Description of the Power Management Troubleshooter Tool

ID: Q185949

The information in this article applies to:

SUMMARY

This article describes the Power Management Trouble Shooter tool (Pmtshoot.exe). Pmtshoot is a tool to assist you in identifying the program or device driver that is preventing your computer from entering a standby (or suspended) state. Pmtshoot monitors your computer when it suspends, and tries to identify programs or device drivers that may prevent your computer from suspending.


MORE INFORMATION

When your computer suspends and when it resumes, Pmtshoot displays text in sections that correspond to the different phases of the suspend process. This may be useful in diagnosing the cause of the suspend issue.

There are different versions of Pmtshoot available, one is on the Windows 98 CD-ROM, and the latest version is located on the Microsoft Support Online Web site. To Download the Power Management Trouble Shooter tool, download the Pmtshoot.exe file to an empty folder, and then double-click the Pmtshoot.exe file to extract its contents.

The following file(s) are available for download from the Microsoft Software Library:

~ Pmtshoot.exe

For more information about downloading files from the Microsoft Software Library, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q119591
TITLE : How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services


Microsoft recommends that you install the latest version of Pmtshoot from the Microsoft Web site, but you can use the CD-ROM version to help resolve the issue if you do not have access to the Internet.

Installation

To install Pmtshoot from the Internet, follow the instructions listed earlier in this article, and then follow the instructions on the screen to finish the installation. To install the CD-ROM version of Pmtshoot on your computer, use the following steps:
  1. Insert the Windows 98 CD-ROM in to your CD-ROM drive.


  2. Click Start, click Run, type the following line in the Open box, and then click OK
    <drive>:\Tools\Mtsutil\Pmtshoot\Pmtshoot.Exe
    where <drive> is the drive letter assigned to your CD-ROM drive.


  3. Click Yes when Setup prompts you to continue, and then click OK when Setup prompts you to restart your computer.


Usage

Once Pmtshoot is installed, it runs automatically when Windows 98 starts. When Pmtshoot is running, you can suspend your computer as you normally would. As it suspends, Pmtshoot displays all the activity on your computer in the form of a text report.

After your computer has finished the suspend or resume process, note the text displayed by Pmtshoot. Note that the information displayed in red is what Pmtshoot considers to be most relevant to the suspend issue. Pmtshoot often displays (in red text) the name of the device and driver that caused the suspend issue. It is possible that with this information, you can make the necessary adjustments to resolve the issue.

Pmtshoot version 1.2 (and later) is capable of resolving some issues. If Pmtshoot comes across one of these issues, Pmtshoot asks if you would like to make the change, as well as describing the change. Microsoft recommends that you click Yes when you receive this prompt.

If Pmtshoot does not display a dialog box, it has determined that it is unable to fix the problem. This is usually the result of an out-of-date device driver. Note the device driver name displayed by Pmtshoot, and then contact the appropriate manufacturer for an updated device driver.

Data Analysis

In some cases, Pmtshoot displays a large amount of text, sometimes as much as several thousand lines. To analyze this data quickly, use the following steps:
  1. After your computer resumes, scroll to the top of the Pmtshoot report.


  2. Scroll down the report, and note any text displayed in red. The first occurrence of red text is the most significant. Note the device that is listed, and in some cases, the device driver. This device is very likely to be the cause of the suspend issue.


After you determine the cause of the issue, you may want to contact your hardware or software vendor for an update that may resolve the issue.

Uninstalling

It is important to uninstall Pmtshoot when you are finished using it. To do so, use the following steps:
  1. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Add/Remove Programs.


  2. Click PMTShoot - Power Management Trouble Shooter, click Add/Remove, and then click Yes to restart your computer.


Additional query words: 98 


Keywords          : kbfile kbtool win98 
Version           : WINDOWS:
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbinfo

Last Reviewed: February 7, 1999