Create a System Repair Disc in Windows 7

The new version of Windows seems to be a lot for stable than previous releases, however you never know when a malfunction might occur. Today we take a look at an option in Windows 7 that lets you create a System Repair disc in case you need to boot from it to recover your OS.

Create System Repair Disc

Type system repair disc into the search box in the Start menu.

The dialog box opens where you select the right drive and click Create disc. A CD will be fine as it only takes up 142MB of space.

Using the Disc

If you are having problems with your machine just pop in the recovery disc and boot from it and enter into Windows Setup [EMS Enabled].

After it boots up you can access recovery tools or restore the computer back to a system image (see our article on creating a system image in Windows 7).

Now you can choose from different recovery options to help you get your machine back up and running.

You never know when an Operating System disaster might occur, but having a System Recovery Disc to boot from should be part of your backup and recovery toolbox in case it does.

Troubleshoot Startup Problems with Startup Repair Tool in Windows 7 & Vista

It can be a horrible feeling if your new Windows 7 computer doesn’t boot properly into Windows or startup at all. If it happens to your machine, don’t panic, and try out the Startup Repair Tools included with the OS.

Startup Repair in Windows 7 is a recovery tool that can fix some system problems that prevent it from starting. I will scan the computer for problems and try to fix them so it will boot correctly. It can fix issues like missing or damaged system files. It can’t fix hardware issues or installation problems, and it can’t recover any missing personal data files. It is however, a great place to start if your experiencing trouble booting into Windows.

Startup Repair Tool in Windows 7

A lot of times if Windows can’t boot properly because of a hardware change, unexpected shutdown, or other errors, it will come up with the Windows Error Recovery screen. This gives you the option to go into Startup Repair or try to boot Windows normally.

If Windows won’t boot properly and doesn’t give you the Error Recovery screen, you can get into it manually. Power the computer completely down, and when you power it up again, keep hitting the F8 key until you see the Advanced Boot Options screen. Once you get to this screen, highlight Repair Your Computer and hit Enter.

You will see the message…Windows is loading files…

Next choose the right keyboard input method.

You’ll need to log on as a local user, or as administrator if you want to access the command prompt too.

Now you have different System Recovery Options to choose from. Click on Startup Repair to begin the troubleshooting process as it can detect and fix problems.

Startup Repair begins the scan and attempts to repair the system. Be patient while it finishes, sometimes it can take a while for it to complete.

In this particular instance a System Restore is recommended. You don’t have to use this option, you can cancel it and allow the tool to keep trying to fix the issue.

The System Restore process starts and returns system settings to a time when it worked correctly. You should have a few different date ranges to choose from, but you’ll want to select the most recent one.

After it’s been restored, you’ll get a message indicating it was successful and you need to Restart.

If the problem cannot be fixed, you’ll get a message indicating it can’t be fixed automatically, and you’ll get a summary of the error that can be sent to Microsoft. Depending on what the error is, sometimes you will get additional links to options or support. The manufacturer of the computer might also provide additional solutions.

The option to send the error details to Microsoft.

Startup Repair in Vista

You can also access Startup Repair in Vista by booting from the installation disc. Select your language settings and click on Next.

In the next screen click on Repair Your Computer.

The System Recovery Options windows comes up and finds the OS on your drive.

Then you can begin running Startup Repair or choose the other tools just like in the Windows 7 instructions we showed above.

Memory Diagnostics Tool

Another feature that’s there if you need it, is the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool which will check for errors in the computer’s memory. Unless you get a message indicating an error in the memory, or you’re an experienced user, there is not much of a reason for running this test. The computer will restart and begin running the diagnostic before booting into Windows.

Conclusion

Startup Repair is a good place to start if your system starts acting up. If you can’t get the Advanced Boot Options screen by hitting F8, you can also access the tools by booting from a System Recovery Disc, or the Windows installation disc. While System Repair might not be able to recover your system in all situations, it’s a great starting point before getting into more detailed recoveries like Restoring from an image or clean install.

Use Remote Desktop To Access Other Computers On a Small Office or Home Network

If you have a home or small office network with computers in several locations, you may want to work on them all from one machine. Today we take a look at the Remote Desktop feature in Windows that allows you to connect to each computer on the network in XP, Vista, and Windows 7.

Note: Remote Desktop is not a client and host feature available in Home version of Windows.

Enable Remote Desktop in Vista and Windows 7

The first thing we need to do is enable Remote Desktop on a Windows 7 or Vista machine. Right-click on the Computer icon on the desktop or from the Start menu and select Properties.

Now click on the Advanced system settings link.

Click on the Remote tab and under Remote Desktop select the bottom radio button… Allow connections only from computers running Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication (more secure).

You can also select what which users on the network will have Remote Desktop access.

Enable Remote Desktop in XP

Enabling XP in Remote Desktop is basically the same. Right-click on My Computer and select Properties, click the Remote tab and under the Remote Desktop section, click the box next to Allow users to connect remotely to this computer.

Using Remote Desktop

Now when a co-worker or member of your family needs help, or you want to work on computers in other locations and don’t want to site at each machine, you can remote into them. Pull up Remote Desktop and enter in the name or IP address of the other computer.

The first time you try to remote in (where in this example I’m remoting into a home server), you may get a security screen which you’ll want to allow and can select to not show again.

When you log in you will need to type in the name and password before connecting.

Now you can work on the Windows Home Server from a desktop computer in the living room.

Logging into a Vista machine is the same process…enter the user name and password for that machine.

And then you can can start working on the Vista machine.

Here we’re remoting from a Windows 7 machine into an XP computer on the home network, and another security message is displayed. It’s a bit different than when remoting into a server, but again you can choose not to have it pop up every time you connect.

Working a way on the XP laptop…

Options

When remoting into a machine, there are different options you can select before starting the session that will change the Remote Desktop experience. You’ll need to experiment with these settings to find what works best for you. If you’re looking to make the process faster, especially on older hardware, turn down the display size and color of the remote connection. It might not be as pretty, but you can get work done more quickly.

While you’re logged into the other computer, the user will be locked out while your in it…

So make sure the person sitting at the machine your working on doesn’t try to log in during your session because they will log you out.

Conclusion

Unfortunately Remote Desktop is not a client and host feature in Home editions of XP, Vista, or Windows 7. You can use Remote Desktop to initiate a connection From any edition of Windows. However, you can’t use it to connect to computers running Starter or Home versions. There are several free utilities and services you can use to get the same results, and we will take a look at some of them in the near future. IT guys already know about the great benefits of Remote Desktop, but if your starting out with a small network, this should help you get started in using it. If you do have Professional, Business, Enterprise, or Ultimate editions of Vista or Windows 7 or XP Pro installed on the machines on your network, using Remote Desktop is a great way to work on them from a central machine.