Back up the XP Registry

1. Go to Start>> Run, type in: regedit
2. Click on the registry key that you are going to edit.
3. Go to File and click Export.
4. Choose a location to save the registry key file and click Save.

Or you can use a small utility called "ERUNT" which stands for: The Emergency Recovery Utility NT. This is an emergency registry backup and restore utility for Windows NT/2000/XP

574 KB

NOTE: Please keep in mind that using the export style of backup is not a complete backup of the Windows registry. ERUNT is a very good backup program and is a complete backup of the registry, but I believe the System Restore (SR) feature that comes with XP is the best and safest way to backup. With SR, you'll have a months worth of clean registry backup copies to choose from (assuming the chosen restore point was in fact clean to start with). Remember, each restore point overwrites the next. Now, If you use ERUNT, you could be restoring a copy of your registry that is much older than a month, whereby you would lose any programs and/or changes that you've made after making your backup copy. So, you can see that the SR is best because you can always choose a restore point that is very recent.

For further information regarding the System Restore feature:

Click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

306084 HOW TO: Restore Windows XP to a Previous State

304449 HOW TO: Start System Restore Tool From Command Prompt

283073 HOW TO: Disable the System Restore Configuration User Interface

302796 Troubleshooting System Restore in Windows XP

DirectX Diagnostic Tool

• Display detailed information
• Diagnostic tests on many components, which include:
  
  • Display
  • Sound
  • Network 
  • ...and more
    
• Check for problems
• Save the information to a text file.

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System Restore Feature

1. Start your Windows installation in Minimal Safe mode. 
2. Move to the \%systemroot%\system32 folder. 
3. Rename wpa.dbl to wpa.noact. 
4. Rename wpa.bak to wpa.dbl. 
5. Reboot your system as normal. 

Note: The above procedure will work only if you've made no significant hardware changes.

Defrag.exe

An example analysis execution shows: C:\>defrag d: -a Windows Disk Defragmenter Copyright (c) 2001 Microsoft Corp. and Executive Software International, Inc. Analysis Report 6.91 GB Total, 6.73 GB (97%) Free, 2% Fragmented (5% file fragmentation)

The command format is: defrag <volume> [-a] [-f] [-v] [-?] volume drive letter or mount point (d: or d:\vol\mountpoint) -a Analyze only -f Force defragmentation, even if free space is low -v Verbose output -? Display this help text

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Bootcfg

The Bootcfg command recognizes Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows NT. It doesn't recognize Windows 9x. Bootcfg has the following options:

• /default-Sets the default OS (modifies the default= line in boot.ini).
• /add-Scans the computer for OSs and lets you add located installations. You can also specify optional boot switches.
• /rebuild-Same as /add except /rebuild automatically recreates boot.ini with all found installations if the user confirms.
• /scan-Identifies current installations but doesn't modify boot.ini.
• /list-Scans the boot.ini files and displays each entry.
• /redirect-Enables redirection of the boot loaded to a specific port and baud rate (this option is useful for the Headless Administration options).
• /disableredirect-Disables the redirection configured with /redirect.

Bootcfg is simply an extra tool. You can still modify boot.ini directly with Notepad (after removing read-only, system, and hidden attributes-attrib c:\boot.ini -r -s -h). Or you can use the System Control Panel applet or Msconfig

Tasklist.exe

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Local Group Policy Editor

A nice feature of the Windows NT, 2000, XP Operating Systems is the "Local Group Policy Editor" This is a flexible Change and Configuration Management tool. This tool includes options for registry-based policy settings, security settings, software installation, scripts, startup, shutdown, logon, logoff, and folder redirection.

To invoke the Local Group Policy Editor, select Start and then Run, then type: 

gpedit.msc 

Now press ENTER on your keyboard.

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Format Hard Drive

• Clean Install 
• New Installation
• Advanced

...and others I believe.  But since this tutorial teaches a Clean Installation of XP, select "Clean Install".
3. Put a checkmark in the box to "designate where you want to install XP" (or some such dialog). Typically, you will choose to install XP on your C: drive.
4. Next, you will need to select the file system you wish to use. I recommend selecting NTFS as it is more sucure than the FAT32 system.
5. Setup will then format the partition you chose and then you can install XP clean on that partition. Be sure that if you have more than one partition, you select the correct one. 
6. Install your Windows XP Operating System.

