Study Unit - Understanding Windows

Study Unit

UnderstandingWindowsBy

Troy McMillan

About the Author

Troy McMillan is a product developer and technical editor for Kaplan IT

and a full time professional trainer for Cisco, Microsoft, Comptia, and

Wireless classes. He is the author of Change Your Career: Computer

Network Security as Your New Profession. Mr. McMillan has also

served as a contributing subject matter expert and a prep question

writer. He currently creates certification practice tests and study

guides for the Transcender and Self-Test brands. Mr. McMillan lives

in Atlanta, Georgia.

Copyright © 2011 by Penn Foster, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of the material protected by this copyright may bereproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be mailed to Copyright Permissions, Penn Foster, 925 Oak Street, Scranton,Pennsylvania 18515.

Printed in the United States of America

All terms mentioned in this text that are known to be trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized. Use of a term in this text should not beregarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.

The Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 operating systems

are newer versions of the Windows NT 4.0 operating system.

The core programming of each operating system (OS) has

roots in the IBM/Microsoft OS/2 product. All three operating

systems use the New Technology File System (NTFS) as their

default file system. Their core programming is a true 32- or

64-bit OS that has security and reliability features superior

to those of the Windows 95, 98, and Me operating systems.

Windows XP comes in two versions. Windows XP Home

Edition is for people who are currently running Windows 95,

98, or Me, and it comes with some popular features for run-

ning games, playing music, and communicating over the

Internet. Windows XP Professional is marketed as an upgrade

for Windows 2000 Professional.

The Vista OS is a dramatic upgrade to Windows XP, while

Windows 7 is a more modest upgrade to Vista, with most of

the difference having to do with performance.

iii

Previe

wPrevie

w

When you complete this study unit, you’ll beable to

• Identify the differences among the Windows XP, Vista,and Windows 7 operating systems

• Describe the steps required to install Windows XP, Vista,and Windows 7

• Explain the startup process, and troubleshoot problemswith the process

• Discuss the processes required to install hardware andsoftware using Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7

• Identify and use the tools available for troubleshootingand support

BRIEF INTRODUCTIONS TO WINDOWS XP, VISTA, AND WINDOWS 7 1

The OSs 1Common Features 2Windows XP Home Features 6Windows XP Professional Features 13Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Features 17Vista Editions 19Vista Home Basic Requirements and Features 20Vista Home Premium Requirements and Features 23Vista Business Features 24Vista Enterprise and Vista Ultimate Features 24Windows 7 Editions 25Windows 7 Hardware Requirements 25Windows 7 Starter Features 26Windows 7 Home Premium Features 27Windows 7 Professional Features 28Windows 7 Ultimate Features 28The History of Windows 29

INSTALLING THE OPERATING SYSTEM 36Preparing for the Installation of Windows XP, Vista,

and Windows 7 36Installing Windows XP 40Upgrading to Windows XP 45Installing Windows XP as a Second OS 50Installing Vista 55Upgrading to Vista 60Installing Vista as a Second OS 62Installing Windows 7 63Upgrading to Windows 7 67Installing Windows 7 as a Second OS 68Installing Other Components 69Adjusting the Power Options 77

CUSTOMIZING THE LOOK AND FEEL OF THE PC 86The Desktop 86Scanners and Cameras 101Other Input Devices 107Sounds and Multimedia 110Additional Windows Modifications 113Special-Needs Configurations 123

v

Contents

Contents

Contentsvi

OPTIMIZING THE OPERATING SYSTEM 138General Optimization 138Disabling Features 145

OPERATING-SYSTEM PROCESSES 167Startup 167The Registry 182

SOFTWARE IN THE WINDOWS ENVIRONMENT 189Installing and Removing Software 189Troubleshooting Software Problems 192Backup and Monitoring Methods 201Special Software Installations 202

HARDWARE IN THE WINDOWS ENVIRONMENT 208Plug and Play 208General Hardware Installation and Removal 212Special-Consideration Hardware Installations 216

TROUBLESHOOTING AND SUPPORT 219Windows XP Support Tools 219Windows XP Tools Used to Manage Server Services 231Vista Troubleshooting 234Server 2008 Support Tools for Vista 235Windows 7 Troubleshooting 237Windows 7 Support Tools 239Common Support Tools 241Performance Monitor 247System File Checker 262

ANSWERS 265

1

BRIEF INTRODUCTIONS TO WINDOWS XP, VISTA, AND WINDOWS 7This study unit focuses on the Windows XP, Vista, and

Windows 7 operating systems, all of which were developed

using Intel technologies. All three operating systems will be

covered in this unit, with special focus on Windows XP

Professional and Windows 7.

The OSs

Windows XP

Windows XP (Figure 1) is a Windows desktop oper-

ating system for the PC. Windows XP is built on

the Windows 2000 kernel (the basic, central com-

ponent), but it brings a more personalized look to

the desktop. The Windows XP OS also makes it

easier for users to scan or import images, acquire

music files on the Web, and transfer them to

portable devices. The operating system also allows

multiple logons, desktops, and personal sets of

files. The Start menu has been designed to make

the most-used programs easy to find. Windows XP

comes in Home, Professional, and 64-Bit editions.

Understanding Windows

FIGURE 1—Windows XP

Understanding Windows2

Vista

Vista (Figure 2) is a dramatic upgrade to Windows

XP. It includes many additional features, such

as the Windows Aero desktop, a new version of

Windows Explorer, and Windows Flip and Flip 3D,

which allows a preview of each open window while

scrolling through the windows with the Alt-tab key

combination. The Search feature is improved and

displays results as you type. It also includes the

Windows Sidebar, where small applications called

gadgets can be attached to the desktop. Many

other features formerly included in Windows XP

have been upgraded and in some cases renamed.

Because Vista was never fully embraced by busi-

nesses due to its hardware requirements and

sluggish performance, the time between the release

of Vista and Windows 7 was much shorter than

normal.

Windows 7

Windows 7 (Figure 3) offers a much smaller num-

ber of new features but is superior in performance

to Vista and requires fewer hardware resources.

New features include a method of sharing for the

home called Home Group, better thumbnail pre-

view in the taskbar, speedier access to favorites

files with the use of Jump Lists, and a featured

called Snap that’s a quick way to manage and

resize windows on the desktop. When combined

with Windows Server 2008, many additional fea-

tures become available, although these are beyond

the scope of this study unit.

Common FeaturesWindows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 are all based on the same

Windows kernel. This kernel is an offspring of the Windows

NT 32-bit kernel. The base operating system features are

similar in all three products, and the systems share many

common features.

FIGURE 2—Vista

FIGURE 3—Windows 7

Understanding Windows 3

Reliability and Stability Features

• Full 32-bit operating system (or 64-bit) minimizes applica-

tion failures and unplanned reboots.

• Microsoft installer works with the Windows Installer

Service to help users install, configure, track, upgrade,

and remove software programs correctly, and minimizes

the risk of user error and productivity loss.

• Windows logo program provides assurance that applications

have met Microsoft standards developed in cooperation

with customers and third-party developers.

• Reduced reboot scenarios eliminate most scenarios that

forced users to reboot in Windows NT 4.0, Windows 95,

and Windows 98.

Mobile-User Features

• Hibernate enables the operating system, after a set period

of time or on demand, to save memory to disk and shut

the power down, so that when power is restored, all the

applications are reopened exactly as they were left.

• Offline viewing makes entire Web pages with graphics

available for viewing offline, when you don’t have a net-

work or Internet connection.

• Synchronization manager lets you compare and update

offline files and folders with those on the network.

• Hot docking lets you dock or undock a notebook com-

puter without hanging the hardware configuration or

rebooting.

• Easier remote configuration wizards guide you through

steps for setting up remote access to a network or virtual

private network (VPN).


Upgrade and Peripheral Features

• Digital devices supports removable storage devices such

as DVD and Device Bay, and supports new display

devices such as Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP), multi-

ple video cards and monitors, OpenGL 1.2, DirectX API,

and Video Port Extensions.

• Universal serial bus (USB) lets you connect and disconnect

peripherals such as joysticks, scanners, and camcorders

without configuring or rebooting the desktop or laptop.

• IrDA support provides secure, wireless communications

between two Windows 2000- or XP-based computers

using infrared protocol.

• IEEE 1394, commonly called FireWire or iLink, provides

a higher-bandwidth connection for devices that require

faster data transfer.

• Plug and play (PnP) lets you automatically install new

hardware with only minimal configuration, and is now

supported by more than 12,000 devices.

Use and Maintenance Features

• Scalable memory and processor support can handle up

to 4 gigabytes (GB) of RAM and up to two symmetric

(simultaneously running) multiprocessors.

• Troubleshooting helps you configure, optimize, and

troubleshoot numerous Windows OS functions.

Security and Internet Features

• IP security (IPSec) support helps to protect data transmit-

ted across a network, is an important part of providing

security for VPNs, and allows organizations to transmit

encrypted data over the Internet.


• Kerberos support provides industry-standard authentication

with fast, single logon to Windows 2000- and XP-based

network resources. Because Kerberos is an Internet

standard, it’s effective for networks consisting of different

operating systems such as UNIX.

• Smart-card support integrates smart-card capabilities

into the operating system. Smart cards enhance soft-

ware-only solutions, such as client authentication,

interactive logon, code signing, and e-mail security.

• Microsoft Management Console (MMC) provides a central-

ized and consistent environment for management tools.

• Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) provides a

standardized architecture for monitoring and managing

system resources, and allows system administrators to

monitor and control the system via scripting and third-

party applications.

• Safe-mode startup options allows users to boot the PC at

the most basic level, using default settings and minimum

device drivers.

• Group policy settings simplify the administration of users

and objects by letting administrators organize them into

logical units, such as departments or locations, and then

assign the same settings, including security, appearance,

and management options, to all employees in that group.

There are hundreds of new policies available for Vista

and Windows 7 Professional, in addition to those pro-

vided for Windows XP.

• Internet connection sharing connects a home network or

small office network to the Internet, using a dial-up or

broadband connection. From a single computer, you can

provide network address translation, addressing, and

name resolution services for all computers on a small

network.


Windows XP Home FeaturesTable 1 lists the system requirements for Windows XP Home.

Table 2 on the following page lists the additional items

needed to access some of the Windows XP Home features.

Table 1

WINDOWS XP HOME REQUIREMENTS

Requirements Minimum Recommended

Processor

233 megahertz (MHz) IntelPentium/Celeron family, or AMDK6/Athlon/Duron family, or compatible processor

300 MHz or higher processor clockspeed recommended

Memory 64 MB of RAM; may limit perform-ance and some features 128 MB of RAM or higher

Hard Disk 2 GB with 1.5 GB of free space 2 GB with 1.5 GB of free space

CPU Support Support for single- or dual-processorsystem

Support for single- or dual-proces-sor system

Drive CD-ROM or DVD drive CD-ROM or DVD drive

Display Super VGA (800 × 600) or higher-resolution video adapter and monitor

Super VGA (800 × 600) or higher-resolution video adapter and monitor

Keyboard/Mouse Required Required


Table 2

WINDOWS XP HOME FEATURE REQUIREMENTS

Feature Requirements

Internet access

Internet account, and payment of a separate fee to an Internet serviceprovider (ISP); local and/or long-distance telephone toll charges may apply

14.4 kilobits per second (Kbps) or higher-speed modem

Networking Network adapter; access to third-party networks may require additionalcharges

Instant messaging, bothparties need

Internet access with a Microsoft .NET Passport account and/or MicrosoftExchange2000 Server instant-messaging account and network access

Voice messagingand conferencing,both parties need


33.6 Kbps or higher-speed modem, or a network connection

Microphone and sound card with speakers or headset

Videoconferencing,both parties need




Video-conferencing camera

Windows XP

Application sharing, both parties need



Windows XP

Remote assistance Both parties must be running Windows XP and be connected by a network

Remote desktop A network must connect a Windows 95 or later-based computer, and thetwo machines

Sound Sound card and speakers or headphones

DVD video playbackDVD drive and DVD decoder card or DVD decoder software

8 MB of video RAM

Windows MovieMaker

Video capture feature requires appropriate digital or analog video capturedevice

400 MHz or higher processor for digital video camera capture


Windows XP Home combines new features with features of

Windows 98 and Windows Millennium Edition (plug and play,

simplified user interface, and support services). Beyond the

common features of Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7, here

are the major features included with Windows XP Home.

Reliability and Stability Features

• The Windows NT engine is the code base for Windows XP,

and features a 32-bit computing architecture and a pro-

tected memory model.

• Enhanced device driver verifier provides for greater stress

tests on device drivers.

• Improved code protection is brought about through the

use of critical kernel data structures that are read-only

so that drivers and applications can’t corrupt them, and

read-only and page protected device-driver code that

keeps rogue applications from adversely affect core

operating-system areas.

• Side-by-side DLL support provides a mechanism for

multiple versions of individual Windows components to

be installed and run side-by-side and thereby helps to

address a DLL problem by allowing an application writ-

ten and tested with one version of a system component

to continue to use that version, even if an application

that uses a newer version of the same component is

installed.

• Enhanced software restriction policies provide administra-

tors a policy-driven mechanism to identify software running

in their environment and control its ability to execute,

can be used in virus and Trojan horse prevention and

software lockdown, and can contribute to improved system

integrity and manageability.

• Preemptive multitasking architecture allows multiple

applications to run simultaneously, ensures high system

response and stability, and allows you to run demanding

applications with quick system-response time.


Mobile and Remote-User Features

• Credential Manager provides a secured store for pass-

word information, which allows users to input user

names and passwords once and then have the system

automatically supply that information for subsequent

visits. It also enables easy access to network resources

for users who aren’t connected to a domain or who need

to access resources in multiple domains without trust

relationships.

• ClearType is a new text-display technology that triples

the horizontal resolution available for rendering text

through software and is designed for text on liquid

crystal display (LCD) screens.

• Dualview enables a single desktop to be displayed on two

monitors driven off a single display adapter, such as a

laptop computer using an internal LCD display and an

external monitor.

• Improved power management provides accurate data on

the amount of battery time left, is able to wake up as the

battery nears a drained state, and allows power manage-

ment to now be set for each computer, or each user on a

computer.

• Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) pro-

vides features for mobile PCs, including plug and play,

hot docking, and full power-management support.

• Wireless networking support provides secured access and

performance improvements for wireless networks, and

provides automatic IEEE 802.1x wireless network config-

uration, which makes it much easier for users who need

to move between wireless networks.

A Dynamic-Link Library (DLL) is a collection of small programs that

can be called when needed by a larger program. DLL files that

support specific device operation are known as device drivers.

A device driver is a program that controls a particular type of

device that’s attached to the PC. There are device drivers for

printers, monitors, mice, and so on.


• Network location awareness allows the operating system

and applications to determine when a machine has

changed network locations and subsequently enables

connection to a closer server.

• Remote Assistance enables a user to share control of his

or her PC with someone on a network or the Internet and

allows an administrator to view the user’s screen, control

the pointer, and use the keyboard to help solve technical

problems.

Use and Maintenance Features

• Clean design is an option in which common tasks have

been simplified and new visual cues have been added to

help users navigate their PCs more easily.

• Adaptive user environment enables the OS to adapt to

individual users by showing the most frequently used

applications first on the Start menu, consolidating under

a single taskbar button multiple open files for a single

application, and hiding items that aren’t being used from

the notification area.

• Windows Media Player combines, into a single applica-

tion, common digital-media activities such as virtual

meetings, streaming audio and video, Internet radio, CD

listening and creation, and DVD viewing.

• Context-sensitive task menus show an additional menu

that lists appropriate tasks for a file selected in Windows

Explorer.

• Integrated CD burning is integrated into Windows

Explorer and enables archiving data using CD-R and

CD-RW.

• Publishing information to the Web enables files and fold-

ers to be published to any Web service that uses the

WebDAV protocol.


• Help and Support Center has Search, Index, and Favorites

features; content from the World Wide Web to provide more

options on getting help; and contains tools such as My

Computer Information and System Restore.

• System Restore enables a user to restore a computer to a

previous state without losing data.

• Device driver rollback maintains copies of certain previ-

ously installed drivers so that they can be reinstalled if

problems occur when a new device driver is installed but

causes problems.

Internet Features

• Windows Messenger provides real-time communication

using text, voice, or video, and provides support for

transferring files, sharing applications, and displaying

whiteboard drawings.

• Windows Firewall protects a computer from common

Internet attacks.

• Network setup wizard helps a PC owner to set up and

manage a network by walking the owner through key

steps such as sharing files and printers, sharing the

Internet connection, and configuring the Internet con-

nection firewall.

• Internet Explorer Administration Kit controls features

such as the Media bar, Auto Image Resize, and the

Personal bar.

• Network bridge simplifies the setup and configuration of

small networks that use mixed network connections

(such as Cat-5, Ethernet, and wireless) without the need

for bridges and routers.

• Peer-to-peer networking support enables Windows XP to

communicate with earlier versions of Windows on a peer-

to peer level, allowing the sharing of all resources, such

as folders, printers, and peripherals.


Advanced Management, Deployment, and Support Tools

• Application compatibility provides fixes and patches to

hundreds of applications so that they run on Windows

XP, is available from the Windows Update service, and

enables an application to run in compatibility mode.

• Automatic updates automatically download (with the

user’s permission) updates, such as application compati-

bility updates and new device drivers, available from the

Windows Update Web site.

• Support for hardware standards includes support for

UDF 2.05 (an ISO13346 standard for reading DVDs), for-

matting of DVD-RAM drives with the FAT32 file system,

Microsoft DirectX API, Infrared Data Association (IrDA)

standards, universal serial bus (USB), and the high-

speed IEEE 1394 bus (FireWire or iLink).

• Setup with dynamic update ensures that the operating

system files are up-to-date. Before any files are installed,

Windows XP checks the Web for critical system updates

and downloads them for installation. This process ensures

that you install the most recent updates to the operating

system.

• Unattended installation provides administrators flexibility

in scripting unattended setup routines.


Windows XP Professional FeaturesTable 3 lists the system requirements for Windows XP.

Windows XP Professional includes a few features that aren’t

included with Windows Home Edition, Vista, or Windows 7.

Reliability and Stability, and Mobile and Remote-User Features

• Encrypting File System (EFS) with multiuser support can

provide multiple users access to an encrypted document.

EFS provides protection from hackers and data theft.

• Remote desktop allows users to create a virtual session

onto their desktop computers using the Microsoft Remote

Desktop Protocol (RDP). This feature allows users to

access all their data and applications stored on their

desktop computers from another computer that’s run-

ning Windows 95 or later and is connected over a

network.

Table 3

WINDOWS XP PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS


Processor

233 megahertz (MHz) IntelPentium/Celeron family, or AMDK6/Athlon/Duron family, or compatibleprocessor

300 MHz or higher processor clockspeed recommended

Memory 64 MB of RAM; may limit performanceand some features 128 MB of RAM or higher

Hard Disk 2 GB with 1.5 GB of free space. 2 GB with 1.5 GB of free space

CPU Support Support for single or dual-processor system

Support for single- or dual-processor system

Drive CD-ROM or DVD drive CD-ROM or DVD drive

Display Super VGA (800 × 600) or higherresolution video adapter and monitor

Super VGA (800 × 600) or higher-resolution video adapter andmonitor

Keyboard/Mouse Required Required


• Synchronization Manager lets users compare and update

their offline files and folders with those on the network.

After working with files and folders offline, the changes

are automatically replicated back to the network, thereby

ensuring that the latest version is always available.

• Offline files and folders let you disconnect from the net-

work and work as if you were still connected. This

feature lets you create a copy of documents stored on the

network.

Use and Maintenance Features, and AdvancedManagement, Deployment, and Support Tools

• Recovery console provides a command-line console for

administrators to start and stop services, format drives,

read and write data on a local drive, and perform many

other administrative tasks. In the event of errors that

prevent Windows XP Professional from starting, adminis-

trators can boot the system to a command console and

potentially repair the operating system.

