CompTIA APlus Lesson12 Troubleshooting

CompTIA A+
Lesson 12Troubleshooting
The course CompTIA A+ through ProCert's testing Copyright 2014, Simplilearn, All rights reserved.
and certification process is now accredited by CompTIA.
Copyright 2014, Simplilearn, All rights reserved.

Objectives
At the end of this List out various Windows troubleshooting tools to diagnose and fix
lesson, you will be
problems related to OS
able to:
Differentiate between hardware and software problems
Identify the tools used to fix the hardware and software problems

Troubleshooting Theory
Troubleshooting is a critical task of any technical support professional. Successful technical support
personnel take steps to resolve problems as quickly as possible and prevent new problems. CompTIA
specifies a six-step troubleshooting theory. The steps are:
Determine theory of Test the theory to

Identify the problem
probable cause establish the cause
Make a plan of action Verify full system

Prepare documentation
functionality

Advanced Boot Options
Windows has many troubleshooting tools available

in the event that the PC does not boot up correctly.
Some of these tools are available in the

Advanced Boot Options menu.
To access the Advanced Boot Options, press the

F8 key when Windows is booting up. Some of
the main options available are shown in the
image.

Safe Mode
Sometimes, after installing a hardware driver or

updating software, Windows may not start normally.
You can use the following safe modes to start
Windows with only the basic drivers and files.
Safe Mode: This is the most basic version of safe
mode.
Safe Mode with Networking: It loads network
services and drivers. It is used to access the
Internet from safe mode to download files or
updates.
Safe Mode with Command Prompt: It loads only
the Command Prompt instead of the normal
Windows.

Enable Boot Logging
Sometimes, a PC may have a corrupted service or

driver. Windows will try to start, but before it
finishes the process, it will restart. This problem
can be resolved as follows:
Use the Enable Boot Logging option from the
If enabled, this option logs all activities during
the startup process in a file called ntbtlog.txt.
This file is located in the C:\Windows directory.
You can then view the log by browsing to the
C:\Windows folder and double-clicking the
Ntbtlog.txt file.

Enable Low-Resolution Video
This option is useful if the video driver becomes corrupted or is configured incorrectly on Windows.
Scenarios:
You changed the Windows display settings permanently but selected the wrong configuration.
Your monitor can no longer display video with these changes and your screen goes blank.
You can reconfigure the video settings, but since the screen is blank, you cannot access the settings.
Even if you boot to Safe Mode, it will use the basic video driver and you will not have access to modify
settings for the regular video driver.
The Enable Low-Resolution Video mode uses the current video driver but with the basic settings. Now
you can modify the settings of the current video driver and restart the system.

Last Known Good Configuration
The Last Known Good Configuration is a valuable option that allows you to easily revert changes from
a previously logged-on session. Some facts related to the Last Known Good Configuration are These
are the public IP addresses.
Whenever the PC boots successfully, Windows stores a copy of the PCs driver settings and
hardware configuration from the registry.
The copy of the settings is stored just in case a future boot process fails. Then the Operating
System uses the record of the Last Known Good Configuration to try to boot successfully.
Whenever Windows detects a problem during the boot process, it displays the Last Known Good
Configuration item in the start menu.
You can also restart the PC and press F8 to access the Last Known Good Configuration item in the
Disable Automatic Restart on System Failure
Disable Automatic Restart on System Failure

setting is used if the Windows Operating System
gets stuck in a restart loop. This happens when it
fails to restart, and then fails again repeatedly.
Problem: When Windows fails, it usually
displays a blue screen stop error but you may
not be able to read it before the PC restarts.
Solution: When you use the Disable Automatic
Restart on System Failure setting, the system
will not automatically restart and you will have
time to read the error information.

Repair Your Computer
The Repair Your Computer option starts the

System Recovery Options.
Benefits of System Recovery Options
The System Recovery Options menu

provides you with a list of tools that you
can use to repair and troubleshoot issues.
These options are especially useful when

you cannot boot into safe mode for some
reason.

