How to troubleshoot hardwre & softwre driver probs in WIN XP

n This Page
Introduction
Symptoms
Methods to resolve the problem
Method A: Disconnect any new hardware
Method B: Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base
Method C: Disable automatic restart on system failure
Method D: Use the Last Known Good Configuration feature
Method E: Use the System Restore feature
Option 1: Windows XP does not start
Option 2: Windows XP starts
Advanced troubleshooting
Step 1: Start Windows XP in safe mode
Step 2: Use the Rollback Driver feature
Step 3: Determine whether a third-party program is causing the issue
Step 4: Determine the conflicting program or the conflicting utility
Step 5: Determine whether a third-party service is causing the issue
Step 6: Determine the conflicting service
Similar problems and solutions


Introduction
This article guides you through step-by-step methods to troubleshoot hardware and software driver problems in Windows XP. You may be having problems because an update that you installed caused your driver to stop working. Or, you installed some new hardware, and its driver is incompatible or corrupted, or the driver has not yet been installed. Or, maybe the driver became corrupted for an unknown reason.

To resolve your problem, you will first select your symptom from a list in the "Symptoms" section, and depending on your choice, we will guide you to the appropriate method for your situation.

The first part of this article is intended for beginning to intermediate computer users. The "Advanced troubleshooting" section in the second part is intended for more advanced users.

You may find it easier to follow the steps if you print this article first.

Several of these methods require you to restart your computer or require you to leave the page that you are viewing now. So, before you continue, you might find it helpful to create a shortcut to this Web page on your desktop. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Right-click this page, and then click Create Shortcut.
2. In the Internet Explorer dialog box, click Yes to create a shortcut on your desktop.
3. Double-click the shortcut to return to this page.

Symptoms
There are many different reasons why you might have a hardware or software driver problem. So, to help us know which method that we should ask you to try first, please select your symptom.

After you install new hardware, new software, or hardware drivers on a Windows XP-based computer, you experience the following symptom:
• My hardware is failing, is causing errors, or is not functioning as expected. If this is true for you, go to the "Method A: Disconnect any new hardware" section.
• I received an error message on a blue screen. If this is true for you, go to the "Method B: Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base" section.
• My computer continuously restarts. If this is true for you, go to the "Method C: Disable automatic restart on system failure" section.
• My symptom is not listed here. If you can restart your computer, go to the "Method D: Use the Last Known Good Configuration feature" section.


Methods to resolve the problem
Method A: Disconnect any new hardware
This method is rated: Easy.

If you recently installed a new hardware device, follow these steps:
1. Disconnect the device.
2. Restart Windows XP.
If Windows XP starts successfully, please contact the device manufacturer to obtain updated drivers for the device or to learn about any other known issues.

For information about how to contact the device manufacturer, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://support.microsoft.com/gp/vendors (http://support.microsoft.com/gp/vendors)
Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.

If this method worked, you are finished. If this method did not work for you, please try Method D.


Method B: Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base
This method is rated: Moderately Easy.

If you received an error message on a blue screen, you can copy the text of the error and search the Microsoft Knowledge Base for useful information.

The Microsoft Knowledge Base is a collection of more than 150,000 articles that are created and regularly updated by Microsoft support professionals. You can use keywords and query words to quickly find the content that you need.

To search the Microsoft Knowledge Base, follow these steps:
1. Copy the text of the error message.
2. Visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://support.microsoft.com (http://support.microsoft.com/)
3. Paste the text of the error message in the Search box, and type the product that you are using, such as "Windows XP."
4. Click Search, and try to find an article that will help you resolve your problem.
If this method worked, you are finished. If this method did not work for you, please try Method D.

Method C: Disable automatic restart on system failure
This method is rated: Moderately Easy.

If your system is continuously restarting, follow these steps:
1. Restart the computer.
2. Watch the screen closely. Look for a message that states Please select the operating system to start.
3. When you see this message, quickly press the F8 key. The Windows Advanced Options dialog box appears.
4. Use the ARROW keys on your keyboard to select Disable automatic restart on system failure, and then press ENTER.
5. If you receive an error message, follow these steps to search the Microsoft Knowledge Base for useful information about the error message:
a. Copy the text of the error message.
b. Visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://support.microsoft.com (http://support.microsoft.com/)
c. Paste the text of the error message in the Search box, and type the product that you are using, such as "Windows XP."
d. Click Search, and try to find an article that will help you resolve your problem.
If this method worked, you are finished. If this method did not work for you, please try Method D.

