Using System Information

The Windows System Information utility provides you with a powerful way to view the following details about your system:

• Basic hardware configuration • Installed hardware

• Installed software

• Current software environment, including startup programs and running services

• Internet settings • System problems TABLE 2.5 (continued)

STARTING OTHER WINDOWS DIAGNOSTIC, REPORTING,

AND REPAIR TOOLS

In addition, the Tools menu enables you to run a variety of additional diagnostic programs, including these:

• Net Diagnostics • System Restore

• File Signature Verification Tool • DirectX Diagnostic Tool • Dr. Watson

After you start System Information, the System Summary screen appears (see Figure 2.23). This displays your operating system ver- sion, computer name, motherboard brand and model, processor type and speed, Windows folder, boot drive, username, physical and virtual memory, and the location of the page file.

FIGURE 2.23

The System Summary screen in the Windows XP version of System Information.

Use Find What to locate specific information about your system

Click Hardware Resources and select a subcategory to see the resources (IRQ, DMA, I/O port address, memory) that are used by dif- ferent devices.

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Watch Out for Forced Hardware

Forced Hardware is Windows’s term for devices that have been manually

configured to use particular hardware resources instead of using the device’s normal Windows Plug and Play settings. Forced Hardware set- tings are not recommended because they can cause conflicts with other devices.

If you see a device listed in the Forced Hardware category, open Device Manager to confirm that it works correctly. If Device Manager reports problems, open the device’s properties sheet, click Resources, and click Use Automatic Settings to allow Windows to configure the device. Restart the computer if necessary.

To learn more about the devices installed on your computer, click Components to open the category, then navigate through the subcate- gories and device types to see the name of the device, its driver, its features, and the hardware resources it uses. The exact information provided will vary with the device type. For example, network adapters display IP address and MAC address information, whereas modems display the AT commands they use to activate major features.

Faster Access to the Facts You Need from System Information

If you’re concerned primarily about devices with problems, go directly to Problem Devices to see the device, its PnP Device ID, and a description of its problem.

If all you know about a problem is a single bit of information (such as IP address or PnP Device ID), enter that information into the Find What window at the bottom of the System Information display and click Find to locate the device or program in question.

Use the Software Environment categories to determine the software running on your system at startup, details about the driver software used to control hardware, current tasks, and other information. Use Internet Settings to learn how IE and other Internet tools are config- ured. In many cases, you might find that running System Information is faster than navigating through Computer Management, Internet Explorer or Internet properties settings, Device Manager, and other programs to learn about your system.

To access the tools discussed in the following sections, click Tools and select from the tools listed.

Using Net Diagnostics

Net Diagnostics runs a series of tests on your network, broadband, and dial-up Internet connections to determine whether they are work- ing correctly. Net Diagnostics also checks software configurations for mail and news servers to see if they are properly configured (see Figure 2.24). You should start your dial-up or broadband Internet con- nection before you start Net Diagnostics.

FIGURE 2.24

An incorrect setting for the news server causes this service to fail.

Invalid news server name

FAILED classification caused by invalid news server name

Click the plus sign (+) next to a category to expand it for more infor- mation, particularly if it’s marked as FAILED. If a failed message appears next to a mail or news server, check the spelling of the name; if the name is incorrectly spelled, Windows can’t find the resource. Open your default mail or news reader software (Outlook Express is included with Windows XP, though you might be running a full version of Outlook or another email client) and correct the spelling. If the spelling is correct, the remote server might not be responding.

If you see a FAILED message for hardware such as your network adapter or modem, use Device Manager to diagnose the problem.

Using System Restore

System Restore enables you to fix problems caused by a defective hardware or software installation by resetting your computer’s configu- ration to the way it was at a specified earlier time. Restore points can be created by the user with System Restore, and they are also created by the system before new hardware or software is installed.

Here’s how to create a restore point:

1. Start System Restore from the System Information Tools menu (see Figure 2.25).

2. Click Create a Restore Point and then click Next.

3. Enter a descriptive name for the restore point, such as “Before I installed DuzItAll Version 1.0,” and click Create.

4. The computer’s current hardware and software configuration is stored as a new restore point.

FIGURE 2.25

The main menu of the System Restore program.

