Roll Back Drivers
Remember when we said to update your drivers? Well, sometimes that can backfire on you. If something breaks when you update a driver, you should use the Driver Rollback utility, which works much like System Restore but only on a specific device driver. To roll back to a previous driver:

• Open the device manager
  • Control Panel
    • System
      • Hardware
        • Device Manager
          • Select the device with the driver you want to roll back
            • Right-click, and
              • Open its Properties.
                • Under the Drivers tab, you can update, roll back, or uninstall the driver.

Narrow Down The Problem
Try to isolate when and where the problem happens. If, for example, you discover your printer isn't working from Word, check to see whether it works from Notepad or IE. Many times the problem is just a wrong setting. If your USB camera stopped working when you plugged in your printer, try removing devices and putting them back one by one to see exactly when the problem occurs. Maybe you can print when you first boot up, but it seems to go haywire after you send some faxes? Does the problem occur all the time or only after the machine has been running for a while? Is the problem repeatable? Observing what situations lead up to a problem can be a great help in determining what is causing it.

Know Your System
Resolving a problem over the phone requires a series of questions, often having to do with the specific hardware, OS, and software you're using. Know the model numbers for all your hardware. You can access CPU and memory info by selecting Control Panel I System. Drill down from here into Hardware I Device Manager for information about other devices such as your sound and graphics cards.

Try to remember any new software, no matter how small or insignificant, that you've installed or noticed lately. It can also help to jot down any services running in the background. To access a list of what is running on your Windows XP system:

• Press Ctrl-Alt-Del and select Task Manager. You can also get very detailed info from:
  • Start
    • All Programs
      • Accessories
        • System Tools
          • System Information.

Check For IRQ Conflicts.
IRQs (interrupt requests) are hardware connections that the CPU uses to receive signals from a device. If two devices are using the same IRQ, they can conflict with each other and cause crashes. In most cases, IRQs are assigned automatically when the PC boots. Occasionally, a device may want a specific IRQ, even though this causes a conflict with another device.

To view a device's IRQ listings, open:

• Start
  • Control panel
    • System and
      • Select Device Manager.
        • Find the device (sound card, modem, whatever);
          • Right-click on it and
            • Select Properties,
              • Click the Resources tab. You will see a list of resources: I/O range, memory range, and IRQ. Some devices let you configure these; other configurations are automatic. You will also see the conflicting-device list.

Access Crash Logs
When a crash occurs, an app called Dr. Watson saves info about your memory and configuration to a crash log file. In Windows XP, the default location i:

• C:\Documents and Settings
  • Users
    • Application Data
      • Microsoft
        • Dr Watson.
          The crash log is a text file called Drwtsn32.1og, which can be read in Notepad or sent via e-mail to a tech support person. Dr. Watson can also create a crash dump, which contains similar information but is readable only by a debugging utility.

Back Up Your Data
Before you start following directions over the phone and tearing your system apart, make sure you have a backup of all your important documents, e-mail, and other data. Although many fixes will be as simple as downloading a new driver, you'll be glad you have a backup if you find yourself reinstalling the applications. You should also have your original CDs around in case you need to re-install applications.