Our computers are the best when they work right, and when they do not start properly, they become a headache and place themselves in danger of being thrown from the nearest window. To help ease that headache, here are a few simple tips on how to get those pesky bugs out of your system and have Windows boot routine running smoothly once again.

Assessing Start-Up Problems

Most of us do not realize that there is an issue with our computers until we get a warning box that says Warning! Error! then a bunch of letters and numbers that mean nothing to us, or we get the dreaded blue screen and have the machine shut down to nothing.

Start-Up Error After the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)

Now, let’s start with that blue screen and forced shut down. Most of the time, you can restart your computer and a black screen that starts with “Windows was not shut down properly….” with a few selections in the middle that have to do with starting Windows in various states of safe mode and the last option to start normally.

• Use your arrow keys to select safe mode with networking. This starts Windows in a mode that protects your personal information and at the same time allows you to access the internet to research any information you may need.

• Depending on if you have Vista or XP on your computer, the help center may or may not automatically open up. If the help center does not automatically open for you, open your main menu and open the help center. This is a built in and invaluable source of basic information. Once open, the help center either gives you a trouble shooting guide on difficult start-ups or you may have to search for the information you need. Part of that should be a hint to open the system restore center.

This center will prompt you to pick a point when your computer ran trouble free, and will walk you through the steps to do it. Follow the directions in the wizard and let your computer run through the process. 9 times out of 10 this is going to fix your problem and it will not be seen again.

Assess the Problem using the Microsoft's Support Center

If that does not fix your problem, the next step is to search for a specific solution to that problem in Microsoft’s Support Center: http://support.microsoft.com. Here you will get directions to solve almost every problem your computer may have with options for general users and advanced users. Try to fix the problem using the directions for general users first, and don’t forget to create a restore point before executing any instructions you may find.

1. To create a restore point, simply open up the control panel
2. Then open up the backup and restore center.
3. In there you will have options with links to either restore your computer to a past time when it ran properly or to create a restore point. It is recommended that you create a restore point before making any changes to your computer. This way if something goes wrong, you can easily go back to the original state, by following the direction above to restore your computer to a previous point in time.

Start-Up Error With a Specific Error Number or Identifier

If you get a specific error number or other identifier, use the Microsoft Support Center to search for the specific solution. For many of the problems that Microsoft has identified, there is a solution to fix it.

Remember to create your restore point. Then follow the instructions at the Center's diagnostics page.

What if I don't know what's causing the error?

If there are no instructions to fix the problem you've encountered, or if your error is not indexed, then run one of Microsoft’s diagnostic tools. These are complementary tools provided for Windows Users: available at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/enterprise/products/mdop/dart.aspx These tools can provide more information that the tools built into your computer.