The Little Geeni

Another excellent tool that’s freely available to Windows Vista administrators (or anyone else, for that matter) is the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA). This tool scans a system and quickly identifies security holes such as missing software patches or accounts with a blank or weak password.

Better yet, it recommends corrective action. The only bad news of sorts is that it’s not built into Windows Vista. You have to download this one from the Microsoft web site. The newest version of this tool at the time of this writing was released in May of 2008, Version 2.1. This updated version provides additional features which are detailed at the Microsoft website.

However, legacy Microsoft products are not supported by MBSA 2.1. Because of this, Microsoft has teamed-up with Shavlik Technologies to offer a free companion tool for MBSA 2.1. This will allow users of MBSA 2.01 to still receive security updates.

For the MBSA 2.01, the install steps are straightforward; just follow the steps in the wizard. During installation, the MBSA places a shortcut on the desktop by default. To launch the tool and perform a scan, follow these steps:

Double-click the desktop icon, and then, from the MBSA home page, choose Scan a Computer. Note here that admins can also use the MBSA to scan multiple computers in a network from a central location. In the Computer to Scan page, you should see the local machine listed if you’ve chosen the “Scan a computer” option. (The other selection produces a page from which you can select a range of machines.) Furthermore, the options in this screen let you specify exactly what components get checked during the scan. Once you verify the machine to scan, click the “Start scan” link. You’ll now see a Scanning page with a progress bar that can take several minutes to complete. When the scan finishes, you’ll see a report screen.

As you can see, this provides extremely valuable information to administrators who are interested in doing everything they can to stop problems before they start. For example, the administrator of this machine has been very diligent about installing necessary software updates, it seems, and has gotten passing grades in most areas of computer security. But the MBSA scan generates a failing grade…how is this possible? The MBSA makes it easy to investigate the exact nature of the failing grade by clicking the “Result details” link, revealing the dialog box. In this case it reveales a very significant (yet usually hidden) threat: local user account passwords are weak, thus generating the failing grade.

If you’d like to get my book “Windows Vista Administration: The Definitive Guide” by Brian Culp, (or any of my other books and tutorials), you can pick it up at my website, www.TheAnswerHub.com or at most major book chains. In addition, I’m always happy to provide additional assistance for free (within reason, mind you…don’t go thinking this is some sort of a free ride). Visit me at my website and submit your questions to me. I’ll get back to you with an answer as soon as possible.

Up Next: in the conclusion of this 5-part series, we’ll be discussing the removal of malicious software using the Malicious Software Removal Tool within Windows Vista.

Troubleshooting Analyzer, Baseline, Microsoft, Part, Security, Troubleshooting, Using, Vista, Windows

Each time you encounter a significant error using Windows Vista, you’ll be asked whether you want to send the information to Microsoft. You might think this is just a one-way street, where you’re providing information that will help Microsoft write software in the future that will prevent whatever problem you’re having.

If you think about it for a moment, that must be one huge store of information being generated by the planet’s users of Windows computers. So, why should one entity be the only beneficiary? Surely there must be a way for ordinary users to leverage this information as well, right? Surely some other user in another corner of the computing globe is – or has had – the same difficulty as you. Right? The answer is yes, and yes. Users can use the information gathered from other users to try to troubleshoot issues, using a utility called Problem Reports and Solutions. If there’s a known solution to a known problem, you can use Problem Reports and Solutions to easily retrieve the fix. Here’s how to put it all to work:

Open the Control Panel, and then open Problem Reports and Solutions. As always, you can type problem from the Start menu. You’ll see the Problem Reports and Solutions window. In this window are several tasks on the left pane and a status area on the right. To see a list of problems that Vista has detected, click the View Problem History link. You’ll see a dialog box. You can view further details about each problem using the links herein. After visiting the Problem History page, you can run a check for solutions by navigating back to the Problem Reports and Solutions home page and clicking the Check Now button. Vista then checks online for any available solutions. If it finds one, you’ll see a dialog box. From there, simply follow the “Solution found” link for instructions on how to resolve the detected issue. Most times, it will involve a software download and install.

Note that much of this problem-checking behavior is completely automated by default. Administrators can govern this, however, by following the “Change settings” link on the left. After clicking this link, you will be able to toggle automatic reporting either on or off, and you will be able to configure a few other options.

Administrators can set exceptions if they have a program that they want Vista to ignore when it reports a problem. It should also be noted here that one user’s setting doesn’t necessarily have to be the setting for other users. If you’re changing the reporting settings for all users, you will be asked for administrative confirmation if User Account Control is turned on.

