3 Windows XP pitfalls and how to put them behind you

By Gregg Keizer (4/18/02) Windows XP [http://home.cnet.com/software/0-806340-1204-6534881.html?tag=txt] was supposed to make life easier, but it's made some people's computing experience a living hell.
From software-compatibility woes to unexplained crashes, nightmares come like a flood of curses when you change operating systems. But don't just sit there and take it. Fight back using our techniques and put these demons to rest. We polled you, CNET readers, to find out what it was about XP that really ticked you off, and we found three irritants that cropped up again and again. This trio of tales shows that although XP may seem like the tool of the devil, you can learn to put this OS in its place.

The return of the revolting reboot

How can you keep XP from rebooting on its own without warning? Here's how to tame the reboot beast.

The mystery of the impossible start-up

Your machine is locked up tighter than Dick Cheney's location. What to do? We'll walk you through the start-up swamp.

The case of the completely incompatible

You upgraded to XP, and now your software and hardware are flakier than Anne Heche. Here's how to solve your incompatibilities without a divorce.

The return of the revolting reboot The nightmare

From time to time, when I open an Excel spreadsheet, my XP machine reboots. There's no warning. The system just hangs for a couple of seconds, then the PC starts up as if I had just switched it on or hit the reset button. Do ghosts live in this machine, or is Microsoft trying to lower the country's productivity?

Analysis
Of all the I-hate-XP complaints we received, the unexpected reboot won by a landslide. We heard from users who suffered das Reboot during a bewildering range of computer activities, from dialing an ISP and launching Microsoft Office apps to printing after upgrading drivers to simply copying files. Seemingly, XP blips on and off with no rhyme, reason, or common cause. But XP does reboot for a reason. Whenever the OS encounters a Stop Error--the kind that, in earlier editions of Windows, resulted in the dreaded blue screen of death--the system automatically reboots. According to Microsoft, such errors could place data at risk, so the OS generates an error message that reboots the system rather than continuing on and possibly corrupting data. Microsoft also refers to these sudden deaths as fatal system errors. The actual cause of the critical error, of course, could be almost anything, including incompatible software, an out-of-date BIOS [], or outdated drivers for computer components such as video cards, CD-RW drives, printers, or scanners.

Advice
The immediate, straightforward solution is to turn off the automatic-reboot function in Windows XP. The long-term fix, however, is more difficult. We'll walk you through both. Windows XP lets you specify how the OS handles critical errors. To change this setting, select Start > Control Panel > Settings > System (in the Classic-style Start menu, Control Panel is under Settings). Click Advanced > System And Recovery > Settings. In the System Failure section, clear the Automatically Restart check box, then click OK. While you're here, it's a good idea to shut off XP's irritating habit of asking whether you want to report every petty error to Microsoft. Click the Error Reporting button near the bottom right and check Disable Error Reporting. However, check the box next to "But notify me when critical errors occur." Click OK here and in the next dialog. Now when Windows XP encounters a Stop Error, it will simply display a message on the screen and won't automatically reboot. Ta-da! That's the easy part. The tough part is troubleshooting your PC to find the root cause of the errors. We could probably fill a book or two with troubleshooting tips, but, in the meantime, consider these basic fixes for some of the obvious culprits.

Device drivers
These small programs, which control internal and external components of the PC, such as the video card and printer, may be to blame. You can run into all kinds of trouble if drivers are missing or incompatible. Go to your device manufacturer's Web site and look for XP-compatible drivers. Download and install them.

Incompatible third-party software

These apps can cause critical OS errors, so search your software makers' sites for any available XP updates or patches. If no update exists, XP's Program Compatibility Wizard, part of XP's "Help and support center," may help you make an end run around old software. Step through the wizard, select the program that you think is the culprit from the list, and choose one of the offered OS compatibility modes. (If you upgraded to Windows XP and didn't have problems with the program before, pick the version from which you upgraded.)

Out-of-date BIOS chip

This chip in your PC's motherboard can also cause critical errors. Once again, check your PC manufacturer's Web site and look for BIOS updates that you can download and install or instructions on manually updating the BIOS. For another worthwhile resource, check Intel's Download center for BIOS updates of Intel microprocessors.