• User state migration tool helps administrators to transfer

a user’s data, application, and operating-system settings

from an old computer to a new Windows XP Professional

desktop PC.

• System Preparation Tool (SysPrep) helps administrators

clone computer configurations, systems, and applications.

A single image, which includes the operating system and

business applications, can be copied to multiple different

machine configurations. SysPrep allows administrators

to reduce the number of operating-system images they

maintain, and it reduces the time it takes to install a

typical desktop system.


• Setup Manager is a graphical wizard that guides admin-

istrators in designing installation scripts.

• Remote OS installation enables Windows XP Professional

to be installed across a network (including SysPrep

images). This feature saves time by allowing administra-

tors to standardize desktop environments for business

requirements.

• Multilingual support allows users to create, read, and edit

documents in many languages using the English version

of Windows XP Professional. The Multilingual User

Interface Pack lets you change the user interface lan-

guage for each user.

• Resultant Set of Policy (RSoP) allows an administrator to

see the effect of group policy on an individual installa-

tion. with RSoP, administrators can plan, monitor, and

troubleshoot group policy.

Table 4 lists the additional requirements to access some

Windows XP Professional features.


Table 4

WINDOWS XP PROFESSIONAL FEATURE REQUIREMENTS

Feature Requirements

Internet access

Internet account, and payment of a separate fee to an Internet serviceprovider (ISP); local and/or long-distance telephone toll charges mayapply.

14.4 kilobits per second (Kbps) or higher-speed modem

Networking Network adapter; access to third-party networks may require additionalcharges.

Instant messaging, bothparties need

Internet access with a Microsoft .NET Passport account and/or MicrosoftExchange 2000 Server instant-messaging account and network access

Voice messagingand conferencing,both parties need




Videoconferencing,both parties need




Videoconferencing camera

Windows XP

Application sharing, both parties need



Windows XP

Remote assistance Both parties must be running Windows XP and be connected by a network.

Remote desktop A network must connect a Windows 95 or later-based computer, and thetwo machines.

Sound Sound card and speakers or headphones

DVD video playbackDVD drive and DVD decoder card or DVD decoder software

8 MB of video RAM

Windows MovieMaker

Video capture feature requires appropriate digital or analog video capturedevice.

400 MHz or higher processor for digital video camera capture


Windows XP 64-Bit Edition FeaturesThe 64-bit Microsoft Windows XP operating system provides

availability, scalability, and large-memory support based on

the Intel Itanium, AMD Opteron, and AMD Athlon 64 proces-

sors, which feature multiprocessing features, floating-point

arithmetic extensions, and multimedia-specific instruction

sets. The Windows XP 64-Bit Edition is designed to address

the business needs of technical workstation users who require

floating-point performance in areas such as mechanical

design and analysis, digital content creation, and scientific

computing.

Windows XP 64-Bit also provides a scalable platform for

applications based on the Win64 API. Compared to 32-bit

systems, the Win64 API architecture provides more efficient

processing of large amounts of data.

Windows XP 64-Bit supports up to 16 GB of RAM and 16 ter-

abytes of virtual memory. Windows XP 64-Bit is designed to

support up to two symmetric Intel Itanium processors.

Table 5 offers a comparison of Windows XP 64-bit and 32-bit

architectures.

Table 5

64-BIT AND 32-BIT ARCHITECTURE COMPARISON

Address space 64-bit Windows 32-bit Windows

Virtual memory 16 terabytes 4 GB

Paging file 512 terabytes 16 terabytes

Paged pool 128 GB 470 MB

Non-paged pool 128 GB 256 MB

System cache 1 terabyte 1 GB


Windows XP 64-Bit Edition provides a platform to integrate

both 64-bit technical applications and 32-bit business appli-

cations using the Windows on Windows 64 (WOW64) x86

emulation layer. By isolating 32-bit applications from 64-bit

applications, the WOW64 subsystem prevents file and reg-

istry collisions. Console and graphical user interface (GUI)

applications are supported, as well as service applications.

The system provides features to share data across the 32/64

boundaries for processes such as cut-and-paste and COM.

Just as with 16-bit and 32-bit dynamic-link libraries (DLLs),

32-bit processes can’t load 64-bit DLLs, and 64-bit processes

can’t load 32-bit DLLs.

While 64-bit hardware is compatible with many 32-bit applica-

tions, 32-bit applications perform better on 32-bit hardware.

WOW64 is intended to run 32-bit applications on 64-bit hard-

ware with the purpose of sharing data with 64-bit applications.

Windows XP 64-Bit Edition can be managed using the same

tools as 32-bit Windows systems. Users and system adminis-

trators find the 64-bit user interface similar to the 32-bit

Windows XP interface. Setup, configuration, and administration

are essentially the same.

Differences between 32-Bit and 64-Bit Windows

The major difference between 32-bit and 64-bit Windows is in

memory support. Currently, 32-bit Windows is capable of

supporting up to 4 GB of system memory, with up to 2 GB of

dedicated memory per process. Windows XP 64-Bit Edition

currently supports up to 16 GB of RAM, with the potential to

support up to 16 terabytes of virtual memory as hardware

capabilities and memory sizes grow.

System Requirements

Windows XP 64-Bit Edition requires a 64-bit motherboard

and chip set, available through Intel AMD and several OEMs.

Table 6 on the following page lists the system requirements

for Windows 64-bit edition.


Vista EditionsVista comes in a number of editions with various combina-

tions of feature sets. One interesting aspect of this variety is

that the installation CD includes all the editions. A user can

install any of the editions, but the edition paid for is the only

edition that will activate properly and continue to run. The

Vista editions are as follows:

• Vista Home Basic has the smallest set of features and

supports basic computing needs, such as browsing the

Internet, sending and receiving e-mail, and viewing

photos. It requires the least resources of the editions.

• Vista Home Premium has all the features of Basic and

also includes mobility features, improved performance,

Windows Media Center, and Windows Aero.

• Vista Business includes a few of the features that sepa-

rate Home from Basic, but it includes many utilities and

tools that make it easier to deploy, manage, and protect

Vista computers in a business environment.

• Vista Enterprise, available only through the partner

program and not through retail, is basically the same as

Vista Business, but also includes BitLocker.

• Vista Ultimate contains all the features found in all editions.

As one might expect, it requires the most resources.

Table 6

WINDOWS XP 64-BIT EDITION REQUIREMENTS


Processor

900 MHz Intel ItaniumAMD OpteronAMD 64-bit AthlonAMD 64-bit Athlon Mobile

1 GHz Intel ItaniumAMD 64-bit Athlon FX

Memory 1 GB RAM 1 GB RAM

Video Super VGA 3-D graphics


Vista Home Basic Requirements and FeaturesTable 7 lists the system requirements for Vista Home Basic

Edition. Vista Home Basic combines new features with the

features of Windows XP.

Security Features

• User Account Control, probably the most criticized new

feature, requires approval from the user for major

changes to help prevent malware from executing. This

feature can be turned off, but the process isn’t straight-

forward for the average user.

• Windows Defender helps to keep spyware off the

computer.

• Internet Explorer Protected Mode helps to prevent Internet

malware from executing without your knowledge by low-

ering the access level of Internet Explorer.

• Phishing Filter helps to protect the user from fake, but

legitimate-looking, Web sites used in phishing scams.

• Junk Mail Filter, which comes with Windows Mail (which

replaces Outlook Express), helps to reduce the amount

of junk mail.

Table 7

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR VISTA HOME BASIC

Processor 800 megahertz (MHz) 32-bit (x86)800 MHz 64-bit (x64) processor

Memory

512 megabytes (MB)Note: On system configurations that use system memory as graphicsmemory, at least 448 MB of system memory must be available to theoperating system after some memory is allocated for graphics.

Video DirectX 9-class graphics card32 MB of graphics memory

Hard Disk 20 GB hard disk that has 15 GB of free hard disk space


• Windows Service Hardening lowers the access level of

most services to only that which they require to help

reduce damage when a computer is compromised.

• Secure Startup enables the encryption of the system

drive, which prevents the computer from starting without

a key.

• Network Access Protection can be used to check the

health of a computer and, if it’s having problems, pre-

vent it from operating on a network until it has been

fixed.

Ease-of-Use Features

• Instant Search is a new search box located in the upper-

right corner of folder windows that makes it easier to

search. This feature also begins to present matches as

you type.

• Internet Explorer 7, available as an upgrade in Windows XP,

is native to Vista and provides an enhanced Internet

experience.

• Network and Sharing Center simplifies the process of

connecting to a network.

Performance and Reliability Features

• I/O cancellation is a technology improved in Vista that

can detect when a program is stuck waiting for an I/O

request to be fulfilled (an I/O request is made by the

application of the processor). This feature helps to pre-

vent programs from crashing and locking up the OS.

• Reliability Monitor tracks the overall stability of the system

over time and allows users to view the effects on the

stability and reliability of the system due to events such

as software installs and device driver installs. This feature

allows you to determine visually which events may have

compromised the reliability of the system.


• Service Recovery employs a recovery policy for each

Windows service and identifies any additional services

that need to be restarted when that single service needs

to be restarted. It also ensures that they’re started in the

proper order according to the service dependences.

• Startup Repair Tool starts immediately whenever a

startup problem occurs, analyzes the logs, performs

tests, and, if possible, solves the problem with little user

intervention.

• New Diagnostic Tools are included, such as Disk

Diagnostics, Windows Memory Diagnostics, Memory

Leak Diagnostics, and Windows Resource Exhaustion

detection.

• Faster startup is a result of optimized startup code.

• Superfetch monitors your activities, makes educated

guesses about what data you’ll need next, and preloads

it to increase performance.

• Restart Manager, in many cases, eliminates the need to

restart the computer after applying an update by restart-

ing only those processes that are required to be

restarted.

Mobile-User Features

• Sleep mode is a combination of hibernate and standby

modes. Like hibernate, it allows saving the desktop to

the hard drive, but, like standby, it can be resumed in

seconds.

• Power management provides more granular control of the

use of the battery to help extend battery life.


Vista Home Premium Requirementsand FeaturesTable 8 lists the system requirements for Vista Home

Premium Edition, which are the same for Vista Business,

Vista Enterprise, and Vista Ultimate. Vista Home Premium

combines additional features with features of Vista Home

basic.

Mobility Features

• Windows Mobility Center places the most commonly used

mobile PC settings in one place.

• Tablet PC support is provided with integrated pen support,

touch screen support, and handwriting-recognition

technology.

Productivity Features

• Meeting Space makes it easy to share documents and

collaborate.

• Scheduled Backup allows for automatic backups of data

at preset intervals.

Table 8

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR VISTA HOME PREMIUM, BUSINESS, AND ULTIMATE

Processor 1 gigahertz (GHz) 32-bit (x86)1 GHz 64-bit (x64)

Memory 1 GB of system memory

VideoDirectX 9-class graphics card that supports the WDDM driver, Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware, 32 bits per pixel, and 128 MB of graphics memory(minimum)

Hard Disk40 GB hard disk that has 15 GB of free hard disk space (the 15 GB of free space provides room for temporary file storage during the install orupgrade.)



• Windows Media Center can be used to make any room in

the home a media room through the use Media Center

Extenders.

• DVD Maker makes it possible to burn DVDs.

• Premium games include Chess Titans, Mahjong Titans,

and Inkball.

• Windows Movie Maker can be used to make high-

definition movies.

Vista Business FeaturesVista Business, while not including some of the features of

Vista Home premium (Media Center, DVD maker, Movie

Maker, and Premium Games) includes many features not

found in either Home Basic or Premium, including the

following:

• Complete PC Backup and Restore can be used to back up

the entire PC to protect against hardware failures.

• Windows Fax and Scan combines all fax and scan func-

tions in one place, making it easier to manage the two

processes.

• Remote Desktop Connection can be used to remotely

access business resources.

Vista Enterprise and Vista Ultimate FeaturesVista Enterprise includes all features available in the Vista

Business edition, and also includes BitLocker drive encryp-

tion, which allows for protecting data and the operating

system drive against mobile computer theft.

Vista Ultimate includes all features available in all other

versions of Vista.


Windows 7 EditionsWindows 7 offers a much smaller number of new features,

but offers superior performance compared to Vista while

requiring fewer hardware resources. The editions of

Windows 7 are as follows:

• Windows 7 Starter comes preinstalled only on netbook

PCs. It requires fewer resources than the other versions

and includes a subset of their features.

• Windows 7 Home Premium includes features that would

normally be required in the home while not including

those that may be relevant only in a business setting.

• Windows 7 Professional includes features that would

normally be required in a business setting but leaves out

those that may be relevant only in a home.

• Windows 7 Ultimate includes all the features included in

the other editions.

Windows 7 Hardware RequirementsThe hardware requirements for Windows 7 editions use a

slightly different paradigm from that used in Vista. There’s a

set of requirements for what’s called the “basic experience”

and another for what’s called the “premium experience.” There

are also additional requirements to enable certain features.

Table 9 lists the system requirements for Windows 7 basic

experience.

Table 9

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR WINDOWS 7 BASIC EXPERIENCE

Processor 800 megahertz (MHz) 32-bit (x86)800 MHz 64-bit (x64) processor

Memory 512 MB


Hard Disk 16 GB hard-disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)


Table 10 lists the system requirements for Windows 7 pre-

mium experience.

Table 11 lists the system requirements for certain additional

features.

Windows 7 Starter FeaturesWindows 7 Starter combines new features with features of

Vista.

Ease-of-Use and Entertainment Features

• View available networks provides a way to find all wire-

less networks in range to make it easier to locate and

connect to unfamiliar networks, such as hotspots.

Table 10

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR WINDOWS 7 PREMIUM EXPERIENCE

Processor 1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor

Memory 1 GB RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)


Hard Disk 40 GB of hard-drive capacity with 16 GB available hard-disk space (32-bit)or 20 GB (64-bit)

Table 11

REQUIREMENTS FOR SELECTED WINDOWS 7 ADDITIONAL FEATURES

Viewing TV shows with Media Center TV tuner and additional hardware

Windows Touch and Tablet PCs Specific hardware required

High-end video and gaming Additional system memory and advanced graphics hardware

BitLocker Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2

Windows XP ModeAdditional 1 GB of RAM, an additional 15 GB of availablehard-disk space, and a processor capable of hardware virtualization with Intel VT or AMD-V turned on


• Bluetooth support enables users to make a Bluetooth

connection to any Bluetooth-enabled device such as

mobile phones, wireless headsets, wireless mice, and

keyboard devices.

• Internet Explorer 8, an available add-on to Vista is native

to Windows 7.

• Play To makes it possible to steam music, videos and

photos from one PC to other devices throughout the

home.


• Windows Connect Now (WCN) makes the creation of a

wireless network at home easier.

• Peak, Shape, and Snap, all part of an improved Windows

Aero desktop, make navigating and managing multiple

windows easier.

• Device Stage suggests common tasks specific to a device

type that can be performed as soon as you plug in the

device.

• Windows Libraries make organizing files easier, regard-

less of their physical location on the computer.

Windows 7 Home Premium FeaturesWindows 7 Home Premium combines additional features

with the features of Windows 7 Starter. However, neither

Windows 7 Starter nor Windows 7 Home premium supports

BitLocker drive encryption.


• HomeGroup makes it easier to share files and photos on

a home network and easier to print to a single printer

from any computer in the network.

• 64-bit Support allows a 64-bit version of Windows 7

Home Premium to take advantage of a 64-bit processor.



• Remote Media Streaming makes it possible to remotely

access and stream video and music files from the Media

Library on the home computer.

• Windows Touch allows the OS to function correctly when

installed on a PC with touch screen capability.

Windows 7 Professional FeaturesWindows 7 Professional combines additional features with

the features included in Windows 7 Home Premium.

Security Features

• BitLocker drive encryption allows for the protection of

data (even the volume where the OS is located) in the

case of laptop thefts.

• Advanced backup and restore is a more full-featured

backup tool that can be controlled by group policy in a

domain.

Business Enterprise Features

• Group Policy can be used to control various aspects of

the desktop to maintain a common corporate experience,

distribute software and updates, and enforce security

and Internet Explorer settings.

• Encrypting File System (EFS) can be used to protect sen-

sitive data even in the event of computer theft.

Windows 7 Ultimate FeaturesWindows 7 Ultimate combines additional features with the

features included in Windows 7 Professional.

• AppLocker is a program that can be used to allow or pre-

vent the operation of various software types to protect

against malware and pirated software.


• BrancheCache, when used in combination with Server

2008, can be used to cache copies of documents in a

branch office to save time and bandwidth when users

access those files from the main office.

• Direct boot from a virtual hard drive (VHD) allows booting

an instance of Windows 7 Ultimate from a hard drive

that’s actually a file located on an existing or external

hard drive or from a network location.

• DirectAccess, when used in combination with Server

2008, can be used to allow a connection to a corporate

network by clicking a document or link located in that

network, without making a VPN connection.

The History of Windows

Windows 1.0 (1985)

Most PC users trace the Microsoft Windows operating system

to the release of Windows 3.0, the first version of Windows

many people ever tried. In truth, though, Microsoft initially

released a first version, Windows 1.0, in

1985 (Figure 4). That first version of

Windows provided a new software

environment for developing and running

applications that use bitmap displays and

mouse pointing devices. With Windows 1.0,

users moved a mouse to point and click

through tasks, such as starting applica-

tions. Before Windows 1.0, PC owners

relied on typing commands at the C prompt

(C:\). In addition, Windows users could

switch among several concurrently running

applications. The product included a set of

desktop applications, including the MSDOS

file management program, a calendar,

card file, notepad, calculator, clock, and

telecommunications programs, which

helped users manage day-to-day activities. FIGURE 4—Windows 1.0


Windows 2.0 (1987)

Windows 2.0 took advantage of the improved processing

speed of the Intel 286 processor, as well as the expanded

memory and interapplication communication capabilities

made possible through Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE). The

follow-up release, Windows 2.03, took advantage of the pro-

tected mode and extended memory capabilities of the Intel

386 processor. The Intel 80386 chip was used on Compaq

portables and wasn’t supported by IBM on its PCs. With

improved graphics support, Windows 2.x provided for over-

lapping windows, controlled screen layout, and the use of

keyboard combinations to move through operations.

Windows 3.0 (1990)

The third major release of the Windows operating system

offered better performance, 16-color graphics, and full sup-

port of the Intel 386 processor. A wave of 386 clones helped

drive the popularity of Windows 3.0. New features included

the File Manager and support for more icons (Figure 5). The

popularity of Windows 3.0 also grew with the release of the

Windows Software Development Kit (SDK), which helped soft-

ware developers focus on writing applications instead of

writing device drivers.

FIGURE 5—Windows 3.0Program Manager


Windows for Workgroups 3.11 (1993)

A superset of Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroups 3.11,

added workgroup and domain networking support. Windows

for Workgroups was used in local area networks (LANs) and

on stand-alone PCs. It added centralized configuration and

security. Windows for Workgroups 3.11 also improved sup-

port for Novell NetWare networks and for remote access.

Windows NT 3.1 (1993)

Microsoft Windows NT 3.1 was the completion of a project

begun in the late 1980s. The project’s goal was to build an

advanced new operating system. Working with IBM and using

OS/2 as the core, Windows NT was a fully functional OS

aimed at the business world. With a new 32-bit operating

system, Windows NT 3.1 supported high-end client/server

business applications.

Windows NT 3.1 was released in both a workstation and

server version (called Windows NT Advanced Server). The

desktop version was well received by developers because of

its security, stability, and Microsoft Win32 application pro-

gram interface (API), all of which made it easier to support

new, larger programs.

New features of the Windows NT 3.1 OS included preemptive

multitasking, integrated networking, domain server security,

OS/2 and POSIX support, provisions for four separate proces-

sor platforms (later dropped to two), and the New Technology

File System (NTFS).

