Thread: How to perform clean-boot troubleshooting for Windows 2000

SUMMARY

Several problems that are knowledgeable while running the Windows operating system arise because of the use of an corrupt program that you are running concurrently. To determine if this is the case, you perform a "clean boot", or restart Windows without starting these programs.This explains how to execute clean-boot troubleshooting to resolve if the problem in question is with the core operating system or with a program loading in the Windows environment.

MORE INFORMATION

To do clean-boot troubleshooting, it is required to make changes and restart the PC a number of times to verify if problem is with something in the operating system environment and what specific component. The whole structure of clean-boot troubleshooting that is exists here is classified in this way:

1. Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking Support
2. Removing Registry Entries
3. Testing User Profiles
4. Disabling Third-Party Services
5. Uninstalling Programs

Firstly to troubleshoot possible environmental problems is to start in Safe mode or in Safe mode with networking support. If the problem with a program that does not depend on network connectivity, Safe mode is proper. If problem with network program, and network adapter used to attach to a network, Safe mode with networking support may let you test the networking program, including browser issues.

To start in Safe mode, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Shut Down.
2. Click Restart, and then click OK.
3. As the computer restarts, press F8.
4. Select Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking, and then press ENTER.

Removing Registry Entries

If there are not any problems running programs in Safe mode, the problem due to programs that are loading while the Windows 2000 PC is booting. Programs that are a part of the boot process for Windows 2000 are usually included to one of the following positions:

• The Startup folder under the Programs menu.
• The Run line for all users in the registry.
• The Run line for particular users in the registry.
• The "load" entry for all users in the registry.

To back up the Windows 2000 registry:

1. Click Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and click Backup.
2. On the General tab, click Emergency Repair Disk and follow the given directions.

The Startup folder icons are loaded from two locations. To remove these entries:

1. Click Start, Settings, and then click Taskbar and Start Menu Properties.
2. On the Advanced tab, click Advanced.
3. Open the Startup folder for the user account with which you logged on, and then click Cut on the Edit menu.
4. Create a SysDriversBak folder, create a UserStartup folder under the folder, open the UserStartup folder, and then click Paste.
5. Repeat steps 1 through 2 and navigate to the All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup folder.
6. Click Cut on the Edit menu, navigate to the SysDriversBak folder, create an AllUsersStartup folder, and then click Paste.

To remove values for the Run line in the registry for all users:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
2. Navigate to the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Run
3. Open the Run key and note the entries on the right pane.
4. For each value except for the Default value, click the value, click Export Registry File on the Registry menu, navigate to the SysDriversBak folder, and then save the file using the following naming convention
HKLMRun_(valuename)
where (valuename) is the name of the value that you are exporting.
5. Click Delete on the Edit menu.
6. Repeat these steps for each value under the Run key.
7. Test the related RunOnce and RunOnceEx keys to see if a program was not completely installed and repeat steps 3 through 5, except that you need to change the naming convention to reflect RunOnce or RunOnceEx.

To remove values for the Run line in the registry for the user account with which you are logged on as:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
2. Navigate to the following registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Run
3. Open the Run key.
4. Highlight the first value below Default (value not set), click the value, click Export Registry File on the Registry menu, navigate to the SysDriversBak folder, and then save the file using the following naming convention:
HKCURun_(valuename)
where (valuename) is the name of the value that you are exporting.
5. Click Delete on the Edit menu.
6. Repeat these steps for each value under the Run key.
7. Check the related RunOnce key to see if a program was not completely installed and repeat steps 3 through 5, except that you need to change the naming convention to reflect RunOnce.

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
2. Navigate to the following registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
3. If the value "load" (without quotation marks) has any value data, click Export Registry File on the Registry menu, navigate to the SysDriversBak folder and save the file as HKCUload.
4. Double-click the "load" value and clear the value data.
5. When you have completed these steps, restart your computer, and test.

If the problem no longer occurs, then you should merge the values in the following suggested order:

1. Startup icons from both the All Users group and the user account with which you log on
2. HKCURun_ values
3. HKLMRun_ values
4. HKCUload

To add the icons for the Startup menu:

1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Windows Explorer.
2. Navigate to the SysDriversBak folder that you created earlier, open the AllUsersStartup folder, click Select All, and then click Copy on the Edit menu.
3. Navigate to the following folder, and then click Paste:
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
4. Navigate to SysDriversBak\UserStartup folder, and then click Copy on the Edit menu.
5. Navigate to the following folder, and then click Paste:
\Documents and Settings\username\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
where username is the name of the user that you have logged on as.
6. Restart your PC and test.

Testing User Profiles

User information may get corrupted sometime but other users on that same PC having no problem. For this case you have to log on as a new user or make a new user account, and test it.

Third-party services need tom be disable sometime that installed to eliminate problems. Safe mode and Safe mode with Networking do not load third-party services, therefore if Safe mode works, then problem because of third party services that are loaded.

The following table is a list of core operating system services that load; though, this varies according to the services that are installed and the version of Windows 2000 that is in use: