Troubleshooting

You can troubleshoot common (and not-so-common) issues with Windows XP. We're here to help.

I. How to Troubleshoot Hardware Problems with Device Manager:

Windows XP works with countless different printers, scanners, digital cameras, and other devices. It does so with the help of drivers, unique software programs that help your operating system communicate with individual pieces of hardware. If your computer starts to freeze, crash, or if a hardware device stops working, you can troubleshoot the problem with the Device Manager.

Device Manager shows you how the hardware on your computer is installed and configured, and how the hardware interacts with your computer's programs.

You'll typically use Device Manager to check the status of your hardware and update device drivers on your computer. Advanced users who have a thorough understanding of computer hardware might also use Device Manager's diagnostic features to resolve device conflicts and change resource settings.

Note :You may need to be logged on as an administrator or be a member of the Administrators group in order to use some or all of the features in Device Manager. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings may also prevent you from completing this procedure.

To access Device Manager:
•Right–click My Computer, click Manage, and then click Device Manager.

To view the status of a device:

1.Open Device Manager.

2.Double–click the type of device you want to view.

3.Right–click the specific device you want, and then click Properties.

4.On the General tab, under Device status is a description of the device status.

If the device is experiencing a problem, you’ll see the type of problem in the Device status box. You might also see a problem code and number and a suggested solution. If you call a support line, this number can be useful for determining and diagnosing the problem.

For information on how to resolve hardware device problems, click Troubleshoot to start the Hardware Troubleshooter.

To install a new driver from Device Manager:

1.Open Device Manager.

2.Double-click the type of device you want to update or change.

3.Right-click the specific device driver you want to update or change.

4.Click Update Driver to open the Hardware Update Wizard. Follow the wizard instructions.

Note:If you install a new driver and your system becomes unstable, you can easily uninstall the driver and reinstall the old driver with Driver Rollback. For more information, read How to Roll Back a Device Driver.

To uninstall a device:

1.Open Device Manager.

2.Double–click the type of device that you want to uninstall.

3.Right–click the specific device you want to uninstall, and then click Uninstall.

4.In the Confirm Device Removal dialog box, click OK.

When you're done uninstalling the device, turn off your computer, and remove the device from the computer.

Note :Many devices on the market today are Plug and Play, which means when you plug the device in your computer will recognize it and automatically prompt you to install the drivers you need. You won't usually use Device Manager to uninstall a Plug and Play device. Simply disconnect the Plug and Play device from your computer. You might have to restart your computer. Check the device manufacturer's instructions for more information.

Product documentation:

For further information about using Device Manager, see the Windows XP documentation. To access documentation while using Device Manager, press F1 on your keyboard to go directly to the Device Manager section.


II. Automatic Updates Fix Compatibility Problems:

Keeping Your System Current:

Updating an operating system when you install new drivers, add new hardware or software, or encounter setup or security bugs can be a major problem for the user and the OS vendor. For the user, it often means sorting through a bewildering list of patches to figure out which one you need, and then determining what other patches to apply (and in what order) before you can apply the original one. The OS vendor has the problem of supporting this less-than-friendly process. Not only does it need to deliver the right patches to the people who need them, but it also needs to integrate them into the OS installation media and documentation. Windows XP includes two new features that make this process essentially painless for the user and for those who support the user—Dynamic Update and Automatic Updates. Dynamic Update occurs during setup, and the Automatic Update feature works to get updates into the system after it's up and running.

Dynamic Update:

Dynamic Update is a new feature built into Windows XP Setup that automatically checks for new drivers, compatibility updates, and security fixes while Windows XP is being installed. All that's required is that you have a working connection to the Internet. During installation you can choose to have Dynamic Update check for updates: then it automatically downloads any device or application updates and uses these replacement files instead of the files on the installation CD, ensuring that you've got the latest updates available.

By updating your installation files on the fly, Windows XP can quickly integrate new, certified device drivers, critical security fixes, and compatibility updates, which ensures that the system you install doesn't immediately need to be patched and that your brand new video card is recognized and supported just as soon as there are certified drivers available for it. Dynamic Update is an important step in making computers more reliable and easier to use.

Automatic Update Feature:

While Dynamic Update works during the initial installation of Windows XP, the Automatic Update feature works after installation to ensure that critical security and compatibility updates are made available for installation automatically—without significantly impacting your regular Internet use.

Automatic Updates work in the background when you are connected to the Internet to identify when new updates are available and download them to your computer. The download is managed so that it doesn't impact your Web surfing, and will pick up where it left off if the download is interrupted. When you install Windows XP, you'll be prompted to set up Automatic Updates (see the notification settings in Figure 1), and you can choose your options:

•Automatically download the updates and then be prompted to install them. This is the default, and recommended for most users.
•Notify you before downloading, and then notify again after they're downloaded before installing. This option makes sense for users who travel and want to control when they perform the download.
•Disable AutoUpdate.

Notification settings:

When the download has completed, you'll be notified that it's available and be prompted to install the update. You can install it then, get more details about what's included in the update, or let Windows XP remind you about it later. Some installations may require you to reboot, but some will not. Click the Details button to see what's in the update, and if a reboot is required. Even if a reboot is required for the update to be activated, you'll control when the reboot happens.

Automatic update notification:

The real beauty of AutoUpdate is that it's painless. You don't have to do anything until the update is downloaded to your computer and available, and the actual installation is almost equally painless.

Windows Update:

Finally, a word on Windows Update, the online update system that is included with Windows XP. When you add new hardware in Windows XP and Plug and Play can't find a driver locally, it searches Windows Update for a driver if you're connected to the Internet. If you're not connected, it even prompts you to connect. It also searches for updates for your computer's operating system and software. Be sure to install any Critical Updates: they're designed to protect your computer from known security problems. Here's how Windows Update works:

1.When you enter Windows Update, click Scan for updates.

2.Browse through the available updates in each category, and click Add to select the update of your choice. You can also read a full description of each item by clicking the Read more link.

3.When you have selected all the updates you want, click Review and install updates, and then click Install Now.

Note: Some updates may require that you restart your computer. Save your work and close any open programs before beginning the installation process.


III. Restore Your Computer's Performance with Windows XP:

If your computer seems slower than it used to be, it probably is. My one-year old Dell laptop is much slower now than when it was new. Over time, computers get slower for a variety of reasons: files become disorganized, unnecessary software consumes resources, unused network drives slow startup, or too many programs automatically run at startup. Larger, serious issues can dramatically slow your computer's performance too. You may have a virus or need to troubleshoot problems by clean booting.

Fortunately, Windows XP includes tools to clean your computer and restore its performance. As I write this column, I'll be cleaning up my own computer and explaining how its performance improves. I'll cover Backup, Disk Cleanup, Disk Defragmenter, Add or Remove Programs, and the System Configuration tool.

Back Up First:

Back up your computer before you run any system tools or do any troubleshooting. This is not just an over-cautious warning. Some of the steps I recommend in this column can cause pre-existing but hidden problems to surface, which may keep your computer from starting. Windows XP includes Backup, a tool that helps you protect your data.

To open the Backup or Restore Wizard:

• Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Backup.

For information on how to use this tool, see Ed Bott's column, Backup Made Easy and the Microsoft Knowledge Base article, How to Use Backup to Restore Files and Folders on Your Computer in Windows XP.

Before I make any changes, I'm going to time my computer to see how long it takes to restart. That way I know which of the changes helps the most. My computer took about three minutes to shut down, restart, and then open my e-mail client and browser. Of course, I hope to improve the computer's overall performance, but the time it takes to restart is easiest to measure.

Clear Out Forgotten Programs:

The first step in tuning up your computer's performance is to remove any unnecessary programs. I install new programs all the time. Sometimes I'm thrilled with the new program and I continue to use it. Other times, it doesn't do what I hoped, and the program sits on my computer consuming resources and hurting performance.

Follow these steps to remove unneeded programs:

1.Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

2.Click Add or Remove Programs.