Using Windows 98 Boot Disk:

Get yourself a Windows 98 boot-diskette with fdisk. Delete all partitions and THEN boot from the CD. If XP's setup finds formatted partitions, it proceeds without user intervention. If it doesn't find any, setup will prompt you for partitioning and formatting.

Using Floppy Drive:

If you are not able to boot from your CD-ROM, try changing the boot order in your BIOS so that your CD-ROM boots first.

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Common Command Console Utilities

Listed below are many of the Windows XP console utilities that you can run from the command line.

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PowerToys for XP

Power Toys for XP consists of the following:

• Super-Fast User Switcher: Switch users without having to go through the XP logon screen
• Open Command Window Here: Open a command window that points to a particular folder just by right-clicking that folder
• TweakUI: Make many modifications to internal XP settings that aren't accessible in the default UI
• Power Calculator: Graph and evaluate functions as well as perform unit conversions
• Image Resizer: Easily resize multiple images into a target size with a right-click
• CD Slide Show Generator: View images as a slide show
• Virtual Desktop Manager: Have up to four virtual desktops
• Taskbar Magnifier: Magnify part of the screen from the taskbar
• HTML Slide Show Wizard: Create HTML slide shows of your digital pictures, ready to place on a Web site
• Webcam Timershot: Take pictures at specified time intervals from a Webcam connected to your computer and save them to a location that you designate

939 KB Download
8 Min @ 28.8 kbps

Windows XP MSCONFIG

• Startup type (e.g., which drivers are loaded, whether system.ini/win.ini are parsed)
• Which parts of system.ini are used
• Which parts of win.ini are used
• Which commands run at start-up
• Which services start
• boot.ini options

With the boot.ini option, you can check the current entries, specify additional options, and configure the timeout.

1. Start Msconfig (Start, Run, msconfig.exe).
2. Select the BOOT.INI tab.
3. The dialog box displays the current OSs.
4. Click Check All Boot Paths to go through all the entries and ensure that they relate to a true installation.
5. If you select an actual installation, you can then set the various boot options, such as basevideo and SOS.
6. Once finished, click OK.

Personal Support

Using the "Ping" Command

Description of the Low Disk Space Notification in Windows XP

Repair Option on a Local Area Network or High-Speed Internet Connection

• Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) lease is renewed (ipconfig /renew)
• Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) cache is flushed (arp -d *)
• Reload of the NetBIOS name cache (nbtstat -R)
• NetBIOS name update is sent (nbtstat -RR)
• Domain Name System (DNS) cache is flushed (ipconfig /flushdns)
• DNS name registration (ipconfig /registerdns)
• IEEE 802.1X Authentication Restart (WinXP SP1 or later)

Note: The bit in parenthesis is the actual command that is issued, which you can perform yourself from a command prompt.

Source: Microsoft KB Article

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Detect and Repairing Disk Errors

1. Click Start, and then click My Computer.
2. In the My Computer window, right-click the hard disk you want to search for bad sectors, and then click Properties.
3. In the Properties dialog box, click the Tools tab.
4. Click the Check Now button.
5. In the Check Disk dialog box, select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box, and then click Start
6. If bad sectors are found, choose to fix them. Tip: Only select the Automatically fix file system errors check box if you think that your disk contains bad sectors.

Source: Microsoft

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Update a Device Driver

1. Go to Start and right-click on My Computer.
2. Select Properties from the resulting menu.
3. Click the Hardware tab.
4. Click the Device Manager button.
5. Select the device you want to update by hitting the plus sign next to the hardware category. The specific device will now be shown.
6. Right click on the device and select Update Driver (see Figure #1).

This will invoke the Hardware Update Wizard. Follow the onscreen instructions or visit the manufactures web site to locate an updated driver.

If the new driver fails, you can easily reinstall the old driver. Here's how:

1. Open the Device Manager (steps 1-4 above).
2. Expose the desired device, right click it and then select Properties.
3. Choose the Driver tab.
4. Select the Roll Back Driver button (see Figure #2).

Troubleshooting Drivers Using Driver Verifier Manager

1. Go to Start>> Run. Type in: verifier [Enter] or Click OK.
2. With the Select A Task page open, keep the default setting "Create Standard Settings". Click Next.
3. Choose the "Select Driver Name From A List" option.
4. Select the driver files that you would like to verify by checking the checkbox next to a driver file.
5. Click Finish, then Reboot your system.

