You've heard it before. From your computer tech. From your geeky friend. From your teenage son:
Reboot.
It
drives you crazy. This shouldn't be necessary! "Isn't Windows written
to work?," you ask yourself. "Why do I have to restart all the time?"
These are perfectly legitimate questions. Which does not change the fact that the first step in troubleshooting Windows should be to reboot the PC.
Can't print? Reboot. No connection to the network? Reboot. Internet doesn't work? Reboot. Do you see a pattern here?
As to why Windows has to be rebooted, the triadtechtalk mailing list attributes the following explanation to Microsoft:
"The
Windows codebase is so huge that we have no track of what state the OS
is in after it's been running for a while. Therefore a reboot is needed
to get Win in a known state to do modifications."
Basically,
Microsoft is saying that it is impossible for anyone to predict all the
configurations into which Windows can possibly contort itself. Among
other things, these configurations are the result of how long the
system has been running, the programs you have opened and closed, and
the various tasks you have asked Windows to perform. If you are
experiencing a problem, the chances are good it is the result of the
particular activities your computer has performed during the current
session, and rebooting will resolve the issue.
This is not a perfect solution, but it is the best you're going to get from Microsoft, now or in the near future.
The
need to reboot Windows, however, teaches a principal that applies to
all of network troubleshooting--especially if you are troubleshooting
in an emergency, without expert help.
Just as no
one--including Microsoft--can ever know the exact state of a running
Windows PC, you will probably never know the exact state of any of your
other computer equipment. A printer, a router, or a network switch are simpler than Windows--but all may be equally mysterious to you.
If you are having problems with a given piece of hardware on your
network, there is usually no harm in restarting it.
Why
would you restart? Because each of these devices--just like
Windows--can get into a configuration that causes problems. The trouble
may not be due to the complexity of the device--perhaps it happens
because someone hits the wrong button, or because the software the
device runs has a bug, or because something else on the network
communicates with the device incorrectly. Since you are not a computer
expert, you will have no way of knowing what is causing the problem.
But you do know one very important fact. Just like Windows, each of these devices is designed to work correctly when you first turn it on. You can easily return it to this state by powering
off the equipment, leaving it off for about 20 seconds to allow all the components to discharge properly, and turning it back on.
If this fixes your problem, you can get back to work. If not, you have
eliminated one possible cause of the issue, and can move on to other
troubleshooting steps.
Keep in mind, however, that should you
find yourself frequently rebooting equipment (other than Windows
computers) to get it to work, it is time to have an expert look at the
problem, replace the device, or both.
Rebooting. It may be your most irritating task--and your most useful tool.
Next Week: The Simplest Things Break First
