Chapter 20. Maintaining and troubleshooting your computer

In this section:

• Creating a recovery drive

• Using ReadyBoost

• Configuring Windows Update

• Exploring the Action Center

• Running Disk Cleanup

• Restarting your computer

• Using troubleshooting wizards

• Using Microsoft Fix It

• Asking for Windows Remote Assistance

• Troubleshooting with Windows Task Manager

• Using Advanced Startup

• Refreshing your PC

• Resetting your PC

Windows 8.1 has several built-in features to help you keep your computer running at its best, improve performance when needed, guide you through troubleshooting tasks, and help you restore your computer when you experience a problem that you can’t resolve by using other methods. In this section you’ll learn about many of these features, including but not limited to creating a recovery drive, using ReadyBoost, configuring Windows Update, resolving problems by using Action Center and various troubleshooting wizards, using Advanced Startup Options to perform automated checks and fixes, and refreshing and resetting your PC when all else fails.

Creating a recovery drive

A recovery drive can help you repair your computer even if the computer won’t start. When you create this drive, you can also copy a manufacturer’s recovery partition if your computer came with one (and if the drive you’re saving to is large enough to hold it). It’s best to create this drive before a problem occurs, versus wishing you had after the fact. The best way to start is to purchase and then connect an empty USB disk (or thumb drive) that is at least 256 MB, although you can also use a DVD.

Create a recovery drive

1. Insert the USB stick into an available USB port on your computer.

2. From the the Start screen type Recovery.

3. Click Create A Recovery Drive in the results.

   

4. If applicable, select Copy The Recovery Partition From The PC To The Recovery Drive. Click Next.

   

   Tip

   You can rename the USB drive in File Explorer under This PC. You might want to name it Recovery so that you don’t accidentally write over it later. In File Explorer, right-click the drive and click Rename.

   Tip

   Store the recovery drive you create in a safe, dry, climate-controlled area like a drawer or filing cabinet.

5. Select the USB drive in the list. The name of the drive is the name given by the manufacturer.

6. Click Next.

   

7. Click Create.

   

8. Click Finish when prompted.

   

Using ReadyBoost

Computers store data that is needed only temporarily in physical random access memory (RAM) located inside your device. Temporary data can be information being sent to a printer, or it can be data needed to perform calculations; it isn’t generally data you’d save to your hard drive. In general, the more RAM a computer has, the faster it will perform.

Unfortunately, it’s often difficult to add more RAM to a device. When it is an option, it’s invasive and can be expensive. If you want more RAM but don’t want to go this route, you can use a technology called ReadyBoost to improve performance. ReadyBoost acts like RAM and serves the same purpose, but it requires only a USB stick or compatible memory card.

Use ReadyBoost

1. Connect a compatible USB drive or memory card.

2. If File Explorer does not open, click the File Explorer icon on the desktop taskbar.

   

3. Right-click the drive, and click Properties. (We’ve named our drive ReadyBoost; yours will be named differently.)

   

4. Click the ReadyBoost tab.

5. Click Use This Device. (Alternatively, you can opt to dedicate the device to ReadyBoost.)

6. Move the slider to select a value greater than 1000 MB (which is approximately 1 GB).

7. Click OK.

   

Tip

There are some requirements for the USB stick or memory card you use to serve as ReadyBoost, but you’ll be informed if it doesn’t meet those requirements. Microsoft recommends that you choose a disk that is greater than 1 GB, but 2-4 GB will give better results.

Caution

If your computer has a hard disk that uses solid-state drive (SSD) technology, you might not see an option to speed up your computer with ReadyBoost when you plug in a USB flash drive or flash memory card. Instead, you might receive the following message: “ReadyBoost is not enabled on this computer because the system disk is fast enough that ReadyBoost is unlikely to provide any additional benefit.” This is because some SSD drives are so fast that they’re unlikely to benefit from ReadyBoost.

Configuring Windows Update

Periodically, Microsoft sends out updates to its operating system to make improvements or fix problems that have surfaced. They also address security issues. These updates can apply features changes too. You can set how you want Windows 8.1 to download and install these updates, although the recommended settings are best in most cases.

Update Windows automatically

1. From the Start screen, begin to type Windows Update.

2. Click Choose Whether To Automatically Install Windows Updates.

   

3. The best setting is Install Updates Automatically (Recommended), with Give Me Recommended Updates The Same Way I Receive Important Updates selected. Click the arrow beside the former to see other options.

