Sorry for the long break in posting. I've been very busy in the past few weeks. Mostly moving into my very first home! Well, back to business, I have had some interesting computer problems at work lately so I will be posting the computer troubleshooting steps I took to fix them.
In the meantime...checkout the cool tool that was posted on Technibble this week. Bluescreens happen, period....there is no way to not get one if you are using any Microsoft Windows flavor. From windows 95 to Windows 7, bluescreens happen. The below listed tool may help figure out what caused the bluescreen which might help you troubleshoot the issue further to resolve the problem.
Check out the article here: BlueScreenView
Showing posts with label Windows XP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Windows XP. Show all posts
PC Maintenance tip of the week: Defrag PC
Is it time to defrag your PC? Overtime, files get fragmented due to copying & moving files around, deleting files or installing applications on the hard drive. For example, let's say you had lots of music on the hard drive but decided to delete it. Now, all of the space where the music was is empty and ready for more files to be stored. Problem is that depending on how big the next program or file you attempt to install is, it may just not "fit" into the empty space vacated by the previous music files. Windows may have to find the next available space to finish the install of the program or file. This is what causes the fragmentation of the hard drive, which can cause the PC to respond slower because it has to work harder to find all of the files related to the program or application you are trying to access.
Solution: Defrag PC on a regular basis if you do alot of moving, copying or deleting of files or programs. On Windows XP, you can schedule a defrag or start one manually. Windows Vista attempts to automatically defrag when the PC is idle (but it is also scheduled to defrag as well by default).
Solution: Defrag PC on a regular basis if you do alot of moving, copying or deleting of files or programs. On Windows XP, you can schedule a defrag or start one manually. Windows Vista attempts to automatically defrag when the PC is idle (but it is also scheduled to defrag as well by default).
Print jobs Backwards After SP3 Installed
Today, I came across a client that had some print jobs that were printing out backwards. Never having seen this before, I had to make sure she was telling the truth so I printed a test page from her HP Officejet printer at her desk. Sure enough, the test page printed out backwards. I had no idea why this happened. The only thing that was different in the past few days was that we (meaning the IT dept) did a mass install through WSUS of Windows XP SP3. Apparently, SP3 was the culprit although I am not sure why but here is what happened:
On the print preferences tab of the print queue, there was an option called "mirror image". Somehow, it much have been turned on which causes print jobs to come out backwards. I turned the feature off and printed another test page with no issues. This did not seem to affect network printers, just her local desktop printer.
To give proper credit, I found the solution here: Microsoft Technet
Apparently, this may only be happening if its an HP Officejet printer. Has this happened to you? Do you know why SP3 may have caused this change? Let me know.
On the print preferences tab of the print queue, there was an option called "mirror image". Somehow, it much have been turned on which causes print jobs to come out backwards. I turned the feature off and printed another test page with no issues. This did not seem to affect network printers, just her local desktop printer.
To give proper credit, I found the solution here: Microsoft Technet
Apparently, this may only be happening if its an HP Officejet printer. Has this happened to you? Do you know why SP3 may have caused this change? Let me know.
error 53 not enough storage
Computer troubleshooting usually involves time and patience when you get such errors as in the title of this article. Yesterday, on a PC with Windows XP SP3, a client received the following error while working in a Sharepoint website:
Error 53, not enough storage to complete the command.
While troubleshooting this error across multiple IT forums, I found the following suggestions that did NOT work:
1) Problem is due to not enough RAM (not true, PC has 2GB of RAM which rarely goes past 1GB during daily use)
2) Move the paging file to another hard drive. (Did not try this because it sounds stupid for the above error message)
3) Try upgrading Internet Explorer to IE7 or IE8. (I did this, but it did not solve the issue.
4) The last thing recommended was to remove .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 which also did not help.
I said all of the above to help the next person having the same error 53 message....I am 99% certain that the ONLY issue is that the person's Windows profile became corrupt. Usually, when this happens, you can not un-corrupt the profile.
To fix it, create a new profile and move the data back from the old to the new profile.
That's it, simple as that. I came across this solution because I decided to logon to the PC myself and I tried exactly what the client was doing at the time and I did not get the error 53 message. I then renamed his windows profile and had him logon like he was a new user and just like that, the error was gone.