Creates a restore point (use before you install new hardware or software) Restores computer to a specified restore point

Configures System Restore

To restore your system to an earlier condition, follow these steps:

1. Start System Restore.

3. Select a date from the calendar (dates that have restore points are in bold text).

4. Select a restore point and click Next (see Figure 2.26).

5. Close any open programs and save your work before you click Next to start the process; Windows will shut down and restart.

6. Click OK to close the System Restore program after the com- puter restarts.

FIGURE 2.26

Choosing a restore point.

Date with restore point(s) available

Date with no restore points available

Selected restore point

What System Restore Keeps—and Takes Away

You can’t lose data by using System Restore, but all programs and hardware installed after a specified restore point must be reinstalled if you restore your system to that point. Although the program files remain on the system, Windows can’t use the program because the Registry entries and shortcuts have been removed. Be sure to note the location of the program and specify the same location when you reinstall the program so that the new installation will replace the old installation and not use additional disk space.

If System Restore is not available, it might be turned off. You can enable System Restore or change the amount of disk space it uses

with the System Restore tab on the System properties sheet; click System Restore Settings from the main menu of System Restore to adjust these settings (refer to Figure 2.25).

Using File Signature Verification

The default setting for File Signature Verification checks for system files that lack digital signatures. Use this feature to determine whether your Windows installation might be corrupted by the use of out-of-date system files that some older programs may have installed. To determine if you are using unsigned driver files, click the Advanced button and select Look for Other Files That Are Not Digitally Signed. After you configure Advanced options, click OK, then Start. A status bar informs you of the progress of the scan. Click OK to accept the results of the scan. Click Advanced, Logging, View Log to see detailed results.

To fix problems that could be caused by unsigned files, you can do either of the following:

• Use the Update Driver feature in a device’s properties sheet (Device Manager) after you download a digitally signed file. • Run System File Checker (SFC) to replace an unsigned system

file with the correct version.

Using DirectX Diagnostics

Use DirectX Diagnostics to determine if DirectX (the software compo- nent Windows uses for 3D graphics and sound, game controllers, and multimedia) is working correctly. DirectX Diagnostics has a multiple-tab dialog (see Figure 2.27):

• System—A summary of system hardware and Windows version. • DirectX Files—A listing of files and version numbers and a report

of any file problems.

• Display—Information about your displays (multiple-display systems have a tab for each display), a report of any problems detected, and options to test DirectDraw and Direct3D operations.

• Sound—Information about your sound card, a report of any prob- lems found, and an option to test DirectSound.

➔

File Checker,” this chapter, p. 122, for details.

• Music—Information about MIDI and Wave playback features of your sound hardware, a report of any problems found, and an option to test DirectMusic.

• Input—Information about all input devices and a report of any problems found.

• Network—Information on DirectPlay service providers, a report of any problems found, and an option to test DirectPlay.

• More Help—Options to run the DirectX and Sound troubleshoot- ers, to access System Information, and to adjust the DirectDraw screen refresh rate.

FIGURE 2.27

DirectX Diagnostics after testing DirectDraw and Direct3D.

Problem notifications and test advice Test buttons Menu access tabs

DirectX Diagnostics can warn you of driver problems and provides you with a way to test your DirectX features. Replace unsigned or defec- tive drivers if you are having problems in DirectX-compatible software (game and multimedia titles). If your computer fails one or more DirectX tests, download and install the latest version of DirectX from Microsoft.

Two, Two, Two DirectX Diagnostics in One

When you run DirectX Diagnostics on the x64 Edition, it runs the 32-bit version (which supports 32-bit games and 3D applications). To test the 64-bit version, just click the Run 64-bit DxDiag button next to the Help button. The diagnostic tests and user interface are otherwise identical between versions.

Getting the Latest Information on DirectX

Download the latest version of DirectX, get technical help, and learn more about DirectX at the Microsoft DirectX website:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/default.aspx