Resolving Windows Common Problems

Resolving Common Problems on Installation Windows XP This is lists for some common installation problems and offers solutions. Troubleshooting Tips Problem : Media errors occur Solution : If you are installing from a CD-ROM, use a different CD-ROM. To request a replacement CD-ROM, contact Microsoft or your vendor. Try using a different computer and CD-ROM drive. If you can read the CD-ROM on a different computer, you can perform an over-the-network installation. If one of your Setup disks is not working, try using a different set of Setup disks. Problem : CD-ROM drive is not supported Solution : Replace the CD-ROM drive with a supported drive. If replacement is impossible, try another installation method such as installing over the network. After you complete the installation, add the adapter card driver for the CD-ROM drive if it is available. Problem : Computer is unable to copy files from the CD-ROM Solution : Test the CD-ROM on another computer. If you can copy the files using a different CD-ROM drive on a different computer, use the CD-ROM to copy the files to a network share or to the hard drive of the computer on which you want to install Windows XP Professional. Problem : Insufficient disk space Solution : Do one of the following: ª Use the Setup program to create a partition by using existing free space on the hard disk. ª Delete and create partitions as needed to create a partition that is large enough for installation. ª Reformat an existing partition to create more space. Problem : Dependency service fails Solution : In the Windows XP Professional Setup Wizard, return to the to start Network Settings dialog box and verify that you installed the correct protocol and network adapter. Verify that the network adapter has the proper configuration settings, such as transceiver type, and that the local computer name is unique on the network. Problem : Setup cannot connect to the domain controller Solution : Verify the following: - The domain name is correct. - The server running the DNS service and the domain controller are both running and online. If you cannot locate a domain controller, install Windows XP Professional into a workgroup and then join the domain after installation. - The network adapter card and protocol settings are set correctly. If you are reinstalling Windows XP Professional and are using the same computer name, delete the computer account and recreate it. Problem : Windows XP Professional fails to install or start Solution : Verify the following: -Windows XP Professional is detecting all of the hardware. -All of the hardware is on the HCL. -Try running Winnt32 /checkupgradeonly to verify that the hardware is compatible with Windows XP Professional. Setup Logs During Setup, Windows XP Professional generates a number of log files containing installation information that can help you resolve any problems that occur after setup is completed. The action log and the error log are especially useful for troubleshooting. Action Log The action log records in chronological order the actions that the Setup program performs. It includes actions such as copying files and creating Registry entries. It also contains entries that are written to the Setup error log. The action log is stored in SETUPACT.LOG. Error Log The error log describes errors that occur during setup and their severity. If errors occur, the log viewer displays the error log at the end of setup. The error log is stored in SETUPERR.LOG. Additional Logs Setup creates a number of additional logs, including the following: % windir%\comsetup.log Outlines installation for Optional Component Manager and COM+ components. % windir%\setupapi.log Receives an entry each time a line from an .inf file is implemented. If an error occurs, this log describes the failure. % windir%\debug\NetSetup.log Logs activity when computers join domains or workgroups. % windir%\repair\setup.log Provides information that is used by the Recovery Console. (In Windows NT 4, this was used by the Emergency Repair Process.) "

