Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out: The ultimate, in-depth troubleshooting reference

Prevention......Page 25
Prevention Is Better Than Cure......Page 27
Upgrade or Clean Install?......Page 28
Keeping Your Installation of Windows XP or Windows Vista......Page 30
What To Do When Windows 7 Is Installed......Page 31
Useful Windows 7 Settings to Change......Page 32
MSConfig......Page 35
Moving Your Files Away from Windows......Page 36
Backing Up Windows 7......Page 38
Summary......Page 40
Action Center......Page 41
What Can You Do with Action Center?......Page 43
Windows Update......Page 44
Controlling Windows Update Through Group Policy......Page 46
Windows Firewall......Page 47
Windows Defender......Page 50
Windows 7 and Anti-Virus Software......Page 51
Legacy Program Compatibility......Page 52
The Program Compatibility Assistant......Page 53
Windows XP Mode......Page 55
Summary......Page 57
Basic Windows 7 Security......Page 59
The Reality of Virtualization......Page 60
Windows vNext......Page 61
Anti-Virus Software for Windows 7......Page 62
Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool......Page 63
User Account Control......Page 64
BitLocker and BitLocker To Go......Page 67
Using BitLocker with Non-Windows 7 Computers......Page 69
Beware the Weak Link at the Keyboard......Page 71
Get Spam and Phishing Filtering for Your Email Software......Page 72
Keep Backups......Page 73
Guest Mode......Page 74
Summary......Page 75
Moving Your Files Away from Windows 7......Page 77
Shrinking, Extending, and Creating Partitions......Page 79
Using Backup and Restore......Page 81
Restoring Files and Data from a Backup......Page 85
Backing Up to the Cloud......Page 86
Backing Up the Operating System......Page 87
Restoring Windows 7 from a System Repair or Install Disc......Page 88
Corporate Image Backups......Page 89
Determining How Many Backups You Need and Where to Store Them......Page 90
Summary......Page 91
Defragmenting Your Hard Disks......Page 93
Maintaining Windows......Page 95
Internet and Other Temporary Files......Page 96
Third-Party Tools and Utilities......Page 97
Don’t Install Too Much Software......Page 99
Keeping Auto-Running Software to a Minimum......Page 100
The One Year Reinstall Rule......Page 101
Summary......Page 102
How Windows 7 Controls Users......Page 103
Managing User Accounts......Page 104
Setting an Administrator Password......Page 105
What Is the Guest Account?......Page 107
Parental Controls......Page 108
Group Policies......Page 111
Local Security Policies......Page 112
Computer Management......Page 113
Blocking CDs, DVDs, Flash Drives, and External Hard Disks......Page 114
Summary......Page 115
What’s in a PC?......Page 117
Motherboard......Page 118
Processor......Page 120
Optical Drives and Hard Disks......Page 121
How Can You Clean the Inside of Your PC?......Page 122
Hardware Health......Page 123
Peripherals......Page 124
Other Devices......Page 125
Summary......Page 126
Virtualization......Page 127
Virtualization vs. Dual Booting......Page 128
Virtual Hard Disks and Windows 7......Page 129
Booting From a Virtual Copy of Windows 7......Page 134
Windows Virtual PC and Windows XP Mode......Page 139
Installing Another Operating System in Windows Virtual PC......Page 140
Summary......Page 142
Quick Fixes......Page 143
Common Windows 7 Problems......Page 145
Incorrect File Associations......Page 149
Problematic Graphics, Sound, Keyboard, or Mouse Drivers......Page 150
This Copy of Windows 7 Is Not Genuine......Page 152
Search Isn’t Finding Your Files......Page 153
Service Pack or Update Install Was Interrupted......Page 154
Windows Starts Up Very Slowly......Page 155
Windows Shuts Down Very Slowly......Page 156
Problems with Sleep......Page 157
Hardware Annoyances......Page 158
You’ve Installed a Fresh Copy of Windows 7 and Can’t Get Online......Page 159
Summary......Page 160
Repelling an Attack......Page 161
Anti-Virus Software......Page 162
Anti-Malware Software......Page 164
Identifying an Attack......Page 168
Do You Really Need Another Toolbar?......Page 171
Do You Need that Extra Browser Plug-in or Download?......Page 172
Malicious Websites......Page 173
Malicious and Fake Anti-Malware Software......Page 174
What Goes on the Internet, Might Stay There Forever......Page 176
Repairing the Damage......Page 177
McAfee Stinger......Page 178
Safe Mode......Page 179
Manually Removing a Virus Infection......Page 181
Virus Removal Using Another PC......Page 182
Viruses Corrupting the BIOS......Page 183
Where Can Viruses Hide?......Page 185
Summary......Page 186
Restore Previous Versions of Files......Page 187
System Restore......Page 190
Configuring System Restore......Page 191
Restoring Windows 7 Using System Restore......Page 192
Can I Undo System Restore Changes?......Page 193
Troubleshooting Software Compatibility......Page 194
The Automatic Program Compatibility Troubleshooter......Page 196
Program Compatibility Notifications in Action Center......Page 197
Windows Won’t Start......Page 199
Safe Mode......Page 200
Windows Startup Repair......Page 201
Startup Repair from an Install DVD or a System Repair Disc......Page 202
You Did Back It Up, Didn’t You?......Page 203
Working with Device Drivers......Page 204