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Create Password Reset Disk

1. Go to Start>> Control Panel>> User Accounts
2. Open the User account that you would like to make a reset disk for
3. Find a link titled: "Prevent a Forgotten Password" Click this link

The Forgotten Password Wizard will now guide you through the steps necessary to create the disk. When the process completes, label the disk accordingly and store it in a safe place.

System Information Tool

• Installed Components
• Hardware Resources
• Installed Applications
• Software Environment
• Internet Explorer

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How to Easily Create a Partition on Your Hard Disk with XP

1. Turn off your computer and install your new hard disk. It's unlikely that you have any unpartitioned space on which to create a new partition on the drive already in the machine, so you'll need to add a new drive. New drives typically don't come preformatted, so you'll need to create your own partitions and format them. 
2. Start your computer and logon as an administrator. Click Start and then click the Run command. In the Open text box type: diskmgmt.msc and click OK. 
3. A Wizard will appear when the Disk Management console opens. Go through the Wizard's steps and allow it to initialize the new disk, but do not allow the Wizard to convert the disk from basic to dynamic. 
4. You will see, on the left side of the console, disk icons that represent "Disk 0", "Disk 1," etc. Your new disk should be the one with the highest number. The size of the disk should be listed, and the word "Unallocated" should be just under the size. Right click where it shows the size of the disk and click the New Partition command. 
5. Click Next on the New Partition Wizard Welcome page. 
6. On the Select Partition Type page, click on both of the options and read the Descriptions. We'll assume here you're creating a primary partition. Select Primary partition and click Next. 
7. On the Specify Partition Size page, type in the size of the partition. Depending on what you want to use the disk for, you might want to create more than one partition. Type in the size of the new partition in the Partition size in MB text box and click Next. 
8. On the Assign Drive Letter or Path page, you can bind the partition to a drive letter or mount it in an empty NTFS folder. In this example, you'll do it the old fashioned way and assign the partition a new drive letter. Select the drive letter and click Next. 
9. You need to format the partition to use it. Always use NTFS unless you need to allow other operating systems on the same machine to access the drive. You can use the defaults, or customize the Allocation unit size based on the types of applications you want to run on the disk. Click Next. 
10. Click Finish. 

Note: You'll see the drive being formatted. You can use the partition after the formatting is complete. You don't even need to restart.

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Using the System File Checker

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Configuring the XP firewall

1. Go to start >>control panel >>network and Internet connections >>network connections 
2. Right click on your Internet connection and select 'properties'.
3. Go to the 'Advanced' tab and check the 'Internet Connection Firewall' box.

What you have just done is enabled a combination of packet filtering and a circuit level gateway. Your computer will now record which applications on your computer attempt to access the Internet, and examine all incoming data against these records. Any unsolicited data will be dropped. 

If you choose to use Internet connection sharing as well, the firewall will handle requests from the other computers in your network as well, acting as a gateway. The XP firewall is effective at stopping unauthorized data from entering your computer or network. 

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Reinstall Internet Explorer

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Re-Enabling System Restore

1. Start the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc)
2. Navigate to Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/System/System Restore
3. Set Turn off System Restore and Turn off Configuration to Disable
4. Right click on My Computer and Select Manage
5. Navigate to Services and Applications/Services
6. Navigate to System Restore Service and double click
7. On the General tab set [Startup Type] to Automatic using the drop down list
8. Click the Start button to start the service
9. Close the Computer Management console
10. Return to System Restore in Group Policy Editor and configure both to Not Configured
11. Close Group Policy Editor and reboot the system.

After the reboot is complete, right click My Computer, select Properties and the tab for System Restore will have been restored. Configure it to your individual needs and satisfaction.

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System Response

1. Press CRTL + ALT + DEL
   
2. Go to the 'processes' tab and click explorer.exe once to highlight it, then click 'end process'.
   
3. Now, click File >> New Task and type: explorer.exe 
   
4. Click OK

Everything should be working fine now!

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Accessing Safe Mode

• To access Safe Mode, you have to press F8 as soon as you see booting into Windows XP text. This can sometimes be quite tricky, especially on very fast systems. To make it a little easier, you can tap the F8 key continually during the entire boot sequence, and if you have a dual boot system, select the OS, press Enter and F8 at the same time to enter Safe Mode.

