Article ID: 308041 - View products that this article applies to.
To continue receiving security updates for Windows, make sure you're running Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (SP3). For more information, refer to this Microsoft web page: Support is ending for some versions of Windows
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INTRODUCTION
This article describes how to troubleshoot difficulties that may occur when you try to start Windows XP. This article is intended for advanced computer users. If you are not comfortable with advanced troubleshooting, you might want to ask someone for help or contact support. For information about how to contact support, please visit the following Microsoft Web site: http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/ Back to the top | Give Feedback
MORE INFORMATION
Configure Windows not to load the file or the service that is mentioned in the error message
If the error message refers to a file or service, the file or service may be listed on one of the tabs in the System Configuration Utility (Msconfig.exe). If the file or service is listed, turn it off by following the procedure that is outlined in the article below. If the file or service is not listed, continue with the next troubleshooting step in this article. For more information about how to turn off a file or service by using the System Configuration Utility, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 310353 How to configure Windows XP to start in a "clean boot" state For more information about how to turn off services by using Computer Management, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 310602 How to disable a service or device that prevents Windows from starting Contact the manufacturer of the faulty service for more assistance.
Note For more information about the file or service that is causing the problem, contact a Microsoft Product Support Services professional for help. For information about how to contact a Support Services professional, visit the following Microsoft Web site: http://www.microsoft.com/support If the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of your computer installed Windows XP for you, call them for help with this issue.
You can use the System Restore tool to return your computer to a previous working state. System Restore takes a "snapshot" of critical system files and some program files and stores this information as restore points. You can use these restore points to return Windows XP to a previous state. For additional information about how to use the System Restore tool, see article 305084 in the "Recommended Microsoft Knowledge Base articles" section. For additional information about System Restore, click Help and Support on the Start menu. In the Search box, type system restore, and then click OK.
Use the Last Known Good Configuration tool to restore the operation of Windows XP
If Windows does not start, try to restore operation of Windows XP by using the Last Known Good configuration. To do this, follow these steps: 1. Start the computer, and then press the F8 key when Windows begins to start. The Windows Advanced Options menu appears. 2. Use the ARROW keys to select Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked), and then click OK. 3. If a start menu appears, use the ARROW keys to select Microsoft Windows XP, and then click OK Windows XP starts your computer by using the registry information that was saved at the last shutdown.
Note An insufficiently charged or damaged internal battery may corrupt the CMOS or BIOS settings.
After an upgrade, programs that previously loaded during startup no longer start
After you upgrade your computer from Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, or Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition to Windows XP, the programs that previously loaded during the startup process may not be listed in the notification area (at the far right of the taskbar), and they do not start automatically when you start your computer.
To continue receiving security updates for Windows, make sure you're running Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (SP3). For more information, refer to this Microsoft web page: Support is ending for some versions of Windows
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MORE INFORMATION
You receive an error message when you shut down or restart the computer
To resolve this issue, use either of the methods.
Method 1: Configure Windows so that it does not load the file or the service mentioned in the error message
If the error message refers to a file or service, the file or service may be listed on one of the tabs in the System Configuration utility (Msconfig.exe). If the file or service is listed, follow the procedure outlined in the second article mentioned in this section to turn it off. If the file or service is not listed, continue with the next troubleshooting step in this article. For more information about disabling a file or service using the System Configuration utility, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 310353 How to perform a clean boot in Windows XP For more information about how to turn off services using Computer Management, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 310602 How to disable a service or device that prevents Windows from starting Contact the manufacturer of the faulty service for more information. Note For more information about the file or service that is causing the problem, contact a Microsoft Customer Support Services professional for help. For information about how to contact a Support Services professional, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://support.microsoft.com If the OEM of your computer installed Windows XP, contact this manufacturer for help with this issue.
Method 2: See whether a program has recently been removed from the computer
If you recently removed a program or a Windows component from the computer by deleting it manually, related information that is still on your computer may be causing the problem. Reinstall the program or component, and then either use the Add or Remove Programs tool or follow the manufacturer's instructions to remove it. To remove a program from the computer: 1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Add or Remove Programs. 2. In the list of programs, click the program that you want to remove, and then click Change/Remove. 3. Click Yes when you are prompted to confirm if you want to remove the program. If the program is not listed in the Add or Remove Programs tool, contact the manufacturer to obtain instructions for removing it.
The computer stops responding when you try to shut down or restart the computer
To resolve this problem, use any of the methods that are described in the following sections.
Method 1: Try to shut down or restart the computer from safe mode
For more information about troubleshooting Windows XP by using safe mode, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 315222 A description of the safe mode boot options in Windows XP 310602 How to disable a service or device that prevents Windows from starting Note If you can shut down or restart your computer from safe mode, continue to the next section to troubleshoot possible driver issues.
