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Tips and Tricks for the Ordinary User
Copy(c)right 2000 by GM Raymond - (under construction!)
Last updated: 4/14/01
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Consider the SIMPLE Things Is power available at the source outlet? Test ALL Circuit breakers, fuses, wall switches. Is everything outside the case securely plugged in? Even if a plug looks snug, firmly re-push it into its jack. This applies to a/c power cord, monitor power and signal cable, printer cable, phone line, speaker cables, mic cables, video cam cables, keyboard cables, mouse cables, IR device cables, scanner cables. Is everything inside securely plugged in? Flat ribbon cable connectors are notorious for vibrating just a bit loose. Check all Data ribbon cables to hard drives and floppies - opposite ends to controller cards, front panel lamp/switchs pinplugs to motherboard, twin power supply connectors to motherboard, CD audio cable from controller/CD to sound card, all three wire peripheral power cables. Losing configuration settings? or inaccurate time? Replace the cmos or bios battery. On newer machines it looks like a silver quarter sitting horizontal in a holder on the mother board. On older machines it looks like a fat blue firecracker soldered onto the motherboard. How to gain access to cmos or bios configuration? Entering CMOS or BIOS Setup varies from one manuf. to another. Here are the more common key or key combinations to "hold" or "press" during the Cold Boot's POST or "Power On Self Test". F1 F10 DEL CTRL-ALT-S CTRL-ALT-ESC CTRL-ALT-INS Once there, the safest thing you can do is find the menu choice that says "restore defaults" and save and exit. Otherwise you will need to consult the owners manual or peripheral installation guides. Some home Diagnostics that YOU can run! Hold F8 or Ctrl while booting and choose Safe Mode. Now go to Start/Settings/ControlPanel, double click System Icon and have a look in the Device Manager Tab. Open each + sign and remove any and all duplicate device entries, (like two identical modems) CAUTION, only do ONE double deletion at a time then reboot W98 and allow plug and play to rediscover and re install each device properly when you re boot. If you upgraded to Windows 98, a ton of new diagnostic utilities are now available: This is a great new diagnostic/quick fix utility made available in W98. Go to Start/Run and type "MSCONFIG.EXE" (less quotes) followed by the <Enter> key. This utility allows fast simple editing of most w98 configuration files as well as many common registry settings. Click Start/Run type in "SFC" (less quotes)Type a question or enter "words and phrases"SFC (System File Checker) will assist in determining missing DLL's and replacing them. You can also type "EXTRACT /?" (less quotes) from a DOS window to view the syntax requirements for extracting DLL's from CAB storage libraries. Another new W98 tool is called Doctor Watson. Go to Start/Run and type "DRWATSON.EXE" (less quotes) The Computer locks up (hangs or freezes) when trying to boot. (For W98, Hold F8 or Ctrl while booting). Select "Step by step confirmation" from the startup screen. Respond YES to every question and keep track of the questions as you answer them. When the system finally freezes the last item you responded YES to is the probably culprit. Optionally you can select "Safe Mode" and if a successful bootup occurs you can conclude the problems are in the PC's peripherals and or their drivers which are not loaded or recognized in Safe Mode. Finally, if all hardware is known to be functioning correctly, consider the following: 1: Too many unneeded programs loading on bootup and running in the background. Click HERE! 2: Corrupted Device manager, use Safemode to cleanup, click HERE 3: Dirty/bloated registry, check HERE ). Listening to what your Computer tells you. (many bios systems still support audio signal beeps to alert of troubles during bootup. These are: Single short beep : system functioning normally Long beep or multiple beeps : shorts to power supply One LONG two Short : Monitor not connected) The following table lists old IBM beep codes that may be generated during the POST. Most beep codes indicate a fatal error that prevents the system from completing the boot routine until the indicated condition is corrected. Beeps Code Errors - Probable Causes 1-3 Monitor