Tips For Computer Problem Troubleshooting

There are some basic computer problem troubleshooting techniques you can perform yourself before calling your local tech support hotline. Before starting out it is important to know basic information about your computer. You need to know whether it is a Mac or a PC. You need to know who the manufacturer is, whether you have a white box, a dell, an IBM, etc. You should also know what kind of a Pentium computer it is and what operating system you have installed. You need to know how much memory and how large a hard drive you have in the computer. All of this information should either be written somewhere, or should be in your manufacturer's manual. Armed with this information you are then ready to embark on your troubleshooting endeavors.

Things to Keep in Mind

You should always remember what you were doing when the error occurred. If possible, write down the error messages for the technical department if necessary. Were you working on a document on your hard drive, or on the network?

Ok now that we have that settled lets try a few things

1. Reboot (turn the machine off and then on again) - Believe it or not but this resolves most computer problems.
2. Run a Virus check, but first run a virus update. You can usually get your virus updated online
3. Try to decide on the area of the problem. Determine if it's a network problem, a hardware problem, or a software problem. You can determine if it's a network problem very easily by checking to see if the computer is on the network. Network problems are the usual culprits for Internet problems.
4. If your computer doesn't start up, then you should look behind it and make sure that all the cables are plugged firmly into the computer. Make sure that the computer is plugged into the outlet (sometimes the cleaning crew messes this stuff up)
5. Check to see if you get any lights on the computer. If the computer lights turn on, but the computer won't start and you have no sound, then you probably need to replace the power supply. You should call a repair technician to have it replaced.
6. If your computer freezes in the operating system. Try rebooting your system and as it reboots press F8 to see if it will go into safe mode, from there uninstall the application you installed that caused the problem, or reboot.

If none of the above tips work at least you are better informed and can give technical support the information they need to help you. The most important thing is to remain calm and to pay attention to what the computer is doing, so you can help the technician help you in your computer problem troubleshooting.

Microsoft Rolls Out Web Platform Installer 1.0

Microsoft announced the release of Web Platform Installer (Web PI) 1.0, a free downloadable tool designed to help install the Microsoft Web Platform or its components.
The whole platform can be installed to support Web application development. Alternatively, users can opt for specific Microsoft products, such as IIS, Visual Web Developer 2008 Express Edition, SQL Server 2008 Express Edition, .NET Framework and others, according to Microsoft's announcement.

This latest version of Web PI has been in beta since late November and has been inching its way from Release Candidate stage to its current 1.0 Release-to-Web status. Earlier issues, such as lack of support for Windows XP and Windows 2003, have been overcome. It also allows the installation of ASP.NET MVC and Visual Studio Tools.

Some users of the earlier beta requested an "uninstaller" for Web PI, according to a Microsoft forum, although it's unclear if Version 1.0 addresses that complaint.

Web PI runs on Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and Windows XP operating systems, as well as Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008. It requires the .NET 2.0 Framework to install and supports both x86 and 64-bit architectures.

Web PI can be downloaded here, and Microsoft provides video instructions to ease matters.
Installation Steps

Install Web PI in 3 easy steps:
1. Click on the "install now" button on this page to install and launch the Web Platform Installer.
2. Choose the profile that meets your needs or choose "Your Choice" for full control on you what you install.
3. Confirm and watch while Web PI downloads and installs what you need.

In other Web dev news, Microsoft has noted a problem with some Web development apps closing slowly in Visual Studio and Visual Web Developer Express, especially when those projects are located on remote servers.

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Manually starting XP with a clean boot

This post is intended for advanced computer users. If you are not comfortable with advanced troubleshooting, you might want to ask someone for help or contact Support. For more information contact to computer support services. Here some steps given below to troubleshoot problems of starting xp with clean boot up.

To manually start Windows XP with a clean boot, follow these steps:

Step 1: Start the System Configuration Utility

1. Click Start, click Run, type msconfig, and then click OK.
2. The System Configuration Utility dialog box is displayed.

Step 2: Configure selective startup options

1. In the System Configuration Utility dialog box, click the General tab, and then click Selective Startup.
2. Click to clear the Process SYSTEM.INI File check box.
3. Click to clear the Process WIN.INI File check box.
4. Click to clear the Load Startup Items check box. Verify that Load System Services and Use Original BOOT.INI are checked.
5. Click the Services tab.
6. Click to select the Hide All Microsoft Services check box.
7. Click Disable All, and then click OK.
8. When you are prompted, click Restart to restart the computer.

