by Christopher Gagnon
The System Information utility is an included application that allows you to view the configuration of every component, piece of hardware, and software environment setting in the system. It is divided into functional groups that enable you to locate information for any given subsystem easily and quickly.
The System Information utility is installed by default in the System Tools section of the Start menu. As you can see in Figure 17.1, the interface is similar to the Windows Explorer interface, with categorized systems on the left side that expand into detailed lists on the right side. The System Information utility displays three main categories: Hardware Resources, Components, and Software Environment.
FIG. 17.1 The System Information utility allows you to view resources and config-uration settings on your system.
NOTE: You can use different views to change the way certain components look in the System Information utility. The Basic view shows general information about the peripheral you are viewing. The Advanced view shows all details about the peripheral. The History view shows all settings made to the peripheral since Windows 98 was installed.[dagger]
The Hardware Resources section, shown in Figure 17.2, contains information regarding the resource settings used by hardware devices in the system.
This section is organized by resource type and displays information for the following resources:
NOTE: It is possible for two or more peripherals to share certain settings, such as interrupt requests. You might see more than one item listed on a particular IRQ. This is normal. As long as both items don't try to use the resource at the same time, there won't be a problem.[dagger]
FIG. 17.2 The Hardware Resources section allows you to view resource settings specific to your hardware.
The Components section, shown in Figure 17.3, contains information about specific subsystems of Windows 98. Information in this section comes in handy when you are experiencing problems with a specific area of Windows 98, such as printing.
FIG. 17.3 The Components section displays information specific to the Windows 98 subsystems.
Because the subsystems can contain many components, some of the categories within the Components section are further subdivided. The following list outlines the main areas under the Components section:
The Software Environment section, shown in Figure 17.4, displays information specific to software components of Windows 98. This section is also useful for verifying such information as DLL versions and the use of 32-bit as opposed to 16-bit components.
FIG. 17.4 The Software Environment section contains information specific to software settings.
The following sections comprise the Software Environment section:
NOTE: In most cases, the System Hooks section will be empty. Most of today's software is not programmed to require a specific system resource.[dagger]
NOTE: Don't panic if you see identical entries in the INI File and Registry sections of OLE Registration. Entries often end up in both lists for backward compatibility with older software that doesn't support the Registry.[dagger]
One of the benefits of using the System Information utility is that it allows you to inventory each component of your computer. Unlike Device Manager, which allows you to view only basic settings and change device settings, the System Information utility allows you to save detailed information to a text file that can be used to create a report. This information can be invaluable when you're troubleshooting a system or speaking to technical support personnel. It can also be hard to keep up with the changes applied by service packs and updates. If you ever have to reload your system from scratch, a system inventory will ensure that you update each component, restoring your system to its exact state.
The System Information utility writes information to its own file type, which has an .NFO extension. This is a binary file that can be viewed only through the System Information utility. To save the information to the .NFO format, follow these steps:
System Information also offers an export option with which you can save the file as ASCII text. It is a good idea to save a copy of your system inventory in this format. If your system becomes nonfunctional, you might not have access to the System Information utility, in which case the .NFO file wouldn't do you much good.
To save the information to a text file, follow these steps:
The System Information utility converts the file and saves it to the disk. Figure 17.5 shows a system information text file as it appears in WordPad.
The System Information utility provides an option for printing the system information. Printing the entire report can easily take more than 100 pages. The Print option in System Information uses the same conversion process to create the print job that it uses to create a .TXT file, so the print output will be identical.
FIG. 17.5 Exporting your system information to a text file allows you to access it from any text editor.
Probably a better way of printing is to convert the file to a .TXT document instead of printing from the System Information utility. Then you can open the file using WordPad, delete any unwanted information, and submit the print job.
Although the System Information utility is a great tool for viewing settings, you cannot use it to make changes to the system. The Tools menu in the System Information utility contains links to several diagnostic programs that you can use to diagnose and fix problems in the system. This section covers the tools available in the System Information utility.
The Windows Report Tool, shown in Figure 17.6, gives you an easy method of reporting your problems to technical support personnel. You enter details about the problems you are experiencing, and the Windows Report Tool packages them with a snapshot of the current system configuration. This package gives the support technician all the information he or she needs to help you solve the problem.
Creating a Report Package
When you create a problem report, it is important that you provide as much detail as possible in the problem description. The more information you provide, the better the technician will understand the problem. Also, be sure to provide the steps needed to re-create the problem.
FIG. 17.6 The Windows Report Tool packages your system files along with a description of your problem.
To create a new problem report, follow these steps:
You can then send the report package to your technical support personnel. This might be a technician from Microsoft, an OEM technician, or a member of your corporate help desk staff. Because the report is compiled into a file, you can easily attach it to an email message or copy it to a disk for delivery.
Modifying the Files Included in the Report
When the report is compiled into a file, Windows 98 takes the information you provided and packages it into a cabinet (.CAB) file along with your system files. In certain situations, you might not want to provide all your system settings to a third party (if, for example, you work in an environment where security is a top priority). You can pick and choose which components you want to include in the package by using the Collected Information dialog box, accessible through the Options menu (see Fig- ure 17.7). To remove an item from the package, simply locate the item in the list and remove the check mark from the box next to it. You also can add files if necessary. To add an item to the package, just click the Add button and use the browse dialog box to locate the file.
FIG. 17.7 You can specify which files to include with the problem report.
This tool allows you to uninstall any update made by the Update Wizard. This utility produces the same results as using the Restore option from the Microsoft System Update web site.
