WINDOWS 1002000 PROFESSIONAL RESOURCE KIT [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

General Troubleshooting Strategy

Record-keeping is essential to troubleshooting any complex system. Keep all records of all installed peripherals, the network layout (if applicable), cabling, previous problems and their solutions, upgrades, and hardware and software installation dates.

Many problems can be avoided with routine virus checks. Check for viruses before installing or upgrading to Windows 2000.

To troubleshoot a problem, follow these general guidelines:

Analyze symptoms and factors.

Check to see whether the problem is a common issue.

Isolate the source of the problem.

Define an action plan.

Consult technical support resources.

Start troubleshooting by gathering information. Develop a clear understanding of the symptoms and collect pertinent system information to understand the environment in which they occur. Precisely what is not working correctly? Under what conditions does the problem occur? Which aspects of the operating system control those conditions? Is the problem specific to an application, or is it specific to a subsystem (networks, video, and so on)? Try to narrow down exactly what you expect to have happen versus what is happening.

Consider the following:

What is the issue? What do you expect to happen when the problem is resolved?

Has the system or configuration ever worked? If so, what changed?

Is the error condition reproducible or random?

Is the error specific to a particular system, configuration, or application?

What specific hardware and firmware are involved?

When the problem occurs, are there any programs running other than those that automatically load when Windows 2000 is started?

Does the error still occur in Safe Mode?

Does it happen when another user is logged on to the computer?

Attempt to reproduce the symptom by using another application with similar functionality. If the problem is reproducible, it might be subsystem- or hardware-related. If the problem is not reproducible, investigate the application itself.

Has your task ever worked on this computer before? If so, something might have changed that affects it. Have you changed hardware or installed new software? Might another user have made changes that you do not know about?

If the task has never worked on this computer, compare the setup and configuration on this computer with another computer to identify differences.

Checking for Common Issues

Check to see whether the problem is a common issue by reviewing Windows 2000 Professional Help and other files included on the Windows 2000 operating system CD. For example, check Read1st.txt and Readme.doc in the root folder and the additional text files in the Setuptxt folder of the Windows 2000 operating system CD.

See the Windows 2000 Troubleshooters to diagnose and solve technical problems with the following system components and events:

Client Service for NetWare

Display

Hardware

Internet connections (ISP)

Modem

MS-DOS programs

Multimedia and games

Networking (TCP/IP)

Print

Remote access

Sound

System setup

Windows 3.x programs

Try to identify all variables that might affect the problem. Progressively eliminate these variables to isolate the cause of the issue. Record the effect of each action. If you eventually contact a support provider, your detailed notes are invaluable.

Eliminating variables helps determine the cause of a problem. Do symptoms occur when you run the system in Safe Mode? If not, check the programs that run when the system is started normally. Look at the shortcuts stored in the Startup group located in the folder Documents and SettingsusernameStart MenuPrograms
Startup. Shortcuts to other programs run at system startup are located in the registry subkey HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoft
WindowsCurrentVersionRun.

CAUTION

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Do not use a registry editor to edit the registry directly unless you have no alternative. The registry editors bypass the standard safeguards provided by administrative tools. These safeguards prevent you from entering conflicting settings or settings that are likely to degrade performance or damage your system. Editing the registry directly can have serious, unexpected consequences that can prevent the system from starting and require that you reinstall Windows 2000. To configure or customize Windows 2000, use the programs in Control Panel or Microsoft Management Console (MMC) whenever possible.

If programs are run at startup that are not listed in either of these locations, your computer might be using policies. For more information about policies, see Windows 2000 Professional Help and the Group Policy Reference on the Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Professional Resource Kit companion CD.

If the computer is on a network, logon scripts or system management applications might also start programs on your computer. See your network administrator for assistance. If you have a local account on the system, log on to the local computer, to prevent network server-based policies and logon scripts from being carried out.

Windows 2000 only loads the minimum number of device drivers required to start the computer when it is run in Safe Mode. If you determine that the problem is not with software loading at startup, you can attempt to isolate the problem by disabling suspect devices' drivers. For more information about Safe Mode, see "Safe Mode" later in this chapter.

CAUTION

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The Plug and Play specification allows an operating system to disable devices at the hardware level. For example, if you disable a COM port in Device Manager, you might be required to enter the CMOS or system setup to re-enable it.

For more information about Plug and Play and using Device Manager, see "Device Management" in this book.

If the problem is the result of a recent change to the system, undo that change. System Information lists installed device drivers. If a device fails and its driver has been recently updated, replace it with the original and retest.

If an update installed from the Windows Update Web site fails to meet your expectations, restore the original files by running Update Wizard Uninstall.

If the problem did not exist before the system was last started, restart the computer and press F8 at the Starting Windows screen. Choose Last Known Good Configuration to restore the system configuration to the last known working version.

CAUTION

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Restoring a previous system configuration results in the loss of any changes made in the interim.

Defining an Action Plan

Try to identify all of the variables that might affect the problem. As you troubleshoot the problem, try to change only one of these variables at a time. Keep records of what you do and the effect of each action.

Develop your plan on paper. Decide what steps you want to take and the expected results of each step. Then complete the steps in order, and follow your plan.

If you see a result for which you have no plan:

Return to the isolation phase.

Identify what happens in similar situations.

Define another plan.

Technical newsgroups offer peer support for common computer problems. You can post persistent problems on the appropriate online forum. Other users might have already reported similar problems. Suggestions from others can save you time and give you direction for your troubleshooting. For more information about technical support resources, see the Microsoft TechNet link on the Web Resources page at http://windows.microsoft.com/windows2000/reskit/webresources.

Windows 2000 Professional Help also contains information about online support.