Windows NT Workstation 3.5 (1993)

The Windows NT Workstation 3.5 release provided higher

degrees of protection for business applications and data.

Windows NT Workstation 3.5 supported the OpenGL graphics

standard. With OpenGL, Windows NT Workstation 3.5 powered

applications for software development, engineering, financial

analysis, and scientific and business tasks. One other feature

of note was the capability to use long file names (up to 255

characters).


Windows 95 (1995)

Windows 95 was the successor to the general-purpose

desktop operating systems, Windows 3.1 and MS-DOS.

Windows 95 integrated a 32-bit Transmission Control

Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) stack for built-in Internet

support, dial-up networking, and new plug-and-play capabili-

ties that made it easy for users to install hardware and

software. Windows 95, like Windows NT, was a 32-bit

operating system. Windows 95 also offered new multimedia

capabilities, features for mobile computing, and integrated

networking.

Windows NT Workstation 4.0 (1996)

Windows NT Workstation 4.0 was a significant upgrade to the

business OS. It incorporated simplified network management,

higher network throughput, and tools for developing and

managing LANs. Windows NT Workstation 4.0 provided net-

working support for secure access to the Internet. Windows

NT Workstation 4.0 also added the Windows 95 graphic user

interface (GUI) for its desktop manager.

Windows 98 (1998)

Windows 98 was the first version of Windows designed specif-

ically for home users. With Windows 98, users could find

information more easily on their PCs as well as the Internet.

Other improvements included support for reading DVD discs

and universal serial bus (USB) devices.

Windows 98 Second Edition (1999)

Windows 98 Second Edition (SE) offered home users enhanced

hardware compatibility and Internet-related features. It

offered home networking capabilities through Internet con-

nection sharing. Windows 98 SE also added the Internet

Explorer 5.0 browser and Microsoft Windows NetMeeting 3.0

conferencing software to simplify communication using the

Internet or a LAN. Included with Windows 98 SE was

Microsoft DirectX 6.1, which provided improved support for

multimedia applications.


Windows Millennium Edition (2000)Windows Me offered home users music, video, and home

networking features while improving the operating system’s

stability. Features included the System Restore troubleshoot-

ing tool that let users roll back their software configuration to

a date or time before a problem occurred.

The music and video features included Windows Movie Maker

(with tools to digitally edit, save, and share home videos) and

Microsoft Windows Media Player 7 (used to find, organize,

and play digital media). Windows Me was the last Microsoft

operating system to be based on the Windows 95 base code.

Microsoft announced that future operating system products

would be based on the Windows NT kernel.

Windows 2000 Professional (2000)Windows 2000 Professional was designed to replace

Windows 9x/Me, and Windows NT Workstation 4.0 on all

business desktops and laptops. Built on the Windows NT

Workstation 4.0 kernel, Windows 2000 added features that

improved reliability, ease of use, Internet connectivity, and

support for mobile computing. Windows 2000 came in a

workstation version (now called Professional) and server

editions.

By adding the Windows 9.x plug-and-play support for net-

working and wireless products, USB devices, IEEE 1394

devices, and infrared devices, Windows 2000 Professional was

designed as a full-featured business OS requiring less infor-

mation technology (IT) support.

Windows XP (2001)Microsoft merged its home and business operating-system

lines around the Windows NT Workstation 4.0 kernel with the

release of Windows XP. Versions included Windows XP Home

Edition, Windows XP Professional, and Windows XP 64-Bit

Edition.

With Windows XP Home Edition, users could work with

and enjoy music, movies, instant messaging, and photos.

Windows XP Home Edition offered a design that made fre-

quently used features more accessible. Designed for home


users, the product offered enhancements to the Network

Setup Wizard, Windows Media Player, Windows Movie Maker,

and digital-photo features.

Business users could use Windows XP Professional’s tools to

support a remote desktop feature, an encrypting file system,

system restore, and networking features. Key enhancements

for mobile users included wireless 802.1x networking sup-

port, Windows Messenger, and Remote Assistance.

Windows XP 64-Bit Edition satisfied the needs of power

users with workstations that used the Intel Itanium 64-bit

processor and AMD 64-bit Athlon processor. The first 64-bit

consumer operating system from Microsoft, Windows XP

64-Bit Edition was designed for specialized, technical work-

station users who required extra memory and floating-point

performance in areas such as movie effects, animation,

engineering, and data-intensive scientific applications.

Vista (2007)

Continuing to build on the NT kernel, Vista was released in

five versions and was aimed at both the home and business

market. Along with Windows XP and Windows 7, its use is

one of the main focuses of this study unit.

Windows 7 (2009)

Offering a much smaller number of new features but a per-

formance superior to that of Vista while also requiring fewer

hardware resources, Windows 7 has been more favorably

received in both homes and businesses.


Self-Check 1

At the end of each section of Understanding Windows, you’ll be asked to pause and check

your understanding of what you’ve just read by completing a “Self-Check” exercise.

Answering these questions will help you review what you’ve studied so far. Please

complete Self-Check 1 now.

Match the items on the left with their descriptions on the right.

______ 1. Vista Home Edition

______ 2. Windows 7 Ultimate

______ 3. Windows XP Professional

______ 4. Windows XP Home Edition

______ 5. Windows XP Vista Enterprise

______ 6. Windows XP 64-Bit Edition

Check your answers with those on page 265.

a. The most fully featured OS in the list

b. The only Vista edition that supports Bitlocker

c. Replacement for Windows 9x/Me

d. The first to support device driver rollback

e. Supports for the Itanium processor

f. Requires 20 GB disk space with 15 GB offree space


INSTALLING THE OPERATINGSYSTEMA PC without an operating system is like a car without gas. A

brand-new PC may have features that are supposed to make

it fast and reliable, but until the OS is installed, one doesn’t

really know how well it will function. This section covers

installing Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7.

Preparing for the Installation ofWindows XP, Vista, and Windows 7The Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 operating systems

allow no direct interaction between an application and the

hardware. This characteristic requires device drivers to be

specifically written for the operating system for the installed

hardware. For example, many Windows NT and some

Windows 2000 device drivers won’t work on Windows XP.

Contact the manufacturer’s Web site for the drivers required

by the Windows operating system you’re installing. Even with

updated drivers, the hardware and software you’ve been

using may not work on the operating system. This has

historically proven true of sound and graphics applications.

Another factor to be aware of is that operating systems have

progressively larger base-system requirements.

Let’s now look at some additional issues of which a user

should be aware before installing.

Hardware Compatibility

To address the problem with hardware compatibility, Microsoft

has developed an update catalog for Windows operating sys-

tems. There’s a list of the operating system’s supported

hardware items on the installation CD, but you need to pur-

chase Windows before you can view it. The Microsoft Catalog

Update site at http://catalog.update.microsoft.com/ lists

hardware that’s compatible with Windows products. If there’s


a hardware item that isn’t listed on the Windows Catalog but

is supported by the operating system, try the device driver; it

may work.

Software Compatibility

For software products that run without difficulty on each

Windows operating system, refer also to the catalog site.

Designed for Microsoft Windows

This label on software and hardware products (including

whole systems) guarantees the product has been tested for

that specific OS. Using the labeling to identify products for a

specific OS doesn’t mean that the product works on all

Windows operating systems. In fact, quite a number of prod-

ucts designed for Windows 9x, Me, or 2000 can’t work on

later Windows versions.

Clean Install or Upgrade

All versions of Windows give you the option of performing

either a clean install or an upgrade from a previous version of

Windows. You can do a clean install (including creating a

dual-boot system) as long as you have a copy of the full ver-

sion of the current operating system. Performing a clean

install, in practice, erases the entire contents of the hard

drive. Everything on the PC will be starting over from scratch.

A clean install is usually preferable only when the upgrade

process fails. Formatting a hard drive and starting over isn’t

complicated, but it does require patience and time.

An upgrade is easier. All the current settings such as language

choices, network settings, and other system variables will be

kept. The drawback is that the registry will also be migrated

to the new OS. If a PC has problems that can be traced to

the registry, an upgrade transfers these problems to the new

installation.


Dual-Boot Option

The dual boot, or multiboot, option requires a clean install the

new Windows OS on its own partition. (Windows can’t share

a partition with any other operating system.) One should be

aware that the NTFS encryption incompatibility often renders

a Windows NT, Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7 multiboot

PC unable to perform the critical process of sharing data.

In addition, the dynamic disk format introduced in Windows

2000 (and continued in Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7)

doesn’t work with earlier operating systems or Windows XP

Home Edition. If you have one hard disk and you’ve con-

verted it to dynamic disk, you can install only one operating

system and you can’t use the multiboot option. To determine

if you have a dynamic hard disk, log on to Windows XP,

Vista, or Windows 7 with administrative privileges, and then

• Right-click My Computer.

• Double-click Computer Management, and then click

Disk Management. In the right pane, the disk is labeled

as a basic or dynamic type.

The need for a multiboot PC has been reduced with the intro-

duction of Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7. Better options

for system recovery have reduced the multiboot needs for

many people. Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 also include

a compatibility mode to run most of your older legacy programs.

However, multibooting continues to be a useful feature if you’re

using Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7 but occasionally need

to use older operating system environments.

You must choose the drive you want the new OS to reside

on and ensure that it’s formatted using the right file system.

To have a system that boots in DOS or Windows 95 and

Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7, you need to format the hard

drive using FAT16 for DOS or Windows 95 applications to be

able to read the data. If creating a dual-boot system with

Windows 98, 98SE, or Me as one of the operating systems, you

need to use FAT16 or extended FAT32 on the hard drive for

Windows 98, 98SE, or Me to be able to read the data.

You also need to create the two partitions for the two operat-

ing systems. If the hard drive isn’t partitioned before the OS


installation, the installation program prompts you for drive

and partition information during the installation process.

You can also use the FDISK command to partition the drive

before the OS installation process. To use the FDISK com-

mand on an MS-DOS PC, type FDISK at the command

prompt (clean install and dual boot only).

On a Windows 3.x PC (clean install and dual boot only),

1. Click File and then Exit.

2. At the command prompt, type FDISK and then press

Enter.

On a PC using Windows 9x, Me, NT, or 2000,

1. Click Start and then Run.

2. In the Open box, type FDISK/MBR, and then click OK.

See Table 12 for FDISK syntax and switches.

Table 12

FDISK SYNTAX AND SWITCHES

Syntax

FDISK [/STATUS][/X][/MBR][/CMBR<DISK>][x/PRI:num][x/EXT:num][x/LOG:num][/PARTN][/Q][/ACTOK][/FPRMT]

Switch Description

/STATUS Displays partition information.

/X Ignores extended disk-access support (won’t use LBA support).

/MBR Rewrite the master boot record.

/CMBR <DISK> Recreate master boot record on specified disk. Performs the same functions asFDISK /MBR except can be used on other disk drives.

x/PRI:num Create a num MB partition on hard drive x.

x/EXT:num Create a num meg extended partition on hard drive x.

x/LOG:num Create num logical drives on hard drive x.

/PARTN Saves the partition to a file called PARTSAV.FIL

/Q Prevents fdisk from booting the system automatically after exiting fdisk.

/ACTOK Makes FDISK not check the disk integrity, allowing the drives to be createdfaster.

/FPRMT Won’t get the prompt for FAT32 support and allows FDISK to be forced intousing FAT32 on drives smaller then 540MB. This command can be used onlywith FDISK that supports FAT32.


Recording Important Information

You should write down all of your ISP account information

as well as your e-mail information. Part of the installation

process is setting up an Internet account, so this information

comes in handy. The Internet account can be set up or

changed at any time using the operating system’s wizards,

but many people find it easier to do the whole installation at

once.

Other important information to record if you’re installing this

PC on a network:

• The computer name or workgroup name for a peer-to-

peer network

• The username, user password, and host name for a

domain network

• Knowledge of how IP addresses are assigned if connect-

ing to a TCP/IP network. If the IP address is assigned

using Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), the

PC gets an address from the server. If the network uses

static IP addresses, you’ll need to get this address from

the network administrator.

Installing Windows XP1. If the computer currently has an OS, back up any exist-

ing data.

• Use a CD-RW or other removable media to back up

critical system files, the registry, and important data

files.

• A second option, if you don’t have large-capacity

removable-media drives, is online storage. Some

online storage companies provide free space on their

servers. Placing critical files on both removable and

online storage is the safest option.


2. Change the BIOS boot order to boot from CD-ROM.

• During the boot process, press the key that allows

configuration of the BIOS. Depending on the PC, this

can be the Del, F1, F2, or F10 key. Just watch the

POST screen or read the documentation that came

with the PC to discover the correct key.

• Set the boot order to CD or DVD, hard drive, and

then floppy drive (if the computer has a floppy

drive). This order can be modified later to put the

hard drive first, to save some boot time.

• Save the changes, and then exit.

3. Place the Windows XP Installation CD into the CD or

DVD drive, and restart the PC.

4. Press the spacebar as soon as the prompt asks you to

do so. This forces the PC to boot directly into CD-ROM

emulation.

5. The installation program begins to copy the preliminary

setup files to the computer.

6. Now, the installation process needs direction and input.

You’re asked if you want to perform a new installation,

repair an existing installation, or quit.

7. Select the type of installation you’ll be performing by

pressing the correct key.

8. The Windows XP licensing agreement screen appears

(Figure 6). Press F8 to accept the terms of the licensing

agreement and proceed with the installation. (If there are

terms within the agreement you don’t agree with, your

only choice is to terminate the installation. In most

cases, though, not accepting the licensing agreement

isn’t a valid reason for returning the OS and getting your

money back on an opened software product.)


9. The next phase of the installation is to create and/or

delete partitions. Remember, Windows XP Home Edition

doesn’t support the dynamic-disk format. You have the

opportunity to create and/or delete partitions or just

allocate the available disk space to one partition. However,

try to keep the partitions a reasonable size.

10. Figure out which partition Windows XP will be installed

on. If dual-booting to FAT32, install XP on the secondary

partition. (Place the newer OS last.)

11. If required, format the partition. Format the partition to

either FAT32 if you plan to use the multiboot option with

a Windows 9x/Me OS, or NTFS, which is recommended

for the single OS install.

12. It’s recommended that you proceed with a full format on

the partition and don’t choose the quick format.

13. The installation program starts copying files after the

partition is formatted. Each filename that’s being copied

over to the hard drive appears alphabetically in the

lower-left corner. You can also watch the installation

completion percentage increase.

FIGURE 6—A Windows XP Licensing Agreement


14. Choose the region and language.

15. Type in your name and organization.

16. Enter the product license key. This information is found

in the documentation that came with the Windows XP

product. It’s is most often printed on the CD case or the

CD’s documents.

17. Name the computer, enter an administrator password,

and write the administrator password down.

18. Enter the correct time and date.

19. Choose the network settings. Leave this choice on auto-

matic if you use a DHCP server to assign IP addresses. If

you have a static IP address for broadband access, enter

the settings that your ISP has provided to you.

20. If prompted (and if it’s necessary), enter a workgroup or

domain name.

21. Register the copy of Windows XP if you’ve installed all

the hardware on the machine. Otherwise, wait until

you’ve finished installing any additional hardware, so

you don’t have to activate your copy of Windows XP

again.

23. Add users that will sign on to the computer.

24. Log in as the administrator, and update any drivers that

have an update available for download. The updated

drivers can be found on the Windows Update Web site or

the manufacturers’ Web site. A list of all the hardware

devices incorporated on the PC comes in handy for this

process.

25. Often, Windows XP finds device drivers for all the hard-

ware on the PC. If this isn’t the case, check for device

drivers that were shipped with the hardware. If no device

drivers are found on CDs or floppy disks, you need to go

to the manufacturer’s Web site from another PC and

download the Windows XP–compatible driver (if there’s

You have only 30 days to activate your copy of Windows XP after you

install it. If you don’t register the copy in this period, you’ll need to

reinstall the OS from the original disc.


one available). You may also search online for other sites

that may still support the device drivers. The only other

option is to disable the device or application and remove

it after the OS installation finishes.

26. It takes about 30 minutes to perform this installation if

all the devices have drivers and you aren’t forced to

restart the installation process more than the required

three times.

27. After the OS installation, you’ll need to configure a few

settings and add users via the Control Panel (Figure 7).

Then, the Windows XP OS will look and operate the way

you need it to.

FIGURE 7—Add users by clicking User Accounts in the Control Panel.


Upgrading to Windows XPIf you’re performing an upgrade, you need to take these extra

preparatory steps:

1. Run the antivirus software, and scan the hard drive and

memory.

2. Close all open applications, and turn off the antivirus

software.

3. Back up all critical files, including critical system files,

the registry, and any critical data files.

After you’ve fully backed up all the important files and set-

tings, insert the upgrade CD into the CD or DVD drive. Once

the CD is recognized, it automatically launches the installa-

tion menu. Minimize the menu, and open the CD using My

Computer or Windows Explorer (depending on your current

OS). Open the Read1st.txt file, located in the Docs folder,

and examine its contents. The Read1st.txt file contains

last-minute information that didn’t make it into other docu-

mentation and a step-by-step process for finding other useful

Windows XP information.

Now you’re ready for the upgrade. When upgrading the OS,

the existing language and network settings are used. Follow

these directions to upgrade the current OS to Windows XP.

1. If not already set, change the BIOS boot order to boot

from CD-ROM.

• During the boot process, press the key that allows

configuration of the BIOS. Depending on the PC, this

can be the Del, F1, F2, or F10 key. Just watch the

POST screen or read the documentation that came

with the PC to discover the correct key.

• Set the boot order to CD-ROM, hard drive, and then

floppy drive (if the computer has a floppy drive). This

order can be modified later to put the hard drive

first to save some boot time.

• Save the changes, and then reboot the computer.

2. With the PC running its current OS, insert the Windows

XP CD into the CD or DVD drive.


3. Restart the PC. During the restart, you’re prompted to

press any key to boot directly into CD-ROM emulation.

4. Press the spacebar to display the installation menu. This

Windows upgrade uses the GUI.

5. The installation menu offers four options (Figure 8).

6. There’s no Upgrade-to-Windows-XP option, so click

Install Windows XP.

7. The Collecting Information process launches and identi-

fies if you’re eligible for a product upgrade. A popup

window welcoming you to the Windows setup should be

the next thing on the display.

FIGURE 8—The Windows XP Installation Menu


8. Ensure that the Installation Type pull-down menu

reads Upgrade (Recommended) as shown in Figure 9.

Click the Next button.

9. Click the I accept this agreement radio button to accept

the licensing agreement. (To install Windows, you must

accept the agreement.) Click the Next button.

10. Enter the 25-character product key (Figure 10). This key

is found on a label on the Windows XP’s disc sleeve. Click

the Next button.

11. You’re prompted to display an upgrade report after the

installation. Choose one of the three options. Click the

Next button to proceed to Dynamic Update.

12. The dynamic update goes online and downloads updated

installation files that have been released after your copy

of Windows XP was made. Choose the dynamic update

option that best suits your needs (Figure 11).

13. Click the Next button to proceed to “Preparing Installation.”

FIGURE 9—The installation type should read “Upgrade (Recommended).”


FIGURE 10—Enter the product key here.

FIGURE 11—Choose a Dynamic Update option.


14. An estimate of how much time is needed to complete the

installation process is presented on the display.

15. Next displayed are all the new Windows XP features.

There’s no interaction required or any way to bypass this

section of the installation. While you’re looking at the

features, the installation program is compiling a list of

files it will copy to the PC.

16. The installation program now copies the selected files to

the PC. When this process is completed, the PC automat-

ically restarts itself.

17. You’re prompted to choose an installation of Windows

you would like to start. Don’t choose anything; the

Windows XP installation program automatically proceeds

with the correct version. However, ensure that the file

structure (FAT32 or NTFS) is chosen correctly.

18. You should now see the Windows XP logo while the com-

puter is booting up. The installation finishes copying all

setup files and then restarts itself.

19. After restarting, you’ll notice a slight difference in the

display properties. The setup continues copying installa-

tion files and other components over to the hard drive.