The mystery of the impossible start-up The nightmare

I can't start my system! For all I know, my Windows XP machine may be toast, but since I can't boot the computer, I'm in the dark. As a longtime Windows vet, I'm used to grabbing the boot disk I made, sticking it in the drive of a balky box, and rebooting the PC that way. But as far as I can tell, Windows XP won't boot from a floppy. Am I dreaming or what?

Analysis
It's true that Windows XP can't boot from a DOS disk (a start-up floppy for Windows 95, 98, and Me) because, unlike those older operating systems, it doesn't run on top of the ancient DOS foundation. Instead, like Windows 2000, XP runs on the Windows NT kernel and is completely independent of DOS. Fortunately, XP offers alternatives to the traditional DOS start-up disk. We'll outline two; one involves a CD, and the other a good ol' 3.5-inch floppy.

Advice
If you can't boot your PC, your first move should be to reach for your Windows XP Setup CD. That's the one that came with your computer or OS upgrade. Put that CD in the drive and turn on the computer. Most newer PCs boot from the CD-ROM drive, but you should check now to make sure yours does in case of a future crash. So, as a test, insert your Windows XP Setup CD and reboot the computer. If Setup starts, you're good to go. If not, you need to modify the computer's BIOS to make the PC boot from the CDROM drive. Fortunately, you can do this even if you can't launch Windows XP. Here's how. Turn on the computer and hold down the F2 key, which typically runs the BIOS setup. Look for the Boot menu option. If it doesn't show up, check the other screens; the boot order is often tucked away on an advanced settings page. Once you're at the Boot menu, follow the instructions, which vary, depending on the BIOS, to set the CD-ROM drive as the first device your PC uses to boot. Press F10 to save the changes and exit BIOS Setup. For a screenshot-filled, if grammatically challenged, description of this process, click here. With the BIOS setup behind you, insert the Windows XP Setup CD, turn on the PC, and when you see the Welcome To Setup message, press R to launch the Recovery Console. The Recovery Console (RC) looks and acts like DOS, but it's all XP. (Read this Microsoft Support article for more info on RC, including a full list of its commands.) You can also launch RC without wading into Setup; just insert the CD and type D:\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons, where D: is the drive letter of the CD drive. Only advanced and power users should try RC's features; get a Windows-savvy friend to help if you're clueless. If you're comfortable monkeying around, the Recovery Console lets you copy or replace crucial operating system files, disable or enable devices, and repair the file system boot sector or the Master Boot Record, either of which, if corrupted, will prevent XP from starting. Sure, RC can repair and resuscitate Windows XP, but what if you don't have the know-how to handle the Recovery Console and just want a down-and-dirty way to boot from a floppy? Microsoft does help you construct a 3.5-inch disk that will boot Windows XP, but you have to know where to look, and you'll need to

have the floppy available in your time of need. (There is a way to create such a floppy on another machine, but it's involved. More on that later.) To get started, format a blank 3.5-inch disk using Windows XP, then copy the following files to it: ntldr and ntdetect.com. You'll find them in the I386 folder on your hard drive: Also find and copy the boot.ini file from the root drive, usually C: drive. The boot.ini file may be tough to find, since it's a system file and is hidden from normal view. Even a search of the hard drive using Start/Find may not locate it. Here's how to make it visible so that you can copy it to the floppy. Use Control Panel > Folder Options > View, then clear the "Show hidden files and folders" box. Next, clear the check mark in the "Hide protected operating system files" box. Click OK. Using Windows Explorer or My Computer, navigate to the root drive, usually C: drive, typically labeled Local Disk in Explorer. Right-click the file named boot, which is the boot.ini file, and choose Send To and 3 Floppy to copy the file to the floppy disk you've been building. Label this disk--XP Start-up works nicely--and set it aside. When you need it, start your computer using the floppy, then log on to Windows XP as you normally would. For more information about creating an XP start-up floppy using a Windows 95, 98, or Me machine or using a different XP PC than the one you want to boot, head to this page at Microsoft Support's Web site.

