# TRB-1: Windows OS Issues

Status: not started

Domain:
- 3.0 Software Troubleshooting

Objective alignment:
- 3.1 Troubleshoot common Windows OS problems

## What You Need To Know

Windows troubleshooting questions usually give a symptom and ask for the most likely next step.

Common symptoms:
- Blue screen of death
- Slow performance
- Frequent shutdowns
- Services failing to start
- Application crashes
- Low memory warnings
- USB controller resource warnings
- System instability
- No OS found
- Slow profile load
- Time drift

## Memory Trick

Use **B-S-S-A-D-P-T**:

- **B**oot
- **S**ervices
- **S**torage
- **A**pplications
- **D**rivers
- **P**rofiles
- **T**ime

Shortcut:
- **A Windows symptom usually points to boot, services, storage, drivers, profile, or time.**

## Symptom Matching

No OS found:
- Check boot order.
- Check whether the drive is detected.
- Check boot files and startup repair.

BSOD:
- Suspect drivers, hardware, memory, storage, or recent updates.
- Use Event Viewer, Reliability Monitor, and memory/storage diagnostics.

Slow performance:
- Check Task Manager for CPU, memory, disk, and startup load.
- Check available disk space.
- Review recently installed apps.

Services not starting:
- Check Services console.
- Check dependencies.
- Review Event Viewer.

Slow profile load:
- Suspect large profile data, network profile issues, login scripts, or domain connectivity.

System time drift:
- Check time zone, CMOS battery, and time synchronization.

## Commands To Know

```powershell
sfc /scannow
```

Checks protected Windows system files and attempts repair.

```powershell
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
```

Repairs the Windows component store used by SFC.

```powershell
chkdsk
```

Checks file system status.

```powershell
eventvwr.msc
```

Opens Event Viewer for logs and error clues.

```powershell
perfmon /rel
```

Opens Reliability Monitor for a timeline of failures.

## Exam Clues

- If Windows cannot find an OS, think boot order, missing boot files, or failed drive.
- If the system fails after a driver update, roll back the driver or boot into Safe Mode.
- If apps crash after system corruption, use DISM and SFC.
- If performance is slow, gather evidence before changing settings.