Moral of the story....when weird stuff happens like this, just try making a new Windows profile first or logon to the PC as another user to see if the same errors still happen with that profile. If they do, then something else is wrong, but if not, its safe to say the Windows profile became corrupt.
Has something like this happened to you recently?
Error 53, not enough storage to complete the command.
While troubleshooting this error across multiple IT forums, I found the following suggestions that did NOT work:
1) Problem is due to not enough RAM (not true, PC has 2GB of RAM which rarely goes past 1GB during daily use)
2) Move the paging file to another hard drive. (Did not try this because it sounds stupid for the above error message)
3) Try upgrading Internet Explorer to IE7 or IE8. (I did this, but it did not solve the issue.
4) The last thing recommended was to remove .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 which also did not help.
I said all of the above to help the next person having the same error 53 message....I am 99% certain that the ONLY issue is that the person's Windows profile became corrupt. Usually, when this happens, you can not un-corrupt the profile.
To fix it, create a new profile and move the data back from the old to the new profile.
That's it, simple as that. I came across this solution because I decided to logon to the PC myself and I tried exactly what the client was doing at the time and I did not get the error 53 message. I then renamed his windows profile and had him logon like he was a new user and just like that, the error was gone.
Moral of the story....when weird stuff happens like this, just try making a new Windows profile first or logon to the PC as another user to see if the same errors still happen with that profile. If they do, then something else is wrong, but if not, its safe to say the Windows profile became corrupt.
Has something like this happened to you recently?
Work from Home | A Solution to high Gas Prices
Could I work from home?
I probably could....but how many days in a row that would work is a different story. Eventually, I would need to come in to work to fix a PC problem that I was unable to fix remotely. All one needs to work from home is a PC with a highspeed internet connection and a work PC with remote desktop enabled. Both PCs could be Windows XP or Windows Vista or a combination of the two. And since I have my work PC setup with SMS 2003, I remotely connect to our clients PCs anyway to fix an issue for them instead of going to their office. I probably can do this about 95% of the time with success. So I figured, why not just do it from home and not even commute to the office? I am going to inquire about "testing" this scenario out but I have a feeling that my boss will not go for it.
Oh well, a guy can dream right? If you could work from home would you? How would you do it?
I probably could....but how many days in a row that would work is a different story. Eventually, I would need to come in to work to fix a PC problem that I was unable to fix remotely. All one needs to work from home is a PC with a highspeed internet connection and a work PC with remote desktop enabled. Both PCs could be Windows XP or Windows Vista or a combination of the two. And since I have my work PC setup with SMS 2003, I remotely connect to our clients PCs anyway to fix an issue for them instead of going to their office. I probably can do this about 95% of the time with success. So I figured, why not just do it from home and not even commute to the office? I am going to inquire about "testing" this scenario out but I have a feeling that my boss will not go for it.
Oh well, a guy can dream right? If you could work from home would you? How would you do it?
Benefits of Microsoft Virtual PC
I have another "testimony" of using Microsoft Virtual PC. A few months ago, I wrote about one reason to use a Virtual PC on your desktop/laptop. Well, just recently, one of our network administrators purchased a fiber optic cable inspector. Besides installing the drivers for the cable inspector on to Windows XP, he also needed software to be able to view inside the cable. Well, he found out that the old application called Imaging for Windows that worked with this type of cable inspector on Windows 95/98/2000 did NOT work on Windows XP. Why, you say? The answer is the company that created the Imaging for Windows software did not include their software with Windows XP for free. You would need to dish out about $200 for a license. At the time, he said he could not find another free application to use and our department was not going to spend money on something that is not used too often.
So I suggested that we install Microsoft's Virtual PC 2007 on his laptop, setup a virtual machine with Windows 2000 and then he could use the cable inspector. Without delay, he told me to go ahead. About an hour later, he had his Windows XP laptop with a virtual copy of Windows 2000! I really do love this application! It definitely can save a business or even a home user some money if you know what you are doing.
How have you used Virtual PC, or any other Virtual Machine applications?
So I suggested that we install Microsoft's Virtual PC 2007 on his laptop, setup a virtual machine with Windows 2000 and then he could use the cable inspector. Without delay, he told me to go ahead. About an hour later, he had his Windows XP laptop with a virtual copy of Windows 2000! I really do love this application! It definitely can save a business or even a home user some money if you know what you are doing.
