Troubleshooting and Maintaining Your PC All-in-One For Dummies. Dan Gookin

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СКАЧАТЬ out of a program repair (modify) operation, you might see confusing messages about canceling program installation. These are default messages that appear when you cancel program installation. My guess is that the installation program uses the same messages even when you are attempting to repair the program. Bottom line: Nothing was uninstalled.

      ❯❯ See Book 2, Chapter 7 for more information on solving software problems.

Fixing Windows

      It’s much better to fix Windows, or at least try, than to reinstall the entire operating system from scratch. That option is still available, but I strongly recommend fixing first.

      Book 3 is stuffed with chapters that cover various tools you can use to address issues with the Windows operating system. Briefly, in order, I recommend the following fixes:

      System Restore: For minor glitches, summon a restore point to address the problem. See Book 3, Chapter 5.

      The System File Checker: This tool is the handiest utility for fixing Windows, yet it’s too often overlooked. See Book 3, Chapter 4.

      Windows Recovery: The Windows Recovery Environment boasts plenty of tools for fixing Windows, including reinstalling the operating system, should that task become necessary. See Book 3, Chapter 1.

      Other tools are available as well, each of which is covered in Chapter 3 of this minibook. Also, consider that the problem might not be with Windows; hardware issues can lead you to blame the operating system. Chapters in Book 2 cover various specific hardware problems.

Restoring the system

      Many potential solutions are available to restore your computer system, but it helps to know exactly what “the system” is before you attempt one of these solutions.

      For the most part, the system refers to software, or specifically, items stored on the primary mass storage device. This list includes the operating system, installed programs, and all your files. Various utilities are available to restore some or all of these items:

      Backup and Restore: You can store anything from a single file to everything stored on the hard drive if you archive (back up) that data. The restore operation is how you get back the information. See Book 4, Chapter 3 for details.

      System Recovery Disk: Use the data stored on the recovery disk (which is usually a thumb drive) to help fix or completely rebuild Windows. Further recovery is possible when you access the Windows Recovery menu. Both topics are covered in Book 3, Chapter 1.

      

Restoring the system is most successful when you use tools and run utilities that help you prepare for impending disaster. If you’ve not yet created a System Recovery disk, do so now. Also, configure the Windows 10 File History (the backup feature) if you’ve not yet done so.

      Help!

      Nothing beats having a local computer guru. It could be a relative – perhaps someone living with you – or someone in your office who knows computers well enough to help you resolve meddlesome issues.

      When your local computer guru is stumped or – worse – you are the computer guru, you must turn elsewhere for help. Fortunately, you have plenty of resources on tap.

Locating Internet support

      Back in the old days, support was provided by reading the product’s manual. That type of support was despised, however, because the manual was poorly written, incorrect, or both.

      If you were lucky, the hardware manufacturer or software developer provided a toll-free number to call. If you were lucky.

      Today, free Internet support is available for nearly all major computer hardware manufacturers and software developers. The key is finding the correct website. That’s because you don’t want to risk visiting a site that purports to offer support but is instead designed to sell advertising or to infect your computer with malware.

To determine that you’ve reached the proper support site, ensure that the website domain matches the manufacturer or software developer. A major hint is the Padlock icon found on the web browser’s address bar, similar to what’s illustrated in Figure 2-3.

       FIGURE 2-3: The Padlock icon.

      The Padlock icon appears on secure websites, and most manufacturers and developers have secure web pages. If not, it’s okay, though you should ensure that the web page name matches the developer’s name. That’s very important! You want to get support directly from the source, not from a third-party site.

      Once you’ve found the proper website, support comes in several areas. Yes, you have to do some work to locate the answer you need; don’t expect anyone to pop up and instantly help you. Support is available from three sources:

      Software: For example, you can download a new driver for the PC’s video card to help resolve compatibility issues. Or you can download a troubleshooter.

      Forums: You’re probably not the only one to experience a problem. Look for forums to browse for similar problems and find a solution.

      Tech Support: Most sites provide contact information, as either phone or email support.

      More details on these resources are offered in the next several sections.

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Find the official site for the support. Search for the manufacturer or software developer’s name, and find the matching website.

      ❯❯ The support site may be listed with the flimsy documentation that came with the product.

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Sometimes, support information can be accessed from a Help menu within the program.

      ❯❯ I’m not trying to condemn all third-party support sites. Though many of them offer legitimate support and software, some of them are devious. They may require a paid subscription or for you to provide personal data to access the information you want. Worse, the software they provide features malware. You don’t want that.

      ❯❯ A while back, you had to pay to obtain software driver updates. Today, these updates are provided for free. If you visit a site that claims you need to pay for an update, you’re probably using the wrong site.

Downloading drivers

      Perhaps the best aspect of online support is that you can obtain updated software instantly and at no charge. The primary reason to get new software is to address hardware issues; software drives the hardware, which is why this particular type of software is referred to as a driver.

      As an example, you may find your PC’s graphics incompatible with a new game. The game urges you to check for a driver update. To obtain the update, you need to СКАЧАТЬ