Method 2: Use Device Manager to determine if the problem is related to a device driver
You can use Device Manager to examine and change devices that are configured by software. Note that if the hardware device uses jumper pins or dip switches, you must configure the device manually. For more information, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 310126 Troubleshooting device conflicts with Device Manager 314464 How to troubleshoot unknown devices listed in Device Manager
You can use the System Restore tool to return your computer to a previous working state. System Restore takes a "snapshot" of critical system files and some program files and stores this information as restore points. You can use these restore points to return Windows XP to a previous state. For more information about using the System Restore tool, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 306084 How to restore the operating system to a previous state in Windows XP For additional information about System Restore, click Help and Support on the Start menu. In the Search box, type system restore, and then press ENTER.
Method 4: Try to restore operation of Windows XP by using the Last Known Good Configuration functionality
If Windows does not start, restart Windows by using the Last Known Good Configuration functionality: 1. Start the computer, and when Windows begins to start, press F8 to make the Windows Advanced Options menu appear. 2. Use the arrow keys to select Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked), and then press ENTER. 3. If a Boot menu appears, use the arrow keys to select Microsoft Windows XP, and then press ENTER. Windows XP starts your computer by using the registry information that was saved at the last shutdown.
Note A damaged or insufficiently charged internal battery can corrupt CMOS or BIOS settings.
Method 7: Confirm that your hard disk or file system is not damaged
You may be able to resolve the problem if you start your computer from the Windows XP CD-ROM, load the Microsoft Recovery Console, and then use the Chkdsk command line utility. Important Microsoft recommends that only advanced users or administrators use the Recovery Console. You must know the administrator's password to use the Recovery Console. For more information about how to check and repair a damaged hard disk using Chkdsk, see the 'Using the Recovery Console' and 'Using the Recovery Console Command Prompt' sections in the following article, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 307654 How to install and use the Recovery Console in Windows XP Note If the Chkdsk command reports that it cannot access your hard disk, you may have a hardware failure. Check all of your cable connections and any jumper settings on your drive. Ask either a computer repair professional or the manufacturer of your computer for more help. If the chkdsk command reports that it was unable to fix all hard drive problems, your file system or Master Boot Record (MBR) may be damaged or be no longer accessible. Explore appropriate Recovery Console commands such as fixmbr and fixboot, contact a data recovery service, or repartition and reformat your hard disk. Note If you repartition and reformat your hard disk, you will lose all of the information on the disk. Important For more help with this issue, contact either your computer manufacturer or a Microsoft Product Support Services professional. Microsoft recommends that you ask only qualified personnel to repair your computer. Computer repair performed by non-qualified personnel can void your computer's warranty.
The computer restarts unexpectedly or restarts when you try to shut down the computer
For more information about unexpected restarts in Windows XP, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 320299 Windows XP restarts unexpectedly or restarts when you shut down the computer
To continue receiving security updates for Windows, make sure you're running Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (SP3). For more information, refer to this Microsoft web page: Support is ending for some versions of Windows
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You can use Guided Help to clean-boot your computer or to restore your computer from a cleanboot state. Guided Help can guide you through the steps, or can automatically perform the steps
for you. Notice that the actions that Guided Help performs can be undone after Guided Help is finished. To undo the actions, run Guided Help again. When you are prompted by Guided Help, click the Normal startup option or the Clean bootoption. For more information about Guided Help, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 915092 Description of Guided Help for Microsoft Knowledge Base articles To start, download Guided Help. To start, click the following link: Download Guided Help
If the guided tour helped you start in a clean-boot state, you are finished with this article. If you have to return your computer to a normal startup state, go to "Steps to configure Windows to use a Normal startup state." If the guided tour did not help, you can try method 2 if you are comfortable trying an advanced method. If you are not comfortable with the advanced steps, go to the "Next Steps" section.
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Click Disable All, and then click OK. When you are prompted, click Restart to restart the computer.
CAUSE
This behavior can occur if hardware or software is installed that installs a device or service that is incompatible with Windows. Back to the top | Give Feedback
RESOLUTION
To resolve this issue, start Recovery Console and log on to the computer: 1. Start your computer with the Windows boot disks, or with the Windows CD-ROM if your computer supports starting from the CD-ROM drive. 2. When the Welcome to Setup dialog box is displayed, press R to repair, and then press C to start Recovery Console. 3. Choose to install Windows and log on to your computer with the Administrator account. 4. From the %SystemRoot%\System32 folder at the command prompt, type listsvc, and then press ENTER. 5. Locate the service or driver that is causing the problem in the list that is provided. NOTE: If you select the wrong service or device, you may experience more problems. Type disable servicename (where servicename is the name of the service), and then press ENTER. NOTE: The disable command prints the old start_type of the service before resetting it to SERVICE_DISABLED. You should record the old start_type, in case you need to re-enable the service. Type exit, and the computer restarts automatically. Allow the computer to boot normally.
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SUMMARY
This article provides steps that you can use to troubleshoot hardware configuration problems by using Device Manager. You can use Device Manager to examine and change software-configurable devices. Note that if your hardware device uses jumper pins or dip switches, you must configure the device manually. Back to the top | Give Feedback
MORE INFORMATION
To start Device Manager: 1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel. 2. Click Performance and Maintenance, and then click System. 3. Click the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager.
