Three reasons to reinstall Windows. The need to reinstall the operating system Problem when Windows does not boot for a long time

Many users, when serious problems occur in Windows XP, prefer “amputation”: formatting the disk and completely reinstalling the OS. However, such a simple and radical surgical method is not suitable if the system has many important programs installed and configured, the reinstallation of which is impossible or would be too expensive. In this case, an in-depth diagnostic of Windows is required.

Each type of Windows XP failure has its own cause, and therefore, although there are quite clear recipes for getting rid of the most common problems, it is impossible to develop any universal “treatment” method to eliminate most “glitches”. The configuration of each operating system, software, drivers and hardware is unique, and most often it is possible to find out the cause of the problem only by carefully dissecting the hardware and software inside of a particular computer. If the failure does not accompany the OS right from the moment of its installation, but appeared at some specific moment (after installing another program or driver, changing Windows settings, power failure), then it is easy to get rid of it, just remove the problematic application, or restore the registry or even the entire contents of the hard drive from a backup. Not only the standard System Restore will help with this, but also more interesting programs, for example, Norton Ghost, Ashampoo Uninstaller, WinRescue XP. Of course, this is possible if the user does not disdain prevention and regularly uses such programs, which is not at all difficult, by the way. For example, a full backup of a 10 GB system NTFS partition in Norton Ghost takes only 10 minutes (it is unreasonable to allocate the entire disk space to the OS).

If it is not possible to either restore the system with little effort or completely reinstall it, then you will have to look for the cause of the failure yourself. To achieve success in such a thankless and tedious task, it is recommended to follow the following technology:

Preliminary stage

Before starting diagnostics, make a backup copy of the registry, configuration files, or the entire system, so as not to get even bigger problems as a result of experiments. Be sure to remember all your further actions so that in case of problems you can easily cancel them.
Delete all temporary files, clear the browser cache, Recycle Bin, Journal, empty the Program Files\ Internet Explorer\ Plugins folder with IE plugins (make backup copies to restore them). Clear the folders from which MS-Office scripts autorun (such as Documents and Settings\ USER\ Application Data\ Microsoft\ Excel\ Xlstart, Documents and Settings\ USER\ Application Data\ Microsoft\ Word\ Startup), delete the normal.dot template, used by MS-Office. Empty the Windows folders\ Downloaded Program Files, Documents and Settings\ USER\ NetHood, Documents and Settings\ USER\ PrintHood, Documents and Settings\ USER\ Recent. Remove autorun.inf files from all local drives.
Check the system with several recent antiviruses and the Ad-Aware program, scan the hard drive with utilities such as ScanDisk, Norton DiskDoctor (with the mandatory inclusion of write testing). Check system files using the System File Checker utility (SFC /SCANNOW command) and restore damaged libraries from the Windows distribution or Service Pack.
Update the system: in addition to the latest service pack (if it is already installed, reinstall it) install all the latest patches on the Windows Update website (windowsupdate.microsoft.com, just keep in mind that some patches themselves can be a source of problems). Update (reinstall) Internet Explorer and the JAVA virtual machine from Microsoft. Update DirectX using the redist distribution (about 25-30 megabytes in size, and the file name contains the word “REDIST”: DX90b_Redist.exe). Sometimes it is useful to first remove Internet Explorer or DirectX, and then install it again - for this you can use the XPLite utility.

