Question 1

After installing new device drivers, you have encountered problems with a computer and the computer will not boot properly. You believe the new hardware drivers are the cause. Using Windows XP Professional, what can you do to verify this?

Accepted Answer

Reboot the computer, press F8 and select the last known good configuration.
Key Takeaway: Many times, new driver installations are not successful. The new versions may cause compatibility issues with the OS. In such cases, the computer will not boot to the OS. The best thing to do is to reset the settings to the Last Known Good Configuration, which stores the set of hardware settings which worked last.

Question 2

You install a new driver for the network adapter card on your Windows XP Professional computer. When you restart the computer, the monitor displays a STOP error. Every time you restart the computer, a STOP error halts the start process. You need to correct the error without affecting the user data on the computer. You also need to restore the original network adapter driver. How should you fix this issue?

Accepted Answer

To fix the STOP error and be able to logon to the computer, you must first try to boot.
This will restore the registry to what it was at the time of the last successful logon.
Key Takeaway: A STOP error occurs when Windows XP Professional stops responding due to hardware or software malfunctions. The error messages appear on a blue or black background. Some STOP errors display descriptive messages such as "IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL" that can help you determine the exact solution for the error. The first step to take in fixing this issue is to use the Last Known Good Configuration.

Quiz 1: Mcsa -Xp

After installing new device drivers, you have encountered problems with a computer and the computer will not boot properly. You believe the new hardware drivers are the cause. Using Windows XP Professional, what can you do to verify this?