The screen may flicker a few times during the copying

process. This is normal and indicates the installation is

progressing.

20. Choose the region and language if it has changed since

the last Windows OS was installed. Click the Next

button.

21. Type in your name and organization, and then click the

Next button. This makes the installation program begin

to copy all the network components.

22. If you’ve reached this point, you’ve completed a success-

ful upgrade of the PC to Windows XP.

Professional Tip

Choose to download files from the Internet only if you have a broad-

band connection. Otherwise, skip this section and choose to update

after your install. Downloading the dynamic update files using a dial-

up connection adds hours to the installation time.


23. You should now see the Tour Windows screen. Click the

Next button at the bottom to proceed to the activation

process.

24. Windows Product Activation (WPA) is the last step along

the Windows XP upgrade path. Hold off on the activation

until you’ve finished installing any hardware. This prac-

tice prevents having to activate Windows XP again after

making changes to the hardware configuration.

25. Click the Finish button to proceed to setting up your

user accounts.

26. The final step is to name the user accounts. Do this

now, and then click the Next button. The new desktop

is displayed.

Installing Windows XP as a Second OSBefore installing Windows XP and an earlier version on the

same machine, you must prepare the hard disk with different

partitions. To create and name multiple partitions, choose

Advanced Options during setup. You can also create parti-

tions using Fdisk.

You can divide a single hard disk into multiple partitions,

and each partition can function as a separate logical drive.

For example, logical drives C and D can both exist on the

same hard drive but function separately. You should install

each operating system on a different partition and then

install applications on the same partition as the operating

system with which you run them. If an application is used

with two different operating systems, install copies on both

partitions. A basic disk can contain up to four partitions.

Each partition can be formatted for use by a file system

(FAT16, FAT32, or NTFS). If you’ve already installed Windows

and you have only one partition, you must reformat and

partition the hard drive before you can use multiboot.


Windows XP and Windows 2000

You can set up a computer so that it has multiple installa-

tions of Windows XP and Windows 2000 Professional.

However, you must use a different computer name for each

installation if the computer is part of a Windows 2000, 2003,

2008, or Windows NT Server domain, because a unique secu-

rity identifier (SID) is used for each installation of the OS on

these domains.

Generally, you should always install the most recent OS last.

To create a multiboot computer containing Windows 2000

and Windows XP,

• Install each operating system on a separate disk

partition.

• Install Windows XP after you’ve installed Windows 2000.

• Perform a new installation of Windows XP, as opposed to

an upgrade.

• By default, the Windows XP installation is placed on a

partition on which no other operating system is located.

You can specify which empty partition during setup.

• Don’t install Windows XP on a compressed drive unless

the drive was compressed with the NTFS compression

feature.

• Reinstall any applications after the Windows XP installa-

tion and setup is complete.

• Install applications used by each OS on that system’s

partition. If you want the applications to run on both

operating systems, you need to install copies of the

applications in each of the operating system’s partitions.

Windows NT 4.0 and Windows XP

Setting up a computer to run Windows XP as well as

Windows NT Workstation 4.0 requires addressing compatibil-

ity issues among different file systems (FAT16, FAT32, and

NTFS).


Normally, NTFS is the recommended file system because it

supports important security and encryption features. However

using NTFS as the only file system on a computer that contains

both Windows XP and Windows NT isn’t recommended.

Windows NT 4.0 can’t access files that have been stored

using NTFS features that didn’t exist when Windows NT 4.0

was released. For example, a file that uses the new NTFS

encryption feature won’t be readable when the computer is

started with Windows NT 4.0 Workstation, which was

released before the encryption feature existed. By installing

Windows NT on a FAT partition, you can ensure the OS can

read all the partition’s files. In addition, if Windows NT isn’t

installed on the system partition (usually the first partition

on the hard disk), this partition also needs to be formatted

with FAT. To create a multiboot computer containing

Windows NT 4.0 and Windows XP,

• Ensure that Windows NT 4.0 has been updated with at

least Service Pack 4 (SP4) before installing Windows XP.

• Install each operating system on a separate disk

partition.

• If the PC is on a Windows NT Server or Windows 2000,

2003, or 2008 Server domain, each installation of the

operating systems on that PC must have a different

computer name.

• Perform a new installation of Windows XP as opposed to

an upgrade.

• As with the Windows 2000 / Windows XP multiboot

installation, the Windows XP installation is placed on a


You can specify a partition during setup.

• Don’t install Windows XP on a compressed drive unless

the drive was compressed with the NTFS compression

feature.

• Reinstall any applications after the Windows XP installa-



• Install applications used by each OS on that system’s




Windows 9x/Me and Windows XP

This multiboot installation also requires you to address file-

system compatibility issues. Windows 9x/Me can’t reside on

or share data with an NTFS partition. If the multiboot instal-

lation is done to enable sharing of data between applications

running on different operating systems, both the Windows

9x/Me and Windows XP partitions need to be formatted

using the FAT file system.

Remember to install the latest operating system last; other-

wise important system files may be overwritten. To create a

multiboot computer containing Windows 9x/Me and Windows

XP,

• Windows 9x/Me must be installed on a partition format-

ted with FAT16 or FAT32.

• If Windows 9x/Me isn’t installed on the system partition

(usually the first partition on the disk), the system parti-

tion must also be formatted with FAT16 or FAT32.

• If you have partitions compressed using DriveSpace or

DoubleSpace, this data won’t be available to the

Windows XP OS. In most cases, it’s recommended that

you uncompress these partitions.

• Windows XP must be installed last.

MS-DOS and Windows XP

There are even options for creating a multiboot system with

MS-DOS and Windows XP. All the file system compatibility

issues must be addressed. MS-DOS supports only FAT16, so

if you want to share data between the operating systems,

you’ll have limited hard-drive resources on the OS partitions.

• MS-DOS must be installed on a basic disk on a partition

formatted with FAT.


• If MS-DOS isn’t installed on the system partition (usually

the first partition on the disk), the system partition must

also be formatted with FAT.

• Windows XP must be installed last. Otherwise, important

files needed for starting Windows XP will be overwritten.

Windows XP’s Forgotten Password Wizard

Installing a new copy of Windows XP always requires you to

insert an administrator’s password. This password is used to

access features needed to add new users and configure some

system properties. One amusing rule that some IT people

keep in mind is this: The more important the password, the

more likely it’s forgotten.

However, Microsoft created a utility on the Windows XP OS to

make a password recovery disk, and, thanks to the Forgotten

Password Wizard, you need not fear losing the password. Use

the following procedure to launch the Forgotten Password

Wizard and create a password recovery disk.

1. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and

then choose User Accounts.

2. Click your user account name.

3. Under Related Tasks, click Prevent forgotten password

to launch the Forgotten Password Wizard.

4. Insert a 31/2-inch floppy disk into the drive and allow

the system to write the required files.

5. Label the password recovery dDisk and stash it away for

an emergency.

If you happen to forget the password, click the green arrow

as you would to finish logging on to the PC. A dialog box

opens, directing you to use the password recovery disk. If you

forget the password and misplace the disk, you need to rein-

stall the Windows XP OS to access the administrative

functions.


Installing VistaInstalling Vista isn’t much different from installing Windows

XP. Be sure that you first address the preparation issues for

the installation of XP, Vista, and Windows. You also should

back up existing data and configure the boot order of the

computer so that you can boot to the installation DVD. Then,

use the following procedure to perform the installation:

1. Insert the Vista Installation DVD into the drive, and

restart the PC.



emulation.


setup files to the computer.


You’re asked if you to indicate the language, time, cur-

rency format, and keyboard input method. Ensure these

are set to the desired settings, and click Next.

5. On the Install Windows page are selections to Repair a

computer, obtain important preinstallation information,

and install. Click Install now.

6. The next page is where you enter the product key. There

is also a check box, selected by default, to automatically

activate when online. You can uncheck this if you would

like to control when the activation attempt occurs. You

can either enter the product key now or later. If you

proceed without entering the key, you’ll get the box

shown in Figure 12.

7. On the next page, you’re asked a question that you

weren’t asked when installing XP, and that’s “Which

edition do you want to install?” All editions are on the

DVD, and you must select the one you purchased. (When

the time comes to activate, the activation process will fail

if you chose an edition you didn’t pay for.) If you entered

a key earlier, the decision is made for you based on the

key. Select an edition, check the box to indicate you’ve

selected the edition you paid for (if you didn’t enter a

key), and click Next.


8. Read the terms of the license agreement, accept them,

and click Next.

9. On the Which type of Installation do you want page,

select Custom (Advanced) as opposed to Upgrade

(which is disabled).

10. The next page allows you to create and delete partitions.

If you’re on a computer with no OS, you’ll see all

unallocated space (Figure 13).

11. To create a partition, select Drive Options. When the

options for Format, Delete, and Extend appear, select

New.

12. Remember to create a partition large enough for Vista.

To support Vista Ultimate, select 60 GB (Figure 14).

Select Apply, and Windows creates the partition.

FIGURE 12—Choose No if you decide to enter the product code at a later time.


13. Select the partition you just created, and click Next.

Windows takes a few minutes to copy files to the new

partition (Figure 15). When it’s done with that, it also

performs additional tasks.

FIGURE 13—UnallocatedSpace

FIGURE 14—Choose 60,000 MB.


14. The computer restarts. Don’t choose to boot to the DVD.

Allow the computer to boot to the setup files that have

been installed. The screen asks you to wait while Windows

prepares to start for the first time.

15. The computer returns to the screen in Figure 15 and

continues the installation.

16. The computer reboots again. Again, don’t select to boot

to the DVD. Allow the computer to boot to the setup files

that have been installed.

17. Next, the instructions on the screen ask you to choose a

name and picture. You can name the user account

(which will have administrative permissions) and select a

picture. Enter a username and password, and click

Next.

18. On the Help protect Windows automatically page, select

Use the recommended settings. This choice lets the

computer check for and receive automatic updates.

19. Ensure that the date and time zone are correct on the

next page, and click Next.

FIGURE 15—Vista isinstalling.


20. When you’re asked to select the computer’s current loca-

tion, select the appropriate setting. This selection affects

security settings. Select Home or Work if it’s a safe net-

work, and the computer will be reachable by other

computers. If you’re at a wireless hotspot or some other

untrusted network, select Public location so that other

computer users won’t be able to reach you, unless you

started the communication.

21. The installation is complete when you see what’s shown

in Figure 16. Click Start.

22. After the installation, the computer checks the hardware.

When it’s finished, you’ll see the logon screen.

Technical Note

You have 30 days to activate your copy of Vista after you install it. If

you don’t register the copy in this period, you’re required to reinstall

the OS from the original disc.

FIGURE 16—The installationis complete.


23. Activate the copy of Vista if you’ve installed all the hard-

ware on the machine. Otherwise, wait until you’ve

finished installing any additional hardware so you don’t

have to activate the copy of Vista again.

24. Add users that will sign on to this computer.

25. Log in as the administrator, and update any drivers for

which an update is available for download. The updated

drivers can be found on the Windows Update Web site or

the manufacturers’ Web site. A list of all the hardware

devices incorporated on the PC comes in handy for this

process.

26. Often, Windows finds device drivers for all the hardware

on the PC. If this isn’t the case, check for device drivers

that were shipped with the hardware. If no device drivers

are found on CDs or floppy disks, you need to go to the

manufacturer’s Web site from another PC and download

the Vista-compatible driver (if there’s one available). You

may also search online for other sites that may still

support the device drivers. The only other option is to

disable the device or application and remove it after the

OS installation finishes.

Upgrading to VistaWithout performing a clean install, you can upgrade only

Windows XP to Vista. Before the upgrade, take these

preparatory steps:

1. Run your antivirus software, and scan the hard drive

and memory.


software.



After you’ve fully backed up all your important files and set-

tings, insert the upgrade disc into the drive. Once the DVD is

recognized, it automatically launches the installation menu.



the existing language and network settings are used. Take

the following steps to upgrade the current OS to Vista:

1. With the PC running its current OS, insert the Vista

DVD into the drive.

2. The installation windows shown during a clean installa-

tion also appear now, along with an additional option to

check for compatibility online. If an Internet connection

is available, you can use this option to ensure that the

computer supports Vista. For now, though, select Install

Now.

3. The next page allows you to check for and include

updates that may have been issued since the DVD was

made. For now, select Do not get the latest updates for

installation.

4. On the product key page, either enter the key or choose

to do so later, and then click Next.

5. Select the edition you’re installing, and click Next.

Accept the license terms, and click Next.

6. For the type-of-installation choice, select Upgrade.

The system checks for compatibility issues. If, as in

Figure 17, you see that there are issues, address them

before moving on, especially if there’s a red X next to the

issue.

FIGURE 17—You must sometimesmake changes before the installation continues.


7. Now the process proceeds much as it did during the

clean install (Figure 15). There are several reboots.

Likewise, these are also followed by update pages and

time-zone settings.

8. When the logon screen appears, the upgrade is complete.

Installing Vista as a Second OSBefore installing Vista and an earlier version on the same

machine, you must prepare the hard disk with different par-

titions. To create multiple partitions, choose Drive options

(Advanced) during setup to create and name multiple parti-

tions. You can also create partitions using Fdisk. Follow the

file system and hard-drive guidelines that were covered in the

Windows XP section.

Vista and Windows 2000 or Windows XP

You can set up a computer so that it has multiple installa-

tions of Vista and Windows 2000 Professional or XP.



2008, or Windows NT Server domain, because a unique

security identifier (SID) is used for each installation of the OS

on these domains.

Generally, you should always install the most-recent OS

last. To create a multiboot computer containing Vista and

Windows 2000 or XP, take these steps:

1. Install each operating system on a separate disk

partition.

2. Install Vista after you’ve installed the earlier OS.

3. Perform a new installation of Vista, not an upgrade.

4. By default, the Vista installation is placed on a partition

on which no other operating system is located. During

setup, you can specify which empty partition to use.

5. Don’t install Vista on a compressed drive, unless the

drive was compressed with NTFS compression.


6. Reinstall any applications after the Vista installation and

setup is complete.

7. Install applications used by each OS on that system’s




Vista and Pre-Windows 2000

Simply put, a dual-boot configuration can be done only with

Windows 2000 or Windows XP. Earlier operating systems

aren’t supported with Vista in a dual boot without the use of

third-party utilities that are unsupported by Microsoft.

Installing Windows 7Installing Windows 7 is much like installing Vista. Be sure

that you first address the preparation issues for the installa-

tion of Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7. You also should

back up existing data and configure the boot order of the

computer so that you can boot to the installation DVD. Then,

use the following procedures to perform the installation:

1. Place the Windows 7 Installation DVD into the drive, and

restart the PC.



emulation.


setup files to the computer. This copying is followed by a

screen that indicates that Windows is starting.


You’re asked if you to indicate the language, time, cur-

rency format, and keyboard-input method. Set these to

the settings you desire, and click Next.

5. There are now selections to repair the computer, obtain

important preinstallation information, and install. Click

Install now. The screen then indicates that setup is

starting.


6. Read the terms of the license agreement, accept them,

and click Next.

7. When the computer asks which type of Installation you

want, select Custom (Advanced). Don’t choose to

upgrade; this option is disabled if no previous OS exists

or if the older OS can’t be upgraded.

8. The next page allows you to create and delete partitions.

If you’re on a computer with an existing OS or with exist-

ing partitions, you see them listed (Figure 18).

9. To create or delete a partition, select Drive Options in

the lower-right corner. When the options for Format,

Delete, and Extend appear, select New to create a new

partition and Delete to remove a partition to make

space. You must have a 7982 MB partition (Figure 18).

10. Select the partition you just created, and click Next.

Windows takes a few minutes to copy files to the new

partition (Figure 19). When it’s done, it also performs

the other tasks listed below and checks each off as com-

pleted. Then the computer reboots, the screen indicates

that the computer is updating registry settings, and then

it indicates that setup is starting services.

FIGURE 18—The ExistingPartitions


11. The computer briefly returns to the screen shown in

Figure 19 and reboots. Then, screens appear that

indicate that Windows is starting, then that setup is

preparing the computer for first use, and that setup is

checking video performance.

12. Next, you can name the user account and the PC

(Figure 20). Enter that information, and click Next.

FIGURE 19—Windows 7 isinstalling.

FIGURE 20—Choose a username.


13. You’re next asked to enter the password. Do so, and

click Next.

14. Either enter the product key, or choose to do so later.

15. When you’re asked to help protect Windows automati-

cally, select Use the recommended settings. This

option sets the computer to check for and receive auto-

matic updates.

16. Ensure that the date and time zone are correct on the

next page, and click Next.

17. When you’re asked to select the computer’s current

location, select an appropriate option. This selection

affects security settings. Select Home or Work if it’s a

safe network, and the computer will be reachable by

other computers. If you’re at wireless hotspot or some

other untrusted network, select Public location and

other computer users won’t be able to reach you unless

you started the communication.

18. You may get the opportunity to create a homegroup,

which can be used to link devices and share items on a

home network. If you can, choose the items you would

like to share with the homegroup and make note of the

password that’s generated, which you’ll need if you

decide later to add other devices to the homegroup.

Click Next.

19. The installation is complete when you see the desktop.

20. If you’ve installed all the hardware on the machine, acti-

vate the copy of Windows 7. Otherwise, wait until you’ve

finished installing any additional hardware so that you

don’t have to activate the copy of Windows 7 again.

21. Add users that will sign on to this computer.

Technical Note

You have 30 days to activate your copy of Windows 7 after you

install it. If you don’t register the copy in this period, you’ll be

required to reinstall the OS from the original disc.


22. Log in as the administrator, and update any drivers for

which an update is available for download. The updated

drivers can be on the Windows Update Web site or the

manufacturers’ Web site. A list of all the hardware

devices on the PC comes in handy for this process.

23. Often, Windows 7 finds device drivers for all the hard-

ware on the PC. If this isn’t the case, check for device

drivers that were shipped with the hardware. If no device

drivers are found on CDs or floppy disks, you need to go

to the manufacturer’s Web site from another PC and

download the Windows 7-compatible driver (if there’s

one available). You may also search online for other sites

that may still support the device drivers. The only other

option is to disable the device or application and remove

it after the OS installation finishes.

Upgrading to Windows 7Without performing a clean install, you can upgrade only

Vista to Windows 7. Before the upgrade, take these prepara-

tory steps:

1. Run the antivirus software, and scan the hard drive and

memory.


software.



After you’ve fully backed up all your important files and set-

tings, insert the upgrade disc into the drive. Once the DVD is

recognized, it automatically launches the installation menu.


the existing language and network settings are used. Take

these steps to upgrade the current OS to Windows 7:

1. With the PC running its current OS, insert the

Windows 7 DVD into the drive.


2. The installation windows shown during the clean instal-

lation appear, with an additional selection to check for

compatibility online. If an Internet connection is avail-

able, you can use this to ensure that the computer

supports Windows 7. For now, select Install Now. The

screen indicates that setup is now copying files, and

then that setup is starting.

3. The next screen allows you to check for and include

updates that may have been issued since the DVD was

made. For now, select Do not get the latest updates for

installation.

4. Accept the license terms.

5. On the type of installation, select Upgrade. The system

checks for compatibility issues. Note that you can

upgrade only from Vista.

6. Now the process continues much as it does for a clean

install, with several reboots. These are also followed by

requests for update and time-zone information.

7. When the logon screen appears, the upgrade is complete.

Installing Windows 7 as a Second OSBefore installing Windows 7 and an earlier version on the

same machine, you must prepare the hard disk with different

partitions. To create multiple partitions, choose Drive

options (Advanced) during setup to create and name multi-

ple partitions. You can also create partitions using Fdisk.

Use the file system and hard-drive guidelines discussed in

the Windows XP section.

Windows 7 and Windows 2000 or Windows XP

You can set up a computer so that it has multiple installations

of Windows 7 and Windows 2000 Professional or Windows XP.



