Troubleshoot Windows Operating System Errors

Introduction

The Troubleshoot Windows Operating System Errors module provides you with the instruction and Server hardware to develop your hands-on skills.

Learning Outcomes

In this module, you will complete the following exercises:

• Exercise 1. Managing Faulty Registry Entries
• Exercise 2. Creating a System Image Backup
• Exercise 3. Restoring a Computer after a Kernel Error

After completing this lab, you will be able to:

• Introduce a problem in Windows Registry
• Rollback the registry change using last known good configuration
• Verify the effect of the last known good configuration feature
• Rollback configuration using the revert option
• Create a VHD
• Initialize and format a VHD
• Install Windows Server Backup
• Create a system image backup
• Cause a BSOD error
• View the BSOD error
• Restore the server using System Image Backup

Exam Objectives

The following exam objectives are covered in this lab:

• 1.6 Explain the troubleshooting methodology.

Lab Duration

It will take approximately 1 hour to complete this lab.

Exercise 1 - Managing Faulty Registry Entries

Sometimes, system users or administrators may inadvertently make an unintentional change to the Windows registry (a database of hardware and software settings) that could make your computer unusable. To undo such unintended changes, Windows offers the Last Known Good Configuration feature that can help reinstate your system back to its working configuration.

In this exercise, you will use guest virtual machines on a Hyper-V server, to reinstate a Windows server to its working configuration.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this exercise, you will be able to:

• Introduce a problem in Windows Registry
• Rollback the registry change using the Last Known Good Configuration feature
• Verify the effect of the rollback
• Rollback configuration using the Revert option

Exercise 2 - Creating a System Image Backup

Windows Server operating system provides a native backup application to enable you to create a system image backup. System image back up is the current system configuration of the OS saved onto a storage device. In simpler words, it is a copy of everything that is on the system hard disk. The copy can be created on any storage device, such as a hard disk, a virtual disk, a network drive, or a CD/DVD drive.

In this exercise, you will create a system image backup of the PLABSA02 server on a virtual disk. This backup will be used to restore PLABSA02 server to its working configuration after a system crash.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this exercise, you will be able to:

• Create a VHD
• Initialize and format a VHD
• Install Windows server backup
• Create a system image backup

Exercise 3 - Restore a Computer after a Kernel Error

Kernel Error might be caused by older-than-latest device drivers, incompatible memory, corrupt device data, improperly attached hardware devices. Kernel error may also happen if modifications are made to Windows system files such as an update on dynamic link libraries or DLLs.

A kernel error normally throws a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) - an error screen that indicates a fatal system crash on a Windows computer.

In this exercise, you will restore a server from a BSOD.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this exercise, you will be able to:

• Cause a BSOD error
• View the BSOD error
• Restore the server from a BSOD error