Windows built-in

troubleshooting tools

Windows Utility tools

Windows utilities are protecting the
PC from sluggishness.
Therefore it is advisable to use them
in a week once.
Used to troubleshoot minor errors
that occur within the operating
system.

troubleshooting tools and resources

are the following

CHKDSK ( Check Disk)

Scan disk(SCANDISK)
Disk clean up
Disk defragmenter
System Information(Msinfo32.exe)
Device manager
DirectX Diagnostic Tool (dxdiag)
Dr. Watson (debugging program)
Program Compatibility Wizard
System Configuration Utility(msconfig.exe)
System restore
Event Viewer
Sfc/scannow
Windows Registry
Back up-----notes to be added

Scan Disk (Check Disk)

You can use the Windows SCANDISK
utility to correct problems with
corrupt files
disk errors
CHKDSK can be used as a commandline tool, or is available through the
Windows GUI
Here is a list of the switches you can
use with CHKDSK:

 /f
CHKDSK attempts to fix any errors that it finds.
/v
On a FAT or FAT32 file system volume, CHKDSK will display the
name and full path of every file on the disk. On an NTFS
volume, this switch displays relevant information on any actions
CHKDSK performs.
/r
CHKDSK attempts to locate bad sectors and recover any
readable data from them.
/x
Attempts to dismount the volume you want CHKDSK to scan.
This switch will not work on the boot volume (the volume that
contains the Windows operating files).
/i
Forces CHKDSK to use a less complex scan of index entries,
which reduces the amount of time CHKDSK takes to run. This
switch is relevant for NTFS volumes only.
/c
Similar to the /i switch; it forces CHKDSK to skip over verifying
the cycles in the folder structure of the volume being scanned.

There is a version of CHKDSK you can run from

within the Windows GUI. Double-click My Computer
or select it from the Start Menu, and right-click on
the volume you want to scan. Click Properties,
select the Tools tab, and click Check Now

From here, you can select three options:

1. Run CHKDSK in read-only mode (finds
errors but doesn't repair them) by clicking
Start.
2. Run CHKDSK with the Automatically Fix File
System Errors check box selected. This is
the equivalent of running CHKDSK with
the /f switch.
3. Run CHKDSK with the Scan For And
Attempt Recovery Of Bad Sectors check box
selected. This is the equivalent of running
CHKDSK with the /r switch.

Disk Clean UP
Hard disk is full of trash. You never see that a window
keeps for you. Here are a few examples.
Files in the recycle bin: temporally deleted files
Temporary internet Files: when you are using
internet.
Downloaded Program files: your system always
keeps a copy of
any Java ActiveX applets that it downloads.
Temporary Files: many applications create temporary
files that are supposed to be deleted when the
application closed. For one reason or the other these
temporary files are not deleted. The locations of these
files are always reside in a folder called TEMP. Removing
these unnecessary files has a great roll on the speed of
the computer. To do so, follow the following steps.

open My computer
right click on the drive(partition)
Click properties
Click General tab
Click Disk Clean Up Button
Or
Startprogramsaccessoriessystem
tools disk clean up

Disk Defragmenter
Information stored on hard drives using the
Windows file
systems FAT 32 and NTFS are prone to file
fragmentation.
As data are added to the drive, they are written
sequentially
on the drive platters; as information is accessed and
edited,
however, parts of the files are moved out of
sequence.
Defragmenting the drive improves read
performance.

Steps to defrag hard disk:

1. click Start _ My Computer.
2. Right-click the drive you want to
defrag, which will most likely be the C
drive.
3. Select Properties.
4. The Local Disk (C :) Properties box will
open. Click the Tools tab.
5. Under Defragmentation, click the
Defragment Now button.
6. Click Analyze.

Windows XP System
Information (Msinfo32.exe)
System Information collects system
information, such as
devices that are installed in your
computer
device drivers that are loaded in your
computer
provides a menu for displaying the
associated system topics

System Summary
The System Summary category provides a general
profile of your computer. This information includes:
The version of Windows
OEM System Information (manufacturer, model,
and type)
The type of central processing unit (CPU)
The amount of memory and system resources
BIOS version
Locale
Time zone
computer is configured to log into a domain)
Boot device (if multiple devices are present on the
computer)
The path to the Page file

To start Microsoft System

Information, use either of the
following methods:

1. Click Start, point to Programs, point

to Accessories, point to System
Tools, and then click System
Information.
2. Click Start, click Run, type
msinfo32.exe in the Open box, and
then click OK.

System restore
Start Programs Accessories
System Tools System Restore
This wizard helps to restore system to
the chosen restore point of the user.
The system asks for date and time of
last good configuration that the system
was performing well. The user have the
option of selecting the date and clicks
next.
The system restores the files and then
the computer restarts automatically.

Device manager
Device Manager provides a graphical view of the
hardware that is installed on the computer, as
well as the device drivers and resources
associated with that hardware
To access Device Manager, use any of the
following methods:
Click Start, click Run, and then type
devmgmt.msc.
Right-click My Computer, click Manage, and then
click Device Manager.
Right-click My Computer, click Properties, click
the Hardware tab, and then click Device
Manager.

Device Manager allows the following

functionality
Determine if the hardware on your computer is
working properly.
Change hardware configuration settings.
Identify the device drivers that are loaded for
each device and obtain information about each
device driver.
Change advanced settings and properties for
devices.
Install updated device drivers.
Disable, enable, and uninstall devices.
Reinstall the previous version of a driver.
Identify device conflicts and manually
configure resource settings.
Print a summary of the devices that are
installed on your computer.

