In comparison to Windows XP, there are numerous differences in the deployment technologies that are now available with Windows 7 as new and improved tools have been developed based on technologies that were first introduced with Windows Vista. Before Windows Vista was released, Microsoft did not have robust tools to facilitate mass deployment. If you are unfamiliar with Windows Vista or your organization passed on it altogether, you might as well unlearn everything you know on Windows XP deployment and start from scratch.
Before we are able to prepare for volume deployments of Windows 7, it is important to understand the underlying processes of the installation so that we make the best use of the tools. There have been significant changes to the way the Windows operating system is now deployed. Let us first glance at the following list of things that have changed in deploying Windows since the Windows XP days:
» Booting up the Windows installation occurs through the Windows preinstallation environment (Windows PE), which replaces any DOS-based boot disk/media.
» Windows Setup is now a file-based image deployment.
» Installation source files may be 2 GB or higher.
» All Windows installations need to be activated.
» The Boot.ini is no longer used for boot configuration.
» Setup.exe is now the new command that launches the Windows installation process, replacing winnt32.exe.
» The Windows installation is independent from the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL.dll).
» Windows 7 is not language specific, whereas for Windows XP/2003 or earlier each language had its own build of the operating system. Languages are now separate packages.
» The Windows 7 DVD contains the source Windows Image (WIM) file containing all of the editions of this operating system’s version. The installer determines which product to install based on the license key.
The Windows 7 installation is now conducted through file-based images. What comes to mind when we talk about “imaging” is what in the industry is more commonly known as sector-based imaging. Numerous administrators have probably worked with third-party utilities for imaging such as Symantec Ghost (http://www.symantec.com/norton/ghost) or Acronis TrueImage (http://www.acronis.com/enterprise/) to take snapshots of a system volume in order to capture the desired system state and installation. The images these products capture are different from the WIM file format that is file-based. The main difference is that sector-based images copy indiscriminately sector-by-sector at a low level from a hard drive to build a snapshot of storage volume; file-based images such as WIM images are captured by taking snapshots at a higher level of files and folders. The bottom line is that even though sector-based images are very flexible because they can ignore the type of file system in use, they are somewhat unpractical to maintain and manage; in order to modify and edit a sector-based image, it would require deploying the image, making the changes, and recapturing it. In the case of WIM files, the action to modify and update the images can be performed by instantly “mounting” the captured image, applying the changes at the file system level, and then committing the changes immediately.
The image-based Windows setup process that was first introduced with Windows
Vista greatly facilitates the deployment of the operating system to disparate hardware architectures without requiring building separate installation packages/images. This same behavior can also be found in Windows 7, and it may come as good news to some administrators who did not have much exposure or were unable to deploy Vista. The way the new Windows 7 setup is designed streamlines many portions of previous operating system installations that would usually encounter obstacles when being deployed, especially from captured images.
There were many limitations when Windows XP images were deployed as these would not necessarily restore successfully on to any computer with a hardware architecture different than that of the system from which the image was captured. This created a lot of additional work for system administrators, including managing multiple images and developing custom scripts to force things to work properly. Important system components such as the HAL were tied to the specific installation device and would usually require additional steps/tools to allow a restored image to be reconfigured properly. Some of the known issues for Windows XP images include the following:
» The imaged computer is expected to boot from the same storage controller as the reference computer.
» The imaged systems need to use the same HAL as the reference computer.
» The sector-based imaging process is destructive; thus, it replaces all contents of the destination computer and could complicate some Windows deployment scenarios including in-place upgrades and other types of migrations.
» Maintaining the image to include updates and new applications was time consuming as directly modifying the image was not possible.
» The need for third-party imaging utilities that incurred additional licensing, training, and operational costs.
Windows 7 has several editions; however, all editions of Windows 7 use the same installation image (install.wim which may be found in the Sources folder of the installation media). What varies is that Microsoft packaged media that is specific to one edition, which means that if the setup is executed image from which the setup is based. Depending on the need of a particular system/user, the deployed OS can be any of the needed editions, and it will be installed without the need for additional source files. normally, it will allow the installation of just the edition that was purchased through the user interface; nevertheless, by using the unattended setup answer file (unattend.xml), it is possible to install any edition (provided that there is a license key available). By knowing this it is easier to understand that despite the many flavors of Windows 7, there is a universal
Source of Information : Syngress Microsoft Windows 7 Administrators Reference Jun 2010
Showing posts with label Windows 7. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Windows 7. Show all posts
Deploying Windows 7 in an Enterprise Environment - Deployment Scenarios
The deployment scenarios are the following: upgrade (in-place), new installation, refresh, and replace.
Upgrade Scenario
This scenario allows an installation of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) or later to be upgraded to Windows 7 while preserving the user state and all transferrable settings and files, as well as maintaining the installation of existing applications. As discussed in the previous chapter, there is no direct upgrade path for Windows XP, and therefore, the refresh method must be used (which keeps files and settings but not installed applications). This deployment method is also assessed by the Windows Compatibility Wizard, which helps determine if any components need to be individually addressed before performing the upgrade.
Performing an upgrade may be one of the easiest and least complex methods for deploying Windows 7; however, there is a certain risk attached to this operation as all settings are imported “as-is” from the earlier version and the administrator does not have much control on what gets transferred. Unless the state and condition of the system are known, it may be preferable to opt for a scenario that allows for selectively preserving the settings.
New Installation
The new installation involves deploying a clean copy of Windows 7 on the target computer through a straightforward setup process. It is assumed that the hard drive and system volume have been properly partitioned and formatted. This type of installation will deliver the most consistent result because all settings are either the setup defaults or set by the administrator.
Refresh Scenario
Similar to the new installation, the refresh scenario contemplates performing a clean setup with the difference being that the target computer already contains a Windows operating system for which files and settings will be preserved (note that as a difference with the upgrade method, the installed applications are not taken into consideration). This scenario is especially useful in the event that preserving the user state is a priority as it still leverages the benefits of consistency that come through a new installation. This scenario can be automated with the latest version of the User State Migration Tool (USMT 4.0), which will collect the pertinent data for each user state found in the system and consequently restore it after the clean installation is performed.
Replace Scenario
This is very similar to the refresh scenario except that the target system is a new computer, which does not contain any files or settings. The scenario consists of conducting a new installation on the target computer, and then using the USMT 4.0 to transfer files and settings from the old computer. This scenario can be run side-by-side with an older system running Windows XP or Windows Vista.
Source of Information : Syngress Microsoft Windows 7 Administrators Reference Jun 2010
Upgrade Scenario
This scenario allows an installation of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) or later to be upgraded to Windows 7 while preserving the user state and all transferrable settings and files, as well as maintaining the installation of existing applications. As discussed in the previous chapter, there is no direct upgrade path for Windows XP, and therefore, the refresh method must be used (which keeps files and settings but not installed applications). This deployment method is also assessed by the Windows Compatibility Wizard, which helps determine if any components need to be individually addressed before performing the upgrade.
Performing an upgrade may be one of the easiest and least complex methods for deploying Windows 7; however, there is a certain risk attached to this operation as all settings are imported “as-is” from the earlier version and the administrator does not have much control on what gets transferred. Unless the state and condition of the system are known, it may be preferable to opt for a scenario that allows for selectively preserving the settings.
New Installation
The new installation involves deploying a clean copy of Windows 7 on the target computer through a straightforward setup process. It is assumed that the hard drive and system volume have been properly partitioned and formatted. This type of installation will deliver the most consistent result because all settings are either the setup defaults or set by the administrator.
Refresh Scenario
Similar to the new installation, the refresh scenario contemplates performing a clean setup with the difference being that the target computer already contains a Windows operating system for which files and settings will be preserved (note that as a difference with the upgrade method, the installed applications are not taken into consideration). This scenario is especially useful in the event that preserving the user state is a priority as it still leverages the benefits of consistency that come through a new installation. This scenario can be automated with the latest version of the User State Migration Tool (USMT 4.0), which will collect the pertinent data for each user state found in the system and consequently restore it after the clean installation is performed.
Replace Scenario
This is very similar to the refresh scenario except that the target system is a new computer, which does not contain any files or settings. The scenario consists of conducting a new installation on the target computer, and then using the USMT 4.0 to transfer files and settings from the old computer. This scenario can be run side-by-side with an older system running Windows XP or Windows Vista.
Source of Information : Syngress Microsoft Windows 7 Administrators Reference Jun 2010
Deploying Windows 7 in an Enterprise Environment overview
In a nutshell, the deployment process intends to get Windows 7 on the specified target computers. Whether it is being installed on one or many systems, the general approach would be as follows:
» Prepare to build master installation – This step encompasses setting up a technician computer with the necessary tools, Windows 7 source files, applications, device drivers, and additional software packages. In this step, you would also prepare the setup automation by creating answer files and configuring a source distribution share.
» Build, test, and capture image of master installation – You will designate a reference or master computer in which you will use the answer file that was previously generated to run and test the Windows 7 installation from the distribution share and ensure that the setup automation works properly. After setup is complete, you can perform the necessary customizations to meet the needs of your business. Once you are satisfied with the master installation, you can then prepare it for duplication and thereafter capture your progress.
» Prepare deployment media and network distribution – In this step, you will make the captured image available on a network share that may be accessed by the destination computers to which the image will be deployed. Alternatively, the images may be stored on other media including a DVD, an external mass-storage device, or Windows Deployment Services (WDS).
» Run setup/transfer images on to destination computers – By accessing either the network share or the prepared media, you ultimately will deploy the prepared source media to get Windows 7 on the target computer.
Source of Information : Syngress Microsoft Windows 7 Administrators Reference Jun 2010
» Prepare to build master installation – This step encompasses setting up a technician computer with the necessary tools, Windows 7 source files, applications, device drivers, and additional software packages. In this step, you would also prepare the setup automation by creating answer files and configuring a source distribution share.
» Build, test, and capture image of master installation – You will designate a reference or master computer in which you will use the answer file that was previously generated to run and test the Windows 7 installation from the distribution share and ensure that the setup automation works properly. After setup is complete, you can perform the necessary customizations to meet the needs of your business. Once you are satisfied with the master installation, you can then prepare it for duplication and thereafter capture your progress.
