A+ Technician's on the Job Guide to Windows XP

Overview

This book has focused on Windows XP configurations and solutions that you can put to work in your networking environment. As you can imagine, there are a number of issues and problems that you are likely to run into as you work with Windows XP. However, there is a collection of common problems that tend to cause difficulty for users and support personnel on a regular basis. This appendix explores the 25 most common problems you are likely to encounter, and gives you quick and fast steps to resolve those problems as well. Use this appendix as a quick reference guide for quick troubleshooting!

A Hardware Device Does Not Work

Hardware devices and drivers must be compatible to work under Windows XP. If you ensure that the hardware and the drivers you are installing are compatible with Windows XP, you are not likely to have many hardware installation difficulties. However, this does not mean that hardware devices will always be easy to install and configure. As an A+ technician, you should approach hardware troubleshooting from a logical, point-to-point view. In other words, start with the obvious and work down from there. Follow these general steps as a quick help guide to resolve hardware device problems.

Solving Hardware Device Problems

1. Ensure that the device and the driver are compatible with Windows XP. If a Windows XP device driver is not available, try to use a Windows 2000 driver.

2. Make sure that the hardware is physically connected to the correct port or installed correctly in the internal slot.

3. Restart the computer. This ensures that Windows XP’s plug and play has the full opportunity to detect the devices. You can also use the Scan for Hardware Changes option within Device Manager.

4. Use the Add Hardware Wizard, shown here. Work through the wizard steps until you reach the device selection window, where you can choose the manufacturer and model of the device you are trying to install. Or, use the Have Disk option.

Windows XP Crashes after a Hardware Installation

If after you install hardware Windows XP crashes or the system begins to behave erratically, the problem is almost always with the driver. Once again, device drivers must be compatible with Windows XP. If a device driver worked with a previous version of Windows, that certainly does not mean that the device driver will work with Windows XP.

If you are having problems with performance after a new piece of hardware is installed, you’ll need to visit the manufacturer’s web site and see whether you can get a new driver that is compatible with Windows XP. If the driver you are using is a Windows XP driver, the driver may be corrupted, in which case you need to reinstall the driver. Follow these steps.

Solving Hardware Driver Problems

1. Boot the computer using Safe Mode.

2. Once the computer is booted, open Device Manager, then open the Properties sheet for the device in question.

3. On the Driver tab, choose the Update Driver option and follow the wizard steps that appear.

Users Complain of Permissions Messages

Depending on your networking environment (workgroup or domain), users have certain privileges, but are also denied certain privileges as well. As you are working with Windows XP, it is important to keep in mind that local administrator accounts have full access to the system. Limited accounts, however, do not have the ability to add or remove hardware or even to install some applications. For the most part, limited users can only change Windows XP configuration options that apply directly to their user accounts, such as desktop wallpaper and the screensaver. Only administrator accounts can make systemwide changes.

As you respond to user complaints about permissions and access, it is important to determine whether the problem is a local problem or a network problem. From a networking point of view, the user may need access to certain resources, but the user’s account may not have been granted access to those resources. As an A+ technician, you’ll then have to decide whether the user actually should have access to those resources and who should configure access to those resources. Concerning the local computer, users will simply have to be educated about the restrictions placed on them by the limited account, if it is in use.

Windows XP Will Not Boot

In the case of a boot failure, you should stop and ask yourself, “What has changed?” In most cases, a hardware installation or some other configuration has caused the computer to stop booting. In this case, if you can determine what has changed, you usually can figure out what you need to do. However, there are a few important tips to keep in mind:

• Try booting into Safe Mode or the Last Known Good Configuration.

• If Safe Mode does not work, take note of the boot failure message that appears. The message can often give you clues about what the problem might be.

• If there are problems with files, such as boot.ini or Ntdetect.com, you can use the Recovery Console to copy new files and fix related problems that should return the computer to a bootable state.

• In cases where you can boot the computer using Safe Mode, but you are not sure what is causing the boot failure, try using System Restore.

Windows XP Runs Slowly

Windows XP requires a processor and enough RAM to meet the needs of the operating system. If you upgraded from a previous version of Windows that barely supported Windows 98 or Windows Me, performance problems are likely. To resolve the performance problems, consider upgrading the hardware. If this is not practical, you can optimize the Windows XP interface for performance. This will give you a more basic Windows XP graphical interface, but may give you a little more power. To adjust the setting, follow these steps.

