows has correctly identified the device and will be able to find the right
driver via Windows Update on the Internet:
1. From Device Manager, double-click the device to open its Properties
dialog box.
2. Click the Driver tab, and then click the Update Driver button. The
Hardware Update Wizard runs.
3. If you're prompted about connecting to the Internet to check for an
update, click Yes, this time only, and then click Next.
4. If you have a Setup CD for the device, insert it in your CD drive, and
then click Next.
5. Wait for Windows to find a better driver for the device and install it.
Installing by specifying a driver
Now, suppose the previous procedure does not work. (Sometimes it doesn't.) If
the Wizard tells you it cannot install a driver for the device, or Windows does
not correctly identify the device, here's what you would then do:
1. Repeat Steps 1 to 3 of the preceding steps.
2. When asked whether you want to install the software automatically,
select Install from a list or specific location (Advanced), as shown in
Figure 3-3. Click Next.
Figure 3-3: Select to install from a specific location.
1. Do one of the following:
If you downloaded a driver that you want to install, but you're not
sure whether it's better than the one you have, check the Include
this location in the Search checkbox, and then enter the path to
the downloaded driver file in the text box, as shown in Figure 3-4.
Click Next and allow Windows to look for a better driver than the
one that is currently installed. Just follow the prompts to complete
the installation.
Figure 3-4: Specify the driver location.
If you downloaded a driver and you know that it's better than what
you have, select Don't search. I will choose the driver to install.
Click Next, and then click Have Disk. In the Install from Disk
dialog box, click Browse, locate the downloaded driver, and then
click OK. Follow the prompts to complete the installation.
If Windows is not correctly identifying the device and you want to
see whether Windows has an appropriate driver for it, select
Don't search. I will choose the driver to install. Click Next, and
then clear the Show Compatible Hardware checkbox. A list of
manufacturers and models appears. Find yours on the list, and
then select it, as shown in Figure 3-5. Click Next, and then follow
the prompts to complete the installation.
Figure 3-5: Identify the device to Windows if needed, manually overriding its
auto-detection of the device.
Understanding device resources
As mentioned earlier, a device can function only when it's correctly installed,
when you have a usable driver for it for Windows, and when it has resources
allocated to it according to its needs. You've read about the first two of those
things already, so now let's look at resource allocation.
Device resources are parts of the system software that are dedicated to device
communication. These can include:
IRQs (interrupt request lines): These are lines of communication to the CPU.
Depending on the PC, there can be either 16 or 24 of them. In the past, each
device needed a separate IRQ, but some devices today can share IRQ
usage.
I/O (input/output) addresses: These are memory addresses reserved for
transferring data to and from a device.
Memory addresses: These are memory addresses reserved for the device to
use for activities other than I/O.
DMA (direct memory access) channels: These are pathways from a device
directly into memory, bypassing the CPU.
Not all devices require all four types of resources. (You don't need to know
which devices require which resources, because these assignments are
handled automatically for the most part.) You can tell which resources a device
uses by looking at the Resources tab of its Properties dialog box, as shown in
Figure 3-6, for example.
Figure 3-6: View a device's resource usage.
A resource conflict occurs when two devices try to claim the same resource, or
when there's not enough of a particular resource to go around. For example,
when two devices both want exclusive use of a particular IRQ, a conflict
occurs.
In earlier versions of Windows, resource conflicts were much more common
than they are under Windows XP. Windows XP is very good at allocating
resources automatically through Plug and Play, so you should seldom
encounter a conflict. Also today's PCI devices are much better at sharing
resources than the earlier ISA devices were.
Identifying a resource conflict
When you look at the list of hardware in Device Manager, if you see a device
with a yellow circle and exclamation point on its icon, double-click it to open its
Properties dialog box. Look at the General tab for the device's status. If there's
a resource conflict, it's reported here.
In a resource conflict, there are typically at least two devices involved. Usually,
both will have the same exclamation point indicator, but not always. To
determine the other device involved in the conflict, you can look at the
Resources tab in the first device's Properties dialog box for information about
which other device is conflicting.