How have you used Virtual PC, or any other Virtual Machine applications?
Unable to Complete Genuine Windows Validation
Ok....time to give credit where it is due. Miekiemoes helped me finish getting my friend's laptop back to normal tonight. If you read her post about the VIRUS ALERT! next to your system clock, you will discover exactly how fix this issue...I mean exactly....no joke....seriously. This post is so detailed that I actually made a joke in my comment to her asking if she created the virus! I worked on this laptop for 4 hours last night where at least I was successful in removing the virus categorized as Trojan horse agent.zak from his AVG scan. But the Trojan does some very strange things as Miekiemoes touches upon:
1) After pressing the start menu, most of your normal options are gone (like control panel, my documents, log off, etc). Apparently, the Trojan disables these items in an attempt to stop you from being able to remove the Trojan.
2)It also disables the registry (regedit.exe). Fixing spyware/virus laden computer in the past, getting into the registry is a MUST. I was shocked when I got a message saying "Your administrator has disabled registry access". Uh, hello, I was logged on as the Administrator!
3) Adds VIRUS ALERT! after the clock down in the system tray. Also in the Computer Properties area.
4)But the most annoying issue is the fact that the Trojan actually manages to delete your Windows Product ID. This then causes Microsoft to determine that your PC now has an illegal copy of Windows XP!!! Incredible! I've never seen a virus/spyware do something like this before!
As stated above.....I fixed everything based on the instructions listed here in Miekiemoes blog. If this ever happens to you, be sure to check her blog first.
1) After pressing the start menu, most of your normal options are gone (like control panel, my documents, log off, etc). Apparently, the Trojan disables these items in an attempt to stop you from being able to remove the Trojan.
2)It also disables the registry (regedit.exe). Fixing spyware/virus laden computer in the past, getting into the registry is a MUST. I was shocked when I got a message saying "Your administrator has disabled registry access". Uh, hello, I was logged on as the Administrator!
3) Adds VIRUS ALERT! after the clock down in the system tray. Also in the Computer Properties area.
4)But the most annoying issue is the fact that the Trojan actually manages to delete your Windows Product ID. This then causes Microsoft to determine that your PC now has an illegal copy of Windows XP!!! Incredible! I've never seen a virus/spyware do something like this before!
As stated above.....I fixed everything based on the instructions listed here in Miekiemoes blog. If this ever happens to you, be sure to check her blog first.
Product Review: XP Repair Pro
Today's post is related to a product that I came across while troubleshooting my own PC. I usually do not use registry repair tools because I would rather go into the registry myself and attempt to fix the issue. But the majority of my readers probably would rather use a trusted software tool to handle these types of issues.
I recommend using XP Repair Pro for the following reasons:
1) XP Repair Pro has had over 2.71 million downloads in less than three years, and has quickly become one of the most popular system utilities on the market today.
2) It has no spyware, adware or viruses. (You would be surprised about this fact, there are products out there that claim to help you get rid of problems but only create more)
3) It fully supports Windows Vista, Windows XP and Office 2007
You can more information about this product Here
I recommend using XP Repair Pro for the following reasons:
1) XP Repair Pro has had over 2.71 million downloads in less than three years, and has quickly become one of the most popular system utilities on the market today.
2) It has no spyware, adware or viruses. (You would be surprised about this fact, there are products out there that claim to help you get rid of problems but only create more)
3) It fully supports Windows Vista, Windows XP and Office 2007
You can more information about this product Here
Programs with .exe file extension do not open
Recently, one of our work PCs was unable to execute any program ending in .exe. This can be very frustrating and immediately the client thought that the PC was infected with a virus. While this can happen, in this case, the program responsible for virus protection actually failed.
During the day, our office was in the middle of receiving some SMS packages related to the new Symantec EndPoint Protection. While 99% of the PCs were upgraded successfully, the PC in question failed to upgrade properly.
This then caused no application ending in .exe to open. I have never experienced this before! I was about to re-image the PC but that is the easy way out. If anyone knows me, I will troubleshoot an issue for hours if I have to. (In my opinion, that is the best way to learn).