Adjust the Visual Performance Settings

1. Click Start | Control Panel | System.

2. Click the Advanced tab and click the Settings button under Performance.

3. Choose the Adjust for Best Performance radio button, and click OK. This setting removes many of Windows XP’s visual effects.

Painful Lessons I’ve Learned: Applications and Memory

You may also have to help users understand that applications use a lot of memory. The more applications that are open, the slower the computer will tend to run, especially if graphics applications are in use. You may have to become a teacher of sorts and help users understand that they must close unused applications in order to boost system performance.

Applications Do Not Work or Do Not Work Correctly

All software, including applications and games, must be compatible with Windows XP in order to work. If you are having problems with older applications or games when working with Windows XP, you can try using the Program Compatibility Wizard to configure a compatibility mode. If this does not work, your only option is to upgrade the software to a version that supports Windows XP. You should never use antivirus programs or disk management programs that are not explicitly written for Windows XP. If you upgraded from a previous version of Windows, you should upgrade these programs as well. Check the program manufacturers’ web sites for details.

Individual NTFS Permissions Are Not Available

Simple File Sharing is used by default on Windows XP, but you can change the setting so that you can configure NTFS permissions. Once you turn off Simple File Sharing, the typical Security tab appears on shares so that you can configure NTFS permissions. Note that you cannot turn off Simple File Sharing on Windows XP Home Edition. To turn off Simple File Sharing on Windows XP Professional, follow these steps.

Turning Off Simple File Sharing

1. Click Start | Control Panel | Folder Options.

2. Click the View tab, shown here. Scroll to the bottom of the window and clear the Use Simple File Sharing check box. Click OK.

Windows Media Player Does Not Play CD Music

If Media Player does not seem to play a CD-ROM drive, then the drive probably needs to be configured to play CD music. If you are having problems putting CD music in the Media Library, keep in mind that you must first copy that CD music to your hard drive before you can place it in the Media Library. To configure the CD-ROM drive to play CD music, follow these steps.

Configuring the CD-ROM Drive for Music

1. First, check your CD-ROM drive. Click Start | My Computer.

2. In the My Computer window, right-click your CD-ROM drive and click Properties.

3. Click the AutoPlay tab. Under Actions, choose the Select an Action to Perform button and choose Play Using Windows Media Player, as shown here, and click OK.

4. Next, you want to make sure the device is configured to play CD music. Click Start | Control Panel | System.

5. Click the Hardware tab and then click the Device Manager button.

6. Expand the DVD/CD-ROM drives category, and then right-click the CD-ROM and click Properties.

7. Click the Properties tab. Set the CD Player Volume slider bar to High. If the Enable Digital CD Audio for This CD-ROM Drive check box is selected, leave it selected. If not, select the check box and click OK. Close Device Manager.

8. Now open Windows Media Player. Click Tools | Options.

9. Click the Devices tab. Make sure that your audio CD drive appears in this window. If it does not, try clicking the Refresh button.

10. If the CD-ROM drive still will not play CDs, then go back to the Device Manager CD-ROM Properties sheet (see steps 4 through 7) and clear the Enable Digital CD Audio for This CD-ROM Drive check box. Then click OK.

A Computer Is Having Network Access Problems

If a computer residing on a network is having problems accessing the network, you’ll need to troubleshoot a few different items. The following list gives you some quick tips:

• Use Device Manager and make sure the computer’s network adapter card is functioning and is connected to the network.

• Access the TCP/IP properties and make sure the computer is configured as needed for your network (dynamic or static IP address configuration). Also, check the default gateway and make sure a correct DNS server is specified.

• Use the Ipconfig.exe command to determine the IP address and subnet mask of the computer. Ensure that the IP address and subnet mask are valid for your network.

• Use the ping command and try to ping other computers. Also try to ping the problematic computer from another computer. Try pinging a local computer, the gateway, and a remote computer.

• In a domain environment, ensure that the user/computer has a domain account and is logged on to the domain.

A Modem Disconnects When There Is Idle Time

Both modem and dial-up account configuration can hang up an Internet connection if a certain period of idle time passes. However, you can stop this behavior. To stop the autodisconnect feature, follow these steps.