Search for a ready-made solution

Carefully study the documentation for the faulty program or expansion card; perhaps it contains some special instructions. Also visit the website of the developer of the faulty program or device - perhaps the manufacturer's technical support service knows about the problem and offers to download a patch.
If the failure is accompanied by error messages (for example, STOP errors on a blue screen), then write down their exact contents and go to the Microsoft support site. Based on the error message, you need to formulate a query for the search engine (for maximum search efficiency, try formulating the query in several different ways). Finding a solution in the Microsoft database is the fastest way to resolve the problem. If there is no information about your failure in the Microsoft database, then run a specialized Internet search utility, for example, Copernic or Search Plus, and also try to find materials on similar problems on the Internet and in UseNet technical conferences. Or use Russian and foreign search engines such as Yandex, Yahoo or Google.
Just keep in mind that if your system has automatic reboot mode enabled in case of failures, the “blue screen of death” message will not be displayed. Therefore, in the Control Panel - System - Startup and Recovery - Settings menu, uncheck the Automatically restart flag in advance.
To obtain maximum information about the failure that occurred, also refer to the system error log - Event Log (Computer Management - Event Viewer, “Computer Management” - “Event Viewer”). Documentation for most Event ID event codes is available on the Microsoft Events and Errors Message Center and www.eventid.net websites. Something can be squeezed out of the Dr.Watson system debugger, which can be called from the System Information program window.
In Windows XP, enable error reporting mode to Microsoft: Control Panel → System → Advanced → Error reporting → Enable Error Reporting (Control Panel → System → Advanced → Error Report → Enable Error Reporting). You will laugh, but there have been cases when, after sending information about a failure to the developers, the user received a response with a specific solution to the problem.
Check out sites dedicated to the nation's efforts to combat Windows crashes, such as www.techadvice.com, www.jsiinc.com/reghack.htm, www.mdgx.com, www.aumha.org, labmice.techtarget.com/troubleshooting/generalguides .htm - on them you will find links to articles devoted to troubleshooting many common failures.
Visit popular web and UseNet conferences on operating systems, software and computer hardware. Having formulated a description of the failure of your system in extreme detail (and not forgetting to indicate its version!), indicating the exact content of the error message and describing the configuration of your system, try asking for help from other users - perhaps someone has already encountered a similar problem and knows its solution, or may suggest the direction of further searches.

Checking settings

In the Control Panel, check all system and hardware settings - set all parameters to the “Default” position. Specifically, remove page file size limits, check that you have enough disk space, and temporarily set your environment variable settings to a shorter path to the TEMP folder (for example, C:\TEMP). Even in your keyboard settings, set the default language to English. Also check all settings in the options of the applications you use.
Return the settings in the registry and in the configuration files user.ini, system.ini made using tweaking utilities to their original state. Check the settings in the files autoexec.nt, config.nt, _default.pif. Run a search in the registry for the word “Policies” and delete all parameters in the found sections (except for the PowerCfg sections responsible for power policies, as well as the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Internet Settings\ TemplatePolicies section, which contains IE security policy templates) - Perhaps the failure is just a consequence of restricting user rights. Carefully check your current security policy settings in the Group Policy Editor (GPEDIT.MSC).
Return the settings in the BIOS to the original - Default - state, experiment with different CMOS Setup options, for example, disable DMA mode for disks, change memory timings, disable all integrated devices, enable the “hole” in the region of 15 megabytes of memory. Disable everything related to power management in CMOS Setup, including ACPI. Or vice versa - enable all these options if they are disabled. Similarly, experiment with the PnP OS Installed and USB Legacy Support option. Update your BIOS. And give up overclocking: overclocking is the main enemy of Windows XP!

