A+ Guide to Managing and

Maintaining Your PC, 7e

Chapter 16
Fixing Windows Problems
 Objectives

• Learn what to do when a hardware device,

application, or Windows component gives a problem
• Learn what to do when Windows Vista won’t boot or
boots with errors
• Learn strategies that you can use to solve problems
with Windows 2000/XP startup

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 2

 Fixing Problems Caused By Hardware

• Steps to determine device causing a problem

– Research an error messages
– Use the Vista Problem Reports and Solutions window
or the XP Error Reporting window
– Check logs in Event Viewer
– Check the Reliability and Performance Monitor
– Consider recent changes

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 3

 Fixing Problems Caused By Hardware
(cont’d.)
• Steps to discover the problem source
– Check simple things first
– Ensure Device Manager recognizes device with no
errors or warnings
– Verify BIOS setup recognizes device with no errors

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 4

 Fixing Problems Caused By Hardware
(cont’d.)

• Solving a problem with a device driver or service

– Update device drivers
– Update Windows
– Try moving device to a different port or connector
– Try reinstalling device
– Try moving device to a different computer
– Use System Restore

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 5

 Fixing Problems Caused By Hardware
(cont’d.)

• Solving a problem with a device driver or service

(cont’d.)
– Check manufacturer’s documentation
– Search the Internet for help
– Boot into Safe Mode
– Use System File Checker
– Consider application using the device
– Replace device

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 6

 Fixing Problems Caused By
Applications

• Steps to find the problem source and fix it

– Interview user and back up data
– Ask user to reproduce problem while you watch
– Use Task Manager to end a process not responding
– Try a reboot
– Suspect a virus causing a problem
– Allow Windows to provide a solution

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 7

 Fixing Problems Caused By
Applications (cont’d.)

• Steps to find the problem source and fix it (cont’d.)

– Windows update might solve the problem
– Download updates or patches for the application
– Use the application setup to repair the installation
– Consider data corruption
– Try restoring default settings
– Uninstall and reinstall application
– Use System Restore

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 8

 Fixing Problems Caused By
Applications (cont’d.)
• Steps to take if application never worked
– Run application as administrator
– Install application as administrator
– Consider whether an older application having
compatibility problems with Vista
• Windows Vista Compatibility Center
• Try running application in compatibility mode
– Verify application digitally signed

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 9

 Fixing Problems Caused By
Applications (cont’d.)
• Considerations to determine if problem is caused by
other applications, services, Windows, or hardware
– Another application might be interfering
– Use the Services console
– Might be low on system resources
– Verify Windows system files
– Problem might be bad memory
– Use Event Viewer to look for clues

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 10

 Fixing Problems Caused By
Applications (cont’d.)
• Considerations to determine if problem is caused by
other applications, services, Windows, or hardware
(cont’d.)
– Use the Reliability Monitor to look for clues
– Use the Chkdsk command to check hard drive
– Run application in Safe Mode with Networking

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 11

 Troubleshooting Vista Startup

• Three startup stages of the boot

– Stage 1: Before the progress bar
– Stage 2: After the progress bar and before logon
– Stage 3: After logon

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 12

 Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears
• Check with user
– Verify important data location
– Verify data backed up
• Attempt to copy data to safe location if possible
• Progress bar not showing
– Portions of Vista kernel, critical drivers, and services
not yet started
• Indicates problem with hardware or startup files
• Failing hardware may include: power supply,
motherboard, CPU, memory, hard drive, video, or
keyboard

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 13

 Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Is the screen blank?
– Absolutely nothing on the screen
• Verify system power, monitor is plugged in and on
– Suspect no power to system
• Verify system not in standby mode or hibernation
– Monitor totally without lights
• Check monitor power
– Monitor LED light lit
• Reboot, check monitor power, and that it is on
– Trade monitor for a good one

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 14

 Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Does the computer appear to have power?
– Can’t hear spinning drive or see lights on case front
• Suspect electrical system
• Check power connections and switches
• May have bad power supply
• Loose connections inside case

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 15

 Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Does an error message appear before Vista starts?
– BIOS displays error message on-screen if problems
• Uses beeps if video not working
– On-screen messages for nonessential hardware
• Try to bypass error by pressing a key and moving
forward in the boot
– On-screen messages for essential hardware
• Focus attention on the error message, beep code, and
voice message describing problem

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 16

 Figure 16-10 This error message at POST indicates a hardware problem
Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 17

 Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Can startup BIOS access the hard drive?
– Possible messages
• Hard drive not found
• Fixed disk error
• Disk boot failure, insert system disk and press enter
• No boot device available
– Check for physical problem
• Drive, data cable, power, motherboard
– Verify BIOS detected drive correctly
• Turn on autodetection and reboot
– Power down system, unplug it, and physically inspect

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 18

 Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Can startup BIOS access the hard drive? (cont’d.)
– BIOS found hard drive, but could not read drive or find what it
needed
• Invalid boot disk
• Inaccessible boot device
• Invalid drive specification
• Invalid partition table
• No operating system found, missing operating system, or
error loading operating system
• Could not find bootmgr or bootmgr missing
– Boot from Windows Vista setup DVD