   

4. If desired, select another option.

5. If you’d like, select Give Me Updates For Other Microsoft Products When I Update Windows.

6. Click Apply.

   

Try This

Note the back arrow next to Choose How Updates Get Installed in step 2. In the resulting screen, you’ll see an option to check for updates manually, at any time (you can also opt to view your update history). If you’d like, click Check Now to see how this process works. (If you don’t see this option, it’s because updates have recently been installed and you need to restart, as prompted.)

Exploring the Action Center

The Action Center keeps track of problems you encounter, looks for solutions, and if solutions are found, notifies you of the fix. It also monitors your computer to make sure that it’s doing all it is configured to do, and it lets you know whether there are any problems. For example, if you have File History enabled and your drive becomes full or is disconnected, the Action Center will notify you. If your antivirus program is out of date and can’t be updated on its own, it’ll tell you about that too.

Explore the Action Center

1. On the desktop’s taskbar, click the white flag in the notification area. If you don’t see the flag, click the up arrow in the Notification center to find it.

2. Click Open Action Center.

   

3. If you see issues, they’ll be marked as red (important) or yellow (needs attention).

4. Click the option available to resolve the problem.

   

Tip

Ideally, you don’t want any color at all in the Action Center window (nothing red, nothing yellow). Resolve all issues as they arise.

Try This

In Action Center, in the left pane, select Change Action Center Settings. From the resulting window, you can turn off messages about specific issues, although this isn’t recommended. Some of the messages you can turn off include those you’ll see regarding Windows Update, Virus Protection, File History, HomeGroup, and Automatic Maintenance.

Running Disk Cleanup

When you save data and apps to your hard disk or view or download temporary Internet files, those bits of data can be stored at various locations across your hard disk. Over time, the out-of-date bits of data can cause your computer performance to slow down. Disk Cleanup allows you to erase stray data (among other things) to improve your computer’s performance.

Run Disk Cleanup

1. From the Start screen, begin to type Disk Cleanup.

2. Click Disk Cleanup in the results.

   

3. Note the items that you can clean up. Leave the selected items selected, and if desired, select more (perhaps to empty the Recycle Bin).

4. Click OK.

5. Click Delete Files.

   

Tip

If your computer has more than one drive that contains data, you might be prompted to select a drive in step 3. Select the primary drive if this happens.

Tip

Disk Defragmenter is another tool that you can use to clean up a disk drive. This tool looks for files that are not stored together; intead they are fragmented across the drive. Consolidating fragmented files helps those files open faster. However, this tool runs on its own and on a schedule, so it probably isn’t necessary to ever run it manually. If you use this feature on an SSD drive, it’ll happen very quickly, relatively speaking, if you’re used to it taking quite a bit of time on a traditional hard drive.

Restarting your computer

Sometimes you will need to restart your computer. It might be frozen, the display might be distorted, or you might be asked by a software application to restart the computer to apply changes. There are many ways to restart your computer, including accessing the Power icon by using Ctrl+Alt+Del or from the Settings charm. The easiest way is to right-click the Start button.

Restart your computer

1. Right-click the Start button.

2. Click or point to Shut Down or sign out.

3. Click Restart.

   

Caution

Don’t ever press and hold the Power button on a traditional laptop or desktop PC to shut it down or turn it off. Likewise, never unplug a desktop PC from the wall unless there simply isn’t any other way to power it down. Always look for a valid Shut Down or Restart option. In a worst case scenario, use Ctrl+Alt+Del to access the Power icon. Click it to shut down or restart.

Tip

After some actions (like installing updates for a desktop application), you are prompted to restart your computer to finalize the update process. However, if you don’t need those updates immediately, you generally don’t have to restart your computer right then. The next time you turn off and then turn on the computer, the process will be completed.

Using troubleshooting wizards

Windows 8.1 comes with several built-in troubleshooting wizards. If you know what type of problem you’re having, you can use one of these wizards to try to resolve the problem. Troubleshooting wizards are available in the following categories: Programs, Hardware and Sound, Network and Internet, and System and Security.

What happens in a wizard differs depending on the one you select, but the process is the same. You select the type of problem you’re having, and the wizard prompts you to try various fixes until the problem is resolved.

