IEEE 802.11 adapters troubleshooting

Troubleshooting IEEE 802.11 Wireless Access with Microsoft Windows

Abstract

This article describes the tools used to troubleshoot a Microsoft Windows XP or Windows Server 2003-based wireless client, a wireless access point (AP), and the Internet Authentication Service (IAS) when using Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.1X authentication for IEEE 802.11-based wireless connections. This article also describes the most common problems with IAS authentication and authorization, certificate properties, and the process of certificate validation for both wireless client and IAS server certificates.

This article assumes background knowledge in IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN and associated security technologies and the components of a Windows-based authentication infrastructure. For background information, see Wireless LAN Technologies and Microsoft Windows. For detailed information about a Windows-based authentication infrastructure, see Wireless Deployment Technology and Component Overview. For detailed information about how to deploy a wireless LAN using IEEE 802.1X authentication, see Deployment of Protected 802.11 Networks Using Microsoft Windows.

For information about how to troubleshoot wireless connectivity on wireless networks that do not use 802.1X authentication, see Troubleshooting Microsoft Windows XP-based Wireless Networks in the Small Office or Home Office.

On This Page

Troubleshooting Tools in Windows
Wireless AP Troubleshooting Tools
IAS Troubleshooting Tools
Troubleshooting IAS Authentication and Authorization
Summary
Related Links

Troubleshooting Tools in Windows

The tools for troubleshooting wireless connections in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 are the Network Connections folder and tracing.

Network Connections Folder

The Network Connections folder and the notification area icons provide information about the state of the authentication. If an authentication requires additional information from the user, such as selecting one of multiple user certificates, a text balloon appears instructing the user. Within the Network Connections folder, the text under the name of the connection corresponding to the wireless network adapter indicates the status of the connection.

Figure 1 shows the information available for a wireless connection in the Windows XP Network Connections folder.

Figure 1: A wireless network connection in Network Connections

In Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) and Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1, the Repair capability has been enhanced for wireless connections. You can access the Repair capability through the Repair context menu option of a connection or from the Repair button on the Support tab of the Status dialog box of a connection. When you repair a wireless connection, it is disabled and re-enabled, which clears many error conditions on wireless network adapters.

When a wireless client running Windows XP with SP2 or Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 attempts a wireless connection, it goes through the following authentication states, which are indicated as the status of the wireless connection in the Network Connections folder, and in the new wireless connection Status dialog box, and in the Wireless Network Connection dialog box:

• Validating identity Credentials are required for connecting to the wireless network.
• Attempting to authenticate Credentials are being exchanged with the wireless network to authenticate a wireless connection.
• Authentication did not succeed The credentials for connecting to the wireless network were not valid and authentication has failed.
• Connected The credentials for connecting to the wireless network are valid.

Once authentication has succeeded, a wireless client running Windows XP with SP2 or Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 then attempts to obtain a valid IP address configuration and goes through the following states, which are indicated as the status of the wireless connection in the Network Connections folder, and in the new wireless connection Status dialog box, and in the Wireless Network Connection dialog box:

• Acquiring network address An IP address configuration is being obtained using the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).
• Limited or no connectivity A DHCP server was not contacted and an Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address from the range 169.254.0.0/16 was assigned. This state is not shown for wireless ad-hoc networks, which typically do not have DHCP servers. Instead, the status of the connection is displayed as “Connected.”
• Connected A DHCP server was contacted and a valid IP address configuration was obtained.

These improvements give the user and the network troubleshooter more information about how the wireless connection is progressing, from the initial association to the allocation of a valid IP address.

If the wireless connection obtains an APIPA address, Windows XP with SP2 and Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 warns you with the following message in the notification area of the desktop: "The connection has limited or no connectivity. You might not be able to access the Internet or some network resources. For more information, click this message." When you click on the message, Windows displays the Support tab of the Status dialog box for the wireless connection, from which you can view additional details or attempt to repair the connection.

Additionally, when you obtain status on the connection, you can view the signal strength on the General tab and the IP address configuration on the Support tab. If the wireless adapter has an Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address (169.254.0.0/16) or the configured alternate IP address, then authentication has failed and the Windows-based wireless client is still associated with the wireless AP. If the authentication fails and the association is still in place, the wireless adapter is enabled and TCP/IP performs its normal configuration process. If a DHCP server is not found, it automatically configures an APIPA or alternate address.

For Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 (SP4) or later or Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 (SP3) with Microsoft 802.1X Authentication Client, use the Ipconfig tool to display the adapter status and IP address configuration for the wireless network adapter.

Tracing

To obtain detailed information about the Wireless Zero Configuration service for Windows XP SP2 or Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 and the EAP authentication process for all versions of Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, you must enable tracing by typing netsh ras set tracing * enabled at a command prompt.

To obtain detailed information about how the Wireless Zero Configuration service connected to a wireless network for computers running Windows XP with SP2 or Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1, try the wireless connection again and view the Wzcdlg.log and Wzctrace.log files in the SystemRoot\Tracing folder. For detailed information about the contents of the Wzcdlg.log and Wzctrace.log files, see A Support Guide for Wireless Diagnostics and Troubleshooting.

To obtain detailed information about the EAP authentication process, try the authentication process again and view the Eapol.log and Rastls.log files in the SystemRoot\Tracing folder. For detailed information about the contents of the Eapol.log file, see A Support Guide for Wireless Diagnostics and Troubleshooting.

For Windows 2000, you can enable tracing in the same way to view the Rastls.log files in the SystemRoot\Tracing folder.

To disable tracing, type netsh ras set tracing * disabled at a command prompt.

For more information about tracing, see "IAS Troubleshooting Tools" in this article.