2008, or Windows NT Server domain, because a unique secu-

rity identifier (SID) is used for each installation of the OS on

these domains.


Generally, you should always install the most recent OS last.

To create a multiboot computer containing Windows 2000,

XP, or Vista and Windows 7,

1. Install each operating system on a separate disk

partition.

2. Install Windows 7 after you’ve installed the older OS.

3. Perform a new installation of Windows 7, not an

upgrade.

4. By default, the Windows 7 installation is placed on a


During setup, you can specify which empty partition to

use.

5. Don’t install Windows 7 on a compressed drive, unless

the drive was compressed with NTFS compression.

6. Reinstall any applications after the Windows 7 installa-


7. Install applications used by each OS on that system’s




Windows 7 and Pre–Windows 2000

As with Vista, a dual-boot configuration can be done only

with Windows 2000, XP, or Vista. Earlier operating systems

aren’t supported with Windows 7 in a dual boot, without the

use of third-party utilities that are unsupported by Microsoft.

Installing Other ComponentsVista, XP, and Windows 7 also support other components

within the OS. Microsoft supports these products using the

Windows Update Web site. Windows components can be acti-

vated during the original installation setup or any time you

need to add or remove a component. To install selected

Windows components during the installation process, choose

the Custom setup model and select the components you

need. You can add or remove a Windows component after the

original installation.


To add or remove a Windows component in Windows XP,

1. Have the original Windows installation disc available.

2. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control

Panel.

3. Double-click Add/Remove Programs.

4. Select Add/Remove Windows Components on the left

side of the screen, which invokes the screen shown in

Figure 21.

5. Select the Windows components you wish to install. The

dialog box displays the amount of hard disk space used

by your choice and the amount of free space.

6. If you have enough free space, insert the Windows instal-

lation disc into the drive, and click Have Disk.

FIGURE 21—Windows Components


To add or remove a Windows component in Vista and

Windows 7,

1. Have the original Windows installation CD available.


Panel.

3. Select Programs. On the next screen under Programs

and Features, select Turn Windows features on or off.

Click Continue on the UAC pop up box.

4. Select the features that you would like to add or remove

by checking or unchecking the boxes (Figure 22).

Windows Update

The Windows Update Web site, http://windowsupdate.com,

has supported the Windows operating systems since

Windows 98. If you have Windows XP and an open Internet

connection, click Start, All Programs, and then click

Windows Update. If you have Vista or Windows 7, click

Start, Help and Support, and then Windows Update to

access the site.

FIGURE 22—Adding or RemovingWindows Features


Windows Update is an Internet-based service that allows you

to download and install patches, updates, and other files for

the OS, including bug or security fixes, enhancements to the

OS, and device drivers for the hardware. There are two main

parts of the Windows Update Web site: Product Updates and

Support Information.

Product updates. The product-update area of the Windows

Update Web site checks to see if there are any product fixes

or updates available for the OS. (To query the PC and find

out what OS you have, you must not be running the firewall

in stealth mode.) The Windows Update Web site queries the

PC to see if the latest version of Windows Update is installed

and to give you an option to install the latest version of the

Update software. If security levels are installed on the PC that

don’t allow changes to the registry, log off and sign on as a

user who has administrator privileges.

After the Windows Update software is checked (and updated

if necessary). The copy of Windows installed on the PC

checks the Microsoft database for updates that haven’t been

installed. If there are updates available, you’ll be offered a

chance to download and install the updates. It’s a good idea

to install all critical updates, because they usually deal with

security issues.

The other updates and device-driver files are optional and are

more user-specific. These files take up valuable space on the

PC’s hard drive, so be selective. There are some products

available at the site that may not apply to you and the way

you use the PC at all. For example, if you’ve no need to

translate a specific language, don’t download and install the

language-support options. Many of the updates available are

listed as recommended. You need to evaluate these updates.

Take into account the new feature(s) being added as well as

the loss of any feature(s) you’ve already installed.

Some, but not most, recommended updates can be removed

from the system using the Update Wizard Uninstall or at the

Windows Update site. The uninstall option won’t apply to most

critical updates. If an update doesn’t support uninstall, a

disclaimer is included during the update process. To remove

an update already installed on the PC, use Update Wizard

Uninstall or select the Display Installed Updates tab on the


Windows Update window. If the Windows Update site supports

an uninstall option for a specific update, the option to remove

the update is available. The Windows Update site is shown in

Figure 23.

Help and Support information. The Help and Support

area of the Windows Update Web site is aimed at new users

of the site. Included in this area is a list of frequently asked

questions (FAQs) about Windows Update as well as a place to

ask specific questions if the answer provided in the FAQ area

isn’t adequate.

DirectX

Besides the Windows OSs, Microsoft supports their DirectX

software product. The OS uses DirectX to support graphics

and sounds. With the explosion of products released into the

multimedia and game markets, Microsoft has found that

DirectX requires frequent updates. When purchasing graph-

ics or sound intensive software, it’s a good idea to check the

level of DirectX required to support the software. The level of

DirectX the software requires is often supplied on the CD or

disks that contain the application, but sometimes you need

to download and install an updated level of DirectX to

have the new software function. Many multimedia devices

FIGURE 23—The Microsoft Windows Update Web Page


connected to a PC access DirectX and its components. DirectX

is available at no cost to the user. Access to some of the

multimedia devices is accomplished by clicking Start, All

Programs, Accessories, and Entertainment. To display the

level of DirectX on the PC,

1. Click Start and point to All Programs, Accessories, and

System Tools.

2. Click System Information.

3. Click Tools, and then click DirectX Diagnostic Tool

(Figure 24).

4. Click the System tab. The version of DirectX installed on

the system is listed here. You may also access this by

clicking Start and then Run. Type DXDIAG in the Open

box, and then click OK.

PowerToys

Windows PowerToys are additional programs that developers

work on after a product has been released to manufacturing.

They can often add fun and functionality to the Windows

experience. PowerToys were available for Windows 98 and

then disappeared until those for Windows XP were developed.

The PowerToys covered in this study unit are for Windows XP

only.

FIGURE 24—The DirectXDiagnostic Tool


Microsoft indicates that it has “taken great care to ensure

that PowerToys operate as they should, but they are not part

of Windows and are not supported by Microsoft.” Microsoft

Technical Support won’t answer questions about the PowerToys

command structure or functions. Be aware you must unin-

stall old copies of Windows PowerToys before installing the

new ones, and PowerToys works only with U.S. English

regional settings. The Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP

are available without charge at http://www.microsoft.com/

windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx.

The PowerToys released for Windows XP include

• Color Control Panel Applet

• SyncToy

• RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer

• ClearType Tuner

• HTML Slide Show Wizard

• Open Command Window Here

• Alt-Tab Replacement

• Tweak UI

• Power Calculator

• Image Resizer

• CD Slide Show Generator

• Virtual Desktop Manager

• Taskbar Magnifier

• Webcam Timershot

The PowerToys area of the Microsoft Web site provides a

description of each program.


Power Options

Using Power Options can reduce the power consumption of

attached devices or the entire system. To use these options,

choose a power scheme, which is a collection of settings that

manage the power usage by the PC. Windows includes preset

desktop and laptop power schemes, and, alternatively, you

can create your own schemes. Adjusting the settings of an

existing power scheme is the easiest way to create a power

scheme.

To use Power Options, the hardware attached to the PC must

support power-saving features like standby mode and hiber-

nate. To support the hibernate mode, all devices that are part

of the system must support hibernation. For information on

power-saving modes, see the documentation that came with

the computer. Depending on the hardware, you can

• Turn off the monitor and hard disks automatically

• Put the computer on standby when it’s idle. Standby (also

known as sleep in Vista and Windows 7) mode switches

the PC to a low-power state. Some devices, such as the

monitor and hard disks, turn off. When you want to use

the computer again, moving the mouse or pressing a key

makes the PC come out of standby, and the desktop is

restored as you left it. Standby is particularly useful for

conserving battery power in laptop and portable comput-

ers. However, because standby doesn’t save the desktop

state to disk, a power failure while on standby can cause

you to lose unsaved information.

• Put the computer in hibernation, which saves everything

in memory on disk, turns off the monitor and hard disk,

and then turns off the computer. In this case, you need

to restart the computer. The desktop is restored exactly

as you left it and the data is saved. It takes longer to

bring a PC out of hibernation than out of standby.

Typical power-option schemes conserve power by turning off

the monitor and hard disk after a short period. When you’re

away from the PC for a while, the power scheme is set to put

the PC into standby. Hibernation is commonly set to activate

after the PC has been idle for an extended time or overnight.


Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI)

Using the Power Options in the Control Panel changes power

settings that take advantage of advanced configuration and

power interface (ACPI), which is the industry specification

that defines a hardware interface for the system board. This

specification integrates power-management features through-

out a computer system (hardware, OS, and applications).

This integration allows the OS to determine which applications

are active and to handle the power management resources of

desktop, portable, and server computers. ACPI is also the

industry specification that defines the functions for OnNow,

which allows computers to start at the touch of a key on a

keyboard.

During Windows setup, ACPI is installed only if all

components present during setup support ACPI power

management. If you’re unsure whether the PC is ACPI-

compliant, check the documentation supplied with the PC.

Adjusting the Power OptionsTo adjust the power options for a computer running Windows

XP,

1. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel,

Performance and Maintenance (Windows XP Category

View), and then double-click Power Options.

2. Click the Hibernate tab, and then select the Enable

hibernate support check box (Figure 25). If the

Hibernate tab isn’t available, the computer doesn’t

support this feature.

3. Click OK to close the Power Options Control Panel.

4. Click Start, and then Shut Down. In the What do you

want the computer to do drop-down list, click

Hibernate.


To automatically put the computer into hibernation, you

must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the

administrators group. If the computer is connected to a net-

work, network policy settings may also prevent you from

completing this procedure:




2. Click the Hibernate tab, select the Enable hibernate

support check box, and then click Apply. If the

Hibernate tab isn’t available, the computer doesn’t

support this feature.

FIGURE 25—The HibernateTab of the Power OptionsProperties Control Panel


3. Click the APM tab, choose Enable Advanced Power

Management support, and then click Apply. The APM

tab is unavailable on ACPI-compliant computers. ACPI

automatically enables Advanced Power Management,

which disables the APM tab.

4. Click the Power Schemes tab, and then select a time in

System hibernates. The PC hibernates after it has been

idle for the specified amount of time.

To manually put a PC on standby, click Start, and then click

Shut Down. In the What do you want the computer to do

drop-down list, click Standby. You can also put the computer

on standby by following this procedure:




2. Click the Advanced tab. Under When I press the power

button on my computer, click Standby. If you’re using

a portable computer, click Standby under When I close

the lid of my portable computer.

3. Click OK or Apply, and then turn off the power or close

the lid of the portable computer.

Save your work before putting the computer on standby

(sleep mode) because information in computer memory isn’t

saved on the hard disk. If there’s an interruption in power,

the information in memory is lost. To automatically put the

computer on standby,




2. On the Power Schemes tab, click the down arrow next

to System standby (Figure 26). On the drop-down list,

select the amount of time you want to pass before the

PC goes into standby mode.


3. Adjust the time settings for the Turn off monitor and

Turn off hard disks options by using the drop-down

lists next to these items. The most common option is to

have the monitor and disk(s) turn off before the system

goes into the standby mode.

4. Name the new power scheme by clicking Save As and

typing the new name in the box provided.

5. Click OK or Apply to save the changes to the power

options. The system goes into standby mode after the

set amount of time.

To set the alarms feature,

1. Click Start, point to Settings (Windows 2000 only),

click Control Panel, Performance and Maintenance

(Windows XP Category View), and then double-click

Power Options.

2. Click the Alarms tab. You can set a low-battery alarm,

a critical-battery alarm, or both.

FIGURE 26—The PowerSchemes Tab of the PowerOptions Properties ControlPanel


To manually put a computer running Windows 7 into hiber-

nation, you must be logged on as an administrator or a

member of either the administrators or power users group. If

the computer is connected to a network, network policy set-

tings might also prevent you from completing this procedure.

1. Click the Start button, click the small arrow next to the

Shutdown button, and then click Hibernate.

Windows 7 automatically puts a computer into hibernation.

Again, to cancel this setting, you must be logged on as an

administrator or a member of the administrators group, and

the network policy settings must allow it.

1. Open Power Options by clicking the Start button,

Control Panel, Hardware and Sound, and then Power

Options.

2. Click Change plan settings under the selected plan.

There are three plans, but only one can be in effect at a

time.

3. Click Change advanced power settings.

4. Expand Sleep, expand Sleep after, and then do one of

the following:

• If you’re using a mobile PC, click battery or Plugged

in (or both), click the arrow, and then click Never.

• If you’re using a desktop computer, click Setting,

click the arrow next to Put the computer to sleep

after, and then click Never.

5. Expand Hibernate after, and then do one of the following:

• If you’re using a mobile PC, click battery or Plugged

in (or both), click the arrow, and then click Never.

• If you’re using a desktop computer, click Setting,

click the arrow, and then click Never.


By default, Vista and Windows 7 users are notified when a

computer’s battery runs low. No action is required to set the

alarms feature. To cancel this setting in Windows 7,

1. Open Power Options by clicking the Start button,

Control Panel, Hardware and Sound, and then Power

Options.

2. On the Select a power plan page, click Change plan

settings under the selected plan. There are three plans,

but only one can be in effect at a time.

3. On the Change settings for the plan page, click

Change advanced power settings.

4. On the Advanced settings tab, expand Sleep, expand

Allow wake timers, and then click the arrow next to

Setting and set it to Disable.

Laptops and Other Portable Computers

Using Power Options in the Control Panel, you can reduce

battery-power consumption of a portable computer and still

keep the computer available for immediate use. You can view

multiple batteries separately or as a whole, and set alarms to

warn you of low-battery conditions. You should strongly con-

sider making use of the standby and hibernate features for

portable computers.

Commercial air travel. Operating a PC during commercial

air travel is restricted by most airlines, who request that you

turn off portable computers during, at minimum, certain

portions of the flight, such as takeoff and landing. To comply

with this request, you must turn off the computer completely.

The computer might appear to be turned off while in standby

or hibernate mode; however, the operating system might

automatically reactivate itself to run certain tasks or to issue

an alarm. To prevent this from occurring during air travel, be

certain to shut down the computer completely. In addition, if

the computer is equipped with a cellular wireless modem,

you must also ensure that this modem is completely turned

off as required by Federal Communication Commission (FCC)

regulations. Failure to comply with these requirements

could possibly lead to civil or criminal penalties.


Windows XP. Laptop and portable power options expanded

with the release of Windows XP. Microsoft expanded its

OnNow power management and ACPI support. The expansion

has added these new benefits and usage scenarios for end

users:

• The expansion has given PC users a faster resume time.

This speed is accomplished by support for BIOS improve-

ments. Windows XP supports the Simple Boot Flag

specification. This specification provides a boot flag regis-

ter that can communicate boot options to the system

firmware. This allows a PC to automatically optimize its

behavior and boot performance based on the installed

operating system and previous boots.

• The fast resume time is also supported by boot loader

improvements. The Windows XP boot loader caches file

and directory metadata in large chunks according to

what’s most recently used, reducing the time spent seek-

ing data on hard disks.

• Windows XP boot improvements also include optimiza-

tions of overlapping device initialization with the required

disk I/Os, and removing or delaying the loading of

processes and services that are unnecessary at boot

time.

• Windows XP options for laptops and portables offer

native processor performance control for the Intel

SpeedStep, AMD PowerNow, and Transmeta Longrun

mobile processors.

• Windows XP options for laptops and portables offer

improved power management of USB devices.

• Windows XP offers hibernation improvements. Before

Windows XP writes to the hibernation file, all memory

pages on the zero, free, and standby lists are freed, so

these aren’t written to disk. Memory pages are also com-

pressed before being written.

Windows has additional optimizations for mobile PCs. Windows

XP also includes optimizations for C-state performance, which

is the ability to run the processor in lower power states when


the PC is idle. To do this, Windows developers made it possible

for system manufacturers to program the C-state behavior for

the specific processor used in a new mobile unit.

Windows XP has additional features that support micro-

processors that employ different performance states. These

new processors use high-voltage/high-frequency states when

processor utilization is high and low-voltage/low-frequency

states to conserve battery life. To achieve this, Windows XP

has implemented native processor performance control and

processor performance control policies.

Vista. With the release of Vista, more power-option improve-

ments were made. The improvements include the following:

• All power-off options are set to send the computer into

sleep mode, not shutdown.

• Sleep is the only option (there’s no hibernate) but it does

everything you need it to do.

• Both sleep and resume produce immediate results, no

waiting.

Windows 7. With the release of Windows 7, more power-

option improvements were made, including these:

• More granular control of various power settings

• Significant increase in the battery life

• More efficiency in the entire power-management system

Manufacturer’s Power Utilities

If the laptop manufacturer includes a power management

utility, it may disable the Windows Power Options Control

Panel, because the computer manufacturer, who should

know the laptop’s hardware and its capabilities, can provide

additional power-management tuning abilities. For example,

some laptops offer the option to dim the display in low-

battery situations. So, if the laptop comes with a power

management utility, you’ll commonly find that it offers added

capabilities. Just ensure that the utility is compatible with

your version of Windows. You may need to download a newer

version of the manufacturer’s power utilities from the manu-

facturer’s Web site.


Self-Check 2

1. True or False? If the hibernate tab is available on the Power Options screen, all the PC’s components support the hibernation feature.

2. The primary OS interface for graphics and sound is _______.

3. The process of putting the Windows XP operating system on a PC’s newly formatted disk iscalled a _______.

4. The HCL is used to check _______.

5. True or False? Windows 2000 comes with four startup disks.

6. Which control panel applet is used to navigate to power options in Vista?

__________________________________________________________

7. What power option was eliminated in Windows 7?

__________________________________________________________

8. What is the only operating system that can be upgraded to Windows 7?

__________________________________________________________

9. True or False? You must enter the product key at the time of installation in Vista andWindows 7.

10. Which power option in Windows XP saves the desktop to the hard drive and shuts the computer down?

__________________________________________________________



CUSTOMIZING THE LOOK AND FEEL OF THE PCBefore working on a PC within a business environment, be

sure to check with the company policy on the screen images

and hardware customizations that are allowed. Keeping this

in mind, you should know how to set up the way a PC looks

and works.

The DesktopAfter Windows boots, you’re presented with the desktop on

the display. One of the best ways to make a PC more func-

tional is to manage this environment so it works the way you

need it to. A user should have easy access to the programs

and folders that are used the most. Also, the desktop, Start

menu, programs, and folders should be logically organized.

The Windows XP Taskbar

The taskbar is the entry point to all the items that aren’t dis-

played on the desktop. The taskbar includes the Start menu,

Quick Launch items, and notification items. These items can

be controlled using the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties

control panel (Figure 27). This box is accessible by right-

clicking the taskbar and clicking Properties.

The Taskbar tab allows you to customize the taskbar’s

appearance and the actions of the items in the notification

area. Click the appearance options, and then Apply to see

how these features affect the look of the PC’s desktop.

In the notifications area, you can choose which notifications

you want presented. By clicking Customize, you can dictate

the actions of each notification present on the PC (Figure 28).

You have the choice of having the notification always present,

never present, or present only when being used.


FIGURE 27—The Taskbarand Start Menu PropertiesControl Panel

FIGURE 28—You can changehow notifications are displayed.


The Start Menu tab allows you to add or remove items from

the Start menu without removing them from the PC. This

feature is handy for concealing tools and applications you

seldom use or programs that you’ve installed but don’t want

everyone to have instant access to from the Start menu.

On Windows XP, this tab also allows you to switch between

the classic Start menu (which looks like a Windows 2000

Start menu) and the Windows XP Start menu (Figure 29). The

option to customize either menu type is offered. When cus-

tomizing the XP-style Start menu, there are options to select

the browser and e-mail client for each user on the PC.

