This article will probably get me drummed out of the geek fraternity for good. I am going to let you in on some troubleshooting secrets that you may want to try on your own. Please be very careful using any of these tools, because you can make the situation worse if you don’t use them correctly. If you decide to try using them, you are on your own, and I take no responsibility for your actions or any problems resulting from the use of these tools. Think of this as the “don’t-try-this-at-home” warning unless you understand the use of the tool and its consequences.
The first step in any troubleshooting situation is to isolate the problem. This does not mean taking the computer, putting it in a room, and quarantining it until the problem is resolved. The idea is to determine if the problem is happening on all of the computers, some of the computers, or just one computer. Troubleshooting a network or Internet connection on one computer when all of your computers are having the same problem will usually result in frustration, not a solution.
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Illustration by Nathan Zak
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If you are a Tom Clancy fan and watched the movie The Hunt for Red October, there is a scene in which Sean Connery tells his first command, “One ping, one ping only.” This sends a signal off the side of the other submarine back to their submarine, helping them figure out the distance between the subs. The computer command Ping has a lot of different uses, but the general idea behind it is to determine whether you can communicate with another computer, server, or hardware device across the network or Internet. You use this tool at the Command Prompt. Remember these steps for accessing the Command Prompt, as you will use them for other tools as well. Click on Start, then Run. In the box, type “cmd” for Windows 2000 and Windows XP systems or “command” for Windows 98 or Windows ME systems, then click OK. (Note: Do not type the quotation marks. Going forward, all quotation marks are for emphasis only; do not type them into your computer.) This will open a DOS window with a blinking cursor. If you want to see all of the options for the Ping command, type in “ping /?” and hit the Enter key. This will list most of the options (more commonly known as switches) available with the Ping command.
You can use the Ping command to troubleshoot network connection issues as well as Internet connection issues. For example, you have a computer that will not open the practice management software, and when you go to the My Computer icon and double-click on the mapped network drive (usually a drive letter above “F” or so) it gives you an “unable to open” or “unable to connect” error. In this case, you want to see if the computer can at least communicate with the server. In the Command Prompt window, type “ping server02” (assuming that is the name of the server) or “ping 192.168.0.2” (if you know that is the IP address of the server) and hit the Enter key. If the computer can communicate with the server, you will see 4 lines that say “Reply from 192.168.0.2 (or whatever your server IP address is): bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128”. If you get this response, it means your computer is on the network and has basic communication with the server, so the issue is not a network connection issue; it’s time to look at other issues. If you get 4 lines that say “Hardware error” or “Destination host unreachable,” then you are not on the network, have a problem with the network card, the network cable may be unplugged, or it may be another connection issue. It is possible that the server is not on the network, but if all of the other computers on the network are not having the same issue, then the issue is with this computer. If you can Ping by the IP address, but not by the server name, then you most likely have a DNS issue and should probably call someone with a lot of technical experience.
The Ping command can also be used to troubleshoot Internet connections. You can Ping servers outside of your network to see if you get the “Reply…” response or the “Host unreachable” response. I like to use boston.com and 4.2.2.2 to test outside connections. You cannot Ping some sites, like Microsoft.com or Amazon. com; they won’t reply even if you have a good Internet connection. If I can Ping the server 4.2.2.2, but I cannot Ping boston.com, then I most likely have a DNS issue. It is possible that your router or firewall is blocking the Ping command from going outside your network, which can make trouble-shooting more difficult. Talk to the person who configured it to find out whether it is blocked.
One last way to use Ping (for this article) is to set it to Ping continuously until you stop it. The way to do this is to type in “ping 4.2.2.2 –t” and hit the Enter key. The “-t” is a switch that tells the computer to keep on Pinging until I hold down the CTRL key and hit the C key. This keystroke will stop it. This is useful if you are troubleshooting an Internet connection and want to be able to tell when it is back up and running. How? When the response changes from “Host unreachable” to the “Reply…” response, then you know you are communicating with the Internet.
You can also Ping 127.0.0.1, which is actually Pinging the computer you are working with to see if the network card sees itself. If you get anything other than the “Reply…” message, then it is possibly a bad network card (hardware issue).
