Practically day-after-day, software program updates of some form roll out for our programs. From working programs to antivirus software program, to cloud companies, to {hardware} gadgets, just about not one of the know-how we use is static. And with these updates come negative effects and issues that generally take some time to get fastened.

I not too long ago discovered an attention-grabbing bug that hasn’t gotten a whole lot of consideration after I bought a Lexmark multi-function printer. As a part of the set up course of, I went on-line to obtain the newest printer driver. (I all the time suggest going to a vendor web site to seize the newest drivers as a result of, in any case, the newest software program ought to have the newest fixes, proper?) I used to be capable of arrange the printer to print, scan, and electronically fax and figured I used to be performed for the day.

That’s when the enjoyable began.

I recurrently join with varied computer systems utilizing Distant Desktop. Usually, it’s rock strong with zero points. A minimum of, it was rock strong earlier than I received my new printer. Out of the blue, after I arrange the printer, my distant connection started to drop — with out even an error message to provide me some concept what had gone fallacious.

This factors to the primary rule of debugging bugs: Suppose again to when every thing labored and work out what you modified. I knew one thing within the printer driver I’d put in was a probable offender, however how may I affirm this? Sometimes, when pc programs cease working, there’s an occasion log someplace that factors to the issue. (Usually talking, app crashes present up within the functions occasion log. However generally an utility makes use of a particular subdirectory to trace and report errors.)

For Home windows, you’ll be able to entry the Occasion Viewer by clicking on search and typing in “occasion viewer” to launch it. Simply broaden the part for Home windows Logs and look within the utility log file.

In case you have ever appeared on the Occasion Viewer you recognize these logs can both be extraordinarily useful or extraordinarily complicated. Lots of the occasions might be ignored. However once in a while you’ll discover one which helps get to the basis of your drawback. With my Distant Desktop drawback, I hoped to discover a clue within the occasion log — and certainly, I discovered one. I found an error indicating a faulting utility every time I attempted to launch a distant session.  

Now comes the subsequent enjoyable half: Generally the applying you’re utilizing isn’t referred to as the identical factor within the occasion logs. Typically they particularly use executable names, so you need to know the applying’s “software program identify” relatively than what you recognize it by. On this case, Distant Desktop has an executable identify of mstsc.exe, which stands for Microsoft Terminal Service Consumer.

Right here’s what the error seems to be like:

Faulting utility identify: mstsc.exe, model: 10.0.19041.2075, time stamp: 0x63f96292
Faulting module identify: LMFX1N4Z.DLL, model: 0.0.1.0, time stamp: 0x61b8cf09
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x0000000000038ac3
Faulting course of id: 0x2b30
Faulting utility begin time: 0x01d948e5ef27f462
Faulting utility path: C:WINDOWSsystem32mstsc.exe
Faulting module path: C:WINDOWSsystem32spoolDRIVERSx643LMFX1N4Z.DLL
Report Id: 5b058189-0b5a-4284-a62d-c583bbe5a7da
Faulting bundle full identify:
Faulting package-relative utility ID:

Included in that occasion is the clue I wanted. The occasion crash pointed to a driver, LMFX1N4Z.DLL, which is a Lexmark driver. Looking on-line, I discovered one other pc person going through an analogous situation, however with a digital machine, not a distant desktop shopper. Clearly printer sharing or distant printing doesn’t just like the LMFX1N4Z.dll driver. I guessed that the underlying situation concerned the fax driver I occurred to put in. After uninstalling it, positive sufficient, my distant desktop once more grew to become purposeful. Mainly, as an alternative of  attempting to get Lexmark to repair a difficulty that’s been round for some time, I made a decision the most suitable choice was to take away solely a bit of the printer software program whereas conserving the options I wanted.

What if I hadn’t discovered the basis trigger? Generally you will discover a workaround. For Distant Desktop, Microsoft additionally ships a contemporary distant desktop app by way of the Microsoft retailer. If that additionally failed, I may have appeared for different instruments. Generally when a bug impacts you, that’s the one approach to work round an issue till a repair is launched.

Typically, diagnosing a misbehaving system begins with figuring out whether or not others are experiencing the identical points. After I apply updates, I examine on-line in a number of areas to verify whether or not any bugs I expertise are distinctive to me or affecting others. I begin by visiting the Home windows launch well being dashboard to evaluate any recognized points. Subsequent, I go to Reddit’s Home windows 10 and Home windows 11 boards or the Askwoody boards for stories on any uncommon points.

Lately, an drawback arose that prevented server directors from putting in certainly one of this month’s updates. It turned out the basis trigger was a bug by Microsoft the place a sure particular Home windows server sku (Necessities) was improperly blocked from receiving updates. One other poster thought a difficulty with Home windows 2012 R2 dataserver could be related, and in reviewing the log information discovered {that a} servicing stack replace was lacking.

Bugs happen on a regular basis. And never all of them are a results of poor patching by Microsoft. Typically, it’s merely the introduction of one thing new that triggers a bug. So, all the time keep in mind to ask your self: What modified? Is there a log file? Are others seeing the identical situation I’m?

Answering these fundamental questions will assist you to get a bug free system.