Troubleshooting Concepts

The immediate goal of any troubleshooting session is to restore service as quickly as possible. However, the larger goal is to determine the cause of the problem. Root-cause analysis is the practice of searching for the source of problems to prevent them from recurring.

Problems represent deviations from known or expected behavior and the most effective way to solve a problem is to gather information before acting, and then isolate and eliminate variables.

Identify Problem Symptoms

Start by observing and identifying symptoms of the problem. You need to learn more about the circumstances in which problems occur and become familiar with system behavior when issues arise. Here are some questions that you can use to help identify symptoms:

• Do error messages appear? If so, record the error numbers, the exact message text, and a brief description of the activity. This information is useful when researching the cause of the problem or when consulting with technical support. In your description, include events that precede or follow a problem and the time and date of the error. For complex or lengthy messages, you can use a program such as Microsoft Paint (Mspaint.exe) to record the error message as a bitmap.

To capture an on-screen error message

1. Click the window or dialog box that contains the error message.

2. To capture the contents of the entire desktop, press PRINT SCREEN (or PrtScn).

   or

   To capture an image of the active (foreground) desktop window only, press ALT + PRINT SCREEN (or PrtScn).

3. In the Run dialog box, in the Open box, type:

   mspaint

4. On the Edit menu, click Paste.

5. If the prompt The image in the clipboard is larger appears, click Yes.

6. On the File menu, type a file name for the image, and then click Save.

Error messages might appear before Windows XP Professional starts. For example, motherboard or storage adapter firmware might display an error message if self-tests detect a hardware problem. If you are unable to record the message quickly enough, you can pause the text display by pressing PAUSE BREAK. To continue, press CTRL+PAUSE BREAK.

• Did you check Event Viewer logs? Entries in Event Viewer s application, security, and system logs might contain information helpful for determining the cause of the problem. Look for symptoms or signs of problems that occur at frequent or regular intervals. For more information about Event Viewer, see Windows XP Professional Help and Support Center and Tools for Troubleshooting in this book.

• Did you check log files on your computer? Error messages sometimes direct you to view a log file on your computer. The operating system or an application typically saves log files in text format. By using Notepad or an equivalent text editor, you can view the contents of a text log file to determine if it contains information useful for troubleshooting your problem.

• Does the problem coincide with an application or activity? If the problem occurs when an application is running or during activities such as network printing or Internet browsing, you can reproduce the error to observe details and gather information for troubleshooting purposes. Be sure to record what applications and features are being used when the problem occurs.

• Do previous records exist? Check to see if there are records that describe changes, such as the software installed or hardware upgraded. If records are not available, you might query users or other support technicians. Pay special attention to recent changes such as Service Packs applied, device drivers installed, and motherboard or peripheral firmware versions. This information can help you determine if the problem is new or a condition that has worsened.

• Is baseline information available? Baseline information is system configuration and performance data taken at various times to mark hardware and software changes. If possible, compare current baselines with previous ones to determine the effects of recent changes on system performance. If previous baselines are not available, you can generate a baseline to evaluate recent efforts to troubleshoot your current system configuration. For more information about generating configuration baselines of your systems performance and hardware, see Windows XP Professional Help and Support Center and Overview of Performance Monitoring in the Operations Guide of the Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Resource Kit.

• Does the problem seem related to user profiles? Do other users who log on to the same computer have similar problems? Are all users who do not experience problems using Administrator accounts or do they share other common attributes? For example, check if the problem occurs when using a newly created user account.

• Does the problem seem network related? Determine if the same error occurs on more than one computer on a network. See if the error happens when you log on locally or use a domain account. For a network-related error that occurred during startup, try disconnecting the network cable and restart the computer. For more information about troubleshooting startup problems, see Troubleshooting Startup in this book.

• Is incompatible or untested software installed? Are you using unsigned or beta drivers? Installing software not fully tested for compatibility with Windows XP Professional or using unsigned drivers can cause erratic behavior or instability.