If you’d like to get my entire book “Windows Vista Administration: The Definitive Guide” by Brian Culp, Publisher: O’Reilly, ISBN-13: 978-0-59-652959-8 (or any of my 20+ other books and tutorials), you can pick it up at my website, www.TheAnswerHub.com or at most major book chains. In addition, I’m always happy to provide additional assistance for free (within reason, mind you…don’t go thinking this is some sort of a free ride). Visit me at my website and submit your questions to me. I’ll get back to you with an answer as soon as possible.

Up Next: in part 4 of this 5-part series, we’ll be discussing the new Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer in Windows Vista.

Troubleshooting Automatic, Essentials, Part, Problem, Resolution, Troubleshooting, Vista, Windows

You should probably view Vista’s Automatic Updates the same way you view a yearly physical checkup. It’s just something that you should do to prevent as many issues as possible before they become issues in the first place. The Windows Update engine handles two kinds of updates:

Critical updates: Can help speed up your system, secure it, and keep it from crashing Recommended updates: Will address noncritical problems and help enhance your computing experience

A third kind of update, the optional update, is not downloaded automatically. You must get these updates manually by running the “Check for updates” task in the Windows Update Control Panel application.

By default, Windows Updates turns on the Automatic Updates feature, so it’s very likely that this is something you’ll never have to do in your administrative career. It’s still a good idea to know where to look, though. Here’s what to do:

Open the Windows Update Control Panel application by typing update at the Start menu. It’s under the System and Maintenance grouping if you’re going through the Control Panel. In the list of tasks on the left, click “Change settings.” From the dialog box, choose the desired update options. Click OK to commit your changes. You may be asked for administrative confirmation by User Account Control.

Additionally, if the Automatic Updates feature is ever turned off, the Vista Security Center will yell at you (assuming that the Security Center notifications about Automatic Updates defaults haven’t been changed). Once you’re in the Security Center, you’ll see a “Change settings” button, that will take you right back to the Automatic Updates settings dialog box.

The Windows Updates are applied to the computer, and therefore affect all users of a particular system.

Sometimes during troubleshooting, you will want to double-check to confirm that a particular update has been installed. If this is the case, you can choose the “View update history” link on the right side of the Windows Updates dialog box.

If you’d like to get my entire book “Windows Vista Administration: The Definitive Guide” by Brian Culp, Publisher: O’Reilly, ISBN-13: 978-0-59-652959-8 (or any of my 20+ other books and tutorials), you can pick it up at my website, www.TheAnswerHub.com or at most major book chains. In addition, I’m always happy to provide additional assistance for free (within reason, mind you…don’t go thinking this is some sort of a free ride). Visit me at my website and submit your questions to me. I’ll get back to you with an answer as soon as possible.

Up Next: in part 3 of this 5-part series, we’ll be discussing the process of automatically checking for solutions to problems encountered by Windows Vista with Problem Reports and Solutions.

Troubleshooting Automatically, Part, Troubleshooting, Updating, Vista, Windows

Windows Vista was introduced a while ago as an upgrade to the Windows XP and 2000 users as something more tactile, easier to use – packed with security features that will ensure the safety of your work and your operating system experience. It was also more flashy, more user friendly and gained a lot of popularity because of its more palpable interface. Though it had some compatibility issues when it was first released, Windows Vista has really come ahead in the game and has become the solution for many computer users all over the world. But of course, Windows Vista is built on the same principles as the previous versions of the OS and because of that, it is inevitably an imperfect superstructure. A word of caution here – no OS is perfect because of the degradation effects of technology and the human element in the mix. There are actually quite a few common Windows Vista error messages and this article will discuss how to troubleshoot them if you ever encounter any of them.

The solution is no different from the solution that was available for previous editions of Microsoft’s incarnations. The common element here is the registry, and Windows Vista still operates with the registry as the integral matrix that it uses to ensure that all operations within its operating system environment run smoothly. With the registry, no matter how advanced the OS, common problems will always occur. When ever you introduce third party software and programs in Windows Vista, you will introduce the potential of new problems, especially in the registry. Bad registry keys left by rogue programs, invalid entries left by incomplete uninstalls and orphan keys are still features of an unhealthy Windows registry – be it XP or Vista. Surprised? Don’t be. Microsoft invented the registry for the simple fact that all executions in the computer need a reference point and all instructions for the different programs need somewhere to be stored. It hasn’t changed at all.

The same problems that made those runtime errors, mediahub errors and Active X errors still exist in Windows Vista, and would most likely still exist in future incarnations of Windows. The good thing about most of the registry cleaners is that they have adapted to the new operating system and is compatible with the new code and language that Vista is using. A quick look on the internet reveals many registry cleaners that have the ability to interface with Windows Vista and solve the problems that its registry might incur. Another good thing is that Vista has some bespoke problems that did not exist in XP, mainly because of the new security code and program structure that is being used by the operating system. Registry cleaners have adjusted to this and responded with more feature packed cleaners. Troubleshooting common Windows Vista error messages is now easy with the new stable of registry cleaners out there. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that a new OS means a trouble free registry; you still need dedicated programs to deal with the problems associated with it.

