Windows XP for Home Users, Service Pack 2 Edition

IN THIS CHAPTER

Basic Troubleshooting Tips 464

Starting in Safe Mode 465

Undoing Something Bad with System Restore 467

Troubleshooting Technical Problems with Windows' Diagnostic Tools 470

Simple Solutions to Common Problems 475

The Bottom Line 498

Well, you've made it this far. Now it's time to get down to the nitty-gritty, and talk about what to do if your copy of Windows XP starts causing you problems.

The reality is that Windows XP is a much more robust operating system than Windows 9X/Me. It's built on the 32-bit Windows NT/2000 engine, which is designed to take a licking and keep on ticking. This means that it should crash a whole lot less than what you're used to even frozen and crashed applications shouldn't bring down the whole operating system.

Still, things don't always run as they're supposed to. If you start experiencing problems after you've installed Windows XP, use the advice in this chapter to try and track down your problem. Chances are it's something simple, and something you can fix yourself without calling in a technical support person.