Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out

Author: Mike Halsey
Publisher (in conjunction with Microsoft Press): O'Reilly Media (http://microsoftpress.oreilly.com)
Published: October 2010
ISBN 10: 0-7356-4520-5
ISBN 13: 978-0-7356-4520-2
Format: Soft cover, 528 pages (eBook version also available)
Prices and eBook formats:
Ebook: $31.99 (Formats: APK, ePub, Mobi, PDF)
Print and Ebook: $43.99
Print only: $39.99`


Troubleshooting Windows 7

When Mike Halsey was writing his book, "Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out", he had three types of readers in mind – first, those IT professionals working as support staff in a corporate work environment; second, those professionals providing Windows 7 support to smaller business clients; and third, anyone using Windows 7 at home. And as Halsey explains in the introduction to his book, he also had two major technical objectives in mind as well for all his readers, namely:

1. to guide readers "through the process of diagnosing and repairing the types of problems" that can be encountered when using Windows 7; and
2. to discuss what can be done "to prevent more problems from occurring.”

Halsey possesses the credentials to write a book about Windows 7 given his experience in supporting individual Windows users along with those in corporations and both small and medium size businesses. In addition, he is a technical beta-testing consultant for Microsoft; the editor of three different blogs that cover the latest Window news and features; and he is also the author of the book "Windows 7 Power Users Guide" (his Web site's address is www.thelongclimb.com and from there you can download a free copy of the 170 page "Windows 7 Power Users Guide" as an eBook).

As an IT professional, you may be asking yourself whether you need to read such a book as "Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out.” Maybe you're thinking that, given your experience, you'll most likely be able to solve any problems yourself with Windows 7 that you encounter. However, Halsey makes some valid points when he says that "modern operating systems take almost all of the pain out of configuring and working with your computer, and Windows 7 is an excellent example. It is more stable, configurable, and reliable than any version of Windows that has come before it. Things can and still do go wrong, however, and the more complex the machine, the more difficult it can be to diagnose the problem. That's where this book comes in." So instead of attempting to solve Windows 7 related problems on your own, it makes a lot of sense to avail yourself of Halsey's extensive expertise, tips, and insights, and in the process, save yourself a considerable amount of time as well as limit your level of frustration.

The content of "Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out" has been divided into half a dozen sections, the titles of which are as follows:

1. Prevention
2. Quick fixes
3. Technical fixes
4. Disaster recovery
5. Power utilities
6. Appendices

In the "Prevention" section of his book, Halsey explains how to install Windows 7 to prevent problems as well as discussing basic Windows 7 utilities and basic Windows 7 security. Examples of other topics covered in this part of the book include backup and restore; Windows 7 maintenance; Windows 7 user accounts and group policies; and virtualization.

The second part of the book, "Quick fixes", is the place you'll turn to when Windows 7 isn't performing as you want it to, and you find yourself becoming increasingly annoyed. Halsey provides solutions to common Windows 7 problems and tasks such as:

• You don't have permission to write files to a disk.
• You can't see your new Wi-Fi network.
• Windows Update won't install anything.
• Windows starts up (or shuts down) very slowly.
• Your USB3 device doesn't work.
• Windows won't start.
• Removing and reinstalling device drivers. And so on.

The next part of the book is dedicated to '"technical fixes.” Given the complexity built into Windows 7, the successful implementation of fixes of this nature requires a deeper knowledge and understanding of Windows, along with the adoption of a systematic approach to problem solving. Halsey stresses that "honing your troubleshooting techniques is one of the most useful computer skills you can develop; every person will find a method that works best for him or her. Because computers are so complex, using a step-by-step approach and attempting to eliminate first what a problem cannot be, will ultimately help you to identify the source of a problem. This is by no means the only way to troubleshoot a PC. You should never forget that sometimes you need to take a step back and sleep on a problem, or you may never find it." There are chapters in this part of the book that discuss advanced diagnostic tools in Windows 7; advanced repair methods; diagnosing hardware problems; and where to turn to for more help and support. This additional help consists of the details of relevant third party software and web sites.

The fourth part of "Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out" focuses on how to recover from a disaster. Along with advice about Windows and data recovery tools, Halsey has even included a chapter in this part of the book that recommends what you should do when you can't recover data using conventional strategies. "Power utilities" is the topic covered in the second last part of the book, and its three chapters respectively discuss, in depth, advanced Windows diagnostic tools, the Windows firewall, and advanced registry work. On that last topic, it is vital to heed Halsey's advice of always creating "a backup of the registry whenever you intend to work with it. Even the smallest, seemingly innocent change can cause Windows or one of your programs or hardware drivers to become unstable." Of course, with small fixes or changes to the registry, coupled with the pressure of time and users harassing you for a solution, the temptation is to just get on and do it. But by first taking a relatively short amount of time to do a backup, you can save yourself hours of frustration, not to mention avoid embarrassing yourself in front of your colleagues!

The concluding part of the book consists of a series of four appendices. They are respectively devoted to:

• the details of the different Windows 7 editions (seven in all – note that, in this appendix, Windows 7 N is only listed once even though there are different Windows 7 N editions: Windows 7 Home Premium N, Professional N, and Ultimate N);
• a breakdown of Windows 7 features to be found in each of the different versions of Windows 7;
• a comprehensive listing of Windows 7 shortcut keys; and
• a series of tables containing BIOS beep codes. Halsey points out that "when your computer can't start or give you a display, it can still provide you with useful troubleshooting information in the form of beeps. Depending on your motherboard's BIOS (consult your motherboard manual to determine which one you have), these can provide useful feedback to help you diagnose and fix problems with your PC."

Liberally spread throughout the text of the book are breakout boxes that Halsey refers to as "Inside Out" problem statements. He describes them as being "the book's signature tips. In these tips, you'll get the straight scoop on what's going on with the software – inside information on why a feature works the way it does. You'll also find handy workarounds to different software problems." Here's an example of one of these "Inside Out" problem statements titled "The pros and cons of setting an administrator password":

"On a multiuser PC, protecting the main administrator account with a password prevents other users from logging in as the administrator and upgrading their own accounts from standard users to administrators. But be aware that setting an administrator password can have a downside. Password protection for the administrator account prevents users from making even legitimate changes to Windows or other software that may be required."

To help his readers find the information they need as quickly and conveniently as possible, Halsey also deploys various other types of breakout boxes as well. For instance, "Caution!" boxes warn you of the potential consequences of performing an action or series of actions, for example, why it is not recommended to defragment your disks too often. Alternatively, "Note" types of breakout box contain extra information that readers can take advantage of to increase their knowledge of the topic or Windows 7 feature that is currently being discussed in that particular chapter of the book.

By diligently reading "Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out", and by putting into practice what you learn from it – it literally contains hundreds of useful tips, insights and techniques – you can become a Windows 7 master yourself. Instead of bumbling through and just getting by, you'll know how to get the best out of Windows 7. In turn, you will then be able to pass on that knowledge to those users you support in their use of Windows 7.