» Prepare deployment media and network distribution – In this step, you will make the captured image available on a network share that may be accessed by the destination computers to which the image will be deployed. Alternatively, the images may be stored on other media including a DVD, an external mass-storage device, or Windows Deployment Services (WDS).
» Run setup/transfer images on to destination computers – By accessing either the network share or the prepared media, you ultimately will deploy the prepared source media to get Windows 7 on the target computer.
Source of Information : Syngress Microsoft Windows 7 Administrators Reference Jun 2010
Windows 7 Registry Keys and Settings
There are different types of registry keys and settings. They are usually stored as binary, decimal, and hexadecimal numbers.
• REG_BINARY Raw binary data for storing hardware component information.
• REG_DWORD Data represented by a 4-byte number (32-bit integer). DWORDS are used as the parameters for many settings, including device drivers and software and configuration options.
• REG_EXPAND_SZ A variable length data string.
• REG_MULTI_SZ A multiple string, for example a list of multiple values in a format that people can read. These are usually separated by commas or spaces.
• REG_SZ A fixed-length text string.
• REG_RESOURCE_LIST A resource list in a series of nested arrays. These are used by device drivers.
• REG_RESOURCE_REQUIREMENTS_LIST An array list of hardware resources required by device drivers.
• REG_FULL_RESOURCE_DESCRIPTOR Nested arrays used to store resource lists for physical hardware devices.
• REG_NONE Data without any particular type.
• REG_LINK A Unicode string that names a symbolic link.
• REG_QWORD Data that is represented by a 64-bit integer.
In the same way that 64-bit versions of Windows 7 have two Program Files folders for 32-bit and 64-bit programs, the registry contains different sections for 64-bit registry keys. You can find these in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432Node.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
• REG_BINARY Raw binary data for storing hardware component information.
• REG_DWORD Data represented by a 4-byte number (32-bit integer). DWORDS are used as the parameters for many settings, including device drivers and software and configuration options.
• REG_EXPAND_SZ A variable length data string.
• REG_MULTI_SZ A multiple string, for example a list of multiple values in a format that people can read. These are usually separated by commas or spaces.
• REG_SZ A fixed-length text string.
• REG_RESOURCE_LIST A resource list in a series of nested arrays. These are used by device drivers.
• REG_RESOURCE_REQUIREMENTS_LIST An array list of hardware resources required by device drivers.
• REG_FULL_RESOURCE_DESCRIPTOR Nested arrays used to store resource lists for physical hardware devices.
• REG_NONE Data without any particular type.
• REG_LINK A Unicode string that names a symbolic link.
• REG_QWORD Data that is represented by a 64-bit integer.
In the same way that 64-bit versions of Windows 7 have two Program Files folders for 32-bit and 64-bit programs, the registry contains different sections for 64-bit registry keys. You can find these in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432Node.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
Windows 7 Registry Sections
The registry is split into five different sections, two for the current user, two for the machine, and one for system startup.
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT is a subkey of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software. This section stores all of the information for registered applications, including file associations. This key is sometimes abbreviated as HKCR. If you write a registry key to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT and the key already exists under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes, Windows will use the information stored in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes as the master key instead.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER
The HKEY_CURRENT_USER section contains configuration options for the current user’s profile, including the location pointers to the user’s documents folders, display options, and Control Panel settings. This registry key is sometimes referred to as HKCU.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
The HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE section of registry keys is the most commonly altered. It contains settings specific to the PC, including installed applications. It is sometime known as HKLM.
HKEY_USERS
The HKEY_USERS section in the registry contains keys that are subkeys corresponding to HKEY_CURRENT_USER. It stores information for each user profile that is actively loaded. It is sometimes known as HKU.
HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG
HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG includes information gathered at startup. Information and keys are stored here temporarily and are replaced when the PC is restarted.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT is a subkey of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software. This section stores all of the information for registered applications, including file associations. This key is sometimes abbreviated as HKCR. If you write a registry key to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT and the key already exists under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes, Windows will use the information stored in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes as the master key instead.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER
The HKEY_CURRENT_USER section contains configuration options for the current user’s profile, including the location pointers to the user’s documents folders, display options, and Control Panel settings. This registry key is sometimes referred to as HKCU.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
The HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE section of registry keys is the most commonly altered. It contains settings specific to the PC, including installed applications. It is sometime known as HKLM.
HKEY_USERS
The HKEY_USERS section in the registry contains keys that are subkeys corresponding to HKEY_CURRENT_USER. It stores information for each user profile that is actively loaded. It is sometimes known as HKU.
HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG
HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG includes information gathered at startup. Information and keys are stored here temporarily and are replaced when the PC is restarted.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
Third-Party Rescue Tools and Services
Other Third-Party ToolsMany companies provide specialist software for rescuing data or hard disk. Here are details of packages I recommend.
O&O Disk Recovery
www.oo-software.com
O&O Disk Recovery is a comprehensive package that performs several useful functions. The most commonly used function of the software is an unerase program to help recover files and folders that have been accidentally deleted. There are also other functions within the software that can provide recovery in scenarios such as the accidental formatting of a hard disk. This can be extremely useful, as in Windows 7 it can be annoyingly simple to accidentally format disks.
This software can be useful for rescuing data or a faulty disk in your PC, and you can also remove the hard disk from your PC and plug it into another computer to run these rescue tools on it.
Ashampoo WinOptimizer
www.ashampoo.com
Although Ashampoo WinOptimizer traditionally has not been used as a tool for rescuing a hard disk or data, it now contains a small utility that can help you do just that. This tool analyses your hard disk(s) to try to find defective areas or problems with the disk(s). It contains tools that can then be used to apply automatic repairs and fix some of the more common problems that you can encounter.
Other Third-Party Services
At some point, you might reach the stage where there’s nothing more you can do with your disk. If the disk includes critical data that you must recover, you will need to go to a professional data recovery specialist.
These companies offer extremely comprehensive services, and they can be hugely successful at recovering data from damaged hard disks, but they will not be inexpensive.
You can find data recovery specialists in your area by searching in your local telephone directory online or through a search engine.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
O&O Disk Recovery
www.oo-software.com
O&O Disk Recovery is a comprehensive package that performs several useful functions. The most commonly used function of the software is an unerase program to help recover files and folders that have been accidentally deleted. There are also other functions within the software that can provide recovery in scenarios such as the accidental formatting of a hard disk. This can be extremely useful, as in Windows 7 it can be annoyingly simple to accidentally format disks.
This software can be useful for rescuing data or a faulty disk in your PC, and you can also remove the hard disk from your PC and plug it into another computer to run these rescue tools on it.
Ashampoo WinOptimizer
www.ashampoo.com
Although Ashampoo WinOptimizer traditionally has not been used as a tool for rescuing a hard disk or data, it now contains a small utility that can help you do just that. This tool analyses your hard disk(s) to try to find defective areas or problems with the disk(s). It contains tools that can then be used to apply automatic repairs and fix some of the more common problems that you can encounter.
Other Third-Party Services
At some point, you might reach the stage where there’s nothing more you can do with your disk. If the disk includes critical data that you must recover, you will need to go to a professional data recovery specialist.
These companies offer extremely comprehensive services, and they can be hugely successful at recovering data from damaged hard disks, but they will not be inexpensive.
You can find data recovery specialists in your area by searching in your local telephone directory online or through a search engine.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
GRC SpinRite
For some years, GRC SpinRite has been widely considered one of the best, if not the best, hard disk rescue and maintenance tool available. SpinRite is a DOS program that runs from a bootable CD, DVD, or other device, such as a floppy disk or USB pen drive. Because you boot your computer into SpinRite, the software has full low-level administrator access to the hard disks on your computer.
SpinRite can perform a broad range of checks on your hard disk(s) and includes the following features.
• A real-time graphical status display, showing the health and status of your hard disk. This graph is updated in real time, displaying data and disk recovery and repair as it happens. All events are also logged so you can review them later.
• Detailed technical logs of the hard disk. Helpfully, the error information these logs provide includes clear descriptions that can help you determine exactly where errors are located and what they are. GRC boasts about the clarity of the language they use when providing reports on your hard disks, and I can confirm that the quality of the information SpinRite can give you is excellent indeed.
• The Surface Analysis Monitor uses exhaustive techniques to detect defects on the hard disk. It deliberately creates scenarios on your hard disk to try to replicate the worst types of failure that can occur. This is an extremely thorough and excellent way to check for defects.
• Extensive data recovery tools that work tirelessly to recover your data. A special tool called Dynastat appears if SpinRite has trouble reading data on a faulty hard disk. This tool provides more detailed information in real time about the software’s attempts to recover your files and data.
• Detailed information about the existing partition structure on hard disks. SpinRite also checks partitions for errors.
In all, SpinRite is an invaluable tool for diagnosing and repairing errors on physical hard disks. Its support for different drive formatting options is extensive, and it is, as I have said, held in high regard within the technical community.
SpinRite and solid state disks. Solid state disks (SSDs) operate differently from mechanical hard disks in that they store all of your data on silicon chips and include no moving parts. Therefore, SpinRite is not the best tool for diagnosing errors on these types of disk.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
SpinRite can perform a broad range of checks on your hard disk(s) and includes the following features.
• A real-time graphical status display, showing the health and status of your hard disk. This graph is updated in real time, displaying data and disk recovery and repair as it happens. All events are also logged so you can review them later.
• Detailed technical logs of the hard disk. Helpfully, the error information these logs provide includes clear descriptions that can help you determine exactly where errors are located and what they are. GRC boasts about the clarity of the language they use when providing reports on your hard disks, and I can confirm that the quality of the information SpinRite can give you is excellent indeed.
• The Surface Analysis Monitor uses exhaustive techniques to detect defects on the hard disk. It deliberately creates scenarios on your hard disk to try to replicate the worst types of failure that can occur. This is an extremely thorough and excellent way to check for defects.