When you start this application, Windows 98 searches the system for any applied updates and displays them in a list, as shown in Figure 17.8. To remove an update, simply choose the one you want to remove, and click the Uninstall button. All files affected by the update will be restored to the state they were in before the update was applied.
FIG. 17.8 With the Update Wizard Uninstall utility, you can selectively remove updates that have been applied to your system.
The Signature Verification Tool allows you to verify digital signatures on any signed files. A digital signature ensures that a file is safe to use by giving you a way of verifying who created the file. As you can see in Figure 17.9, the Signature Verification Tool looks nearly identical to the Find tool. To use it, you choose Signed Files from the Look for box, select the location to scan, and click the Find Now button. You can use this tool when you receive files from the Internet or from a location you think might not be secure. For example, you might request an updated DLL from somebody's web site. Although the file appears to have been created by Microsoft, it might have been altered to contain malicious code. You can use the signature verification tool to look for Microsoft's "signature" on the file. If that signature does not exist, you should discard the file and find one with the "signature" intact.
NOTE: Signing files digitally has not become a standard practice in the software industry. This tool will become more valuable as more software companies start signing their files.
FIG. 17.9 The Signature Verification Tool tells you who created the file (or lets you determine who didn't).
The System File Checker, shown in Figure 17.10, offers a quick, easy way for you to check for corruption in your system files. It scans your hard drive for a variety of file types and compares them with the originals from the installation media. If it finds a corrupt file, it gives you the option of copying the original from the CD.
NOTE: The default file types scanned by the System File Checker are .386, .COM, .DLL, .DRV, .EXE, .MPD, .OCX, .SCR, .SYS, and .VXD. You can add and remove file types from this list by clicking the Settings button.
To scan your system files for problems, simply open the System File Checker, check the Scan Files for Errors box, and click the Start button. Windows 98 scans the files and reports any errors it encounters. You can also choose to extract a file from the CD if you already know which file is giving you trouble.
FIG. 17.10 The System File Checker identifies system critical files that might be corrupt.
The Windows Registry Checker is a simple utility that checks for problems with the Registry. To use it, you simply run the application, and Windows 98 scans the Registry for corrupt keys. It also prompts you to back up the Registry, as shown in Figure 17.11. It's a good idea to back up the Registry after you install any new software or hardware.
FIG. 17.11 The Registry Checker scans the Registry for errors and gives you an easy way to perform a Registry backup.
One of the most beneficial features of Windows 98 is the new Automatic Skip Driver Agent. This component runs in the background during system startup to identify any piece of hardware that fails to start properly. The item is added to a list of troublesome devices. During subsequent boots of Windows 98, the Automatic Skip Driver Agent prevents the drivers for troublesome devices from loading, so that the system will boot without errors. Note, however, that the ASD does not fix the device; it just prevents the device from causing other system problems.
When you run the Automatic Skip Driver Agent from the System Information utility, you will see one of two things. If ASD does not find any problematic devices, you will receive a message that there are no critical operation failures on the machine. If ASD does determine that some piece of hardware is problematic, it will add that device to a list of troublesome devices. You can then re-enable the device and test any configuration changes you might have made. If the device fails again at startup, the ASD will disable it again and place it back in the list.
The Dr. Watson utility runs in the system tray of the taskbar. It is ideal for catching your system when it crashes. Dr Watson is aware of all processes and resources and can take a snapshot of the machine when problems occur.
The most convenient aspect of this application is that you can force it to take a snapshot at any time. If you receive a system error, you can use Dr. Watson to create a log entry that indicates the state of the machine. To do this, just double-click on the Dr. Watson icon in the taskbar. It takes a snapshot, which you can save and send to your technical support personnel. This snapshot is similar to the kind of file you can save with the System Information utility. Dr. Watson just enables you to create it immediately when you need it. Figure 17.12 shows the Dr. Watson diagnosis screen.
FIG. 17.12 Dr. Watson monitors the system for problems and can create a snapshot during system failure.
The System Configuration Utility, shown in Figure 17.3, allows you to make changes to your system files through a visual interface instead of a text editor. The interface used to edit these files, however, is rather odd and forces you to press a new entry button for each entry you add. Therefore, you might find it easier to continue editing files with your favorite text editor. This utility also enables you to change your general boot options, as well as programs that start automatically during boot-up.
FIG. 17.13 The System Configuration Utility enables you to modify your system startup files from one location.
The System Configuration Utility contains the following tabs:
The ScanDisk program, shown in Figure 17.14, is basically the same as the one that was included with Windows 95. With it, you can scan and fix problems on your hard drive. One of the benefits of ScanDisk is that it can perform a surface scan that can identify problems on the disk media itself. To run ScanDisk, simply start the program, select the drive, select the type of test, and click Start. If you check the Automatically fix errors box, ScanDisk will repair the disk without user input.
FIG. 17.14 ScanDisk performs several checks on the disk, including a surface scan.
The Version Conflict Manager, shown in Figrue 17.5, keeps track of all installed files that replace newer existing files. Due to the manufacturing process, some software ships with drivers that are not the most current ones available. If you install some software that replaces a newer driver, Windows 98 will back up the newer driver so that you can restore it later. The Version Conflict Manager is the tool you use to restore the file.
Sometimes the newer driver that was overwritten will not work with the software that replaced it. To prevent problems from occurring after you restore the original driver, Version Conflict Manager will back up the driver currently in use before performing the restoration. This way, you can revert to the driver supplied with the software if necessary.
FIG. 17.15 The Version Conflict Manager allows you to revert to previous versions of files that have been replaced.
© Copyright, Macmillan Computer Publishing. All rights reserved.
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