If you invest in a new computer, you will likely want to keep it running smoothly. This doesn’t mean that you have to run out and purchase additional diagnostic and maintenance tools – you can use the tools that come built-in to Vista.

Vista includes a collection of diagnostic tools that you can use to troubleshoot and resolve problems that may be affecting your computer’s performance.

This collection of tools is called Windows Diagnostic Infrastructure and it is a new feature in Vista. It provides a number of diagnostic scenarios-including Network Diagnostics and troubleshooting-to address some of the most common and costly problems facing PC users.

The main diagnostic tools included with Vista are:

• Memory Diagnostics
• Disk Diagnostics
• Windows Network Diagnostics
• Resource Exhaustion Prevention

Disk Diagnostics
Disk failure can be disastrous for a home user or in an enterprise environment. The only way to recover is to restore from backup – assuming of course that backup your data on a regular basis. The Disk Diagnostics tool in Vista detects impending disk failures and walks you through the process of backing up your data, replacing the disk and data restoration. When a possible disk failure is detected, it warns you of the problem and walks you through all the necessary steps to avoid data loss.

Memory Diagnostics
Memory problems are often the most difficult to identify and troubleshoot. Memory problems can appear to be software or operating system problems and you can spend hours of your time trying to diagnose the true problem.

Memory Diagnostics in Vista works with Microsoft Online Crash Analysis to detect crashes that might be caused by failing memory. Like the Disk Diagnostics tool, it provides you with guided support and prompts you to schedule a memory test the next time you restart the computer.

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