Stopping Idle Disconnect Behavior

1. Click Start | Control Panel | Phone and Modem Options.

2. Click the Modems tab. Select your modem in the list and click Properties.

3. Click the Advanced tab, and then click the Change Default Preferences button.

4. On the General tab, shown here, clear the Disconnect a Call If Idle for X Mins check box, or change the value if desired. Click OK, then click OK again.

5. To check the connection properties, click Start | Connect To | Show All Connections.

6. Right-click the Internet connection and click Properties.

7. In the Options tab, change the Idle Time before Hanging Up setting to Never, as shown here. Click OK.

Internet Connectivity Is Slow

Internet connectivity is one of those aggravating issues that you’ll need to support in workgroup situations where a proxy server does not handle Internet connectivity. There are a few basic guidelines to follow:

• The speed of your connection often depends on your Internet service provider (ISP). If you believe you should have better speeds than what you are getting, you can talk with technical support for your ISP, who may have some suggestions.

• Keep in mind that peak usage times during the day will be slower. Web servers are busy and often are quite congested. Late at night or early in the morning are always the best times to surf—even with broadband connections.

• If Internet Explorer seems to have slowed down over time, you can dump all of the temporary Internet files and cookies. Doing so sometimes helps IE work faster. Click Start | Control Panel | Internet Options. On the General tab, click the Delete Files button under Temporary Internet Files.

• If you are using ICS, traffic among ICS clients can slow down Internet connectivity, especially if you are not using a broadband connection. Either the users have to stop using the Internet as much, or you will have to upgrade the connection on the ICS host.

Internet Explorer Blocks Certain Sites, or Sites Are Not Accessible

If Internet Explorer blocks certain web sites, or some sites do not seem accessible, you probably need to adjust security and/or privacy settings. The security settings can be set too high so that IE blocks certain web sites that the user wants to visit. Or, privacy settings may be set to block all cookies—some web sites simply will not work with IE unless temporary cookies can be exchanged.

To remedy this problem, access Internet Options in Control Panel and adjust the settings found on the Security and Privacy tabs.

ICS Users Disconnect a Dial-Up ICS Connection

In Windows XP, your ICS clients can control the Internet connection, if allowed to do so from the ICS host. This feature is new in Windows XP and can be useful in a number of scenarios. When the option is turned on, users can connect, disconnect, and even reconfigure the connection. If you do not want users to manage the Internet connection, however, you can disable this feature. To stop ICS clients from managing the Internet connection, follow these steps.

Restricting ICS Clients from Managing the Internet Connection

1. On the ICS host computer, click Start | Connect To | Show All Connections.

2. Right-click the Internet connection and click Properties.

3. Click the Advanced tab, as shown here. Clear the check box option Allow Other Users to Control or Disable the Shared Internet Connection and click OK.

A User Cannot Encrypt a Compressed File

In Windows XP, encryption and compression do not work together. You can either encrypt a file or compress it, but you cannot do both. In this case, once again, user education is required. To encrypt the file, access the file’s Properties sheet and choose to encrypt the file. However, doing so will automatically uncompress the file.

A User Complains That Windows XP Turns Itself Off

If your computer hardware supports it, Windows XP provides a hibernation feature. After a period of inactivity, Windows XP can save to the hard disk all of the data held in RAM, and then shut itself down. When you reboot, the data is read off the hard disk and back into RAM so that your computer is in the same state as you left it. No data is lost on any open applications using hibernation. However, you can disable hibernation if you want.

Turning Off Hibernation

1. Click Start | Control Panel | Display.

2. Click the Screen Saver tab and then click the Power button.

3. On the Power Schemes tab, as shown here, change the System Hibernates option to Never. Click OK.

Windows XP Automatically Connects to the Internet

Windows Update is a feature that allows Windows XP to check for operating system updates and automatically download them so that you can install them. This feature works great, especially if you are on a broadband connection, but if you are not, it can be a real pain because it will try to dial your connection. You can change this automatic feature, however, if you don’t want to use it. To change the Windows Update feature, follow these steps.

