Index_S

S

Safe Mode, 178–179

for help system, 179–180, 180

for removing problems, 180–182, 181

with System Restore, 182–183, 183

saving

BIOS information, 196

damaged files as text, 337

to protect files, 320

ScanDisk utility, 66

on boot disks, 97

for dead hard drives, 432, 432

scanning for viruses, 83–85, 84

scheduling disk maintenance, 68–69

screen. See video and video adapters

screen-shot software, 118

screensavers, 255

screwdrivers, 93–94

SCSI host adapters, 268

SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM), 30

searching for copies of damaged files, 323–328, 324–325, 327

secEvent.evt file, 153

security, 77

for guest accounts, 80

locks for, 80–81

passwords for, 77–80, 78–79

patches for, 221

security log, 153

Seek Error/Sector Not Found error, 435

segments, network, 349

Select Backup Sets window, 414, 414

self-extracting Zip files, 333

self-healing PCs, 175

Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology (SMART), 430–431

senses for troubleshooting, 141

serial ports, 43

Serious Disk Error Writing Drive error, 435

service packs, 221–222

service technicians, 463–465

Services tab, 176, 176

Settings tab, 302, 302

Setup programs

for applications, 52–53

for hard drives, 448–449

problems with, 409

Setup wizard

for drive images, 133–134, 133–134

for operating system, 410–411

share names, 354

sharing

folders and printers, 352–356, 353–355, 369–370

Internet connections, 356

Sharing tab, 354–355, 354–355

short circuits, 243

shutdown

damage from, 317

hard drive problems from, 424

problems in, 162

proper, 60

signatures, virus, 85

simplicity in troubleshooting, 142

Single drive setups, 445–447, 446

situational disasters, 3

Slave drive setups, 445–447, 446

slots

bus, 27

memory, 30

slowness, investigating, 218. See also performance

SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology), 430–431

smells

burning, 167

in troubleshooting, 141

smoke

from hard drives, 423

from motherboards, 243

smoke detectors, 272

sockets, memory, 247–248, 248

soft boots, 22

software

configuring for networks, 351–352, 352, 360

for dead hard drives, 437–440, 439

for maintenance, 65–69

for PC recovery resource kits, 96–105, 99–104

piracy, 341

for recovery, 10–13, 12

as troubleshooting suspect, 159–160

sound

disasters related to, 38

hardware for, 38, 38

sound cards, 38, 268

sounds in troubleshooting, 141

spare hardware

in PC recovery resource kits, 108–109

for troubleshooting, 95

special boot disks, 196

speed, CPU, 28, 33. See also performance

SpinRite program, 438, 441

stabilizing operating systems, 216

causes of instability, 216–217

for protecting files, 317, 321

reducing instability, 217–219

reverting to prior versions, 227–228

stop errors, 229–230

utilities for, 219

error reporting, 226–227

Help, 220

reinstalling Windows, 220–221

reversing changes, 220

System Restore, 227

Windows Update, 221–224, 224–225

standard BIOS settings, 46

standby UPSs, 277

Start Menu tab, 310, 310

starting from scratch, 398

vs. buying new computers, 416–419

cleanup for, 403–404, 403

drive-overlay programs for, 402

hard drives, 404

procedures in, 404–406

reformatting, 407–409

reinstalling files on, 410–416, 411–415

repartitioning, 406–409

replacing, 409–410

preparation for, 401–404, 403

reasons for

bad, 400

good, 398–399

requirements for, 402

startup, proper, 60

startup disks

for boot problems, 174–175

uses for, 97–99, 99

for Windows 98, 103–105, 103–104

for Windows XP, 99–102, 99–102

startup issues in performance, 309–311, 310–311

static electricity, 75

statistics on disasters, 5–6

status of networks, 360

Stellar Phoenix software, 440

stethoscopes, 159

sticks of memory, 30, 248

stop errors

dealing with, 229–230

investigating, 218

streamlining, 306–309

Summary window, 134

Support tab, 357, 357, 363, 363

surge suppressors, 236, 275–276

swap files, 293

switches

for BIOS, 194

for networks, 348, 348

Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), 30

sysEvent.evt file, 153

system caches, 292

system chipsets, 26

System Configuration Utility

for clean boots, 175–177, 176

for Windows XP, 388

System Information tool, 146–147, 147

SYSTEM.INI file, 177

system log, 153

System Monitor, 294

counters in, 295–296

for memory issues, 296–298, 297

System Properties dialog box

for networks, 351, 351

for Remote Assistance, 389–390, 390

for Windows Update, 224, 224

system requirements, upgrade problems from, 208–209

System Restore, 135–136, 135

recovering from, 190

Safe Mode with, 182–183, 183

for stabilizing operating systems, 227

system software, 52