Troubleshooting Windows Vista Lesson 11

Skills Matrix Technology SkillObjective DomainObjective # Troubleshooting Installation and Startup Issues Troubleshoot installation issues 1.5 Understanding Troubleshooting Practices Troubleshoot post- installation configuration issues 2.1

Skills Matrix Technology SkillObjective DomainObjective # Using Remote Access Technologies Configure Remote Access4.3 Using Troubleshooting Tools Troubleshoot reliability issues by using built-in diagnostic tools 6.2

Chapter 11 Troubleshooting Primary function of a desktop technician Good troubleshooters are often intuitive In professional environments, it is good to have a standardized procedure Allows you to explain to the client, share your findings and account for your time

Chapter 11 Understanding Troubleshooting Practices Establish the symptoms Identify the affected areas Establish what has changed Select the most probable cause Implement a solution Test the result Document the solution

Chapter 11 Using Troubleshooting Tools Troubleshooting requires the right tools and the ability to use them properly We have discussed many tools in this course that can and will be used to troubleshoot More tools specifically for troubleshooting:  Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop  Windows RE - System Recovery Tools

Chapter 11 Using Remote Assistance Enables a person at one location to connect to a computer at another location, to view, chat with or completely take control of the system  Technical support  Troubleshooting  Training

Chapter 11 Configure Remote Assistance Feature Click Start, Control Panel, System and Maintenance. Under System, click Allow Remote Access. Click Invite Someone You Trust To Help You.

Chapter 11 Creating an Invitation Client must issue an invitation and send it to an expert Can be sent via or saved to file and sent using alternate method Expert can initiate connection also

Chapter 11 Securing Remote Assistance Because of the potential damage that could be done by the wrong assistant, there are many protective features built in:  Invitations  Interactive connectivity  Client-side control  Remote control configuration  Firewalls

Chapter 11 Remote Desktop Administrative feature enabling users to access computers from remote locations with no interaction required from the remote site When connected, it is just like sitting in front of the computer Usually used for administrators to connect to servers that are not easily accessible Terminal Services must be enabled on Vista computers

Chapter 11 Running the Remote Desktop Client In addition to Terminal Services, Vista includes the Remote Desktop Connection client program for connecting to the host computer.

Chapter 11 Using the Problem Reports And Solutions Control Panel Enables you to report system problems directly to Microsoft’s technicians and to obtain assistance when your own troubleshooting efforts have failed. Uses Windows Error Reporting (WER) to respond with possible solutions Can be configured to submit errors automatically, or request permission Can use Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 to redirect client problem submissions to an internal management server

Chapter 11 Using the Problem Reports And Solutions Control Panel

Chapter 11 Understanding the Windows Vista Startup Process The process is substantially different from those of previous versions of Windows Power-on self test (POST) phase Initial startup phase Windows Boot Manager phase – reads BCD Windows Boot Loader phase Kernel loading phase Logon phase

Chapter 11 Troubleshooting Startup Failures The first step is determining exactly where in the startup process the failure is occurring. POST failures Initial startup failures Driver and Service failures Logon failures

Chapter 11 POST Failures Is the problem software or hardware? Failures during the POST are hardware failures. Beep sequences will help you to determine the exact failure.

Chapter 11 Initial Startup Failures Typically a “Non-system disk or disk error” Errors before progress bar appears are usually: Incorrect BIOS settings Hardware Faults Missing Startup Files Data Corruption Use Recovery Tools to fix or replace hardware component

Chapter 11 Driver and Service Failures The appearance of the progress bar indicates that the kernel has loaded successfully. Problem occurring here is usually an issue with a driver or service that is trying to load. Use Last Known Good Configuration or Safe Mode to get system running Use Device Manager to help determine the problem and get the computer running normally.

Chapter 11 Logon Failures If the startup process fails after the user has supplied logon credentials, the problem is likely a program in the Startup group. Hold Shift key when logging on to prevent programs from loading. Use process of elimination to test programs.

Chapter 11 Using Alternate Boot Options Get the system to boot so you have access to Vista tools to help you troubleshoot Press F8 after POST to get to the Advanced Boot Options menu. Last Known Good Configuration Safe Mode Press the shift key while logging on and hold it until the icons appear on the desktop to suppress startup applications.

Chapter 11 Startup And Recovery Dialog Box Provides basic controls that enable you to configure the startup process by modifying the BCD registry file

Chapter 11 System Configuration Tool Enables you to exercise a great deal of control over the startup process. Start, Run, type msconfig

Chapter 11 Boot Logging Gathers information about the most recent startup process and saves it to a text file for later examination. To enable: When the POST completes, press the F8 key repeatedly until the Advanced Boot Options menu appears. Select Enable Boot Logging.

Chapter 11 Windows RE Windows Recovery Environment (almost the same as Windows PE but with Recovery Tools) Allows you to bypass all of the drivers, applications and services that can be the source of a startup problem. To run: boot with installation DVD, click Repair Your Computer, when prompted

Chapter 11 Using the System Recovery Tools Startup Repair System Restore Complete PC Restore Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool Command Prompt

Chapter 11 You Learned When troubleshooting a problem in a professional environment, whether it’s a corporate enterprise network, a help desk in a retail store, or a freelance consultancy, it is important to have a set of troubleshooting procedures.

Chapter 11 You Learned (cont.) Establish the symptoms. Identify the affected area. Establish what has changed. Select the most probable cause. Implement a solution. Test the result. Document the solution. Remote access technologies enable a user on one computer to effectively take control of another computer on the network.

Chapter 11 You Learned (cont.) Remote Assistance is a Windows Vista feature that enables an administrator, trainer, or desktop technician at one location to connect to a distant user’s computer, chat with the user, and either view all of the user’s activities or take complete control of the system.

Chapter 11 You Learned (cont.) Remote Desktop is an administrative feature that enables users to access computers from remote locations, with no interaction required at the remote site. The Problem Reports And Solutions control panel is the user interface for Windows Error Reporting (WER), which is the Windows Vista replacement for the Dr. Watson error handler in earlier versions of Windows.

Chapter 11 You Learned (cont.) To troubleshoot a Windows Vista computer that fails to start, you must have an understanding of the startup procedure and knowledge of the tools that are available. The first step to take when a Windows Vista computer fails to start is to determine exactly where in the startup sequence the problem is occurring.

Chapter 11 You Learned (cont.) A failure during the initial startup phase typically results in a “Non-system disk or disk error.” When a startup failure occurs after the progress bar appears but before the logon user interface appears, the problem is most likely due to an issue with one of the drivers or services that the kernel is attempting to load.

Chapter 11 You Learned (cont.) When the startup process fails after the user has supplied logon credentials, the problem is most likely due to one of the applications running from the Startup group. Windows RE is a stripped-down operating system that supports the same drivers used in a complete Vista installation, as well as a subset of the Win32 application programming interface (API).

Chapter 11 You Learned (cont.) When the cause of a startup problem is not immediately apparent, the Startup Repair tool should be the first program you use.