A comprehensive troubleshooting manual for PC users of all levels, from beginners to experienced users. This 400-page guide covers hardware issues, system problems, networking, security, and software troubleshooting. The manual provides practical solutions for diagnosing and resolving common PC failures, including component and driver installation, startup problems, video card issues, hard disk errors, USB peripheral problems, and printing issues. The guide also addresses system identification, network configuration, firewall setup, virus protection, backup and restoration procedures. Additional sections cover Internet Explorer, Windows Mail, and Microsoft Office 2007 applications including Word and Excel. Each chapter includes checklists and frequently asked questions. The guide features clear explanations with practical examples and is structured to help users quickly find solutions to their specific problems. Technical support information and online resources are provided throughout.

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1 - Hardware .... page 9
Detail of components and drivers .... page 10
Detecting a poorly installed peripheral or encountering driver problems .... page 13
Updating a peripheral driver .... page 15
Identifying different hardware-related failures (during Vista startup) .... page 17
Determining the origin of the failure during computer startup .... page 17
Allowing the computer to boot from the Windows Vista installation DVD .... page 21
Hard disk invisible problem under Windows Vista .... page 23
Solving video card problems .... page 27
The video card produces no display .... page 27
Display is limited under Windows Vista .... page 28
Correcting and preventing problems related to hard drives .... page 33
Solving a problem related to a missing file at Vista startup .... page 33
Solving a problem caused by a hard drive failure .... page 37
Preventing failures due to fragmentation .... page 42
Diagnosing and correcting a memory problem .... page 44
Physical memory problems .... page 44
Using the ReadyBoost function .... page 47
Solving USB peripheral problems .... page 50
Case of a peripheral that refuses to be recognized even with the correct driver .... page 50
Avoiding data loss when disconnecting a storage peripheral .... page 52
Solving printing problems .... page 54
Resetting the print spooler .... page 55
Check-list .... page 56
Chapter 2 - Identifying system problems on Windows Vista .... page 57
Solving problems related to system startup .... page 58
Advanced startup options .... page 58
Configuring Vista startup with Msconfig .... page 65
Windows Vista diagnostic tools .... page 69
Using the Event Viewer .... page 69
Using Microsoft problem resolution .... page 75
Reliability monitor and performance analyzer .... page 81
Identifying a problematic process .... page 92
Solving problems related to user accounts .... page 94
Description of User Account Control .... page 95
Working with a standard user account .... page 97
Working with an administrator account but limiting UAC interventions .... page 98
Removing User Account Control .... page 101
Solving file problems .... page 103
Moving personal data from one user to another hard drive or partition .... page 103
Solving file association problems .... page 106
Check-list .... page 108
Chapter 3 - Networking .... page 109
Internet network .... page 110
Sharing your Internet connection with other machines .... page 110
Routers and other Internet boxes .... page 115
Local network .... page 116
Components of a local network .... page 116
Different states of a network card .... page 117
Troubleshooting a wired network .... page 118
Wi-Fi network .... page 120
Network and Sharing Center .... page 122
Network locations .... page 122
Network discovery .... page 124
File and printer sharing .... page 126
Firewall .... page 141
Windows simplified firewall .... page 141
Windows advanced firewall .... page 146
Remote control .... page 152
Remote Desktop .... page 152
Remote Assistance .... page 158
Requesting assistance by email .... page 159
Check-list .... page 160
Chapter 4 - Security .... page 163
Retrieving and installing Windows Vista Service Packs .... page 164
Preventing password loss .... page 167
Creating a backup of the administrator account password .... page 167
Using a password reset disk to connect after losing your administrator account password .... page 169
Avoiding intrusions on your machine .... page 172
Windows Vista Security Center .... page 173
Blocking intrusions using Windows firewall .... page 174
Protecting your machine from viruses and spyware .... page 177
Windows Defender (protection against spyware) .... page 178
Analyzing and searching for spyware on your PC .... page 182
Configuring antivirus software with Windows Security Center .... page 185
Reacting in case of viral attack .... page 187
Removing Windows Security Center notifications .... page 188
Problem following an automatic Windows Vista update .... page 189
Backing up and restoring your machine .... page 191
Backing up and restoring the Registry .... page 192
Backing up and restoring your data .... page 195
Complete computer backup and restoration .... page 201
System optimization .... page 208
Hard drive optimization .... page 208
Windows Vista loading optimization .... page 211
Windows Vista optimization for daily operation .... page 218
Check-list .... page 223
Chapter 5 - Software failures .... page 225
My program no longer starts .... page 226
My program does not start .... page 227
Installing or uninstalling software correctly .... page 227
Reports and solutions to problems .... page 228
Consulting the event log .... page 230
Auto diagnostic or auto repair .... page 231
Using a restore point .... page 232
Interacting with compatibility properties .... page 233
Creating a restore point .... page 240
Uninstalling software .... page 242
Installing software .... page 245
Configuring a program to correct errors .... page 247
Emulating another operating system with Virtual PC 2007 .... page 248
Diagnosing and repairing Microsoft Office 2007 .... page 258
Cohabitation problem with previous versions of Office .... page 262
File exchange problems with files created with Office 2007 .... page 263
Applying mass corrections for Office 2007 with Service Pack 1 .... page 264
Word processing (Microsoft Office Word 2007) .... page 265
My correspondents cannot read my documents .... page 265
Repairing a Word file .... page 267
Activating automatic document recovery .... page 270
Word document illegible when opening via Explorer .... page 271
Images do not display in a document .... page 273
Symbols appear in my document .... page 274
Removing default line spacing .... page 276
Cannot find politeness formula insertion .... page 278
When I type a word in my document, another word appears .... page 280
When typing a character, I erase the present character .... page 281
The command Ribbon has disappeared .... page 282
Using the Word 2007 publisher knowledge base .... page 283
Spreadsheet (Microsoft Office Excel 2007) .... page 284
Cannot freeze multiple rows or columns .... page 285
Cannot visualize all my data in a column .... page 286
Hidden columns or rows .... page 287
Cannot see calculation results but my formulas .... page 288
Cannot modify cell formatting .... page 289
Using the Excel 2007 publisher knowledge base .... page 290
Check-list .... page 291
Installing or uninstalling software correctly .... page 291
Word processing (Microsoft Office Word 2007) .... page 292
Spreadsheet (Microsoft Office Excel 2007) .... page 292
Chapter 6 - Internet applications .... page 293
Internet Explorer .... page 294
Web page cannot be displayed .... page 294
Clearing browsing history with Internet Explorer .... page 302
Resetting Internet Explorer parameters .... page 304
Disabling Internet Explorer 7 .... page 306
Changing Work offline status of Internet Explorer .... page 308
Web page display problems related to security .... page 309
Partial display of a web page .... page 323
Missing complementary modules .... page 330
Display problem with secure pages .... page 336
Various problems with Internet Explorer .... page 342
Disabling and/or uninstalling toolbars added to Internet Explorer .... page 346
Windows Mail .... page 348
Mailbox synchronization problem .... page 348
Authorizing a sender .... page 353
Protecting your

PC Troubleshooting Complete Guide - 3rd Edition

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