View source for General Guide to Troubleshooting Windows XP (All problems)

General Troubleshooting
By : ComputerShack
[[Category:Software]]

Title: General Troubleshooting
Description: A step by step guide that will fix about 75% of your computer problems. Written by www.ComputerShack.net
URL: http://www.computershack.net/content.php'article.1

General Troubleshooting
(Skill Level:) Beginner


90% chance following this guide, made out of 4 separate solutions to common problems in order of helpfulness will fix your problem. Est. 30 min for all 4 solutions.
Complete one by one, and restart your computer after every section to get slightly higher chance of success.


Simple Solutions (most common problems)
-Check that all of the cables are plugged INTO THE RIGHT SPOT, and PUSHED IN WELL
-Find the site for your devices manufacturer (dell.com, nvidia.com, ati.com, etc)
find and access the search bar/feature in their site and enter your model number / part number. Once you find the download page for your device, save the driver files to your computer. Install the new driver file. If an auto-install pops up, you can figure the rest out.


How To for harder problems, estimated 30 min for all 4:

Disable all virus scanners/programs that run in the background after every restart.

Plan A
Open My Computer and double click the driver file you downloaded.
An install window starts and extracts its files to a place on your computer
C:xxxxxxxxxxdrivers for example. Make sure you write it down, and WATCH CLOSE
-It may automatically start the install; otherwise we do it manually in Plan B
-Follow the install, finish it out, and restart your computer. Check your problem.

Plan B (if plan A didn't work)
-Click>Start>Run
C:xxxxxxxxxxxxdrivers where that location is where the extracted files went.
-Find the drivers install file (setup.exe, install.exe, [etc].exe)
-Start and complete the install. Restart when done.
See if problem is gone

Plan C(if plan B didn't work)
-Right click My Computer>Properties
-In the Hardware tab, go to Device Manager
-Find your troubled device in the sub-lists in the window
-Once found, right click, and update driver.
-Install it from a list
-check "include this location in the search"
C:xxxxxxxxxxxxdrivers (extracted files location u wrote down)
-click next.
-If found, check your problem, and if not, move on.


Plan D (Last chance!!!)
-In Device Manager, find your problem device
-Right click, update driver
-Yes, connect to windows at this time
-Follow the menu, restart and see if problem is gone.


If still broken, your problem is beyond the capability of this article.


Estimated reasons for failure (estimated based on experience):
70% Device not installed using proper directions
10% Problem with Windows
10% broken device
10% other