70270: MCSE Guide to Microsoft Windows XP Professional Chapter 15: Troubleshooting Windows XP

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70-270 MCSE Guide to Microsoft Windows XP
Professional Chapter 15 Troubleshooting
Windows XP
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Objectives

• Understand the general principles of
  troubleshooting
• Use troubleshooting tools
• Troubleshoot installation and printer problems
• Troubleshoot RAS and network problems
• Troubleshoot disk problems and other issues
• Apply services packs and hot fixes
• Understand the use of Microsoft troubleshooting
  references

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General Principles of Troubleshooting

• Take action to resolve issues at hand as quickly
  as possible
• Troubleshooting
• Art and science
• Systematically diagnosing and eliminating
  problems in computer system
• Usually fairly tedious process

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Collect Information

• Can never have too much information
• Information is best weapon
• For resolving problems
• For preventing them in the first place
• Information areas
• System (hardware and software)
• Previous troubleshooting, maintenance, and
  configuration activities
• Current problem

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Collect Information (continued)

• Preventive maintenance
• Computer information file (CIF)
• Detailed information about hardware and software
  products that make up computer
• Not just a single file
• Ever-expanding accumulation of data sheets sorted
  into related groupings
• Should be stored in protected area

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Collect Information (continued)

• Computer information file (CIF)
• Should be accessible in event of an emergency
• Constructing CIF from scratch is a lengthy
  process
• CIF information
• Platform, type, brand, and model number of each
  component
• Complete manufacturer specifications

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Collect Information (continued)

• CIF information
• Configuration settings, including jumpers and dip
  switches, as well as what each setting means
• Manual, users guide, or configuration sheets
• Version of BIOS, driver software, patches, fixes,
  and so on, with floppy copies
• Printed and floppy copies of all parameter and
  initialization files

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Collect Information (continued)

• CIF information
• Detailed directory structure printout
• Names and versions for all installed software
• Network-assigned names, locations, and addresses
• Status of empty ports or slots, upgrade options,
  or expansion capabilities
• System requirements, such as the manufacturers
  listed minimum system requirements for its
  operating system, drivers, applications,
  hardware, etc.

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Collect Information (continued)

• CIF information
• Warranty information, such as service phone
  numbers and e-mail addresses, and support Web
  sites
• Complete technical support contact information
• Error log with detailed and dated entries of
  problems and solutions
• Date and location of the last complete backup
• Location of backup items and original software
• Network layout and cabling map

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Collect Information (continued)

• CIF information
• Copies of all software, the operating system, and
  driver installation or source CDs and/or floppies
• Nonphysical characteristics of your system
• Items in CIF should be dated and initialed
• Essential that contents of the CIF be complete
  and up to date

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Collect Information (continued)

• Maintain both
• Printed or written version
• Electronic version

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System Information Tool
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Use Commonsense Troubleshooting Guidelines

• Problems tend to occur
• When you are stressed
• Short on time
• When it is just generally inconvenient
• Troubleshooting tips
• Be patient
• Be familiar with your systems hardware and
  software
• Attempt to isolate the problem
• Divide and conquer

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Use Commonsense Troubleshooting Guidelines
(continued)

• Troubleshooting tips
• Eliminate suspects
• Undo the most recent change
• Investigate common points of failure first
• Recheck items that have caused problems before
• Try the easy and quick fix first

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Use Commonsense Troubleshooting Guidelines
(continued)

• Troubleshooting tips
• Let the fault guide you
• Make changes one at a time
• Repeat the failure
• Keep a detailed log of errors and attempted
  solutions
• Learn from mistakes (your own and others)
• Experiment

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Troubleshooting Tools

• Become familiar with the repair and
  troubleshooting tools native to Windows XP
• Can save time later
• Tools
• Event viewer
• Computer Management

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Event Viewer

• Used to view system messages
• Information about
• System drivers or service failures
• Security problems
• Misbehaving applications

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Event Viewer, System Log
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Event Viewer

• System log
• Security log
• Application log
• Directory service
• DNS Service
• File Replication Service