System and programs

Run the msconfig.exe utility and disable all startup programs. Try also experimenting with the Selective Startup mode - perhaps the incorrect entry is hidden in system.ini or win.ini, another rudimentary configuration file. Using msconfig, it is convenient to check system services, for example, by comparing the list of running services with another PC on which a similar failure is not observed. A good description of the purpose of Windows XP services, which will help you find out the initial and recommended status of their configuration in different versions of Windows, can be found at www.blackviper.com. Try disabling unnecessary services, for example, WEB Client, and also check service dependencies using the Services snap-in.
Try to remember after what actions the failure appeared. Uninstall several programs and drivers that were most recently installed - perhaps one of them is causing the system to crash or conflicts with other programs and hardware, causing them to crash. Uninstall any programs that were created more than two years ago and have not been updated since then. Remove antiviruses and other software that closely integrates with the system. Be sure to use a specialized uninstaller like Ashampoo Uninstaller, both when installing and uninstalling programs - this is the only way to completely clear the system of all traces of the program or driver being removed! In addition, analysis of the uninstaller log allows you to find out which files on the disk and which parameters in the registry were changed during the installation of the program - often to eliminate the failure it is enough to change the incorrectly changed parameter in the registry. When reinstalling programs and drivers, try not only the latest version (note that some programs are regularly updated with patches), but also the older one - it often turns out to be more stable. Try reinstalling the failed application in a different directory with a shorter name.
For outdated programs, try installing a special compatibility mode. To do this, create a shortcut to the program, go to its properties and on the “Compatibility” tab, in the “Run in emulation mode” item, select the compatibility mode with another type of Windows. In addition, use the Application Compatibility Toolkit, which is designed to significantly expand the capabilities and manual configuration of this mode.
Try running the failed application under an administrator account. If the program runs only under it, then from the Administrator account, find the section with the settings of the desired program in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE registry branch and right-click on it. Select the “Permissions” command from the menu that appears and set full access to this registry branch for the user or group of users who are allowed to work with it. Also find in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER branch the section corresponding to the faulty program and export it to a REG file. Now log in as a regular user and import this REG file back into the registry. Sometimes you can get rid of such a failure by deleting your account (and your entire user profile) and then creating it again.
Try finding and fixing errors in the registry using a program like Norton WinDoctor. Errors found should be corrected only manually, analyzing each of them. To do this, you need to try to find out which program or system setting the erroneous registry entry relates to by looking in RegEdit at the branch that WinDoctor signals - using the names of files, parameters, or the specified paths, it is easy to install the application that generated the error. Try using other diagnostic utilities, for example, the DirectX Diagnostic Tool included in Windows; it will check DirectX files, drivers, and settings of some devices. Some simple glitches can be fixed by the Tweak UI program; it has a “Repair” tab for this purpose.
Some Windows XP problems can be resolved by restoring the hard disk's master boot record (MBR) using the "fdisk /mbr" command after starting the PC from a Windows 98 floppy disk (this is necessary to subsequently overwrite the disk ID), or by using the recovery console commands "fixboot" and "fixmbr" " Boot your PC from a Windows 98/Me NTFS-enabled floppy disk (use NTFS for DOS Pro to do this) or ERD Commander disk and delete the PAGEFILE.SYS file. ERD Commander, generally speaking, is an excellent program that is a kind of LiveCD for Windows XP. It allows you to fix many problems and access OS settings, even if Windows itself does not boot into crash protection mode. Check for errors in boot.ini and current access rights to files and folders: the “System” and “Administrators” user group must have full access rights to the root directory of the system drive and to the virtual memory file PAGEFILE.SYS.
Monitor various system events, queries and registry accesses at the moment of a failure using special monitoring programs. By analyzing access to the registry, you can, for example, determine which parameters from the registry are requested by the program immediately at the time of a failure - perhaps some of them are missing or have an incorrect value. And by analyzing access to files, it is easy to understand which files contain the settings of the faulty program, and which files it needs are missing. Utilities from SysInternals will help with this: Registry Monitor - analysis of accesses to the registry, File Monitor - monitoring of access to files, DllView - information about libraries used by current processes, OpenList - information about all open files, PortMon - access to ports, TCPView - information about connections via the TCP protocol. The TaskInfo program is best at displaying information about all running programs. It will also show how much CPU resources each application consumes. You can find out the cause of the jam that occurs during boot using the well-known diagnostic utility BootVis (however, Microsoft no longer distributes it, so use the search). Also check the system with a comprehensive diagnostic and information package SiSoft Sandra or AIDA32.
Remove unnecessary fonts, disable all performance counters, make sure that there are no folders or files on the disk with very long names or extensions (220 characters or more), do not use very long command line parameters (220 characters or more) when working with programs.