Server Names

For Windows XP with SP1, Windows XP with SP2, Windows Server 2003, or Windows 2000 with SP4, you can specify the names of the servers that must authenticate the wireless client in Connect to these servers, from the properties of the Smart Card or other Certificate EAP type, available from the Authentication tab for the properties of a wireless network. The names of the servers must match the names of the authenticating servers or authentication will fail. Figure 2 shows the default properties of the Smart Card and Other Certificate EAP type for Windows XP with SP1, Windows XP with SP2, and Windows Server 2003.

Figure 2: The properties of the Smart Card and Other Certificate EAP type for Windows XP with SP1, Windows XP with SP2, and Windows Server 2003

For Windows XP with no service packs installed and Windows 2000, if the wireless client is validating the server certificate (enabled by default) and the Connect if the server name ends with string is not correct, authentication will fail. Verify that this string is correct from the properties of the Smart Card and Other Certificate EAP type on the Authentication tab from the properties of the wireless connection that corresponds to the wireless LAN network adapter. Figure 3 shows the default properties of the Smart Card and Other Certificate EAP type for Windows XP with no service packs installed and Windows 2000.

Figure 3: The properties of the Smart Card and Other Certificate EAP type for Windows XP with no service packs installed

For general troubleshooting of Windows XP wireless client issues, see Microsoft Knowledgebase article Q313242, "How to Troubleshoot Wireless Network Connections in Windows XP.”

Wireless Monitor snap-in

For Windows Server 2003-based wireless clients, you can use the new Wireless Monitor snap-in, which can be used to view wireless APs and wireless client event information.

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Wireless AP Troubleshooting Tools

The tools for troubleshooting a wireless AP depends on the tool set and management software provided with the wireless AP. For example:

• Some wireless APs provide signal strength analysis tools that you can use to troubleshoot low signal strength and coverage area issues.
• A wireless AP might also provide a PING facility to check for the reachability of the wireless AP using standard or proprietary wireless protocols.
• A wireless AP might also support Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and the 802.11 Management Information Base (MIB).

See the documentation provided with the wireless AP for more information about troubleshooting tools and techniques.

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IAS Troubleshooting Tools

To help you gather information to troubleshoot problems with IAS, the following troubleshooting tools are available:

• IAS event logging and Event Viewer
• Network Monitor
• Tracing
• SNMP Service
• System Monitor counters

IAS Event Logging and Event Viewer

To troubleshoot IAS authentication attempts in the system event log, ensure that enable event logging is enabled for all types of IAS events (rejected, discarded, and successful authentication events). This is enabled by default on the Service tab for the properties of an IAS server in the Internet Authentication Service snap-in.

Here is an example of the description for a successful authentication event (Source: IAS, Event ID: 1):

User client@example.com was granted access.

Fully-Qualified-User-Name = example.com/Users/Client

NAS-IP-Address = 10.7.0.4

NAS-Identifier =  

Client-Friendly-Name = Building 7 Wireless AP

Client-IP-Address = 10.7.0.4

NAS-Port-Type = Wireless-IEEE 802.11

NAS-Port = 6

Policy-Name = Wireless Remote Access Policy

Authentication-Type = EAP

EAP-Type = Smart Card or other Certificate

Failed authentication events are Source: IAS, Event ID: 2.

Viewing the authentication attempts in this log is useful in troubleshooting remote access policies. When you have multiple remote access policies configured, you can use the system event log to determine the name of the remote access policy that either accepted or rejected the connection attempt (see Policy-Name in the event description). Enabling IAS event logging and reading the text of IAS authentication events in the system event log is the most useful tool for troubleshooting failed IAS authentications.

Network Monitor

You can use Network Monitor, available in the Microsoft Systems Management Server or the Windows 2000 Server and Windows Server 2003 families, or a commercial packet analyzer (also known as a network sniffer), to capture and view RADIUS authentication and accounting messages that are sent to and from the IAS server. Network Monitor includes a RADIUS parser, which you can use to view the attributes of a RADIUS message and troubleshoot connection issues.

Tracing

Windows Server 2003 has an extensive tracing capability that you can use to troubleshoot complex problems for specific components. You can enable the components in Windows Server 2003 to log tracing information to files using the Netsh command for specific components or for all components. To enable and disable tracing for a specific component, use the following syntax:

netsh ras set tracing Component enabled|disabled

where Component is a component in the list of components found in the registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Tracing. For example, to enable tracing for the IASRAD component, the command is:

netsh ras set tracing iasrad enabled

Although, you can enable tracing for individual components, it is typically more useful to enable tracing for all components at once, and then look through the log files that begin with "IAS" and the Rastls.log file.

To enable tracing for all components, use the following command:

netsh ras set tracing * enabled

To disable tracing for all components, use the following command:

netsh ras set tracing * disabled

The log files that are generated are stored in the Systemroot\tracing folder.

Tracing consumes system resources and should be used sparingly to help identify network problems. After the trace is captured or the problem is identified, you should immediately disable tracing. Do not leave tracing enabled on multiprocessor computers.

SNMP Service

You can use the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) Service to monitor status information for your IAS server. IAS supports the RADIUS Authentication Server MIB (RFC 2619) and the RADIUS Accounting Server MIB (RFC 2621).

System Monitor Counters

You can use System Monitor to monitor the resource use of specific components and program processes. With System Monitor, you can use charts and reports to determine how efficiently your server uses IAS and both identify and troubleshoot potential problems.