Method D: Use the Last Known Good Configuration feature
This method is rated: Moderately easy.

If you can start the computer successfully, you can use the Last Known Good Configuration feature. This feature uses information that is saved from the last time that you shut down the computer. This feature lets you successfully restore your registry settings and drivers to that date. If you are not completely sure what that means, do not worry. We are not doing anything to harm your computer. However, you should be aware that if you do this, any changes that were made to your computer before you started to experience this problem will be lost.

If you are experiencing a configuration problem, such as a newly installed driver that may be incorrect for your computer's hardware, this method will probably work for you. Unfortunately, this feature does not correct problems that are caused by missing or corrupted drivers or files.

To use the Last Known Good Configuration feature, follow these steps:
1. Restart the computer.
2. When you see the Please select the operating system to start message, press the F8 key.
3. When the Windows Advanced Options dialog box appears, use the ARROW keys to select Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked), and then press ENTER.
4. If you are running other operating systems on the computer, use the ARROW keys to select Microsoft Windows XP, and then press ENTER.
If this method worked, you are finished. If this method did not work for you, please try Method E.


Method E: Use the System Restore feature
This method is rated: Moderately easy.

The System Restore feature resembles the Last Known Good Configuration feature, except that the System Restore feature enables you to choose a date before the last successful shut down. You select a "restore point." A restore point is like a snapshot of your computer that Windows XP records periodically. Then, System Restore restores your computer to that earlier date.

System Restore does not affect your personal data files, such as Word documents, browsing history, drawings, favorites, or E-mail. So, you will not lose any changes that you made to these files.

To start, select your situation from the following two options.
Option 1: Windows XP does not start
If Windows XP does not start, follow these steps to use the System Restore feature:
a. Restart the computer, and then press F8 during the initial startup.
b. When you see the Please select the operating system to start message, press the F8 key.
c. When the Windows Advanced Options dialog box appears, use the ARROW keys to select Safe Mode with Command Prompt, and then press ENTER. For more information about safe mode, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
315222 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315222/) A description of the safe mode boot options in Windows XP
d. Log on to the computer by using an administrator account or by using an account that has administrator credentials.

For information about how to do this, please visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/usin ... count.mspx (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/usin ... count.mspx)
e. Click Start, and then click Run.
f. Copy and then paste (or type) the following command in the Run box, and then press ENTER:
%systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe
g. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to restore the computer to an earlier time.

Option 2: Windows XP starts
If Windows XP starts for you, follow these steps to use the System Restore feature:
a. Log on to Windows by using an administrator account.

For information about how to do this, please visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/usin ... count.mspx (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/usin ... count.mspx)
b. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Restore. System Restore starts.
c. On the Welcome to System Restore page, click Restore my computer to an earlier time if this option is not already selected. Then, click Next.
d. On the Select a Restore Point page, click the most recent system checkpoint in the On this list, click a restore point list, and then click Next. You may receive a message that lists configuration changes that System Restore will make. Click OK.
e. On the Confirm Restore Point Selection page, click Next. System Restore restores the previous Windows XP configuration, and then System Restore restarts the computer.
f. Log on to the computer as Administrator.

For information about how to do this, please visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/usin ... count.mspx (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/usin ... count.mspx)
g. The System Restore Restoration Complete page appears.
h. Click OK.
If this method worked for you, you are finished.

If this method did not work for you, and you are comfortable with advanced troubleshooting, please try the steps in the "Advanced troubleshooting" section.

If you are not comfortable with advanced troubleshooting, unfortunately this content is unable to help you any further. For your next steps, you might want to ask someone for help, or you might want to contact Support. For information about how to contact Support, please visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://support.microsoft.com/contactus (http://support.microsoft.com/contactus)


Advanced troubleshooting
If you are not comfortable with advanced troubleshooting, or if these advanced troubleshooting steps do not work for you, 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 (http://support.microsoft.com/contactus)
This method is rated: Moderately Difficult.