Solving a resource conflict
Ironically, although resource conflicts are less common on newer PCs, they're
also more difficult to correct when they do occur. On newer systems, a
resource management scheme called ACPI (Advanced Configuration and
Power Interface) handles resource assignments for hardware and usually will
not allow those assignments to be manually changed. Look back at Figure 3-6,
for example. The Use automatic settings checkbox is unavailable; this device's
resources cannot be changed.
Protect your business and your
data
Prepare yourself and your
business for unexpected
setbacks with HP business
protection solutions.
To change a resource assignment (if possible), follow these steps:
1. From the device's Properties dialog box, display the Resources tab.
Confirm which resource is causing the problem in the Conflicting device
list.
2. Clear the Use automatic settings checkbox (if possible). If that checkbox
cannot be cleared, you cannot manually change this device's
resources.
3. Open the Setting based on drop-down list, and then select an alternate
configuration. Keep trying different configurations until the message in
the Conflicting device list changes to No conflicts, as shown in Figure 37.
Figure 3-7: Change configurations to try and resolve the conflict.
1. If none of the configurations worked in Step 3, try double-clicking the
resource under Resource type. A dialog box might appear that allows
you to manually change only that one resource's setting. Do so if
» Accidental damage
protection
possible.
2. Close all open dialog boxes when finished, and reboot if prompted.
Removing and redetecting a device
If the preceding method for changing resource assignments does not work, try
removing one of the devices from Device Manager so that Windows is forced to
redetect it. When it redetects it, it might assign different resources to it.
To do this, follow these steps:
1. From Device Manager, select the device, and then press Delete. If
asked to confirm, click Yes.
2. Select Action > Scan for hardware changes.
Disabling a device
Another way around a resource conflict is to simply get rid of one of the
devices. If it's a removable or unpluggable device, simply do that. However, if
it's built into the motherboard, you might not be able to remove it physically.
If you can't remove a device physically but you don't want it to operate in
Windows anymore, disable it through Device Manager as follows:
1. From Device Manager, double-click the device to open its Properties
dialog box.
2. On the General tab, open the Device usage list, and then select Do not
use this device (Disable).
3. Click OK.
Troubleshooting display problems
Now that you know a bit about resources and devices, let's spend the rest of
this lesson looking at some specific examples.
Troubleshooting video card problems
When applications crash unexpectedly (especially games), the video card
driver is the most likely source of the problem. Updating the video card's driver
to the latest version available from the manufacturer can often prevent the
crashes from reoccurring. Updating the video card drivers should be the first
course of action for virtually almost every video troubleshooting scenario.
Signed drivers are certified to work correctly under Windows. With most
devices, if an unsigned driver doesn't work, you can simply remove it and
try a different driver. However, the video card's driver is essential; without it
you can't see your screen. Therefore, stick with signed drivers only for your
video card (unless there's some special, unusual circumstance).
If updating your video driver has no effect on the problem, perhaps the video
card itself is going bad, or perhaps the problem is with the monitor. To tell the
difference, try to isolate the problem by trying a different monitor or different
video card and checking whether the problem goes away.
Adjusting the display color depth
If photos look washed out and unrealistic, perhaps you don't have the color
depth set high enough in Windows. Fortunately, this is easy to remedy:
1. Right-click the desktop and then select Properties.
2. Click the Settings tab, and then open the Color Quality list and select a
higher color quality, as shown in Figure 3-8. Click OK.
Figure 3-8: Set the color depth for Windows.
Most people do not notice much difference between 16-bit, 24-bit, and 32-bit;
however, a setting of 16-color or 256-color is too low and can cause photos to
look bad.
Identifying your video card
Windows XP does not natively support 16-color or 256-color unless the video
card is incapable of higher modes. Therefore, if your display is set to 16-color
or 256-color, there's probably a deeper problem with your display. Look on the
Settings tab under Display, and see which video card is reported there. If it
says Standard VGA or something to that effect rather than your actual video
card, Windows cannot identify your video card.
To solve this problem, run the Setup software that came with your video card. If
that doesn't help, go through the process for updating the device driver
described earlier in this lesson under "Installing by Specifying a Driver."