Troubleshooting Information
If there is a problem with a device, it is listed in the hardware tree. Also, the problem device has a symbol that indicates the type of problem:
A black exclamation point (!) on a yellow field indicates the device is in a problem state. Note that a device that is in a problem state can be functioning. o A problem code explaining the problem is displayed for the device. o A red "X" indicates a disabled device. A disabled device is a device that is physically present in the computer and is consuming resources, but does not have a protectedmode driver loaded. o A blue "i" on a white field on a device resource in Computer properties indicates that the Use automatic settingsfeature is not selected for the device and that the resource was manually selected. Note that this does not indicate a problem or disabled state. o A green question mark "?" in Device Manager means that a compatible driver for this device is installed, indicating the possibility that all of the functionality may not be available. Note that this applies only to Windows Millennium Edition (Me). NOTE: Some sound cards and video adapters do not report all of the resources that they use to Windows. This can cause Device Manager to show only one device in conflict, or no conflicts at all. This can be verified by disabling the sound card, or by using the standard VGA video driver to see if the conflict is resolved. Note that this is a known problem with S3 video adapters and 16-bit Sound Blaster sound cards, or those sound cards that are using Sound Blaster emulation for Sound Blaster compatibility. When you double click a specific device in Device Manager, you see a property sheet. The property sheet has a Generaltab. o NOTE: Some devices may have other tabs besides the General tab. Not all property sheets have the same tabs; some devices may have a Resources tab, Driver tab, and Settings tab, or some combination of these.
At the top of the property sheet, there is a description of the device. When you click the Resources tab, the window in the middle of the tab indicates which resource types are available for the selected device. The list box at the bottom contains a Conflicting device list. This list indicates a conflict with an error code. Note the Use automatic settings check box. If Windows successfully detects a device, this check box is selected, and the device should function correctly. However, if the resource settings are based on Basic Configuration <n> (where <n> is any number from 0 to 9), it may be necessary to change the configuration by selecting a different basic configuration from the list. If the particular configuration you want for the device is not listed as a basic configuration, it may be possible to click the Change Setting button to manually adjust the resource values.
For example, to edit the Input/Output Range setting: 1. Click the Use automatic settings check box to clear it. 2. Click Change Setting. 3. Click the appropriate I/O range for the device. NOTE: To disable a device in Device Manager, right-click the device, and then click Disable. If the issue continues to occur, you may need to contact the manufacturer of your computer or motherboard to inquire about how to obtain and install a BIOS update for your computer.
To continue receiving security updates for Windows, make sure you're running Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (SP3). For more information, refer to this Microsoft web page: Support is ending for some versions of Windows
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Using Device Manager to manage devices and their drivers require the following permissions, all of which are granted to Administrators: The Load\Unload Drivers privilege. The permissions needed to copy files to the system32\drivers directory. The permissions needed to write settings to the registry. Device Manager allows the following functionality: Determine if the hardware on your computer is working properly. Change hardware configuration settings. Identify the device drivers that are loaded for each device and obtain information about each device driver. Change advanced settings and properties for devices. Install updated device drivers. Disable, enable, and uninstall devices. Reinstall the previous version of a driver. Identify device conflicts and manually configure resource settings. Print a summary of the devices that are installed on your computer. Typically, Device Manager is used to check the status of computer hardware and update device drivers on the computer. If you are an advanced user, and you have a thorough understanding of computer hardware, you can use Device Manager's diagnostic features to resolve device conflicts, and change resource settings. To access Device Manager, use any of the following methods: Click Start, click Run, and then type devmgmt.msc. Right-click My Computer, click Manage, and then click Device Manager. Right-click My Computer, click Properties, click the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager. Type the following command at a command prompt: start devmgmt.msc If you want to access Device Manager on a local or remote computer: 1. Click Start, click Run, and then type mmc. 2. Click Add/Remove Snap In on the File menu (or press CTRL+M), click Add, and then click Device Manager. When you use this procedure, a shortcut to Device Manager is created that you can use to open Device Manager.
quality. A Microsoft digital signature is an assurance that a particular file is from that manufacturer, and that the file has not been altered or overwritten by another program's installation process. Depending on how your computer is configured, Windows either ignores device drivers that are not digitally signed, displays a warning when it detects device drivers that are not digitally signed (the default behavior), or prevents you from installing device drivers without digital signatures.
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Right-click the device for which the previous version of the driver is desired and then click Properties. Click the Drivers tab. Click Roll Back Driver.
Troubleshooting
If the status is Disabled, that is usually the result of user action, and does not necessarily mean that the device has a problem. However, sometimes users disable a device because it was causing a problem, and you should try enabling it to see if it impacts another device negatively. If the device is experiencing a problem, the Device Status box displays the type of problem. You may see a problem code, or number (or both) and a suggested solution. If you call a support line, this number can be useful for determining and diagnosing the problem. Troubleshooting a device requires steps specific to that device. If the Device Status box displays a problem, click Troubleshootto launch the Windows XP troubleshooter for this device type. Supply information and answer questions as prompted. If you cannot resolve the problem with the troubleshooter, contact the manufacturer.