Repair Your Computer (contd.)
The System Recovery Options started by the Repair Your Computer option are mentioned below:
System Recovery Options
Startup Repair
System Restore
Windows Complete PC Restore
Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool
Command Prompt

System Recovery Optionsbootrec
Sometimes, a system may not boot because of the

Boot Configuration Data (BCD) becoming corrupted.
To restore the BCD:
Click the Command Prompt link in the System
Recovery Options box.
An important command that can be used here is
the bootrec command.
bootrec can be used with the following options:
bootrec/fixmbr
bootrec/fixboot
bootrec/rebuildbcd
bootrec/scanos

Other Troubleshooting Tools
There are various other troubleshooting tools mentioned below:
System Configuration The System Configuration tool, also known as msconfig, is used to look for
Tool problems that may be preventing Windows from starting.
Local Security Policy

Provides settings that administrators use to maintain user security.
Tool
Windows Firewall with Protects a PC from harmful traffic. This tool provides the Windows
Advanced Security Tool Firewall with additional capabilities.
Print Management
Used to manage multiple shared printers on Windows.
Tool

Windows Registry
The Windows Registry is a Windows-based database that stores information about a PCs hardware,
system settings, user profiles, and installed programs.
Following are the features of Windows Registry:

When a user makes changes to the Control Panel applets or other programs, these changes are
registered in the Windows Registry and accessed by Windows.
To start the Windows Registry Editor, use the regedit or regedt32 command in Windows Command
Prompt.
The Windows Registry is organized into five groups called hives. Every group has settings called keys
and values. The five hives are as follows:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE HKEY_USERS HKEY_CURRENT_USER
HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT

Backing up the Windows Registry
There may be situations where you need to

modify the Windows Registry. The following
may happen when you do so:
Windows can get corrupted if an incorrect

edit is made to the registry.
This can make the system unbootable.
Quick Tip!
Take a backup of the registry before you

modify it.

Event Viewer
Windows regularly logs events that can be viewed in the

Event Viewer application. The following logs are created by
default:
System log: Events performed by the Windows Operating
System are logged here.
Application log: Events logged by applications or programs
are listed here.
Security log: Security-related events are logged here.
Events are coded in different error levels like:
Information
Warning
Error
Critical
Audit

System Repair Disc
System repair disc is a bootable DVD that boots directly into the Windows Recovery Environment.
The image below shows how to create system repair disc.
Creating system repair disc
On a Windows 7 PC, you can create the system

repair disc from the Backup And Restore Center
in the Control Panel.
Insert a blank DVD, and click Create A System
Repair Disc.

Troubleshooting Applet
Troubleshooting applet is a Windows 7 applet that contains links to several troubleshooters as

shown in the image.
Facts related to Troubleshooting applet
This applet can be accessed from the Control Panel.

Links on the applet take you to wizards that look for
problems.
The wizards can often resolve problems with very
little user intervention.

Command Prompt Tools
The Common Prompt tools used to troubleshoot network connectivity problems are given below:
ping Checks connectivity between devices and the response time.
tracert Shows routers in the network path.
nslookup Verifies that an IP address record exists in DNS.
ipconfig Displays TCP/IP configuration assigned to network interface cards
nbtstat Displays statistics for NetBIOS.
netstat Displays network statistics.
net use Maps drives to shares.
arp Displays IP address to MAC address mappings.

Device LED Lights
Most networking devices have LED lights that can

give you a quick indication of network activity
and connectivity. A quick look at the LED lights
can help you identify problems on the network.
Possible indicators are:
No lights suggesting there is no connection;
Activity lights that should be blinking; and
Different colored lights indicating different

transmission speeds.

Common Symptoms
Below is a list of common network connectivity issues with the possible causes:
There may be a problem with the network card or connection. Verify link lights,
No connectivity
connections, and cables.
Address beginning with 169.254 indicates that the PC is a DHCP client but is
APIPA address
unable to connect to a DHCP server.
Client can communicate with systems on the same local subnet but not on any
Local connectivity
other subnets
Indicates that client cannot connect to all devices on the network. Check the
Limited connectivity
router.
Indicates that two devices on the network have the same IP address. Check the
IP conflict
devices and change the IP address of any one.