Installing a monitor driver
The monitor driver is not really a driver in the same sense as the driver for the
video card. It's just an information file (.INF extension) that tells Windows what
the monitor's maximum capacities are so it can eliminate any settings from the
Display Properties dialog box that the monitor cannot support. By default,
Windows detects most monitors as Plug and Play Monitor. The problem is that
the maximum settings for that driver are rather low. You can make better
settings available in many cases by installing a driver for the exact monitor. The
procedure for installing a monitor driver is the same as for any other driver. See
"Installing by Specifying a Driver" earlier in this lesson.
Protect yourself from security
threats
Benefit from HP's years of
expertise on how to
safeguard your PC from
security threats.
Setting a refresh rate
» The main reason to have the correct monitor driver is so you can confidently
set the refresh rate to its maximum setting. The refresh rate determines how
many times per second the display is repainted. Higher refresh rates mean less
flickering, and therefore less user eyestrain.
A refresh rate that's too high can permanently damage a monitor. If
Windows cannot correctly identify your monitor, do not use a refresh rate
higher than 85 Hertz to be on the safe side.
To improve the display, set the refresh rate to its maximum available value,
which will probably be somewhere between 75 Hertz and 120 Hertz depending
on the monitor type and quality and the display resolution.
Refresh rate is an issue primarily with CRT (cathode-ray tube) displays (the
big boxy monitors), not LCD (liquid crystal display or flat-screen) monitors.
An LCD monitor will typically have a refresh rate of only 60 to 75 Hertz, but
that's okay; LCD monitors need to be refreshed less frequently.
To set refresh rate, follow these steps:
1. Right-click the desktop and then select Properties.
2. Click the Settings tab, and then the Advanced button.
3. Click the Monitor tab, and select a refresh rate from the Screen refresh
rate drop-down list, as shown in Figure 3-9. Click OK.
Security protection protection at every layer
Figure 3-9: Increase the refresh rate to eliminate flickering problems from your
monitor.
Troubleshooting sound and speaker problems
For some reason, Windows has a harder time identifying sound cards
automatically than it does other types of hardware. Therefore, if you're installing
Windows from scratch on a new hard disk, you'll probably have to use the
Setup program that came with the sound card to install its drivers. Otherwise,
the sound card might appear as Unknown in Device Manager.
To troubleshoot a system that has no sound, here's a common procedure to
use:
1. Check in Device Manager. Are the drivers installed for the sound card?
Are any problems reported there? Reinstall the drivers if needed.
2. Check the speakers to make sure they're attached to the correct port on
the sound card (usually the green or black plug depending on the
model), and that they're turned on, turned up, and plugged into a power
source (if applicable).
3. Open the Control Panel, and then select Sounds and Audio Devices. On
the Volume tab, make sure that the volume is turned up and that it's not
muted.
4. On the Sounds tab, click one of the sound events that has a little
speaker next to it, as in Figure 3-10. Click the Play button (triangle). If
the sound is working, it should play through the speakers.
Figure 3-10: Try playing a sound.
No luck? Try a different set of speakers, or better yet, a set of headphones that
you know are good. Make sure the volume is turned up, and if the speakers
require power, make sure that they're either plugged in or supplied with
charged batteries. Speakers that require power but are not getting any will
either not work at all or will play extremely softly.
Microphone problems
If you can hear sound but not record it, check the following:
1. Make sure the microphone is turned on, if it has an on/off switch.
2. Make sure the microphone is plugged into the Mic port on the sound
card.
3. Double-click the speaker icon next to the clock on the taskbar to open
the Volume Control.
4. Select Options > Properties, select Recording, and then click OK. Now
you see the controls for recording devices.
5. Check the Select checkbox for the Microphone, and drag its Volume
slider up if needed, as shown in Figure 3-11.
Figure 3-11: Adjust the microphone interface if needed.
Troubleshooting modem problems
When a modem doesn't work, first check it in Device Manager, the same as
any other device. If it appears there, troubleshoot as follows:
1. Make sure the phone jack (to which the modem is connected) is live. Try
connecting a regular telephone to the jack and listen for a dial tone. If
that works, try connecting the phone line to the modem, and then
connect the telephone to the other port on the modem. You should still
be able to hear a dial tone through the telephone.
2. Run a diagnostic test on the modem. From the Control Panel, select
Phone and Modem Options.
