Simone is exasperated. She has to work on her university assignment but her PC is not working properly. For example: She would like to open a single Internet Explorer window but a whole series of windows are opening up. Simone is not alone when it comes to this sort of problem. As a matter of fact, most of us will come across these kinds of problems in our life. When you fall sick you go to a doctor and he/she asks you a couple of questions as well as taking a look at your case history before giving any medication to you. In a similar way you have to find out what's wrong with your PC before treating it, if it's working in an aberrant manner. This article will help you in finding out what's troubling your PC.
The first symptom that shows us your PC has got some problem is an error message. For example you get a pop-up box on your screen, a Window message, asking you to send an error report and says the application will be subsequently closed. Error messages just tell you that something is wrong so that you can then work at getting to the cause of the problem. When you get an error message try to analyze the situation in respect to what you were doing when you received it. Write down the error code. At times error messages can be very bewildering. For example: you want to open some file but it's saying some other application is using that specific file. If you do get error messages like this then it is time to question some of your recent activities such as:
* Did you install any software or hardware recently?
* Did you install anything from the Internet?
If you have installed some software and after this your PC has become unstable, by using System Restore you can remove any system changes that were made after the last time your PC was working properly. It automatically creates restore points (or system checkpoints) when you make a change to the system. If your PC has become unstable after you made some changes, open system restore, choose a restore point, and return your computer to its previous stable state. To use the System Restore utility:
1. Click Start
2. Point your cursor to Programs.
3. Point to Accessories
4. Point to System Tools
5. Click System Restore and follow the instruction on the wizard.
If the error messages or the recent history of your PC doesn't provide much information to you, you have to explore your PC in some of the following ways:
1. Scan you system for viruses, Trojan horses, spywares or other malwares.
2. Use a Process Explorer (freeware program) tool. Windows Task Manager shows which processes and files are currently being used and how much memory they are using, but some process names aren't clear. Process Explorer not only gives all this information to you but also tells you which application started a process and which resources that particular application is currently using. It also has a potent search capability that quickly shows which processes have particular handles opened or DLLs loaded so that you can close any unwanted application. Process Explorer works on Windows 9x/Me, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Server 2003, and 64-bit versions of Windows for x64 processors.
3. Go through the error log file created by Dr Watson. Dr. Watson is a program that is used to help detect, debug, and log errors that are encountered while Windows or Windows programs are running. It automatically creates a text file when an error is detected. When running Windows 2000 the error is logged under the file "drwtsn32.log" or "user.dmp", and when running Microsoft Windows 95, 98 or ME the file is logged with a .WLG file extension and stored under the WindowsDrwatson or Documents and SettingsAll UsersDocumentsDrWatson folder.
4. If you are having a networking-related problem you can use a Network Diagnostics system utility tool. You can run various tests using this so that it can collect different types of information. It scans your system to see whether you have network connectivity, and whether or not your network-related programs and services are running.
By going through these basic procedures hopefully you will find out what's troubling your PC, and once that is known you can commence treatment.
Source of reference: www.microsoft.com
Priyanka Agarwal
http://www.m6.net
Hosting webhelpers
Stop Getting LostOne of the greatest uses for a pocket... Read More
One of the most common questions computer users ask is,... Read More
Stimulus thru Caffiene or Visual Input?It appears that the Mobi... Read More
Not sure what Windows registry is or how it works?... Read More
Not so many years ago, homes across the country watched... Read More
In the first part of this home lab tutorial, CCNA... Read More
You probably heard of the new Firefox browser version 1.0... Read More
For those seeking to buy their first flat panel TV... Read More
With their solid-state technology, compact size, and abundant memory, portable... Read More
JVC developed and used a high-performance reflective film to produce... Read More
In the years of the dot com boom and bust,... Read More
When browsing the internet you are likely to come across... Read More
Addressing a D2X Digital SLRCoolpix 8800 search, this article provides... Read More
Are you thinking of buying an Apple iPod? Or have... Read More
I got my eyes set on a iPod mini, as... Read More
OK, so you caught a computer virus and your system... Read More
Freezing is also known as crashing or hanging. It's frustrating.... Read More
If you're like me, you occasionally find the ubiquitous mouse... Read More
I met an entrepreneur who hole heartedly disagree with an... Read More
Projectors have come a long way in the past few... Read More
It seems like fast never quite rates fast enough.No matter... Read More
Just The Facts, Ma'mPalm pilots are all the rage now.... Read More
Confused by EDTV vs HDTV? We don't blame you. The... Read More
The year is 1981. IBM has just released the Personal... Read More
With renting methods such as online DVD rental and pay-per-view,... Read More
Lincoln Stretch rentals Willowbrook ..For six years, my Samsung PC 13.8 inch SyncMaster conventional... Read More
You don't have to fork out $250 for a super-diggy-whizbang... Read More
Music lovers have been carrying around radios and other bulky... Read More
The year is 1981. IBM has just released the Personal... Read More
For many people the computer industry is a seeming unsolvable... Read More
Most people download and save so much information on their... Read More
The following practice, if done regularly, may help you to... Read More
Although there are many things that can affect the performance... Read More
The registry is where the computer stores information about the... Read More
Cookies, not the kind that Mom makes, but the computer... Read More
All of us are familiar with the pyramids of Egypt.... Read More
GOT VIRUS? Your Data is NOT lost forever!In the wake... Read More
Each of the items in the checklist below is part... Read More
Projectors have come a long way in the past few... Read More
You probably heard of the new Firefox browser version 1.0... Read More
With the bewildering number of digital cameras on the market,... Read More
Are you thinking of buying an Apple iPod? Or have... Read More
HTTP ProtocolThe web is run on port 80. You are... Read More
When I first started studying for my CCNP, some of... Read More
I would like to tell you about a magic home.... Read More
Cameras: still known for taking pictures but assumed as digital... Read More
So I'll start from the very beginning.One day I was... Read More
Introduction In this article I will clearly spell out the... Read More
After another security hole recently surfaced in Microsoft's Windows operating... Read More
Feeling overwhelmed in selecting a new TV? With all the... Read More
Personal Technology |