Chapter 17: Troubleshooting OSs (comptia A+ cert)

Ways to access Windows Recovery (WinRE)

1. Boot from Windows installation media and select "Repair" 2. "Repair your Computer" option from Advanced Boot Options (F8) Menu 3. Control Panel -> System and Security -> Backup and Restore -> Create a System repair disk/image

Kernel Panic

BSOD equivalent for Linux systems

hardware or CMOS problem

Black screen with an "invalid boot disk" error message indicates what?

GRUB

Boot Manager for Linux systems

bootrec /ScanOs

Bootrec command that scans all disks for Windows installations and displays them to you.

bootrec /rebuildbcd

Bootrec command that scans all disks for Windows installations and prompts you to pick the ones you want to add to the BCD.

bootrec /fixmbr

Bootrec command to fix the master boot record

bootrec /FixBoot

Bootrec command which writes a boot sector onto the system partition to start Windows

bcdedit

Command-line tool to make changed to BCD stores. What is the command to access this tool?

Performance Information and Tools

Control panel applet that rates your computer's performance compared to other systems using the Windows Experience Index

Missing Boot.ini (or NTLDR in older systems)

Error message which means the computer cannot find and therefore cannot boot the OS - means there are files missing

System Restore (or System Image Recovery)

Feature that enables users to go back to a previous timepoint (image of HDD)

Safe Mode

Feature that loads only very basic drivers to troubleshoot boot/driver problems

Boot Configuration Data (BCD Store)

Files that contain info about the OS. A firmware-independent database for boot-time configuration data. It is used by Microsoft's new Windows Boot Manager and replaces the boot.ini that was used by NTLDR.

sudo grub-install

Linux command to repair the GRUB

Force Quit

Mac tool for application problems, accessed by pressing option + command + esc to access it

fixmbr

Recovery Console command to fix the master record (generally to fix a No Boot Device error)

bootcfg

Recovery Console command used to build or modify the boot.ini file (/rebuild), a hidden file that is used to identify in what folder, on which partition, and on which hard drive Windows is located. This is also accessible from the command prompt via what command?

ntdetect

Recovery console command to find the NTLDR and fix it

Recovery Console

Repair menu for a boot error - available from the OS installation CD-Rom

Windows Recovery (WinRE)

The repair tools powered by WinPE

bootrec

The ultimate tool for boot problems (including master boot record, boot sector, and BCD store). WHat is the command to access this tool from the command prompt?

Startup Repair

Utility which can repair a corrupted registry, critical boot files, rollback drivers, run chkdsk, run memory test, etc. - nearly any boot problem. This tool should be run first in case of any boot issues

System Protection

Windows 7 feature that allows user to right-click a file and restore a previous version

Windows Memory Diagnostic (Tool) (mdsched.msc)

Windows tool specifically for checking errors in RAM/memory (generally useless tool according to mike myers)

Problem Reports (called Problem Reports and Solutions in WinVista)

control panel applet to see all error reports and issues

Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE)

limited function graphical operating system that contains both troubleshooting and diagnostic tools, and installation options, for your OS