3. Click the Modems tab, select the modem, and then click Properties.
4. Click the Diagnostics tab, and then click Query Modem. After a few
seconds the test results appear. If at least some lines report Success or
OK, the modem is working.
5. Make sure the telephone line is plugged into the correct port on the
modem. There are two ports on most modems, and they're not
interchangeable.
Moving on
In this lesson, you learned how to install and update device drivers for your
hardware, and how to troubleshoot problems with display, sound, and
communications settings in Windows. There are still many other types of
devices you haven't looked at yet in terms of troubleshooting!
Before you move on, do the assignment and take the quiz. Also, feel free to
discuss these BIOS Setup issues further on the Message Board with your
fellow classmates.
In Lesson 4, you'll learn about Windows and application problems. These can
be the most frustrating and difficult types of errors to troubleshoot because
there are so many interrelated factors to consider.
Assignment #1
1. Open Device Manager and examine the properties for several different types of
devices. Examine the resources they use and the dates on their drivers.
2. Search the Web to see whether an updated driver is available for your sound card. If
there is one, download and install it.
3. (Optional) Do the same for your video card.
4. Change the color depth on your video card. Do you notice any difference? Change it
back again to its original setting.
5. If Windows does not correctly identify your monitor, download and install a driver for it,
if possible.
6. Experiment with several different refresh rates. Leave it set to the one that you prefer.
(Usually higher is better, but don't use one that is so high that it distorts the display.)
7. In the Control Panel, use the Sounds and Audio Devices Properties to test your sound
card for proper operation.
8. (Optional) If you have a modem, use its Diagnostics to check it for proper operation.
(You need to disconnect from the Internet to test it if you use a dial-up Internet
connection.)
Quiz: #1
Question 1:
Which utility lets you examine the hardware installed on your PC?
A)
CONFIG.SYS
B)
MSCONFIG
C)
Device Manager
D)
Add or Remove Programs
Question 2:
To work in Windows, a device must do which of the following? (Check all that apply.)
A)
Be physically installed correctly
B)
Have a usable driver installed for it in Windows
C)
Have the appropriate resources assigned to it
D)
Be able to access a broadband Internet connection
Question 3:
Windows communicates with a hardware device by means of which of the following?
A)
Device driver
B)
Abstraction layer
C)
Broadband Internet connection
D)
Analog cable
Question 4:
Which of these is not a type of device resource?
A)
IRQ
B)
I/O address
C)
DMA channel
D)
DSL
Question 5:
Refresh rate is most closely associated with which piece of hardware?
A)
Modem
B)
NIC
C)
Sound card
D)
Monitor
Microsoft Windows and application troubleshooting
While we're on the subject of Microsoft Windows, in this final lesson, you'll learn how to troubleshoot Windows
startup and operational problems, how to find and fix application errors, and how to repair or reinstall Windows.
Troubleshooting Windows
Welcome to the last lesson of this course! In this lesson, you'll learn how to
troubleshoot Windows itself, independently from any particular piece of
hardware, and how to troubleshoot Windows application problems. Although
these are the most complicated troubleshooting topics, they're also
unfortunately the most commonly needed.
Here's the big-picture overview of Windows troubleshooting. You'll find out
more about each of these pieces as this lesson progresses.
Will Windows boot normally? If not, try an alternative boot mode to get into
Windows, and then fix whatever is wrong (if you're able to determine what
that is). For example, roll back a bad driver update, remove a startup
program that is causing a problem, and so on.
If you're unable to resolve the Windows problem, repair or reinstall Windows
using the original Windows CD. If you don't have that CD, check your PC's
documentation to see whether it came with a Recovery disc, and if so, what
it does for you.
If Windows is running slowly, look at the running processes. Remove any
that aren't necessary or helpful. To fix this for the future, prevent unwanted
programs and processes from loading at startup.
Working with alternative boot modes
Alternative boot modes enable you to start Windows in cases when it will not
start normally. The alternative boot modes are not suitable for everyday
operation; they're strictly for troubleshooting.
You can select an alternative boot mode via the Advanced Options menu. To
display it, as your PC is booting, press the F8 key. It can be difficult to get the
timing just right. You should press the F8 key at the precise moment when you
hear the PC's speaker beep once at the beginning of the startup process. If you
see the Windows splash screen (that blue clouds background image), you
know you missed your window of opportunity and need to try again.