Equipment

Update all drivers for all devices (or remove and reinstall the drivers of the problematic device, as well as the driver of the device to which it is connected), especially the chipset drivers: Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility and Intel Application Accelerator or VIA-4-in-1 ( plus other drivers and patches from VIA, such as VIA IRQ Routing Miniport Driver, VIA IDE Miniport driver and others, depending on the system configuration). Check for special patches and updates on the websites of equipment manufacturers, and most importantly, the motherboard.
Check the serviceability of the equipment, the correct installation of jumpers on it, test it using utilities such as Memory Test, CPU Stability Test and the like. Check everything, right down to the battery, power supply voltage and the quality of the motherboard fastening - there should be no spontaneous short circuits or unreliable contacts anywhere!
Temporarily replace all memory modules - this is the device that fails most often. If this is not possible, then try limiting its size, for example, to the first 64 megabytes. In Windows XP, it is convenient to use the MSCONFIG.EXE utility for this: the MAXMEM parameter in the boot.ini file. Try a more powerful power supply, oddly enough, lack of power is very often the cause of Windows crashes.
Check the temperature and functionality of the cooling devices of all system components, even the chipset (you can even install a special fan on the chipset heatsink). Ground the PC, install a surge protector or an uninterruptible power supply. Check the quality of the telephone cable, network cable, electrical wiring.
Remove all additional devices from the PC (except the hard drive and video card, although sometimes replacing the video card helps), even the internal tweeter, and then in crash protection mode, using the “System Properties” dialog, remove them drivers and see if the problem is gone. If it disappears, then install the devices back one by one, each time repeating the procedure, which usually leads to an error message - perhaps there is some kind of hardware conflict and in this way you will either identify its source, or the system will re-allocate resources and eliminate it itself .
Install the problematic device in another PCI slot, in the system properties and the System Information utility (Program Files\ Common Files\ Microsoft Shared\ MSInfo\ msinfo32.exe) check for no conflicts. The SiSoftware Sandra program is very good for obtaining information about the system. If ACPI is disabled, try manually reassigning conflicting interrupts (or other resources, such as DMA channels or I/O ranges). Try replacing the problematic device with exactly the same one, or with a device of a different brand - perhaps a defective unit is simply to blame, or changing the manufacturer of the expansion board will eliminate the conflict. For disks, try a different cable, instead of an 80-wire cable, try a 40-wire cable and vice versa, check that the Master/Slave jumpers are set correctly, move the disk to another cable, set it in CMOS Setup to either auto-detection mode, or set its parameters explicitly, or set it to "NONE". Do not connect other devices to the same cable with the problem disk.
Look at the properties of the problematic device - perhaps there are settings there that will resolve the problem, for example, disable or enable DMA mode for the disk. If the computer does not boot, try accessing these menus from Safe Mode.
In case of problems with drivers, boot the PC in crash protection mode, in Device Manager, remove the problematic device (as well as all printers and devices that do not exist in reality, even joysticks) and after loading the OS in normal mode, install the latest driver. However, sometimes an older driver turns out to be more stable, try different versions. Please note that instead of rebooting, a failure can sometimes be resolved by completely turning off the PC and then turning it on after a few minutes of idle power. If the failure has something to do with the network, then in the Network properties, remove all network components and after rebooting, install everything necessary again. Remove all printers if there are problems with them, and also reinstall their drivers after rebooting. Remove all drivers that are not certified for Windows XP; the File Signature Verification utility, called from the System Information program window, will help you check the signatures of system files. If the driver was installed unsuccessfully, then use either loading the last known good configuration (called in the Windows boot menu), or roll back to the previous version of the driver in the system properties.

It's bad

Reinstalling Windows over a previous installation will restore all files to their original versions, but will retain the main settings in the registry, so if the cause of the failure is incorrect registry settings, then such a reinstallation may not fix anything. In some cases, immediately before installation, you can remove all hardware from the crash protection mode in the “System Properties” dialog so that Windows can reinstall all the drivers. Also try different OS distribution disks - the original disk may be damaged.
After completely erasing the Windows, Program Files, System Volume Information and Recycler folders (or repartitioning and formatting the disk), install Windows bare-bones. Perhaps Windows 2000 or Windows 98 will be more efficient. Sometimes you need to format the disk with a special utility from the hard drive manufacturer to completely reset it. In some cases, for example, after programs like Partition Magic work incorrectly, to fix the failure you need to partition the disk again using standard Fdisk.

Finish

Contact a specialist or... try your luck with Linux...

www.symantec.com
www.ashampoo.com
www.superwin.com
www.lavasoft.com
www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/download/default.htm
www.microsoft.com/java/vm/dl_vm40.htm
www.litepc.com
search.support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1
www.copernic.com
srchplus.chat.ru
www.microsoft.com/technet/support/ee/ee_advanced.aspx
www.eventid.net
www.techadvice.com
www.jsifaq.com/reghack.htm
www.mdgx.com
www.aumha.org
labmice.techtarget.com/troubleshooting/generalguides.htm
www.blackviper.com
www.microsoft.com/windows/appcompatibility/default.mspx
www.winternals.com
www.sysinternals.com
www.iarsn.com
www.microsoft.com/whdc/hwdev/platform/performance/fastboot/BootVis.mspx
sisoftware.net
www.aida32.hu/aida32.php
support.intel.com/support/chipsets/driver.htm
www.viaarena.com/?PageID=66

Malicious programs, incorrect installation/uninstallation of applications, improper editing of the registry, etc. lead to critical errors and failures in the Windows 7, 8, 10 and XP operating system. But even if the user knows which “jamb” led to the error, he will not always be able to fix it on his own.

Correcting system errors in this case must be entrusted to third-party utilities and programs. We have selected the five most famous and effective programs that will help fix operating system errors.

Microsoft Fix it

Fix it- a whole set of programs developed by Microsoft. Using this tool, you can troubleshoot specific problems with Windows 7, 8, 10 and XP. They cannot be used as a universal product. Utilities work pointwise, correcting individual system errors. For example, Fix it will help with problems that arose after emptying the recycle bin or programs that started automatically. It will also fix problems with the DVD drive, copying files and a number of others.

Fix it utilities are downloaded on Windows 7 automatically and absolutely free.

How to fix system errors in operating systems from Microsoft (all versions) using the Fix it set of utilities:

Since the set of utilities was created by OS developers, they are safe and perform only authorized actions. The program will not do anything that would disable the computer.

The Fix it utility can easily be considered the best free program for fixing errors in Windows 7, 8, 10 and XP, and using it is simple, fast and reliable, but it is not always effective.

NetAdapter Repair All In One

This program, developed by Conner Bernhard, can be called a universal solution. Using it, you can diagnose and fix any problems related to network connections and adapters. The new "ten" does not support the program, but it works fine in XP, 7 and 8.

You can download NetAdapter (free) at.

The main feature of NetAdapter Repair (all utilities in one program) is that it diagnoses problems, and the decision to fix problems is made by the user himself. The work starts with the "Advanced Repair" button. That is, the program does not work in automatic mode. The utility has a separate menu with which you can configure network connection parameters by checking the boxes below. You can select all areas by selecting "Run All Selected".

The program will quickly correct all existing errors.

The utility allows every user to diagnose the system for errors, but only the administrator can make decisions about troubleshooting.

Beginners may be intimidated by the lack of Russian-language support, but experienced users can easily figure it out and make all the necessary settings.

Using NetAdapter Repair you can fix:

Settings for the network protocol responsible for automatically obtaining an IP address for the computer (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol).
Text hosts file.
Electronic routing file.
Domain Name System Addresses.
Protocol for working in local networks (Network Basic Input/Output System).
Settings for ensuring confidentiality, data authenticity, and online privacy.
Operating system network services settings.

NetAdapter Repair is ideal for advanced users and is not recommended for beginners.

Kerish Doctor

Kerish- a real doctor Aibolit for a “problematic” computer. This is a universal utility that will simultaneously eliminate all problems that have arisen in the operating system. Moreover, Kerish Doctor will also solve the problem of low computer performance.

What the utility can do:

Fix registry errors;
Optimize the operation of OS services;
Increase the speed of your network connection;
Monitor system events;
Protect from malware;
Prevent OS crashes;
Protect your computer from overheating;
Remove unnecessary application files, invalid shortcuts, temporary links, etc.;
Close system and application vulnerabilities;
Create an optimal mode for players.

It is important! The utility runs in manual and automatic mode. If you choose the second mode, be prepared that the program, working in the background, will significantly load the processor. To avoid this, configure Kerish Doctor in manual mode by selecting optimization items yourself.

Although the program is universal, it can scare trained users with its “permissiveness.” But beginners who prefer not to delve into any processes, but to get a “flying” operating system as a final result, will certainly use it.

Kerish Doctor has a shareware version that lasts for half a month, and full functionality can be purchased for 380 rubles.
You can download Kerish Doctor for free.

Anvisoft PC PLUS

Anvisoft is a universal and free option that can be used to fix various problems.

Anvisoft PC PLUS can:

Troubleshoot problems with graphic files on the desktop related to moving, copying, highlighting;
Correct system errors, for example, when a dynamic link library is missing;
Fix network connection errors;
Clean temporary files;
Eliminate bugs in games;
Detect OS errors and warn about them;
Support users 24 hours a day (however, managers speak English).

You can download Anvisoft PC PLUS (free) on the page.

Although the program does not support the Russian language, it is popular among domestic users, especially active players.

By selecting the error search area, you can start scanning your computer.

Registry Repair

A special utility that deals with registry problems. Registry Repair can recognize and correct almost 20 types of errors, and therefore will be indispensable for those who like to edit registries at their own risk. The utility will find all errors and fix them automatically. It works neatly and does not load the RAM and processor.

Registry Repair can:

Check the entire registry for errors or individual sections of it. Using the utility, you can check file extensions and history,
Custom elements and services launched by the operating system, fonts, application directories, the Start menu and much more;
Find and destroy everything left behind by spyware and adware applications;
Scan the entire system partition and check all users on this computer;
Create a list of events that do not need to be checked;
Undo all previously made changes (a backup copy is created before each change);
Create a text file of all changes made to the registry.

Registry Repair is a good solution for beginners and experienced users. The utility is free, and the developers guarantee correct operation.

To download Registry Repair, go to .