You can use System Monitor to monitor the following IAS-related performance objects:

• IAS Accounting Client
• IAS Accounting Server
• IAS Authentication Client
• IAS Authentication Server

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Troubleshooting IAS Authentication and Authorization

To troubleshoot the most common issues with IAS authentication and authorization, verify the following:

• The wireless AP can reach the IAS servers.

To test this, try to ping the IP address of the wireless AP's uncontrolled port from the IAS servers. Additionally, ensure that IPsec policies, IP packet filters, firewalls, and other mechanisms that restrict network traffic are not preventing the exchange of RADIUS messages (UDP ports 1812 and 1813) between the wireless AP and its configured IAS servers.

• Each IAS server/wireless AP pair is configured with a common shared secret.
• If you are using a third party certification authority, verify that the IAS server can reach Internet resources to perform certificate revocation checking for its own computer certificate and wireless client certificates. For more information, see the "Using a Third-Party CA" section of Deployment of Protected 802.11 Networks Using Microsoft Windows.
• The IAS servers can reach a Global Catalog server and an Active Directory domain controller.
• The computer accounts of the IAS servers are members of the RAS and IAS Servers group for the appropriate domains.
• The user or computer account is not locked out, expired, disabled, or that the time the connection is being made corresponds to the permitted logon hours.
• The user account has not been locked out by remote access account lockout.

Remote access account lockout is an authentication counting and lockout mechanism designed to prevent an online dictionary attack against a user's password. For more information, see "Remote Access Account Lockout" in the “Internet Authentication Service for Windows 2000" white paper.

• The connection is authorized. For authorization, the parameters of the connection attempt must:

·         Match all of the conditions of at least one remote access policy.

·         Be granted remote access permission through the user or computer account (set to Allow access), or if the user or computer account has the Control access through Remote Access Policy option selected, the remote access permission of the first matching remote access policy must have the Grant remote access permission option selected.

·         Match all the settings of the profile.

·         Match all the settings of the dial-in properties of the user or computer account.

To obtain the name of the remote access policy that rejected the connection attempt, ensure that IAS event logging is enabled and look for events that have IAS as the source with the Event ID set to 2. In the text of the event message, look for the remote access policy name next to the Policy-Name field.

• If you have just changed your Active Directory domain from mixed-mode to native-mode, IAS servers can no longer authenticate valid connection requests. You must restart every domain controller in the domain in order for the change to replicate.

Validating the Wireless Client's Certificate

In order for the IAS server to validate the certificate of the wireless client, the following must be true for each certificate in the certificate chain sent by the wireless client:

• The current date must be within the validity dates of the certificate.

When certificates are issued, they are issued with a range of valid dates, before which they cannot be used and after which they are considered expired.

• The certificate must not have been revoked.

Issued certificates can be revoked at any time. Each issuing CA maintains a list of certificates that should no longer be considered valid by publishing an up-to-date certificate revocation list (CRL). By default, the IAS server checks all the certificates in the wireless client's certificate chain (the series of certificates from the wireless client certificate to the root CA) for revocation. If any of the certificates in the chain have been revoked, certificate validation fails. This behavior can be modified with registry settings described later in this topic.

To view the CRL distribution points for a certificate in the Certificates snap-in, obtain the certificate properties, click the Details tab, and then click the CRL Distribution Points field.

The certificate revocation validation only works as well as the CRL publishing and distribution system. If the CRL in a certificate is not updated often, a certificate that has been revoked can still be used and considered valid because the published CRL that the IAS server is checking is out of date.

For more information about certificate revocation, see Troubleshooting Certificate Status and Revocation.

• The certificate has a valid digital signature.

CAs digitally sign certificates they issue. The IAS server verifies the digital signature of each certificate in the chain, with the exception of the root CA certificate, by obtaining the public key from the certificate's issuing CA and mathematically validating the digital signature.

The wireless client certificate must also have the Client Authentication certificate purpose (also known as Enhanced Key Usage [EKU]) (OID 1.3.6.1.5.5.7.3.2) and must either contain a UPN of a valid user account or FQDN of valid computer account for the Subject Alternative Name property of the certificate.

To view the EKU for a certificate in the Certificates snap-in, double-click the certificate in the contents pane, click the Details tab, and then click the Enhanced Key Usage field. To view the subject alternative name property for a certificate in the Certificates snap-in, double-click the certificate in the contents pane, click the Details tab, and then click the Subject Alternative Name field.

Finally, to trust the certificate chain offered by the wireless client, the IAS server must have the root CA certificate of the issuing CA of the wireless client certificate installed in its Trusted Root Certification Authorities store.

Additionally, the IAS server verifies that the identity sent in the EAP-Response/Identity message is the same as the name in the Subject Alternative Name property of the certificate. This prevents a malicious user from masquerading as a different user from that specified in the EAP-Response/Identity message.

The following registry settings in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\RasMan\PPP\EAP\13 on the IAS server can modify the behavior of the EAP-TLS when performing certificate revocation:

• IgnoreNoRevocationCheck

When set to 1, IAS allows EAP-TLS clients to connect even when it does not perform or cannot complete a revocation check of the client's certificate chain (excluding the root certificate). Typically, revocation checks fail because the certificate doesn't include CRL information.

IgnoreNoRevocationCheck is set to 0 (disabled) by default. An EAP-TLS client cannot connect unless the server completes a revocation check of the client's certificate chain (including the root certificate) and verifies that none of the certificates have been revoked.

You can use this entry to authenticate clients when the certificate does not include CRL distribution points, such as those from third parties.

• IgnoreRevocationOffline

When set to 1, IAS allows EAP-TLS clients to connect even when a server that stores a CRL is not available on the network. IgnoreRevocationOffline is set to 0 by default. IAS does not allow clients to connect unless it can complete a revocation check of their certificate chain and verify that none of the certificates has been revoked. When it cannot connect to a server that stores a revocation list, EAP-TLS considers the certificate to have failed the revocation check.