Disabling Automatic Update

1. Log on as an administrator.

2. Click Start | Control Panel | System.

3. Click the Automatic Updates tab, as shown here. Choose the Turn Off Automatic Updating option and click OK.

NTFS Features Are Not Available

Windows XP works best with NTFS, but is completely compatible with FAT32. If your drive is currently FAT32, you can convert it to NTFS without any problems. However, you should make certain that the conversion is really necessary. NTFS drives provide you with compression capabilities and security features, but depending on your use of Windows XP, you may not need any of these features. See the Windows XP help files for comparisons and more information about using NTFS or FAT32. If you decide that you want to use NTFS, you can convert your FAT32 drive easily and without any loss of data by following these steps.

Converting a Drive to NTFS

1. Log on as an administrator.

2. Back up your data, just to be safe.

3. Click Start | Run. Type cmd and click OK.

4. At the command prompt, type convert driveletter: /FS:NTFS, where driveletter is the letter of the drive that you want to convert. For example, if you wanted to convert your C drive, the command would be convert C: /FS:NTFS, as you can see here.

A User Has Forgotten His or Her Local Password

Windows XP ties certain user information directly to the account and password. If a user forgets his or her password, you can choose to reset the password. However, you will lose data if you do so. Specifically, user certificates and web- related passwords, along with basic computer settings, will be lost once the password is reset. There is no workaround for this problem once the password has been forgotten, but you can prevent the loss of data and the reset problems by creating a Password Reset Disk. To reset a password without a Password Reset Disk, follow these steps.

Resetting a Password without a Password Reset Disk

1. Log on with an administrator account.

2. Click Start | Control Panel | User Accounts.

3. Select the account that you want to reset.

4. Click the Create a Password option.

5. On the Create a Password page, create a new password for the user. The user will lose personal certificates and stored passwords for web sites and network resources.

To create a Password Reset Disk so that manual resetting and loss of data does not occur, follow these steps.

Resetting a Password with a Password Reset Disk

1. Log on with the desired account.

2. Open User Accounts in Control Panel.

3. In the Related Tasks box that appears in the left pane, select the user account and click the Prevent a Forgotten Password option.

   Note

   You cannot create a Password Reset Disk for another user. You can only create the Password Reset Disk for the account that you used to log on. If you try to create it for someone else, the option does not appear in the Related Tasks box.

4. The Forgotten Password Wizard appears. Click Next on the Welcome screen.

5. Choose the drive (such as your floppy drive) where you want to create the Password Reset Disk. Then click Next.

6. Enter the current user account password and click Next.

7. The Password Reset Disk is created. Click Next and then click Finish.

If you need to use the Password Reset Disk, follow these steps.

Using the Password Reset Disk

1. On the Welcome screen, click the question mark button next to your user account.

2. The “Did you forget your password?” message appears. Click the Use Your Password Reset Disk option and follow the instructions that appear.

Account Lockout and Other Account Features Are Not Available

Windows XP Professional provides you with some additional account management features that you can implement if you want fine control over user account logons. However, these options are not intuitive because you configure them through local Group Policy.

Group Policy is a feature that allows an XP administrator to configure all kinds of settings and account options that are applied to all users. Users cannot override the settings and are forced to live with what you configure. Group Policy provides uniformity and enables you to apply standards to all user accounts that you want to enforce. You can control much with Group Policy, including account configuration options. To use Group Policy to configure account restrictions, follow these steps.

Configuring Account Restrictions

1. Click Start | Run.

2. Type gpedit.msc and click OK. Keep in mind that this command will work only on Windows XP Professional computers. The Group Policy console opens, as you can see here.

3. Under Computer Configuration, expand Windows Settings. Then expand Security Settings and select Account Policies.

4. In the right pane, you see containers for Password Policy and Account Lockout Policy. You can double-click a container and see the policy options available. For example, as shown here, you see the options to configure minimum and maximum ages, complexity requirements, and other settings.

5. To configure a policy, double-click it. A policy configuration window appears. After you have configured a policy, all users will be forced to use passwords that are at least eight characters long.

6. Once you are done, click OK and exit Group Policy.

Internet Explorer Does Not Allow You to Download a Driver

Internet Explorer 6, which is included with Windows XP, has some security features that try to help you avoid downloading unsigned drivers, and thus prevent you from downloading viruses and other malicious code. Normally, Internet Explorer will prompt you before downloading an unsigned driver, but if the setting has been configured to Block, then you will not be able to download the driver. To enable Internet Explorer to prompt you for driver download action, follow these steps.