• Extensive data recovery tools that work tirelessly to recover your data. A special tool called Dynastat appears if SpinRite has trouble reading data on a faulty hard disk. This tool provides more detailed information in real time about the software’s attempts to recover your files and data.
• Detailed information about the existing partition structure on hard disks. SpinRite also checks partitions for errors.
In all, SpinRite is an invaluable tool for diagnosing and repairing errors on physical hard disks. Its support for different drive formatting options is extensive, and it is, as I have said, held in high regard within the technical community.
SpinRite and solid state disks. Solid state disks (SSDs) operate differently from mechanical hard disks in that they store all of your data on silicon chips and include no moving parts. Therefore, SpinRite is not the best tool for diagnosing errors on these types of disk.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
Zinstall and zPOD
www.zinstall.com
Zinstall and zPOD aren’t marketed or sold as Windows rescue tools, but you’d be surprised just how effective both can be when it comes to getting a damaged PC working again. Even if your PC has failed completely, as long as your hard disk or your copy of Windows 7 isn’t damaged, you can use Zinstall or zPOD to rescue the system, complete with all of your software, and be back up and running again quickly.
They’re slightly different types of software, but both get a copy of Windows running in a virtual machine (VM). Here’s a brief description of their primary functions.
Zinstall
Zinstall was designed primarily to ease the upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 by creating a VM of your copy of Windows XP to run in the new Windows 7 environment, complete with all of your programs. This means that when upgrading to Windows 7 from Windows XP, you can keep downtime to an absolute minimum and perform a clean install of all of your software and files into Windows 7 in your own time.
zPOD
zPOD works in the same way as Zinstall, but it allows you to copy the VM it creates to an external USB hard disk or even to a pen drive and run Windows from that device on any other computer. Both programs operate in an incredibly simple way by allowing you to create a VM with a single click. They automatically search for your installed operating systems and then enable you to quickly and easily choose a destination. Both software packages will work with any version of Windows, including Windows 7, and can even rescue a copy of Windows from a dead PC.
To rescue a copy of Windows 7 from a dead PC, follow these instructions.
1. Plug the hard disk from the dead PC into another computer. Remember to make sure both computers are turned off and disconnected from the electrical outlet before working inside the case.
2. Boot the working computer into the copy of Windows that’s installed on it.
3. Install the Zinstall or zPOD software on the working PC, and run it.
4. By default, Zinstall or zPOD will find the main, running copy of Windows. To point the software toward the copy of Windows on the imported hard disk, press Advanced.
5. You can choose to omit certain file types. By default, Zinstall and zPOD exclude any files in the Users folder. Indicate whether to include or omit other files in the Copy Filters panel of the Advanced settings window.
6. zPOD uses 256-bit encryption to secure the VM so you can carry it around with you, safe in the knowledge that only you can access this copy of Windows and your programs. Activate this option by setting up a password in the Security Settings panel of the Advanced settings window.
7. It could take several hours for Zinstall or zPOD to create the VM. When the process is complete, a utility for running the VM appears.
The single biggest advantage of zPOD and Zinstall is continuity of productivity. Simply put, this means that, as long as there is a spare computer available that you can use, you will always be able to keep working.
Although you can’t use Complete PC Backup, you can use other disk imaging utilities, such as Norton Ghost or Acronis True Image to create an image of the rescued copy of Windows 7. You might also be able to use a third-party tool to rescue programs from the damaged Windows 7 installation that you do not have the original installers for.
Either way, you now have a rescued copy of Windows 7 and your programs that you can continue using.
Zinstall or zPOD: Which is right for you?
If you intend to use the VM only on the PC that you create it on, then Zinstall will do, since it creates the VM to run on the computer where it is created. Use zPOD if you want to use your virtual copy of Windows 7 on other computers, too.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
Zinstall and zPOD aren’t marketed or sold as Windows rescue tools, but you’d be surprised just how effective both can be when it comes to getting a damaged PC working again. Even if your PC has failed completely, as long as your hard disk or your copy of Windows 7 isn’t damaged, you can use Zinstall or zPOD to rescue the system, complete with all of your software, and be back up and running again quickly.
They’re slightly different types of software, but both get a copy of Windows running in a virtual machine (VM). Here’s a brief description of their primary functions.
Zinstall
Zinstall was designed primarily to ease the upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 by creating a VM of your copy of Windows XP to run in the new Windows 7 environment, complete with all of your programs. This means that when upgrading to Windows 7 from Windows XP, you can keep downtime to an absolute minimum and perform a clean install of all of your software and files into Windows 7 in your own time.
zPOD
zPOD works in the same way as Zinstall, but it allows you to copy the VM it creates to an external USB hard disk or even to a pen drive and run Windows from that device on any other computer. Both programs operate in an incredibly simple way by allowing you to create a VM with a single click. They automatically search for your installed operating systems and then enable you to quickly and easily choose a destination. Both software packages will work with any version of Windows, including Windows 7, and can even rescue a copy of Windows from a dead PC.
To rescue a copy of Windows 7 from a dead PC, follow these instructions.
1. Plug the hard disk from the dead PC into another computer. Remember to make sure both computers are turned off and disconnected from the electrical outlet before working inside the case.
2. Boot the working computer into the copy of Windows that’s installed on it.
3. Install the Zinstall or zPOD software on the working PC, and run it.
4. By default, Zinstall or zPOD will find the main, running copy of Windows. To point the software toward the copy of Windows on the imported hard disk, press Advanced.
5. You can choose to omit certain file types. By default, Zinstall and zPOD exclude any files in the Users folder. Indicate whether to include or omit other files in the Copy Filters panel of the Advanced settings window.
6. zPOD uses 256-bit encryption to secure the VM so you can carry it around with you, safe in the knowledge that only you can access this copy of Windows and your programs. Activate this option by setting up a password in the Security Settings panel of the Advanced settings window.
7. It could take several hours for Zinstall or zPOD to create the VM. When the process is complete, a utility for running the VM appears.
The single biggest advantage of zPOD and Zinstall is continuity of productivity. Simply put, this means that, as long as there is a spare computer available that you can use, you will always be able to keep working.
Although you can’t use Complete PC Backup, you can use other disk imaging utilities, such as Norton Ghost or Acronis True Image to create an image of the rescued copy of Windows 7. You might also be able to use a third-party tool to rescue programs from the damaged Windows 7 installation that you do not have the original installers for.
Either way, you now have a rescued copy of Windows 7 and your programs that you can continue using.
Zinstall or zPOD: Which is right for you?
If you intend to use the VM only on the PC that you create it on, then Zinstall will do, since it creates the VM to run on the computer where it is created. Use zPOD if you want to use your virtual copy of Windows 7 on other computers, too.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
Windows 7 Third-Party Websites
There are hundreds of PC help websites, some of which require a subscription (although I wouldn’t recommend these). You should decide for yourself about the value of specific websites, but I recommend the following sites.
Tom’s Hardware
www.tomshardware.com
Tom’s Hardware is a long-standing website devoted to hardware and hardware problems. This site includes extensive forums containing a huge wealth of information, and experts are always available to help diagnose and fix difficult problems.
Tech PC Forums
www.tech-pc.com
Tech PC Forums is a forum website that contains a wealth of valuable information. Experts are available to answer your questions and help solve your computer-related problems.
Computing.net
www.computing.net
Run by the people behind Tom’s Hardware, Computing.net is an excellent resource for help with complex and difficult PC problems.
How-To Geek
www.howtogeek.com
How-To Geek helps you perform a wide variety of tasks in Windows 7 and other operating systems and software packages. Many tasks help resolve PC issues and problems.
Annoyances.org
www.annoyances.org
This is the accompanying website to the book Windows 7 Annoyances: Tips, Secrets, and Solutions by David A. Karp (O’Reilly Media, 2010). It’s an excellent archive of problems that you can search through to find solutions to common Windows 7 problems.'
Gibson Research
www.grc.com
Steve Gibson is a well-respected IT security expert. On the Gibson Research website, he provides many tools to help diagnose and repair security flaws in your installation of Windows.
ATI Support
support.amd.com
Graphics card problems are common with Windows. Fortunately, there are only two major manufacturers providing the core hardware for graphics card technology, so help is centralized. You can find support for an ATI-based graphics card at the ATI support website.
nVidia Support
www.nvidia.com/page/support.html
Similar to the ATI support page, the nVidia support website is the place to visit if you have an nVidia-based graphics card in your PC.
MSDN Diagnostics
msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee663269(v=VS.85).aspx
The Microsoft MSDN site offers an extensive section for diagnosing and troubleshooting Windows 7. This includes the Windows Troubleshooting Platform (WTP) that enables system administrators to write custom troubleshooting packs.
Within Windows
www.withinwindows.com
Software author Rafael Rivera has years of experience delving deep into Windows, producing fixes to undocumented features and providing software to enhance the functionality of Microsoft products.
The Long Climb
www.thelongclimb.com
The Long Climb is my own website. I offer PC support and updates on security and other issues with PCs and Windows. I can also be contacted through this website with any questions you may have.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
Tom’s Hardware
www.tomshardware.com
Tom’s Hardware is a long-standing website devoted to hardware and hardware problems. This site includes extensive forums containing a huge wealth of information, and experts are always available to help diagnose and fix difficult problems.
Tech PC Forums
www.tech-pc.com
Tech PC Forums is a forum website that contains a wealth of valuable information. Experts are available to answer your questions and help solve your computer-related problems.
Computing.net
www.computing.net
Run by the people behind Tom’s Hardware, Computing.net is an excellent resource for help with complex and difficult PC problems.
How-To Geek
www.howtogeek.com
How-To Geek helps you perform a wide variety of tasks in Windows 7 and other operating systems and software packages. Many tasks help resolve PC issues and problems.
Annoyances.org
www.annoyances.org
This is the accompanying website to the book Windows 7 Annoyances: Tips, Secrets, and Solutions by David A. Karp (O’Reilly Media, 2010). It’s an excellent archive of problems that you can search through to find solutions to common Windows 7 problems.'
Gibson Research
www.grc.com
Steve Gibson is a well-respected IT security expert. On the Gibson Research website, he provides many tools to help diagnose and repair security flaws in your installation of Windows.
