6.1 General Troubleshooting Techniques

Troubleshooting a computer involves more than just whining about it. One of the first things you need to do to solve a problem is to find the right words to describe the problem. You don't know how many people have come to me simply saying, "it doesn't work." I have to prod them to find what they did (or didn't do), whether or not they received an error message, if they saw smoke billowing out of one of their drives, or if the computer simply didn't do what they expected.

Like it or not, most problems are simply caused by poorly written software. As soon as you remove yourself (the user) as a potential cause of the problem, it makes it much easier to track down the real source of the problem and fix it.

Computer problems can come in many forms: error messages, crashes, lock-ups, unexpected results, and corrupted data. A crash is usually attributed by a cryptic error message of some sort (General Protection Fault, Blue Screen of Death, etc.), followed by having the application or the entire operating system shut down abruptly. A lock-up is what happens when an application (or Windows) stops responding to the mouse and keyboard; sometimes a lock-up is recoverable (often by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Del or just waiting a few seconds), and sometimes it isn't.

Much of this chapter focuses on some specific problems and their solutions, but most troubleshooting requires nothing more than a little reasoning. If you're looking for a chart of every conceivable error message and its cause, you're out of luck: such a thing simply doesn't exist. There is effectively an infinite combination of computer systems, add-on devices, application software, and drivers; unfortunately, some of those combinations can be fraught with headaches. However, Appendix E does have a list of common BSoD (Blue Screen of Death) error messages, typically considered the most extreme you'll encounter.

The most important step and usually the most difficult in troubleshooting a computer system is to isolate the problem. Here are some questions to ask yourself when you're trying to isolate a problem:

Is this an isolated incident, or does this problem occur every time I perform some action?

As much as Microsoft will deny it, crashing is a fact of life on a Windows system, even when using Windows XP (although some users will swear up and down that their systems are "rock-solid").

An isolated incident is often just that, and, if nothing else, is a good reminder to save your work often. On the other hand, if a given error message or crash repeatedly occurs at the same time, in the same place, or as a result of the same mouse click, you need to be aware of that fact if you hope to solve the problem.

Did I install or remove any software or hardware around the time this problem started occurring?

Sudden changes in your computer's behavior are almost never spontaneous; if something suddenly stops working, you can bet that there was a discernible trigger.

Is the problem with a specific application or hardware device, or is Windows at fault?

You can rule out specific applications if the crash or another problem doesn't just occur in one program. You can rule out most hardware by removing or disabling the unnecessary devices attached to your system. And you can rule out Windows by installing a second copy of the operating system on a different drive, as described in Chapter 10.

Did I read the directions?

Unfortunately, a well-designed interface is still something not implemented by many software manufacturers these days, so if you're not getting the results you expect from your word processor, printer, scanner, mouse, web browser, or other hardware device or application, make sure that you have read the directions (and release notes) that accompany such products and that the product in question is installed properly. Also, software manufacturers frequently release updates and fixes, so it's always a good idea to check to see if you have the latest versions of all applications and drivers. See Section 6.3, later in this chapter, for details.

How likely is it that someone else has encountered the same problem I have?

This is often the most useful question to ask, because the odds are that someone else not only has encountered the same problem (anything from an annoying software quirk to a deafening application crash), but has already discovered a solution and written about it in some online forum. For example, there's a Windows XP discussion forum at http://www.annoyances.org for specifically this purpose!

Am I asking the right people?

If you just installed a new version of America Online and now your Internet connection doesn't work, you shouldn't be calling your plumber. On the other hand, nothing compares to trying to convince a technical support representative that the problem you're experiencing is actually their company's fault and not someone else's.

Am I using the latest version of the software or drivers for the product in question?

Most manufacturers routinely place software patches, updated drivers, and other fixes on their web sites. In many cases, the manufacturer has fixed the problem you're having and all that's left to do is download and install the new version.

The last tidbit of wisdom comes from years of experience. Some problems require hours and hours of fruitless troubleshooting and needless headaches. In some cases, it makes more sense to replace the product that's giving you trouble than to try to fix it. Keep that in mind when it's four o'clock in the morning, and Windows refuses to recognize your ninety-dollar scanner.

6.1.1 Where to Go from Here

More specific troubleshooting information can be found throughout this book:

Software issues (Part I)

The first part of this chapter is devoted to software troubleshooting, such as issues involving starting and shutting down Windows, error messages, and crashes.

See also Chapter 10 for more information on the installation process, what can go wrong, and how to recover from a Windows installation that won't boot.

And see Appendix E for a list of commonly-encountered "Blue Screen of Death" error messages.

Hardware issues (Part II)

See Section 6.3, later in this chapter, for topics such as hardware conflicts and Plug-and-Play issues. This is followed by Section 6.4, which covers each device in your system, one-by-one.

See also Chapter 7 for help with troubleshooting a network or Internet connection.

Backups & data recovery (Part III)

In addition to isolating and solving problems, the other important aspect of troubleshooting involves data loss caused by those problems. See Section 6.5, later in this chapter, for details on what do when a problem is bad enough to corrupt or erase important documents or other data, and how to protect yourself from this eventuality.