Neutron2K's Computing Tutorials

Guide to Useful Windows Troubleshooting Utilities

This document isn't so much a tutorial as it is a list of tools. When Windows plays up, it is usually essential to know about the tools described on this page in order to assist the troubleshooting process. Some tools are only applicable to certain versions of Windows, but Windows XP is assumed.

All of these tools can be start by clicking the Windows Start Button, clicking the run option and then typing in the programs name.

msconfig

This utility is one of the most used tools in diagnosing system problems. It allows complete control over the Windows Start-up processes and programs via a set of tabs. It also allows you to force the computer to start in safe mode every time it starts, and a number of other various things such as forced variable over-rides etc.

dxdiag

This utility is part of the Microsoft DirectX runtimes and is used to give you in depth information about the multimedia hardware and capabilities for your system, and it also provides other information such as drivers and DirectX files that are installed, in use, and that are missing or are not digitally signed by Microsoft.

There are also some advanced features that allow you to test the individual multimedia components of the computer, and options that allow you to over-ride default settings, such as the refresh rate of your graphics card. This tool is handy when you need detailed information about the key hardware of your system, or need something that is multimedia related tested.

cmd

This is the NT/Windows XP equivalent of MS-DOS. It looks and acts the same way, but it is not MS-DOS. This needs to be made clear. It could technically be called an MS-DOS emulator, but that's a pushing it a bit.

The cmd CLI (Command Line Interface) is included with NT Versions of windows in order to support backwards compatibility with some products, and also provide technicians with a quick way to get at system files and information. There are a number of utilities that can be run from the command line, such as utilities that are part of the TCP/IP Network library. Some of these utilities would be:

ping
nslookup
tracert

You can also access any other information, such as your computers IP Address information by running IPCONFIG. I will cover networking utilities in another tutorial soon.

A few inherited MS-DOS commands that you can use with the Command Line are as follows:

cd - Change directory
dir - List contents of current directory
X:\ - Change to drive 'X'
format X: - Formats the media in Drive X:
cls - Clear the screen
echo <Message>- display a <Message> on screen
attrib - Set a files attributes

The list is endless. If you would like to find out more about MS-DOS/The NT Command Line Interface, just search google for dos commands etc.

regedit

This is the default Windows Registry Editor and it is a very powerful tool, in that if you make a wrong change someone you could completely break your Windows Installation. For this reason, regedit is best avoided unless you are a professional and know exactly what you are doing.

The Windows Registry is the Core of the Windows Operating System. Its holds every piece of information about your computer such as your hardware addresses, drivers they use, file types, program installation paths, your run history, your system variables etc - the list is endless.

You can get a lot of tools that are designed to fix specific problems with the Windows Registry so that you don't have to manually fix problems yourself. Such tools are used for:

Virus Entry Removals
Spyware Entry Removal
Invalid Program Paths Removal
Fixing links to non-existent programs
Cleaning up the uninstall list
Cleaning up your startup programs

There are also a lot more utilities available that perform other various functions, but this is just the basic list of programs you will find easily online.

The Windows Task Manager (Alt+Ctrl+Del - Windows NT/XP only)

I think everyone has heard of the 'Three Finger Salute' of pressing the Alt+Ctrl+Del keys. This function has been around since the very first versions of MS-DOS and it is used to force the computer to restart.

In Windows NT/XP though, it servers another function. Its the shortcut key to display the Task Manager. The Task manager lists information about your computers current state, such as which programs running, which programs have crashed, (not responding), and all the processes/threads that currently running on your computer.

It also displays information about the currently network usage, your page file size and usage, and your physical memory status.

The task manager can be used to force close any program or process that is running and this is an essential function of troubleshooting a system. For example, if a program is crashing you can kill a number of process or applications in an attempt to find out if another program is causing a conflict. There are a number of things that this little utility can be used for. Its quite flexible.

MMC

The Windows MMC, (Microsoft Management Console), is a flexible tool that allows you to develop your own system administration consoles by selecting a number of Snap In's that certain Windows Processes and Applications use for their configuration.

By selecting specific snap ins you can create a console that allows you to configure whatever services you like without having to run each services configuration utility individually.

CHKDSK

One of the more important programs, CHKDSK is Windows NT/XP answer to the old ScanDisk Program. It's main purpose is to scan a drive for errors and fix them, and it can also scan for bad sectors on a drive that may of been physically damaged and attempt to recover information from them.

CHKDSK is a command line program that you can run from the Command Line Interface (cmd described above). Running CHKDSK on its own will check the primary hard drive of the computer, but you can also specify the drive the check along with some additional command switches, either /P or /R. /P will force CHKDSK to check the drive even if it thinks the drive is ok, and the /R option will force the drive to scan and repair any problems it finds. This option will usually require you to restart your computer before it can scan and repair.

The Windows Safe Mode (Hold F8 at Startup)

Windows Safe Mode is the last resort when you have problems. It allows you to boot into Windows without loading any device drivers or programs. You will have access to the system, so that you can take a look at what the system runs like without any of the unrequired software running.

Safe Mode is commonly used when you cannot boot into Windows Normally, and you need to find out why. If you cannot boot into safe mode then you have big problems and usually the only way to rectify the situation, is to re-install the Operating System from scratch.

In safe mode you can do everything you can when running in Normal Windows mode with the exception of installing new programs etc.

For more information about Safe Mode, hunt around on Google.

More Utilities Coming Soon!