TIPS AND TRICKS ABOUT WINDOWS

How to Determine Which Video Driver Is Loading in Windows XP (Q314854)
This article describes procedures that you can follow to troubleshoot difficulties with video drivers when you start your computer in Windows XP. Specifically, the article describes how to find out which video drivers are loading.If the video driver is not loading correctly, another program may have replaced some files. These symptoms point to that cause: The system continues to default to VGA mode or only boots in VGA mode from the Boot menu. The video driver is not loading properly.
Windows XP: Kernel Improvements Create a More Robust, Powerful, and Scalable OS
SUMMARY The Windows XP kernel includes a number of improvements over Windows 2000 that promote better scalability and overall performance. This article covers these changes and explains how they improve startup time, increase registry size limits, and promote more efficient disk partitioning. Windows XP provides support for 64-bit processors, which is covered here along with a discussion of how side-by-side assemblies end DLL Hell. Also new in the Windows XP kernel is a facility that will roll back driver installations to the Last Known Good state of the registry, making driver installation safer. Other topics include the new volume shadow copy facility, which provides for more accurate backups and improvements in remote debugging.
HOW TO: Troubleshoot the Video Adapter Driver in Safe Mode in Windows XP (Q292460)
This article shows shows you methods of troubleshooting Safe-Mode video problems. In Safe mode, the computer does not start the video adapter driver that is used during normal operations, so you need to use Device Manager to discover, update, roll back, or uninstall the video driver instead of accessing the Display properties.
How to Establish the Allowable MTU Size When You Are Using Internet Connection Sharing on PPPoE (Q314100)
IMPORTANT : This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it if a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, view the "Restoring the Registry" Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry Key" Help topic in Regedt32.exe.This article describes how to establish the maximum transmission unit (MTU) size for using Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) if your outbound connection uses Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE). If the setting for MTU size is too high, clients that are using the ICS connection may not be able to browse some Web sites or send messages that contain attachments.PPPoE is a method for establishing Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) connections through Ethernet network adapters. PPPoE requires that, on all client computers, you lower the setting for maximum transmission unit (MTU) size to a value no higher than 1,492. (The default is 1,500.) In some cases, a value lower than 1,492 may be necessary.
HOW TO: Restore the Operating System to a Previous State in Windows XP (Q306084)
This article describes how to use the System Restore tool to return your computer to a previous working state. System Restore takes a "snapshot" of critical system files and some program files and stores this information as restore points. You can use these restore points to return Windows XP to a previous state. The article discuses restore without being able to start Windows XP and restore while be able to start Windows XP.
Start the System Restore Tool from a Command Prompt in Windows XP
Windows XP includes the System Restore tool, but you cannot start the System Restore tool from a Recovery Console prompt. Because of this, it may be useful to start the System Restore tool when you are unable to start your Windows XP-based computer normally or in Safe mode. This article describes how to start the System Restore tool when you are unable to start your Windows XP-based computer normally or in Safe mode.Starting System Restore Tool from Command Prompt
Start your computer to Safe Mode with Command Prompt. NOTE : You must log on as the administrator or a user that has administrator rights.
At the command prompt, type %systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe , and then press ENTER.
Follow the instructions on the screen to begin restoring your computer to a previous, functional state.
Troubleshooting System Restore in Windows XP (Q302796)
This article describes how to perform basic troubleshooting for issues that involve the System Restore tool in Windows XP.To troubleshoot System Restore issues, try one or more of the following stepsIf you receive an error message that is related to System Restore, always make sure that you first record the error message and follow the instructions that the error message contains to try to resolve the issue. Most System Restore issues generate an error message that contains a description of the issue and suggestions for how to resolve the issue.Make sure that you have enough disk space on all of the drives on which System Restore is enabled.
Information on System Restore and Password Restoration (Q295050)
This article describes how the restoration of passwords is managed by System Restore on a Windows XP-based computer, and describes which types of passwords are restored and which are not restored.Passwords That Are Not RestoredWindows XP passwords and hints are not restored. This behavior is by design to prevent confusion and to prevent you from getting locked out of your computer because the restore point includes an old password that you do not remember. Microsoft Internet Explorer and Content Advisor passwords and hints are not restored. This behavior is by design to prevent confusion and to prevent problems that could occur when you browse the Internet, in the event that you restore your system to a point with an old password that you do not remember.