Step 3: Log on to Windows

1. If you are prompted, log on to Windows.
2. When you receive the following message, click to select the Don't show this message or launch the System Configuration Utility when Windows start check box, and then click OK.

2. Notes
* You have used the System Configuration Utility to make changes to the way Windows starts.
* The System Configuration Utility is currently in Diagnostic or Selective Startup mode, causing this message to be displayed and the utility to run every time Windows starts.
* Choose the Normal Startup mode on the General tab to start Windows normally and undo the changes you made using the System Configuration Utility.

Step 4: Optional step to disable features

If the clean boot fixed the error, you do not have to perform this step.

Important If your problem is not fixed and you do have to follow this step, it permanently removes all restore points from your computer. The System Restore feature uses restore points to restore your computer to an earlier state. If you remove the restore points, you can no longer restore Windows to an earlier state.

This step temporarily disables Microsoft features such as Plug and Play, networking, event logging, and error reporting.

1. Click Start, click Run, type msconfig, and then click OK.
The System Configuration Utility dialog box is displayed.
2. Click the General tab, click to clear the Load System Services check box, and then click OK.
3. When you are prompted, click Restart to restart the computer.

If these steps helped you start your computer in a clean-boot state, you are finished. If these steps did not help, go to the “Next Steps” section. If you have to return your computer to a normal startup state, go to “Steps to configure Windows to use a Normal startup state”.

Remote Computer Support Available 24x7

These days, most businesses and home computer users are fast embracing online computer support services to handle their computer repair and support requirements. These services are certainly better than hauling yourself in the hassles associated with bringing a computer to a repair center.

Technicians offering the online support are masters in their profession and can do more than just fix computer problems. They work with the customers, listen to their computer problems, offer effective fixes, design as well as implement solutions to improve the efficiency of their computers.

Online technical support is gaining in popularity among tech consumers. One of the main reasons is increasing complexities in technology usage. And another reason is convenience. The customer gets the quality support at his/her own premises. The technicians make this possible with the help of remote desktop connection. This is known as remote support.

A remote computer technician watches everything on his/her computer screen while working on your problem. With advancements in technology, you can even control the actions taken on your PC while availing the remote support, just in case you feel that there is a breach of security. You can also ask for the support over phone. Here, you are given the instructions from a remote location over phone and you follow those instructions to fix your computer error.

Although the entire method is popular, it is always preferable that you take good references for online tech support companies from your friends and family. You may also search for good computer support resources on the Internet. Use keywords such as Computer Repair, Computer Support, Online Technical Support, and PC Repair Services to refine your search and narrow down on the best.

Online computer repair or tech support is of great help for spyware removal, troubleshooting irksome PC errors, virus removal, software installation, Internet or computer up-gradation. Indeed, the success rate is also high when it comes to remote PC repair services. Another advantage lies in the fact that it saves you money in the long run, since the technicians are working from their own location.

How to Configuring the Boot Options in the Boot.ini File

To configure a computer for debugging you must add one of the previous options to the Boot.ini. Generally, you will want to add /DEBUG and /BAUDRATE, to lower the baud rate to 9600 and put the computer in debug mode. You should use /DEBUGPORT=COMX if you cannot use the default COM port (COM2) for debugging. The following example shows how to add these options.

The following is an example of a typical Boot.ini file. Each entry in the [operating systems] section should correspond to the options listed in the boot menu during a normal system startup:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows NT Version 3.5"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows NT Version 3.5"
[VGA mode] /BASEVIDEO
C:\="MS-DOS"

To enable the debugger to use COM1 and to communicate at 9600 baud, add the following or see the example following these step-by-step instructions:

1. Select the startup option that you normally use and add the /DEBUG switch at the end of the line.
2. To specify the communications port, add the switch /DEBUGPORT=COM1.
3. To specify the baud rate, add the switch /BAUDRATE=9600.

