A+ Certification Guide Chapter 15 Troubleshooting and Maintaining Windows Chapter 15 Objectives . STOP (Blue Screen of Death) Errors: – Discover what a BSOD is, typical causes, how to diagnose . Boot Failures: – Learn what causes boot failures and how to restore an unbootable system back to operation. Other Windows Problems: – Windows tools and features to use to find the cause and solve problems . Windows Diagnostic and Repair Tools: – System File Checker, Defrag, Registry Editor, Recovery Console, Windows Recovery Environment, and so on . Maintaining Windows: – Scheduling and performing Windows “best practices” STOP (Blue Screen of Death) Errors . Causes and Solutions – Incompatible or defective hardware or software: • Start the system in Safe Mode, and uninstall the last hardware or software installed. • Acquire updates before you reinstall the hardware or software. • Exchange or test memory. • Run SFC /scannow to check for problems with system files. – Registry problems: • Select Last Known Good Configuration as described later in this chapter to see if the system will start. – Viruses: • Scan for viruses and remove them if discovered. – Miscellaneous causes: • Check the Windows Event Viewer, and check the System log Windows Boot Issues: Vista / 7 . Bootmgr—Windows Boot Manager. – The Windows loader program. – Replaces NTLDR in earlier versions of Windows. – Determines which operating system to start. BCD (Boot Configuration Data). – Located in \boot\bcd. It furnishes the Windows Boot Manager with information about the operating system(s) to be booted. – Successor to boot.ini and the Windows kernel – Completes the boot process . Hal.dll (Hardware Abstraction Layer). – A software translator between Windows and system hardware. SYSTEM key. – Key in the Registry that determines the system configuration. Device drivers. – Loaded according to the information stored in the Registry. Recovering an Operating System If Windows will not start properly: – Use the Last Known Good Configuration option • Gets things working again after an unsuccessful change. – Use Safe Mode or other advanced boot options to help diagnose the problem. – If Windows will not boot: • Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) for Windows Vista. • Recovery Console for Windows XP/2000. – If Windows will not boot and needs to be restored: • Complete PC Backup (Vista). • ASR System Restore (XP). • Emergency Repair Disk (2000). Windows Vista /7 Advanced Boot Options Menu . Safe Mode: – Starts system with a minimal set of drivers; can be used to start System Restore or to load Windows GUI for diagnostics . Safe Mode with Networking: – Starts system with minimal set of drivers and enables network support . Safe Mode with Command Prompt: – Starts system with a minimal set of drivers but loads command prompt . Enable Boot Logging: – Creates a ntbtlog.txt file . Enable Low-Resolution Video (640 x 480): – Uses standard VGA driver , but uses all other drivers as normal – Called Enable VGA Mode in Windows XP . Last Known Good Configuration: – Starts system with the last configuration known to work – Can solve problems caused by newly installed hardware or software Advanced Boot Options Windows Vista Advanced Boot Options Menu . Directory Services Restore Mode: – Used to restore a domain controller’s active directory (Windows Server). It is not used in Windows Vista/XP/2000. Debugging Mode: – An advanced diagnostics tool that enables the use of a debug program to examine the system kernel for troubleshooting. Disable Automatic Restart on System Failure (Vista Only): – Prevents Windows from automatically restarting if an error causes failure. – Choose this only if Windows fails, attempts to restart, and fails again. Disable Driver Signature Enforcement (Vista Only): – Allows drivers containing improper signatures to be installed. Start Windows Normally: – Used to boot to regular Windows in case a user inadvertently presses F8, but does not want any of the Advanced Boot Options. Windows XP Boot Errors/Fixes . NTDETECT failed: – This message is displayed if the NTDETECT.COM file is missing or corrupted. – Copy d:\i386\ntldr c:\ (if d: is the drive of the windows cd-rom) . NTLDR is missing: – This message is displayed if the NTLDR file is missing or corrupted. – d:\i386\ntdetect.com c:\ . Invalid boot.ini: – Displayed if the boot.ini file is missing or corrupted. The system might boot anyway, particularly if there is only disk partition on the first hard disk. – Recopy file. – In recovery console, use command Bootcfg /rebuild. Ntoskrnl.exe is missing: – This message is displayed if Windows cannot find the file. If the boot.ini file is invalid, fixing it could fix this problem as well. – Reinstall from CD. ‘Missing Operating System’ error: – Recovery console , use ‘fixmbr’ command. Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) . Used for Boot Problems . Access WinRE by – Booting to the Windows Vista DVD – Booting to a special drive partition with WinRE on it • Press F8 to bring up Advanced Options menu. – Look for Repair Your Computer. – If this option does not show, WinRE is not installed. • Subsequent options: » Startup Repair » System Restore » Complete PC Restore » Command Prompt Windows XP Diagnostic and Repair Tools . Recovery Console: – A limited command-line environment that can be run from the Windows XP CD or from the startup menu (if it were preinstalled or installed by the user). Fixboot and Fixmbr: – Available from the Windows XP Recovery Console for fixing boot problems . Automated System Recovery (ASR): – A backup routine used to restore an unbootable system. – User must then reinstall applications and restore data files to complete the recovery process. Windows Repair Discs XP Recovery Console . Command-line interface tool: – Used by XP/2000 –Start by: • Boot with Windows XP CD Recovery Console. – Press R. • Install Recovery Console using Windows XP CD- ROM while system is running. – You need to log in using an administrative access/password. Windows XP Recovery . Windows XP—Automated System Recovery (ASR): – Restore systems settings: • Includes user accounts, disk configuration, video settings, system boot, and hardware settings • Accessed with NTBackup: – Click Automated System Recovery Wizard. Other Windows Problems . Improper shutdowns . Device fails to start . Missing DLL message . Services fail to start . Compatibility error . Slow system performance . Boots to Safe Mode . File fails to open Windows Vista/7 Diagnostic and Repair Tools •Sfc: •Check system files; replace damaged/ invalid files with correct versions. •MSConfig: •System Configuration is used to display and configure boot options and as a convenient way to access other troubleshooting programs. •Defrag: •Defragments files to improve file access speed, especially on a drive that has frequent changes to its contents and doesn’t have a lot of unused space •REGSVR32: Registers or unregisters DLL files and ActiveX components •REGEDIT: Views and edits Windows Registry contents •Event Viewer: •Displays event logs for troubleshooting or management purposes •Safe Mode and other advanced boot options: •Special boot options that can be used when the system won’t boot normally •Device Manager: •Displays driver, resource, and version information for hardware devices Maintaining Windows : Performing Scheduled Backup and Restore . Task Scheduler: –Start All Programs Accessories System Tools Task Scheduler . Image Backup: – Only Windows Vista: • Backup Status and System Configuration. • Backs up the entire system partition: – Includes operating system, settings, and installed programs – Compressed • Also called “bare metal restore” and “disaster recovery.” . Windows XP: – Install NTBackup from XP-CD – Need to use third-party software. • Ghost, Acronis, Drive Image, and so on. NT Backup Utility Wizard Vista Backup and Restore . Creating a system image backup: – Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Backup Status and Configuration. – Click Complete PC Backup. – Select Create Backup Now and follow instructions. Restoring the system: – Insert the installation disc/system repair disc. – Boot from CD when prompted. – Click Repair Your Computer. – Select OS to repair. – Select Windows Complete PC Restore, and follow instructions. Windows 7 Backup and Restore . One of the options in Control Panel. Click Create a System Image. Select a destination. Start Backup. To restore system, use same process as with Vista. System Restore and Restore Points . Resets computer configuration to a specific point in time: – Settings are stored as a restore point. – Registry changes since that point can be reversed to enable system to run as it did on the date of the restore point. Windows Components System Files: XP . NTLDR—The Windows loader program. Boot.ini—Affects how Windows starts up. Ntdetect.com—Detects the hardware installed on your system. Ntoskrnl.exe: – The Windows kernel completes the boot process after being initialized by NTLDR. Hal.dll (Hardware Abstraction Layer). – Translates software commands between Windows and system hardware. SYSTEM key in the Registry – Determines the system configuration. Device drivers. – Loaded according to the information stored in the Registry. Windows Components: Registry . Important Registry file associations from C:\ System32 folder: – Default—Default settings from HKEY users – Security Accounts Manager (SAM). – Security log. – Software—Software settings in HKEY Local machine\software – System—Settings from HKEY LOCAL MACHINE\System . User files stored by system and Registry: