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Device drivers
These small programs, which control internal and external
components of the PC, such as the videocard and printer, may be to
blame. You can run into all kinds of trouble if drivers are missing
or incompatible.Go to your device manufacturer's Web site and look
for XP-compatible drivers. Download and install them.
Incompatible third-party software
These apps can cause critical OS errors, so search your software
makers' sites for any available XPupdates or patches. If no update
exists, XP's Program Compatibility Wizard, part of XP's "Help and
supportcenter," may help you make an end run around old software.
Step through the wizard, select the programthat you think is the
culprit from the list, and choose one of the offered OS
compatibility modes. (If youupgraded to Windows XP and didn't have
problems with the program before, pick the version from which
youupgraded.)
Out-of-date BIOS chip
This chip in your PC's motherboard can also cause critical
errors. Once again, check your PCmanufacturer's Web site and look
for BIOS updates that you can download and install or instructions
onmanually updating the BIOS. For another worthwhile resource,
check Intel's Download center for BIOS
updates of Intel microprocessors.
The mystery of the impossible start-up
The nightmare
I can't start my system! For all I know, my Windows XP machine
may be toast, but since I can't bootthe computer, I'm in the dark.
As a longtime Windows vet, I'm used to grabbing the boot disk I
made, stickingit in the drive of a balky box, and rebooting the PC
that way. But as far as I can tell, Windows XP won't bootfrom a
floppy. Am I dreaming or what?
Analysis
It's true that Windows XP can't boot from a DOS disk (a start-up
floppy for Windows 95, 98, and Me)because, unlike those older
operating systems, it doesn't run on top of the ancient DOS
foundation. Instead,like Windows 2000, XP runs on the Windows NT
kernel and is completely independent of DOS.
Fortunately, XP offers alternatives to the traditional DOS
start-up disk. We'll outline two; one involves aCD, and the other a
good ol' 3.5-inch floppy.
Advice
If you can't boot your PC, your first move should be to reach
for your Windows XP Setup CD. That's theone that came with your
computer or OS upgrade. Put that CD in the drive and turn on the
computer.
Most newer PCs boot from the CD-ROM drive, but you should check
now to make sure yours does in
case of a future crash. So, as a test, insert your Windows XP
Setup CD and reboot the computer. If Setupstarts, you're good to
go. If not, you need to modify the computer's BIOS to make the PC
boot from the CD-ROM drive. Fortunately, you can do this even if
you can't launch Windows XP. Here's how.
Turn on the computer and hold down the F2 key, which typically
runs the BIOS setup. Look for the Bootmenu option. If it doesn't
show up, check the other screens; the boot order is often tucked
away on anadvanced settings page. Once you're at the Boot menu,
follow the instructions, which vary, depending on theBIOS, to set
the CD-ROM drive as the first device your PC uses to boot. Press
F10 to save the changes andexit BIOS Setup. For a
screenshot-filled, if grammatically challenged, description of this
process, click here.
With the BIOS setup behind you, insert the Windows XP Setup CD,
turn on the PC, and when you seethe Welcome To Setup message, press
R to launch the Recovery Console. The Recovery Console (RC)
looksand acts like DOS, but it's all XP. (Read this Microsoft
Support article for more info on RC, including a full listof its
commands.) You can also launch RC without wading into Setup; just
insert the CD and typeD:\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons, where D: is the
drive letter of the CD drive.
Only advanced and power users should try RC's features; get a
Windows-savvy friend to help if you'reclueless. If you're
comfortable monkeying around, the Recovery Console lets you copy or
replace crucialoperating system files, disable or enable devices,
and repair the file system boot sector or the Master BootRecord,
either of which, if corrupted, will prevent XP from starting.
Sure, RC can repair and resuscitate Windows XP, but what if you
don't have the know-how to handlethe Recovery Console and just want
a down-and-dirty way to boot from a floppy? Microsoft does help
youconstruct a 3.5-inch disk that will boot Windows XP, but you
have to know where to look, and you'll need to
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have the floppy available in your time of need. (There is a way
to create such a floppy on another machine,but it's involved. More
on that later.)
To get started, format a blank 3.5-inch disk using Windows XP,
then copy the following files to it: ntldrand ntdetect.com. You'll
find them in the I386 folder on your hard drive:
Also find and copy the boot.ini file from the root drive,
usually C: drive. The boot.ini file may be toughto find, since it's
a system file and is hidden from normal view. Even a search of the
hard drive usingStart/Find may not locate it. Here's how to make it
visible so that you can copy it to the floppy. Use ControlPanel
> Folder Options > View, then clear the "Show hidden files
and folders" box. Next, clear the check
mark in the "Hide protected operating system files" box. Click
OK.Using Windows Explorer or My Computer, navigate to the root
drive, usually C: drive, typically labeledLocal Disk in Explorer.