The case of the completely incompatible The nightmare

I upgraded to Windows XP because everyone said it was more stable, but they forgot to tell me that a lot of my software and hardware wouldn't work with the new OS. Ninety percent of my software isn't compatible with XP, and I still can't get my scanner to work right, despite installing all kinds of patches.

Analysis
When we queried CNET readers about XP woes, tons of you screamed about hardware not functioning and software not working. Although the complaint crops up every time a new OS hits the street, it seems more pronounced this time. And there's a reason: Windows XP, like Windows 2000, runs on the Windows NT kernel and is a true 32-bit operating system. Older versions, including Windows 95, 98, and Millennium, relied on DOS. The difference is dramatic, with much bigger compatibility implications. But there are things you can do to put this nightmare behind you or, at least, mitigate its impact.

Advice
If you haven't yet upgraded to XP but are thinking about doing so, start with Microsoft's Upgrade Centers. There are two, one for XP Home, the other for XP Professional. Each lets you search the Microsoft Catalog, a listing of some XP-compatible hardware and software, as well as a link to the mammoth, 50MB download Upgrade Advisor , an app that sniffs through your PC and flags any potential hardware or software conflicts. Downloading the Advisor isn't practical if you have only a dial-up connection to the Net, but some computer resellers carry free Upgrade Advisor CDs.

Hardware
If you've already installed XP, you need a different plan of attack--it's too late for the proactive approach. Start first with Windows Update, the Microsoft service that examines your PC for any out-of-date components, then recommends OS updates and patches. Although Windows Update may suggest driver updates for your hardware, you should take these recommendations with a grain of salt. We've seen Windows recommend out-of-date drivers, and worse, unnecessary changes to drivers that worked just fine. Instead of downloading updates willy-nilly, visit the manufacturer Web sites for your PC and its internal components, particularly the video card, to see if any XP updates are available. Do the same for external hardware, such as printers, scanners, digital cameras, mice, and the like. To save yourself some time, use one of the Web's many collections of up-to-date drivers, such as Download.com's Drivers section, Drivers Planet, and WinDrivers. Some hardware, however, may never work properly under XP. We've heard tales of woe from several readers who had to give up their old printers or couldn't get their scanners to work. But don't throw in the towel quite yet. As a last-ditch effort, hunt for drivers that are specific to Windows 2000, which, being an older OS, is more likely to have revised drivers. Windows 2000 is a close cousin to XP, so a 2000 driver may do the trick.

Software
Incompatible software presents an even bigger bugaboo. Some apps, particularly antivirus and system maintenance suites made for earlier Windows editions, such as Norton SystemWorks, simply won't work with

XP. You must upgrade. Naturally, you'll want to check with the program's maker for available updates--free or otherwise--to make that old hoss hum in XP. But if you can't find an update, try the following tricks. If you're having trouble with a specific app, fire up XP's Program Compatibility Wizard, part of XP's Help and Support Center. After the wizard scans your system, pick the balky program from the list, then choose an OS compatibility mode , basically, a setting that emulates a prior version of Windows. If you don't know which version of Windows the software requires, we suggest you try Windows 98/Me first, and if that doesn't solve the problem, try the Windows 95 mode. To skip the wizard for a particular piece of incompatible software, right-click the program's executable file from within Windows Explorer, then choose Properties. Click the Compatibility tab, check the "Run this program in compatibility mode for:" box, and choose the OS from the drop-down menu. You can also monkey with the Display Settings options; some old programs want to work in 256-color mode, for instance. To finish, click OK. You may even be able to trick older DOS programs, which will most likely be ancient games that you still enjoy, by exploiting XP's Memory setting. Many older DOS games use the Expanded Memory Specification (EMS), which XP does not support by default. Right-click the executable file, choose Properties, then click the Memory tab. Under Expanded Memory, choose Auto from the drop-down list. If that doesn't work, you may need to try other EMS settings or dig out the DOS program's documentation to see if it says anything about memory settings. For more help with XP's compatibility settings and to hear from real users' experiences in getting their prehistoric programs to work under XP, check out the Web's best resource: Windows XP Software Compatibility Site (not affiliated with Microsoft). Others may have already solved your problem.