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Backups & Data Recovery Article Last Reviewed August 2009	Add To My Personal Library
Recover From System Failure

Serious problems have serious causes, and identifying those causes is an important part of the recovery process. Fortunately, the list of causes is quite limited. We've identified four events that cause the majority of serious PC problems: system distress, data loss or corruption, incorrect settings, and software or hardware failure.

Types Of Serious Problems

System distress. Computers have physical limitations. Memory capacity, storage capacity, and processing capabilities dictate the most significant of these limitations. When you attempt to push a PC beyond its limitations, you greatly increase the odds of experiencing a serious problem. The computer may freeze, generate error messages, or crash.

Most of the time, system distress is a minor problem from which you can recover simply by rebooting the computer. But on occasion the stress becomes entrenched, such as when there are too many programs in the Startup folder. In such cases, a minor problem becomes a serious one that manifests itself every time you try to use your computer.

Data loss or corruption. The performance of your system depends on the integrity of billions of binary digits, called bits, all of which are represented as electronic pulses on a magnetized platter inside the hard drive. If just one of these bits were to bite the dust, you could end up with programs that don't work, a computer that doesn't start, hardware that doesn't respond, and other serious PC problems. Does that scare you? It should, especially when you consider the list of potential threats.

Data loss and corruption may result from software bugs, user operating errors, system stress, and general wear and tear on the hardware. And then there are computer viruses, self-replicating bits of code that infect PCs and wreak all sorts of havoc, including data destruction. Viruses, along with equally malicious worms and Trojan horses, represent the most serious threat to your data because the damage can spread so quickly and quietly.

Antivirus software is a security staple. If you don't have an antivirus application installed on your PC, download a free, streamlined program or buy a full-featured version today.

Incorrect settings. The computer's system settings are like driving directions: They must be accurate and complete in order for the PC to take you where you need to go. Microsoft optimizes the OS' (operating system's) default settings for the best performance, but these settings change as you use and modify your computer and its contents. A software installation may lead to revisions in the Windows Registry, for instance, whereas a desire for greater operating efficiency may prompt you to update the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) settings manually.

The goal of changing any settings is improved performance. Unfortunately, that may not always happen. Incorrect settings can prevent you from opening a favorite program, accessing the network or the Internet, or even starting your computer. The remedy is simple: Restore the settings to a working configuration. That's easier said than done, though, especially if you don't know which settings caused the problem. (We'll provide more details about this in the "Crash Control" section of this article.)

Software and hardware failure. All of your PC's components have important roles to play. You can't expect to receive peak performance from a computer hobbled by hardware and software malfunctions.

Software typically fails because of programming flaws or improper installation. Hardware components fail from regular wear and tear or some sort of compatibility conflict with the rest of the system. Whatever the reason for the software or hardware failure, you must identify the failure and fix it if you want your computer to operate as it should. Keep an eye out for the warning signs, especially unresponsive hardware components and error messages indicating that the software is not working properly. (For more information, see the articles in the "Error Messages" section of our Tech Support Center.)

Crash Control

After determining that you have a serious PC problem on your hands, you need to control the damage and make repairs. This is where things can get tricky, as few computer problems have clear symptoms and obvious solutions. To assist you in your endeavor, we developed a step-by-step program to guide you through the process of getting your system back to normal.

Assess the situation. What happened? That's what you have to figure out. Start by identifying the symptoms that revealed the existence of a problem. Was it an error message? If so, write it down verbatim. Did your computer freeze up or crash? If so, make a note of what you were doing when the computer stopped working. The more detail you can provide here, the better.

Serious problems that crop up after you delete a program from your PC might be due to errors that occurred during the uninstall. You may be able to fix the situation by reinstalling the software and then using Vista's Uninstall Or Change A Program utility to uninstall the program again.

While you're at it, take a moment to recall any recent system changes. The addition of new software or hardware, the removal of old software or hardware, and changes to system settings may trigger a variety of PC problems.

Address the obvious. Attempting a significant repair to your system without first checking for unplugged power cords, loose cable connections, and other obvious trouble spots is like scheduling a lobotomy to cure a headache without first taking two aspirin to see whether that relieves the pain. Always, always, always try the free and easy solution before proceeding with one that is costly and difficult. Refer to the "Eliminate The Obvious Culprits" sidebar for a list of steps you can take to address the obvious.

Give it the reboot. Another thing you should do in response to a PC problem is reboot the computer. Or if the computer failed to start the first time around, you should attempt to boot the computer again. How the PC responds to this effort says a lot about the magnitude of the problem. If the computer starts as it should, you are probably dealing with a minor problem. If the computer fails to boot or if it boots but does not run as it should, you most likely have a serious problem.

If the computer fails to start at all, you have two options for gaining access to your data. You can either start the computer in Safe Mode or boot the computer with a bootable diskette. See the "Create Emergency Boot Disks" article in our Tech Support Center.

Read the manual. The typical users manual contains a troubleshooting chapter that identifies common problems and provides recommended solutions. A similarly fruitful resource for troubleshooting help is the product's FAQs, which you should be able to find online at the hardware manufacturer or software developer's Web site.