When you start the program, it will automatically scan the system for errors, after which you can launch the fix using the "Fix Registry" button.

All existing errors in windows xp, 7, 8, 10 will be corrected.

What to choose?

All the utilities presented are among the best free programs for fixing errors in Windows 7, 8, 10 and XP, while each is good in its own way. But Kerish Doctor has the greatest functionality, however, in order to use all the tools, you need to buy it.

NetAdapter Repair is a professional solution, but only for advanced users. Registry Repair perfectly scans the registry and fixes the problems found. Anvisoft is universal. And Fix it is the best choice in our opinion. Utilities from the Windows OS developer work accurately, safely and quickly.

Any Windows-based operating system crashes after a long period of use. System disks become clogged with residual and temporary files and programs. Clutter in the system leads to decreased overall productivity. The device takes a long time to load and performs operations slowly. The biggest problem for users is the occurrence of errors due to failures in Windows 7. There are internal and external ways to resolve errors in the system. Internal methods involve the use of Windows power and resources; external methods use programs and utilities.

Checking the disk using CHKDSK

CHKDSK is a utility utility built into the operating system. The purpose of the utility is to restore damaged sectors on the hard drive. Also, CHKDSK fixes system file errors. The utility is launched from the command line in Windows 7. You can launch the command line in several ways:

Keyboard shortcut Win+R;
Start key, enter the query “cmd” in the search bar;
Start key, Programs, Accessories, Command Prompt.

In the black window that opens, enter the command: “chkdsk C: /F”. Command meaning:

Chkdsk – disk check;
C: - name of the system drive, the letter may be different, a colon is required;
/F – designation of the action; the system will automatically check itself for errors and eliminate them.

After entering the command, press the Enter button. The next time you reboot, the system will check and correct errors.

Check with sfc scannow command

The utility can also be launched from the command line. To run the scan, you will need Administrator rights. At the command line you need to enter “sfc /scannow”. The system will automatically check files, including closed ones, correct errors, and restore damaged ones from a cached copy.

Standard diagnostics for Windows problems

Using the command line is suitable for advanced users. For those who are not well versed in how computers work, the windowed option for diagnosing and troubleshooting problems is suitable. Additionally, users of the Windows 7 operating system have access to tools for searching for solutions and downloading important updates in the Update and Support Centers.

Troubleshooting Control Panel

This is an internal Windows program that allows you to diagnose the system for errors and find solutions to eliminate them. You can launch it in the following way:

A window will open with a list of all system capabilities of the computer. In most cases, it is enough to run a check of the “Performance” item. By double clicking on the selected item, the user will start the scan. To ensure that the system fixes errors immediately, you should check the “Automatically apply fixes” checkbox.

Find solutions in the Support Center

The Action Center tool monitors the status of the operating system and stores reports of errors and failures. Using the Center, you can find problems that have occurred and correct them.

To correct errors in the system, go to the “Maintenance” section of the Center.

Checking for updates in the Update Center

Windows 7 is already considered outdated. Microsoft has stopped actively supporting users on this version of the operating system, but updates are still being released. Their installation is optional, but the system corrects errors and restores damaged files during the process of downloading the next update.

On newly installed Windows, updates are searched for and downloaded automatically. If this option is disabled, the user can start the process manually:

Click the Start button;
Enter the Control Panel, System and Security sections;
Select Windows Update;
On the left side of the window, click on “Search for updates”;
Wait for the procedure to complete.

The system will offer to install the found updates. It is recommended to agree.

Error correction programs

Many programs have been developed for Windows operating systems that can improve performance, fix errors, and remove registry errors. Such utilities are lightweight and do not take up computer resources.

Advanced System Care

The utility puts your computer in order in a comprehensive manner. Advanced System Care is distributed free of charge and can be downloaded from the developer’s website.

Important! When installing, you should carefully read the information provided and uncheck the boxes for installing additional adware.

After installing and launching Advanced System Care, a window with a simple interface will appear in front of the user. There are 2 modes of working with the utility, simplified and expert. In any of the modes, just press the large “Start” button. The utility will independently check the system for:

Viruses;
Erroneous entries in the registry;
Temporary, residual, unwanted files;
Network problems;
Erroneous labels;
Possible threats to privacy.

At the user's command, all threats or some of them will be removed.

CCleaner

One of the best programs for cleaning and fixing the registry for Windows operating systems. CCleaner is distributed free of charge. As in the previous case, it is recommended to carefully read the information in the installation windows. You can download CCleaner on the official website of the developer.