We recommend the following advanced troubleshooting steps for advanced users:
1. Start Windows XP in safe mode
2. Use the Rollback Driver feature
3. Determine whether a third-party program is causing the issue
4. Determine the conflicting program or the conflicting utility
5. Determine whether a third-party service is causing the issue
6. Determine the conflicting service
To perform this list of actions, follow these steps.
Step 1: Start Windows XP in safe mode
a. Restart the computer. Press the F8 key repeatedly when the screen becomes blank.
b. Click Safe Mode, and then press ENTER.
c. If you are prompted to select a version of Windows, select the correct version, and then press ENTER.
Step 2: Use the Rollback Driver feature
a. Start Device Manager. To do this, click Start, and then click Run,
b. Copy and then paste (or type) the following command in the Run box, and then press ENTER:
devmgmt.msc
c. Double-click the device for which you want to restore the driver.
d. Click the Driver tab, and then click Roll Back Driver.
Step 3: Determine whether a third-party program is causing the issue
Note If you disable all Microsoft services and then restart the computer, the System Restore utility is disabled, and you lose all system restore points. Therefore, we do not recommend that you disable all Microsoft services when you use the Msconfig utility to troubleshoot connection issues.
a. Click Start, and then click Run.
b. Copy and then paste (or type) the following command in the Run box, and then press ENTER:
msconfig
c. Click the General tab, click Selective Startup, and then click to clear all check boxes except the Load System Services check box.
d. Click the Services tab, and then click Hide all Microsoft Services.
e. Click Disable all.
f. Click OK, and then restart the computer.
If Windows XP starts, go to step 4. If Windows XP does not start, go to step 6.
Step 4: Determine the conflicting program or the conflicting utility
a. Click Start, and then click Run.
b. Copy and then paste (or type) the following command in the Run box, and then press ENTER:
msconfig
c. Click the Startup tab.

Because of the number of entries that may be listed, we recommend that you determine the conflicting program by using the following process of elimination:
1. Select approximately half of the listed items, and then click OK.
2. Restart the computer.

Note If Windows XP does not start, restart Windows XP in safe mode.
3. Continue this process of elimination until you have identified the conflicting program.
d. We recommend that you remove the program if you are not using it. Or, configure the program so that it does not start when the computer starts.

Note You may have to contact the software vendor for information about how to perform this configuration.
Step 5: Determine whether a third-party service is causing the issue
a. Click Start, and then click Run.
b. Copy and then paste (or type) the following command in the Run box, and then press ENTER:
msconfig
c. Click the Services tab, disable all the services, and then click OK.
d. Restart the computer.
If Windows XP starts, go to step 6.
Step 6: Determine the conflicting service
a. Click Start, and then click Run.
b. Copy and then paste (or type) the following command in the Run box, and then press ENTER:
msconfig
c. Click the Services tab.
d. Enable half the services on the list, and then click OK.
e. Restart the computer in regular mode.

Note If Windows XP does not start, restart the computer in safe mode.
f. Continue this process until you determine the service that is causing the issue. We recommend that you remove or disable the service.

Note You may have to contact the developer of the program for information about how to do this.


Similar problems and solutions
For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
841567 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/841567/) You receive a "Cannot install this hardware" or "An error occurred during the installation" error message when you try to install a PCI device
810882 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/810882/) Error message: Cannot install hardware. An error occurred during the installation of the device
319908 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/319908/) Information about hardware device drivers for Windows XP
883259 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/883259/) How to install and configure Bluetooth devices in Windows XP Service Pack 2
330181 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/330181/) Windows XP problems with damaged or incompatible hardware
If the articles listed here do not help you resolve the problem or if you experience symptoms that differ from those that are described in this article, search the Microsoft Knowledge Base for more information. To search the Microsoft Knowledge Base, please visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://support.microsoft.com (http://support.microsoft.com/)
Then, type the text of the error message that you receive, or type a description of the problem in the Search box, and then click Search.


APPLIES TO
• Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
• Microsoft Windows XP Professional