It's Never Done That Before! A Guide to Troubleshooting Windows XP

Description

When Windows works properly, it's relatively easy to ignore; you can concentrate on the work you're trying to do and forget about the plumbing inside your computer. But when something goes wrong, it often requires an experienced guide to solve the problem and restore the computer to working condition. Everybody who uses Microsoft Windows eventually has to deal with cryptic error messages, frozen screens, and other more or less dramatic problems. Windows troubleshooting is the set of tools and techniques that can identify the source of a problem and find a solution.It's Never Done That Before is a guide to Windows XP troubleshooting for people who don't spend their lives fixing computer problems. It includes basic troubleshooting techniques, specific instructions for solving the most common problems in Windows XP, and more general information for finding and fixing more obscure ones. It also provides pointers to explanations of BIOS beep codes and blue screen errors, instructions for using the troubleshooting tools supplied with Windows XP such as Safe Mode and the Recovery Console, and advice for dealing with device drivers, the ROM BIOS, and the Windows Registry. Viruses, spyware, and Internet connection problems are all included, along with advice for getting the most out of the Microsoft Knowledge base and other online information resources, and dealing with help desks and technical support centers.Includes indexTroubleshooting Methods and Tools -- Troubleshooting Basics -- What May Have Gone Wrong? -- What Has Changed? -- Record Your Steps -- Is This a New Problem? Has It Ever Done This Before? -- Start with a Plan -- Identify the Symptoms -- Try Restarting the Computer -- Look for an Explanation -- Places to Look for Help -- Try a Fix -- Check the Result -- Keep a Record of the Fix -- Prevent a Repeat -- Types of Windows Problems and Failures -- No Power -- Checking Power on a Desktop Computer -- Checking a Laptop Computer -- Errors During Startup -- Troubleshooting Windows Failures -- Black Screens -- Blue Screens -- Everything Is Frozen in Place -- Nonfatal Error Messages -- Responding to Nonfatal Error Messages -- Error Messages: Finding Translations from the Cryptic -- What to Do When Windows Is Acting Oddly -- Pop-up Ads and Redirected Web Pages: Your Desktop Under Attack -- Hardware Problems -- Memory Problems -- Internet Connection Problems -- Local Network Problems -- What to do When Windows Won't Start -- The Windows Startup Sequence -- Power-on Self Test (POST) -- Beep Codes -- Initial Startup: What Happens When You Push the Button -- Run the Boot Loader -- Detect and Configure Hardware -- Load the Windows Kernel -- Logon -- So What Can Go Wrong? -- Making Sense of Startup Error Messages -- Returning to the Last Known Good Configuration -- Bypassing Windows with the Recovery Console -- Solving Startup Problems with the Recovery Console -- Safe Mode -- The System Configuration Utility -- Using the Configuration Utility to Streamline Startup -- The Boot Log: A History of Startup Programs -- Solving Those "Did Not Load" Errors -- Black Screens and Blue Screens -- Black Screens -- Open Windows in Safe Mode -- Look for a Hardware Problem -- Blue Screens -- How to Read a Stop Message -- Look for More Details -- Replace the Driver File -- Wait, Wait! Don't Let the Message Disappear! -- Finding a Fix -- The Microsoft Knowledge Base -- Try Other Internet Resources -- Solving Device Driver Problems -- Device Drivers -- DLL Files -- Diagnosing a Driver Problem -- Where to Find New Drivers -- Installing New Drivers -- Returning to an Earlier Version -- Storing and Organizing Your Drivers -- Use Device Driver Rollback to Solve a Conflict -- Using the Microsoft Knowledge Base and Other Online Resources -- Try the Help Screens First -- README Files -- The Microsoft Knowledge Base -- Opening the Knowledge Base -- Reading a Knowledge Base Article -- Buried Treasure in the Knowledge Base -- Hardware and Software Manufacturers' Websites -- Newsgroups and Independent Support Services -- Search Online for the Symptoms -- Don't Panic (Yet) -- Using System Restore and Other Rollback Techniques -- Before You Try System Restore -- Creating Restore Points -- Returning to a Restore Point -- Starting System Restore in Safe Mode -- Underneath it All: The BIOS -- The Power-on Self Test -- Changing the BIOS Settings -- Opening the BIOS Setup Tool -- Changing BIOS Settings -- Date and Time -- Configuring Hard Drives and Other IDE Devices -- Diskette Settings -- Boot Sequence -- Turn Num Lock On or Off -- Other BIOS Settings -- If All Else Fails, Return to the Default -- Updating the BIOS -- The Windows Registry: Here be Demons -- Opening, Reading, and Editing the Registry -- How the Registry Is Organized -- Using the Registry to Repair or Modify Windows -- Deleting a Registry Item -- Adding a New Registry Item -- Editing an Existing Registry Item -- Getting the Junk Out: Registry Cleanup Tools -- Dealing with Individual Programs and Files -- The Program Won't Start -- Have You Used This Program Before? -- Have You Just Upgraded? -- What Else Has Happened Lately? -- Is There Another Way to Open the Program? -- Reinstall the Program -- Delete and Reinstall Again -- A File Opens in the Wrong Program -- The Program Freezes -- I Can't Read a File -- Try a Different Program -- Check the File Extension -- The File Won't Print -- Service Packs, Patches, and Other Updates -- When to Update -- Finding and Installing the Latest Updates -- Installing Microsoft Windows Updates -- Updating Security Software -- What If an Update Creates Problems? -- Updating the BIOS -- Use the Right BIOS -- Follow the Instructions -- Viruses, Spyware, and Other Nasties -- Protecting Your System -- Viruses, Worms, and Trojan Horses -- Antivirus Programs -- Take Precautions -- Spyware -- Where Did That Come From? -- Protecting Against Spyware -- Finding and Removing Spyware -- Identifying Malware -- Stopping Break-ins: Firewalls -- Firewall Software -- Firewall Hardware -- Internet Connection Problems -- Isolate the Problem -- Follow the Signal -- The Local Network Hub or Router -- The ISP's Gateway -- Tracing the Network -- My Computer Can't Find the Internet -- Does Your ISP Provide Its Own Software? -- Network Configuration Settings -- Troubleshooting a Dial-up Connection -- Troubleshooting a Connection Through a Local Network -- The Comp.