This article was previously published under Q304514 Expand all | Collapse all
SUMMARY
If you require additional device information that is not typically displayed in Device Manager, you can configure Device Manager to show detailed information.
MORE INFORMATION
To configure Device Manager to show details: 1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd.exe, and then press ENTER. 2. Type set DEVMGR_SHOW_DETAILS=1, and then press ENTER. 3. Type start devmgmt.msc, and then press ENTER. In Device Manager the properties for a device should now provide aDetails tab that contains additional information about the device. You can view the Details tab to see the following device information: Device Instance ID Hardware IDs Compatible IDs
Matching Device ID Service Enumerator Capabilities Devnode Flags Config Flags CSConfig Flags Ejection Relations Removal Relations Bus Relations Device Upper Filters Device Lower Filters Class Upper Filters Class Lower Filters Class Installer Class Coinstallers Device Coinstallers Firmware Revision Current Power State Power Capabilities Power State Mappings NOTE: Not all of these properties will be populated for a given device. In other words, although all of these properties are listed, some may not contain information when viewing a particular device.
If you are a Small Business customer, find additional troubleshooting and learning resources at the Support for Small Business site.
To continue receiving security updates for Windows, make sure you're running Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (SP3). For more information, refer to this Microsoft webpage: Support is ending for some versions of Windows
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correctly. It can also change scripts, batch files, and other kinds of executable files on your computer. This article is for a beginning to intermediate computer user.
Note System Restore does not affect personal files, such as email messages, documents, or photos. You can only restore files that you have deleted if you have made backups of those files. Back to the top | Give Feedback
More information
Note To perform the System Restore, you must be logged on to Windows as an administrator. If your computer is part of a network, you might have to ask the system administrator for help. To verify that you are logged on to Windows as an administrator, follow these steps: Click here to view or hide step-by-step instructions with pictures
NEXT STEPS
If these methods did not work for you, you can use the Microsoft Customer Support Services website to find other solutions to your problem. Services that the Microsoft Customer Support Services websites provide include the following: Searchable Knowledge Base: Search technical support information and self-help tools for Microsoft products. Solution Centers: View product-specific frequently asked questions and support highlights. Microsoft Customer Support Newsgroups: Contact other customers, peers, and Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs). Other Support Options: Use the web to ask a question, contact Microsoft Customer Support Services, or provide feedback.
How to start the System Restore tool by using the safe mode option with the Command prompt in Windows XP
Article ID: 304449 - View products that this article applies to.
To continue receiving security updates for Windows, make sure you're running Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (SP3). For more information, refer to this Microsoft web page: Support is ending for some versions of Windows
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MORE INFORMATION
If you are prompted to select an operating system, use the arrow keys to select the appropriate operating system for your computer, and then press ENTER. 4. Log on as an administrator or with an account that has administrator credentials. 5. At the command prompt, type %systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe, and then press ENTER. 6. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to restore your computer to a functional state. Note To start the System Restore tool using another safe mode option, visit the Microsoft Help and Support Web site and see the article "A description of the Safe Mode Boot options in Windows XP." For additional information about the Safe mode with a command prompt, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
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Troubleshooting steps for issues when you try to use the System Restore tool in Windows XP
Article ID: 302796 - View products that this article applies to.
To continue receiving security updates for Windows, make sure you're running Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (SP3). For more information, refer to this Microsoft web page: Support is ending for some versions of Windows
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Introduction
This article describes how to perform troubleshooting steps for issues that may occur when you try to use the System Restore tool in Windows XP. Back to the top | Give Feedback
Where to start
If System Restore does not start, follow these steps: 1. Run Windows Update to check for and to install any system updates. Visit the following Microsoft Web site to check for updates: http://update.microsoft.com 2. If you are prompted, restart the computer. 3. After the computer restarts, click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, click System Tools, and then click System Restore. If System Restore did not start, you can use the "Advanced troubleshooting" section to try to resolve your issue. If you are not comfortable with advanced troubleshooting, you might want to ask someone for help or contact support. For information about how to do this, visit the following Microsoft Web site: http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/ Back to the top | Give Feedback
Advanced troubleshooting
This section is intended for advanced computer users. If you are not comfortable with advanced troubleshooting, you might want to ask someone for help or contact support. For information about how to do this, visit the following Microsoft Web site: http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/
Method 2: Make sure that System Restore is enabled on the drives where you want System Restore enabled
To do this follow these steps: 1. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties. 2. Click the System Restore tab. 3. If the System Restore is enabled, the Status column of a drive will show Monitoring. If not, you can clear to clear the Turn off System Restore on all drives, and then click OK to enable it.