1. From Start> Run Type: msconfig
2. Choose the Boot.ini tab
3. From Boot Option
4. Select /SAFEBOOT by placing a check in the box.
5. Press Apply
6. Press OK
7. Select Restart
8. System will boot into Safe Mode
9. BEFORE rebooting from  Safe mode repeat steps 1 thru 7 and uncheck the box selecting /SAFEBOOT
10. Press Apply
11. Press OK
12. Select Restart
13. You will get a message that your are in Troubleshooting Mode, place a check in the "do not show this again" box; press OK
14. From Start> Run; once again Type: msconfig
15. From the General Tab
16. Select Normal Startup
17. Press Apply
18. Press OK
19. This will restore normal boot.

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Restore Missing Windows Update Link

1. Here is the address to the Windows Update website: windowsupdate.Microsoft.com
2. On the above link, point your mouse directly over the Windows Update link.
3. While holding your mouse over the link, left-click the link and keep the left button depressed.
4. While continuing to hold the left mouse button down, mouse over the Start Menu and wait a moment for the menu to expand.
5. Once the menu has expanded vertically, continue holding down the left mouse button and mouse over the "All Programs" button. The All Programs menu will also expand.
6. Once the All Programs menu has expanded, slide the mouse pointer up the programs menu until you have chosen a location within the menu for your link to reside (you should see a black horizontal line while you're moving your pointer around in the programs menu).
7. Once you've chosen the location for your link, remove your finger from the left-click button and the link will now pop into place.
8. You can right click the newly placed link and rename it "Windows Update" or just leave it as is.
9. Now, you can left click the link again and hold the left click button depressed while sliding the mouse pointer into the Start Menu area (you should again see a black horizontal line while you're moving your pointer around in the Start Menu).
10. Once you have chosen a location within the Start Menu for your link to reside, just lift your finger from the left-click button and again, the link will pop into place.

Congrats! You've just added the Windows Update URL to your Start Menu.

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To use Driver Rollback, perform the following steps:

1. Click the Start button, and then right-click My Computer.
   
2. Click Properties.
   
3. Click the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager.
   
4. In the Device Manager window, right-click the device for which the new driver was installed, and then click Properties.
   
5. Click the Drivers tab, and then click Roll Back Driver.

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Disable Boot Virus Detection

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Password Reset Disk

To create a Password Reset Disk: [Home Edition]

1. Open Control Panel from the Start Menu
2. Open User Accounts
3. Click on the User for which you want to create a Password Reset Disk. 
4. Along the upper left side of the window, click on Prevent a Forgotten Password. This starts the Forgotten Password Wizard. 
5. Insert a blank floppy disk and follow the prompts through the Wizard. 
6. When the process is complete, label the disk and store it in a safe place. 

Here is how to use your Password Reset Disk:

1. From the Welcome screen, click your user name
2. Click the Question Mark button. 
3. Click Use Your Password Reset Disk. Follow the instructions to create a new password. 

Note: Once you have logged in with your new password, be sure to store your Password Reset Disk in a safe place.

To create a Password Reset Disk: [Professional Edition]

Note that this procedure requires one blank, formatted floppy disk. To create a password reset disk for your local user account:

1. Press CTRL+ALT+DELETE. The Windows Security dialog box appears.
2. Select Change Password . The Change Password dialog box will appear.
3. In the Log on to box, click the local computer. For example, click Computer (this computer).
4. Select Backup . The Forgotten Password Wizard will now start.
5. On the "Welcome to the Forgotten Password Wizard" page, choose Next .
6. Insert a blank, formatted disk in drive A, and then choose Next .
7. In the Current user account password box, type your password, and then select Next . The Forgotten Password Wizard will create the disk.
8. When the progress bar reaches 100 percent complete, select Next , and then choose Finish . The Forgotten Password Wizard will quit and you return to the Change Password dialog box.
9. Remove and label the newly created disk.  Be sure to store it in a safe place.
10. In the Change Password dialog box, click Cancel .
11. In the Windows Security dialog box, click Cancel.

1. In the Welcome to Windows dialog box, press CTRL+ALT+DELETE.
2. In the Log On to Windows dialog box, type an incorrect password in the Password box, and then select OK .
3. In the Logon Failed dialog box that appears, select Reset . The Password Reset Wizard starts.
4. On the "Welcome to the Password Reset Wizard" page, choose Next .
5. Insert the Password Reset Disk in your floppy drive and select Next.
6. On the "Reset the User Account Password" page, type a new password in the Type a New Password box.
7. Type the same password in the Type the Password Again to Confirm box.
8. In the Type a New Password Hint box, type a hint that will help you remember the password if you forget it. 