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 19

 Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)

• Use BIOS setup to set the boot sequence

– Access BIOS setup utility
– Find screen to change boot sequence
– Make sure DVD drive listed before hard drive
• Force system to boot from Windows Vista setup DVD
– Save settings and exit BIOS setup

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 20

 Figure 16-11 Verify that the boot sequence looks to the DVD
drive before it checks the hard drive for an operating system
Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning
A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 21
 Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Can you boot from the Vista setup DVD?
– If not then study error messages, and solve
immediate hardware problem
• Hard drive and optical drive might have failed
• Try floppy drive with DOS or Windows 9x floppy disk
• Successful boot from floppy indicates problem with both
the hard drive and DVD drive
– If able to boot from Vista DVD
• Windows logon screen appears
• Problem isolated to the hard drive

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 22

 Figure 16-12 Select your language preference
Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 23

 Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Can Windows RE find the Vista installation?
– Launch Windows RE
• Windows RE attempts to locate Vista installation on the hard
drive
– If Windows RE cannot locate the installation, but BIOS setup
recognizes the drive
• Drive partitions and file systems might be corrupted
– If Windows RE does locate the installation
• Problem likely limited to corrupted or missing system files or
drivers
– Attempt fixes: restart system after each step

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 24

 Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Can Windows RE find the Vista installation? (cont’d.)
– Run Startup Repair
• Sometimes fixes drastic problems with system files, boot
records
– Run System Restore
• Process won’t help if file system corrupted
– Restart system and launch Advanced Boot Options menu
• No boot menu: problem may be corrupted boot sector
• Boot menu appears: probable BCD file or other startup file
problem

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 25

 Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Can Windows RE find the Vista installation?
(cont’d.)
– Restart system, launch Advanced Boot Options menu
(cont’d.)
• If boot menu appears: enable boot logging and reboot
• Check boot log (\Windows\ntbtlog.txt) for the last entry
• Might indicate which system file missing or corrupt
– If boot menu does not appear:
• Return to Windows RE, launch command prompt
window, and attempt to repair boot sector

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 26

 Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Can Windows RE find the Vista installation?
(cont’d.)
– If boot menu does appear:
• Return to Windows RE, launch command prompt
window, and attempt to repair the BCD file
– Try to repair corrupted file system
• Use command prompt window and chkdsk c: /r
command
– When startup files missing or corrupt
• Vista may display an error message

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 27

 Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)

• Can Windows RE find the Vista installation?

(cont’d.)
– Use command prompt window to access drive C
• Get to C prompt: use DIR command to list folders and
files
• Good list: check log file for clues
• Not a good list: most likely Vista installation destroyed
beyond repair
• Make every effort to copy data to another media

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 28

 Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Options to recover from a corrupted Vista installation
– Option 1: Complete PC backup available
• Restore system to last backup
– Option 2: Complete PC backup not available and data backups
available on hard drive
• Install Windows Vista, format hard drive during installation,
install all applications again, restore data
– Option 3: Complete PC backup and data backup not available
• Try to copy data to removable device and reinstall Windows
Vista

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 29

 Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Steps to reinstall Windows Vista when OS refuses to
boot and important data on the drive
– Boot from Vista DVD, select language, select Install
now from opening menu
• Follow directions on-screen to install the OS
– Enter product key and accept license agreement
• Select Custom (advanced) installation
– When asked where to install the OS select partition
on which Vista installed

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 30

 Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)
• Steps to reinstall Windows Vista (cont’d.)
– Vista setup moves old installation folders into \Windows.Old
folder
– Clean Vista installation goes in the \Windows folder
– Suspect hard drive failing
• Copy all data and reinstall Vista again
– Healthy hard drive
• Run Chkdsk to fix errors
• Install all applications and device drivers
• Create all user accounts and customize Vista settings
• Delete the \Windows.Old folder

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 31

 Figure 16-16 Free up disk space by deleting the Windows.Old folder
Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning
A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 32
 Problems at Stage 1: Before the
Progress Bar Appears (cont’d.)

• Reinstall Vista on a laptop or brand-name computer

– Use hidden partition on hard drive to recover the
Windows installation
• During startup, press appropriate key for access
– Menu should appear with two options:
• One option repairs the Windows installation, saving
user data
• Other options reformats drive C and restores system to
purchased setup
– If neither method works use recovery CD or DVD

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 33

Problems at Stage 2: After the Progress Bar
Appears and Before Logon
• Microsoft progress bar appears during the boot
– Windows kernel loaded successfully
– Critical drivers and services configured to be started
by the kernel running
– Session Manager (Smss.exe) running in user mode
started the Win32 subsystem
– If logon screen not displayed:
• Probable corrupted driver or service started after kernel
finished its part of the boot
• Fix by isolating and disabling Windows component,
service, or application causing trouble
A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 34
Problems at Stage 2: After the Progress Bar
Appears and Before Logon

