How to troubleshoot Windows: A guide for Linux developers.

From the perspective of a Linux developer, troubleshooting Windows can be both a familiar yet foreign experience. On Linux, the command line is a powerful, versatile tool central to system management and troubleshooting. The file system hierarchy and permissions are well-defined and predictable.

When transitioning to Windows, the reliance on graphical user interfaces can feel cumbersome, and the command line options (such as PowerShell) have a different syntax and behavior that takes time to learn. The Windows Registry is another significant adjustment; it’s a centralized database of settings that doesn’t have a direct equivalent in Linux, often requiring careful navigation and modification.

System logs and event viewers in Windows provide valuable information, but they are organized differently compared to the straightforward text log files in /var/log/ on Linux. Windows services management, user permissions, and system updates have their nuances that require new learning.

However, there are a set of powerful diagnostic tools that provide the powerful insight into the internal operations of windows, allowing Linux developers to leverage their existing skills while adapting to the Windows environment. The core principles of troubleshooting—diagnosing issues, reviewing logs, testing solutions—remain consistent, even if the tools and methods differ.

This is a list of my favorite tools that have helped me navigate a variety of windows problems.

1. Sysinternals Process Explorer: View resource utilization, network sockets, disk activity, and thread stacks all in one, light weight, portable program.
2. Sysinternals Process Monitor: View windows API calls to troubleshoot permissions or issues with DLL search paths. Similar to the standard Linux strace utility. When you need to dive deep into why a system function call fails, this tool will help you navigate the maze of the Windows API.
3. Cmder console emulator: For when you need to run that bash one liner and don’t want to deal with PowerShell. It doubles as a multi-command line interface that offers tabs and keyboard shortcuts.
4. Windows Performance Toolkit: For when you really need the power of Linux perf in windows.
5. Windows Internals part 1 and 2: There are some similarities between the Windows platform and Linux. However, trying to apply the same mental models for memory management, process scheduling, I/O, and kernel API calls will lead to frustration and wrong conclusions about why things behave the way they do in Windows. This is because, well, windows is just different, in many ways. The Windows Internals books helped me to gain a deeper understanding of how the Windows OS architecture is built and where to go looking when things go wrong.