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Five gadgets that automate Windows

troubleshooting commands

By Greg Shultz

September 6, 2011, 10:58 AM PDT

Windows provides various command-line tools designed to help you perform tasks such astroubleshooting problems related to running processes and TCP/IP connectivity issues. But usingthese tools ² and remembering which switches to use where ² can slow you down. The

Vista/Windows 7 gadgets listed below will help you do the job without any command-lineheadaches.

1: The Tasklist Gadget

The Windows Task Manager provides detailed information about the programs and processes that arerunning on a system. However, Task Manager doesn¶t really give you the full picture when it comesto the running processes. For instance, what if you suspect that a DLL is at the root of a problem andwant to find out what DLL modules a particular process is using?

You can get the information you need by shelling out to a command prompt window and using theTaskList command-line utility, along with a couple of special parameters. But working from a

command prompt can get pretty tedious, so we created the TaskList Gadget to automate thecommand.

2: The ARP GadgetThe Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) is a key TCP/IP protocol that is used to determine the

 physical address of the network card that corresponds to an IP address. When you¶re tracking downTCP/IP connectivity issues, you may need to investigate or modify the ARP cache as you look for  problems.

Windows comes with a command-line utility called ARP, which lets you display or adjust thecontents of the ARP cache of either a local or remote system. The ARP Gadget automates the ARPcommand to streamline the process.

3: The Netstat Gadget

Zeroing in on the cause of TCP/IP connectivity problems is complicated by the sheer number of connections and services on a particular system. Identifying the status of the connections and whichservices are running can help narrow down the search, but it takes time. However, an underused

Windows command-line utility, Netstat, can shorten the time it takes to hunt down rogue connections by quickly providing information about client services and TCP/IP communications. The NetstatGadget automates the Netstat command, making it much easier to use.

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4: The Route Gadget

If your Windows network is having TCP/IP connectivity problems, you may need to investigate the

current IP routing table and add or delete specific IP routes. Windows comes with a command-line

tool called Route, which lets you reveal and edit this type of information. Unfortunately, the Routetool is stuck in the DOS-based world of the command line, so it¶s often avoided when it¶s time tolook for problems that may be rooted in the routing table. To make the Route tool easier to use, wecreated the Route Gadget.

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5: The PathPing Gadget

When you¶re troubleshooting TCP/IP problems on your network, chances are you reach for the Ping

utility and the Tracert utility. The results generated by these two tools provide a good view of the

 problem. But you can get all that information and more by using the PathPing command ² a hybridof the Ping and Tracert utilities. PathPing generates a detailed statistical report that can more precisely indicate the cause of the network problem. The PathPing Gadget automates the powerfulPathPing utility, making it easier for you to isolate the cause of network problems.