Method 3: Make sure that you have sufficient disk space on all the drives where System Restore is enabled
To do this, follow these steps: 1. To check for free disk space, click Start, click Run, type diskmgmt.msc and then press Enter. Look at each drive System Restore is monitoring for free space. 2. If the free space on any partition system restore is monitoring falls lower than 50 MB, System Restore will suspend and remove all restore points to free disk space. You should have already received a low free disk space message by now. System Restore will resume monitoring when free disk space reaches 200 MB. Note In most cases you do not have to have System Restore monitor Partitions/drives other than the one Windows is installed on. System Restore does not monitor data files.
Method 4: View the event logs to investigate System Restore service errors
To do this, follow these steps: 1. Click Start, click Run, type eventvwr.msc /s in the Open box, and then press Enter. 2. Click the System category. 3. Click the Source tab to sort by name, and then look for "sr" or "srservice." Double-click each of these services, and then evaluate the event description for any indication of the cause of the problem.
Method 5: Boot in safe mode and run the System Restore tool
To boot in safe mode follow these steps: 1. Restart the computer. Immediately after the screen goes blank for the first time, or after the BIOS post ends, start taping the F8 key repeatedly. The Windows Advanced Options menu appears. If the menu does not appear, restart the computer and try again. Select Safe Mode, and then press ENTER. As files load they will scroll down the screen. Note Safe mode uses a minimal set of device drivers and services to start Windows. The default Microsoft VGA driver is used for display at 640 X480 resolution and in 16 colors. Log on to the Administrator account. If a password was never set, leave the password blank and press ENTER or click the green arrow. Click No in the safe mode information screen to start System Restore. Select Restore my computer to an earlier time, and then click Next to proceed to select a date with restore points available. Click Next to begin restoring the system to a previous state.
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SYMPTOMS
When you start the System Restore tool and view the "Select a Restore Point" page, some of your restore points may be missing. Back to the top | Give Feedback
CAUSE
The deletion of restore points may be caused by any one of the following by-design conditions:
You run out of disk space on the system drive or on any one of the available non-system drives, and System Restore stops responding and stops monitoring your system. This behavior causes the system to delete all restore points in an attempt to free up disk space. However, you have probably already received a warning about running low in disk space prior to this point. In this case, when sufficient disk space is freed, System Restore starts to monitor the system again. At this point, it creates an automatic System Checkpoint. Note If you have a multiple-partition computer with a drive that has almost no free space, this drive may cause System Restore to stop responding all across the system and to delete restore points. However, this only occurs if you have reached the minimum disk space that is allowed and if you perform operations on monitored file types. Examples of such operations are upgrading, uninstalling or installing programs, moving, and deleting or renaming files. If your drive has almost no free space but you only perform operations on non-monitored files, System Restore does not stop responding. You manually turn System Restore off. o If you manually turn System Restore off on the system drive, all restore points are deleted, and you receive the following warning message: You have chosen to turn off System Restore. If you continue, all existing restore points will be deleted, and you will not be able to track and undo changes to your computer. Do you want to turn off System Restore? Yes No o If you manually turn System Restore off on any non-system drive, all restore points on that specific drive are deleted, and you receive the following warning message: You have chosen to turn off System Restore on this drive. If you continue, you will not be able to track or undo harmful changes on this drive. Do you want to turn off System Restore on this drive? Yes No
When you turn System Restore on again on the system drive, it immediately creates a System Checkpoint. When you turn System Restore on again on a non-system drive, it does not immediately create a restore point on that drive, but monitoring resumes immediately on the drive. You upgrade from one operating system to another or you reinstall the operating system. The upgrade might be from Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition to Windows XP or from Windows XP to Windows XP. After you run the Setup program, you will have to run System Checkpoint, but the restore points you had under the previous operating system are gone. Windows does not let you return to an older version of the operating system by using System Restore. Note When you upgrade, you might still see some restore point files and folders in the <drive letter>:\System Volume Information in Windows XP or under the <System Drive>:\_RESTORE folder in Windows Millennium Edition. However, these restore points are obsolete and cannot be used as they do not appear on the Select a Restore Point list on the System Restore page.
If you start the Disk Cleanup utility and you click the Disk Cleanup tab, a System Restore: Obsolete Data Stores entry is available. These are files that were created before Windows was reformatted or reinstalled. They are obsolete and you can delete them. If you choose to clean up and delete these files, you will no longer see them under the folders that are mentioned earlier in this article, and the option to delete obsolete data stores will no longer appear on the Disk Cleanup utility. You start the Disk Cleanup utility, click the More Options tab, and then click Clean up under System Restore. When you do this, all restore points (except the most recent one) are deleted. You are running low on disk space, but not so low that System Restore stops performing. System Restore deletes some of the restore points, but not all of them. This occurs because System Restore uses a First In First Out (FIFO) process to decrease the size of the data store to approximately 75 percent of its maximum size when the data store reaches approximately 90 percent of its maximum size. The maximum size may be the default size, or it may be set by the user. System Restore performs this deletion regardless of how much disk space you have. A restore point reaches an age of 90 days. The restore point is then deleted because 90 days is the default time to live. You manually reduce the data store size. This triggers the FIFO process to delete some restore points to accommodate the newly-resized data store.