ATI Support
support.amd.com
Graphics card problems are common with Windows. Fortunately, there are only two major manufacturers providing the core hardware for graphics card technology, so help is centralized. You can find support for an ATI-based graphics card at the ATI support website.
nVidia Support
www.nvidia.com/page/support.html
Similar to the ATI support page, the nVidia support website is the place to visit if you have an nVidia-based graphics card in your PC.
MSDN Diagnostics
msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee663269(v=VS.85).aspx
The Microsoft MSDN site offers an extensive section for diagnosing and troubleshooting Windows 7. This includes the Windows Troubleshooting Platform (WTP) that enables system administrators to write custom troubleshooting packs.
Within Windows
www.withinwindows.com
Software author Rafael Rivera has years of experience delving deep into Windows, producing fixes to undocumented features and providing software to enhance the functionality of Microsoft products.
The Long Climb
www.thelongclimb.com
The Long Climb is my own website. I offer PC support and updates on security and other issues with PCs and Windows. I can also be contacted through this website with any questions you may have.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
Windows Third-Party Software
You can download many different utilities, some for free and others for a fee, that will help solve problems on your PC. Some of these are more helpful than others. You should decide for yourself about the value of individual software packages, but I recommend the following packages.
Sisoftware Sandra Utilities
www.sisoftware.net
Sisoftware Sandra is an excellent information and diagnostic utility. This package’s extremely detailed reports about every aspect of your PC, including hardware, drivers, and installed software, can help enormously when diagnosing computer-related problems.
Create Report on the Tools tab in Sandra utilities is a useful tool that generates a complete report about your computer. This tool does everything the Windows 7 System Information panel and System Health Report do, but it provides even more detail about your PC.
Windows Sysinternals
www.sysinternals.com
Windows Sysinternals is a suite of tools and applications from Microsoft that help you manage, troubleshoot, and diagnose your Windows systems and applications. These extensive tools provide huge amounts of detail about your PC when troubleshooting problems. However, some of these tools are quite complex and are designed for experienced computer users.
Zinstall zPOD
www.zinstall.com
Zinstall zPOD is an excellent software package that enables you to turn your copy of Windows and all of your software into a virtual machine that can be stored on a removable hard disk or even a USB pen drive. You can then use this virtual machine on any PC. This means you can always have your copy of Windows and your programs (perhaps even your files) with you whenever you need them.
GoToAssist
www.gotoassist.com
GoToAssist is software that performs the same functions as Windows Remote Desktop and Windows Remote Assistance but offers a few additional functions for serious technical support. Most notably, it allows you to restart the remote computer (which can be essential when performing some support functions), and it runs on and from Apple Mac computers.
SpinRite
www.grc.com
Another software package held in extremely high regard by many computer professionals is SpinRite from computer security specialist Steve Gibson. This utility runs from a disk or USB flash drive and checks your hard disk for errors, physical or otherwise, that are causing malfunctions and/or data loss, then helps repair problems. It is an extremely useful piece of software.
Windows Memory Diagnostic
oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp
The Windows 7 installation DVD contains a memory diagnostic tool, but Microsoft also provides this other memory diagnostic tool if your Windows 7 install DVD is lost or damaged and you can’t boot into the computer repair console in Windows 7.
Norton Ghost
www.symantec.com/ghost
Norton Ghost from Symantec is one of two packages on this list that create system images of Windows. Although this functionality is already built into Windows 7, these packages offer additional backup and restore functionality for people who work in a corporate environment.
Acronis True Image
www.acronis.com
Acronis True Image is another system image backup and restore application. This package is useful in business scenarios where you need more control over Windows 7 system images than is available through the Microsoft Windows Image Backup that ships as part of Windows 7.
Paragon Partition Manager
www.paragon-software.com
Sometimes you need a utility to manage the partitions on your hard disks. Windows 7 includes a partitioning tool, but it’s not especially powerful. Paragon Partition Manager can make working with partitions much simpler.
Acronis Disk Director Suite
www.acronis.com
Acronis Disk Director is another partitioning management package that will make working with and managing partitions on your hard disks much simpler.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
Sisoftware Sandra Utilities
www.sisoftware.net
Sisoftware Sandra is an excellent information and diagnostic utility. This package’s extremely detailed reports about every aspect of your PC, including hardware, drivers, and installed software, can help enormously when diagnosing computer-related problems.
Create Report on the Tools tab in Sandra utilities is a useful tool that generates a complete report about your computer. This tool does everything the Windows 7 System Information panel and System Health Report do, but it provides even more detail about your PC.
Windows Sysinternals
www.sysinternals.com
Windows Sysinternals is a suite of tools and applications from Microsoft that help you manage, troubleshoot, and diagnose your Windows systems and applications. These extensive tools provide huge amounts of detail about your PC when troubleshooting problems. However, some of these tools are quite complex and are designed for experienced computer users.
Zinstall zPOD
www.zinstall.com
Zinstall zPOD is an excellent software package that enables you to turn your copy of Windows and all of your software into a virtual machine that can be stored on a removable hard disk or even a USB pen drive. You can then use this virtual machine on any PC. This means you can always have your copy of Windows and your programs (perhaps even your files) with you whenever you need them.
GoToAssist
www.gotoassist.com
GoToAssist is software that performs the same functions as Windows Remote Desktop and Windows Remote Assistance but offers a few additional functions for serious technical support. Most notably, it allows you to restart the remote computer (which can be essential when performing some support functions), and it runs on and from Apple Mac computers.
SpinRite
www.grc.com
Another software package held in extremely high regard by many computer professionals is SpinRite from computer security specialist Steve Gibson. This utility runs from a disk or USB flash drive and checks your hard disk for errors, physical or otherwise, that are causing malfunctions and/or data loss, then helps repair problems. It is an extremely useful piece of software.
Windows Memory Diagnostic
oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp
The Windows 7 installation DVD contains a memory diagnostic tool, but Microsoft also provides this other memory diagnostic tool if your Windows 7 install DVD is lost or damaged and you can’t boot into the computer repair console in Windows 7.
Norton Ghost
www.symantec.com/ghost
Norton Ghost from Symantec is one of two packages on this list that create system images of Windows. Although this functionality is already built into Windows 7, these packages offer additional backup and restore functionality for people who work in a corporate environment.
Acronis True Image
www.acronis.com
Acronis True Image is another system image backup and restore application. This package is useful in business scenarios where you need more control over Windows 7 system images than is available through the Microsoft Windows Image Backup that ships as part of Windows 7.
Paragon Partition Manager
www.paragon-software.com
Sometimes you need a utility to manage the partitions on your hard disks. Windows 7 includes a partitioning tool, but it’s not especially powerful. Paragon Partition Manager can make working with partitions much simpler.
Acronis Disk Director Suite
www.acronis.com
Acronis Disk Director is another partitioning management package that will make working with and managing partitions on your hard disks much simpler.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
Windows 7 Remote Assistance
Although Remote Desktop is helpful and common in organizations where the computers are owned by the employer and people do not keep personal files and data on their machines, home users need something that can give them more control over what a remote user can access. Furthermore, Remote Desktop grants complete, unfettered control of a PC to a remote user for long periods of time, but it isn’t so user-friendly for the person sitting in front of the computer. He is logged out of the computer and unable to see what is happening.
Windows Remote Assistance addresses this issue by enabling the user receiving the support to monitor exactly what’s being done throughout the remote help session. Remote Assistance also provides controls to enable a user to regain full control of the PC and terminate the remote connection at any time.
Remote Assistance is intended for use over the Internet; you will need a broadband connection that’s not busy with other activities, such as downloading files.
1. Access Remote Assistance by typing remote assistance in the Start menu search box and selecting Windows Remote Assistance from the results that appear (the easiest method) or by pressing F1 on your keyboard to open Windows Help, clicking More Support Options in the bottom-left corner of the window, and then clicking Windows Remote Assistance when the options change.
2. When Windows Remote Assistance opens, you can select either Invite Someone You Trust To Help You or Help Someone Who Has Invited You. Click the second option to help someone if you received an invitation through Easy Connect.
3. If you are requesting assistance, you will need to indicate how to send a remote assistance invitation. This will commonly be sent via email. If you have an email program installed on your PC, such as Windows Live Mail or Microsoft Office Outlook, click Use E-Mail To Send An Invitation. Otherwise, click Save This Invitation As A File, and then send it via webmail. Alternatively, you can click Use Easy Connect.
4. You will now be given a password. If you are using Easy Connect, tell or send the password to the person providing the support. Otherwise, email the invitation file that’s been saved to your PC.
5. If you are the person providing the support, either enter the password in the dialog box that appears on your screen, or open the invitation file you received.
6. If you are the person receiving the support, allow the person providing support access to your computer by clicking Yes in the dialog box that appears. At this point, the person providing the support can look at what’s happening on the other PC but cannot control it by default. This can be a useful security feature and handy when you just want to show someone what’s happening on your computer.
7. If you are providing support, in the Remote Assistance console, click Request Control. If you are receiving support, do not be too alarmed about someone taking control of your computer because you will be able to see at every stage what is going on.
8. When someone requests control of a remote computer, a dialog box appears asking if this is allowable. If you allow the access, you should also select the check box allowing the help provider to respond to User Account Control security prompts. This will mean that the person supplying remote support will have full control of your PC to repair it. If you do not select this option, you will have to respond to the UAC prompts yourself. This is a more secure approach and can be used if you do not completely trust the person providing the support, but it can also slow the process, and you will have to remain at your PC throughout the entire session.
The PC offering the remote assistance does not need to be running Windows 7. It could be running an older version of Windows that supports this feature.
Remote assistance using Easy Connect. Easy Connect allows two computers running Windows 7 to connect using Remote Assistance without the need to send an invitation file. This may not always be available depending on whether your router supports the Peer Name Resolution Protocol. Easy Connect is a very useful and easy way to connect two computers for remote assistance and is worth trying to see if you can get it to work. It uses a secure peer-to-peer network managed by Microsoft to handle the connection.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
Windows Remote Assistance addresses this issue by enabling the user receiving the support to monitor exactly what’s being done throughout the remote help session. Remote Assistance also provides controls to enable a user to regain full control of the PC and terminate the remote connection at any time.
