Windows® 7 All-in-One for Dummies®

Chapter II.5. Troubleshooting and Getting Help

In This Chapter

• Using the Windows 7 troubleshooting tools

• Checking your system's stability

• Working with Windows Help and Support

• Snapping your problems

• Getting help from other folks with Remote Assistance

• Getting help on the Web — effectively

Windows Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close.

Note

Wish I had a nickel for every time I've seen that message. People write to me all the time and ask what caused the message, or one like it, to appear on their computers. My answer? Could be anything. Hey, don't feel too bad: Windows couldn't figure it out, either, and Microsoft spent hundreds of millions of dollars trying to avoid it.

Think of this chapter as help on Help. When you need help, start here.

Windows 7 arrives festooned with automated tools to help you pull yourself out of the sticky parts. The troubleshooters really do shoot trouble, frequently, if you find the right one. The error logs, event trackers, and stability graphs can keep you going for years — even the experts scratch their heads. Windows 7 abounds with acres and acres — and layers and layers — of Help. Some of it works well. Some of it would work well, if you could figure out how to get to the right help at the right time.

This chapter tells you when and where to look for help. It also tells you when to give up and what to do after you give up. Yes, destroying your PC is an option. But you may have alternatives. No guarantees, of course.

This chapter also includes detailed, ...