IPCONFIG
Another connection trouble-shooting tool is Ipconfig (or Winipcfg for Windows 98 or ME). You use this tool at the Command Prompt as well. Open the Command Prompt and type in “ipconfig /?” to see all of the options/switches. The most common use of Ipconfig is to see what IP address is being used by the computer. You need to know what IP address scheme is being used on your network to use this tool effectively. If you type in “ipconfig” and hit the Enter key, it should respond with the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway with actual numbers (not zeros). If your IP address starts with “169.254…” with 2 other number sets after the “254,” then you most likely do not have a valid IP address. It is possible to configure a network with the automatically configured IP address scheme of 169.254…, but I would not recommend it. If your IP address is valid, then you have other issues to troubleshoot. If you do not have a valid IP address and you use DHCP (the server or router gives out IP addresses), then you have to figure out if it is this computer or the DHCP server. You can’t Ping with all zeros or the 169.254, so don’t bother trying.
MSCONFIG
Msconfig is available on Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP. It is not installed with Windows 2000, but you can copy it from any computer running the other Windows and put it on your Windows 2000 computer. The most common use of Msconfig is to disable programs or processes from starting when you start your computer. To launch Msconfig, go to Start, then Run, then type in “msconfig” and click OK, and the Msconfig window will open. The last 2 tabs, Services and Startup, are the ones you will use most often. Check boxes are next to each line; if the box is checked, the service or the program will start. Please be careful when choosing which boxes to deselect, as you may cause additional errors if you prevent a service or program from starting that is needed for Windows. Once you deselect the items and click OK, it will ask you whether you want to reboot. When you reboot, a message will display that says you have disabled some items, basically reminding you that you made changes in Msconfig.
This tool can be used to troubleshoot startup issues as well as clean out spyware and adware. A lot of times spyware and adware will add a program to startup when your computer starts, which can make it difficult to run removal tools or clean out the program. You can disable the program in Msconfig, reboot, and try removing the program again. It can also be useful troubleshooting a startup issue when you are trying to determine which service or program is causing the problem. You can disable all unessential services and programs and re-enable one at a time (rebooting after each enable) to determine which one is causing the problem, and troubleshoot the issue from there.
CHKDSK
The Chkdsk program is used to diagnose hard drive issues. If you run it, and it finds a lot of issues with the hard drive, it may be time to replace the drive. It is possible for this program to fix basic issues that do not require a replacement. I would recommend you consult your IT person if it finds problems with your hard drive, so you can decide on replacing it. This program is launched from the Com-mand Prompt and usually uses the /f or /r switch, so you would type “chkdsk /f” or “chkdsk /r” and hit the Enter key. It will most likely give you an error and ask you if you want it to run the next time the computer is rebooted; type or select “yes,” and reboot. The program will run on its own during the reboot and should give you a list of errors it found, how many it corrected, and then continue the normal boot process.
SAFE MODE
The way to launch the Safe Mode menu is to hit the F8 key after the initial splash screen shows when booting your computer. It should bring up a screen with about 8 different options, including Safe Mode, Safe Mode with networking, etc. Enter the number next to the selection you choose, usually 1 for Safe Mode, and hit the Enter key. It will boot into Safe Mode and will show a pop-up box warning that you are starting in Safe Mode; click OK to close the window. Safe Mode is used for troubleshooting issues when Windows loads, after you log in, or when the desktop icons start to appear. Safe Mode is a basic Windows with very little loaded or started. You can use most troubleshooting tools in Safe Mode to disable startup items or perform other trouble-shooting if you cannot boot into normal Windows.
REGEDIT OR REGEDT32
You can use either one of these tools on Windows XP, but the Regedit is the old command used in previous versions. Caution: one mistake in this tool and you may destroy your Windows installation and have to reinstall. Whenever you use Regedit, please first make a copy of the registry by clicking on My Computer, then File, then Export. Choose a file name you will remember, and click the Save button. You should only make changes to registry if you are instructed to by a tech support person, a support document from Micro-soft, or a support document from another software company. The registry is the foundation of your computer. This is where all of the information for Windows and the other applications are stored. Normally, you would make changes in the application or in the Control Panel. When you make changes, these changes are written to the registry. You may need to change a setting or delete a registry key to fix an issue. Again, please don’t play around in the registry or make changes unless you have specific instructions and you have made a backup.