Remote Assistance is intended for use over the Internet; you will need a broadband connection that’s not busy with other activities, such as downloading files.
1. Access Remote Assistance by typing remote assistance in the Start menu search box and selecting Windows Remote Assistance from the results that appear (the easiest method) or by pressing F1 on your keyboard to open Windows Help, clicking More Support Options in the bottom-left corner of the window, and then clicking Windows Remote Assistance when the options change.
2. When Windows Remote Assistance opens, you can select either Invite Someone You Trust To Help You or Help Someone Who Has Invited You. Click the second option to help someone if you received an invitation through Easy Connect.
3. If you are requesting assistance, you will need to indicate how to send a remote assistance invitation. This will commonly be sent via email. If you have an email program installed on your PC, such as Windows Live Mail or Microsoft Office Outlook, click Use E-Mail To Send An Invitation. Otherwise, click Save This Invitation As A File, and then send it via webmail. Alternatively, you can click Use Easy Connect.
4. You will now be given a password. If you are using Easy Connect, tell or send the password to the person providing the support. Otherwise, email the invitation file that’s been saved to your PC.
5. If you are the person providing the support, either enter the password in the dialog box that appears on your screen, or open the invitation file you received.
6. If you are the person receiving the support, allow the person providing support access to your computer by clicking Yes in the dialog box that appears. At this point, the person providing the support can look at what’s happening on the other PC but cannot control it by default. This can be a useful security feature and handy when you just want to show someone what’s happening on your computer.
7. If you are providing support, in the Remote Assistance console, click Request Control. If you are receiving support, do not be too alarmed about someone taking control of your computer because you will be able to see at every stage what is going on.
8. When someone requests control of a remote computer, a dialog box appears asking if this is allowable. If you allow the access, you should also select the check box allowing the help provider to respond to User Account Control security prompts. This will mean that the person supplying remote support will have full control of your PC to repair it. If you do not select this option, you will have to respond to the UAC prompts yourself. This is a more secure approach and can be used if you do not completely trust the person providing the support, but it can also slow the process, and you will have to remain at your PC throughout the entire session.
The PC offering the remote assistance does not need to be running Windows 7. It could be running an older version of Windows that supports this feature.
Remote assistance using Easy Connect. Easy Connect allows two computers running Windows 7 to connect using Remote Assistance without the need to send an invitation file. This may not always be available depending on whether your router supports the Peer Name Resolution Protocol. Easy Connect is a very useful and easy way to connect two computers for remote assistance and is worth trying to see if you can get it to work. It uses a secure peer-to-peer network managed by Microsoft to handle the connection.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
Windows 7 Remote Desktop
If your PC is in a corporate environment, your IT helpdesk might be able to use Windows Remote Desktop or a similar system to gain access to your computer. You might consider it slightly disconcerting to see the pointer moving around the screen apparently on its own, but this is a good way for an organization to provide support and reduce overall costs.
Before beginning a remote help session, make sure that your PC is on. If you want to set up a remote desktop connection to another PC, you can access Remote Desktop by typing remote in the Start menu search box and selecting Remote Desktop Connection from the results that appear.
The PC you want to connect to must be on your network or virtual private network (VPN), and you will need to know its name on the system to connect. Some organizations use Remote Desktop across the Internet to provide support for customers, although others may use Remote Assistance.
The target PC will also need to be configured to receive Remote Desktop connections. These settings can be found in Control Panel by clicking System And Security, clicking System, and then clicking the Advanced System Settings link. The options to allow remote connections can be found on the Remote tab of the dialog box that appears.
You might need to allow Remote Desktop through your firewall. You can access Windows Firewall settings from the Control Panel by clicking System And Security, and then clicking Windows Firewall. Click Allow A Program Or Feature Through Windows Firewall to allow Remote Desktop.
If Remote Desktop is unable to verify the identity of the computer when you try to connect to a remote PC, a warning appears. This will happen if Windows suspects that connecting to this PC could pose a security risk to your system.
Once connected, the person who initiated the Remote Desktop connection has full access to your PC to remotely diagnose any problems.
Third-party firewalls can block Remote Desktop or Windows Remote Assistance attempts to connect to your PC. You can temporarily disable the firewall to allow connection if required. If you are using the Windows 7 built-in firewall, it is already correctly configured for remote help and won’t give you any problems.
By default, most routers allow a Remote Desktop connection across the Internet. If you cannot connect, however, you may have to log in to your router and change certain router settings, such as opening a connection port or permitting Remote Desktop. You should consult your router manual or help document for details on how to do this.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
Before beginning a remote help session, make sure that your PC is on. If you want to set up a remote desktop connection to another PC, you can access Remote Desktop by typing remote in the Start menu search box and selecting Remote Desktop Connection from the results that appear.
The PC you want to connect to must be on your network or virtual private network (VPN), and you will need to know its name on the system to connect. Some organizations use Remote Desktop across the Internet to provide support for customers, although others may use Remote Assistance.
The target PC will also need to be configured to receive Remote Desktop connections. These settings can be found in Control Panel by clicking System And Security, clicking System, and then clicking the Advanced System Settings link. The options to allow remote connections can be found on the Remote tab of the dialog box that appears.
You might need to allow Remote Desktop through your firewall. You can access Windows Firewall settings from the Control Panel by clicking System And Security, and then clicking Windows Firewall. Click Allow A Program Or Feature Through Windows Firewall to allow Remote Desktop.
If Remote Desktop is unable to verify the identity of the computer when you try to connect to a remote PC, a warning appears. This will happen if Windows suspects that connecting to this PC could pose a security risk to your system.
Once connected, the person who initiated the Remote Desktop connection has full access to your PC to remotely diagnose any problems.
Third-party firewalls can block Remote Desktop or Windows Remote Assistance attempts to connect to your PC. You can temporarily disable the firewall to allow connection if required. If you are using the Windows 7 built-in firewall, it is already correctly configured for remote help and won’t give you any problems.
By default, most routers allow a Remote Desktop connection across the Internet. If you cannot connect, however, you may have to log in to your router and change certain router settings, such as opening a connection port or permitting Remote Desktop. You should consult your router manual or help document for details on how to do this.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
Using the Internet to Find Solutions to Problems
You’re never alone as long as you have an Internet connection. Whatever problem you face with your computer, you’re almost certainly not the first person to encounter it. A great many websites exist to help with computer problems, and technical experts can be very generous about sharing solutions to problems they’ve encountered.
The major search engines are extremely good at recognizing search queries and providing relevant results. Searching for network driver for dell laptop, for instance, brings up a whole page of results, all offering appropriate drivers to download. Sometimes, however, your search entry is more imprecise and returns too many results. This means you might not immediately find the information you need. In these instances, there are some simple search techniques you can use in all the major search engines to improve the results you get.
• Searching “in quotes” Putting text into double inverted commas (as in “text”) is a useful way to make certain that the search engine treats the text inside the quotes as a string and not as separate words.
• Adding a plus (+) or minus (–) sign Adding a plus (+) or minus ( –) in front of a word or phrase will ensure that term definitely is or is not in the search results. For instance, if you are searching for a driver for specific hardware but don’t want search results advertising the item, adding –shop could help filter consumer sites from the search results.
• AND, OR, and NOT These are other terms you can use in search entries to tailor your results (although I find the plus [+] and minus [–] signs easier to use). For example, if you are looking for a driver and know the name of your hardware but not the name of the generic driver you need, you might search for connexant OR dynamode BT878a driver (where BT878a is the name of your hardware). Adding the qualifiers linked with OR narrows the search more than just searching for BT878a.
Of course, you first need to know what to search for when trying to find a solution to a problem. Try to pick up clues from the information provided by anti-virus or anti-malware software, the Windows event log, or a Windows or other software error message. If you notice a code or the name of a program, virus, or service, write it down right away. You never know when that onscreen message might disappear accidentally or otherwise.
Try not to use irrelevant words in your search terms; keep things short and to the point. If your search item includes characters like periods or forward slashes (common in virus names), enclose the term in quotes, for example “Win32.Gattman.A”.
Finally, use plus (+) signs before specific terms to ensure that they appear in the search results. For example, the search phrase +”win32.Gattman.A” +”windows 7” +remove provides only results that include the terms win32.Gattman.A and Windows 7 and remove.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
The major search engines are extremely good at recognizing search queries and providing relevant results. Searching for network driver for dell laptop, for instance, brings up a whole page of results, all offering appropriate drivers to download. Sometimes, however, your search entry is more imprecise and returns too many results. This means you might not immediately find the information you need. In these instances, there are some simple search techniques you can use in all the major search engines to improve the results you get.
• Searching “in quotes” Putting text into double inverted commas (as in “text”) is a useful way to make certain that the search engine treats the text inside the quotes as a string and not as separate words.
• Adding a plus (+) or minus (–) sign Adding a plus (+) or minus ( –) in front of a word or phrase will ensure that term definitely is or is not in the search results. For instance, if you are searching for a driver for specific hardware but don’t want search results advertising the item, adding –shop could help filter consumer sites from the search results.
• AND, OR, and NOT These are other terms you can use in search entries to tailor your results (although I find the plus [+] and minus [–] signs easier to use). For example, if you are looking for a driver and know the name of your hardware but not the name of the generic driver you need, you might search for connexant OR dynamode BT878a driver (where BT878a is the name of your hardware). Adding the qualifiers linked with OR narrows the search more than just searching for BT878a.
Of course, you first need to know what to search for when trying to find a solution to a problem. Try to pick up clues from the information provided by anti-virus or anti-malware software, the Windows event log, or a Windows or other software error message. If you notice a code or the name of a program, virus, or service, write it down right away. You never know when that onscreen message might disappear accidentally or otherwise.
Try not to use irrelevant words in your search terms; keep things short and to the point. If your search item includes characters like periods or forward slashes (common in virus names), enclose the term in quotes, for example “Win32.Gattman.A”.
