Windows

• 1: How do I gather system information in Windows using DxDiag?
• 2: How do I gather system information in Windows using MSINFO32?
• 3: How do I prevent an incorrect clock in Windows after booting Ubuntu?
• 4: How do I run a filesystem check on Windows and repair system files?
• 5: Where can I find my Windows license key?

1 - How do I gather system information in Windows using DxDiag?

You can use the DirectX Diagnostic Tool (DxDiag) in Windows to gather system information that might be helpful for troubleshooting.

To use DxDiag to gather system information:

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run window. Type

   dxdiag /dontskip /whql:off /64bit /t %userprofile%/Desktop/DxDiag.txt
   

   then press Enter.

2. After 5-10 seconds, a file named DxDiag.txt will be created on the Desktop. This file contains information about the system.

If you prefer to use the graphical interface of DxDiag to gather system information:

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run window.

2. In the Run window, type dxdiag then press Enter.

3. Click Save All Information to save the system information to a text file.

2 - How do I gather system information in Windows using MSINFO32?

You can use MSINFO32, also known as Microsoft System Information or Msinfo32.exe, to gather useful information for troubleshooting your computer.

To use MSINFO32:

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run window. Type cmd then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open an elevated command prompt.

2. In the elevated command prompt, run:

   MSInfo32 /report %userprofile%/Desktop/sysinfo.txt
   

This will create a file on your Desktop named sysinfo.txt that contains useful information about your computer.

3 - How do I prevent an incorrect clock in Windows after booting Ubuntu?

Ubuntu saves the current time to the machine hardware clock in UTC. Windows saves the current time to the machine hardware clock in the local time. Because Ubuntu and Windows save the current time to the machine hardware clock differently, the current time displays incorrectly in Windows after booting Ubuntu.

To fix this problem:

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run window. Type cmd then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.

   This command opens the Command Prompt window with elevated (admin) privileges.

2. In the Command Prompt window, run the command: reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\TimeZoneInformation" /v RealTimeIsUniversal /d 1 /t REG_DWORD /f.

   If Windows asks to update the clock due to DST (Daylight Savings Time), let Windows update the clock. The current time will be saved to the machine hardware clock in UTC but will display in Windows in the local time.

To learn more about this problem, see the Arch Linux documentation on system time.

4 - How do I run a filesystem check on Windows and repair system files?

If Windows is freezing or behaving erratically, there might be a problem with the filesystem or system files. Examples of erratic behavior include:

• blue screens
• crashing applications
• sluggish performance
• failed Windows updates

You can use the built-in Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) and System File Checker (SFC) tools to try to fix the problem.

To use the DISM tool to fix problems with the filesystem or system files:

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run window.

2. In the Run window, type cmd then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.

   This command opens the Command Prompt window with elevated (admin) privileges.

3. In the Command Prompt window, run the command:

   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
   

   This command performs cleanup and recovery operations on the system files. For more information, see Microsoft’s documentation on repairing a Windows image.

4. After DISM.exe finishes, run the following command in the Command Prompt window: sfc /scannow. This command scans all protected system files and replaces corrupted files. For more information, see Microsoft’s documentation on using SFC to repair missing or corrupted system files.

Run the sfc /scannow command up to 3 times until you receive the message: Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.

Reboot the machine and test to see if Windows continues to freeze or behave erratically.

5 - Where can I find my Windows license key?

Your Windows license key is located on a cardboard envelope included with your system.