Right-click the file named boot, which is the boot.ini file, and
choose Send To and 3Floppy to copy the file to the floppy disk
you've been building.
Label this disk--XP Start-up works nicely--and set it aside.
When you need it, start your computer usingthe floppy, then log on
to Windows XP as you normally would.
For more information about creating an XP start-up floppy using
a Windows 95, 98, or Me machine orusing a different XP PC than the
one you want to boot, head to this page at Microsoft Support's Web
site.
The case of the completely incompatible
The nightmare
I upgraded to Windows XP because everyone said it was more
stable, but they forgot to tell me that alot of my software and
hardware wouldn't work with the new OS. Ninety percent of my
software isn'tcompatible with XP, and I still can't get my scanner
to work right, despite installing all kinds of patches.
Analysis
When we queried CNET readers about XP woes, tons of you screamed
about hardware not functioningand software not working. Although
the complaint crops up every time a new OS hits the street, it
seemsmore pronounced this time. And there's a reason: Windows XP,
like Windows 2000, runs on the Windows NTkernel and is a true
32-bit operating system. Older versions, including Windows 95, 98,
and Millennium,relied on DOS. The difference is dramatic, with much
bigger compatibility implications.
But there are things you can do to put this nightmare behind you
or, at least, mitigate its impact.
Advice
If you haven't yet upgraded to XP but are thinking about doing
so, start with Microsoft's UpgradeCenters. There are two, one for
XP Home, the other for XP Professional. Each lets you search the
MicrosoftCatalog, a listing of some XP-compatible hardware and
software, as well as a link to the mammoth, 50MBdownloadUpgrade
Advisor , an app that sniffs through your PC and flags any
potential hardware or softwareconflicts. Downloading the Advisor
isn't practical if you have only a dial-up connection to the Net,
but somecomputer resellers carry free Upgrade Advisor CDs.
Hardware
If you've already installed XP, you need a different plan of
attack--it's too late for the proactive
approach. Start first with Windows Update, the Microsoft service
that examines your PC for any out-of-datecomponents, then
recommends OS updates and patches.
Although Windows Update may suggest driver updates for your
hardware, you should take theserecommendations with a grain of
salt. We've seen Windows recommend out-of-date drivers, and
worse,unnecessary changes to drivers that worked just fine. Instead
of downloading updates willy-nilly, visit themanufacturer Web sites
for your PC and its internal components, particularly the video
card, to see if any XPupdates are available. Do the same for
external hardware, such as printers, scanners, digital cameras,
mice,and the like. To save yourself some time, use one of the Web's
many collections of up-to-date drivers, suchas Download.com's
Drivers section, Drivers Planet, and WinDrivers.
Some hardware, however, may never work properly under XP. We've
heard tales of woe from severalreaders who had to give up their old
printers or couldn't get their scanners to work. But don't throw in
thetowel quite yet. As a last-ditch effort, hunt for drivers that
are specific to Windows 2000, which, being anolder OS, is more
likely to have revised drivers. Windows 2000 is a close cousin to
XP, so a 2000 driver maydo the trick.
Software
Incompatible software presents an even bigger bugaboo. Some
apps, particularly antivirus and systemmaintenance suites made for
earlier Windows editions, such as Norton SystemWorks, simply won't
work with
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XP. You mustupgrade. Naturally, you'll want to check with the
program's maker for available updates--freeor otherwise--to make
that old hoss hum in XP. But if you can't find an update, try the
following tricks.
If you're having trouble with a specific app, fire up XP's
Program Compatibility Wizard, part of XP's Helpand Support Center.
After the wizard scans your system, pick the balky program from the
list, then choosean OS compatibility mode , basically, a setting
that emulates a prior version of Windows. If you don't knowwhich
version of Windows the software requires, we suggest you try
Windows 98/Me first, and if that doesn'tsolve the problem, try the
Windows 95 mode. To skip the wizard for a particular piece of
incompatiblesoftware, right-click the program's executable file
from within Windows Explorer, then choose Properties.
Click the Compatibility tab, check the "Run this program in
compatibility mode for:" box, and choose the OSfrom the drop-down
menu. You can also monkey with the Display Settings options; some
old programs wantto work in 256-color mode, for instance. To
finish, click OK.
You may even be able to trick older DOS programs, which will
most likely be ancient games that youstill enjoy, by exploiting
XP's Memory setting. Many older DOS games use the Expanded
MemorySpecification (EMS), which XP does not support by default.
Right-click the executable file, choose Properties,then click the
Memory tab. Under Expanded Memory, choose Auto from the drop-down
list. If that doesn'twork, you may need to try other EMS settings
or dig out the DOS program's documentation to see if it
saysanything about memory settings.
For more help with XP's compatibility settings and to hear from
real users' experiences in getting theirprehistoric programs to
work under XP, check out the Web's best resource: Windows XP
SoftwareCompatibility Site (not affiliated with Microsoft). Others
may have already solved your problem.
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