Setting IgnoreRevocationOffline to 1 prevents certificate validation failure because poor network conditions prevented their revocation check from completing successfully.

• NoRevocationCheck

When set to 1, IAS prevents EAP-TLS from performing a revocation check of the wireless client's certificate. The revocation check verifies that the wireless client's certificate and the certificates in its certificate chain have not been revoked. NoRevocationCheck is set to 0 by default.

• NoRootRevocationCheck

When set to 1, IAS prevents EAP-TLS from performing a revocation check of the wireless client's root CA certificate. NoRootRevocationCheck is set to 0 by default. This entry only eliminates the revocation check of the client's root CA certificate. A revocation check is still performed on the remainder of the wireless client's certificate chain.

You can use this entry to authenticate clients when the certificate does not include CRL distribution points, such as those from third parties. Also, this entry can prevent certification-related delays that occur when a certificate revocation list is offline or is expired.

All of these registry settings must be added as a DWORD type and have the valid values of 0 or 1. The wireless client does not use these settings.

Validating the Wireless Client's MS-CHAP v2 Credentials

When you are using PEAP-MS-CHAP v2 for authentication, the name and password as sent by the wireless client must match the credentials of a valid user or computer account. The successful validation of the MS-CHAP v2 credentials by the IAS server depends on the following:

• The domain portion of the account name corresponds to a domain that is either the domain of the IAS server or a domain that has a two-way trust with the domain of the IAS server.
• The account name portion of the account name corresponds to a valid account in the domain.
• The password is the correct password for the account.

To verify user credentials, have the user of the wireless client log on to their domain using a computer that is already connected to the network, such as with an Ethernet connection (if possible).

Validating the IAS Server's Certificate

In order for the wireless client to validate the certificate of the IAS server for either EAP-TLS or PEAP-MS-CHAP v2 authentication, the following must be true for each certificate in the certificate chain sent by the IAS server:

• The current date must be within the validity dates of the certificate.
• The certificate has a valid digital signature.

Additionally, the IAS server computer certificate must have the Server Authentication EKU (OID 1.3.6.1.5.5.7.3.1). To view the EKU for a certificate in the Certificates snap-in, double-click the certificate in the contents pane, click the Details tab, and then click the Enhanced Key Usage field.

Finally, to trust the certificate chain offered by the IAS server, the wireless client must have the root CA certificate of the issuing CA of the IAS server certificate installed in its Trusted Root Certification Authorities store.

Notice that the wireless client does not perform certificate revocation checking for the certificates in the certificate chain of the IAS server's computer certificate. The assumption is that the wireless client does not yet have a physical connection to the network, and therefore cannot access a Web page or other resource in order to check for certificate revocation.

Wireless Zero Configuration in Windows XP

Wireless Zero Configuration in Windows XP

Wireless zero configuration is the feature of Windows XP that allows Windows to detect the available wireless networks and automatically connect to the most preferred wireless network.

It is enabled by the Wireless Zero Configuration service in Windows XP. It provides auto wireless network detection when you switch on the computer.

Follow the steps below to verify that the service is running:

1. Go to Start and right click My Computer. Select and click Manage.

2. Computer Management window will appear. Under Services and Applications, select Services.

3. Check for the service Wireless Zero Configuration. Make sure that it is started and that the startup type is set to automatic.

4. If it isn't, double-click the service. If the startup type is not set to automatic, click on the dropdown arrow and and change it to automatic. Click OK at last.

If your wireless adapter driver does not support wireless auto onfiguration, you will notice the following:

- The network adapter does not appear as a wireless network adapter in Network Connections. It appears as a LAN adapter, similar to an Ethernet connection.
- The properties of the wireless connection do not have a Wireless Networks tab.
- You do not receive a Windows XP notification bar message indicating that wireless networks are available.

To get the most out of your Windows XP wireless experience, you should contact wireless adapter manufacturer to obtain the latest version of the drivers that support this XP feature.

If not, you must manually configure wireless network settings using the configuration software supplied with the wireless network adapter.

That's all for wireless zero configuration, check out here on checking wireless adapter driver status.

Windows vista Repair and Restore

Vista Restore Steps: -
Please perform the following steps
Insert the Windows Vista DVD, and then restart the computer
When you receive the following message, press any key:

Press any key boot to from CD or DVD.

3. Set the following preferences, and then click Next:
• Language to install
• Time and currency format
• Keyboard or input method

4. Click Repair your computer, select the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next.

5. Click System Restore, and then click Next.

6. Click the restore point that you want to use, and then click Next.

Note- Click a restore point that will return the computer to a state where the logon is successful. After you use the System Restore feature, reinstall any programs or updates that may be removed. You will not lose any personal documents. However, you may have to reinstall programs. You may also have to reset some personal settings.

7. Confirm the disks that you want to restore, and then click Next.

8. Click Finish, and then click Yes when you are prompted.

9. When the System Restore process is complete, click Restart to restart the computer.

10. After the computer restarts click Close to confirm that the System Restore process has finished successfully.

11.Use an appropriate method to log on. For example, log on by using an older password, or log on by using another computer account.