After starting the program, the user is presented with 2 menus. On the left side are the main functions, on the right are the launch of specific operations. Working with CCleaner takes place in 3 stages:

"Service" tab. Here is a list of all installed programs on your PC. They can be uninstalled. There are also tabs for startup, search for duplicate files, and analysis of system drives.
Registry tab. It is recommended to go to it after uninstalling programs. CCleaner will find all erroneous entries in the system and offer to correct or delete them.
Cleaning tab. The utility detects temporary files of the system and browsers and deletes them. This procedure allows you to clear space on the system disk.

The above steps will significantly improve PC performance. It is recommended to regularly analyze and clean using the Ccleaner utility.

Windows 7 Manager

The Windows 7 Manager utility allows you to carry out full maintenance of the operating system. You can download the software.

Windows 7 Manager works similarly to CCleaner, but gives the user access to advanced functionality for optimization, cleaning, networking and PC protection.

To find and fix errors in Windows 7, you should sequentially select items in the left menu, analyze and clean the system.

Microsoft Fix It

The software is designed specifically to work with Windows. The Microsoft Fix It utility is downloaded and installed for free. In the utility window, the user is offered a list of system tools, for each of which you can run an error check and subsequent correction.

Fix It is developed by Microsoft and is one of the official troubleshooting tools.

AVG PC Tune Up

The program was created by the developers of the famous AVG antivirus. Downloading and using the program is free. The creators of AVG PC Tune Up promise that computers will work faster after using the utility and will not break down longer.

To use the capabilities of AVG PC Tune Up, just install it and step by step start checking and eliminating errors.

Kaspersky Cleaner

A free utility from a company that offers antivirus software. Kaspersky Cleaner is very easy to use. You can download it.

After launch, the user is asked to press just 1 button to find and fix internal problems of the operating system.

List of system errors for blue screen

Most users begin to worry about the state of the system only when the blue screen of death appears regularly. Below is a list of the most common ones.

Error number	What means
0x00000001	Errors in the file system, drivers. Lack of hard disk/RAM space
0x0000000A	Invalid device driver address
0x0000001E	Driver or OS feature problem
0x00000020	One of the APC counters is disabled/damaged
0x00000023	Failure in hard drive partition (FAT)
0x00000024	Hard drive failure (NTFS)
0x0000002A	Disabling IPR while the driver is executing a command
0x0000002B	Kernel driver uses too much stack space
0x0000002E	RAM failure
0x00000031	System initialization error (early stage)
0x00000032	System initialization error (late stage)
0x00000035	There is no free space in the OS stack for driver interaction
0x00000036	An attempt was made to remove a component that was in progress
0x0000003E	System processes do not match each other in level/symmetry

The listed errors can be solved by running a scan and fix, rolling back the system, or reinstalling Windows.

Resetting settings in BIOS

This method is suitable in cases where the user has installed incorrect settings on the computer, but does not know what exactly the error is. Entering the BIOS on different devices is carried out at the moment of switching on. To launch the BIOS menu, you need to hold down one of the hot keys (you can find out more on the manufacturer’s website). Most often, these are the F8, F10, Del buttons.

On older BIOS types, resetting to default settings was carried out on the main page. “Item Load Fail-Safe Defaults.”

On new PCs and laptops, this function is located in the right “Exit” tab, usually referred to as “Load Setup Defaults”.

Using Safe Mode

In some cases, the system is so damaged that it does not start in the usual window format. You can start checking and eliminating errors in safe mode via the command line (see above).

On most devices, safe mode is launched by frequently pressing the F8 button at startup. A boot menu will appear where you can select an option. The pointer is moved with the up and down buttons, and selection is made with the Enter key.

System Restore

If error correction does not lead to the expected result, you should try to restore the system to a more efficient state. The simplest algorithm:

The computer will restart and function correctly.

Recovery in Windows RE

This method is suitable in cases where nothing helps at all. Recovery in the Windows RE environment is carried out not from the operating system, but from the BIOS. Algorithm of actions:

Insert a disk or bootable USB flash drive containing Windows 7;
Turn on the device, enter the BIOS;
In the Advanced Features section, select starting the PC from a disk or USB device;
Reboot;
In the menu that opens when loading, select one of the recovery options that suits the user.

It is recommended to select “Startup Repair” to troubleshoot problems and recover damaged files. System Restore performs comprehensive troubleshooting. A command line is also available in Windows RE, through which you can run internal utilities to check and troubleshoot problems.