The System Restore Utility May Be Suspended on a System Drive Even Though There Is Enough Disk Space
Article ID: 299904 - View products that this article applies to.
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SYMPTOMS
When you examine the settings for the System Restore utility, you may observe that System Restore is suspended even though you have enough free disk space on the system drive. If you attempt to start System Restore, you may receive the following message: System Restore is suspended because there is not enough disk space available on the system drive ( drive letter). To restart System Restore, ensure at least 200 megabytes (MB) of free disk space are available on this drive. Do you want to start Disk Cleanup to free more disk space now? Yes No Back to the top | Give Feedback
CAUSE
This behavior can occur when the following conditions are true: A drive that is not a system drive that has System Restore enabled on it has reached less than 50 MB of free disk space. A copy, delete, modify operation was made to a file that is monitored by System Restore on such drive. This will cause System Restore to suspend across the system. Back to the top | Give Feedback
RESOLUTION
To work around this behavior, use either of the following two methods:
Method 1
If the drive that is running low on disk space does not need to be monitored, disable System Restore on that drive: 1. On the System Properties dialog box, click the System Restore tab. 2. Under Drive Settings, click Available drives to select the appropriate drive. 3. Click Settings. 4. Click to select the Turn off System Restore on this drive check box. 5. Click OK, and then click OK on the System Properties dialog box.
Method 2
Start the Disk Cleanup tool and free up to 200 MB of space on the drive that has caused the problem. You can also free that space by deleting unnecessary files, folders, or programs from the drive. If you have freed at least 200 MB of disk space, the status of System Restore may be displayed as "Suspended" on the System Restore user interface. This behavior is by design as System Restore, by default, waits for 15 minutes after you have freed the disk space before System Restore restarts. After you have freed up the disk space, you can start System Restore to immediately restore its monitoring function on your computer if you click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, click System Tools, and then click System Restore.
This article was previously published under Q300044 Expand all | Collapse all
This articles describes how the System Restore tool handles hard-disk space usage, particularly where low disk-space issues are concerned. Back to the top | Give Feedback
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By default, System Restore is enabled on all hard-disk partitions upon the completion of Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional Setup. However, after installation of the operating system, System Restore is automatically suspended when there is less than 200 megabytes (MB) of free hard-disk space on the system drive. The service automatically resumes its monitoring activities at the next system idle time -- as soon as 200 MB of hard-disk space is available. The same behavior is expected after Windows XP installation if any of the partitions become low on available hard-disk space. Additionally, if disk-space use encroaches on the data store size, with non-monitored files for example, System Restore always yields its data store space to the system. This is because the data store size is not a reserved space and is always calculated aseffective size. For example, if the data store size is configured to 500 MB, of which 200 MB is already used, and the current free hard-disk space is only 150 MB, the effective size is 350 MB (200 + 150), not 500 MB. In other words, the data store size is always limited by the available free hard-disk space. Specifically, note the following conditions: When a given hard disk has less than 80 MB of remaining free disk space, System Restore purges the data store down to 75 percent of its size, or purges at least one restore point (this is the case if the data store is already below 75 percent). System Restore does not stop restore point creation. It continues to create idle time check points as time demands, and keeps purging on a first in, first out (FIFO) basis, as space demands. When a disk has less than 50 MB of remaining free disk space, System Restore purges the data store completely and suspends System Restore on all drives ( consistent freeze) until the minimum disk space (200 MB) is created again. Then, System Restore restarts monitoring. NOTE: 200 MB is required on the system drive only. If any disk is suspended, System Restore is suspended on all disks. If you check the System Restore Properties user interface (UI), it shows the drives as suspended. The reason for this behavior is that, if System Restore performs an independent suspension (freeze), and then you perform a restore, you would restore some drives but not others if the end user did not explicitly disable those drives. This scenario would place the system in a very inconsistent state, especially if you are installing programs on a nonsystem drive. If you try to start System Restore when it is in the suspended state, you receive the following warning message: System Restore is suspended on Drive drive letter because there is not enough disk space available. To restart System Restore, free at least 200 MB of disk space. Do you want to start Disk Cleanup to free more disk space now? When the computer begins to get low on disk space, you receive a pop-out balloon warning in the System Tray (Systray), alerting you that your computer is running low, or is out of, disk space, as the thresholds are approached (which are 200 MB, 80 MB, and 50 MB, respectively). If you click the balloon, the Disk CleanUp utility (DCU) is automatically started in an attempt to free up additional disk space. If the space freed is not sufficient, you receive one of the warning messages listed in the following sections of this article. At that point, you have the opportunity to start the Add/Remove Programs utility to uninstall some programs and create more space on the hard disk. You receive "low disk space" warning messages from Disk Cleanup when your disks become low on space and System Restore protection is at risk. If you choose to ignore the messages at the 200 MB threshold
and become critically low on disk space, you will continue to receive the messages and warning messages at approximately 80 MB and 50 MB of free disk space. On non-system drives, you receive the warning, but not the additional warnings, after starting DCU.