Note : This hint is visible to anyone who attempts to log on to the computer by using your user account.

9. Choose Next , and then click Finish . The Password Reset Wizard will quit and return you to the Log On to Windows dialog box. The Password Reset Disk is automatically updated with the new password information. You do not have to create a new password reset disk.
10. In the Log On to Windows dialog box, type your new password in the Password box.
11. In the Log on to box, click the local computer. For example, click Computer (this computer) , and then click OK . You are logged on to the local computer with your local account information.

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Repairing IE / OE In Windows XP

1. If you click a hyperlink in an email message:

• A blank page opens
• The hyperlink does not function at all
• You receive an error message

2. Unable to type in text boxes in a search engine or website.
   
3. Address bar search does not work.
   
4. Or, if you encounter various error messages while browsing.

1. Go to Start>> Run. Type in: sfc /scannow [Enter]

2. Follow the onscreen prompts during the System File Checker process.
   
3. Reboot your machine when completed.

Constant Ping to Troubleshoot a Connection

1. Go to Start>> Run. Type in: cmd  [Enter] or click OK
2. At the command prompt, type: ping /t

Note: To find additional ping commands, you can type: ping /?

[Top]

Remove a Randomly Named Trojan Virus

1. Start your computer in Safe Mode by pressing F8 once Windows first begins to load. Be sure that you login as Administrator.
2. Go to Start>> Search all files and folders. Search for the viruses file name and delete it where-ever it is found.
3. Go back to Start>> Run. Type in: regedit [Enter] or click OK.
4. Navigate to the following Registry keys one at a time:
   
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
   • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
   • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\MSConfig\startupreg
     
5. Click the last string entry (eg: startupreg & run) to empty its contents into the right pane. Look for entries that reference your specific Trojan file. Delete the strings that contain such reference. Be sure that you do not delete any string values in the left pane.
6. Close the Registry Editor when completed. Restart your computer normally.
7. Update your Antivirus software and run a full system scan. If your antivirus software states that your system is clean, you will now need to remove all of your restore points as the virus may reside there. The next time that you would use system restore, you will re-infect your system.

Here's how to remove your restore points:

1. Go to Start>> Control Panel>> System>> System Restore tab. Check the box to "Turn off system restore on all drives".
2. Click Apply. Then click OK. This will remove all restore points.
3. Follow the instructions in #1 above to restore your system restore on all drives by unchecking the entry.
4. Create a new clean restore point by going to Start>> All Programs>> Accessories>> System Tools>> System Restore.
5. Click "Create a Restore Point" then click Next.
6. Enter a name for this Restore Point and then click Create.

Note: If everything seems to be running well at this point, delete the backup copy of your registry. Then, empty your recycle bin.

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Installing the Windows XP Recovery Console

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View event logs to troubleshoot issues

Go to Start>> Right click My Computer>> Select 'Manage' from the resulting menu.

Once in the console, select Event Viewer. Then double click any highlighted events within the Application or System categories to view the details on what the problem could be.

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How to use the Recovery Console

• Enable and Disable Services
• Format Drives
• Read and Write data on a local drive to include NTFS formatted drives
• Plus many other administrative tasks

The Recovery Console is mostly used for bringing a non-booting machine back from the dead. If you accidentally deleted a file that is keeping your system from booting, you can use the Recovery Console to copy the file from your CD-ROM to your hard drive. Or, if a particular service is preventing proper system function, then you can use the Recovery Console to reconfigure the service to restore proper system functionality.

In any case, it is important for you to become familiar with the Recovery Console so that you can restore your computer in the event something should go wrong.

Using either the Microsoft Windows XP startup disks or the Windows XP CD-ROM, you can run the Recovery Console. Here's how:

Startup Disks:
If you do not have the startup disks, you can use the following MSKB article to create them:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310994/

CD-ROM:
If you are going to use the Windows XP CD-ROM to run the Recovery Console, you will first need to configure your BIOS to start from the CD-ROM.

Running the Recovery Console:

1. Insert either media method (listed above) into the proper drive.

Note: When using the CD-ROM, select any on-screen options that will allow the computer to start from the CD-ROM.

2. When you get to the "Welcome to Setup" screen, press R on your keyboard to start the Recovery Console.
3. If you have a dual-boot or a multi-boot system, select the installation that you need to access from the Recovery Console.
4. When prompted, enter the administrator password. If there is no password, leave it blank and just press Enter on your keyboard.
5. This will take you to the command prompt where you can enter the proper command to diagnose your problem and/or repair your installation.