RECOVERY CONSOLE
The Recovery Console is available in Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003. To access the Recovery Console you need to boot off the Windows installation CD and let it go through the initial setup routine. Do not do an installation of any kind. If the initial screen does not have the option for Recovery Console, do not continue, and hit the F3 key to exit. The Recovery Console is very similar to DOS in that it is command-line driven, a lot of the commands are DOS commands, and you have limited functionality. You need to know the administrator password to use the Recovery Console. The Recovery Console can be used to disable services at startup if you cannot get into Safe Mode. Use of the Recovery Console should only take place with the direct guidance of a tech support person or if you have specific instructions and feel like you have the technical knowledge and experience.
EMERGENCY REPAIR PROCESS
Sometimes the second-to-last resort in troubleshooting an issue is to use the emergency repair process to fix the problem. The steps to access this are similar to the Recovery Console, except when you get to the screen where you chose Recovery Console, you would choose the Repair option. This is the second-to-last resort, as the last resort is to reinstall Windows completely. It is helpful if you have an emergency repair diskette (ERD). The steps to create this vary according to the Windows version, so please consult the Help tab on your PC or do a Google search on the Internet for this under your particular version of Windows. This process can result in your having to reinstall applications, which may mean a loss of data. It may also require the reinstallation of the latest service pack that was on the PC. The Windows XP Emergency Repair Process is the most unnerving for me because it looks very similar to a complete reinstallation, so please make sure you have a good backup…this is one of your last options.
THE INTERNET
Wow, earth-shattering news… use the Internet for troubleshooting. Every software vendor has a support section on its Web site that you can use to troubleshoot issues and look up error messages. Some support sites are better than others. You can also Google the issue or error message on the Internet to look for solutions. This is really the reason why I have included this step in this article. Not because I bought Google stock, but because I want to warn you that there is a lot of bad advice out there, and some solutions that people offer are usually unrelated or extremely harmful. I have read responses to tech questions that will result in complete data loss and require a complete reinstallation of the software. Please think through the proposed solution and think about the consequences. I usually follow the same rule that a newspaper reporter would follow: I look for sources that confirm the same information before I try something that seems dangerous. Be aware that the same post can end up on multiple Web sites, so verify that it is not the same post.
KISS PRINCIPLE
I probably should have put this as No. 1, but I figure that if you have read this far, then you either like computers or you don’t want to talk to your spouse. The KISS principle will save you a lot of time and aggravation, because it stands for “keep it simple, stupid.” No, I am not calling you stupid, so please don’t be insulted. The idea is to look for the simple, obvious, easy solutions first before you start digging deeper into the problem. If you have a lamp that is on a wall switch, and you turn on the switch, but the bulb doesn’t turn on, is your first reaction to call the electric company to make sure there isn’t a power loss in your living room? If it is your first reaction, maybe working on computers isn’t for you, and it might be a good time to find another hobby. For the lamp problem, the first 2 things you would probably check are to make sure it is plugged into the wall outlet, then unscrew the bulb to see if it has blown. Pretty simple, and not a lot of work. So please don’t be insulted when the tech support person asks you to check that the computer or monitor is plugged in. This happened the other day to me when a client told me he needed a new monitor because the one he had would no longer turn on. The problem was that the power plug connection at the back of the monitor was loose, and pushing it back in solved the issue. Always start with the simple stuff and work your way up to the difficult possibilities. If you work on computers on a fairly regular basis, then you will forget this principle and spend a lot of time troubleshooting a very basic issue. Every tech does it sooner or later.
SUMMARY
I hope you can use one or two tools in this list to solve an issue you may be having right now, or one that comes up in the future. Please, please, please, do not try the more extensive (and potentially more troublesome) options unless you have a lot of experience working on computers or you are 100% certain you do not need any data that is on that computer. I don’t like putting that warning in here, because the instructor in me wants you to learn, but not at the expense of losing all of your practice data. Have you tested your backup recently?
Mr. Walsh is the president of Patriot Networks (formerly NDM Networks) in Mendon, Mass, which provides computer and networking services to dental practices and small businesses in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. He can be contacted at (508) 624-9898 or dwalsh@patriotnetworks.com.
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