Troubleshooting Common, Error, Messages, Them, Troubleshoot, Vista, Windows

Network Diagnostic Tools in Windows Vista

In the Network Sharing Center there is a Diagnose and Repair link that will scan your system for network issues. This diagnostic pings the remote host. If it is not found, you have the option to reset the network adapter Local Area Connection.

In addition to the automated Network Diagnostics interface, several tools are included with Windows Vista that can be used to test network components and connectivity.

Basic Tools

The following tools are fundamental in connectivity and name resolution troubleshooting. In addition, they are useful when troubleshooting failures with applications that communicate on the network or Internet.

Ipconfig

The Ipconfig command line tool displays all current TCP/IP network configuration values. Used without parameters, the ipconfig command displays the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway for all adapters. In addition, you can use the following commands:

ipconfig /all – If you want to see more detailed information on the configuration for all interfaces on the computer, use this command.

ipconfig /release – This command releases any DHCP addresses assigned to interfaces on the computer. You can typically use it before the next command.

ipconfig /renew – This command causes the DHCP client service to request network addresses for all network connections. It is useful when you encounter connectivity problems and suspect a bad address. It is also used when troubleshooting name resolution failures to ensure the interface has the correct DNS server addresses assigned.

ipconfig /flushdns – This command clears the local DNS resolver cache. When you connect to machines by name, the DNS client software on the computer stores names and IP addresses as they are resolved. This is so that the name can be resolved without sending a repeat request to the DNS server. If a remote computer’s IP address changes, outdated information in this cache can cause connections by name to fail. Run this command on the local machine to clear the cache.

Ping

The ping command verifies IP-level connectivity to another TCP/IP computer by sending ICMP Echo Request messages. The receipt of corresponding Echo Reply messages is displayed along with round-trip times.

Ping is the primary TCP/IP command used to troubleshoot connectivity, reachability, and name resolution.

Because firewalls typically block ICMP traffic, ping does not receive a response from a system with a firewall configured. Check the firewall settings to ensure Ping or ICMP Echo is enabled while you are troubleshooting.

Tracert

The Trace Route (Tracert.exe) command determines the path taken to a destination by sending ICMP Echo Request messages to the destination with incrementally increasing Time to Live (TTL) field values. The path displayed is the list of near-side router interfaces of the routers in the path between a source host and a destination. The near-side interface is the interface of the router closest to the sending host in the path.

This command is useful for troubleshooting connectivity failures when you can ping the default gateway but cannot ping Internet servers. Such a situation can indicate a failure in the routing from the client machine to the Internet.

Running Tracert returns data on the failure indicating which hop in the routing is dropping the traffic. When used for Internet connectivity troubleshooting, the data gathered is often used to work with the ISP to resolve such routing issues. The output should identify the router at which the problem occurs.

For more details, please refer to www.wintechhelp.com

Troubleshooting Diagnostics, Network, Vista, Windows

Computer troubleshooting is in many ways more art than science; it’s more of a marriage between your basic computer understanding and all the peculiarities of your specific environment. Truth be told, this series of articles actually possesses very little capability in terms of helping you troubleshoot your network. What it can do, however, is get you pointed in the right direction so that you have a better idea of the troubleshooting resources that are at your fingertips within Vista.

Of course, there’s no way any computer article can possibly foresee every possible computer troubleshooting scenario. If you want to really know whether a particular troubleshooting approach will work, my best advice is to give it a try. It’s just a machine, after all, and you aren’t going to break it with a few clicks of the mouse.

OK, you might break it, but if you follow some of the advice laid out in this article, you shouldn’t be able to do anything that you can’t undo. Here, we focus mainly on some of the troubleshooting tools that Windows Vista places in the hands of the administrator. As always, the focus is mainly on what’s new: we will examine a new utility called Problem Reports and Solutions, and I’ll bet you don’t need to read much further to guess what the nature of that one is. Also, we’ll explore some tools that an administrator might already know from previous operating systems like the System Restore utility, and we’ll look at situations in which System Restore just might save the day.

In this 5-part series of articles, we will discuss the various tools available for troubleshooting within Windows Vista. As I’m sure you’re aware, this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. If you’d like to get my entire book “Windows Vista Administration: The Definitive Guide” by Brian Culp, Publisher: O’Reilly, ISBN-13: 978-0-59-652959-8 (or any of my 20+ other books and tutorials), you can pick it up at my website, www.TheAnswerHub.com or at most major book chains. In addition, I’m always happy to provide additional assistance for free (within reason, mind you…don’t go thinking this is some sort of a free ride). Visit me at my website and submit your questions to me. I’ll get back to you with an answer as soon as possible.