If you’re using the Windows XP classic mode, other options

on this screen allow you to select which items are displayed

on the base Start menu, such as Logoff or Favorites.

FIGURE 29—The StartMenu Tab


Adding items to the quick launch area can also modify the

taskbar. To do this, select the icon for a program, a shortcut

from the desktop, or any folder and drag it to the quick

launch area. If the item was a shortcut, this process copies

the shortcut to the quick launch area. If the item was an

application, this process creates a shortcut on the quick

launch area.

By right-clicking the taskbar, you can also change the

way that open windows are displayed. Options for win-

dow display include Cascade Windows, Tile Windows

Horizontally, and Tile Windows Vertically (Figure 30).

Some other changes that can be made to the taskbar

are as follows:

• Changing the taskbar’s size and location in Windows

XP. The default placement for the taskbar is the

bottom of the screen, displaying one line of informa-

tion. To change the taskbar’s size, unlock the

taskbar and then right-click and drag the double

arrow that’s displayed when you put the cursor on

the edge of the taskbar. To change its location, unlock

the taskbar and then right-click it and drag it to one of

the four edges of the desktop.

• Adding the taskbar magnifier in Windows XP. This action

allows the area around the cursor to be magnified on a

section of the taskbar.

• Adding the Desktop Manager is also available on systems

with Windows XP installed. This option allows you to set

up and use up to four separate desktops on the active

display (Figure 31).

FIGURE 30—Some OtherTaskbar Options


The Vista Taskbar

The Vista Taskbar and Start Menu Properties control panel has

an appearance that’s different from that of Windows XP, but

the same functions are all present. It has four tabs instead of

two (Figure 32).

In Windows XP, the notification section and taskbar sections

share a tab, but in Vista each function has its own tab and

each gives you more options. For example, in Vista you not

only control whether the clock shows in the notification area,

but also can control whether the volume, network, and power

icons are there as well. On the added Toolbars tab, you can

add or remove toolbars from a list to the taskbar (Figure 32).

FIGURE 31—The Desktop Manager


The Windows 7 Taskbar

The Windows 7 taskbar properties box combines the notifica-

tion and taskbar functions on the same format, but again the

same functions are present with a few new functions. It

keeps the Toolbars tab added in Vista (Figure 33).

The new functions include the ability to manage the taskbar

location on the Taskbar tab and to control the action taken

when you click the Power button (shutdown or sleep). These

options are on the Start Menu tab.

FIGURE 32—The VistaTaskbar and Start MenuProperties Control Panel


The Windows XP Start Menu

The Start menu allows access to the programs loaded on the

PC and to Windows tools and features. Two methods can

modify this menu and its submenus. The first is to open the

Taskbar Properties control panel (Figure 29).

1. Right-click the taskbar, and click Properties.

2. Click the Start Menu tab.

This control panel allows you to alter the main Start menu

items, as well as the items listed in the Programs list.

The second method is to open the C:\WINDOWS\START MENU

folder and modify the main menu items listed. To change the

program lists, open C:\WINDOWS\START MENU\PROGRAMS,

or if you’re working on a multiuser PC, C:\Documents and

Settings\username\Start Menu\Programs, and move the

program shortcuts into folders that group similar applica-

tions. An example of this type of grouping that comes with

Windows XP is the Accessories subfolder already created in

FIGURE 33—The Windows 7 Taskbar andStart Menu PropertiesControl Panel


the C:\WINDOWS\START MENU\PROGRAMS, or if you’re

working on a multiuser PC, the C:\Documents and Settings\

username\Start Menu\Programs folder.

Individual program items can be moved to the Start menu’s

Programs list by right-clicking and dragging the listing into a

place in the programs list.

The Vista and Windows 7 Start Menu

The process of opening the Taskbar Properties control panel

is the same in Vista and Windows 7, but the second method

to alter the main Start menu items and items listed in the

Programs list is slightly different. The logic is the same, but

the folder names are different. In Vista and Windows 7, the

folder is located in c:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\

Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu for individual users, or

c:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu for all

users collectively.

Icons

Shortcuts to an application, folder, or file that belongs to an

application are indicated by icons. Desktop icons, which have

a little arrow in the lower-left corner, are shortcuts. These

shortcuts point to a file and location on the PC. Right-click-

ing a file and selecting Create Shortcut can create these

shortcuts. The shortcuts can then be cut and pasted onto

the desktop for easy access later. Deleting a shortcut’s icon

doesn’t remove the program or folder from the PC, it just

eliminates a way to access it quickly.

Shortcuts

Shortcuts themselves can be modified to make them more

functional and to enhance the look of the desktop. To

change a shortcut, right-click the shortcut’s icon and select

Properties.


Windows XP Shortcut Properties

The General tab lists the information on the shortcut. The

top area lists the name given to the shortcut. To edit this

information, click the name and change the information. The

name of the shortcut doesn’t have to correspond to the file

name being pointed to. For example, you can change the

name of a shortcut from My Music to Tunes without changing

the function of the shortcut.

The Shortcut tab allows you to modify its target, which is the

place to which the shortcut points (Figure 34). Changing this

information makes the PC look in a different location for the

file. However, changing this setting is often more troublesome

than creating a new shortcut that points to the correct location

(if you know it) or using the Find Target function.

FIGURE 34—A ShortcutProperties Control Panel


The shortcut properties panel also allows you to open the file

in a specific location, open the file using a selected keystroke

or combination of keystrokes, and have the file displayed in a

particular manner when it opens.

The shortcut properties Shortcut tab also allows you to

change the icon for many shortcuts. Changing icons can

help to personalize the desktop. If you’re connected to the

Internet, many Web sites are dedicated to distributing inter-

esting icons, and some of these icons are free for home users.

Just click the Change Icon box and select an icon from an

icon file residing anywhere on the PC.

The Security tab allows administrators to set the permission

level for the item pointed to by the shortcut. An additional

tab available for Windows XP PCs is the Compatibility tab.

The options on this tab allow you to set the compatibility

modes for the program. This is helpful for legacy applications

installed on a Windows XP computer. You can set the PC to

emulate Windows 9x or Windows 2000 PCs to run the appli-

cation. Display settings can also be set for the application,

which is handy for some old applications. The final choice on

this tab enables or disables advanced text services for the

application. These same features are also modifiable using

the Program Compatibility Wizard.

Vista and Windows 7 Shortcut Properties

The Vista and Windows 7 Shortcut Properties dialog box has

more functionality and tabs. The two additional tabs are

Details, where more detailed information about the shortcut

is provided, and Previous Versions (Figure 35), which is

present if Windows Shadow Copy is enabled on the drive

where the target file is located. When present, it allows a

user to revert to a previous version of a file.


Display

The easiest way to personalize the look of a PC is to change

the background picture the display uses as wallpaper. This

task can be done by simply choosing a different background

picture from the small assortment of pictures included with

Windows. Another easy way is to use a photo you’ve taken

with a digital camera, copy it to the PC, and use it for your

wallpaper. Alternatively, you could scan a photo and use it

for your wallpaper. Other options include using an Internet

search engine to find appropriate background scenes, copy-

ing these scenes onto the PC (usually into the My Pictures

directory), and then using them for the wallpaper.

FIGURE 35—A PreviousVersions Tab


Windows XP Display Settings

There are two different dynamics for the components that

modify the desktop graphic images: themes and visual styles.

These features are controlled by either adjusting the Display

Properties control panel (Figure 36) or by using the Desktop

Themes from within the Display Properties Control Panel. To

open the Display Properties screen in Windows XP, right-click

the desktop (not an application or folder) and then click

Properties.

FIGURE 36—Windows XPDisplay Properties

Themes were introduced in Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95.

Each theme is a collection of settings that includes wallpaper,

cursors, fonts, sounds, and icons. The following are some

characteristics of themes:

• Theme settings are specified in .theme files.

• The format of a .theme file is similar to that of a win.ini

file.


• An independent software vendor (ISV) creates and

distributes a .theme file with a product.

• Theme files are also displayed on the Theme tab of the

Display option in Control Panel.

• A user can select a theme by choosing one of the

installed .theme files.

Windows XP has many options controlling display properties.

The first tab, Themes, allows you to select an overall theme

for the PC’s display and sounds (Figure 36). These theme files

need to be installed into C:\Program Files\Plus\Themes

using the Plus! For Windows XP application or an application

that allows the installation of themes (available from some

software manufacturers). Because the desktop artwork and

screen savers are possible carriers of virus contamination, no

sources except Microsoft are allowed direct installation of

desktop themes. Individual desktop components for Windows

XP can still be downloaded from many Web sites.

Visual styles were introduced with Windows XP. Visual styles

are specifications for the appearance of controls. For example,

a visual style can define the appearance of controls, enable

an ISV to configure the visual interface to coordinate with

this application interface, and provide a mechanism for all

Windows-based applications to apply visual styles. Sometimes,

these styles are called skins or are part of a theme. The follow-

ing are some characteristics of visual styles:

• Visual styles change the look and feel of controls in

Windows.

• You can’t author a specification file that changes the

appearance of controls.

• To use a particular appearance in the application, you

must use the UxTheme application-programming inter-

face (API).

• Users can choose how they want the desktop controls to

appear by making selections on the Appearance tab of

the display option in Control Panel.


Windows XP offers other options on its Display Properties

screen. On the Background tab, you can select the picture you

want for your wallpaper. You can look at the pictures avail-

able in the default C:\WINDOWS and C:\MY DOCUMENTS\

MY PICTURES directories, or look for other images on the PC

by clicking the Browse button. There are three options for

displaying the object:

1. Center. This option centers the picture in the middle of

the display with a border of the color that’s selected as

the desktop color on the Appearance tab.

2. Tile. This option repeats the art, theme, or photo on the

screen, beginning with the first full-sized picture. This

option is commonly used for small photos that make a

pleasant pattern when repeated. Windows supplies a few

of these pictures.

3. Stretch. This option stretches the selected picture to fit

the entire screen. This stretching doesn’t preserve the

aspect ratio, so it shouldn’t be used for portraits.

The Screen Saver tab allows you to select the screen saver you

want to use when the PC is idle for a set period. This tab also

allows you access to the properties screen of the screen saver,

where you can set the way the screen saver itself performs

(speed and colors). The setting for how long the PC is idle

before starting the screen saver is also set on this screen,

as well as an alternate location for setting up the power

management schemes.

The Appearance tab sets the appearance of all the items on the

PC’s display, other than the wallpaper. These items include

the colors and sizes of all the windows, as well as the fonts

used on the different parts of the display. There’s an option

for setting the Windows environment to a classic style that

looks like Windows 2000. You can choose from many preset

schemes. Some of the available schemes are high-contrast,

The original purpose of screen savers was to prevent an image from

burning into the monitor display. Although today’s screens aren’t sus-

ceptible to this problem, screen savers remain a popular way to

personalize the display and to conceal the computer screen when the

computer is unattended.


for visually impaired users. Under the Windows XP style, you

have three color schemes to choose from. You can also define

individual elements in the Windows environment to create a

unique visual style.

The last display property is the Settings tab, which offers you

choices of screen resolution and color-depth support. The

higher the resolution and color depth, the more video mem-

ory that’s required. For example, changing the setting from

800 × 600 video resolution with a 16-bit color depth to

1024 × 768 video resolution and a 24-bit True Color depth

changes the required video RAM from 1 MB to 4 MB. If you

notice a performance change when you change these set-

tings, then you may need to install more video RAM or settle

for the lower settings.

Vista Display Settings

Vista’s display properties are arranged differently but with

much the same features and functions as those of Windows

XP. To access the display settings in Vista, right-click the

desktop and select Personalize. The box in Figure 37 appears.

You can use the Windows Color and Appearance, Desktop

background, Screen Saver, Theme, and Display sections in

the same fashion that you would the tabs in Windows XP.

Windows 7 Display Settings

Windows 7 display properties are arranged differently but

with much the same features and functions as Windows XP

and Vista. To access the display settings in Windows 7,

right-click the desktop and select Personalize. The box in

Figure 38 appears. Again, you can use the Windows Color

and Appearance, Desktop background, Screen Saver, Theme,

and Display sections in the same fashion that you would in

Vista and Windows XP.


One additional set of themes is called Aero themes. Aero is a

new display technology that makes dialog boxes translucent

so you can see through them to the underlying desktop. The

computer must have enough resources to satisfy all graphic

requirements for Aero to function.

Scanners and CamerasPersonalizing the display’s background picture can be dependent

on the acquisition of unique photographic source materials.

This is a good place to discuss how Windows handles image-

creation devices, like scanners and cameras.

FIGURE 37—Personalizing the Computer’s Display in Vista


The setups of scanners and cameras are some of the most

device-dependent additions that can be made to a PC. Many

of these devices have proprietary device drivers or setup pro-

grams that need to be installed, even if they’re designated to

be plug and play.

When installing a camera or scanner, the instructions that

come with the device must be faithfully followed. If you’ve

already installed one of these devices, don’t assume that the

next installation will be the same. Almost every installation is

unique to the scanner or camera.

The first thing you need to be concerned with is the actual

physical installation. Is the device attached using a universal

serial bus (USB port), a shared parallel port with the printer,

a small computer system interface (SCSI) connection to a

peripheral component interconnect (PCI) card, a PC card port

(notebook PCs), an infrared port (mainly cameras), or a pro-

prietary PC interface card? Next, consider that when the PC

is turned on, Windows may automatically detect the device

and do a preliminary installation. To finish the installation,

you’re often required to run the setup software that came

FIGURE 38—Windows 7 Themes


with the scanner or camera. This setup software installs pro-

grams that can be used to run the device and display the

pictures it has created. Finally, you need to set up Windows

to accept the pictures in a way that’s logical to you.

Now let’s discuss the specifics of installing cameras and

scanners to the PC.

Cameras in Windows XP

Windows XP offers full support for digital cameras. This type

of digital imaging device plugs into the PC and transfers

images. The first time you connect a device, you may need

to turn off the PC, attach the device, and turn the PC back

on, even with hot-swappable devices. Ensure you follow the

instructions included with the imaging device before you

attach or detach it from the PC. Some devices, especially

cameras, require you to flip a switch on the camera before

it’s connected to, or disconnected from, a PC.

After you’ve run through the device’s setup program(s),

Windows lists the device on the Scanners and Cameras

Control Panel. To access this panel,

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

2. Double-click Scanners and Cameras.

This action opens a window that displays all the installed

devices, their connections, and properties. A troubleshooting

option is also available to check on how the device is func-

tioning. In the case of cameras, Windows also gives you an

option of placing an icon for the camera in the desktop and

taskbar.

Additionally, you can transfer the pictures from the con-

nected external device to the PC using the Picture Acquisition

Wizard:

1. Right-click the camera icon on the desktop or on the

Scanners and Camera window, and select Use Wizard.

2. Click Next.

3. Thumbnails of the pictures stored in the device appear.

Click the pictures you want, or click Select All, and then

click Next.


4. Enter a name prefix for the selected pictures in the

Name box. The pictures are numbered sequentially with

the prefix you enter (such as Pic001.jpg, Pic002.jpg,

and Pic003.jpg).

5. Enter a destination for the pictures in the Destination

drop-down list, or right-click Browse for a new location.

The default is C:\MY DOCUMENTS\MY PICTURES.

6. If you want to delete the images from the camera after

you’ve transferred the ones you want, check the Delete

copied pictures from the camera box and then click

Finish. This feature isn’t available with all cameras.

Cameras in Vista

The same functions are available in Vista, but the control

paths are slightly different. Use this procedure to access the

Scanners and Cameras control panel:


2. Double-click Hardware and Sound.

3. Double-click Scanners and Cameras.

Cameras in Windows 7

The same functions are also available in Windows 7, but,

again, the control paths are slightly different. If the camera is

detected when you connect it, it appears in Control Panel in

Devices. Use this procedure to access the camera when it has

been detected:


2. Double-click Hardware and Sound.

3. Double-click Devices and Printers.

4. The camera is listed in the Devices section.

When you connect a camera to Windows 7, it detects the

camera and asks you if you want to import pictures from it.

You can apply tags to each picture. The pictures are located

in the Pictures Library. A new feature in Windows 7, libraries

allow you to group items regardless of their physical location.


You can create your own libraries, but there are some default

libraries, and one is called the Pictures Library. To locate the

library,

1. Click Start, and type libraries in the search box. Click

Libraries, which appears above the search box, and the

box in Figure 39 appears. There are some sample pictures

in the library.

Scanners in Windows XP

Scanners are supported in Windows XP by their own applica-

tions, which are supplied with the scanner hardware.

Scanners in Vista

Once the scanner has been connected, detected, and installed

(which may require using the manufacturer installation

program, especially if the driver for the scanner isn’t present

FIGURE 39—The Windows 7 Libraries


in the built-in driver cache), scanned images can be imported

either by using the software that came with the scanner or by

following this procedure:

1. Click File and then Import from Camera or Scanner.

2. In the Import Pictures and Videos window, select the

scanner and click Import.

3. A series of dialog boxes allows you to

• View the default settings for importing and change

them

• Select paper size of the item scanned

• Select a color format

• Select the file type you would like the item to be

saved as

• Select resolution and control brightness and contrast

• Preview the item

4. When the settings are complete, click Scan. The items

are placed in the Windows Photo Gallery. To locate this,

click Start and type Windows Photo Gallery in the search

box.

Scanners in Windows 7

In Windows 7, you can either use the software that came

with the scanner to manage it, or you can use the Windows

Fax and Scan Wizard. To locate this wizard, use the search

box. If you use the Fax and Scan Wizard, the scanned files

are saved in the Scanned documents folder in your profile.

If you use the software that came with the scanner or third-

party software, you probably can choose another location.


Other Input Devices

Keyboards in Windows XP and Vista

Changing the way a PC feels commonly requires changing the

keyboard settings. These settings can be modified using the

Keyboard Properties Control Panel. To open this Control

Panel,


2. Double-click Keyboard to display Keyboard Properties.

The Keyboard Properties control panel has two tabs on the

Windows XP system. The Speed tab allows you to set the

length of the delay that occurs before a key repeats. You can

also define how fast the character is repeated and set the

cursor blink rate. The Hardware tab is a list of all hardware

devices installed that serve a keyboard function. This list

includes standard keyboards, USB keyboards, and other

devices connected to the PC that function as a character-

input device.

Keyboards in Windows 7

The exact same Keyboard control panel is used in

Windows 7, but its navigation path is different.


2. In the search bar in the upper-left corner, type

keyboards.

3. The Keyboard Properties control panel appears

(Figure 40). You can change the settings as you wish.


Mice in Windows XP

Another device that can be modified to change the feel of a

PC is the mouse. Many options that change the way the

mouse functions are available on the Mouse Properties

Control Panel. To open this control panel,


Panel.

2. Double-click Mouse to display the Mouse Properties

control panel (Figure 41).

The options give you the chance to make the mouse work

more comfortably for you. The Pointers tab is used to change

the look of the cursors displayed during the different modes

of operation (such as when its display indicates insertion or

waiting).

The Buttons tab is used to change the button assignments

on the mouse. This tab also gives you access to control the

double-click speed for the mouse as well as an opportunity to

FIGURE 40—Windows 7Keyboard Properties


test the speed to see if it’s appropriate for you. Also included

is a feature for mobility-impaired individuals and others that

don’t or can’t hold down the mouse button to drag items on

the screen.

The Pointer Options tab allows you to change how fast the

mouse moves the screen cursor when you move the mouse. It

also lets you decide whether you want the mouse to move

faster the more you move it (a feature known as acceleration).

Other options have to do with the Snap To function, which

moves the cursor to the highlighted button on a screen, and

how fast the select button repeats.

Mice in Vista and Windows 7

The only difference in the mouse control panel in Vista and

Windows 7 is its location. In Vista, click Start, Control

Panel, and then Hardware and Sound. Next, click Mouse,

and the panel appears.