Wireless Network Connectivity
The first thing to check on the PC when troubleshooting

wireless connections is whether it is configured
correctly.
This includes double-checking the following

configurations:
SSID: The SSID is case-sensitive. Find out whether WPA

or WPA 2 is used.
Passphrase or security keys: This is also case-sensitive.
WIFI switch: Many laptops come with a hardware WIFI

switch. Check if it is not switched off.

Troubleshooting the BIOS
BIOS is Basic Input Output System. At the BIOS level, the following problems can occur:
Invalid boot disk This indicates that the PC is trying to boot from a device that may not have a
bootable Operating System.
BIOS time and

settings reset This indicates a failed or failing battery.
Fans spin but devices

have no power This shows that most likely the CPU is not getting power.
Blank screen during

system startup Make sure that everything is plugged in and switched on.
Stop error Commonly called the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), it indicates a faulty
motherboard, faulty RAM, or a problem with the hard drive.

Troubleshooting CPU or RAM
The following are some of the problems related to CPU and RAM:
Sudden shutdowns Reboots
The most likely cause for sudden A hardware problem can sometimes
shutdown is a CPU heat issue. Check the prevent a PC from booting. It starts and
ventilation and clean the CPU fan. then resets itself. Check if you have
installed any new hardware, remove it,
and restart the PC.
Intermittent reboots and BSOD Run Windows Memory Diagnostics

Sometimes a certain part of the RAM Sometimes a failing or overloaded
can be affected. The PC works until it power supply can cause intermittent
writes to that area of the RAM, and then reboots. Replace the power supply to
it freezes or reboots. resolve this problem.

Windows Memory Diagnostics Tool
The Windows Memory Diagnostics tool performs

an in-depth testing of the devices RAM and the
CPU cache. Some features of the Windows
Memory Diagnostics Tool are as follows:
It performs basic, standard, and extended tests.
It runs two sets of the standard test to point out
problems in memory if they exist.
If a PC cannot boot, run this tool from the
System Recovery Options menu of the
Advanced Boot Options.
If this tool confirms any error with RAM, first try
reseating the RAM modules on the
motherboard.

Hard Disk Problems
Following are the problems you may find in hard disks:

Loud clicking noise Performance problems
This indicates that the hard drive platter These indicate fragmentation issues.
is hitting something it should not, while Run the Windows Disk Defragmenter
it is spinning. It points toward hard drive tool.
failure. Back up hard drive and replace
it.
Read/write failure Boot failures

Indicates problems with clusters on the These show that either the drive has
drive. Using the Windows tools like failed or the Operating System is not
chkdsk and Error-checking Tool may help found. Check the BIOS and the hard
to fix such problems. drive.

chkdsk Command
The chkdsk command helps to identify and

correct problems related to standalone disks and
RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks).
If you use it from the Command Prompt, it will

run a check on the current disk and display the
results.
It verifies the integrity of the disk and the file

system

Error Checking Tool
Data clusters on hard drives can at times develop

errors.
Usually, this cannot be prevented, but it is

important to look for errors on drives.
The tool that helps to check and fix drive errors

is known as Error-checking Tool.

VGA Mode
Due to device driver corruption, sometimes a

display can have a default basic resolution of 640
480, which is known as VGA mode.
Effects of VGA mode:
Normally, the display has a much higher
resolution, but in VGA mode, you will see items
on the screen turning large.
Most likely, the VGA mode is due to a faulty or
corrupt driver used for the video card.
Solution: Install the correct video driver for the
Image source: http://forum.xda-developers.com/
video interface of the PC.
No Display
Following are the things to do when there is no

display:
If a display has no image, first make sure that it is
plugged in and switched on. Most monitors have an
LED light to indicate that they have power.
Check if you have used the correct video output port
on the PC when connecting a new monitor to the PC.
One or more outputs may be disabled in the
configuration and connecting to that may lead to a
blank screen.
Check the configuration file and connect
accordingly.
Dead Pixels
Dead pixels is an area on the display that

always remains black. These are relatively
common in LCD monitors. Following are a few
ways to fix dead pixels :
If there are too many dead pixels and the

monitor cannot be used properly, consider a
warranty replacement.
Usually, such monitors cannot be serviced

on-site, and if the warranty does not cover
the problem, you must replace them.

