Getting Help and Troubleshooting Tips

Computers have dozens-and in some cases, hundreds-of different devices, services, and applications configured on them. Keeping all these components working properly is a big job that Windows 7 handles aptly with your help. Still, it's a fact of life that stuff happens: computers crash, services and applications stop working, and devices fail. Fortunately, Windows 7 includes many features to help ensure that your computer keeps running optimally and to help you resolve any problems you may encounter. In addition to the traditional tools available in Windows XP and earlier releases of Windows, you'll find a comprehensive diagnostics framework that can detect problems as they occur, new tools for helping you recover your computer and data, and more.

Although the built-in diagnostics features attempt to provide solutions to common problems, not all problems can be diagnosed automatically, and you'll often need to work to resolve problems on your own. This is why Windows 7 includes a variety of troubleshooting tools as well as tools for backing up and restoring your computer. When disaster strikes, it's too late to configure these tools, so make sure that your computer's backup and restore features are configured properly as part of your periodic preventive maintenance.