The following shows the above Boot.ini file after it has been modified by following steps 1-3 above (NOTE: Line 6 is the rest of line 5 that did not fit on the same line in this post):

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows NT Version 3.5"
/debug /debugport=com1 /baudrate=9600
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows NT Version 3.5"
[VGA mode] /BASEVIDEO
C:\="MS-DOS"

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How to create the registry key to restrict access to the registry

The Security permissions set on this key define what Users or Groups can connect to the system for remote Registry access. The default Windows installation defines this key and sets the Access Control List to restrict remote registry access as follows:
Administrators have Full Control

The default configuration for Windows permits only Administrators remote access to the Registry. Changes to this key to allow users remote registry access require a system reboot to take effect.

Follow the instruction

1. Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe) and go to the following subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control
2. On the Edit menu, click Add Key.
3. Enter the following values:
Key Name: SecurePipeServers
Class: REG_SZ
4. Go to the following subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurePipeServers
5. On the Edit menu, click Add Key.
6. Enter the following values:
Key Name: winreg
Class: REG_SZ
7. Go to the following subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurePipeServers\winreg
8. On the Edit menu, click Add Value.
9. Enter the following values:
Value Name: Description
Data Type: REG_SZ
String: Registry Server
10. Go to the following subkey.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurePipeServers\winreg
11. Select "winreg". Click Security and then click Permissions. Add users or groups to which you want to grant access.
12. Exit Registry Editor and restart Windows.
13. If you at a later stage want to change the list of users that can access the registry, repeat steps 10-12.

Troubleshooting Device Conflicts with Device Manager

This post lists steps you can use to troubleshoot hardware configuration troubles by using Device Manager. You can use Device Manager to examine and change software-configurable devices. Note that if your hardware device uses jumper pins or dip switches, you must configure the device manually.

How to start Device Manager:
1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click System, and then click the Device Manager tab.

Troubleshooting Information
• If there is a problem with a device, it is listed in the hardware tree under Computer. Also, the problem device has a symbol that indicates the type of problem:
o A black exclamation point (!) on a yellow field indicates the device is in a problem state. Note that a device that is in a problem state can be functioning.
o A problem code explaining the problem is displayed for the device.
o A red "X" indicates a disabled device. A disabled device is a device that is physically present in the computer and is consuming resources, but does not have a protected-mode driver loaded.
o A blue "i" on a white field on a device resource in Computer properties indicates that the Use Automatic Settings feature is not selected for the device and that the resource was manually selected. Note that this does not indicate a problem or disabled state.
o A green question mark "?" in Device Manager means that a compatible driver for this device is installed, indicating the possibility that all of the functionality may not be available. Note that this applies only to Windows Millennium Edition (Me).

NOTE: Some sound cards and video adapters do not report all of the resources they are using to Windows. This can cause Device Manager to show only one device in conflict, or no conflicts at all. This can be verified by disabling the sound card, or by using the standard VGA video driver to see if the conflict is resolved. Note that this is a known problem with S3 video adapters and 16-bit Sound Blaster sound cards, or those sound cards that are using Sound Blaster emulation for Sound Blaster compatibility.

• When you select a specific device in Device Manager and then click the Properties button, you see a property sheet. The property sheet has a General tab.

NOTE: Some devices may have other tabs besides the General tab. Not all property sheets have the same tabs; some devices may have a Resource tab, Driver tab, and Settings tab, or some combination of these.

At the top of the property sheet, there is a description of the device. When you click the Resource tab, the window in the middle of the tab indicates which resource types are available for the selected device.

The list box at the bottom contains a Conflicting Device list. This list indicates a conflict with an error code.

• Note the Use Automatic Settings check box. If Windows successfully detects a device, this check box is selected, and the device should function correctly. However, if the resource settings are based on Basic Configuration (where is any number from 0 to 9), it may be necessary to change the configuration by selecting a different basic configuration from the list. If the particular configuration you want for the device is not listed as a basic configuration, it may be possible to click the Change Settings button to manually adjust the resource values.
For example, to edit the Input/output Range setting:

1. Click the Use Automatic Settings check box to clear it.
2. Click Change Setting.
3. Click the appropriate I/O range for the device.

Notes

• If you click My Computer and then click Properties, you see a property sheet with a View Resources and a Reserve Resources tab.

The Reserve Resources tab excludes a resource from use by Windows.

The View Resources tab displays the resources that are allocated by Windows or inherited from a Plug and Play BIOS or PCI bus computer.
• To disable a device in Device Manager, in Properties, on the General tab, clear to select the Disable in this hardware profile check box.

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