• Back up data before focusing on the problem

• Follow these steps:
– Launch Windows RE from Vista setup DVD
• Run Startup Repair from Recovery Environment menu
– Reboot, launch the Advanced Boot Options menu
• Select the Last Known Good Configuration
– In Windows RE, run System Restore

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 35

Problems at Stage 2: After the Progress Bar
Appears and Before Logon
• Steps (cont’d.)
– Try booting into Safe Mode
• Immediately run antivirus software
• Run Chkdsk c: /r
• Examine all logs in Event Viewer
• Use Software Explorer, MSconfig to stop applications
just installed, then uninstall and reinstall
• Use Device Manager to check for hardware errors
• Use the System File Checker (SFC) tool
• Rename the \Windows\Ntbtlog.txt file

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 36

Problems at Stage 2: After the Progress Bar
Appears and Before Logon
• Steps (cont’d.)
– Boot to the Advanced Boot Options menu and select
Enable Boot Logging
– Compare the Ntbtlog.txt file to the one created in Safe
Mode
– Easiest way to view the logs is to boot into Safe Mode
and view the files with Notepad
– Problem service or device identified
• Boot into Safe Mode and use Device Manager to
disable
• Use Services console to disable

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 37

Problems at Stage 2: After the Progress Bar
Appears and Before Logon
• Steps (cont’d.)
– Cannot boot into Safe Mode
• Open Recovery Environment command prompt window
• Back up registry, find key that loads services and
drivers
– Disable service or driver by changing Start value to
0x4
• Reboot, replace program file, and restart service or
driver

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 38

 Problems at Stage 3: After Windows
Logon
• Problems caused by applications or services
configured to launch at startup
– Shortcuts in startup folders, Scheduled Tasks, or
software installation processes affecting registry
entries
– Error message at startup
• Disable program using MSconfig

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 39

 Table 16-1 Error messages during the Vista startup and what to do about them
A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 40
 How to Recover Lost Data

• Use Windows tools, third party software, or

commercial data recovery services
• Recovering a deleted or corrupted data file
– Look in the Recycle Bin
– Use the Recover command
– Use application manufacturer’s web site
– Find third party software

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 41

 How to Recover Lost Data (cont’d.)

• Recover data from a computer that will not boot

– Remove hard drive and install as a second
nonbooting hard drive in another system
– Use IDE to USB or a SATA to USB converter kit
• Temporarily connect hard drive to a USB port on a
working computer
• Browse drive and copy data using Windows Explorer
• Use a data recovery service
– Google “data recovery”
– Read up on reviews, understand warranty and
guarantees, and get a recommendation

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 42

 Troubleshooting Windows 2000/XP
Startup
• Steps:
– Talk to the user
• Recent changes, conditions right before error, new
hardware or software, data backup location
– Important data not backed up
• Make every effort to copy data to another media before
working on the Windows problem
– Determine point in the boot where system fails
– For problems related to hardware check simple things
first

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 43

 Troubleshooting Windows 2000/XP
Startup (cont’d.)
• Steps (cont’d.)
– Error message displayed on-screen
• Start by addressing it
– Problem software related and cannot boot to desktop
• Boot to the Advanced Options menu
• Select the Last Known Good Configuration
– Can boot load Windows desktop
• If system giving many errors or is extremely slow,
suspect a virus and run antivirus software

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 44

 Table 16-2 Error messages
during Windows 2000/XP
startup and what to do
about them
A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 45
 Troubleshooting Windows 2000/XP
Startup (cont’d.)
• Steps (cont’d.)
– System recently changed
• Assume installation is guilty until proven innocent
– New application or utility program installed
• Go to Control Panel Add or Remove Programs applet
• Uninstall software and reboot
– System will not start normally
• Boot into Safe Mode and XP recognizes System
Restore used
• Launch System Restore Wizard
• Choose a restore point
A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 46
 Figure 16-21 Windows XP gives you the opportunity to launch
System Restore before it loads Safe Mode
Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning
A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 47
 Troubleshooting Windows 2000/XP
Startup (cont’d.)
• Steps (cont’d.)
– After boot into Safe Mode
• Use SFC, Chkdsk, and Defrag commands
– Cannot boot into Safe Mode
• Try Safe Mode with Command Prompt
• Use SFC, Chkdsk, and Defrag commands
– Cannot boot from hard drive
• Create and use a Windows 2000/XP boot disk

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 48

 Troubleshooting Windows 2000/XP
Startup (cont’d.)
• Steps (cont’d.)
– Cannot boot from Windows 2000/XP boot disk
• Load Recovery Console
• Try to restore system files
– Problem still not solved
• Assume Windows installation corrupted
• Need to restore Windows installation
• Try various tools to restore

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 49

 Summary

• Solve Windows problems by using strategies and

techniques
– Diagnosing a Windows problem
• Problems involve hardware, applications, and Windows
• Problems occur after the boot with hardware or
software
• Problems occur during the boot
– Determining the best tool for each situation
– Solving Windows Vista boot problems
• Different from solving Windows XP/2000 boot issues

A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, 7e 50