10: Solving Problems in C#

Printer Data Matrix in C# 10: Solving Problems

After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

Update your operating system manually or automatically. Diagnose operating system problems. Clean up and defragment your hard disk. Get answers and help from a variety of sources. Back up and restore files, folders, or your entire operating system.

Microsoft Windows XP is the most advanced Windows operating system to date. Its userfriendly interface, with menus that change depending on where you are or what you are doing, means that your time can be spent working or playing efficiently, rather than trying to figure

out how to use your computer. However, the fact that Windows XP is easy to use doesn't mean that you won't ever experience a problem while using your Windows XP computer. One of the first things you learn in skiing is how to recover safely and gracefully from a fall; this is also a good thing to learn in computing. As a Windows XP user, you can get help in a variety of ways. In this chapter, you will learn not only how to get help after a problem has occurred, but also how to keep your system up to date so that problems do not occur in the first place. On the CD The practice files for this chapter are located in the SBS\WindowsXP\Backup folder. (For details about installing the practice files, see 'Using the Book's CD-ROM' at the beginning of this book.)

Microsoft Windows Update is an Internet-based service that scans your computer and recommends or installs any updates that are available for your operating system, your software programs, or your hardware. Quite apart from knowing that you have the 'latest and greatest,' Windows Update ensures that your computer is equipped with security 'patches' as they become necessary and available. You can access the Windows Update site at windowsupdate.microsoft.com or through either the Control Panel window or the Help and Support Center in Windows XP. During the update process, Windows Update collects the version numbers of your operating system, Web browser, and other installed software, as well as the Plug and Play ID numbers of the hardware devices that are connected to your computer, and then compiles a list of updates that are available for your system. Some updates are classified as critical and are selected for installation by default. (If you do not want to install an update that is marked as critical, you can remove it from your list of selections.) Other updates are optional and are not selected. Windows Update provides you with a list of the updates and their descriptions and then installs only those you select. When the update process is complete, the version and ID information that was collected from your computer is discarded. If you don't want to bear the responsibility of remembering to manually update your system, or if you want to be sure you have updates as soon as they become available, you can instruct Windows XP to automatically update your system through the Windows Update site. You can choose to have Windows XP download updates and notify you when they are ready to be installed, or you can choose to be notified before the updates are downloaded. If you have not selected an automatic update option, Windows XP prompts you to update your operating system from time to time by displaying a message in a bubble note near the notification area. Clicking the message opens the Automatic Updates Setup Wizard, which leads you through a short process to select your update option. You can also change your update option at any time through Control Panel or the Help and Support Center. In this exercise, you will instruct Windows Update to automatically deliver important software and hardware updates to your computer. There are no practice files for this exercise.

Follow these steps: 1. Log on to Windows, if you have not already done so. 2. On the Start menu, click Control Panel. 3. In the Control Panel window, click Performance and Maintenance. The Performance and Maintenance window opens:

4. In the Performance and Maintenance window, click the System icon. The System Properties dialog box opens. 5. Click the Automatic Updates tab. 6. Click Download the updates automatically and notify me when they are ready to be installed, and then click OK to close the dialog box and save your changes. 7. Click the Close button to close the Performance and Maintenance window.