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Event Viewer (continued)

• All logs collect the same meta-information about
  each event
• Date
• Time
• Source
• Category
• Event
• User ID
• Computer

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Event Viewer (continued)

• Logged events include some level of detail about
  the error
• Error code number
• Detailed description with memory HEX buffer
  capture

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Event Viewer, Event Properties Dialog
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Computer Management Tool

• Large number of tools are collected into single
  interface
• Found in Administrative Tools application within
  Control Panel
• Makes locating and resolving problems on key
  system components easier than ever before

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Computer Management Tool (continued)
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Computer Management Tool (continued)

• Sections
• System Tools
• Storage
• Services and Applications

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System Tools

• Event Viewer
• Shared Folders
• Local Users and Groups
• Performance Logs and Alerts
• Device Manager

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Storage

• Removable Storage
• Disk Defragmenter
• Disk Management

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Services and Applications

• Services
• WMI Control
• Indexing Service

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Troubleshooting Wizards

• Many troubleshooting Wizards associated with
  specific system components or services

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Settings Tab, Display Applet
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Video Display Troubleshooter
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Troubleshooting Installation Problems

• Windows XP Professional is susceptible to several
  types of errors
• Error types
• Media errors
• Domain controller communication difficulties
• Stop message errors or halting on the blue screen
• Hardware problems
• Dependency failures

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Troubleshooting Printer Problems

• Printing problems occur anywhere
• Only reliable troubleshooting method
• Systematic elimination of possible points of
  failure

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Troubleshooting RAS Problems

• Numerous points of possible failure
• Configuration of the computers on both ends
• Modem settings
• Condition of communications line

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Troubleshooting Network Problems

• Problems range from
• Faults in network cables or hardware
• Misconfigured protocols
• Workstation or server errors
• Hardware devices are just as suspect as software
  components
• May need to perform some electrical tests, change
  physical settings, etc.

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Troubleshooting Network Problems
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Troubleshooting Disk Problems

• Hard drive is component on your computer that
  experiences most activity
• Drive failures are common
• Use Disk Management tool
• Located in Computer Management utility in
  Administrative Tools

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Miscellaneous Troubleshooting Issues

• Other troubleshooting issues
• Permission problems
• MBR problems
• Dr. Watson

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Permissions Problems

• Usually occur
• When user is a member of groups with conflicting
  permissions
• When permissions are managed on per-account basis
• To test
• Attempt same actions and activities with
  Administrator privileges
• Examine access control lists (ACLs)

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Master Boot Record Problems

• If MBR fails
• Emergency repair disk (ERD) cannot be used to
  repair it
• Must use recovery tool
• From Recovery Console
• Use FIXMBR command
• From DOS
• Use FDISK/MBR command

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Using the Dr. Watson Debugger

• Application error debugger
• Diagnostic tool detects application failures and
  logs diagnostic details
• Data is stored in the Drwtsn32.log file
• Can be configured to save memory dump of
  applications address space
• Automatically started when application error
  occurs

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Dr. Watson Configuration Dialog Box
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Applying Service Packs and Hot Fixes

• Service pack is collection of
• Code replacements
• Patches
• Error corrections
• New applications
• Version improvements
• Corrects, replaces, or hides deficiencies of
  original product, preceding service packs, or hot
  fixes

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Applying Service Packs and Hot Fixes (continued)

• Hot fix
• Similar to a service pack
• Addresses only single problem, or small number of
  problems
• May not be fully tested
• Service packs are cumulative

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Microsoft Troubleshooting References

• The Microsoft Windows Web site
• The Knowledge Base
• TechNet
• Resource Kits

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Summary

• No matter what problems or errors are discovered,
  there are several commonsense principles of
  troubleshooting you should always follow
• Information is the most valuable troubleshooting
  tool
• Five common installation problems
• Printer problems are most often associated with
  physical configuration or spooling problems

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Summary (continued)

• RAS and network problems may be caused by several
  types of issues, but the most common types arise
  from misconfiguration
• Service packs and hot fixes repair portions of
  Windows XP Professional after its release