Computer Troubleshooting
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Troubleshooting is the process whereby a problem is diagnosed and resolved. The basics of troubleshooting are the same whether you are troubleshooting a network, a standalone PC or a DVD drive. The first step in troubleshooting is to get as much information as possible. I don't care if you think it's relevant or not. The more information you have, the better you'll be able to narrow the problem down, and the more you can narrow the problem down, the faster you can fix it.

You should troubleshoot using a "linear" approach. Linear troubleshooting is a methodology in which you go from one step to the next in a linear fashion. For example, find out has it ever worked? If yes, when did it work last? What changes have been made (hardware, software, etc.) since it last worked?

Define the specific symptoms, identify the potential causes of the symptoms, then eliminate these potential causes one by one. Start with the most likely cause and work your way down from there.

If you don't use a logical linear approach to troubleshooting, you're using a "shot gun" approach. This wastes valuable time and resources. I've seen professional troubleshooters use a shot gun approach to a problem, so there's still plenty of room in this business for a good troubleshooter.

Windows 2000 Troubleshooting

Using Device Manager

Device Manager is one of the tools you can use when troubleshooting Windows 2000. Device Manager is one of the snap-ins located under System Tools in Computer Management. Device Manager provides you with a view of the hardware installed on your computer, in a graphical format. You use Device Manager to disable, uninstall, and update device drivers.

Finding Your IP Address

Click on Start/Programs/Accessories/Command Prompt and type in "ipconfig", without the quotes. For more information type "ipconfig /all", without the quotes.

Problems Communicating on the Internet

Any of the following reasons could cause a problem communicating with an internet server:

  1. The server is not functioning
  2. Improper configuration of your internet browser
  3. Incorrect TCP/IP configuration for your dial-up connection
  4. Your ISP's Domain Name Service (DNS) server is not working

Try a Known Good Server

If you can't get to a specific server on the internet, try connecting to http://www.barnettcomputerservices.com or http://www.karenscountrykitchen.com. If you can connect to any one of these servers but can't connect to the original server you were trying, chances are the first server you were trying is down. Your TCP/IP configuration is ok.

If you can't get to any servers on the internet then the problem is most likely with either your browser configuration or your TCP/IP configuration.

Windows 2000 Server Won't Boot

Providing the problem isn't hardware you can always reformat the hard drive and reload the operating system. But let's face it, that's rarely going to be the practical solution. Always start by working from the simplest solutions to the more complex solutions.

The first question you should be asking is "what changed recently". If everything was working fine, someone changed something and now the server won't boot up, chances are whatever the changes were, killed the server.

Windows 2000 Server Boots to a Blank Screen

If the server boots to a blank screen, you have a video driver problem. The video driver has become corrupt, an incorrect video driver is being used, or the video driver is set to the wrong resolution.

Windows XP Troubleshooting

Whenever you are having a problem inside Windows XP or having a boot issue, start the computer in Safe Mode. What Safe Mode does is turn off unnecessary programs so you can narrow down what is causing the problem.

While you're in Safe Mode, you can't connect to the Internet. Programs that you can normally run in Windows XP won't run in Safe Mode. You can boot-up in Safe Mode by pressing F8 during boot-up

Safe Mode has two tools you can use to diagnose and troubleshoot problems. They are:

  • System Information Tool (msinfo32)
  • System Configuration Utility (msconfig)

System Configuration Utility

To eliminate potential conflicts within Windows XP you can use the System Configuration Utility to disable various components that are launched during startup.

Event Logs

Event Logs are the resources you use to predict and identify sources of system problems. Event Logs can also be used to confirm problems you are having with software. You access event logs by using Event Viewer.

Event Viewer

Event Viewer gathers information about:

  • Hardware
  • Software
  • System Problems
  • Security Events

Windows XP records events in three different logs:

  • Application Log
  • Security Log
  • System Log

The application log has events from:

  • Applications
  • Programs

The security log records the following events:

  • Valid logon attempts
  • Invalid logon attempts
  • Events related to resource use, such as:
    • Creating files
    • Opening files
    • Deleting files

The system log has events logged by Windows XP system components.

If a Windows computer is configured as a domain controller, it has two additional logs:

  • Directory Service Log
  • File Replication Service Log

The Directory Service Log contains events logged by the directory service. The File Replication service log contains events logged by the File Replication service.

If a Windows computer is configured as a Domain Name System (DNS), the server records events in an additional log. This log is the DNS server log.

Event Viewer displays the following types of events:

  • Error
  • Warning
  • Information
  • Success Audit
  • Failure Audit

Games and Multimedia Troubleshooting

Universal Serial Bus (UsB) Troubleshooting

  • Open Device Manager
  • Double-click Universal Serial Bus controllers

References

"Starting your computer in Safe mode." Support. 08/02/2005.symantec. 8/13/05.
service1.symantec.com

Copyright 2000 - 2008 Barnett Computer Services All rights reserved.
Revised: December 14, 2008