One method of getting to the Advanced Options menu is to start pressing and
releasing the F8 key at 1/2-second intervals immediately after turning the PC's
power on. That way you never miss it. You can't just hold down the F8 key, or
you'll get a Keyboard Stuck error.
The choices on the Advanced Options menu are:
Safe Mode: Starts without any nonessential drivers and programs. You won't
have access to any network components, any USB (universal serial bus)
devices, or any CD drives.
Safe Mode with Networking: Same as Safe Mode except it includes network
drivers. Useful if the files you need to fix the PC are located on the network.
Safe Mode with Command Prompt: Same as Safe Mode except a command
prompt window opens within Safe Mode. Useful for the hardcore techie who
knows exactly which command line utilities to run; not very useful for
everyone else.
Enable Boot Logging: Boots normally, but logs startup information in a file
called NTBTLOG.TXT. You can then go in later under Safe Mode and look at
that file using Notepad to see where the startup process is going wrong.
Enable VGA Mode: Starts normally except it uses a plain VGA (Video
Graphics Adapter) video driver. Useful if you know the problem is a bad
video driver.
Last Known Good Configuration: Copies the last good copy of the Registry
over the current Registry files, reversing the most recent Registry edits.
Useful if the PC stopped working after you installed a new application or
driver. As an alternative, you can boot into Safe Mode and use System
Restore.
Directory Services Restore Mode: For domain controllers only; not used for
ordinary PCs.
Debugging Mode: For programmers only; not useful for end-users.
For most people, Safe Mode is the best choice. Once you get into Windows via
Safe Mode, figure out what's causing it to not boot normally, fix it, and then
reboot normally.
Then what?
The hard part, of course, is not getting into Safe Mode, but figuring out what's
wrong. Think back -- what did you do to cause the problem? Here are some
ideas:
If you recently installed some new software, remove it. Use Add or Remove
Programs in the Control Panel.
If you recently updated a device driver, roll it back. Go into Device Manager,
view the device's Properties dialog box, display the Driver tab, and then click
Roll Back Driver. Follow the prompts.
If you recently installed a new piece of hardware, shut down the PC and
remove it. Reboot and see if the problem clears up.
Repairing or reinstalling Microsoft Windows XP
If you aren't having any luck fixing Windows via Safe Mode, you might need to
resort to repairing or reinstalling Windows.
Print instructions
Reinstalling or repairing Windows is not too difficult -- provided you have the
Windows XP CD. Unfortunately, many new PCs do not ship with a real, full
copy of Windows XP. Instead they might have one of the following:
Print the instructions for
reinstalling Windows XP with
an HP inkjet.
A Recovery CD that you can boot from to completely wipe out your hard disk
and reinstall everything that originally came on the PC. You'll lose all your
data if you do this, and any applications you have installed since you bought
the PC.
A Recovery CD that you can boot from to access a menu system, from
which you can select to wipe everything out and reload as described above,
or reinstall Windows without wiping everything out. (Which do you have -this kind or the kind described above? Read the onscreen messages
carefully to tell.)
A Recovery CD that you can boot from to access a utility that will pull files
needed for reinstallation (either full or partial, it depends on the version) from
a hidden partition on your hard disk.
A utility installed in Windows that will allow you to create your own recovery
CD using your writeable CD drive, a blank disc, and the files from a hidden
partition on your hard disk.
Obviously, all of these are a lot more trouble and aggravation than simply
having a real Windows XP CD to work with. This lesson can't really advise you
on how to proceed in cases like these because every PC manufacturer does
their recovery CDs differently, and even the same manufacturer changes how
they do it periodically. Therefore, this lesson assumes that you have a real
copy of Windows XP.
» HP Officejet Pro K5400
printer series
Repairing or reinstalling Windows from the
Windows XP CD
If Windows will not boot, attempt a repair. You can do this with the Windows XP
CD as follows:
1. Insert the Windows XP CD, and then restart the PC. It should boot from
the CD, and the Windows Setup program should start. If it does not, you
might need to go into BIOS Setup (as in Lesson 2) and change the boot
order so that the CD drive comes first.
2. In the Windows Setup program, you're asked whether you want to install
Windows or repair an existing installation. Type R to select the
emergency repair process.