Even if these resources don't include a solution to your particular problem, they may provide information that can focus your troubleshooting efforts in the right direction.

Exterminate viruses. Viruses are among the most insidious problems because they continue to replicate until you remove them from your computer. Finding them is therefore a top priority when troubleshooting your PC. You need a little help doing that, though, as many viruses are designed to operate below the radar until after they cause significant damage. We suggest using an updated antivirus utility to scan the contents of your PC's various storage drives for the presence of malicious code.

The System Configuration Utility lets you modify system settings quickly and easily. Give it a try before making wholesale changes to the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) or Registry.

Fix software. Software-related problems fall into four categories: those you can solve by reinstalling a program, those you can solve by uninstalling a program, those you can solve by updating a program, and those you can solve by properly interpreting the contents of an error message.

The problems that revolve around the installation or uninstallation of software are the easiest to spot because they typically occur shortly after you install or uninstall the offending program. Your best recourse in these situations is to remove or reinstall the software from your system (whichever is appropriate) and make a second attempt at installing or uninstalling it. If that doesn't work, you may need to update your computer's older programs, some of which might conflict with the newest software additions to your system.

Arguably, the most complicated software-related problems are those that involve error messages. Not only must you be able to interpret the contents of these messages but you also must know how to respond to what the messages are trying to tell you.

Fix hardware. A hardware component that gums up your system is either shot, improperly installed, or not communicating with the rest of your PC. You have the pleasure of figuring out which of these is the case and how to fix it.

Start by focusing your attention on the hardware you recently installed and then update the device drivers for the older hardware components within the system. For more information about sorting out hardware-related problems, see our "Common Problems/Frequently Asked Questions," "Basic Troubleshooting Articles," and "Articles On How To Install . . . Just About Anything" in our Tech Support Center.

Clear out the startup. Part of the Windows startup routine involves launching all of the programs contained in the Startup folder. Many of these programs operate in the background, so you may not even know they're running. Your PC knows, however, and the weight of these programs may have it huffing and puffing before you open any applications of your own.

Edit system settings. Under normal circumstances, we would hesitate to recommend making changes to system settings, but when your computer experiences a major setback and none of the preceding steps can rectify the situation, then it's time to take extraordinary measures. The first place to start is with the System Configuration Utility, a troubleshooting tool that automates the process of identifying and fixing problems with system files. See our "Basic Troubleshooting Articles" section of our Tech Support Center for more information about the System Configuration Utility.

If that doesn't work, you should turn your attention to the Registry and BIOS settings. These advanced settings govern your system's startup routine and play a significant role in just about everything else your computer does. For more information about editing the Registry and BIOS, see our "Common Problems/Frequently Asked Questions" and "Basic Troubleshooting Articles" sections in our Tech Support Center.

Consider formatting the hard drive. For many computer users, "format" is a scary word. Yet, there are times when this DOS command can prove mighty helpful. For example, you should consider reformatting your hard drive and starting over if the MBR (master boot record; a hard drive marker that helps the PC find data on the drive) is damaged or if a virus has decimated a great deal of your data on the drive.

Reformatting a drive effectively strips it of all data and prepares it to accept new data. The easiest way to reformat the drive is with the FORMAT command.

A Call For Help

The last step involves asking for assistance from an outside source. The best help will probably come from your computer manufacturer, but you may choose to contact the relevant hardware manufacturer or software developer if you can trace your problem to a particular part of your computer.

In any case, you should have the names, versions, and serial numbers of the troublesome products on hand when you make the call. You also should be prepared to recite an account of the troubleshooting steps you've taken so far. This will make it easier for the support technician to provide the service you need. In addition, you should expect to pay a fee for the help you receive because many software developers and hardware manufacturers now charge for phone-based technical assistance. (That last little nugget of information may just inspire you to review our do-it-yourself troubleshooting steps one more time.)

by Jeff Dodd

Eliminate The Obvious Culprits

Always address the obvious trouble spots before engaging in serious troubleshooting tactics. You'll save time, money, and embarrassment if you can fix the following problems yourself.

1. Check for floppy diskettes in the diskette drive.

Leaving a diskette in its drive can hamper your attempts at booting the computer. Remove the diskette from its drive�and, while you're at it, remove the disc from your optical drive�before rebooting your PC.

2. Check for power.

The computer must have a live electrical source to work properly. If your PC won't start, look for unplugged power cables, broken electrical circuits, malfunctioning power strips, local blackouts, and any other object or event that may have interrupted the flow of electricity to your computer.

3. Check for loose cable connections.

If your PC won't start or you can't access a particular component, make sure your cable connections are tight. Start with the external connections, including those between the PC and the monitor, the printer, and all USB (Universal Serial Bus) devices. Then, open your computer and make sure your expansion cards sit properly in their slots and the data cables and electrical cables securely connect to their drives.

4. Check the monitor settings.

You might be able to fix a seemingly dead or ailing monitor simply by adjusting the Brightness, Color, Contrast, and other monitor settings. Review the monitor's users manual for instructions on how to adjust the settings for your particular monitor.

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