FIGURE 41—MouseProperties


In Windows 7, click Start, and, in the search box, type

mouse. In the results that appear above the search box,

select Change mouse settings, and the panel appears.

Sounds and Multimedia

Sounds and Multimedia in Windows XP

Changing how the PC handles sounds is another way to add

functionality and individuality to the PC. To access the Sound

Properties control panel,


2. Double-click Sounds and Audio Devices (Figure 42).

This action displays the control panel for the PC.

FIGURE 42—Sounds andAudio Devices Propertiesin Windows XP


The first tab, Volume, adjusts the most basic of sound func-

tions, the quantity of sound that’s output to the speakers. By

selecting the Advanced tab in the Device volume section, a

full volume control is displayed and you can adjust individual

volume settings for different devices. In the Speaker settings

section, you’re able to adjust the volume of the external

speakers and change the speaker type.

The Sounds tab lists the sounds the PC makes during certain

predefined events. These sound events play.wav files stored

in the default directory C:\WINDOWS\MEDIA. You can select

any of the listed sound schemes, or make your own using

.wav files you’ve created and saved on the PC.

The Audio tab allows you to select the devices you choose to

handle the sounds used on the PC.

Using the Voice tab, you can control the volume and advanced

options for the microphone and speakers for voice functions.

The voice functions are often used for type-as-you-speak

applications, as well as instant-messaging voice communica-

tions. To set levels that avoid feedback, adjustments can be

made for voice recording and playback.

The Hardware tab provides a list of the devices that support

sound on the PC. Clicking the Troubleshoot button sends

you to the Help and Support program’s sound troubleshoot-

ing section.

Sounds and Multimedia in Vista and Windows 7

The Sound control panel is organized differently in Vista and

Windows 7. In Figure 43, you can see that there are only three

tabs. The properties of each output device are controlled on

the Playback tab. By selecting the device and then clicking

Properties, each can be given different settings. On the

Recording tab, you can control the properties of any recording

devices that may be connected to the computer (Figure 44).

The Sounds tab operates the same as that of Windows XP.


FIGURE 43—The SoundControl Panel in Vista andWindows 7

FIGURE 44—The RecordingTab


Additional Windows ModificationsWindows offers additional modifications to make the PC look

and feel the way you would like it to.

Folders in Windows XP

Windows allows you to customize how you view folders.

Windows XP features five views: thumbnails, tiles, icons, list,

and details. If you wish, you can set one view across every

folder on the PC. If you prefer to view all the folders in the

same style, follow these directions:

1. Open Windows Explorer by pressing Windows key + E

on the keyboard. If you don’t have a Windows key, click

Start, point to All Programs, Accessories, and then

click Windows Explorer.

2. Click View, and select the option you wish, from among

the Thumbnails, Tiles, Icons, List, and Details choices.

3. Click Tools, and select Folder Options.

4. Click the View tab.

5. Click the Apply to All Folders button to make every

folder look like the one you’re currently in.

Folders in Vista

The procedure is slightly different in Vista, but the logic is

the same.

1. Open Windows Explorer by clicking Start, pointing to All

Programs and then Accessories, and then clicking

Windows Explorer.

2. Click View, and select the option that suits you.

3. In the Organize menu, select Folder and Search

options.

4. In the Folder Options dialog box, select the View tab.

On this tab under Folder views, click Apply to Folders.


Folders in Windows 7

There’s only one small difference in the procedure for

Windows 7.

1. Open Windows Explorer by clicking Start, pointing to

All Programs and then Accessories, and then clicking

Windows Explorer.

2. In the upper-right corner of the resulting Libraries dia-

log box, select the drop-down arrow next to the Change

your view icon. (If you’re not sure, just scroll over the

top of the icons and it tells the name of the icon.) Select

the option that suits you.

3. In the Organize menu, select Folder and Search

options.

4. In the Folder Options dialog box, select the View tab.

On this tab under Folder views, click Apply to Folders.

The Album Thumbnail Generator

A Windows XP feature aimed at the home user is the album

thumbnail generator. Let’s say you just finished ripping MP3

files from a new album you’ve bought, and you want the art

from the album to be displayed on the folder where all the

music is stored. All you need to do is download the album

cover from somewhere on the Internet (as long as it’s not a

copyright-protected picture) and then do the following:

1. On the Web site with the picture, right-click the image

and choose Save Picture As to bring up the Save Picture

dialog box (Figure 45).

2. Name the image, and then place it inside the folder

containing the music from the new album.

3. Click Save to write the image to the hard drive.

4. Using Windows Explorer, navigate to where the music

folder is stored. Change the folder view to Thumbnails

by clicking View and then clicking Thumbnails.

5. Windows XP automatically places the artwork on the

thumbnail. If there’s more than one piece of artwork in

the file, the system attempts to display all the artwork

as a thumbnail.


Thumbnails in Vista and Windows 7

In Vista and Windows 7, folders have thumbnails of the

documents and pictures automatically displayed (Figure 46).

This behavior can be disabled by selecting Always show icons,

never thumbnails in Folder options.

My Pictures Slideshow in Windows XP

You can display the pictures stored in the My Pictures folder

in random order as a screen saver. To make this personal

screen saver,

1. Right-click the desktop, and click Properties.

2. Click the Screen Saver tab.

3. In the Screen Saver roll-down menu, click My Pictures

Slideshow.

4. Adjust the time of inactivity before the screen saver is

initiated.

FIGURE 45—DisplayingAlbum Cover Art asThumbnails


5. Click Settings to adjust transition effects between pic-

tures, how frequently they change, and what size the

pictures should be. Click OK.

6. Click Preview to see what the screen saver looks like,

and then click Apply.

My Pictures Slideshow in Vista and Windows 7

The path to this same procedure is slightly different in Vista

and Windows 7.

1. Right-click the desktop, and click Personalize.

2. On the ensuing page, select Screen Saver.

3. In the Screen saver dialog box, click the drop-down box

next to Screen Saver and select Photos.

4. Click settings (Figure 47), and adjust as you would in

Windows XP.

FIGURE 46—If you don’t want thumbnails displayed, select the Advanced settings box as shown.


The Interface in Windows XP

If you like the old, familiar version of the Windows interface,

you can change the interface that Windows XP uses.

1. Right-click the desktop and select Properties.

2. Click the Appearance tab.

3. Select Windows Classic, and click Apply.

4. Click OK to close the Desktop Display Properties dialog

box

The Interface in Vista

To change the interface in Vista,

1. Right-click the desktop, and select Personalize.

2. Click Windows Color and Appearance.

3. In the Color scheme box, select Windows Classic and

click OK.

FIGURE 47—Setting up the Screen Saver in Vista and Windows 7


The Interface in Windows 7

To change the interface in Windows 7,

1. Right-click the desktop, and select Personalize.

2. Under the section Change the visuals and sounds on

the computer, scroll down to Basic and High Contrast

Themes.

3. Double-click Windows Classic.

Start Menu Programs

If you have some favorite programs you want in the Start

menu, you can use some Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7

features to pin programs to the Start menu so you’ll never

again have to search for them in the All Programs list. To

accomplish this,

1. Click Start and point to All Programs.

2. Locate and right-click the program icon you want to pin

to the Start menu.

3. In the roll-down menu, choose Pin to Start menu.

You should be able to pin as many icons to the Start menu

as the screen resolution allows. If you want to unpin an icon

from the Start menu,

1. Click the Start menu and point to the program icon you

want to unpin.

2. Right-click the program’s icon, and choose Unpin from

Start menu from the roll-down menu.

Microsoft Narrator in Windows XP

For people who are blind, have impaired vision, or simply

enjoy being read to, Microsoft Narrator offers a viable alterna-

tive to reading the computer screen. Narrator reads the

contents of the Start menu, all program file menus, and

Web links. It also speaks aloud every keystroke. To use the


program, you need to turn the Narrator on and then config-

ure how Microsoft SAM (text-to-speech engine) reads to you.

To turn on Microsoft Narrator,

1. Press Windows key + U to launch the Utility Manager. If

you don’t have a Windows key, click Start, point to All

Programs, Accessories, Accessibility, and then click

Utility Manager.

2. On the Utility Manager, click Narrator isn’t running,

and then click Start.

3. You should now see a dialog box that lists directions on

how to use Microsoft Narrator. (If you get a message

explaining that Narrator was unable to find a text-to-

speech engine, you need to install the accessibility

components using the Add/Remove Programs feature.)

4. The actual Narrator should be minimized in the toolbar.

Click it to see the list of available configuration options

(Figure 48).

FIGURE 48—Narrator’sConfiguration Options

5. After you’ve finished customizing Narrator, minimize it.

6. To turn Narrator off, close the Narrator dialog box.

Microsoft Narrator in Vista and Windows 7

1. Click Start and Control Panel, and then select Ease of

Access.

2. Click Ease of Access Center at the top of the window.


3. Under the Make the computer easier to use area, click

Start Narrator.

4. A box similar to that shown in Figure 48 appears and

offers the same choices.

Balloon Hints

Balloon tips can tell you where you are or what a button’s

function is. While these tips can be convenient for home

users, they’re unnecessary for most business users. Some of

these tips no longer appear after a while if you don’t follow

their directions. Others, like the balloon reminding you to

download and install the latest Windows Update, won’t

disappear until you follow their instructions.

If you wish, you can stop the help balloons from appearing.

However, remember that you’ll need to manually check

Windows Update, because the reminder won’t pop up. The

balloon that warns you that the hard drive is running low on

space also no longer functions if you turn the balloon hints

off. (You’ll still get a little picture of a hard drive in the

taskbar.)

There are two ways to remove the balloons. The easiest choice

(for Windows XP only) is to go to http://www.microsoft.com/

windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp and download

Microsoft’s PowerToys. This is a set of unsupported applica-

tions offered free from Microsoft. Once installed, the PowerToys

are displayed as an item on the program menu. Use of the

PowerToys and specifically Tweak UI is covered elsewhere in

this study unit. Once you have it installed, go to taskbar and

uncheck Enable Balloon Tips.

There’s a second, more risky way to remove the balloon tips

through altering the registry. The first step in modifying the

registry is to back it up. Set a restore point:

1. Click Start, point to All Programs, Accessories, and

System Tools, and then click System Restore.

2. On the System Restore screen, click the Create restore

point radio button and then click Next.

3. Name your restore point, and then click OK.


To open the registry editing tool and edit the registry,


2. In the Open box, type REGEDIT, and then click OK.

3. Go to this key:

KEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\

CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

4. Create a new DWORD value, name it EnableBalloon

Tips, and set it equal to 0. You can create a DWORD by

right-clicking the mouse in the right panel of the Editor

and selecting DWORD value. Then, type in the name and

hit Enter. Right-click the name and select Modify. Enter

the _ if necessary, and select OK.

5. If EnableBalloonTips is already there and equal to 1, set

it equal to 0.

6. Exit the registry editor, log off, and log back on.

Microsoft Error Reporting

When a system error occurs while you’re using Windows XP,

a dialog box appears and asks whether you want to report

the error to Microsoft. Clicking one of the two options closes

the message box. You don’t have to report any errors if you

don’t want to, and you can turn this feature off. To disable

error reporting, first log on as a member of the administrative

group. Then, if you’re running Windows XP,


Panel, or right-click My Computer and choose

Properties.

2. Click the Advanced tab on the system Properties dialog

box, and click the Error Reporting button.

3. Select Disable error reporting, but keep the But notify

me when critical errors occur radio button unchecked.

4. Click OK.

If you’re running Vista,

1. Click Start, and in the search box type problem.

2. In the area above the search box, click Problem Reports

and Solutions.


3. In the left menu, select Change Settings. Then, on the

next page, select Advanced Settings.

4. Under the For my Programs, problem reporting section,

select Off.

If you’re running Windows 7,

1. Click Start, and, in the search box, type problem.

2. In the area above the search box, click Choose when to

check for solutions to problem reports.

3. Select the Never Check for solutions radio button.

System Time

Previous versions of Windows occasionally lost track of the

system’s time. Now, Windows is capable of synchronizing the

PC’s internal clock once a week with an Internet timeserver.

Just follow these steps:

In Windows XP,

1. Double-click the time on the taskbar.

2. On the Date and Time tab, ensure that you display the

correct date before continuing. If the date is incorrect,

adjust the date and then click Apply.

3. Click the Internet Time tab.

4. Select the timeserver you want to use.

5. Click next to the text that reads Automatically synchro-

nize with an Internet timeserver.

6. Click Update Now to begin synchronizing.

In Vista and Windows 7,

1. Double-click the time on the taskbar.

2. Click Change Date and Time settings.

3. On the Date and Time tab, ensure that you display the

correct date before continuing. If the date is incorrect,

adjust the date and then click Apply.

4. Click the Internet Time tab.

5. Select the Change settings button.


6. Select the timeserver you want to use from the drop-down

box next to Time Server.

7. Click Update Now to begin synchronizing.

Special-Needs ConfigurationsConfiguring some of the special-needs items can assist many

computer users. These tools can help with problem areas for

individuals and assist with common issues that can affect

personal enjoyment and job performance. These tools fall into

two groups:

• Accessibility Tools. These items, set up by the

Accessibility Wizard, allow you to configure Windows for

special vision, hearing, and mobility needs. Accessibility

Tools aren’t installed by default when you install

Windows.

• Accessibility Options. These options configure the

OS for specific changes in the devices connected to it.

Accessibility Options are installed by default when you

install Windows.

It’s possible that one or both of these components aren’t

installed on the PC. To install these features, they must be

installed as a Windows component.

Accessibility Tools in Windows XP

Windows XP is packaged with a group of components called

Accessibility Tools, which are intended for individuals with

special needs. The Accessibility Wizard configures these com-

ponents. This wizard sets up all the accessibility options, so

you don’t have to configure the options one at a time. To

start the Accessibility Wizard,

1. Click Start, and point to All Programs, Accessories,

and Accessibility.

2. Click the Accessibility Wizard (Figure 49).


This action brings you to a screen in which you can set the

screen’s text size. This setting is offered before any of the

other options, in case you’re setting up the PC for individuals

that have visual impairment. Options are offered to change

the Windows components’ text size, to change all text size by

changing the monitor setting, or to use a screen magnifier

(Figure 50).

FIGURE 49—TheAccessibility Wizard

FIGURE 50—TheAccessibilityWizard DisplaySettings


Follow the prompts to change the accessibility features you

need to modify. There are options for visual, hearing, and

mobility needs (Figure 51). When you mark the check box for

any of the items, you’re guided to a set of screens that sets

up the features needed. This screen also gives the operator

the choice of resetting the PC to its original Windows setting.

Remember that when you reset these options, it affects the

accessibility for all users, so be considerate of the needs of

others. All these features can also be changed manually.

The Utility Manager can set other options that may be needed

in special situations. This feature is started by pressing the

WinKey + U (Figure 52). This screen controls the three

devices displayed.

These utilities have control panels and settings that can be

adjusted to the needs of the user. Select the options needed

by clicking the box for any of the features desired. Clicking

Start, pointing to All Programs, Accessories, Accessibility,

and then clicking the desired feature can also open these

utilities.

FIGURE 51—AccessibilityWizard Options


Accessibility Tools in Vista and Windows 7

The same tools included in the Accessibility Wizard and

Utility manager in Windows XP reside in the Control Panel in

the Ease-of-Use area in Vista and Windows 7. Neither tool is

found in Vista or Windows 7. To locate the same items,

1. Click Start, Programs, and then Accessories.

2. Click the Ease of Access folder, and then select Ease of

Access Center. This action directs you to the location in

the Control Panel shown in Figure 53.

Here you’ll find access to all the functions discussed in the

section on Windows XP.

Accessibility Options in Windows XP

Accessibility Options are controlled using the Accessibility

Properties control panels. These panels allow you to set each

of the features that the Accessibility Wizard configures. To

open the Accessibility Property control panels,


Panel.

2. Double-click Accessibility Options to open the Accessibility

Properties control panels. (These components may need

to be installed first.)

FIGURE 52—UtilityManager


Most of these features have two items that can be set. First,

you can check a box that turns the feature on or off. Second,

there’s a Settings button that opens a dialog box to let you

configure the feature. We’ll discuss each of the Accessibility

Options features that can be modified: the keyboard, sound,

display, mouse, and general features.

Keyboard. You can control how the keyboard behaves by

altering any of these keyboard options:

• StickyKeys, which treats the Ctrl, Shift, and Alt keys as

toggle keys (Each time you press them, they toggle on

and off, so that, if you want to use key combinations,

like Alt + F to open the File menu, you don’t have to hit

the two keys simultaneously.)

FIGURE 53—Vista and 7 Ease of Access Center


• FilterKeys, which allows the Windows keyboard interface

to ignore brief or repeated keystrokes that may occur

with certain types of mobility impairments

• ToggleKeys, which plays a sound when the Caps Lock,

Num Lock, or Scroll Lock keys are pressed, so you’ll

know when you’ve pressed them

Sound. The features under the Sound tab address how

additional visual information is presented for hearing-

impaired users.

• SoundSentry, which allows Windows to generate visual

warnings onscreen whenever the PC normally makes a

sound, and which includes extending the visual warning

feature to any programs that support its use

• ShowSounds, which turns on an option that works like

closed captioning on TV, so that the OS, and programs

that support this feature, type out the speech or sounds

being generated

Display. Under the Display tab is the Use High Contrast

check box (Figure 54). This feature sets the display to use

fonts and colors that are designed for easier reading, which

is especially convenient for visually impaired users. Other

options adjust the blink rate and width of the screen’s

cursor.

Mouse. The only feature you can access under the Mouse

tab is the Use MouseKeys option. This feature allows you to

use the arrow keys on the numeric keypad instead of using a

mouse. This option is convenient for individuals who have

mobility impairments that make using a mouse difficult. If

you use this feature, you should also use the FilterKey option.

General. The General tab presents more options you may

wish to customize:

• Automatic Reset, which resets the PC and turns off all

accessibility features after a set time, but doesn’t turn

off the check box on the Accessibility Options screen; it

merely suspends the feature until it’s turned back on

(You may, of course, reselect any accessibility option at

any time by reselecting it on the Accessibility Options

screen.)


• Notification, which displays warning messages on the

screen and plays sounds when an accessibility feature

is being turned off

• SerialKey Devices, which allows Windows to access

alternative keyboards and pointing devices that are

used for handicapped individuals (Instructions for the

setup and use of these devices are included with the

device’s documentation.)

• Administrative options, which allow the changes made

for one user to apply to all people who use the PC, or to

confine the changes to only one sign-on

If you have any additional needs or concerns about using

the Windows 2000 or XP accessibility options, Microsoft has

a Web site for individuals that need these special services.

The Microsoft Accessibility Web site is available at http://

www.microsoft.com/enable/.

FIGURE 54—AccessibilityProperties


Accessibility Options in Vista and Windows 7

All the options discussed above are located in the Ease of Use

section of the Control Panel in Vista and Windows 7. To

locate these functions,

1. Click Start, Programs, and Accessories.

2. Click the Ease of Use folder, and then select Ease of Use

Center. This action directs you to the location in the

Control Panel shown in Figure 53. In the Explore all

settings portion are sections dedicated to making the

use of various devices easier. Simply select the device

(the mouse, for example) and the same accessibility

options as those in Windows XP are present.

Internet Accessibility Options in Windows XP

Accessibility options Windows XP extend to the Internet

pages displayed on the PC.

Ignoring colors, font styles, or font sizes specified on

Web pages. Your color and style selections can override

those on a Web page if you set Internet Explorer to ignore

colors, font styles, and font sizes specified on Web pages. To

accomplish this,


Panel.

2. On the Control Panel, click Internet Options. Be sure

you’re using the Classic View (in which all Control Panel

icons are showing). If not, under Control Panel in the

left pane, select Switch to Classic View.

3. On the Internet Properties dialog box, click the General

tab and then the Accessibility button (Figure 55).