3. Type F to select Fast Repair.
4. If prompted to use an ERD (emergency repair disk), indicate that you do
not have one and continue.
5. Follow the prompts to repair Windows.
To reinstall, do the same thing -- boot from the CD, but instead of selecting
repair, select reinstall. Then install in the same location as before, over the top
of the existing version of Windows.
If reinstalling Windows over the top of the existing installation does not work,
you might have to resort to the most drastic measure: reinstalling Windows
from scratch, which means wiping out the entire existing formatting of the disk.
Windows Setup will do this for you; simply reformat the drive when prompted as
part of the Setup process.
Evaluating the active processes
Now let's take a step back from the brink of gloom-and-doom of the preceding
section, and assume that things are not quite so bleak. Perhaps Windows
starts okay, but it's simply not running as well as it might.
Spyware or adware is by far the most common cause of system performance
problems, so first, go get yourself a copy of Spybot Search & Destroy. Install it,
update it, and run it. This will get rid of any useless gunk that might be slowing
you down.
Next, reboot and see what's left. Go into Add or Remove Programs in the
Control Panel, as shown in Figure 4-1, and remove any applications that you
don't want. Most computers come with a lot of preinstalled applications, and
most people don't want everything that the PC comes with. By removing
unwanted programs, you accomplish two things:
You free up the hard disk space.
If you remove a program that loaded a piece of itself at startup, you make
Windows load faster and run better.
Figure 4-1: Remove any unwanted programs here.
Enlarge image
Next, have a look at the notification area (a.k.a. the system tray), next to the
clock on the task bar. The icons that appear there represent programs that are
running in the background. Some of these are necessary, like your antivirus
program, but some are not necessary and just take up memory. For example,
the autoloaders for QuickTime, AOL, and so on are not necessary. Right-click
each one and look for a command that lets you into its properties, as shown in
Figure 4-2. Then look for a way of preventing it from loading automatically at
startup. (Don't disable the antivirus program from loading at startup, though!)
Figure 4-2: Prevent unwanted programs from loading at startup.
Finally, reboot one more time, and then take a look at your running processes
to see if there's anything you could potentially disable to make Windows run
leaner and more efficiently. Here's how:
1. Shut down all running programs, and then close all open windows.
2. Right-click the taskbar and then select Task Manager.
3. Click the Processes tab, as shown in Figure 4-3.
Figure 4-3: Examine your running processes.
1. Go to a Web site that maintains a list of common processes and what
they do, such as AnswersThatWork or LIUtilities: System Process
Library.
2. Look up each of the processes that appears on your Processes tab to
make sure it's useful. Compile a list of any you want to get rid of.
3. Use the procedure described in the next section to eliminate any
unwanted processes from startup.
Using selective startup
Selective startup can help you turn off any unwanted processes so they don't
automatically load when Windows starts. Before you use selective startup,
however, make sure you've exhausted all other methods of turning off
automatically loading programs. Here's a summary of what this lesson has
covered so far (plus one more thing to try):
Check for spyware or adware with Spybot or some other application that
does the same thing (for example, Ad-Aware).
Use Add or Remove Programs in the Control Panel to get rid of any
applications you don't want.
For any icons in the system tray that you don't want to reload when Windows
starts, right-click them and look for a command that lets you disable them or
view their properties.
(Here's the new thing): Remove any shortcuts to unwanted programs from
the Startup folder on the Start > All Programs menu system. To remove a
shortcut there, right-click it, and then select Delete. This does not uninstall
the program.
After you've done all these things, if you still have processes running that you
don't want, you can tackle them using the methods in the following sections.
Using MSCONFIG
MSCONFIG (a.k.a. the System Configuration Utility) provides a way of
disabling startup applications and processes without having to manually edit
the Registry. To run it, select Start > Run, type MSCONFIG, and then click OK.
Make room on
your hard drive
Clean up your hard drives
and your servers by moving
archived files to storage.
» Storage interactive
showcase
MSCONFIG has several tabs in its box. The one you're most interested in now
is Startup, shown in Figure 4-4. Look on this tab for entries that correspond to
one of the processes you want to eliminate. Clear its checkbox, and then
reboot and see if that took care of your problem. Repeat as necessary. If you
make a mistake and turn off something that causes a problem, or causes
Windows to not boot correctly, go in under Safe Mode and turn it back on in
MSCONFIG.