3.Scroll through the list and examine each program. Windows XP lists how often you use a program and what day you last started it. As shown in Figure 1, the Age of Mythology Trial is a good candidate for removal from my computer. Though I liked the game, I haven't used it recently and it's consuming a lot of disk space. You shouldn't remove anything labeled as an Update or Hotfix, however, because they improve the security of your computer.

4.Click each program you no longer need, click the Remove button, and then follow the prompts to uninstall it.

You may have to restart your computer after removing a program. After your computer restarts, repeat the steps above to remove more programs.

Free Up Wasted Space:

Removing unused programs is a great way to free up disk space, which will speed up your computer. Another way to find wasted disk space is to use the Disk Cleanup tool by following these steps:

1.Open My Computer, right-click Local Disk, and then click Properties.

2.On the General tab, click the Disk Cleanup button. Disk Cleanup will spend a few minutes examining your disk.

3.The Disk Cleanup dialog box opens. As you can see in Figure 2, it found almost three gigs of space on my computer that it could free up!

4.Select the desired check boxes in the Files to Delete list, and then click OK. Disk Cleanup will spend several minutes clearing space.

5.If you have more than one hard disk, repeat this process for each hard disk listed in My Computer.

You can save yourself some time by automating the disk cleanup process. For more information, read the Microsoft Knowledge Basic article, How to Automate the Disk Cleanup Tool in Windows XP.

Defragment Your Computer:

I hate newspaper articles that start on the front page but continue somewhere in the middle of the newspaper. I could get through the article much faster if it was printed on consecutive pages like a magazine article. Files on your computer can either be fragmented like a newspaper, or unfragmented like a magazine. Over time, more and more files become fragmented. When a file is fragmented, it takes longer for the computer to read it because it has to skip to different sections of the hard disk—just like it takes me a few seconds to find a page in the middle of a newspaper.

You need administrator privileges to defragment a drive or volume. Although fragmentation is complicated, it's easy to defragment your computer by following these steps:

1.Open My Computer, right-click Local Disk, and then click Properties.

2.On the Tools tab, click Defragment Now. The Disk Defragmenter opens.

3.Click your first hard disk, and then click Defragment. As shown in Figure 4, Disk Defragmenter will work for at least several minutes, though it may take several hours.

4.If you have more than one hard disk, repeat this process for each hard disk listed starting at Step 3.

My laptop's files were not terribly fragmented, so defragmenting them didn't speed it up much. However, after defragmenting the hard drive on my desktop computer, Windows and other programs started about 20% faster!

Disconnect Unused Network Connections:

If you've ever had a network with more than one computer, you probably found it useful to share files between the computers by mapping a network drive. Network drives allow one computer to read and write files to another computer's hard disk as if it were directly connected. I use network drives all the time, and for me, they were the most significant source of slowness.

The problem with network drives is that Windows XP will attempt to connect to the network drives when Windows starts. If the remote computers don't respond immediately, Windows will wait patiently. Additionally, some programs will attempt to connect to the network drives when you browse for files and folders. If you've ever tried to open a file and had to wait several seconds (or minutes!), it's probably because the program was trying to establish a network connection—even if the file you are opening is on your local computer.

I am not as patient as Windows, and I'd rather not wait for unused network connections to respond. To reduce this problem, disconnect any unused drives by following these steps:

1.Open My Computer.

2.On the Tools menu, click Disconnect Network Drive.

3.Select the network drives that you no longer need, and then click OK.

After I disconnected the network drives on my computer, my computer was able to restart in 1 minute, 45 seconds—about 40% faster!

Remove Autostart Programs:

The next step in restoring your computer's performance is to identify any unnecessary programs that start automatically. Often, programs configure themselves to run in the background so that they appear to start quickly when needed. Some of these programs show an icon on your taskbar to let you know that they're running, while others are completely hidden. These autostart programs probably won't noticeably slow down your computer as it starts up, but they will steal away trace amounts of memory and processing time as your computer runs.

Windows XP comes with the System Configurationtool (Msconfig.exe), an excellent way to manage the startup process. To start it:

1.Click Start, click Run, type Msconfig, and then press Enter.

2.On the Startup tab, you'll see a list of all the programs and processes that are set to run when Windows XP loads.