Balloon Messages
You will receive various balloon messages regarding disk space. These include the following. Back to the top | Give Feedback At 200 MB of free disk space: Low Disk Space You are running out of disk space on Local Disk (drive letter). To free space on this drive by deleting old or unnecessary files, click here... At 80 MB and 50 MB of remaining free disk space: Low Disk Space You are running very low on disk space on Local Disk ( drive letter). To free space on this drive by deleting old or unnecessary files, click here...
Warning Messages
You will receive various warning messages regarding disk space. These include the following. At 200-MB threshold of free disk space: Your Windows drive has only (amount MB) of free disk space available. It is recommended to have at least a minimum of 200 MB free on your Windows drive to ensure system reliability. You can free even more disk space by removing programs that you do not use. Would you like to do that now? Back to the top | Give Feedback At 80-MB threshold of free disk space: Your Windows Drive has only (amount MB) of free disk space available. This is a critically low amount of disk space. If you do not free at least 200 MB, on this drive, System Restore may not be able to track or undo harmful changes to your computer. You can free even more disk space by removing programs that you do not use. Would you like to do that now? Back to the top | Give Feedback Note If the system reaches less than 80 MB of free hard-disk space, and you try to start System Restore, you receive the following message: System Restore You do not have sufficient free disk space on the system drive (drive letter:\) to perform a restore. Please free at least 80 MB of disk space on this drive. Do you want to start Disk Cleanup to free more disk space now? At the 50-MB threshold of free disk space:
Your Windows Drive has only (amount MB) of free disk space available. This is a critically low amount of disk space. System Restore has suspended tracking changes to your computer because there is not enough disk space available. This means that System Restore will not be able to undo harmful changes if they occur. To reactivate System Restore, free at least 200 MB of disk space. You can free even more disk space by removing programs that you do not use. Would you like to do that now? Back to the top | Give Feedback Note If you ignore the warning, the next time that you try to start System Restore, you receive the following message: System Restore is suspended because there is not enough disk space available on the system drive (drive letter). To restart System Restore, ensure that at least 200 MB of free disk space are available on this drive. Do you want to start Disk Cleanup to free more disk space now?
How To Use the Group Policy Editor to Manage Local Computer Policy in Windows XP
Uses of Group Policy
In Microsoft Windows XP, you use Group Policy to define user and computer configurations for groups of users and computers. You create a specific desktop configuration for a particular group of users and computers by using the Group Policy Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in. The Group Policy settings that you create are contained in a Group Policy Object (GPO), which is in turn associated with selected Active Directory containers, such as sites, domains, or organizational units (OUs). With the Group Policy snap-in you can specify policy settings for the following: Registry-based policies. These include Group Policy for the Windows XP operating system and its components and for programs. To manage these settings, use the Administrative Templates node of the Group Policy snap-in. Security options. These include options for local computer, domain, and network security settings. Software installation and maintenance options. These are used to centrally manage program installation, updates, and removal. Scripts options. These include scripts for computer startup and shutdown, and user logon and logoff. Folder redirection options. These allow administrators to redirect users' special folders to the network. With Group Policy, you can define the state of users' work environment once and rely on the system to enforce the policies that you define.
To start the group policy editor, follow these steps. NOTE: You must be logged on to the computer using an account that has administrator privileges in order to use Group Policy Editor. 1. Click Start, and then click Run. 2. In the Open box, type mmc, and then click OK. 3. On the File menu, click Add/Remove Snap-in. 4. Click Add. 5. Under Available Stand-alone Snap-ins, click Group Policy, and then click Add. 6. If you do not want to edit the Local Computer policy, click Browse to locate the group policy object that you want. Supply your user name and password if prompted, and then when you return to the Select Group Policy Object dialog box, click Finish. NOTE: You can use the Browse button to locate group policy objects linked to sites, domains, organizational units (OU), or computers. Use the default Group Policy Object (GPO) (Local Computer) to edit the settings on the local computer. Click Close, and then in the Add/Remove Snap-in dialog box, click OK. The selected GPO is displayed in the Console Root.
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Example
The following example illustrates the use of the Group Policy Editor to customize the Windows XP user interface. In this example, we will use the Group Policy Editor to temporarily remove the Turn Off Computer button from the Start menu. To do this, follow these steps: 1. Start the Group Policy Editor and open the Local Computer policy by using the steps provided in the How to Start the Group Policy Editor section of this article. NOTE: You can start the Group Policy Editor snap-in from the command line. This automatically loads the Local Computer GPO. To do this, follow these steps: a. Click Start, and then click Run. b. In the Open box, type Gpedit.msc, and then click OK. Expand User Configuration (if it is not already expanded). Under User Configuration, expand Administrative Templates. Click Start Menu and Taskbar. In the right pane, double-click Remove and disable the Turn Off Computer button. Click Enabled, and then click Apply. Click Start.
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Notice that the Turn Off Computer button is no longer displayed. 8. Select the Remove and disable the Turn Off Computer button Properties dialog box. 9. Click Not Configured, then click Apply, and then click OK. 10. Click Start. Notice that the Turn Off Computer button is again displayed on the Start menu. 11. Quit the Group Policy Editor snap-in.