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Reinstalling Windows XP in some cases it is necessary when all system recovery means have been exhausted or restoring normal operation of an old copy of Windows XP is not advisable. There are two types of reinstalling Windows XP. Reinstallation in recovery mode and clean reinstallation. If you reinstall in recovery mode, the hard drive partitions are not deleted or formatted, the old registry, settings and user files will remain in their original form. Such a reinstallation sometimes helps solve some problems, but not always and not all. During a clean reinstallation of Windows, the system disk is formatted or deleted and a partition is created again, and any necessary version of Windows is installed on it. If there are still partitions on the hard drive with the necessary data, then you can not touch them, and they will be saved unchanged with all the information on them. Before a clean reinstallation of Windows, you need to copy all important data from the system partition to another partition that will not be deleted, and format it or to an external storage medium, such as a DVD, CD, flash drive or external hard drive. If Windows no longer boots in normal mode, then you can try loading it in “Safe Mode” through the boot menu by pressing the F8 key after starting the computer. The boot menu should open on a black screen, where you need to select “Safe Mode” in the list at the top position. During the download process, a window will pop up where you need to click “OK”. After booting into safe mode, you can copy all the necessary files and folders from the system partition (disk) to another partition (disk) or to an external storage medium. If you cannot boot Windows in any mode, then you need to boot the operating system from external media, such as a CD, DVD or floppy disk. There are special bootable recovery discs on CD and DVD under different names. Most often, the names contain the words Windows Live or Windows Life, but not necessarily. The loaded operating system must provide access to your data that needs to be copied, as well as access to the media on which the data is saved. Some users, before installing Windows, format their hard drive, delete and create partitions using various utilities and programs. I assure you, you don’t need to do any of this. All this is done during the installation process using the Windows installer. For information on how to do a clean installation (reinstallation) of Windows, read the article. One more recommendation. If you have several hard drives, then it is better to disconnect the hard drives on which Windows is not installed, so as not to get confused in the disks and partitions and to avoid some of the “glitches” encountered when installing the operating system. You can turn it off physically, for example, by unplugging the power connector from the hard drive or programmatically via BIOS SETUP, but it’s easier and more reliable to turn off the power. After Windows installation is complete, you can reconnect previously disconnected drives. The system will detect them, install them and assign symbols to them. In some cases, Windows Installer does not detect hard drives. This often happens due to the lack of necessary drivers for SATA drives in the Windows distribution. This problem can be solved either by loading the necessary drivers using the F6 key at the beginning of the installation, or by installing a version of Windows with integrated drivers in the distribution. This problem can also occur due to a malfunction of the hard drive, cable, or lack of power.

The smooth operation of the PC, as well as the user’s peace of mind about the safety and security of personal information and data, completely depend on how stable and competently the operating system is installed. Thus, the importance of correctly installing Windows cannot be overestimated. In fact, it is better to entrust such complex and painstaking work as reinstalling the OS to specialists. The main difficulties of this undertaking include the occurrence of a number of inconveniences (using a floppy disk with program files, or difficulties when reinstalling the OS on a netbook due to the lack of a disk drive), as well as risky situations with loss of critical information. Therefore, an important point is to identify the problem: to save the OS or to reinstall it. Reinstalling the operating system is a last resort measure that is taken if there is no other way to solve the problem. There are often cases when the correct operation of Windows is caused by inconvenience due to easily removable conflicts in the computer hardware. In this case, reinstallation can be avoided.

Installing windows xp on an ssd allows you to improve the quality and speed of using applications. All new PCs require the installation of an OS; reinstalling the system is necessary in cases where the user prefers one system over another (many people do not like XP or others), or in the event that it is impossible to return the old OS to normal operation.

By itself, a “clean” operating system does not allow you to fully use a PC, since you need to install drivers, various user applications and carry out proper system optimization.

Reasons for reinstallation operating system

The main aspect is understanding the relevance of the process. Often this procedure is “prescribed” when the body of the system is damaged. Symptoms of damage include failures to load Windows normally or unstable PC operation. In this case, reinstallation is the only chance to restore full functionality of the PC.

The process itself is quite complicated, so immediately realistically calculate your capabilities and before it’s too late, seek help from IT experts. Only those who have special skills and knowledge in this area can perform a competent reinstallation. Lack of experience can affect the quality of the “new” OS, the operation of which will differ little from the previous system.