Recover windows vista via Recovery Manager (HP pavilion dv-6 laptop): -
Please perform following steps-

Use the following steps to recover the computer starting from the Windows Vista desktop:
1. Turn off the computer.
2. Disconnect all connected devices (such as the Personal Media Drive, USB drives, printer, and fax), remove media from drives, and remove any recently added internal hardware. Do not disconnect the monitor, keyboard, mouse, and power cord.
3. Turn on the computer.
4. From the Windows desktop click Start, and then All Programs.
5. Click PC Help & Tools.
6. Click Recovery Manager.
The Recovery Manager Welcome screen appears.
7. Click Next.
8. On the Software Program
Re-installation screen select No, and then click next.
9. On the Hardware Re-installation screen select No, and then click next.
10. On the screen that prompts for Microsoft System Restore select No, and then click next.
11. The Recovery Manager prompts if you want to restore the computer to its original factory shipped condition. Click Yes, and then click Next.
The computer restarts and opens the Recovery Manager program.
12. Click Next.
13. On the Microsoft System Restore screen select No, and then click Next.
14. Confirm that you want to run a System Recovery by selecting Yes, and then click Next.
15. The Recovery Manager gives you the option of backing up your data files. Backing up your files is recommended. To back up your files select yes, and then click Next. Follow the onscreen instructions.
If you do not want to backup your files, select No, and then click Next .
16. After the System Recovery is complete, the computer restarts and continues into Windows setup. Complete the setup screens and wait until the computer finishes the setup. Then, turn off the computer, reconnect all peripheral devices, and turn on the computer.
17. Before using the computer, update and protect your computer. Reinstall any virus and security software that was installed before the System Recovery.
Reinstall any software applications that were added after purchasing the computer, and any files that were backed up.

If you have the windows vista repair disk:

(This should be your backup copy of Vista if you made one)
PLEASE NOTE: This Vista install CD can be run from within Vista. Just insert the CD once Vista has loaded up and go to install, go > Install Now > Upgrade.

1. Boot up with the Vista install disc
2. You should see a screen that says, "Windows is loading files"
3. After a few minutes you will get a language option. Select your language and hit next.
4. On the install screen select "Repair your computer"
5. Windows will find your copy of Vista on the machine
6. Select your copy of Vista and click next
7. You will now see the following options.
· Startup repair - This automatically fixes problems that are preventing Windows from starting

* System Restore - This will Restore Windows to an earlier point in time

* Windows Complete PC Restore - This will completely restore your entire PC - programs, system settings and files - from a back up that you have previously created (Available in Windows Vista Business, Enterprise and Ultimate editions only)

* Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool - This checks your computer's memory hardware for errors

* Command Prompt

8. Assuming you are using this option because you were unable to boot to Windows Vista select the system Restore option and then select the date you would like to go back to. If your OS is fine you can always use the startup repair option.
Pre-Installed and OEM versions: (please check with your manufacturer fist. They may have replaced these tools with their own.

1. Turn your computer on and start pressing the F8 key. If you see the Windows Vista Logo you have gone too far and need to reboot and try again

2. You will get an advanced options screen. Select the "Repair your computer option" and hit enter.

3. Select your language and hit next.

4. Enter your user name and password and then next.

5. The recovery options should now appear.

6. In most cases just using the system restore to set your computer back will solve your issue. If this is not the case try the Startup repair option.
BACK

To create a restore point in Windows VISTA: -

1. Click on the Start Pearl, and type System Restore into the Search box. Then select System Restore from the Search Results.
2. Just look for Open System Protection.
3. Select the hard-drive(s) you wish to have System Restore enabled on. System Restore will automatically reserve up to 15% of free space on your hard drive and use it whenever necessary.

NOTE: -The next step would be to click on Create to create your first System Restore point. You will then be prompted to name your Restore Point. My suggestion would be to name the major change made to your system at that time. There’s no need to enter the date or time, since that will be recorded and displayed automatically. Then all you have to do is click on Create and you are set.

Restoring from a Restore Point: -

Open the Start Pearl
2) Type System Restore in the Search Bar and select it from the Search Results
3) Choose the Recommended or Different Restore Point
4) Click Finish
BACK

Start System Restore from command prompt

1. Restart your system and press F8 key during boot-process.
2. Now, select Safe Mode with command prompt option to start your system.
3. Now, type Start your computer in safe mode with command prompt. For more information, if you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
4. At the command prompt, type rstrui.exe, and then press ENTER.
Note
If you use System Restore when the computer is in safe mode, you cannot undo the restore operation. However, you can run System Restore again and choose a different restore point if one exists.


Contacts Open In Windows Explorer instead of Mail

Clicking "Contacts" in Windows Mail does open the Contacts folder using
Windows Explorer. The reason why you're unable to see the "New Contact",
"New Contact Group" buttons is due to incorrect template assigned for the
Contacts folder.

Please perform following steps to solve this problem.
1. Open the Contacts folder
2. Right-click an empty area in the folder, and choose Customize This
Folder...
3. In the folder type drop down box, select Contacts
4. Click OK.

VISTA .EXE PROBLEM: -

Please perform following steps to solve your problem-

1. Please click on Start/Run and type regedit.exe add click Ok to launch registry editor window.
2. Under registry editor window go to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ FileExts \ .exe \ UserChoice

3.There will be a value named Progid in the right pane. The Progid data will contain the application's name .exe.
4. Right click on .exe and select modify.
5.Change its value to 0000 and click Ok.
6.Restart your system.


Have you lost your .EXE file extension association in Windows Vista?

Solution (only compatible with Windows Vista)

Here are some registry files that should be able to fix this problem. Download one of them and save it locally. Double click on the file and when asked, "Windows needs your permission to continue" "Registry Editor" it is to give permission to start regedit.exe. Click on Continue. Then the Registry Editor will warn you again and click on Yes to add or merge the content of the reg file to the registry. You need to be an administrator to apply these fixes.

Windows Vista exe fix.reg

Here is the content of the above file. Copy the three rows below to Notepad and save to a file with the file extension reg.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.exe\OpenWithList]

[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.exe\UserChoice]

Windows Vista exe fix2.reg

Here is the content of the above file. Copy the five rows below to Notepad and save to a file with the file extension reg.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.exe]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.exe]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.exe\OpenWithProgids]
"exefile"=hex(0):

If the above ones does not help here is a more thorough one.

Windows Vista exe fix3.reg

And if nothing else works you can try this one.

Windows Vista exe fix4.reg

To see the change of the icons you might need to log out or restart the computer. But the file association should work directly.

If you want to reproduce the error save the below rows using Notepad to a .reg file.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.exe]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.exe\OpenWithList]
"a"="AcroRd32.exe"
"MRUList"="a"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.exe\OpenWithProgids]
"exefile"=hex(0):

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.exe\UserChoice]
"Progid"="Applications\\AcroRD32.exe"

If You Are Unable to Start a Program with an .exe File Extension in Windows XP take a look at this knowledge base article from Microsoft. In this case a virus is the cause of the problem.

When you attempt to start a program that has an .exe file extension, the program may not start, and you may receive one of the following error messages:

o Windows cannot find FILES32.VXD. This program is needed for opening files of type "Application".
o Path to program is not a valid Windows application

Your desktop may appear to be blank. Also, the problem occurs many times when you restart your computer. Even after an anti-virus program has indicated it has cleaned the virus, the registry entry described in the "Resolution" section of this article is still in the registry.

How do I... Change file extension associations in Windows Vista?

The Windows Vista tool you use to change file associations in located in the Control Panel under the Default Programs icon, as shown in Figure A.
Figure A

Control Panel
Oddly enough, searching the "association" in the Vista search tool off of the Start Menu returns no results -- at least for me.
Once on the Default Programs screen you have two choices for changing file associations:
1. Set your default programs
2. Associate a file type or protocol with a program
You can also change AutoPlay settings for CDs and DVDs for this screen, as well as set program access settings. (Figure B)
Figure B

Default Programs
The first selection on the Default Programs screen (Figure B) is Set Your Default Programs. On this screen of the tool, as shown in Figure C, you can select a program and either give it complete control as the default program for all file extensions it can handle or choose the file extensions you want individually. How the list of programs was formed for this tool is not explained, but a few programs are missing from the list. The one program that comes to mind almost immediately is Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Figure C

Set Default Programs
Clicking the Choose Defaults For This Program option on the Set Default Programs screen (Figure C) shows you a list of potential file extensions that can be associated with the chosen program (Figure D). From here, you can check additional file extensions you would like Windows Vista to associate with the program.
Figure D

Select extensions individually
The second selection on the Default Programs screen (Figure B) is Associate A File Type Or Protocol With A Program. On this screen of the tool, shown in Figure E, you get a very long list of file extensions, including a description and the name of their associated program if it is known. To modify the program associated with a particular extension, you select the extension and click the Change Program button.
Figure E

Set Associations
In the example shown in Figure F, I have chosen the .inf extension, which is currently associated with Notepad. From this screen, I can choose to change the association to another available program.
Figure F

Change an extension association
If another viable program is not listed on the screen in Figure F, you can browse your system for programs (Figure G). Note that it is generally not a good idea to associate a file extension with a program that is not capable of reading or otherwise acting on it.
Figure G

Browse programs
Once your file extensions are selected, you click Save and then OK to apply your changes to Windows Vista.
How do I... Change file extension associations in Windows Vista?

1. Click on Start, type control panel in the search menu.
2. Under control panel, double click on Default programs.
3. On the default programs screen you have two choices for changing file associations:

1.Set your default programs
2.Associate a file type or protocol with a program

1.Set your default programs

The first selection on the Default Programs screen is Set Your Default Programs.

This Program option on the Set Default Programs screen shows you a list of potential file extensions that can be associated with the chosen program.

From here, you can check additional file extensions you would like Windows Vista to associate with the program.

2.Associate a file type or protocol with a program

The second selection on the Default Programs screen (Figure B) is Associate A File Type Or Protocol With A Program.

On this screen you get a very long list of file extensions, including a description and the name of their associated program if it is known. To modify the program associated with a particular extension, you select the extension and click the Change Program button.

Once your file extensions are selected, you click Save and then OK to apply your changes to Windows Vista.

Error code 1402: Could not open key

Error "1402: Could not open key ..." or "1406: Could not write...to key..." -- Acrobat and Adobe Reader
Issue

When you install Adobe Acrobat 6.x or higher, Professional or Standard, Acrobat returns one of the following error messages, and then the installation terminates:
· "Error 1402: Could not open key [key name] ."
· "Error 1406: Could not write value Folders to key [key name] ."
Solution
Solution 1: Remove all previous versions of Acrobat, and then reinstall.
1. Choose Start > Control Panel (Windows XP) or Start > Settings > Control Panel (Windows 2000).
2. Double-click Add Or Remove Programs.
3. Select Adobe Acrobat [version] and click Remove.
4. When prompted, confirm that you want to remove Acrobat.
5. Repeat the above procedure for all installed versions of Acrobat.
6. Restart the computer, and then reinstall Acrobat.
Solution 2: Set permissions to their defaults in the registry.
Perform the steps below during Acrobat or Adobe Reader installation. The Administrators group listed below is the default local administrative group for Windows 2000 and XP.

Disclaimer: This procedure involves editing the Windows registry. Adobe doesn't provide support for editing the registry, which contains critical system and application information. Make sure to back up the registry before editing it. For more information about the registry, see the Windows documentation or contact Microsoft.

For Windows XP:
1. Write down the path to the key referred to in the error message and leave the installation running. For example: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\.pdf\PersistentHandler.
2. Choose Start > Run, type regedit in the Open text field of the Run dialog box, and then click OK.
3. Back up your current Registry file:
1. In the Registry Editor dialog box, choose File > Export.
2. Type a name for the file and choose the location.
3. For Export Range, choose All.
4. Click Save.
4. Navigate to the parent of the key referenced in the error message. For example, for the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\.pdf\PersistentHandler, open (double-click) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE >SOFTWARE > Classes > .pdf.

Note: These steps may vary slightly depending on the path in the error message

5. Right-click on the parent key and select Permissions (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\.pdf).
6. Verify that the Administrators and SYSTEM is present and that Full Control is selected under the Allow column.
7. In the Permissions dialog box, click Advanced.

8. Select the Administrators group (1) and "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects" (2).

Note: Select the current administrator account if the Administrators group is unavailable.


9. Select both "Allow inheritable permissions from parent to propagate to this object" and "Reset permissions on all child objects and enable propagation of inheritable permissions," (1) and then click the Owner tab (2).

10. Click OK (3) in the "Advanced Security Settings" dialog box. Windows will now reset the permissions for each child object to correspond with its parent.
11. Minimize the Registry Editor and click Retry.
o If the error reoccurs with the same key proceed to Solution 4.
o If the error occurs with another registry key repeat Steps 1-12 using the new registry key without backing up the registry.
o If the error does not occur finish the installation following the on screen instructions and exit the Registry Editor.

For Windows 2000:
1. Write down the path to the key referenced in the error message. For example: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\.pdf\PersistentHandler.
2. Choose Start > Run, type regedit in the Open text field of the Run dialog box, and then click OK.
3. Back up your current Registry file:
a. In the Registry Editor dialog box, choose File > Export
b. Type a name for the file and choose the location.
c. For Export Range, choose All.
d. Click Save.
e. Close Regedit.
4. Choose Start > Run, type regedt32 in the Open text field of the Run dialog box, and then click OK.
5. Navigate to the parent of the key referenced in the error message. For example, for the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\.pdf\PersistentHandler, choose Window > HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE then open (double-click) SOFTWARE > Classes > .pdf.
6. Note: These steps may vary slightly depending on the path in the error message.
7. Select the parent key (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\.pdf), and then choose Security Menu > Permissions.
8. Verify that the Administrators and SYSTEM is present and that Full Control is selected under the Allow column.
9. In the Permissions dialog box, click Advanced.

10. Select both "Allow inheritable permissions from parent to propagate to this object" and "Reset permissions on all child objects and enable propagation of inheritable permissions," (1) and then click Owner (2).

11. Select the Administrators group (1) and "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects" (2).

Note: Select the current administrator account if the Administrators group is unavaliable.


12. Click OK (3) in the Permissions dialog box. Windows will now reset the permissions for each child object to correspond with its parent. Click yes on any prompts.
13. Minimize the Registry Editor and click Retry.
o If the error reoccurs with the same key proceed to Solution 4.
o If the error occurs with another registry key repeat Steps 4-12 using the new registry key without backing up the registry.
o If the error does not occur finish the installation following the on screen instructions and exit the Registry Editor.
If Acrobat still displays an error message, you may need to investigate permissions on the particular registry key in question. Occasionally, renaming the key allows the installer to re-create the key and reset the permissions if the key is corrupted. If you can't change permissions or rename that key, contact Microsoft or your hardware vendor for assistance.

Solution 4: Remove spyware.
Note: Adobe provides this information as a courtesy only. Adobe Technical Support does not support third-party applications. Users are encouraged to read the release notes for these applications before installing.
Some programs can install software that can be damaging to your Operating System. Scan for these programs with an anti-spyware utility such as Ad-Aware, available at www.lavasoftusa.com or with anti-spyware software provided by Microsoft at www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx.

Solution 5: Check your system for viruses.
System viruses can cause erratic behavior and prevent Acrobat from installing. Use current anti-virus software, such as McAfee VirusScan, to check your system for viruses. Make sure that you have the latest virus definitions for the anti-virus software you use. Although virus infections are rare, they can cause strange system behavior, including system errors. Running virus-detection software regularly prevents viruses from damaging software on your system. For instructions, see the documentation for the anti-virus software.

Solution 6: Disable Webroot Spy Sweeper.
For more information or help disabling Spy Sweeper, contact Webroot Corporation. Adobe technical support does not support third-party applications.

Additional Information

The 1402 Windows Installer error occurs when the Windows Installer is unable to read a particular registry key. Installation may fail because the Acrobat installer attempts to clean up registry keys of previous versions of Acrobat to avoid conflicts with Acrobat plug-ins and add-ins for third-party software. Error 1406 occurs when the installer cannot successfully write a registry key essential for installation.

Time Server configuration

How to configure Windows Time Server to use an external time source on a Windows 2003/2008

To Windows Time Server to use an external time source on a Windows 2003/2008, please follow these steps:
1. Change the server type to NTP. To do this, follow these steps: a. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
b. Locate and then click the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Parameters\Type
c. In the right pane, right-click Type, and then click Modify.
d. In Edit Value, type NTP in the Value data box, and then click OK.

2. Set AnnounceFlags to 5. To do this, follow these steps: a. Locate and then click the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Config\AnnounceFlags
b. In the right pane, right-click AnnounceFlags, and then click Modify.
c. In Edit DWORD Value, type 5 in the Value data box, and then click OK.