Graphics Driver Problems......Page 205
Device Manager......Page 206
Installing Device Drivers......Page 211
Removing and Reinstalling Device Drivers......Page 214
Updating Device Drivers......Page 216
Rolling Back Device Drivers......Page 217
Action Center Troubleshooter......Page 218
Summary......Page 219
Technical Fixes......Page 221
The Windows 7 File and Folder Structure......Page 223
How Does Windows Compare to Other Operating Systems?......Page 226
Summary......Page 227
Taking a Step-by-Step Approach......Page 229
Minimum Windows Configuration......Page 230
Safe Mode......Page 232
Unplug Your Hardware......Page 233
Why Problems Occur with Windows......Page 235
What Are the Causes of Common Problems?......Page 237
The Blue Screen of Death......Page 238
The Perpetual Restart......Page 239
Summary......Page 240
Performance Information and Tools......Page 241
Event Log......Page 243
How to Read the Event Log......Page 245
Performance Monitor......Page 246
Resource Monitor......Page 247
System Information......Page 248
System Health Report......Page 250
Computer Management......Page 251
Using the Windows 7 Performance Tools......Page 253
Summary......Page 254
Repairing Microsoft Internet Explorer......Page 255
How to Factory Reset Internet Explorer......Page 259
Can You Reinstall Internet Explorer?......Page 261
Alternatives to Internet Explorer......Page 262
System File Checker......Page 263
Using MSConfig for Diagnostic Startups......Page 265
Managing Windows Services......Page 268
Working with the Windows Registry......Page 270
Removing the Registry Settings for an Uninstalled Program......Page 272
Using the System Repair Disc for Advanced Restore......Page 273
BootRec.exe......Page 275
Windows Memory Diagnostic......Page 277
Using Safe Mode......Page 278
Summary......Page 279
Windows 7 Core Operating System Files......Page 281
The Windows 7 Registry......Page 284
Windows 7 Logs......Page 285
Advanced File Restore......Page 286
Creating a Slipstreamed Install DVD......Page 287
Step 1: Creating a Windows Pre-Installation Environment Startup Disc......Page 288
Step 2: Installing a Fresh Copy of Windows 7......Page 291
Step 4: Creating a New Windows 7 Installation DVD......Page 294
Summary......Page 296
Using the Internet to Find Solutions to Problems......Page 297
Where Else to Get Help......Page 298
Windows Remote Desktop......Page 302
Windows Remote Assistance......Page 305
Problem Steps Recorder......Page 309
Summary......Page 312
Third-Party Software......Page 313
GoToAssist......Page 314
Paragon Partition Manager......Page 315
Third-Party Websites......Page 316
Within Windows......Page 317
Summary......Page 318
PC Hardware Guide......Page 319
Motherboard......Page 320
Processor......Page 321
Hard Disk......Page 322
Graphics Card......Page 324
Laptops, Netbooks, and All-in-One PCs......Page 325
Safe Working......Page 328
Is Everything Plugged In?......Page 329
Minimal Hardware Boot......Page 330
Resetting the BIOS......Page 331
Jump-Starting Your PC......Page 333
Summary......Page 334
Disaster Recovery......Page 335
Restoring Windows and Data from a Backup......Page 337
Data Restore Through Over-the-Top Reinstall......Page 339
Summary......Page 342
Restoring a Windows Image on Another PC......Page 343
Restoring Windows File by File......Page 344
Restoring Your Data by Using Another PC......Page 345
Summary......Page 348
System or Data Restore Using Another Operating System......Page 349
Useful Software in Linux......Page 354
System Monitor......Page 355
System Testing......Page 356
CD and DVD Burning in Linux......Page 357
Compatible Linux Operating Systems to Run from a Disc......Page 358
Creating a Linux Installation Disc or Pen Drive......Page 359
Summary......Page 360
Zinstall and zPOD......Page 361
GRC SpinRite......Page 365
Other Third-Party Services......Page 368
Summary......Page 369
Encrypted File System......Page 371
Setting Up EFS......Page 372
Restoring an EFS Key......Page 376
EFS Certificates......Page 378
Smart Cards and EFS Certificates......Page 380
Recovering EFS-Encrypted Files......Page 383
Cipher.exe......Page 384
BitLocker and BitLocker To Go......Page 385
Creating a Copy of Encrypted Data......Page 388
Summary......Page 389
Power Utilities......Page 391
Computer Management......Page 393
System Tools......Page 394
Services and Applications......Page 402
Performance Information and Tools......Page 404
Power Settings......Page 407
Advanced Tools......Page 409
Control Panel Troubleshooters......Page 422
Summary......Page 424
Windows Firewall......Page 425
Windows Firewall with Advanced Security......Page 427
Managing Firewall Rules......Page 429
Adding New Inbound or Outbound Firewall Rules......Page 430
Monitoring......Page 434
Port Control for Routers......Page 435
Summary......Page 436
Advanced Registry Work......Page 437
Registry Sections......Page 438
Registry Keys and Settings......Page 439
Working with the Registry......Page 440
Editing, Deleting, or Adding Registry Keys......Page 441
Backing Up Specific Registry Keys......Page 442
Summary......Page 443
Appendices......Page 445
Windows 7 Editions......Page 447
Windows 7 Features by Edition......Page 449
Windows 7 Shortcut Keys......Page 455
BIOS Beep Codes......Page 463
Glossary......Page 471