Here are some tips that makes troubleshooting easy: 1) Check the event log 2) Google it 3) Reboot 4) Run IISreset 5) Empty the Recycle Bin 6) Hit [CTRL]+[BREAK] 7) Kill the ASPNET worker process 8) Clear Temporary Internet Files 9) Touch the config file 10) Degauss the monitor (Not that applicable any more, I suppose) 11) Simmer ground rhino horn on a bed of whale pancreas 12) "get latest" and rebuild 13) Login as admin 14) Run ipconfig /renew (Windows) 15) Check if CAPSLOCK is on. 16) Run a virus scan 17) Download the latest CTP 18) Disable and then re-enable the network interface 19) Restart services (some/most/all) 20) Change your password 21) Unplug your router, and leave it unplugged for 10 seconds before plugging it back in 22) Clear your Cookies 23) Add current site to your "Trusted Zones" 24) Disable javascript 25) Try to ping the server 26) Press 'clean solution' from the context menu in the solution explorer 27) Repair the installation 28) Run large magnets over all hard drives 29) Check the network cable. 30) Check the network cable again. 31) Defrag the hard drive 32) Try it in a different browser 33) Run an Anti-Malware scan 34) Minimize all windows and check for a modal dialog 35) Ensure configuration is correct(seriously) 36) See what has changed recently 37) Run process monitor 38) Run chkdsk /v (Windows) 39) Revert all check-ins from anyone named 'Gazza' 40) Run the windows update service(God help us all) 41) Remove and then recreate all Bluetooth partnerships 42) Do a hardware reset on your mobile device 43) Decompile + Monkey Punch + Duck Slap + Donkey Whack 44) What would jesus do? 45) Look for suitable workarounds 46) Re-calibrate your Geiger counter 47) Check for packet storms 48) Best to rule out toxicological contamination early on 49) Describe the problem in terms even a child can understand 50) Apply duct tape 51) Increase the timeout duration 52) Increase the maximum threadpool size 53) Write to your local minister or government representative 54) Try using the Microsoft Online Crash Analysis to submit your crash dump bucket-id 55) Disable the customer experience improvement program 56) Eat liver of sacred monkey 57) Import the decryption certificate to the local client certificate store 58) Ensure SQL server is setup for mixed mode authentication 59) Bypass proxy server for local addresses 60) Check the hosts file and the routing tables 61) Use filemon to locate any other log files being accessed 62) Check the BIOS 63) Update the device drivers for all peripherals 64) Attach a debugger, get a memory dump, look at it in a hex reader and post it to a forum 65) Cleanse all user inputs 66) Put a try catch around it 67) Replace the batteries in your wireless mouse and keyboard 68) Recompile all DLL's 69) Uninstall the old version, re- install the new version, apply hot fixes patches and upgrades 70) Remove the case from your computer, and aim a fan at it 71) Check that you haven't been blacklisted 72) Run diagnostic checks on surge protection units 73) Add an index 74) Remove an index 75) Recalculate indexes 76) Ensure FTP uses passive mode 78) Recalculate statistics 79) Reboot in safe mode 80) Check kerberos delegation 81) Review query plan 82) If 'automatically detect settings' is checked/unchecked, then uncheck/check it 83) Kill rogue processes in Task Manager 84) Run memtest.exe 85) Boot from your Emergency Repair Disks 86) Follow standard KNOPPIX data recovery procedures 87) Tweak-UI 88) Uninstall Adobe PDF Reader 89) Insert "Debug.WriteLine("up to line 53");" where appropriate 90) Set tracelevel to verbose 91) Flush buffers 92) % truss -t \!all -t open a.out 93) Use CDB or WINDBG. Add in SOS for CLR issues. 94) Field test any lightning protection devices 95) Use a temperature gauge on all hardware components, and compare against safe operating limits from manufacturer 96) Run it inside a VM 97) Check the DPI. 98) Search the knowledge base 99) Enable Javascript debugging 100) Turn off friendly HTTP error messages in IE 101) Set the current culture to en-US 102) Attach a multi-meter 103) Roll back to your most recent backup 104) Check for GC pressure 105) Empty the MSI cache 106) Temporarily allow popups 107) Look in your spam folder. Check it again. Now check it again. 108) Recompile. Wait. Recompile. 109) Turn off Windows Firewall 110) Run CASPOL and give everything full trust 111) Put yourself in the shoes of the program itself. If you were the program, what would you do? 112) Ask Hanselman 113) Try WireShark. Failing that, try fiddler. What does tracert show? 114) Check the blueprints and read over the UML. 115) Implement the retry pattern. 116) RTFM 117) Delete the BIOS 118) Attach anti-static wrist strap on every appendage 119) Sit inside a Faraday cage 120) Insert "alert('here');" where appropriate 121) Overwrite every byte in memory the standard five times as pre-scribed by NSA guidelines 122) Reinstall the operating system from the original media provided by the supplier 123) Add a LOCK statement 124) Blame Irwin the intern 125) Blame the guy who left last week 126) Blame the ESL guy 127) Blame DNS 128) Add a sleep statement 129) Apply a fudge factor. 130) Run a spell checker over your code 131) Light some candles. Sacrifice chicken/goat. 132) Set all DWORD's to 0 in the registry. Then delete the registry 133) Drop all databases. 134) Unregister and re-register all DLLs 135) Reboot 3 times 136) Drink your own urine 137) Run prime95 overnight 138) Recompile the kernel 139) Do the packets hop subdomains, and if so does NAS require a NAS forwarding service -- how about VLAN? 140) Track down the original programmers who wrote the system, apply percussive trauma therapy. 141) Uninstall java 142) Underclock it 143) Ignore it 144) Post a request for comment on theDailyWTF 145) Ask for correlating evidence that the problem even exists 146) Sharpen your wooden stakes before proceeding any further 147) Melt silver crucifixes onto tips of all bullets 148) Fill your water bottle with holy water 149) Call tech support 150) Check when daylight savings begins 151) Remove everything from STARTUP folder 152) Plan and enact your fire evacuation plan 153) Bathe in holy water 154) Increase dosage on all medications. Check for interactions. 155) Bury heart of an Ox at midnight under crossroads on full moon 156) Clean up your desk 157) Check that pump's suction pipe is elevated above bottom of pond. (Float the inlet 30 to 40 centimetres below the water surface) 158) Wear shoes with six inch cork soles 159) Wear raincoat, goggles, breathing apparatus 160) Climb into an anti static bag 161) Always use a condom 162) Check pressure reading on gauges number 1 and 2 163) Run it through an Oscilloscope 164) Check your immunization schedule is up to date 165) Check for seismic/tectonic activity, solar flares, tsunami, meteor showers. 166) Go and get a coffee. come back and look at it with a fresh set of eyes.