Installing Hardware

After buying computer Configuring your computer hardware can be an easy or difficult task to complete. Each hardware device must be configured with unique system resource settings. The resource settings enable the device to communicate with the computer's processor and memory without competing or conflicting with other devices. Most devices have the capability to accept various combinations of resource settings.You install new hardware (for instance, a sound card or hard drive) through a multistep configuration process. The fundamental steps are to configure the device at a physical level and at one or more logical levels so that the system can communicate with the device. A device will not function properly unless it is correctly installed.interrupt A type of signal that is used to get the attention of the CPU when I/O is required. An interrupt tells the CPU that the operating system is requesting that a specific action be taken. Interrupts are prioritized; higher-numbered interrupts are serviced first.base memory Memory addresses that are reserved and used to store low-level control software that is required by an add-on device.I/O memory Memory addresses that are reserved and assigned to add-on devices. Each assignment tells the CPU about the location of a specific device.direct access memory (DMA) DMA enables a device to transfer data directly to RAM without using the attention of the processor for the entire transfer period. The result is a faster and more direct method of data transfer.Note Before you install any piece of hardware, take the precaution of wearing an antistatic wrist guard to protect the computer from any potential electrical shocks that might damage the circuitry.When you install a piece of hardware, you should first properly configure it. You can determine configuration settings by reviewing the documentation that comes with the device. Traditionally, older hardware was configured through DIP switches and jumpers. Now this technology is fairly obsolete. Most hardware configuration is now done through software.Each hardware device is unique and has its own settings that you need to configure. Common configuration settings include interrupts, base memory, I/O memory, and direct memory access (DMA). These items are covered in more detail in the following subsections.Completing the physical installation of the device requires plugging it into the motherboard via a slot, cables, or both. Be sure that you have all the necessary accessories, such as screws or cables, when completing this step. If the device is a PC card, carefully plug it into an available bus slot of the same type, and secure it by screwing it into the case. It usually does not matter which slot you place the card into unless it is a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA), or MicroChannel Architecture (MCA) card; then it is identified by slot number.After you have securely attached the device, you can begin the software configuration. In this step, you install the device drivers and set any configuration parameters that a particular operating system might need in order to communicate and interact with a device.Note One reason Plug and Play technology is so important is that it automatically configures hardware devices for you. Windows 9x, Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 all include support for Plug and Play.

How To Clear Your Memory Without Restarting

Every time you use your computer, running multiple task is a daily activities. Especially if you are webmaster, or even graphic designer. Program such as Adobe Photoshop, Corel Draw, Dreamweaver, Macromedia Flash, and perhaps SEO Tools you ran it together. Of course if you have great amount of memory your PC will run smoothly, but what if you less stock of memory space ?. You can try this tips, Most people will restart their computer to remove and idle processes. But if there’s a simpler way, why restart every time windows decides it doesn’t like you today?1. Right click on an empty spot on your desktop and select New - Shortcut.2. Type %windir%\system32\rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks in the box.3. Click Next.4. Give your shortcut a nice name like “Reset Memory”.5. Click Finish and you’re done.Now whenever your computer starts running slow click this shortcut to clear out your memory and get your computer running at a normal pace again.

Windows XP Scheduled Task

With Scheduled Tasks, you can schedule any script, program, or document to run at a time that is most convenient for you. Scheduled Tasks starts every time that you start Windows XP and runs in the background, and it starts each task that you schedule at the time that you specify when you create the task.To open Scheduled Tasks:
Click Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Scheduled Tasks.To schedule a New Task:
Double-click Add Scheduled Task to start the Scheduled Task Wizard, and then click Next in the first dialog box.The next dialog box displays a list of programs that are installed on your computer, either as part of the Windows XP operating system, or as a result of software installation.Use one of the following procedures:
If the program that you want to run is listed, click the program, and then click Next.
If you want to run a program, script, or document that is not listed, click Browse, click the folder and file that you want to schedule, and then click Open.
Type a name for the task, and then choose one of the following options:
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
One time only
When my computer starts (before a user logs on)
When I log on (only after the current user logs on)
Click Next, specify the information about the day and time to run the task, and then click Next.
Note that the information about the day and time to run the task vary depending on the selection that you made in the previous wizard dialog box. For example, if you chose Weekly, you must indicate the day of the week, the time, and if the task should run every week, every 2 weeks, every 3 weeks, and so on.
Type the name and password of the user who is associated with this task. Make sure that you choose a user with sufficient permissions to run the program. By default, the wizard selects the name of the user who is currently logged on.
· Click Next, and then click Finish after you verify the choices that you have made. Using Advanced Options in Scheduled Tasks If you want to change the configuration of the task:
Click Open in the Advanced properties for the task before you click Finish. After you click Finish, the Properties dialog box opens for the task.
On the Schedule tab, you can change any of the scheduling options that you chose in the wizard, and you can also change the task configuration so that the task does not run too long, does not run if the computer is running on batteries (for laptops), and to specify whether or not the computer should be idle for the task to run.Note: You can open the Properties dialog box for the task at any time if you open Scheduled Tasks, right-click the task, and then click Properties.You cannot schedule a task so that it repeats in an interval less than one day; however, you can do this in the Properties dialog box: Click the Schedule tab, and then click Advanced.
Click to select the Repeat task check box, and then specify the number of minutes or hours in which you want the task to be repeated.