Setting Up a Prompt to Appear When Downloading Unsigned Drivers

1. Log on with an administrator account.

2. Click Start | Control Panel | System.

3. Click the Hardware tab and click the Driver Signing button.

4. In the Driver Signing Options dialog box that appears, click the Warn radio button so that IE will warn you before downloading unsigned driver files, rather than blocking the downloading. If you want this setting to apply to all users on the computer, click the Make This Action the System Default check box, as shown here. Click OK.

A Hard Disk Reads and Writes Data Very Slowly

Over time, your hard disk may become fragmented. As files are saved and opened, Windows XP may have to store pieces of the files in different places on the disk, which in turn requires more time to save and open them. Fragmentation is a normal result of excessive disk use. The primary signs of fragmentation are slow reading and writing—you double-click a file and it takes a little too long to open it, or you save a file and it takes a little too long to save it. The good news is that Windows XP gives you a tool to defragment the hard disk and resolve the fragmentation problem. To defragment the drive, follow these steps.

Defragmenting a Drive

1. Click Start | My Computer. Right-click the drive letter and click Properties.

2. Click the Tools tab, and click the Defragment Now button.

3. In the Disk Defragmenter dialog box, shown here, click the Analyze button to see whether the disk needs to be defragmented.

4. A message appears telling you whether or not you should defragment the volume. Click Defragment to continue. The defragmentation process begins and may take some time (possibly several hours), depending on the size of the hard disk.

Windows XP Stops Responding When a Print Job Is Sent to the Printer

A utility called the Windows spooler should handle print jobs. The spooler processes and holds print jobs until they are printed. This frees up the computer so that you can continue to work and play while the printer is working. If the spooler is not used, however, the computer will not respond until the print job is finished. To make sure you are using the spooler, follow these steps:

Ensuring That the Spooler Is in Use

1. Click Start | Control Panel | Printers and Faxes.

2. Right-click the desired printer icon and click Properties.

3. Click the Advanced tab, shown here. Make sure that the Spool Print Documents So Program Finishes Printing Faster option is selected—not the Print Directly to the Printer option.

Remote Desktop Does Not Work with ICF

By default, ICF does not allow incoming traffic that is not explicitly requested by a local user, and thus drops Remote Desktop traffic. However, you can configure ICF to allow Remote Desktop traffic. To configure ICF to allow Remote Desktop traffic, follow these steps.

Configuring ICF for Remote Desktop Traffic

1. Click Start | Network Connections. Right-click the Internet connection and click Properties.

2. Click the Advanced tab and click the Settings button.

3. In the Advanced Settings window, shown here, click the Remote Desktop check box on the Services tab, click OK, then click OK again.

A Windows XP Computer Boots Slowly

If your computer boots slowly, the problem may be that a number of applications or services are configured to begin at startup. This can cause the computer to take longer to boot because all of these extra features have to be loaded. Also, if your processor and RAM are barely meeting the requirements, then you can expect the computer to boot more slowly. To check the items that are configured to start when the computer boots, follow these steps.

Checking Items Configured to Start on Bootup

1. Click Start | Run. Type msconfig and click OK. This opens the System Configuration utility.

2. On the Services tab, you see a list of items that are configured to start when the computer starts. You can remove items simply by clearing the check box next to them. However, you should be careful; many items are needed for Windows XP to run properly. A good way to use this tab is to look in the manufacturer column for manufacturers other than Microsoft; among these manufacturers you might find a number of programs that you really do not use or even need. Check your computer documentation for details, and don’t hesitate to contact technical support for help.

Windows XP Runs a Laptop Computer’s Battery Power Down Quickly

If your battery power runs down quickly, there are a few things you can do that will help:

• First, check your laptop’s documentation about the battery. A new battery may be all that you need to solve your problems.

• Use Power Options System Standby features and hibernation in order to conserve power when you are not using the computer.

• If you have multiple PC cards, consider creating a hardware profile that disables everything that you are not using when you are mobile. These resources consume valuable battery power, even when you are not directly using them.

• Unless you are using the CD-ROM, take any CD out of the drive; the spinning CD consumes battery power resources.