So began my troubleshooting of this .exe issue. First, I was shocked that I could not even get to the Internet, but then I thought, oh yeah, Internet Explorer is an application so of course it will not open either! I went to another computer and began searching online for solutions. I found a website that already had the answer to my problem: exefix_xp.com
All I had to do was download this file and it fixed the registry entries for the .exe file association automatically.
Disclaimer: Do this at your own risk, even though its done automatically, your PC could crash and become unbootable. If you are able to, back up all important data before continuing.
You can find more information about this on Winhelponline.com
During the day, our office was in the middle of receiving some SMS packages related to the new Symantec EndPoint Protection. While 99% of the PCs were upgraded successfully, the PC in question failed to upgrade properly.
This then caused no application ending in .exe to open. I have never experienced this before! I was about to re-image the PC but that is the easy way out. If anyone knows me, I will troubleshoot an issue for hours if I have to. (In my opinion, that is the best way to learn).
So began my troubleshooting of this .exe issue. First, I was shocked that I could not even get to the Internet, but then I thought, oh yeah, Internet Explorer is an application so of course it will not open either! I went to another computer and began searching online for solutions. I found a website that already had the answer to my problem: exefix_xp.com
All I had to do was download this file and it fixed the registry entries for the .exe file association automatically.
Disclaimer: Do this at your own risk, even though its done automatically, your PC could crash and become unbootable. If you are able to, back up all important data before continuing.
You can find more information about this on Winhelponline.com
Error Code 0x80072F8F Windows Update
The other day, a client of mine had a Windows XP machine that could not get its Windows Updates from Microsoft. The following error appeared:
Error Code 0x80072F8F
Not sure how it happens but apparently, the date and time on the PC is so different from the Windows Update site that the error appears.
The solution is quite simple and is listed on Microsoft's website. Apparently, this must be a normal issue if there is an entire support page for it. It even happens on Windows Vista.
I will be posting more of these type of problems/solutions in the next few days. It has been a busy few days at work and there have been lots of issues that I have not seen before.
Stay tuned for some more Windows XP troubleshooting tips.
Error Code 0x80072F8F
Not sure how it happens but apparently, the date and time on the PC is so different from the Windows Update site that the error appears.
The solution is quite simple and is listed on Microsoft's website. Apparently, this must be a normal issue if there is an entire support page for it. It even happens on Windows Vista.
I will be posting more of these type of problems/solutions in the next few days. It has been a busy few days at work and there have been lots of issues that I have not seen before.
Stay tuned for some more Windows XP troubleshooting tips.
Shell32.DLL error in Windows XP
Yesterday, I came across a PC at work that had a faulting application error related to shell32.dll. This happened while the person was using the Windows XP Search Companion to search for a file. About half way through the search, the following error appeared:
Faulting application explorer.exe, version 6.0.2900.3156, faulting module shell32.dll, version 6.0.2900.3241, fault address 0x00103537.
I've looked through some Google searches and really can not find an answer to my problem so I guess its time to reimage the PC. The PC has only been running for about 3 weeks anyway but just not sure what caused this problem.
I've tried all of the so called "Registry fix" programs out there including Regcure but nothing worked. I am assuming something got corrupt and sometimes reimaging a PC is much quicker than attempting to pull out our hair trying to solve an issue that seems to be unsolvable. I've even tested for possible spyware. I've also tried upgrading the PC to Windows XP SP3 but the error still appears while searching.
If anyone has an answer....please comment below.
Faulting application explorer.exe, version 6.0.2900.3156, faulting module shell32.dll, version 6.0.2900.3241, fault address 0x00103537.
I've looked through some Google searches and really can not find an answer to my problem so I guess its time to reimage the PC. The PC has only been running for about 3 weeks anyway but just not sure what caused this problem.
I've tried all of the so called "Registry fix" programs out there including Regcure but nothing worked. I am assuming something got corrupt and sometimes reimaging a PC is much quicker than attempting to pull out our hair trying to solve an issue that seems to be unsolvable. I've even tested for possible spyware. I've also tried upgrading the PC to Windows XP SP3 but the error still appears while searching.
If anyone has an answer....please comment below.
Can Windows XP be Saved?