Select and start a troubleshooting wizard

1. From the Start screen, type Find and Fix Problems.

2. Select Find And Fix Problems in the results.

   

3. Click the entry that most closely represents the problem that you are having, such as Use A Printer.

   

4. Click Next to start the wizard.

   

   Tip

   In Step 3, if you click a heading instead of an entry—for example, you click the heading Hardware And Sound instead of the entry under it, Use A Printer—additional options will appear. These options will offer the general ones you already saw, such as fixing problems with printing, and audio recording and playback, but you’ll also see options that address other hardware components, such as network adapters.

5. On the resulting screen and those thereafter, answer prompts, make selections, and try solutions, clicking Next where applicable.

   

6. If a fix is found, click Apply This Fix.

   

Using Microsoft Fix It

Microsoft Fix It is an online troubleshooting tool. If you’re having a problem that is common to a lot of users, you might be able to find an entry for the issue you’re having, as well as an automated fix for it. If you find the solution that you need, you can give Microsoft Fix It permission to run the automated solution for you. You don’t have to have a problem to explore Microsoft Fix it, so work through the steps here so that you’ll know what to do when a problem arises.

Use Microsoft Fix It

1. Use Internet Explorer to browse to http://fixitcenter.support.microsoft.com/Portal.

2. Click Try It Now.

3. Click Run.

   

4. Wait while setup completes, and then click a problem area.

5. Under What Are You Trying To Do, select an issue.

6. Make a selection to refine the issue.

7. Find the solution to try.

8. Click Run Now.

9. Click Run.

   

See Also

To learn how to use Internet Explorer, refer to Chapter 8.

Caution

The first time that you run Microsoft Fix It, you might be prompted to install various things, such as Microsoft .Net Framework. If you want to use Microsoft Fix It, you’ll have to perform the required installations. However, you’ll only have to do it once; the next time that you use Microsoft Fix It, your computer will be ready.

Asking for Windows Remote Assistance

Remote Assistance lets you ask a person you know to help you resolve a problem over the Internet or a local network. You send an invitation (generally via email), the person accepts the invitation and connects to your computer, and then you give that person permission to fix your computer for you by taking control of it and resolving the problem themselves.

Get remote help

1. Open Control Panel, and in the Search box, type Remote Assistance.

2. Click Invite Someone To Connect To Your PC And Help You, Or Offer To Help Someone Else.

   

3. Click Invite Someone You Trust To Help You.

   

4. If you’ve used Remote Assistance before, you’ll see the name of the person that helped you. If this is the case, either select Invite Someone To Help You or click the name of the person listed.

   

5. Click either Save This Invitation As A File (if you use web-based email) or Use Email To Send An Invitation (if you have a program installed on your computer to send email).

   

6. Your helper needs the password contained in the invitation, so either:

   1. Complete the process to send the invitation via email, which will differ depending on the option you choose in step 5.

   2. Call your helper on the phone or by using Skype, and give them the invitation password.

   

7. After your helper receives the invitation and responds, click Yes to allow access.

   

8. To end the session at any time, click the X in the top-right corner of the Windows Remote Assistance window.

   

Caution

Always make sure that you know and trust any person whom you allow to access your computer remotely. A clever hacker or scammer could pretend to be from a valid company like Microsoft and offer to resolve any problems you have over the Internet, when in reality they are not at all trustworthy or from the company they say they’re from. Remote Assistance is safe only if you send the invitation to someone you know, and never if someone tries to access your computer without you initiating the session.

See Also

Learn how to use the Mail app in Chapter 10.

Troubleshooting with Windows Task Manager

Task Manager is a utility that keeps track of the various programs and processes that are running on your computer, and it offers you an option to end those programs and processes manually, should one stop responding. Task Manager is extremely useful to professional computer technicians, and there’s a lot more that you can do with it than this. However, it’s important to know how to end applications that don’t respond to any attempt to close them, because this might save you from having to completely restart your computer. It might also resolve problems currently caused by the errant, albeit frozen, application.

Use Windows Task Manager to close an application

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc.

2. Click More Details. (If it shows Fewer Details instead of More Details, skip this step.)

   

3. On the Processes tab, click the item to close.

4. If you don’t see what you want to close in the list, click the applicable down arrow to find it.

5. Click End Task.

6. Click the X in the top-right corner to close Task Manager.

   

Tip

If you see the application that you want to close after opening Task Manager and before clicking More Details, you can select it and click End Task. You don’t have to view the additional details if you don’t want to. However, to see what Task Manager has to offer and to show how to access tasks hidden under down arrows, we clicked More Details in step 2.