Note: At the command prompt, you can access a list of command options: type: help
Press ENTER

Note: For information regarding specific commands, type: help commandname (using the actual command name after "help")
Press ENTER

6. When you are ready to exit the Recovery Console, type: exit
Press ENTER

[Top]

Most Common Reasons for System Crashes

[Top]

Recover your XP Password

[Top]

Windows Update Registered Incorrectly

Fortunately, this occurrence does not happen very often at all. But, if you do find an instance where you have already installed a particular update, but Windows is asking you to install it again. This is due to an update that did not register correctly.

To fix this, you will need to delete the registry key associated with the update, then reinstall the update. Here's how:

Warning: Making mistakes while editing the Windows Registry can have serious effects on your Windows installation. Be sure to make a backup copy prior to making any changes.

1. At the Windows update web page, note the KB article number (six digits) associated with the incorrectly registered update.

2. Go to Start>> Run. Type in: regedit [Enter] or click OK.

3. Drill down to the following registry key:

HKEY LOCAL MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP2 (could possibly be SP1 instead of SP2)

4. Click once on the SP2 entry to empty its contents into the right pane.

5. In the right pane, locate the KB article number that you noted earlier.

6. Right click the KB article number and select Delete from the resulting menu.

7. Exit the registry editor saving the changes.

8. Restart your computer and then reinstall your Windows update.

[Top]

Cannot Create or Replace a File or Folder

• Cannot create or replace (filename). The directory or file cannot be created.
• Cannot create file or folder, disk may be full or write protected.

This can occur from one of the following reasons:

• The file name already exists.
• The file name was typed incorrectly.
• The file itself is to large for the remaining hard disk space.
• The file cannot be created in a certain folder.

To correct the error message, do one of the following steps:

[1] The file name already exists:
By default, Windows will never allow two files to co-exist on any of their Operating Systems. Therefore, you must ensure that the file name that you are trying to create has its own identity.

[2] The file name was typed incorrectly:

The criteria for creating file names is as follows:

• Use 8 characters or less.
• Use only hypens (-), numerical or alphabetical characters.

[3] The file itself is too large for the remaining hard disk space:

Be sure to check to make sure that your hard disk has sufficient space available to create the file you are trying to create. To check your available hard disk space:

1. Go to Start>> My Computer
2. Right click on your primary hard drive (usually C:\).
3. Check the space available against the file size you are trying to create.

Note: Your hard disk space should have at least twice the available space for the file size you're trying to create. If you are lacking in hard disk space, then continue reading below.

To create more hard disk space:

1. Go to Start>> All Programs>> Accessories>> System Tools>> Disk Cleanup.
2. Select your hard disk drive (usually C:\). Click OK.
3. Select the files under "Files to delete" to remove them.
4. You can click the "More Options" tab to remove the following:

• Unused Windows Components
• Restore Points
• Software Application

5. Click OK. All of your selected items will now be removed.
6. Restart your system.

[4] The file cannot be created in a certain folder:

If the folder you are trying to create a file in has too large of a file size, then Windows will not accept it. Also, if the folder has any corrupt files in it, new files will not be accepted. To correct this issue, create a new folder and save your file in the new folder. Here's how:

Note: Do not attempt to try to create a folder within the corrupt folder.

1. From the application your would like the folder to reside in, go to File>> New>> Folder.
2. Type the file name for your new folder.
3. Open both the new folder and the old folder side by side. Drag the file from the old folder (right click>> Cut) and drop (CTRL>> V) it into the new one.

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CD/DVD Drive Not Detected

1. Boot up your PC.
2. At the first logo screen, press F1 repeatedly until you see the BIOS setup screen.
3. Using the left and right arrows to navigate, select Main (usually at the top left).
4. The CD or DVD Drive name should be listed next to Primary Slave, Secondary Slave or Secondary Master.
5. Navigate to Exit and exit without saving changes.

If it is listed in the BIOS but the CD/DVD Drive no longer functions, then a ribbon cable could have come loose. If that is not the case either, try uninstalling the device in Device Manager. Here's how:

1. Go to Start>> Control Panel>> System>> Hardware tab>> Device Manager button.
2. In Device Manager, locate and expand the entry titled "DVD/CD-ROM drives".
3. Right click the appropriate drive and select "Uninstall" from the resulting menu.
4. When prompted, confirm that you would like to remove the selected device.
5. At the "Action" menu, select "Scan for hardware changes".
6. Click out of the Device Manager and the Control Panel.