Infoworld is still trying to save Windows XP from its apparent removal from store shelves on June 30th. I personally do not care if Microsoft extends the deadline to support Windows XP but if enough people actually sign the petition, they just might do so. Windows XP is almost 8 yrs old which makes it most likely the longest operating system (from what I can tell) that Microsoft has had in existence to date. There is not much more that can be done to XP to make it any better than it already is. Even though Microsoft just released SP3 for XP, this does not seem to matter as they are sticking to their June 30th deadline.
Let's face it folks, Windows Vista is the future or something else will be. We will just have to embrace this and move forward. Technology is always changing, which requires people to change with it, good or bad.
Let's face it folks, Windows Vista is the future or something else will be. We will just have to embrace this and move forward. Technology is always changing, which requires people to change with it, good or bad.
Main reasons for Windows XP system crashes
If you are seeing random system crashes or periodical restarts, it may help you to know what the most common reasons for Windows XP to become unstable and usually lead to what we affectionately call the BSOD (blue screen of death). They are listed in random order off the top of my head:
Bad Memory Module: Having a bad memory (RAM) chip will cause these issues. To troubleshoot this, you will need to either swap out a module for a known good module one at a time until you find the bad module. Or, remove one module at a time and reboot your system. Repeat this process as necessary until you find the bad module. I can not begin to tell you how many times I've fixed an issue just by removing the bad RAM chip.
Sound Card Driver: It is fairly common for a driver to cause this type of issue. Sometimes they become corrupt for no reason or even become out-dated. The sound card driver is not the only driver that can cause these issues, but it is the most common and should be the first card to focus on. Just simply visit the manufactures web site and reinstall the correct driver for your sound card.
Overheating: Once your systems processor reaches a certain temperature, the system will shut itself down. The most common reason for overheating is a dirty fan not being able to spin fast enough to cool the processor. Or, a fan has just gone bad. Once you've gained access to the inside of your case, look and listen for a faulty fan. If they all appear to be working, it may not be a bad idea to go ahead and clean them while you are in there.
Failing Power Supply: A power supply that isn't providing enough power to create a stable environment will cause this type of issue. It would seem if your computer turns on and boots up that the power supply is working, but in fact, it could be failing. This can be a tricky one to troubleshoot if you do not have the proper equipment. Without the proper test equipment, you are forced to either replace the power supply with a known good one or replace it with a new one. On the other hand.....if the PC does not boot at all...this maybe your first sign that the power supply is dead making your decision easier.
And lastly....a bad USB Hub: This one is pretty simple to troubleshoot. Just simply remove the hub from your system to see if the problem is resolved. This is not nearly as common as the scenarios listed above, but I have seen it happen a few times.
Bad Memory Module: Having a bad memory (RAM) chip will cause these issues. To troubleshoot this, you will need to either swap out a module for a known good module one at a time until you find the bad module. Or, remove one module at a time and reboot your system. Repeat this process as necessary until you find the bad module. I can not begin to tell you how many times I've fixed an issue just by removing the bad RAM chip.
Sound Card Driver: It is fairly common for a driver to cause this type of issue. Sometimes they become corrupt for no reason or even become out-dated. The sound card driver is not the only driver that can cause these issues, but it is the most common and should be the first card to focus on. Just simply visit the manufactures web site and reinstall the correct driver for your sound card.
Overheating: Once your systems processor reaches a certain temperature, the system will shut itself down. The most common reason for overheating is a dirty fan not being able to spin fast enough to cool the processor. Or, a fan has just gone bad. Once you've gained access to the inside of your case, look and listen for a faulty fan. If they all appear to be working, it may not be a bad idea to go ahead and clean them while you are in there.
Failing Power Supply: A power supply that isn't providing enough power to create a stable environment will cause this type of issue. It would seem if your computer turns on and boots up that the power supply is working, but in fact, it could be failing. This can be a tricky one to troubleshoot if you do not have the proper equipment. Without the proper test equipment, you are forced to either replace the power supply with a known good one or replace it with a new one. On the other hand.....if the PC does not boot at all...this maybe your first sign that the power supply is dead making your decision easier.
And lastly....a bad USB Hub: This one is pretty simple to troubleshoot. Just simply remove the hub from your system to see if the problem is resolved. This is not nearly as common as the scenarios listed above, but I have seen it happen a few times.
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