Tip

To see what apps start when you boot your computer, in Task Manager, click the Startup tab. If there are several desktop applications listed that you recognize, consider disabling them. Your computer will boot faster and perform better without unnecessary applications running in the background. Don’t worry; those applications will start when you click their icons.

Using Advanced Startup

Sometimes you’ll need to start your computer in a way other than booting to the hard disk. For example, if the computer won’t start, you might need to boot it with a Windows 8.1 DVD or USB drive. You might want to use Advanced Startup options to make use of the recovery drive you created at the beginning of this section to recover the computer if it’s having problems. You might also want to troubleshoot your PC by selecting tools such as System Restore, Startup Repair, and Startup Settings. These tools can help you recover from all kinds of startup problems.

Here are a few of the items you might want to try if you’ve been unable to repair your computer successfully by using other techniques:

• System Restore. To restore your computer to an earlier time, when the computer was stable. Windows automatically creates restore points that you can use to do this.

• System Image Recovery. To restore your computer by using a system image recovery that you might have created with backup software.

• Startup Repair. To run an automated fix to check for and repair common startup problems.

• Startup Settings. To troubleshoot startup by starting minimally with a low-resolution video display, in Safe Mode, and enable boot logging, among other things.

Access Advanced Startup

1. From the Start screen, type Recovery.

2. Click Recovery Options in the results.

   

3. Under Advanced Startup, click Restart Now.

   

4. After the computer restarts, choose either Use A Device or Troubleshoot.

   

5. If you choose Use A Device, select the device to use in the resulting list (not shown). The computer will reboot using this device.

6. If you choose Troubleshoot, you can select one of the following:

   1. Refresh Your PC–to refresh your PC as outlined in the next task in this section.

   2. Reset Your PC–to reset your PC to factory defaults, as outlined in the last task in this section.

   3. Advanced Options–to access additional options.

   

7. If you chose Advanced Options in step 6, select from one of the following:

   1. System Restore

   2. System Image Recovery

   3. Automatic Repair

   4. Windows Startup Settings

   

8. Follow the prompts that appear, which will differ based on previous choices, to complete the process.

Caution

If you don’t feel comfortable applying these options, ask a trusted, computer-savvy friend to help you.

Refreshing your PC

If your computer has so many problems that the only way you know how to resolve them is to completely start over by formatting your computer or restoring from your computer’s recovery drive (and you’ve already tried System Restore, Startup Repair, and similar options), try refreshing your PC. When you refresh your PC, only third-party programs, web browser addons, printer software, scanner software, and other desktop apps are removed, but apps from the Windows Store, your personal settings, and your personal data (documents, music, videos, pictures, and so on) will remain intact.

Refresh your PC

1. From the Start screen, type Refresh.

2. In the results, click Refresh Your PC Without Affecting Your Files.

   

3. Under Refresh Your PC Without Affecting Your Files, click Get Started.

   

4. Read the information and click Next.

   

5. Wait while the computer refreshes, and respond to any prompts as applicable.

Caution

After the refresh procedure is complete, you’ll have to reinstall third-party applications. You’ll likely need product and activation codes, and the installation will take some time. Perform a refresh only if you’ve tried everything else that you can think of.

Resetting your PC

If your computer has so many problems that the computer is extremely unstable, and if you’ve tried all of the troubleshooting techniques outlined here, including refreshing your PC, you might have to reset your PC. However, for the most part, you’ll use this feature only when you want to give your computer away or recycle it. When you do, the computer is reset to factory defaults. All of your apps, data, and desktop applications will be removed from your computer, as will your personal (local) settings, network information, and data about connected hardware. Your PC will be formatted. You will be able to log in with your Microsoft account, and restore your apps and saved settings and access data from SkyDrive, but this is still a major step to take. Try everything else first.

Reset your PC

1. From the Start screen, type Remove Everything.

2. Click Remove Everything And Reinstall Windows.

   

3. Under Remove Everything And Reinstall Windows, click Get Started.

   

4. Read the information and click Next.

   

5. Wait while the computer refreshes, and respond to any prompts as applicable.

Tip

Reset your PC before you sell it or give it away.

Caution

After the reset is complete, your computer will look and perform the way it did on the day that you purchased it. You’ll be starting from scratch.