Finally, use plus (+) signs before specific terms to ensure that they appear in the search results. For example, the search phrase +”win32.Gattman.A” +”windows 7” +remove provides only results that include the terms win32.Gattman.A and Windows 7 and remove.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
Creating a Windows Pre-Installation Environment Startup Disc
1. You first need to create a startup disc for the Windows Pre-Installation Environment (WinPE). To do this, run the Windows 7 AIK installer and select Windows AIK Setup.
2. When the Windows 7 AIK is installed, select Microsoft Windows AIK from the Start menu, right-click Deployment Tools Command Prompt, and select Run As Administrator.
3. In the command prompt window that appears, type C: and press Enter. Then type cd .\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools, and press Enter again to access the AIK folder.
4. Use the Copype.cmd script, changing the arguments as necessary to match the locations for your WinPE files and the desired destination folder. (Valid versions include 32-bit [x86] or 64-bit [x64]. Other supported types are amd64 and ia64.) Type copype.cmd x86 C:\winpe_x86 or copype.cmd x64 C:\winpe_x64, and press Enter.
5. The command in step 4 creates a folder structure in a new folder. Next, to copy the base WinPE image to this folder structure, type copy C:\winpe_x86\winpe.wim C:\winpe_x86\ISO\sources\bot.wim, and press Enter.
6. Next, you need to add disk boot files to the files you have created in steps 4 and 5, ready for burning to a CD or DVD.
a. Type dism /Mount-wim /Winfile:C:\winpe_x86\ISO\sources\boot.wim / index:1 /MountDir:C:\winpe_x86\mount, and press Enter.
b. Type copy C:\winpe_x86\ISO\bootmgr C:\winpe_x86\mount, and press Enter.
c. Type mkdir C:\winpe_x86\mount\boot, and press Enter.
d. Type xcopy /cherky C:\winpe_x86\ISO\boot C:\winpe_x86\mount\boot, and press Enter.
7. Add the ImageX disc image creation program to the folder by typing copy “C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\x86\ImageX.exe” C:\winpe_x86\mount, and pressing Enter.
8. Next, create the boot configuration data (BCD) file for the disc. Type the following commands, pressing Enter after each one.
a. Del c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD
b. Bcdedit /createstore c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD
c. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -create {bootmgr} /d “Boot Manager”
d. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set {bootmgr} device boot
e. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -create /d “WINPE” -application osloader
9. The command in step 8e returns a GUID value. Type the following commands, substituting the GUID value returned by step 8e for {GUID}. The GUID should look similar to {21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D} but will contain different numbers and letters. Press Enter on your keyboard after each step.
a. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set {GUID} osdevice boot
b. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set {GUID} device boot
c. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set {GUID} path \ windows\system32\winload.exe
d. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set {GUID} systemroot \ windows
e. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set {GUID} winpe yes
f. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -displayorder {GUID} -addlast
10. Finally, create an ISO disc image that you can burn to a CD or DVD. Type oscdimg
–n –m –o –bC:\winpe_x86\etfsboot.com C:\winpe_x86\mount C:\winpe_x86\
winpe_x86.iso, and press Enter.
For Intel Itanium–based architecture, replace etfsboot.com with efisys.bin. If you are building an ISO to an AMD Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) ISO instead, type oscdimg.exe –bC:\winpe-x64-efi\efisys.bin –pEF –u1 –udfver102 C:\winpe-x64-efi\ISO x64-efi-winpe.iso, and press Enter.
11. You will now have an ISO file in the C:\winpe_x86 folder that you can double-click to start Windows Disc Image Burner.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
2. When the Windows 7 AIK is installed, select Microsoft Windows AIK from the Start menu, right-click Deployment Tools Command Prompt, and select Run As Administrator.
3. In the command prompt window that appears, type C: and press Enter. Then type cd .\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools, and press Enter again to access the AIK folder.
4. Use the Copype.cmd script, changing the arguments as necessary to match the locations for your WinPE files and the desired destination folder. (Valid versions include 32-bit [x86] or 64-bit [x64]. Other supported types are amd64 and ia64.) Type copype.cmd x86 C:\winpe_x86 or copype.cmd x64 C:\winpe_x64, and press Enter.
5. The command in step 4 creates a folder structure in a new folder. Next, to copy the base WinPE image to this folder structure, type copy C:\winpe_x86\winpe.wim C:\winpe_x86\ISO\sources\bot.wim, and press Enter.
6. Next, you need to add disk boot files to the files you have created in steps 4 and 5, ready for burning to a CD or DVD.
a. Type dism /Mount-wim /Winfile:C:\winpe_x86\ISO\sources\boot.wim / index:1 /MountDir:C:\winpe_x86\mount, and press Enter.
b. Type copy C:\winpe_x86\ISO\bootmgr C:\winpe_x86\mount, and press Enter.
c. Type mkdir C:\winpe_x86\mount\boot, and press Enter.
d. Type xcopy /cherky C:\winpe_x86\ISO\boot C:\winpe_x86\mount\boot, and press Enter.
7. Add the ImageX disc image creation program to the folder by typing copy “C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\x86\ImageX.exe” C:\winpe_x86\mount, and pressing Enter.
8. Next, create the boot configuration data (BCD) file for the disc. Type the following commands, pressing Enter after each one.
a. Del c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD
b. Bcdedit /createstore c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD
c. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -create {bootmgr} /d “Boot Manager”
d. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set {bootmgr} device boot
e. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -create /d “WINPE” -application osloader
9. The command in step 8e returns a GUID value. Type the following commands, substituting the GUID value returned by step 8e for {GUID}. The GUID should look similar to {21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D} but will contain different numbers and letters. Press Enter on your keyboard after each step.
a. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set {GUID} osdevice boot
b. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set {GUID} device boot
c. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set {GUID} path \ windows\system32\winload.exe
d. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set {GUID} systemroot \ windows
e. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -set {GUID} winpe yes
f. Bcdedit /store c:\winpe_x86\mount\boot\BCD -displayorder {GUID} -addlast
10. Finally, create an ISO disc image that you can burn to a CD or DVD. Type oscdimg
–n –m –o –bC:\winpe_x86\etfsboot.com C:\winpe_x86\mount C:\winpe_x86\
winpe_x86.iso, and press Enter.
For Intel Itanium–based architecture, replace etfsboot.com with efisys.bin. If you are building an ISO to an AMD Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) ISO instead, type oscdimg.exe –bC:\winpe-x64-efi\efisys.bin –pEF –u1 –udfver102 C:\winpe-x64-efi\ISO x64-efi-winpe.iso, and press Enter.
11. You will now have an ISO file in the C:\winpe_x86 folder that you can double-click to start Windows Disc Image Burner.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
Creating a Slipstreamed Install DVD
Slipstreaming is the process of integrating a service pack into the original installation DVD. You might want to do this for a couple of reasons. First, a slipstreamed installation DVD is useful when you need to reinstall Windows or install it on a new PC. A slipstreamed version of the software is far better updated than the original install. You may also want to create a slipstreamed installation DVD if you want to use System File Checker as mentioned previously. The installation DVD you use with System File Checker must include the service pack that matches the one installed on your PC. If it doesn’t, some operating system files will not match, and System File Checker will abort with an error.
Sadly, creating a slipstreamed service pack installation DVD for Windows 7 isn’t as simple as it is for Windows XP. With Windows XP, you simply copy the contents of your Windows XP installation disc to your hard drive and use an /integrate switch with the service pack to build it into the file structure. Then you burn back to a bootable DVD. This procedure changed with Windows Vista, and while you can still slipstream, it’s a significantly more complex process. Here, however, I’ll describe how to do it step by step.
What You Will Need
Before beginning the slipstream procedure, gather the following items.
• A spare hard disk or partition on which you can install a fresh copy of Windows 7.
• The Windows 7 Automated Installation Kit (AIK), which you can download for free from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=6
96dd665-9f76-4177-a811-39c26d3b3b34 or by searching the Microsoft website for Windows 7 AIK. You will need approximately 1.5 GB of free disk space to install the Windows AIK on your PC.
• A blank CD or DVD.
• Software for creating an ISO file such as UltraISO, (available from www.ezbsystems.com/ultraiso) or WinISO (available from www.winiso.com). You might be able to download a free trial version of the software, which will be fine for a quick job.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
Sadly, creating a slipstreamed service pack installation DVD for Windows 7 isn’t as simple as it is for Windows XP. With Windows XP, you simply copy the contents of your Windows XP installation disc to your hard drive and use an /integrate switch with the service pack to build it into the file structure. Then you burn back to a bootable DVD. This procedure changed with Windows Vista, and while you can still slipstream, it’s a significantly more complex process. Here, however, I’ll describe how to do it step by step.
What You Will Need
Before beginning the slipstream procedure, gather the following items.
• A spare hard disk or partition on which you can install a fresh copy of Windows 7.
• The Windows 7 Automated Installation Kit (AIK), which you can download for free from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=6
96dd665-9f76-4177-a811-39c26d3b3b34 or by searching the Microsoft website for Windows 7 AIK. You will need approximately 1.5 GB of free disk space to install the Windows AIK on your PC.
• A blank CD or DVD.
• Software for creating an ISO file such as UltraISO, (available from www.ezbsystems.com/ultraiso) or WinISO (available from www.winiso.com). You might be able to download a free trial version of the software, which will be fine for a quick job.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
Windows 7 Core Operating System Files
Windows 7 some of these folders contain files for specific functions. For example, the ehome folder includes Windows Media Center files and the Fonts folder stores Windows fonts.
A few of these folders contain core operating system files, and it’s worth focusing on these folders, because this is where file corruptions are most likely to occur.
X:\Windows\Boot. This folder contains files necessary for starting Windows 7.
X:\Windows\Help. The Windows 7 help files are located in the Help folder. If you cannot start Help, these files might be corrupt or missing.
X:\Windows\inf. Windows uses the INF files in this folder when installing hardware and software drivers.
X:\Windows\System32. This folder contains the guts of Windows 7. All the main Windows components are located here. If you have a problem with a Windows file, it is likely located in this folder.
The following files are commonly located within the X:\Windows\System32 folder sub-structure.