If none of the above has worked, it is likely that your CD or DVD Drive no longer functions. Replace the drive with a compatible drive. See your manufactures web site for details.

[Top]

XP Pro Won't Completely Shutdown

1. Go to Start>> Control Panel>> Power Options.
2. Select the APM tab.
3. Place a checkmark in the "Enable Advanced Power Management support" check box.
4. Click OK and exit the Control Panel.

Your computer should successfully complete the shut down process.

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Game will not install

1. Be sure that the Windows version that you are trying to install on is supported by the game.
2. Check to make sure that you have enough Hard Disk space available to load the software.
3. Check to make sure that your PC meets the minimum system requirements to run the game.
4. Turn off DMA:

Some game manufactures use a copy protection verification test. But with high-speed drives, the disc may spin so quickly that the test fails. If the test does not pass, the software will not install. Do get around this issue, try turning off DMA (Direct Memory Access) in your Device Manager. Here's how:

1. Go to Start>> Control Panel>> System>> Hardware tab>> Device Manager tab.
2. Go to the "View" menu and make sure that "View devices by type" is selected.
3. Expand the IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers entry (double click).
4. Double click Secondary IDE Channel entry.
5. Select the Advanced Settings tab.
6. Under the Device 0 category and next to the Transfer Mode entry, you will find a drop down menu that lists two entries:

• DMA if available
• PIO Only

7. If "DMA if available" is showing, select PIO Only. Click OK.
8. Exit Device Manager and Control Panel.
9. Restart your system

Note: Once the verification process completes and your game software is successfully installed, you can turn DMA back on using the above method.

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Fixing Defragmenter problems in Windows XP

• The Defragment Now button is missing
• When you click the Defragment Now button, your receive the following error message:

The Disk Defragmenter is not installed on your computer. To install it, double-click the Add or Remove Programs icon in Control Panel, click the Install/Uninstall tab, and then follow the instructions on your screen.

To fix this issue:

Method #1:

1. Go to Start>> Run. Type in: %Windir%\Inf [Enter] or click OK
2. Locate the dfrg.inf file
3. Right click the file and select Install.

Method #2:

Go to Start>> Run. Copy and paste the following command in to the "Open:" text box:

rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection DefaultInstall 132 %windir%\inf\dfrg.inf

The above command will reinstall the Disk defragmenter.

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Booting to Safe Mode in Windows XP

1. Go to Start>> Turn off computer>> Restart.
2. When the message "Please select the operating system to start" appears, press F8.
3. Using the arrow keys, highlight the appropriate Safe Mode option, then press Enter.

Note: If your system is a dual-boot or multi-boot system, choose the appropriate installation using the arrow keys, then press Enter.

Alternate method:

1. Go to Start>> Run. Type in: msconfig [Enter]
2. Select the BOOT.INI tab
3. Check the box titled "/SAFEBOOT"
4. Click Apply and then exit the Configuration Utility.

Windows will now be configured to restart in Safe Mode and will continue this way until you uncheck the /SAFEBOOT box.

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Error message when you click a Mailto: link

1. Go to Start>> Run. Type in: control inetcpl.cpl [Enter] or click OK.
2. Select the Programs tab.
3. Open the email dropdown menu and select another email client.
4. Click Apply.
5. Go back through steps 1 - 5 and reset your email client from the email dropdown menu. Click Apply.

If this does not resolve your issue, try this:

Note: The following instructions involves editing the Windows Registry. Please be sure to make a backup copy before making any changes.

Create a new registry string value:

Note: Administrators, be sure that all users have READ access to the following Registry key.

1. Go to Start>> Run. Type in: regedit [Enter] or click OK.
2. Navigate to:
   
   HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mailto
   
3. Single click the "mailto" entry to view its contents in the right pane.
4. Right click an empty portion of the right pane.
5. Select New>> String Value
6. Name the new string value: URL Protocol
7. Exit the Windows Registry.

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Reinstall System Restore in Windows XP

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BIOS Power-On Selt Test (POST) Screen

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Disable "Automatic Restart" feature

1. Click Start>> Control Panel>> System>> Advanced tab.
2. Under the Startup and Recovery category, click