3.Speed up your overall start time by clearing the check box next to any item you think you don't need.

4.Click Apply, and then restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

My favorite way to examine autostart programs is to use the Autoruns freeware tool from Sysinternals. Autoruns lists every program that will automatically start and allows you to quickly delete the link to the program. Many autostart entries are important parts of Windows XP, including Userinit.exe and Explorer.exe. So you should not simply delete everything that you don't recognize. Instead, you should look up each entry at Paul Collins' Startup Applications List to determine whether you want it to start automatically.

For example, Figure 5 shows Autoruns revealing a file called nwiz.exe that is set to start automatically. I visited The Startup Applications List, typed in nwiz and discovered that it's used to set my desktop layout preferences. I'd like to keep this functionality, so I won't delete it.

I also found a file named Wzqkpick.exe. After reading the description at The Startup Applications List, I decided I don't need to load that file automatically. I deleted the link using Autoruns by right-clicking it and then clicking Delete. This procedure works best for advanced users of Windows XP. If you aren't sure a program is unneeded—leave it!

The Startup Applications List may provide instructions for removing the startup program. If available, you should follow those instructions instead of deleting the link by using Autoruns.

How to Fix Bigger Problems:

Many of the Windows XP Performance and Maintenance newsgroup users are experiencing serious, sudden performance problems. One day, their computer was fine and the next it was painfully slow. This type of problem is often caused by a computer virus or failing computer hardware. The suggestions in this article probably won't fix those types of problems. Instead, perform a virus scan on your computer. If that's not the issue, you should contact your computer vendor's technical support team for additional assistance. The troubleshooting process for this type of problem requires the knowledge to examine the computer's performance on a process-by-process basis, and usually includes a "process of elimination" phase where drivers, services, and hardware are removed/replaced one-by-one until the problem disappears. There's a very good chance that the computer won't start at all at some point in this process, so it's best to have support during the process.

Searching for "Windows XP Performance" on the Internet turns up a large number of performance tweaks. Some of these are useful, but most should not be attempted unless you understand exactly what you are doing. In particular, many of the tweaks that claim to improve your performance may only help under very specific circumstances. For example, in our own Windows XP Performance and Maintenance newsgroup, one user recommended disabling Internet Connection Firewall to solve a performance problem. Even if this did improve performance, it would leave the computer vulnerable to attacks from the Internet. I'd rather have a slightly slower computer than a hacked computer!

IV.Using Microsoft Online Crash Analysis:

If you experiment with beta software or bleeding-edge hardware, you've probably experienced an error that Windows XP is willing to call "serious." The message shown in Figure 1 appears when Windows XP has been forced to take drastic measures to protect your computer. If you choose to report the problem, technical information about the problem is collected and sent to Microsoft over the Internet. This is called error reporting.

If you have an Internet connection, you can report program errors and system errors to Microsoft. If an application experiences an error that it is not prepared to handle, Windows XP stops the application and prompts you to send an error report. If a piece of hardware or the software that communicates with the hardware (the driver) tries to do something that could corrupt your computer, Windows XP shows you a blue screen and restarts the computer. In the case of system errors, the message shown below in Figure 1 appears after your computer restarts. Then you're given the chance to track the error report using the Microsoft Online Crash Analysis (MOCA) Web site.
Uh-oh. It's time to visit the Microsoft Online Crash Analysis Web site

This column explains what's in error reports, where they go, and how they are used. If you don't play with new technologies and haven't run into error reporting, you may still be interested in finding out more about the Microsoft bug-fixing processes.
What an Error Report Contains

If you do see an error message, you should make sure you're connected to the Internet and then click the Send Error Report button. Windows XP puts together a short message that describes the error you experienced, along with other information that helps Microsoft support personnel identify and resolve the problem. That message is then encrypted and sent across the Internet to Microsoft. For more information, see Error Report Contents Information.

The information in the error report contains general Windows XP data such as your operating system version and language, and the type of failure that occurred. Depending on the type of failure, more detailed technical information about the cause of the problem may also be included to enable software developers to analyze it.