Working with device

manager

After you get the device manager a list of

devices appears.
If a device has problems, the device has a
red cross(X) point next to it(i.e disabled
device)
If a device is unknown (usually because of
missing drivers), the device has a yellow
question mark (?) next to it.

identifying the error codes and finds

the solution.
Code 1
This device is not configured correctly. (Code 1)
Cause
The device has no drivers installed on your
computer, or the drivers are configured incorrectly.

Recommended resolution
Update the driver
You may be prompted to provide the path of the
driver. Windows may have the driver built-in, or may
still have the driver files installed from the last time
that you set up the
device. If you are asked for the driver and you do
not have it, you can try to download the latest driver
from the hardware vendors Web site.

Code 3
The driver for this device might be corrupted,
or your system may be running low on
memory or other resources. (Code 3)

Recommended resolutions
Here are some things that you can try to
resolve this problem.
Close some open applications
If the computer has insufficient memory
to run the device, you can close some
applications to make memory available.
You can also check memory and system
resources, and the virtual memory
settings.

Uninstall and reinstall the driver

The device driver may have become
corrupted. If the driver is corrupted,
uninstall the driver from Device
Manager and scan for new hardware
to install the driver again.
Install additional RAM
You may have to install additional
random access memory (RAM).

Code 14
This device cannot work properly
until you restart your computer.
(Code 14)
Recommended resolution
Restart your computer
Click Start, click Shut Down, and then
select Restart in the Shut Down
Windows dialog box to restart the
computer.

Code 22
This device is disabled. (Code 22)
Recommended resolution
Enable the device by using Device
Manager.
In Device Manager, click Action, and
then click Enable Device. This starts
the Enable Device wizard. Follow the
instructions.

System Configuration
Utility(msconfig.exe)
allows you to configure a number of
Windows startup variables.
To permanently remove or turn off
programs or services that run at
startup
To access the System Configuration
Utility from the Start menu, select
Run, and enter MSCONFIG.

 Using the Microsoft System Configuration

Utility to manually set startup variables.

Program Compatibility
Wizard
is used as a workaround for compatibility issues with a
program that was released for an earlier version of
Windows that has trouble functioning under Windows XP.
The Program Compatibility Wizard can be launched from
the Start menu by choosing All Programs, Accessories.
Alternatively, you can right-click on a program's launch
file or shortcut, select Properties, and then click on the
Compatibility tab.
You can choose to run a program in one of the following
Windows compatibility modes for Windows 95, 98, Me,
NT4.0 (SP5), and 2000. The Program Compatibility
Wizard also offers three display options for older
programs:
Run in 256 Colors
Run in 640x480 Screen Resolution
Disable Visual Themes

DirectX Diagnostic Tool

(DXDIAG.EXE)
tells you which version of DirectX is
installed on your system.
displays information regarding the
various DirectX-related drivers, and
provides a series of user-initiated
diagnostic tests you can use to determine
if DirectX and the hardware devices it
interacts with are functioning normally.
To launch it, go to the Start menu, select
Run, and type DXDIAG.EXE.

Dr. Watson (debugging

program)
is a software debugging program that, in the event of
an application crash, writes debugging information to a log
file that can be used by a programmer or software technical
support expert to troubleshoot the application.
the system failure or "crash" analysis tool
You can set Windows to report problems and check for
solutions automatically
To view the Dr. Watson setup dialog box from the Start
menu, select Run, type DRWTSN32

Event Viewer
Event Viewer is an advanced tool that displays
detailed information about significant events on
your computer. It can be helpful when troubleshooting
problems and errors with Windows and other programs.
To start Event Viewer, log in as an administrator (or
equivalent) and go to Start Programs Administrative
Tools Event Viewer. From here, you can view the
System, Application, and Security log files:
Event Viewer shows system events which have been
logged over the past several boots. Errors will be flagged
with an error icon that looks like this, and warnings have
l
.
Right click an item in the list, and select Properties from
the pop up menu to see a description of what the error or
warning is about. Often you can find an error which
corresponds to a problem you are having with your
computer such as slow booting.

Windows log includes:

Application log
The Application log contains events logged by applications or
programs. For example, a database program might record a file
error in the application log. Program developers decide which
events to log.
Security log
The Security log contains events such as valid and invalid logon
attempts, as well as events related to resource use, such as
creating, opening, or deleting files or other objects.
Administrators can specify what events are recorded in the
security log. For example, if you have enabled logon auditing,
attempts to log on to the system are recorded in the security log.
Setup log
The Setup log contains events related to application setup.
System log
The System log contains events logged by Windows system
components. For example, the failure of a driver or other system
component to load during startup is recorded in the system log.
The event types logged by system components are
predetermined by Windows.

sfc /Scannow - System File

Checker
Type this command into the Start, Run
box, and hit the Ok button with your
mouse to start the System File Checker,
which verifies all system files, and
replaces them from the system files
cache if they are found to be of the
incorrect version. This can replace
files replaced by virus infections, or
other problems.

The Windows registry

The Windows XP Registry is the central

repository in which Windows and most
Windows applications store configuration
information, such as
hardware settings
software configuration
licensing and registration data
associations between filename extensions
and applications, and user preferences.

Editing the Registry

You can use Registry Editor to add and edit
registry keys and values, restore the
registry from a backup or to default
values, and to import or export keys for
reference or backup.
displays a representation of the Registry using
an interface that is similar to the familiar layout
of folders and files as viewed through Windows
Explorer.
To run it, click Start, Run and enter regedit.

Backing Up the Registry

It is highly advisable to back up the registry
before editing so that incorrect changes can be
undone
To back up the Registry, choose the Export
Registry File command under the Registry menu
(or File Export in later versions). This command
allows you to save the Registry file to
a backup media. You can restore it later by
choosing the import Registry File command under
the Registry menu.