Malware Infection
If a PC is infected with malware, it will give you many indications like the following:
A primary symptom is a report from antivirus or antispyware software

Alerts
about the infection.
Malware can cause disk or network activity and consume excess processor
Performance
and memory. This will slow down a system.
Pop-up Malware will make you click a link that will possibly take you to a malicious
advertisements website.

Malware Infection (contd.)
Following are a few more indications given by a PC when it is infected with malware:
File changes Malware can rename system files, delete files, and modify permissions.
Browser redirection The PC takes you to a different website when you try to access any website.
Internet
connectivity Often the malware modifies the web browsers proxy server settings.
problems
The key to recognize malware infection is to identify suspicious or unusual activity.

Removing Malware
Often the antivirus software is unable to remove

virus after a full-blown infection. Follow the tips
below to get rid of the virus in such a scenario:
Remove the virus manually. Antivirus software

makers usually have step-by-step instructions on
how to remove the virus manually.
In extreme cases, reformat the hard disk and

reinstall the operating system.
http://blog.laptop-lcd-screen.co.uk/

Removing Malware (contd.)
There are other steps that you can take to remove malware from your PC. These are:
Steps to remove malware from your PC
Delete temporary system files
Use safe mode
Use pre-installation environments
Use windows recovery environment
Use system restore

Best Practices to Remove Malware
Following are important points that you must remember about malware and their removal:
Malware removal best practices
Quarantine infected PCs.
Understand Safe Mode and Windows Recovery Environment.
Schedule updates and regular scans.
Create restore points and enable System Restore.
Research on the virus by looking at the symptoms of infection.
Educate the end user on best practices.

Quiz

QUIZ
Why should you backup the Windows Registry before you make changes to it?
1
a. Because the Windows Registry is read-only
b. Because the Windows Registry is not an important Windows file

c. Because a mistake when making changes to the Registry may render the PC unbootable
d. Because the Windows Registry cannot start the Windows during Safe Mode

QUIZ
Why should you backup the Windows Registry before you make changes to it?
1
a. Because the Windows Registry is read-only
b. Because the Windows Registry is not an important Windows file

c. Because a mistake when making changes to the Registry may render the PC unbootable
d. Because the Windows Registry cannot start the Windows during Safe Mode
Answer: c.
Explanation: Any mistake made when making changes to the registry may render the PC unbootable. It is
therefore very important to take a backup before editing the Windows Registry.

QUIZ To access the Advanced Boot Options, you must press the F9 key when Windows is
2 booting up.
a. True
b. False

QUIZ To access the Advanced Boot Options, you must press the F9 key when Windows is
2 booting up.
a. True
b. False
Answer: c.
Explanation: Subnet Mask is used to differentiate between the host and the network part of
an IP address.

QUIZ
Which of the following best describes Windows Safe Mode?
3
a. Safe Mode keeps Windows safe from virus and other malware
b. Safe Mode is a troubleshooting mode of Windows where it starts up with only the
basic drivers and files
c. Safe Mode allows Windows to run safely and all hardware to run at an optimum
speed and power
d. Safe Mode keeps Windows running in high security mode so that it cannot be hacked

QUIZ
Which of the following best describes Windows Safe Mode?
3
a. Safe Mode keeps Windows safe from virus and other malware
b. Safe Mode is a troubleshooting mode of Windows where it starts up with only the
basic drivers and files
c. Safe Mode allows Windows to run safely and all hardware to run at an optimum
speed and power
d. Safe Mode keeps Windows running in high security mode so that it cannot be hacked
Answer: b.
Explanation: Safe Mode is a troubleshooting mode of Windows where it starts up with only the basic
drivers and files.

QUIZ Which component should you check first if a PC is rebooting intermittently with the
4 Blue Screen of Death?
a. RAM and power supply
b. Display
c. Keyboard
d. Battery

QUIZ Which component should you check first if a PC is rebooting intermittently with the
4 Blue Screen of Death?
a. RAM and power supply
b. Display
c. Keyboard
d. Battery
Answer: a.
Explanation: You should check the RAM sticks and check the voltage output of the
computer power supply.