Figure 4-4: MSCONFIG shows the processes that will load automatically at
startup.
Working with services
Services are background processes that perform some useful task in Windows.
They're typically closely associated with Windows itself, rather than being thirdparty add-ons.
Typically, you don't want to disable any services because you may mess up
something in Windows if you don't know what you're doing. However, if you can
identify that a particular service is causing Windows to crash or to perform
poorly, you might try disabling it as a troubleshooting measure.
To work with services, do the following:
1. From the Control Panel, select Administrative Tools.
2. Double-click the Services icon. The Services window opens, as shown
in Figure 4-5.
Figure 4-5: Browse the services.
Enlarge image
1. Browse the list of services by clicking an item and reading its
description.
2. When you find the one you need to disable, double-click it to open its
Properties dialog box, as shown in Figure 4-6.
Figure 4-6: Work with the service's properties.
1. Set its startup type to Manual, and then click the Stop button to stop it.
2. Click OK to close the dialog box, and then reboot.
You can come back to its dialog box later, set it back to Automatic, and
start it if you decide that disabling it was the wrong thing to do.
Troubleshooting application errors
This lesson spent a lot of time covering Windows problems because there are
so many things that can go wrong. With applications, the scope is a bit smaller,
so it's easier to talk about (and also easier to troubleshoot).
Here are the reasons applications malfunction, or perform poorly:
Minimum system requirements for the application are not met.
The application is not designed for your version of Windows.
The company producing the software made programming errors or
oversights.
There's a conflict with another application, service, or process that is
running.
The security settings on your PC are set too high; therefore, something in
the application cannot do its job.
There's incompatibility between the application and your hardware (or a
device driver).
Let's look at each of those, and discuss how to overcome them.
System requirements
Every application has system requirements, which are usually printed on the
box. Take these seriously. If your system doesn't meet the requirements, you'll
be in for nothing but headaches. For example, the new Sims 2 requires a
particular brand and model of video card. If you don't have it, the game will run
very slowly and poorly on your PC. There's not much you can do about it other
than replace your video card.
Windows version requirements
Some applications will run only under certain Windows versions. (And they say
so in their system requirements.)
If you're trying to run a newer application on an older version of Windows,
there's not much you can do if it doesn't work. You might check the
application's Web site for any FAQs, but the prognosis is not good. Upgrade to
a newer version of Windows, or pick up an older version of the application at an
online auction Web site.
However, if you're trying to run an older application under Windows XP, there's
hope. Windows XP has a Compatibility feature that lets Windows XP pretend to
be earlier Windows versions to accommodate certain applications.
To set this up, do the following:
1. Right-click the executable file for the application and then select
Properties.
2. On the Compatibility tab, select an earlier Windows version to emulate,
as shown in Figure 4-7.
Figure 4-7: Emulate earlier Windows versions.
1. Click OK. Try to run the application. If it doesn't work, try again with a
different Windows version. Try them all; you might find one that works.
There's also a wizard you can use if you prefer a more automated approach to
these settings. Select Start > All Programs > Accessories > Program
Compatibility Wizard.
Programming errors
Programming errors are responsible for a lot of headaches that end-users have
with applications! Version 1.0 of a program is never perfect. (Well, no program
is perfect.)
When you have trouble running an application, it's often helpful to go to the
Web site of the application's manufacturer and look for patches, fixes, or help
information. Chances are good that you're not the first person to have a
problem with the software, and perhaps someone else has already answered
your question or the company has already released an update that solves your
problem.
Conflicts with other software
You can often identify conflicts with other software by a simple process of
elimination. Turn something off, and then try to run the application. If it runs
now but didn't before, you've just located your conflict. Use the methods
described earlier for disabling startup processes on an experimental basis.
One common conflict is with an antivirus program. Some software will not
install or will not run while an antivirus program is in use. To get around this,
temporarily disable your antivirus software (right-click its icon in the system tray
and select the command to pause or disable it).
Avoid using the Internet (either Web or e-mail) while your antivirus software is
out of service.