3. Enable NTPServer. To do this, follow these steps: a. Locate and then click the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpServer
b. In the right pane, right-click Enabled, and then click Modify.
c. In Edit DWORD Value, type 1 in the Value data box, and then click OK.

4. Specify the time sources. To do this, follow these steps: a. Locate and then click the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Parameters\NtpServer
b. In the right pane, right-click NtpServer, and then click Modify.
c. In Edit Value, type Peers in the Value data box, for example time.windows.com, and then click OK. Note: each DNS must be unique and you must append 0x1 to the end of each DNS name otherwise changes will not take effect

5. Select the poll interval. To do this, follow these steps: a. Locate and then click the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpClient\SpecialPollInterval
b. In the right pane, right-click SpecialPollInterval, and then click Modify.
c. In Edit DWORD Value, type TimeInSeconds in the Value data box, for example 3600 Decimal (60 minutes) and then click OK.

6. Configure the time correction settings. To do this, follow these steps: a. Locate and then click the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Config\MaxPosPhaseCorrection
b. In the right pane, right-click MaxPosPhaseCorrection, and then click Modify.
c. In Edit DWORD Value, click to select Decimal in the Base box.
d. In Edit DWORD Value, type TimeInSeconds in the Value data box, for example 3600 (1 hour) and then click OK.
e. Locate and then click the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Config\MaxNegPhaseCorrection
f. In the right pane, right-click MaxNegPhaseCorrection, and then click Modify.
g. In Edit DWORD Value, click to select Decimal in the Base box.
h. In Edit DWORD Value, type TimeInSeconds in the Value data box, for example, 3600 (1 hour) and then click OK.

7. Quit Registry Editor.
8. At the command prompt, type the following command to restart the Windows Time service, and then press ENTER: net stop w32time && net start w32time
Note: to test it, execute this command: net time /querysntp

Bridgehead Server and Global Catalog Server configuration

Enabling or disabling a Global Catalog (GC)

1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Sites and Services.
2. Expand the console tree for Sites, and then double-click the domain controller you want to work with in the Server folder for your desired site:
o Active Directory Sites and Services
o Sites
o Site that contains the domain controller that is hosting the global catalog
o Servers
o Domain controller that is hosting a global catalog
3. Right-click NTDS Settings, and then click Properties.
4. Click to select the Global Catalog check box to make this computer a Global Catalog server, or click to clear the check box to remove the global catalog.

WARNING Global catalog servers are required for user logons in any domain that is running Windows 2000 in native mode or a later version. The servers also required for Exchange address lookups and for searching Active Directory. Most of the time, we recommend that you configure all domain controllers in the forest as global catalog servers. This configuration makes sure that sufficient global catalog servers exist to respond to logon requests and to Exchange address lookups.

Note Clients must have access to a global catalog to log on, so at least one global catalog in every site is optimum to receive the benefits of containing network traffic that is provided by using sites.

Designating a preferred bridgehead server

1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Sites and Services.
2. In the console tree, right-click the domain controller that you want to make a preferred bridgehead server, and then click Properties:
o Active Directory Sites and Services
o Sites
o Site that contains the domain controller that you want to make a preferred bridgehead server
o Servers
o The domain controller that you want to make a preferred bridgehead server
3. Click the intersite transport or transports for which this computer will be a preferred bridgehead server, and then click Add.

Note We recommend that you do not configure preferred bridgehead servers unless you have a specific and compelling requirement to do this. If you configure preferred bridgehead servers, you limit the ability of the Active Directory Knowledge Consistency Checker (KCC) to automatically configure a fault-tolerant intersite replication topology. If the server or servers in the preferred bridgehead list for a particular site are offline or unavailable, the KCC will not select a new bridgehead server for that site until the list is cleared or until one or more of the preferred servers are brought back online. During the interim, that site will be orphaned with regard to Active Directory replication. Additionally, domain controllers in that site will not replicate changes with domain controllers in any other sites.

Moving a domain controller between sites

1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Sites and Services.
2. In the console tree, right-click the domain controller that you want to move to a different site, and then click Move:
o Active Directory Sites and Services
o Sites
o Site that contains the domain controller you want to move
o Servers
o Domain controller to be moved
3. In the Move Server dialog box, click the site to which you want to move the domain controller.

Note You can use this procedure to move servers and domain controllers between sites.

Checking the replication topology
1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Sites and Services.
2. In the console tree, double-click the server you want to use to check replication topology:
o Active Directory Sites and Services
o Sites
o Site that contains the domain controller whose replication topology you want to check
o Servers
o Server you want to use to check replication topology
3. Right-click NTDS Settings, point to All Tasks, and then click Check Replication Topology.

Note Active Directory runs a process that considers the cost of inter-site connections, checks if any previously-available domain controllers are no longer available, checks if new domain controllers have been added, and then uses this information to add or remove Connection objects to create an efficient replication topology. This process does not affect manually-created Connection objects.

Connecting to a forest

1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Sites and Services.
2. Right-click Active Directory Sites and Services, and then click Connect to Forest.
3. In Root domain, type the root domain of the forest. This is the root domain of the first domain tree that was created in the forest.

Note Active Directory Sites and Services views a single forest. Change forests to view and configure Active Directory Sites and Services settings for the forest you want to view.

Connecting to a domain controller
1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Sites and Services.
2. Right-click Active Directory Sites and Services, and then click Connect to Domain Controller.
3. In Domain, type the domain name, or click Browse to select from the list of available domains.

Note Active Directory Sites and Services views and configures a single copy of the directory data. Change the domain controller to select an alternate domain controller whose directory data Active Directory Sites and Services will read and modify.