QUIZ
What function is performed by the Windows Event Viewer?
5
a. Windows Event Viewer is a viewer that allows the administrator to check worldwide
events
b. Windows Event Viewer is similar to a calendar that helps in the scheduling of events
c. Windows Event Viewer regularly logs system, security, and application events on
Windows
d. Windows Event Viewer looks for events on the network and reports them

QUIZ
What function is performed by the Windows Event Viewer?
5
a. Windows Event Viewer is a viewer that allows the administrator to check worldwide
events
b. Windows Event Viewer is similar to a calendar that helps in the scheduling of events
c. Windows Event Viewer regularly logs system, security, and application events on
Windows
d. Windows Event Viewer looks for events on the network and reports them
Answer: c.
Explanation: Windows Event Viewer is a diagnostic tool that logs system, security, and application events
on Windows.

Summary
Let us summarize Windows Advanced Boot Options menu includes several tools that can
what was covered diagnose and correct boot problems easily.
in this lesson:
Troubleshooting involves hardware, software, and network troubleshooting.
There are several built-in tools in Windows to troubleshoot and resolve

problems. E.g., System Configuration Tool, Local Security Policy Tool, etc.
Some of the best practices for removing malware are scheduling updates
and regular scans, creating restore points, and enabling System Restore.

Thank You
The course CompTIA A+ through ProCert's testing Copyright 2014, Simplilearn, All rights reserved.
and certification process is now accredited by CompTIA.

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Determine theory of Test the theory to

Make a plan of action Verify full system

Copyright 2014, Simplilearn, All rights reserved.

Windows has many troubleshooting tools available

Some of these tools are available in the

To access the Advanced Boot Options, press the

Copyright 2014, Simplilearn, All rights reserved.

Sometimes, after installing a hardware driver or

Copyright 2014, Simplilearn, All rights reserved.

Sometimes, a PC may have a corrupted service or

Copyright 2014, Simplilearn, All rights reserved.

Copyright 2014, Simplilearn, All rights reserved.

Disable Automatic Restart on System Failure

Copyright 2014, Simplilearn, All rights reserved.

The Repair Your Computer option starts the

Benefits of System Recovery Options

The System Recovery Options menu

These options are especially useful when

Copyright 2014, Simplilearn, All rights reserved.

System Recovery Options

Windows Complete PC Restore

Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool

Copyright 2014, Simplilearn, All rights reserved.

Sometimes, a system may not boot because of the

Copyright 2014, Simplilearn, All rights reserved.

There are various other troubleshooting tools mentioned below:

Local Security Policy

Copyright 2014, Simplilearn, All rights reserved.

Following are the features of Windows Registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE HKEY_USERS HKEY_CURRENT_USER

Copyright 2014, Simplilearn, All rights reserved.

There may be situations where you need to

Windows can get corrupted if an incorrect

This can make the system unbootable.

Take a backup of the registry before you

Copyright 2014, Simplilearn, All rights reserved.

Windows regularly logs events that can be viewed in the

Copyright 2014, Simplilearn, All rights reserved.

Creating system repair disc

On a Windows 7 PC, you can create the system

Copyright 2014, Simplilearn, All rights reserved.

Troubleshooting applet is a Windows 7 applet that contains links to several troubleshooters as

Facts related to Troubleshooting applet

This applet can be accessed from the Control Panel.

Copyright 2014, Simplilearn, All rights reserved.

ping Checks connectivity between devices and the response time.

tracert Shows routers in the network path.

nslookup Verifies that an IP address record exists in DNS.

ipconfig Displays TCP/IP configuration assigned to network interface cards

nbtstat Displays statistics for NetBIOS.

netstat Displays network statistics.

net use Maps drives to shares.

arp Displays IP address to MAC address mappings.

Copyright 2014, Simplilearn, All rights reserved.

Most networking devices have LED lights that can

No lights suggesting there is no connection;

Activity lights that should be blinking; and

Different colored lights indicating different

Copyright 2014, Simplilearn, All rights reserved.

Copyright 2014, Simplilearn, All rights reserved.

The first thing to check on the PC when troubleshooting