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TIPS AND TRICKS

Windows Maintenance & Troubleshooting

 

 

 

Checking Files and Folders for Errors

    This procedure should be performed once a month.
    1. Start ScanDisk by clicking Start, pointing to Programs, pointing to Accessories, pointing to System Tools, and then clicking ScanDisk.
    2. Click the drive that contains the files and folders you want to check.
    3. Under Type of test, click "Standard".
    4. Click "Start".
    5. Close Scandisk when finished.

    Notes:
    • To change the settings ScanDisk uses when checking files and folders, after step 3, click Advanced.
    • To specify how ScanDisk repairs the errors it finds, click to clear the "Automatically fix errors" check box.
    • For Help on items in ScanDisk, right-click the item, and then click "What's This?".
    • See Additional ScanDisk Notes.


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Checking Disk Surface, Files and Folders for Errors

    This procedure should be performed once a month.
    1. Start ScanDisk by clicking Start, pointing to Programs, pointing to Accessories, pointing to System Tools, and then clicking ScanDisk.
    2. Click the drive that contains the files and folders you want to check.
    3. Under Type of test, click "Thorough".
    4. Click "Start".
    5. Close Scandisk when finished.

    Notes:
    • To change the settings ScanDisk uses when checking the disk surface, after step 3, click "Options".
    • To change the settings ScanDisk uses when checking files and folders, after step 3, click "Advanced".
    • To specify how ScanDisk repairs the errors it finds, click to clear the "Automatically fix errors" check box.
    • For Help on items in ScanDisk, right-click the item, and then click "What's This?".
    • See Additional ScanDisk Notes.
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Computer running slower than usual?  Might need to defrag.

    This procedure should be performed once a month.
    1. Start Defrag by clicking Start, pointing to Programs, pointing to Accessories, pointing to System Tools, and then clicking Disk Defragmenter.
    2. Click the drive you want to defragment.
    3. Click "OK".
    4. Close Defrag when finished.

    Notes:
    • To change the Disk Defragmenter settings, click Settings.
    • While your disk is being defragmented, you can use your computer for other tasks. However, your computer operates more slowly, and Disk Defragmenter takes longer to finish. To temporarily stop Disk Defragmenter so you can run other programs faster, click Pause.
    • During defragmentation, Disk Defragmenter must restart each time other programs write to the disk. If Disk Defragmenter restarts too often, you may want to close other programs while defragmenting your disk.

 

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Frozen or Inactive Program? or... Force Quitting a Program.

    If a program does not respond for a significant period of time (i.e. one minute), you might need to force-quit the program. Perform the following:
    1. Press and hold down the CONTROL-ALT keys with one hand.
    2. While holding the CONTROL-ALT keys down, press DELETE with the other hand.
    3. In the list that appears, click on the program that is frozen.
    4. Click on "End Task"

 

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Need to Reboot but Computer is Frozen?

    If the computer shows no mouse or keyboard activity, the computer may need to be rebooted. Perform the following:
    1. Press and hold down the CONTROL-ALT keys with one hand.
    2. While holding the CONTROL-ALT keys down, press DELETE with the other hand.
    3. While holding the CONTROL-ALT keys down, press DELETE again.
    4. The computer will now restart.

 

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Additional ScanDisk Notes:

When you use ScanDisk in Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Millennium Edition (Me), you may receive the following error message:

 

ScanDisk has restarted 10 times because Windows or another program has been writing to this drive. Quitting some running programs may enable ScanDisk to finish sooner. Do you want to continue receiving this warning?

 

Cause:

This issue can occur if Windows or another program writes to the hard disk while ScanDisk is scanning that disk.

Resolution:

To resolve this issue, use the following methods. After you use each method, run ScanDisk to see if the issue is resolved. If the issue still occurs, continue to the next method.

 

Close All Open Programs

To close programs that are currently running, follow these steps:
  1. Press CTRL+ALT+DELETE.
  2. In the Close Program dialog box, click any program in the list, except Explorer or Systray, and then click End Task. If you are prompted to click End Task again, do so.
  3. Repeat steps 1-2 for each program listed in the Close Program dialog box, except Explorer and Systray.

    Note: Explorer and Systray are Windows components that Windows requires to function properly.
  4. Follow these steps to set the screen saver to None:
    1. Right-click the desktop, and then click Properties.
    2. Click the Screen Saver tab.
    3. In the Screen Saver box, click None.
    4. Click OK.

Restart in Safe Mode:

To restart the computer in Safe mode, click Start, click Shut Down, click Restart The Computer, and then click Yes. When you see the Starting Windows 95 message, press the F8 key, or press and hold the CTRL key in Windows 98 when the computer restarts, and then choose Safe Mode from the Startup menu.

 

Restart to a Command Prompt:

To restart to a command prompt and run ScanDisk in real mode, follow these steps:
  1. Click Start, click Shut Down, click Restart the computer in MS-DOS mode, and then click Yes or OK.
  2. At the MS-DOS prompt, type scandisk, and then press ENTER.

 

More Information:

The first time this error message comes up you are given the option to continue to receive the warning message or to suppress this error message in the future.  You are also given the option to Cancel.  If you answer yes to continue receiving the error message, the message will display again if ScanDisk is unable to complete a disk scan after 10 passes.  However, if you click No, and do not want these messages, ScanDisk continues to run until it either completes, or is cancelled.

 

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Last modified: July 03, 2007

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