By default, error reporting is turned on in Windows XP. See the Knowledge Base article, How to Configure and Use Error Reporting in Windows XP, for more information.

How Microsoft Uses Error Reports:

Microsoft gathers the error reports that customers send, analyzes them, and uses the aggregate information to determine which problems are causing the most suffering. Steve Ballmer points out in Connecting with Customers that about 80% of problems are caused by 20% of bugs. The error reporting information enables Microsoft developers to identify the most serious bugs and resolve them first. So, if you submit your error reports, there's a better chance that the bug that caused your error will be fixed in the future.

Immediately after you choose to send your error report, you will be taken to the Microsoft Online Crash Analysis (MOCA) Web site. In most cases, you can see details about the type of error that you've experienced before you send the report to MOCA. After you send the report, a response from MOCA will include steps to help solve the problem and sometimes a link to updated drivers. Depending on the specific error, it may even suggest a way to prevent it from happening in the future. For example, if you experience an error while using Windows XP and choose to send the error report, MOCA will analyze it. If MOCA determines that the error was caused by a problem that was resolved by an updated device driver, MOCA will provide a link to the Microsoft Update Web site.

The screen shown in Figure 2 shows the results of the MOCA analysis after I had an error while using a new piece of hardware. MOCA correctly identified the problem as being related to the device driver, and provided a link where I could download an updated driver.
Microsoft Online Crash Analysis can tell you what went wrong and how to prevent it

Track Your Error Report:

If you experienced a blue screen, you will be given the option to use MOCA to track the error. It's a good idea to track the errors, because you can return to the Microsoft Online Crash Analysis site later to see if a problem has been fixed, as shown in Figure 3. Since MOCA uses the .NET Passport to identify you, Microsoft support personnel can even contact you if they need more information. Although you can send error reports after an application fails to have your error analyzed by MOCA, you can only track error reports using Microsoft Online Crash Analysis if the problem resulted in a blue screen, which is also known as a stop error.
Tracking your errors is a great way to prepare for a call to technical support.

If your problem was caused by a non-Microsoft component, such as a hardware device driver created by a third-party, you should still send the error report. MOCA analyzes these errors, too. The data that MOCA collects is forwarded on to the company responsible for the driver, so that they can resolve the problem you're having. Depending on the manufacturer, you may even be able to download the updated drivers using Microsoft Update after the manufacturer has fixed the problem. For more information about how hardware and software vendors and Microsoft partners use this data, see the Windows Quality Online Services: Advantages of Using Windows Error Reporting.

Note: If MOCA tells you that the problem was caused by a device driver, it's probably caused by a piece of hardware that you've recently installed or upgraded. To get the most up-to-date driver, visit Microsoft Update or the manufacturer's Web site.

Addresses Privacy Issues:

Microsoft goes to great lengths to protect your privacy when you submit error reports. The error report does contain a small portion of the contents of your computer's memory and the address your computer uses to connect to the Internet. However, Microsoft will never track the error report back to you personally—unless you specifically choose to track the error report. Further, Microsoft carefully guards this error reporting information, and only individuals actively working on fixing problems have access to the information. For more information, see Error Report Privacy Information.

Tired of Seeing Error Report Messages?

A friend of mine once covered up the Check Engine light on his dashboard because he was tired of seeing it lit up. Obviously, this was a bad idea, because hiding the notification of a problem only serves to ensure it won't be fixed. Sending error reports is one of the most important things you can do for the health of your computer. The more error reports Microsoft receives for a particular problem, the more likely it is the problem will be fixed. However, if you've got a problem that keeps appearing and you'd rather brush it under the carpet, you can turn off error reporting so it doesn't prompt you anymore by following these steps:

1.Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.

2.On the Advanced tab, click Error Reporting.

3.Click Disable error reporting and clear the But notify me when critical errors occur check box.

I hope you never have a serious problem with Windows XP, but if you do, you should send in your error report. If the problem has already been resolved, you'll get instructions for fixing it. If the problem hasn't been fixed, you'll let the folks at Microsoft know that there's a problem. Submitting your error report may even result in Microsoft releasing an update to solve your problem!