Security settings
Security is all well and good, but sometimes a high security setting can cause
an application to function incorrectly, especially one that relies on Internet
access. For example, some games that have online play capabilities may not
work if you set your firewall settings too high.
To see if that's the case in your situation, disable the firewall completely, and
then try the application. If it suddenly starts working, there's your problem.
Most firewalls can be configured to allow certain programs to pass through
them, but you have to know your firewall software well enough to know how to
set this up. Check its documentation, or just examine its settings until you find
what you're looking for. (If none of this makes sense, ask a techie friend for
help.)
Microsoft Internet Explorer also has security and privacy settings (Tools >
Internet Options), and if these are cranked all the way up to High, you might
have problems using Internet Explorer and/or using applications that rely on the
Internet. The best setting is usually Medium for Internet Explorer security and
privacy.
Hardware or driver incompatibilities
Especially with games, driver problems with the video and sound card are the
most common source of lockups and abnormal terminations. Make sure your
drivers are up-to-date for sound and video. Also make sure you have the latest
version of DirectX.
Also check the hardware acceleration setting for your video card. If a game
won't run at full throttle acceleration, scale it back by one setting, and then try
the game again, and so on until you can make it work (perhaps). To set the
hardware acceleration in Windows XP:
1. Right-click the desktop and then select Properties.
2. On the Settings tab, click Advanced.
3. Click the Troubleshooting tab, and then drag the Hardware Acceleration
slider, as shown in Figure 4-8.
Figure 4-8: Adjust hardware acceleration for the display driver as a
troubleshooting measure.
1. Accept the new settings, and then try the application again to see if it
makes any difference.
Moving on
Congratulations, you made it to the end of the course! In this final lesson, you
learned more about troubleshooting Windows and how to troubleshoot
applications.
Before you move on, do the assignment and take the quiz, and then pat
yourself on the back for your effort and personal growth.
If you're wondering where you go from here, try reviewing the list of resources
presented at the end of Lesson 1. The Web sites there will provide all the
additional information you'll need -- and then some. Don't forget that you can
also continue using the course Message Board for another two weeks after the
posting date of this final lesson. Good luck in all your PC troubleshooting
endeavors!
Assignment #1
1. If you have a Microsoft Windows XP CD: Boot from the CD and start the Windows Setup
program. After you've confirmed that your system boots properly, reboot it, and then remove
the CD; do not actually go through the setup process.
OR
If you have a recovery CD that came with your PC, find out exactly what it does and
how. Try booting from it, and then read any instructions or information provided on
screen. Do not use it to reset your PC's configuration; remove the CD and reboot
when you're done reviewing it.
1. Boot Windows into Safe Mode, and explore a bit. Are your CD drives available? Are your
USB devices available? What's the display like? Reboot Windows as normal.
2. Run a spyware/adware removal tool, such as Spybot Search & Destroy or Ad-Aware.
Examine your running processes in Task Manager, and then look up each process at
AnswersThatWork.com to determine what it does.
3. Use MSCONFIG to examine what is loading at startup. If you see anything you don't want
here, disable it and reboot.
4. Use the Services utility to examine the installed services. Don't make any changes.
5. (Optional) If you have a problem with any application, troubleshoot as needed using what
you learned in this lesson.
Quiz: #1
Question 1:
When is an alternative boot mode useful?
A)
When Microsoft Windows runs slowly
B)
When Windows fails to start normally
C)
When you need faster than normal Internet access
D)
When you want to turn a regular PC into a server
Question 2:
To repair a Windows XP installation, boot your PC from:
A)
the Windows XP CD
B)
the Control Panel
C)
the MSCONFIG utility
D)
the Run command
Question 3:
True or False: Each active process has a one-to-one relationship with an open, visible window.
A)
True
B)
False
Question 4:
What does the MSCONFIG utility do?
A)
Checks for spyware and adware
B)
Enables you to selectively disable startup items
C)
Enables you to view your hardware devices and their resources
D)
Checks for errors in the file allocation table
Question 5:
Which of these are possible reasons why an application might crash? (Check all that apply.)
A)
Conflict with other software
B)
PC does not meet minimum requirements
C)
Programming errors
D)
Outdated video driver
© 2003 - 2007 Powered, Inc.