System Tools
Event Viewer Use the Event Viewer tool to manage and view events that are recorded in the Application, Security, and System logs. You can monitor the logs to track security events and to identify possible software, hardware, and system problems. Shared Folders Use the Shared Folders tool to view connections and resource in use on the computer. You can create, view, and manage shares, view open files and sessions, and close files and disconnect sessions. Local Users and Groups Use the Local Users and Groups tool to create and manage your local user accounts and groups. Local Users and Groups is available only in Windows XP Professional. Performance Logs and Alerts Use the Performance Logs and Alerts tool to configure performance logs and alerts to monitor and collect data about your computer's performance. Device Manager Use Device Manager to view the hardware devices installed in your computer, update device drivers, modify hardware settings, and troubleshoot device conflicts.
Storage
Removable Storage
Use the Removable Storage tool to track your removable storage media and manage the libraries, or data-storage systems, that contain them. Disk Defragmenter Use the Disk Defragmenter tool to analyze and defragment volumes on your hard disks. Disk Management Use the Disk Management tool to perform disk-related tasks such as converting disks or creating and formatting volumes. Disk Management helps you manage your hard disks, and the partitions or volumes that they contain.
Use Indexing Service to manage the Indexing service, and to create and configure additional catalogs to store index information. NOTE: The actual set of tools and services that is listed in Computer Management depends on the services that are installed on the host computer.
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NOTE: You must be logged on as Administrator or as a member of the Administrators group to view and modify most properties and perform most computer-management tasks. To connect to and use Computer Management on another computer: 1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel. Click Performance and Maintenance, click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Computer Management. 2. Right-click Computer Management (Local), and then click Connect to another computer. 3. Click Another Computer, and then type the name of the computer that you want to manage remotely, or click Browse to locate the computer. Click OK and then click OK to return to the Computer Management window. The Computer Management window of the remote computer is displayed. The name of the remote computer is displayed at the root of the console tree. 4. In the console tree, expand System Tools, Storage, or Services and Applications to view the tools and services in each of these containers. 5. Click the item that you want (for example, Event Viewer) to use the tool, and then view the information that is associated with it.
To continue receiving security updates for Windows, make sure you're running Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (SP3). For more information, refer to this Microsoft web page: Support is ending for some versions of Windows
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Event Viewer
In Windows XP, an event is any significant occurrence in the system or in a program that requires users to be notified, or an entry added to a log. The Event Log Service records application, security, and system events in Event Viewer. With the event logs in Event Viewer, you can obtain information about your hardware, software, and system components, and monitor security events on a local or remote computer. Event logs can help you identify and diagnose the source of current system problems, or help you predict potential system problems.
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Click Start, and then click Control Panel. Click Performance and Maintenance, then click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Computer Management. Or, open the MMC containing the Event Viewer snap-in. In the console tree, expand Event Viewer, and then click the log that contains the event that you want to view. In the details pane, double-click the event that you want to view. The Event Properties dialog box containing header information and a description of the event is displayed. To copy the details of the event, click the Copy button, then open a new document in the program in which you want to paste the event (for example, Microsoft Word), and then click Paste on the Edit menu. To view the description of the previous or next event, click the UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW.
Event Header
The event header contains the following information about the event: Date The date the event occurred. Time The time the event occurred. User The user name of the user that was logged on when the event occurred. Computer The name of the computer where the event occurred. Event ID An event number that identifies the event type. The Event ID can be used by product support representatives to help understand what occurred in the system. Source The source of the event. This can be the name of a program, a system component, or an individual component of a large program. Type The type of event. This can be one of the following five types: Error, Warning, Information, Success Audit, or Failure Audit.
Category A classification of the event by the event source. This is primarily used in the security log.
Event Types
The description of each event that is logged depends on the type of event. Each event in a log can be classified into one of the following types: Information An event that describes the successful operation of a task, such as an application, driver, or service. For example, an Information event is logged when a network driver loads successfully. Warning An event that is not necessarily significant, however, may indicate the possible occurrence of a future problem. For example, a Warning message is logged when disk space starts to run low. Error An event that describes a significant problem, such as the failure of a critical task. Error events may involve data loss or loss of functionality. For example, an Error event is logged if a service fails to load during startup. Success Audit (Security log) An event that describes the successful completion of an audited security event. For example, a Success Audit event is logged when a user logs on to the computer. Failure Audit (Security log) An event that describes an audited security event that did not complete successfully. For example, a Failure Audit may be logged when a user cannot access a network drive.
The event that matches your search criteria is highlighted in the details pane. Click Find Next to locate the next occurrence of an event as defined by your search criteria.
In the console tree, expand Event Viewer, and then right-click the log in which you want to archive, and then click Save Log File As. 3. Specify a file name and location where you want to save the file. In the Save as type box, click the format that you want, and then click Save. The log file is saved in the format that you specified.
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