[...]... equivalent How old is your PC? The older your computer is, the more likely it is to crash I have no idea why Systems that run stable for years may suddenly experience a growing number of glitches It happens so often that I refer to it as “tired RAM.” And, alas, no electronic equivalent of Geritol is available for your PC s tired RAM When your PC gets old, you have to prepare for inevitable quirkiness... Test-running a task .324 Checking on your task’s progress 325 Removing a task 325 Chapter 24: Useful Tools and Weapons 327 Weapons within Windows 327 The System Configuration Utility (MSCONFIG) 328 The Device Manager 329 xv xvi Troubleshooting Your PC For Dummies, 2nd Edition System Information 330 The System File Checker... material may increase your knowledge for playing computer trivia, but, otherwise, such asides and tidbits are written because — after 20 years of writing computer books — I just can’t help myself! The trivia and asides are always marked as optional reading Don’t bother trying to figure out what’s important and what’s just the author babbling 3 4 Troubleshooting Your PC For Dummies, 2nd Edition Foolish Assumptions... tips .180 Where the Printer Stuff Hides in Windows .181 Finding the Printers and Faxes folder 181 Your printer’s window .183 Little printer guy .183 xi xii Troubleshooting Your PC For Dummies, 2nd Edition And Then, the Printer Goes Wacky 183 General troubleshooting advice .184 Things to check when the printer isn’t printing 185 There are lines or blanks... Wrong! This book helps you eliminate your fear and get over the depression phase ߜ Acceptance: Hey, it’s a computer It crashes It could be your fault, but chances are that it’s something else You must deal with the problem Be stronger and wiser than the computer Chapter 1: It’s Not Your Fault! Well, It Might Be Your Fault ߜ Confidence: “I have Troubleshooting Your PC For Dummies! I can solve any problem!”...viii Troubleshooting Your PC For Dummies, 2nd Edition Chapter 3: Telling a Hardware Problem from a Software Problem 27 Whose Problem Is It? .27 Is it a hardware problem? 28 How hardware fails .28 Is it a software problem? .29 Some good questions to ask yourself 30 Hardware Things to Check... or to remember something This icon serves as a special reminder not to do something or to definitely not forget something This infamous icon alerts you to the presence of highly technical stuff discussed in the text nearby It’s optional reading only! 5 6 Troubleshooting Your PC For Dummies, 2nd Edition Where to Go from Here Read on! If you don’t know where to start, start at Chapter 1, which is why... the cookies, rid yourself of temporary files, clean and scour unwanted programs, and remove things you don’t need Use those proper ways! Do not attempt to manually delete things yourself You will get into trouble if you do ߜ See Chapter 18 for information on dealing with cookies ߜ Also see Chapter 23 for information on properly removing unwanted files from your computer ߜ It’s not your fault that the... Missing Operating System message 103 The computer stupidly starts from another drive .105 ix x Troubleshooting Your PC For Dummies, 2nd Edition Dealing with the Boot Menu .105 Getting at the Windows Advanced Options Menu (Startup Menu) .107 Hunting Down Mystery Startup Messages 110 For some reason, Selective Startup is on 110 The missing DLL or VxD file mystery 111 Stopping... spending more on parts than you would for an entirely new system No matter how much you love your computer, when it comes time for it to go, let it go ߜ The average computer lasts between four and six years ߜ If you’re in business, plan on replacing your PCs every four years The boost in productivity from the new models alone is worth the expense ߜ For the home, keep your PC as long as you can If it still . Gookin Troubleshooting Your PC FOR DUMmIES ‰ 2ND EDITION 01_577425 ffirs.qxd 1/28/05 10:42 PM Page i 01_577425 ffirs.qxd 1/28/05 10:42 PM Page i by Dan Gookin Troubleshooting Your PC FOR DUMmIES ‰ 2ND. Gookin Troubleshooting Your PC FOR DUMmIES ‰ 2ND EDITION 01_577425 ffirs.qxd 1/28/05 10:42 PM Page i Troubleshooting Your PC For Dummies ® , 2nd Edition Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River Street Hoboken,. brandreview @wiley. com. Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies. com, and related