Up next: we start with a look at a troubleshooting task that is meant to prevent many problems from happening in the first place. It’s the Vista Automatic Updates, which Vista admins should absolutely use to enforce good preventive health.

Troubleshooting Introduction, Microsoft, Part, Series, Troubleshooting, Vista, Windows

This vista problem troubleshooting article guide you how to troubleshoot various windows vista error problem and in detail windows vista troubleshooting solution.

There are lots of problems with windows vista and those are vary difficult to troubleshoot for a layman user. Here are the list of windows vista problems and troubleshooting guide for those vista problems.

Vista problem kernel data inpage error status no such device

During re-enumeration of a previously enumerated ide controller, a race condition exists between atapisys and pciidexsys or between Ataportsys and Pciidex.sys. In this race condition, the following conditions are true:

Atapi.sys and Ataport.sys use the stm method to select a transfer mode on a channel. The stm method is in the advanced configuration and power Interface bios. pciidex.sys verifies whether that channel exists by checking for the ide decode enable bit.

If the bios implementation of the stm method has cleared the ide decode enable bit, pciidex.sys determines that the channel does not exist. When this behavior occurs, pciidexsys does not enumerate the channel.

vista troubleshooting guide for this error

Because atapisys and ataportsys never run the stm method as long as there is i o on the channel, the stm method does not have to clear the ide decode enable bit. Therefore, BIOS manufacturers should not clear the ide decode enable bit in the stm method.

Path maximum transmission unit black hole router detection.The following is a list of black hole router detection changes that are included in windows server 2003 sp2.

By default, black hole detection is turned on.

Black hole probing is performed only for connections in established or advanced states.

Black hole probing is performed only for connections on which there is no full-size segment acknowledgement.

If black hole probing fails, the tcp maximum segment size of the connection is restored to what it used to be before probing.

• With black hole router detection turned off in versions of Windows that are earlier than windows server 2003 sp2, a connection times out approximately after 63 rtt. In windows server 2003 sp2, connections time out after 71 * rtt.

Remove Hibernation in Windows Vista troubleshooting

Hibernation is not made unavailable when you set the value of the hibernate after setting to never by using the power options item in windows vista control panel.

To make hibernation unavailable on windows vista, follow these steps:

1. Click start, and then type cmd in the start search box.

2. In the search results list, right-click command prompt, and then click run as administrator.

3. When you are prompted by user account control, click continue.

4. At the command prompt, type powercfg.exe hibernate off, and then press enter.

5. Type exit, and then press enter.

To make hibernation available, follow these steps for vista troubleshooting:

1. Click start on windows vista, and then type cmd in the start search box.

2. In the search results list, right-click command prompt, and then click run as administrator.

3. When you are prompted by user account control, clicks continue.

4. At the command prompt, type powercfg.exe hibernates on, and then press enter.

5. Type exit, and then press enter to close the command prompt window.

Troubleshooting Problems, Troubleshooting, Vista, Windows

Nothing could have been more frustrating than a PC slow speed for people who use computer constantly. If their computer slows down, they may often wonder, “how to optimize Windows Vista?” Therefore, if you are one of those people who use computer continually and want to find a solution in increasing PC speed, you need to take certain tips to ensure its stable and fast performance.

The Following are some PC Troubleshooting tips in optimizing Windows Vista. What is more, these steps are extremely easy to follow and do not required you to be a computer expert.

1. Remove the extra programs on Windows start up. The automatically launching program during the startup will prolong the system booting process. To get worse, some programs have conflicts with the system thus slow it down dramatically. So you should optimize your Windows Vista by reducing excessive programs on startup. 

2. Get a smart anti-virus program to protect your computer from virus, adware and malware which might sneak into your system and slow down your PC speed without your awareness. However, the infected files might get into your computer whenever you watch movies, download music or browse all kinds of websites online. So it is necessary for you to install an anti-virus program to optimize your Windows Vista and obtain the real-time protection. 

3. Run a routine Disk cleanup to free up more space on your hard drive to improve your system capacity and make it run at optimal performance.

4. Run a free registry scan of Windows registry. Over time, the accumulated registry errors are  the most common reasons for system slow speed. If the you do not clean them up in time, you will continue to tolerate the sluggish PC performance.

If the above solutions cannot rectify your problem, more detailed information of PC troubleshooting tips on optimizing your Windows Vista can be found here. Just click here to increase your PC speed in minutes!  

Troubleshooting Increasing, optimize, speed, Tips, Troubleshooting, Vista, Windows