not detected - Disconnected or faulty monitor 1-1-3 NVRAM write/read failure - Defective MB 1-1-4 BIOS checksum failure - Faulty BIOS or MB 1-2-1 Programmable interval-timer failure - Defective MB 1-2-2 DMA initialization failure - Defective MB 1-2-3 DMA page register write/read failure - Defective MB 1-3-1 Main-memory failure - #1 Bad or improperly seated RAM or bad MB 1-3-3 Chip or data line failure in RAM - (see #1) 1-3-4 Odd/even logic failure in RAM - (see #1) 1-4-1 Address line failure in RAM - (see #1) 1-4-2 Parity failure in RAM - (see #1) 2-1-1 through 2-4-4 Bit failure in the first 64 KB of main memory - (see #1) 3-1-1 Slave DMA-register failure - Defective MB 3-1-2 Master DMA-register failure - Defective MB 3-1-3 Master interrupt-mask register failure - Defective MB 3-1-4 Slave interrupt-mask register failure - Defective MB 3-2-4 Keyboard-controller test failure - Faulty keyboard controller on MB 3-3-4 Screen initialization failure - #2 Faulty video subsystem, MB 3-4-1 Screen-retrace test failure - (see #2) 3-4-2 Search for video ROM failed - (see #2) 4-2-1 No timer tick - Defective MB 4-2-2 Shutdown failure - Defective MB 4-2-3 Gate A20 failure - Defective MB 4-2-4 Unexpected interrupt in protected mode - Defective MB 4-3-1 Memory failure above address 0FFFFh - (see #1) 4-3-3 Timer-chip counter 2 failure - Defective MB 4-3-4 Time-of-day clock stopped - Bad battery or defective system board 4-4-1 Serial-port test failure - #3 Faulty I/O chip (defective MB) 4-4-2 Parallel-port test failure - (see #3) 4-4-3 Math coprocessor failure - #4 Faulty microprocessor chip or MB 4-4-4 Cache test failure (see #4) HOW TO RESTORE THE REGISTRY (WIN98 ONLY) 1.Restart in MS-DOS mode. 2.At the command prompt, type "scanreg /restore" and press Enter. 3.Select the backup from the list presented. Press Enter for Registry Checker to restore the backup to your computer. 4.Then Enter to restart the computer. NOTE: "Scanreg /opt" and "scanreg /fix" will optimize and repair the registry. REPLACING DEFECTIVE CMOS BATTERIES Some older machines don't have the battery mounted on the mother board. Search around for it. They are sometimes hard to find. It may be a relatively large cylindrical type mounted in a hard-to-get-at location. You may have a MB with a soldered-in battery in which case, look for a little "barrel" laying sideways up near the keyboard connector. Right next to the battery on the mainbaord you will see a set of four "pins" with a jumper on one set of the four. All you need do is go to your local Radio Shack and buy one of two things. You can get a Lithium battery pack with wire leads that would plug onto the four pins, or cheaper but not as good, buy a standard battery pack that hold 4 AA batteries, it also will have the lead wires. Then just take the jumper off one of the pair of the four pins and "usually" the red wire from the replacement battery pack goes towards the back of the case. It is simple to test where the red wire will face. If you place it one way and it doesn't hold the CMOS settings, (after turning the PC off for at least 30 minutes), flip it around. You should also cut the dead battery out with a pair of needle nose cutters, or at least cut the contacts to the mainboard. HOW TO TEST YOUR RAM MODULES Insert the command DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS /TESTMEM:ON into your Config.sys file. You can use the System Configuration Utility (Select Start > Run and type MSCONFIG in the Open box and press OK, select the Config.sys tab and add the HIMEM.SYS line by pressing the New button). Windows will tell you to reboot your computer, watch your screen for a message HIMEM has detected unreliable memory at address xx:xxxxxx which will certainly indicate that there's a memory problem. It may take several reboots over a period of days for this to show up. NOTE: There is no 100% certain way to test memory except to either substitute known good modules or to use a hardware tester. I recommend substitution. FIXING KERNEL32 ERRORS First test your RAM Memory as outlined in the fix above. CPU, BUS SPEED OR MULTIPLIER OVERCLOCKING? If you are overclocking... don't!! GRAPHIC ACCELERATION SET TOO HIGH. DONT!! Select Control Panel > System, then select the Performance tab, click the Graphics button. Turn down Hardware acceleration by moving the slider a notch to the left, reboot, try again. Repeat as