The picture would really be complete if you had a magnifying glass



You have been having ongoing graphical problems with an application that displays very detailed electronics schematics. The end-user has asked you to resolve the issue. Which of these options would be your best next step?

A) Reinstall Windows from scratch to remove any possible conflict

B) Run dxdiag to check for any driver issues

C) Use msconfig to disable every startup application

D) Uninstall the application and install the previous version to check for differences

E) Each time the glitch occurs, point at the screen and yell “A ha!”


The answer: B) Run DXDIAG to check for any driver issues

When you run into a mystery, it’s best to gather as much information as possible before making any changes. Even if you’re really interested in making some big updates, it’s best to do your testing prior to changing the fundamental configuration on a system.

Want to know more? Watch “Bus Architectures and Expansion Slots.”

There is a wealth of Windows utilities that can be run directly from the command line or launched from the Start menu. In this video, we’ll examine utilities like telnet, ping, msconfig, dxdiag, and many more.