ActiveX Files (*.ocx) ActiveX is a programming framework that software authors use to design reusable components to be shared across applications. Sometimes these controls are shared across programs from different software houses, and in older software, there might be incompatibilities with various versions of the .ocx files. For example, one program might require a specific version of the file, but another program needs a different version. Windows 7 is much better at handling these conflicts than previous versions of Windows; however, such conflicts can still occur.
Applications Applications are the main programs that comprise Windows 7. If you are trying to launch a built-in Windows feature and it cannot be found, the associated application file might be missing from the Applications folder.
Application Extensions (*.dll) Dynamic Link Library (.dll) files are shared library files. Like .ocx files, .dll files are program and Windows components that can be shared across software applications. Occasionally, Windows becomes unresponsive because a .dll file is corrupt or is an incorrect version that is not supported by the program or feature trying to access it.
As with .ocx files, Windows 7 is much better than previous versions of Windows at handling .dll file conflicts, but issues with these files can still occur. Windows 7 includes more .dll files than any other type of file.
Control Panel Item (*.cpl) Windows 7 launches .cpl files when you access features in Control Panel. If an item cannot be found, the associated .cpl file might be missing or corrupt.
Device Driver (*.drv). The Device Driver folder contains certain Windows 7 software and hardware drivers. These files can occasionally become corrupt.
Boot. The Boot folder contains the programs required to start Windows. If these files are deleted or become corrupt, Windows will not start.
Drivers and DriverStore. These folders contain all of the software drivers for your hardware. You can back up these folders and restore them manually if an event such as a driver malfunction or faulty driver upgrade causes problems with Windows 7.
Microsoft Common Console Document. The Microsoft Management Console (MMC) programs are stored in this folder. If you cannot start an MMC item, the program file might be corrupt or missing from this folder.
VBScript Script File (*.vbs). Visual Basic VBScript scripts can be a target for virus writers. Some VBScript scripts are stored in the main Windows 7 folders.
X:\Windows\winsxs Earlier, I discussed side-by-side compatibility protection for different versions of .dll, .ocx, and other files in Windows 7. Windows stores and organizes compatible duplicate versions of files in the winsxs folder. This folder is usually very large and even bigger than the System32 folder.
X:\Users\AppData. In each user’s folder is a subfolder named AppData. Application-specific files and settings are stored in this folder.
The AppData folder is hidden by default, so you will need to change the default setting to show hidden files to see the folder contents.
Windows 7 Security and Policy Folders
Windows security and other policies that control login, software, and user behavior and permissions are stored in the following folders.
• X:\Windows\Security
• X:\Windows\ServiceProfiles
The Windows 7 Registry
The registry is a database that contains configuration options and settings for Windows and your installed programs. There is one registry folder named NTUSER.DAT for each user. You can see one hidden registry file and can make all of them visible by showing hidden and operating system files.
Personalization Folders
The main folders containing wallpapers and other personalization options are:
• X:\Windows\Globalization
• X:\Windows\Media
• X:\Windows\Resources
• X:\Windows\Web
Windows 7 Logs
Several folders contain Windows 7 logs. You can normally access these logs through Control Panel and Microsoft Management Console. You can also access the logs manually if you can’t get Windows 7 to start. You can find the logs in the following folders.
• X:\Windows\debug
• X:\Windows\diagnostics
• X:\Windows\LiveKernelReports
• X:\Windows\Logs
• X:\Windows\ModemLogs
Temporary Files Stores
You can delete all the contents in several Windows 7 folders if you suspect they are causing problems.
• X:\Windows\Downloaded Program Files. Windows does not usually use this folder, so it will normally be empty anyway.
• X:\Windows\Prefetch. Windows tracks what programs and files you frequently use and stores this information in the Prefetch folder to preload them when appropriate (for instance, when starting a program you run often). Sometimes the prefetch files can become corrupt. If you suspect this has happened, you can safely delete the contents of this folder. Windows will then rebuild the prefetch database.
• X:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution. This folder contains Windows Update configuration options and downloaded files. If Windows Update will not install updates, you can delete the contents of this folder to try to fix the problem.
• X:\Windows\Temp. This folder is the temporary files store. Its contents can be deleted at any time if you suspect one or more temporary files is causing a problem.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
A few of these folders contain core operating system files, and it’s worth focusing on these folders, because this is where file corruptions are most likely to occur.
X:\Windows\Boot. This folder contains files necessary for starting Windows 7.
X:\Windows\Help. The Windows 7 help files are located in the Help folder. If you cannot start Help, these files might be corrupt or missing.
X:\Windows\inf. Windows uses the INF files in this folder when installing hardware and software drivers.
X:\Windows\System32. This folder contains the guts of Windows 7. All the main Windows components are located here. If you have a problem with a Windows file, it is likely located in this folder.
The following files are commonly located within the X:\Windows\System32 folder sub-structure.
ActiveX Files (*.ocx) ActiveX is a programming framework that software authors use to design reusable components to be shared across applications. Sometimes these controls are shared across programs from different software houses, and in older software, there might be incompatibilities with various versions of the .ocx files. For example, one program might require a specific version of the file, but another program needs a different version. Windows 7 is much better at handling these conflicts than previous versions of Windows; however, such conflicts can still occur.
Applications Applications are the main programs that comprise Windows 7. If you are trying to launch a built-in Windows feature and it cannot be found, the associated application file might be missing from the Applications folder.
Application Extensions (*.dll) Dynamic Link Library (.dll) files are shared library files. Like .ocx files, .dll files are program and Windows components that can be shared across software applications. Occasionally, Windows becomes unresponsive because a .dll file is corrupt or is an incorrect version that is not supported by the program or feature trying to access it.
As with .ocx files, Windows 7 is much better than previous versions of Windows at handling .dll file conflicts, but issues with these files can still occur. Windows 7 includes more .dll files than any other type of file.
Control Panel Item (*.cpl) Windows 7 launches .cpl files when you access features in Control Panel. If an item cannot be found, the associated .cpl file might be missing or corrupt.
Device Driver (*.drv). The Device Driver folder contains certain Windows 7 software and hardware drivers. These files can occasionally become corrupt.
Boot. The Boot folder contains the programs required to start Windows. If these files are deleted or become corrupt, Windows will not start.
Drivers and DriverStore. These folders contain all of the software drivers for your hardware. You can back up these folders and restore them manually if an event such as a driver malfunction or faulty driver upgrade causes problems with Windows 7.
Microsoft Common Console Document. The Microsoft Management Console (MMC) programs are stored in this folder. If you cannot start an MMC item, the program file might be corrupt or missing from this folder.
VBScript Script File (*.vbs). Visual Basic VBScript scripts can be a target for virus writers. Some VBScript scripts are stored in the main Windows 7 folders.
X:\Windows\winsxs Earlier, I discussed side-by-side compatibility protection for different versions of .dll, .ocx, and other files in Windows 7. Windows stores and organizes compatible duplicate versions of files in the winsxs folder. This folder is usually very large and even bigger than the System32 folder.
X:\Users\AppData. In each user’s folder is a subfolder named AppData. Application-specific files and settings are stored in this folder.
The AppData folder is hidden by default, so you will need to change the default setting to show hidden files to see the folder contents.
Windows 7 Security and Policy Folders
Windows security and other policies that control login, software, and user behavior and permissions are stored in the following folders.
• X:\Windows\Security
• X:\Windows\ServiceProfiles
The Windows 7 Registry
The registry is a database that contains configuration options and settings for Windows and your installed programs. There is one registry folder named NTUSER.DAT for each user. You can see one hidden registry file and can make all of them visible by showing hidden and operating system files.
Personalization Folders
The main folders containing wallpapers and other personalization options are:
• X:\Windows\Globalization
• X:\Windows\Media
• X:\Windows\Resources
• X:\Windows\Web
Windows 7 Logs
Several folders contain Windows 7 logs. You can normally access these logs through Control Panel and Microsoft Management Console. You can also access the logs manually if you can’t get Windows 7 to start. You can find the logs in the following folders.
• X:\Windows\debug
• X:\Windows\diagnostics
• X:\Windows\LiveKernelReports
• X:\Windows\Logs
• X:\Windows\ModemLogs
Temporary Files Stores
You can delete all the contents in several Windows 7 folders if you suspect they are causing problems.
• X:\Windows\Downloaded Program Files. Windows does not usually use this folder, so it will normally be empty anyway.
• X:\Windows\Prefetch. Windows tracks what programs and files you frequently use and stores this information in the Prefetch folder to preload them when appropriate (for instance, when starting a program you run often). Sometimes the prefetch files can become corrupt. If you suspect this has happened, you can safely delete the contents of this folder. Windows will then rebuild the prefetch database.
• X:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution. This folder contains Windows Update configuration options and downloaded files. If Windows Update will not install updates, you can delete the contents of this folder to try to fix the problem.
• X:\Windows\Temp. This folder is the temporary files store. Its contents can be deleted at any time if you suspect one or more temporary files is causing a problem.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
BootRec.exe
For anyone who’s missing the Recovery Console from Windows XP, fear not; it’s still in Windows 7, but in a different form. The new Bootrec.exe command is accessed from Command Prompt in System Recovery Options. This will allow you to perform various actions by adding command line switches.
Repairing the Boot Menu by Using BootRec
The boot menu is the list of operating systems that appears when Windows starts. You will not see this menu if you have only one operating system installed. It can become corrupt, however, and will need to be rebuilt. You can do this by typing bootrec /RebuildBcd into a Command Prompt window.
Sometimes this command won’t work, and you will need to delete the boot menu and rebuild it from scratch. To do this from Command Prompt in System Recovery Options, type the following commands, and Windows will rebuild and restore the boot menu.
Bcdedit /export c:BCD_Backup
c:
cd boot
attrib bcd –s –h –r
ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old
bootrec /RebuildBcd
There are other useful switches for use with the BootRec command.
/FixMbr
This switch, used at bootrec /fixmbr, will repair the master boot record (MBR) in Windows 7.