necessary. BAD OR OUTDATED DRIVERS, ESPECIALLY VIDEO DRIVERS. Check with your card manufacturer for an updated set of drivers. Video drivers are updated constandly, it pays to have the latest release, specially if you find yourself having problems with Internet Explorer. FAULTY OR DIRTY COOLING FANS ON YOUR CPU OR POWER SUPPLY. The CPU fan can be cleaned with a small paintbrush and some compressed air. The power supply fan should be cleaned only by someone who is comforTABLE working around high voltage components. IF YOU FREQUENTLY RECEIVE INVALID PAGE FAULT IN KERNEL32.DLL ERRORS, FROM DIFFERENT DRIVERS (EXPLORER, GUIDE.EXE, MSGSRV32, COMMGR32, MPREXE AND OTHERS), IT IS POSSIBLE THAT YOUR PASSWORD LIST FILE IS DAMAGED. TRY RE-CREATING YOUR PASSWORD LIST FILE: In Windows Explorer select your \Windows folder then Press F3. This will bring up the "Find: All Files window" In the Named: box type "*.pwl" less quotes. Click Find Now. When a list of found files is displayed, Delete them all. Close the Find window and restart Windows Note: you will lose any passwords you have stored, so make sure that you have the passwords written down so you can re-enter them when needed If you receive an error MSIMN caused an invalid page fault in module KERNEL32.dll, chances are that your computer is infected with the Happy99 worm. For more information on this worm and it's removal see http://www.infinisource.com/cleaner.html. REPLACING MISSING W98 *.DLL FILES Use the System File Checker. Go to Start/Run/SFC.EXE to extract new copies of the xyz.dll from your Windows 98 CD. After doing so they should wind up in the Windows\System directory LINKS to 3RD PARTY ASSISTANCE: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * What Are Windows 95/98 FATAL EXCEPTION Errors CLEAN your REGISTRY now with RegCLEAN v4.1a from Microsoft. Learn about Random Fatal Exception Errors While Running Windows 95/98. Having W98 LOGON troubles? Find logon CURES Here. Find solutions to Windows SHUTDOWN problems HERE and HERE. Listing of ALL files contained in the Windows95 Operating System OR the Windows98 Operating System. Find how to Setup a Direct Cable Connection Unable to Access CD-ROM Drive After Installing Windows 98? Check HERE FOR CD-ROM Drives that Requir Real-Mode Drivers Go HERE How to Use Real-Mode CD-ROM Drivers from Windows 98 Startup Disk Go HERE Create a Windows StartUp (BOOT) Disk EASILY with help from the BOOTDISK people. Last but NOT Least: * * * * * * * * * * There is a famous quote, "give a man a fish and he is fed for a day; teach a man to fish and he can feed himself". In that spirit of self help I offer the following suggestions. Try searching Microsoft's Knowledge Base for articles outlining cures for your specific problem. Many Newsgroup Servers (NNTP) allow questions to be posted requesting help with a computer problem. Typically Guru's monitor those sites and reply within hours. Example: alt.windows95 and alt.windows98 Find out if your ISP offers a NNTP News Server and if so, get a good Newsreader Client like Forte's Agent; or use whatever is available that may be built into your Web Browser or E-Mail Client. You can also post and access Newsgroups directly from the WEB vi Dow Jones News Service. (To read more about how Newsgroups operate, and in particular how to use the most popular News Reader "Agent", read this Article I penned when time permits). If you need a missing file try an FTP Search! In addition to Newsgroups, there is the web itself. Here is a favorite search engine of mine: GOOGLE![Follow any "fix" instructions offered. NOTE: for best results with DRWATSON, it should be launched from the Start menu so it runs anytime W98 loads.] The following utilities can also assist in diagnosing and repairing various W98 troubles: Click Start/Run, type in "ASD" (less quotes) Click Start/Run, type "HWINFO /ui" (less quotes) Click Start/Run, type in "DXDIAG.EXE" (less quotes) Click Start/Run, type "RSRCMTR.EXE" (less quotes) Click Start/Run, type "MSINFO32.EXE" (less quotes) Here is a way to keep a record of any bootup failures. Edit the (hidden) MSDOS.SYS file and add to the [OPTIONS] section if not already there: [Options] BootKeys=1 BootMenuDefault=2 DisableLog=0 Any Load Failures will be listed in Bootlog.txt an ascii text File located in the root of C: To make the Boot Menu come up everytime add; [Options] BootMenu=1 BootMenuDelay=1