Chapter 35: Troubleshooting Windows XP

Chapter Introduction

Usually Windows XP works quite well, but even though it is more stable than its predecessors, it still hangs and crashes on occasion. Fortunately, Windows comes with a number of diagnostic tools that can help (most come from its Windows 2000 heritage). Microsoft has also added one new tool, Remote Assistance, which allows Microsoft technicians (or knowledgeable friends of yours) to fix your computer over the phone.

This chapter describes techniques for dealing with programs that hang or crash, stopping programs from running automatically, diagnosing other problems, using the Microsoft Management Console to see what's going on, using System Restore to return to a more reliable configuration, and if all else fails, reporting problems to Microsoft for possible resolution. Be sure to set up a system of regular backups for your most important files.

We recommend leaving your computer on all the time so that Windows can run housekeeping and backup programs in the middle of the night.