/FixBoot
This option, used at bootrec /fixboot, will write a new boot sector to the system disk. This can be useful if the boot sector has become corrupt or damaged, perhaps by trying to install an earlier version of Windows on the disk.
/ScanOS
This option, used at bootrec /scanos, will scan your hard disks for any compatible operating systems that may not be viewable on the boot menu.
BCDEdit
This is a program used for maintaining, changing, and rebuilding the boot menu in Windows 7. You should not need to use BCDEdit to repair your copy of Windows 7, because the tools I have mentioned already should repair any problems. However, if you need to use this tool, you can find detailed instructions on the Microsoft support website at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc709667(WS.10).aspx.
When you are finished with Command Prompt in System Recovery Options, type exit to close the window.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
Repairing the Boot Menu by Using BootRec
The boot menu is the list of operating systems that appears when Windows starts. You will not see this menu if you have only one operating system installed. It can become corrupt, however, and will need to be rebuilt. You can do this by typing bootrec /RebuildBcd into a Command Prompt window.
Sometimes this command won’t work, and you will need to delete the boot menu and rebuild it from scratch. To do this from Command Prompt in System Recovery Options, type the following commands, and Windows will rebuild and restore the boot menu.
Bcdedit /export c:BCD_Backup
c:
cd boot
attrib bcd –s –h –r
ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old
bootrec /RebuildBcd
There are other useful switches for use with the BootRec command.
/FixMbr
This switch, used at bootrec /fixmbr, will repair the master boot record (MBR) in Windows 7.
/FixBoot
This option, used at bootrec /fixboot, will write a new boot sector to the system disk. This can be useful if the boot sector has become corrupt or damaged, perhaps by trying to install an earlier version of Windows on the disk.
/ScanOS
This option, used at bootrec /scanos, will scan your hard disks for any compatible operating systems that may not be viewable on the boot menu.
BCDEdit
This is a program used for maintaining, changing, and rebuilding the boot menu in Windows 7. You should not need to use BCDEdit to repair your copy of Windows 7, because the tools I have mentioned already should repair any problems. However, if you need to use this tool, you can find detailed instructions on the Microsoft support website at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc709667(WS.10).aspx.
When you are finished with Command Prompt in System Recovery Options, type exit to close the window.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
Working with the Windows 7 Registry
The registry is a database where the settings for Windows and all of your installed software are kept. There is one copy of the registry for each user in hidden files called ntuser.dat located in the root of each user account folder on your Windows drive.
The Windows registry can be manually edited using Registry Editor. To open this panel, type registry in the Start menu search box, and then select Registry Editor from the search results that appear.
Occasionally, you may have to change or remove a setting in the Windows registry. You should always be very careful when you do this, because changing the wrong setting in the registry can cause Windows 7 to become unresponsive or unable to boot.
The registry is separated into five different sections.
• HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT You should not change these settings. They include essential
Windows system settings along with other things such as file associations.
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER These are the custom settings for the currently logged-in user. These will include settings for Windows and installed software. These are the most commonly changed settings.
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE This section is for general Windows and software settings. You may need to make changes in this section.
• HKEY_USERS This section is for general controls for user accounts; you will not need to change these settings.
• HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG These are additional settings related to your current configuration; you will not need to change these settings.
There are only two situations when you will really need to change or remove settings in the Windows registry.
• When you are following specific written instructions on dealing with a problem, or tweaking advanced (hidden) settings in Windows 7
• When you are removing settings left behind by an uninstalled program that are causing problems with Windows 7 or other programs
The most common things you will need to do are create a new setting or change an existing one. You can do this by navigating to the correct place in the registry (you may be following specific instructions from a website or manual, which will guide you to exactly the right place in the registry) and right-clicking either a blank space to create a new setting or an existing setting to change it.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
The Windows registry can be manually edited using Registry Editor. To open this panel, type registry in the Start menu search box, and then select Registry Editor from the search results that appear.
Occasionally, you may have to change or remove a setting in the Windows registry. You should always be very careful when you do this, because changing the wrong setting in the registry can cause Windows 7 to become unresponsive or unable to boot.
The registry is separated into five different sections.
• HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT You should not change these settings. They include essential
Windows system settings along with other things such as file associations.
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER These are the custom settings for the currently logged-in user. These will include settings for Windows and installed software. These are the most commonly changed settings.
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE This section is for general Windows and software settings. You may need to make changes in this section.
• HKEY_USERS This section is for general controls for user accounts; you will not need to change these settings.
• HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG These are additional settings related to your current configuration; you will not need to change these settings.
There are only two situations when you will really need to change or remove settings in the Windows registry.
• When you are following specific written instructions on dealing with a problem, or tweaking advanced (hidden) settings in Windows 7
• When you are removing settings left behind by an uninstalled program that are causing problems with Windows 7 or other programs
The most common things you will need to do are create a new setting or change an existing one. You can do this by navigating to the correct place in the registry (you may be following specific instructions from a website or manual, which will guide you to exactly the right place in the registry) and right-clicking either a blank space to create a new setting or an existing setting to change it.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
What Are the Causes of Common Windows Problems?
It’s very rare for Windows 7 to fail. Windows will fail on its own only if something disastrous happens, such as a power surge or a sudden reset while Windows is modifying a critical system file. Problems are more commonly caused by something outside of Windows, such as software, updates, and drivers. Physical hardware almost never causes problems in Windows.
A great many of the problems with Windows are caused by poorly written software or hardware drivers or by having too many devices or programs installed on or in your PC. In my experience, the most common problems within Windows are caused, in order, by:
1. Device drivers
2. Poorly written software
3. Poor security
4. BIOS corruption
The Domino Effect
Some problems can cause what is called a domino effect, where one event sets off a string of other events, so it’s always advisable to diagnose and repair problems as early as you can after they first appear. One unchecked problem can then lead to others, because a malfunctioning process, service, or driver can cause other programs or Windows functions to fail, since these processes, services, or drivers are often shared by several applications or Windows components. For instance, you might have a problem with Internet Explorer crashing repeatedly. This could be because a component Internet Explorer shares with another Windows program, such as Windows Explorer, is corrupt or because another program or process is causing it to crash. The point is that the source of a problem is not always obvious; a failing program may not be the root cause of the issue. In these cases, you can use more advanced diagnostic methods and tools to diagnose an issue.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
A great many of the problems with Windows are caused by poorly written software or hardware drivers or by having too many devices or programs installed on or in your PC. In my experience, the most common problems within Windows are caused, in order, by:
1. Device drivers
2. Poorly written software
3. Poor security
4. BIOS corruption
The Domino Effect
Some problems can cause what is called a domino effect, where one event sets off a string of other events, so it’s always advisable to diagnose and repair problems as early as you can after they first appear. One unchecked problem can then lead to others, because a malfunctioning process, service, or driver can cause other programs or Windows functions to fail, since these processes, services, or drivers are often shared by several applications or Windows components. For instance, you might have a problem with Internet Explorer crashing repeatedly. This could be because a component Internet Explorer shares with another Windows program, such as Windows Explorer, is corrupt or because another program or process is causing it to crash. The point is that the source of a problem is not always obvious; a failing program may not be the root cause of the issue. In these cases, you can use more advanced diagnostic methods and tools to diagnose an issue.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
The Windows 7 File and Folder Structure
Windows runs from a series of files and folders on your computer’s hard disk. The basic folder structure is extremely logical and has been simplified immensely over the years. There are three basic Windows 7 folders with some extra folders for user and configuration data and temporary files.
• Program Files. This is where all the files for any programs and software you install in Windows 7 sit. There are two Program Files folders in the 64-bit version of Windows 7: Program Files x86 for 32-bit software and Program Files for newer 64-bit software. Each program sits in its own custom folder under one of these folders. In the 32-bit version, there is only a Program Files folder.
• Users. This is where, by default, all of your documents and files sit, and it is also the location of the Windows registry, the database of settings for Windows and your software. Within the main Users folder, there is one subfolder for each user and another folder called Public, where shared files and folders are kept. There are also hidden user folders called Default and All Users.
• Windows. This is the main folder into which the operating system is installed.
Windows also installs hidden system files across the disk, including the Root folder.
These hidden files and folders are where Windows stores operating system recovery software and folders to support legacy software, including Documents and Settings and the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files that date back to the earliest versions of DOS.
Inside the main Windows folder are a great many different folders, some of which exist to maintain compatibility with legacy hardware and software and some of which service specific features within the operating system.
All of these files and folders are essential, and you should not move, rename, or delete any of them. Folders you might find of particular interest include the following.
• Globalization. This is where you will find the desktop wallpapers in Windows.
• Resources. This is a similar folder to Globalization but is for Windows desktop themes.
• System32. The main operating system files, including hardware device drivers, are located in this folder.
• Program Files. This is where all the files for any programs and software you install in Windows 7 sit. There are two Program Files folders in the 64-bit version of Windows 7: Program Files x86 for 32-bit software and Program Files for newer 64-bit software. Each program sits in its own custom folder under one of these folders. In the 32-bit version, there is only a Program Files folder.
• Users. This is where, by default, all of your documents and files sit, and it is also the location of the Windows registry, the database of settings for Windows and your software. Within the main Users folder, there is one subfolder for each user and another folder called Public, where shared files and folders are kept. There are also hidden user folders called Default and All Users.
• Windows. This is the main folder into which the operating system is installed.
Windows also installs hidden system files across the disk, including the Root folder.
These hidden files and folders are where Windows stores operating system recovery software and folders to support legacy software, including Documents and Settings and the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files that date back to the earliest versions of DOS.
Inside the main Windows folder are a great many different folders, some of which exist to maintain compatibility with legacy hardware and software and some of which service specific features within the operating system.
All of these files and folders are essential, and you should not move, rename, or delete any of them. Folders you might find of particular interest include the following.
• Globalization. This is where you will find the desktop wallpapers in Windows.
• Resources. This is a similar folder to Globalization but is for Windows desktop themes.
• System32. The main operating system files, including hardware device drivers, are located in this folder.
Source of Information : Microsoft Press - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
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Many of the virus, adware, security, and crash problems with Windows occu when someone installs a driver of dubious origin. The driver suppo...