Troubleshooting Tips, Part III

Here's how to overcome Windows start-up headaches.

Steve Bass

Have you ever noticed the similarities between Windows and a two-year-old? They're both finicky about change, often fussy for no reason, and throw temper tantrums, like, out of the blue.

If you were with me last week, I explained what to do about Windows shutdown problems. But I've heard other things are causing you anguish. It appears that starting up Windows is just as much of a hassle, because my in-box has been flooded with messages asking for help in figuring out why annoying messages appear during boot-up.

In this column on troubleshooting Windows, I'll show you how to resolve common start-up problems posed by misbehaving drivers--you know, those small, troublesome files with.vxd or.386 extensions. (You'll have to deal with your two-year-old on your own.)

Where to Start

Last week's column had a reference to the "Ultimate Troubleshooting Guide," which I cowrote with Kirk Steers. That article's "Lost and Found Device Drivers" section provides a tip for figuring out what to do with Windows when it boots up, can't find a driver, and flashes error messages that say, "Hey, I can't find the darned.386 or.vxd!!"

Then take a look at Lincoln Spector's September 2000 Answer Line column about ending Windows boot-up error messages. He explains how to diagnose the problem in a few simple steps.

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1. Press F1 or click the Office Assistant button.
2. Select the Answer Wizard tab and type cast in the 'What would you like to do?' field.
3. Click Search.
4. Select the Microsoft Office 2000 User Assistance Staff topic.
5. Click the graphic in the Microsoft Word Help dialog box's right pane.
6. Oohh and ahhhh, and wonder about your decreased productivity.

Put On Your Work Gloves

This tip may not fix your problem, but it's quick and it'll help you figure out which application the.vxd file belongs to. First determine if the offending.vxd is still on your hard drive and being called by the Windows Registry. Find the.vxd (go to your desktop, press F3, and search for it) and rename it so that you'll be able to find it later. For instance, rename the file important.vxd to x-important.vxd. Then reboot the computer. If you don't see the error message, terrific--take the rest of the day off.

No luck? Examine the error message and see what it recommends. If it says the.vxd is missing from a specific program--and you're still using that program--reinstall the application.

More likely, you once tried uninstalling the program, but it was only partially removed. So try uninstalling it again, and hope for a full uninstall. Didn't work, right? Of course not, because we're dealing with Windows. To fully uninstall the app, grab a cup of coffee (or a glass of vino), install the program from scratch, and then uninstall it again. Hey, I didn't say this would be fun, did I?

If the error message on boot-up doesn't give you the name of the application the.vxd or.386 file belongs to, you'll need to create a bootlog file. That file lists everything that happens during the boot-up process (hence the name). A good spot to look for instructions is Lincoln Spector's "No More Freezes at Boot-Up."

Dig this: Here's a chance to see images of Earth as seen from space. There are three animations composed from real weather-satellite images. The image is small and the QuickTime video is short, but it's a stunning view nonetheless.

Hey Microsoft: What Now?

There are more than a few Microsoft Knowledge Base articles that address Windows start-up errors. Here are two of the most useful.

• How to Troubleshoot Windows Protection Error Messages: This article explains what happens when your PC loads or unloads a.vxd, and how to track down which driver is causing you grief.
• Windows 98 and Windows Me Hot Error Message Topics: Microsoft euphemistically refers to brand-new bugs and problems as "hot" error messages (it's bizarre, I know, but it's Microsoft), and some are useful.

Dig this: Interested in volcanoes? Here's an Easter Egg you'll love.

1. From the Start menu, go to Settings, Control Panel, and launch Display.
2. Click the Screen Saver tab.
3. Select 3D Text in the Screen Saver drop-down list and click on Settings.
4. In the Display Text box, type volcano.
5. The screen saver will show the names of volcanoes. Cool, eh?

Many of you have been with me since day one. But if you're a recent reader of these Home Office columns, you might be wondering where to find the last batch. Check out the archive.

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