SASANK@TECHNOMANIA

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Configuring Windows with the System Configuration Utility
By Raymond

Microsoft has provided the System Configuration Utility to help you make controlled changes to the various configuration files. To run the System Configuration Utility, Go to Start> Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and click OK. You see the System Configuration Utility window. WinXpFix.com

The Windows System Configuration Utility includes tabs for each configuration file, along with the Startup tab, which lists information from the Registry about programs to be run at startup time. Changes you make don't take effect until the next time Windows restarts, so when you close the System Configuration Utility, it asks whether you want to save the changes you've made; if you click Yes, then it offers to reboot Windows for you.

General tab of the System Configuration Utility window can help you restart Windows in a startup mode that helps diagnose problems. The three startup items are as follows:

* Normal Startup The default mode. You'll not likely switch back to this if things are running good.

* Diagnostic Startup Essentially the same as Safe Mode. This option limits loading device drivers and system services that may interfere with normal operation. WinXpFix.com

* Selective Startup Enables you to select which startup items to load. A good plan when you experience system instability is to turn all your startup items off, reboot, and then turn one on at a time. If that doesn't help, try different combinations. It's surprising how much instability can come from a little icon in the notification area of the Windows taskbar.

The System Configuration Utility window's System.ini tab, and Win.ini tab show a list of the sections in the System.ini and Win.ini files. You can see the individual lines within a section, by click the plus box to the left of the section name. If you need to disable an entire section, uncheck the check box to the left of the section name and or select it then click the Disable button. WinXpFix.com

You can disable an individual line by unchecking the check box to its left. If you want to add a new setting, select the line after which you want to add the setting and click the New button. The program adds a new blank line: type the contents (in the format parameter=value) and press ENTER You can also reorder the items by selecting them and clicking the Move Up and Move Down buttons.

Your Boot.ini File: Windows XP was designed as a multiuser operating system. It was also designed to allow more than one operating system to be installed at a time on one computer. It is this capability you see when you start your computer and are asked whether you would like to boot Windows XP or another operating system in another partition (in some cases, whether or not you have another OS installed). This multiboot feature stores your list of bootable partitions in the Boot.ini file.

You can edit the Boot.ini file by clicking the Boot.ini tab in the System Configuration Utility window or by using the System Properties dialog box. WinXpFix.com

The Services and Startup tabs in the System Configuration Utility window shows the services and applications that run when Windows starts up, including the startup programs listed in the Registry and the programs in your StartUp folder (usually stored in the C:\Documents And Settings\username\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp folder). You can disable loading a service or program at startup by deselecting its check box.

I strongly suggest that you avoid modifying the Services tab. Most of these services are already disabled in home systems, so unchecking them results in no change of functionality anyway. The Startup tab, which lists application programs, is where you should concentrate your debugging efforts. WinXpFix.com

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Install Windows Xp Support Tools

This article describes how to install Windows Xp Support Tools from the Windows XP CD-ROM:
By Raymond

Windows Support Tools for Windows XP Professional and Windows XP 64-Bit Edition are intended for use by Microsoft support personnel and experienced users to assist in diagnosing and resolving computer problems.

The Windows Support Tools for Windows XP Professional and Windows XP 64-Bit Edition can be installed only on a computer that is running the Windows XP Professional or Windows XP 64-Bit Edition operating system. The Windows Support Tools for Windows XP Professional and Windows XP 64-Bit Edition cannot be used to upgrade Microsoft Windows NT or Microsoft Windows 2000 Support Tools installed on Windows NT or Windows 2000.

It is recommended that you remove all previous versions of Support Tools, including beta versions of the Windows Support Tools for Microsoft Windows XP Professional and Windows XP 64-Bit Edition, before you run the Support Tools installation program.

Important: These tools have not been localized: they are written and tested only in the English language. Using these tools with a different language version of Microsoft Windows XP Professional or Windows XP 64-Bit Edition may not work. WinXpFix.com

Here's how to install Windows Support Tools:

* Insert the Windows XP CD-ROM in the drive.

* Double-click My Computer, right-click the CD-ROM drive, and then click Explore.

* Go to Support\Tools, and then double-click Setup.exe.

* When the Windows Support Wizard starts, click Next.

* Click I agree on the End User License Agreement.

* Type in your name and organization and click Next.

* Click either the Typical or Complete installation type, and then click Next.

* Verify the installation location, and then click Install.

The Windows Support Tools are installed to the folder specified in step eight and a Windows Support Tools folder is added to the Program Files folder on the Start menu.

NOTE: A more comprehensive version of this document is located at Support\Tools\Readme.htm on the Windows XP CD-ROM. WinXpFix.com

The software supplied in the Program Files\Support Tools folder is not supported under any Microsoft standard support program or service. The software (including instructions for its use and all printed and online documentation) is provided AS IS without warranty of any kind. Microsoft further disclaims all implied warranties including, without limitation, any implied warranties of merchantability or of fitness for a particular purpose.

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Windows XP diagnostics to resolve modem problems Tips!

Windows XP diagnostics to resolve modem problems tips!
By Raymond

Use Windows XP diagnostics to resolve modem problems:
Although a surprising number of modem problems are related to phone line issues, modem failures can also be caused by incorrect settings or by damaged hardware. In this article, I’ll discuss some methods that you can use to troubleshoot these types of modem issues in Windows XP.

Checking your modem properties
Once you’ve verified the integrity of your phone line, the next step is to verify that Windows recognizes your modem and that Windows can communicate with your modem. Fortunately, Windows XP has some built-in diagnostic utilities to help you accomplish these tasks.

To diagnose your modem’s problem, open the Control Panel and click on the Performance And Maintenance link, followed by the System link. When you do, Windows will open the System Properties sheet. Select the Hardware tab and then click the Device Manager button. The Device Manager contains a list of all of the hardware devices contained within your system.

Now, navigate through the Device Manager tree until you locate your modem. Right-click on the modem and select the Properties command from the resulting context menu. Doing so will reveal the modem’s properties sheet. WinXpFix.com

On the properties sheet, check the General tab to make sure that the modem is enabled, as shown in Figure A. The General tab also contains a Troubleshooting button that you can click to launch a troubleshooting wizard that can guide you through a basic troubleshooting process.

Be sure the volume is turned up: Go look at the properties sheet’s Modem tab to make sure that the modem’s volume is turned up. Being able to hear the modem during the dialing and handshaking process is often helpful. For example, on many occasions, I’ve been able to tell that there is no dial tone on the line just by listening to the dialing process. You should also check the Modem tab to make sure that the port speed is set correctly. WinXpFix.com

Query the modem
At this point, you should select the Diagnostics tab and click the Query Modem button. When you click the Query Modem button, Windows will send a series of sample commands to the modem. After a minute or two, Windows will display a summary of the commands that have been issued and the results of the commands, as shown in Figure C. You should look through the list of commands for any errors that may appear in the Response column. If errors do show up, it could be a hardware conflict, a damaged modem, or an invalid device driver.

Resolving a hardware conflict
If you suspect a hardware conflict, the next place to check is the Resources tab. Most of the time, if the modem is conflicting with another hardware device, there will be a reference to the conflict on the Resources tab. In addition to telling you which other hardware device the modem is conflicting with, the Resources tab will also tell you which resources (such as IRQ and Base Memory Address) are conflicting. On some systems, you can resolve such a conflict by deselecting the Use Automatic Settings check box.

After doing so, you’re free to select the conflicting resource and then use the Change Setting button to assign a new set of resources to the modem. Just keep in mind that not all available resources will work with all modems. It’s usually better to let Windows XP select its own resources if at all possible. WinXpFix.com