• Do you have backups to examine? If you can establish a time frame for the problem, try to locate earlier system backups. Examining the differences between current and previous configurations can help you identify system components or settings that have changed. In addition to examining backups, you can use the System Restore tool to save or restore system states. By comparing the current state to past states, you might be able to determine when the changes occurred and identify the components or settings affected. For more information about System Restore, see Windows XP Professional Help and Support Center and Tools for Troubleshooting in this book.

Check Technical Information Resources

After you gather information about key symptoms, check internal and external technical information sources for ideas, solutions, and similar or related symptoms reported by others.

Information resources such as Windows XP Professional related newsgroups and the Microsoft Knowledge Base can save you time and effort. The ideal situation is that your problem is a known issue, complete with solutions or suggestions that point you in the right direction. See sources of information shown in Table 25-1.

Table 25-1: Help and Information Sources

Source	Description
Diagnostic Solutions Guide (DSG)	A Microsoft Web site that helps you search TechNet articles pertaining to your problem. For more information about the DSG, see the Diagnostic Solutions Guide link on the Web Resources page at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/reskits/webresources
Help and Support Center	Provides access to troubleshooting tools, wizards, information, and links that cover a wide range of Windows XP Professional related topics including: Hardware devices, such as modems and network adapters. Networking and the Internet. Multimedia applications and devices. E-mail, printing, and faxing. Working remotely. Remote assistance and troubleshooting. System information and diagnostics. Troubleshooting tools and diagnostic programs provided by Windows XP Professional. To do a search using this feature, on the Start menu, click Help and Support.
Help Desk, Problem Management Department	Technicians who have access to a wide range of information and history, including common problems and solutions.
International Technology Information Library (ITIL) and Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) Web sites	Sites that provide information for developing, troubleshooting, planning, organizing, and managing information technology (IT) services. The ITIL Web site provides an online glossary of commonly used industry terms used in IT-related documents. For more information, see the ITIL and MOF links on the Web Resources page at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/reskits/webresources
Internet newsgroups	Technical newsgroups offer peer support for common computer problems. You can exchange messages in an appropriate forum to request or provide solutions and workarounds. Newsgroup discussions cover a wide range of topics and provide valuable information that might help you track down the source of your problem. Viewing newsgroup messages requires newsreader software, such as Outlook Express.
Manufacturers Web sites	Web sites offered by manufacturers of computers, peripherals, and applications to provide Web support for their products.
Microsoft Knowledge Base	An extensive list of known problems and solutions that you can search. If you are unfamiliar with searching the Microsoft Knowledge Base, see article Q242450, How to Query the Microsoft Knowledge Base Using Keywords. To find this article and for more information about the Microsoft Knowledge Base, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base link on the Web Resources page at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/reskits/webresources
Microsoft Product Support Services	A Web site that contains technical information, useful links, downloads, and answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs). To access the support options available from Product Support Services, see the Microsoft Product Support Services link on the Web Resources page at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/reskits/webresources
Microsoft TechNet	A subscription-based service for IT professionals that enables you to search technical content and topics about Microsoft products. For more information about TechNet, see the Microsoft TechNet link on the Web Resources page at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/reskits/webresources
Other online information Web sites	Many Web sites maintained by individuals and organizations provide troubleshooting information for Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows Me, Microsoft Windows NT version 4.0, Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows 2000, and Windows XP Professional. Some of these Web sites specialize in hardware issues; others, in software.
Readme files	Files that contain the latest information about the software or driver installation media. Typical file names are Readme.txt or Readme1st.txt.
Reference books	Reference books such as the Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Resource Kit provide helpful information for diagnosing problems.
Technical support	Technical support can help you solve a complex problem that might otherwise require substantial research time.
Training	Instructor-led or self-paced training can increase your troubleshooting efficiency.
Windows Update Web site	A site that contains downloadable content, including current information about improving system compatibility and stability. For more information about Windows Update, see the Windows Update link on the Web Resources page at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/reskits/webresources

Before you apply a solution or workaround, or test an upgraded or updated application, use Backup to back up your system. Backups allow you to restore the computer to the previous state if you are not satisfied with the results. For information about backing up your system, see Backup and Restore in this book.

If your organization has test labs to use, consider testing workarounds and updates in a lab environment before applying them to multiple systems. For more information about software compatibility testing, see Avoid Common Pitfalls later in this chapter.