4. On the Accessibility dialog box (Figure 56), under

Formatting,

• Select the Ignore colors specified on Web pages

check box.

• Select the Ignore font styles specified on Web

pages check box.


• Select the Ignore font sizes specified on Web

pages check box.

5. Select OK, and then close the Internet Properties dialog

box by clicking OK again.

FIGURE 55—TheGeneral Tab on theInternet PropertiesDialog Box

FIGURE 56—TheInternet OptionsAccessibility DialogBox


Formatting Web pages using a custom style sheet. You

can also display Web pages using their own custom style

sheets to specify the default font style, size, colors, and back-

ground for text and headings. Use this procedure to select

your own custom style sheet:

1. On the Accessibility dialog box shown on Figure 56,

under User style sheet:

• Select the Format documents using my style

sheet check box.

• Select the Browse button.

• Navigate to and open a saved style sheet.



Selecting Web page colors. To increase contrast between

screen elements, you can select text and background colors

of Web pages displayed on the screen. After you’ve selected

the Ignore colors specified in Web pages option, you can

use this procedure to select colors for text and background

colors that make pages easier to view. The settings you

choose override the Web page author’s choice of colors.

Follow this procedure to select Web page colors:


tab and then the Colors button.

2. In the Colors dialog box, clear the Use Windows colors

check box to activate the Text and Background buttons

if these are the colors you want to change (Figure 57).

FIGURE 57—The InternetOptions Colors Dialog Box


3. Select one of the four color buttons. The Color dialog box

displays a color palette (Figure 58).

4. In the Color dialog box, select the color you want and

then select OK.

5. Select OK again, and then close the Internet Properties

dialog box by clicking OK.

Selecting hover-link colors. You can choose a color to dis-

play links you pass over or point to with the mouse pointer.

This hover color can help some people with vision or cognitive

impairments identify Web links. Use this procedure to select

hover-link colors of Web pages.

1. On the Colors dialog box, click the Use hover color

check box to activate the hover radio button. Clear the

Use Windows colors check box to activate the Text and

Background buttons if you want to change these colors.

2. Select the Hover button. The Color dialog box appears

and displays a palette of colors (Figure 58).

3. In the Color dialog box, select the color you want and

then select OK.

4. Select OK again, and then close the Internet Properties

dialog box by clicking OK.

FIGURE 58—The Color Palette


Selecting a font style. To help make Web pages more legi-

ble on screen, you can select a font style to be used in Web

pages that don’t have a specified text font.


tab and then the Fonts button (Figure 59).

2. In the Fonts dialog box, select the Web page font and

the Plain text font that you want, and then select OK.

3. Select OK again to close the Internet Properties dialog

box.

Setting ALT text. The ALT text is read by the text-to-speech

engine to describe images. To ensure that ALT text isn’t cut

off if the amount of ALT text is larger than the image area,

people who rely on ALT text should select the Always expand

ALT text for images option. Turned on, this option expands

the image size to fit all the alternate text. Use this procedure

to select this option:

1. In the Internet Options dialog box, click the Advanced

tab (Figure 60).

2. Under Accessibility, turn on the Always expand ALT

text for images setting by selecting its check box.

3. Under Multimedia, turn off the Show pictures option.



FIGURE 59—The InternetOptions Fonts Dialog Box


Other accessibility options are available using this screen.

The ones that have the greatest effects on making Web pages

more accessible are

• Move system caret with focus/selection changes

• Use smooth scrolling

• Play animations in Web pages

• Play sounds in Web pages

• Play videos in Web pages

FIGURE 60—The InternetOptions Advanced Tab


Internet Accessibility Options in Vista and Windows 7

The path to the Internet Properties dialog box is slightly dif-

ferent in Vista, but all functions are the same. To locate the

Internet Properties dialog box in Vista and Windows 7,


2. Select the Network and Internet applet. When it opens,

select Internet Properties.

3. You’re now at the same box shown in Figure 55, and all

functions are the same.


Self-Check 3

1. True or False? One way to delete a folder is to delete the shortcut pointing to it.

2. Three special-needs conditions for which Windows provides accessibility options are _______.

3. Visual styles are Windows XP specifications for the _______.

4. The Windows XP feature that allows you to have up to four separate desktops on the activescreen is _______.

5. The selection of an operating system emulator, when using Windows XP, is made on the_______.

6. What are the two additional tabs that appear in the Vista and Windows 7 Shortcut Propertiesdialog box that aren’t present in the Windows XP Shortcut Properties dialog box?

__________________________________________________________

7. Where are accessibility controls located in Vista and Windows 7?

__________________________________________________________

8. What two accessibility tools found in Windows XP are not present in Vista and Windows 7?

__________________________________________________________

9. In which section of Control Panel is a scanner configured in Vista and Windows 7?

__________________________________________________________

10. How can you access Display properties from the desktop in Vista and Windows 7?

__________________________________________________________



OPTIMIZING THE OPERATING SYSTEMNo matter how fast a system runs, there’s a natural tendency

to try to make it run faster, and this is the goal of optimizing

the OS. There are many commercial products available for

optimizing an OS. Probably your best sources for the latest

information on such products are experienced PC users, who

can tell you about the products that they like to use.

However, certain basic optimizing schemes work with all

operating systems. Many of these procedures are focused on

having the OS more quickly access data on the hard drive.

The basic idea is to have the minimum amount of data resid-

ing on the hard drive and to make the files as contiguous as

possible. Other procedures involve adding key hardware com-

ponents. The trick is to figure out what’s slowing the system

down and then to focus on optimizing the items causing the

bottleneck.

General OptimizationOperating systems access data faster on efficiently organized

hard drives. One of the easiest ways to have the files on a PC

efficiently organized is to install the OS on an empty, format-

ted partition of a hard drive. If you’re doing an update, it’s an

excellent idea to clean up and defragment the hard drive

before installing the OS. The first part of the process is to

remove all extraneous files from the partition onto which

you’ll install the OS. These unnecessary files reside in many

places. You can safely remove the following files from these

locations:

• Downloaded program files in C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded

Program Files

• Temporary Internet Files in C:\Documents and

Settings\“username”\Local Settings\Temporary

Internet Files

• Offline Web pages in C:\WINDOWS\Offline Web Pages


• Discarded files in the Recycle Bin

• Setup log files

• Temporary files found in Temp folders created by

applications

• WebClient/Publisher temporary files

• Offline files in the Offline Files folder

On some versions of Windows, the Disk Cleanup tool auto-

mates this process. To access this tool in current versions

of Windows,

1. Click Start, point to Programs, Accessories, System

Tools, and then Disk Cleanup (Figure 61).

FIGURE 61—The Disk Cleanup Tool


2. The Disk Cleanup tool looks in all the above listed places

and reports on how much disk space will be freed up.

3. Click all the check boxes, and then click OK. The files

are removed from the hard disk.

Other files stored by a browser can be permanently removed

from the system by using the browser’s tools. For all versions

of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, use the following procedure:

1. Click the icon you use to open the Internet Explorer.

2. In the menu bar, click Tools and then Internet Options.

3. Select the General tab. In the browsing history section,

click Delete.

4. Click Delete Cookies. In the dialog box, click OK.

5. Click Delete Files. Check Delete All Offline Content,

and then click OK.

6. Click Delete History. In the dialog box, click OK.

7. Close Internet Explorer. Don’t access any Web sites

before closing the browser, or you’ll create new cookies,

files, and history items.

Defragmenting in Windows XP

Now that the file system is emptied of as much junk as possi-

ble, you should defragment the hard drive or partition. The

process can be quite lengthy on large partitions. However,

this process can enhance the speed of a hard drive or parti-

tion at any time. NTFS drives probably need defragmenting at

least once a month. FAT file system drives require defrag-

mentation more often because of the way files are written to

the drive. Defragment FAT file system drives every two weeks

if possible. If you defragment the hard drives often enough,

you won’t notice a change in performance immediately after

defragmentation. If the computer is noticeably more respon-

sive right after defragmentation, you’ve let the fragmentation

process go too long and you should shorten the schedule. To

defragment a hard drive or partition in Windows XP,

1. Disable the screen saver and any power options that

will affect the system before the defragmentation is

completed.



3. Click the Screen Saver tab.

4. Select (None) for the screen saver.

5. Click Power in the monitor power section.

6. Set all the settings to Never, and then click OK.

7. Click OK again to save the settings.


System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter

(Figure 62).

9. Select the drive or partition, and click Defragment.

FIGURE 62—The Disk Defragmenter


Defragmenting in Vista and Windows 7

1. Disable the screen saver and any power options that

will affect the system before the defragmentation is

completed.


3. Click Screen Saver.

4. Select (None) for the screen saver.

5. Click Power Settings in the power management section.

6. Select Change plan settings on the power plan currently

in use. Set all the settings to Never, and then click OK.

7. Click Save Changes again to save the settings.

8. Click Start, point to Programs, Accessories, and

System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter

(Figure 62). The path to this tool is the same in all ver-

sions, but the box looks different when it opens in Vista

(Figure 63) and Windows 7 (Figure 64).

9. Select the drive or partition, and click Defragment now

in Vista and Defragment disk in Windows 7.

FIGURE 63—Disk Defragmenter in Vista


CPUs with More L2 Cache

Another way to enhance the speed of a PC, even one that’s

being used as a server, is to use CPUs with more L2 cache.

This addition often makes a noticeable change in processing

speed even on servers.

FIGURE 64—Disk Defragmenter in Windows 7

Cache memory is RAM that a PC’s microprocessor can access more

quickly than regular system RAM. L2 cache memory is on a separate

chip, possibly on an expansion card.


System RAM

Adding system RAM also creates a modest increase in the

processing speed of most PCs. The relatively low cost of a

RAM increase makes this one of the most popular optimizing

strategies. Changing the speed of the CPU can also signifi-

cantly increase the processing speed, but this change is more

costly than adding RAM.

Desktop Cleanup

A tidy desktop is an efficient desktop. As is the case with all

versions of Windows, excessive desktop icons and desktop

wallpaper take up system memory, and they’re constantly

refreshed by the graphics subsystems. Animated desktops

are particularly hard on a system’s core resources. If you’re

working on a system that has 64MB of RAM on a 200MHz

Pentium processor, every clock cycle is critical.

Windows Optimization

Of everything you can do to optimize Windows XP, Vista, and

Windows 7, one of the simplest is just to use it. As you use

applications, Windows observes your behavior and updates a

dynamic file called Layout.ini. Every three days, during idle

time, it rearranges the locations of programs on the system

hard drive to optimize their launch and execution.

Prefetching in Windows XP

Windows XP also speeds up the boot process and optimizes the

launch of programs by using prefetching. Windows observes

the code and programs used immediately upon bootup and

creates a list of data to prefetch early in the boot process.

Similarly, as individual programs are launched, Windows

keeps track of which files and components are accessed. The

next time the application is accessed, Windows prefetches

the necessary items to speed up the application’s launch.

The prefetch optimizing code exists both within the Windows

XP kernel and the task scheduler service. The kernel keeps

track of pages that are referenced by a given procedure

immediately after the procedure is created. The recorded


pages are then transformed into prefetch instructions for that

procedure. The next time the procedure is created, the kernel

executes the prefetch instructions, thereby speeding up the

creation of the procedure.

Disk optimization and application/boot prefetching work

in tandem. That is, when Windows XP optimizes the file

system for faster program access, the data it recorded for

the application and boot-up prefetch processes is factored in

to determine optimal file placement on the disks.

Superfetching in Vista and Windows 7

In Vista and Windows 7, prefetching is taken to a new level

called superfetching, in which the system also holds the infor-

mation in memory, where it can be retrieved even faster. It

also creates profiles of each application you use and the files

that are used by these applications. It ensures that these

files are in memory when you use the application.

Disabling FeaturesAnother important and sometimes overlooked task that can

help optimize the performance of a Windows XP, Vista, and

Windows 7 system is disabling some of the features that are

automatically set up when the OS is installed. If you’re sure

that a feature won’t be needed or is causing problems, you

can disable it and thereby free up whatever resources it

would have been taking up.

Fast User Switching

Available on Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP

Professional when it’s not part of a domain, and all versions

of Vista and Windows 7 (that aren’t in a domain), fast user

switching lets users of the same computer switch between

accounts without logging off. It’s a useful feature when

members of the same household share the same computer;

however, keeping multiple user accounts active is a burden

to a PC’s memory usage.


When more than one user is logged on, each user’s settings

remain active and the programs activated through his or her

account remain open—even if someone switches to another

user account. If one person leaves a memory-intensive appli-

cation running, it negatively affects the other people using

the PC.

For best performance, ensure that only one user is logged in

at a time, and if that becomes a nuisance, disable the feature

altogether.

1. In Windows XP, click Start and Control Panel, and

double-click User Accounts (Figure 65).

2. Click Change the way users log on or off and uncheck

Use Fast User Switching.

FIGURE 65—User Accounts


In Vista and Windows 7, disabling this feature involves using

a tool called the Group Policy editor.

1. Click Start, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.

2. In the Local Computer Policy, navigate to the following

location: Administrative Templates\System\Logon.

3. Set the Hide Entry Points for Fast User Switching to

Enabled.

4. Quit the Group policy editor.

Automatic Updating

You should always keep Windows up-to-date with the latest

security fixes, DirectX versions, compatibility patches, and

other updates. By default, Windows XP, Vista, and Windows

7 do this for you. However, this feature requires a small pro-

gram to run in the background and occasionally check (or

ask you to check) for Windows revisions. If you would rather

handle the task of updating Windows yourself, you can turn

off the notification program. To disable the automatic

updates and update notifications in Windows XP,

1. Click Start and Control Panel, and double-click

System.

2. Click the Automatic Update tab (Figure 66). If the tab

isn’t present, the PC you’re working on must be part of a

domain.

3. Click the Turn off automatic updating radio button.

Click Apply and then OK.

To disable the automatic updates and update notifications in

Vista and Windows 7,

1. Click Start and Control Panel, and double-click System

and Maintenance (System and Security in Windows 7).

2. Under Windows Update, click Turn Automatic

Updating On or Off.

3. In the Important Updates drop-down box, select Never

Check for Updates (not recommended) and then click

OK.


System Restore

System Restore is an important application that creates peri-

odic snapshots of the critical system files (such as registry

files, COM+ database, and user profiles) and stores them as

a restore point. Restore points are automatically created by

System Restore when a new application is installed, a Windows

update is applied, an unsigned driver is installed, or some other

event occurs that could have negatively affect the operating

system.

If you experience a system failure or another significant

problem, you can use System Restore from Safe Mode or

Normal Mode to go back to a previous system state, which is

a specific previous configuration that’s selected by choosing

date and time restore points. System Restore won’t revert

user data or document files, so restoring won’t cause you to

lose work, mail, or other data.

System Restore does require a service to run in the back-

ground that has a performance impact, and its recorded

backups take up hard drive space. System Restore’s impact

is minimal, and the benefits of restore points are great.

However, if you’re using, for example, a gaming application

FIGURE 66—TheAutomatic Updates Tab inthe System PropertiesTool


that uses all the system’s resources or you’re running a

benchmark test of the system, you may want to modify the

settings or disable System Restore.

In Windows XP, you can adjust the percentage of space that

System Restore is allowed to work with on each disk on the

system through the System Restore tab in the System

Properties tool (Figure 67).

The System Restore tab also provides a check box that allows

you to shut down System Restore entirely for all drives. To

get to the System Restore tab on the System Properties

screen in Windows XP,

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and double-click

System.

2. Click the System Restore tab. If the tab isn’t present,

the PC you’re working on must have this feature disabled

for some users. Log on as an administrator.

3. Click the Turn off System Restore on all drives radio

button, or adjust the percentage of hard drive space allo-

cated for System Restore files. Click Apply and then OK.

FIGURE 67—The SystemRestore Tab in the SystemProperties Tool


In Vista,


and Maintenance and then System.

2. In the menu on the left side of the page, select System

Protection.

3. This action takes you to the System Protection tab on

System Properties. For any drives listed in the Create

restore point automatically box, deselect the check

box. To completely disable system restore, uncheck all

drives listed.

In Windows 7,

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and double-click

System and Security and then System.

2. In the menu on the left side of the page, select System

Protection.

3. This action takes you to the System Protection tab on

System Properties. Click the Configure button and then

select the Turn off system protection radio button

(Figure 68).

FIGURE 68—SystemProtection in Windows 7


Unneeded Background Clutter

Like versions of Windows from 98 on, Windows XP, Vista, and

Windows 7 contain the System Configuration Utility (SCU).

To start the SCU,


2. In the Open box, type MSCONFIG. Then, click OK.

The SCU dialog box contains several tabs that allow you to

nonpermanently alter several startup parameters. The first

two, SYSTEM.INI and WIN.INI, are included for the purpose

of legacy compatibility; it would be unusual to ever need to

make any changes to them.

The BOOT.INI tab lets you change the file that defines how

Windows XP boots. The entire file is displayed in a text box

in which you can select individual lines. Selecting an item

allows you to alter that item through check boxes. This

screen is most often used in troubleshooting the boot

process.

The Services tab lets you enable and disable some of

Windows XP’s services.

The Startup tab displays a listing of each program that’s

started after Windows XP is booted up (Figure 69). Here you

can disable unnecessary programs. These programs include

terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) programs for some applica-

tions, possibly the Quicken Agent, and launchers employed

by multimedia programs (Windows Media Player, RealPlayer,

and WinAmp) along with many other unnecessary programs.

Disabled items aren’t permanently deleted by the SCU, so

FIGURE 69—The StartupTab on the SystemConfiguration Utility


you can uncheck particular components, reboot, and then test

the PC for functionality. If you determine that you removed

something important to the PC’s hardware or applications,

you can start the SCU again, recheck the box next to the

important startup item, and reboot.

You can often improve system performance by eliminating

everything that isn’t necessary using the SCU. Other items

that start automatically after the boot process are located at

C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\StartMenu\

Programs\Startup Items. Delete an item’s icon, and it won’t

be launched during startup anymore.

The registry also launches items during the boot process.

Some items can be purged through the REGEDIT program.

The REGEDIT program should be used only after you’ve

backed up the registry (in case you accidentally alter

something critical). To back up the registry, log on with

administrative privileges and use the following procedure:


System Tools, and click System Restore (Figure 70).

2. On the System Restore window, click the Create a

restore point radio button. In Vista and Windows 7,

leave the radio button selected with today’s date and

time, and click Next and then Finish.

3. In Windows XP, fill in the data at the prompts.

It’s now time to open the REGEDIT program (Figure 71).

To open REGEDIT,


2. In the Open box, type REGEDIT. Then, click OK.

The startup items you may want to remove are often found

in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\

Windows\CurrentVersion\Run key. Delete these items’

values to prevent them from being launched on subsequent

boots.


FIGURE 70—Back up the registry by creating a restore point.

FIGURE 71—Editing theRegistry


Managing Services

Services are important components of the operating system

that provide functions for hardware and applications. There

are noncritical services that may be disabled or modified to

improve system performance.

However, you shouldn’t attempt to disable core kernel

processes or services that manage process scheduling, inter-

rupt handing, file management, virtual memory management,

and many other essential services. If you’re unsure about a

particular service, don’t alter it.

In Windows XP, you can launch the Services control applet.


2. Double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-

click Services.

Or,

1. Click Start and then click Run.

2. In the Open box, type SERVICES.MSC. Then, click OK.

This action opens a window that lists every service available

for modification (at your level of privileges) in the Windows XP

configuration. To view a description of a service, select the

extended tab and then click the service (Figure 72).

A description is displayed for the service in question. Also

listed are the service’s status (whether it’s been started or

not), its startup type (automatic, manual, or disabled), and

the user account with which the service logs on to the com-

puter if you’re logged on as an administrator. The startup

type has three options:

• Automatic. These services start when Windows starts.

• Manual. These services are called upon by a user or

invoked by another program or service.

• Disabled. These services won’t start at all.


Right-clicking the service and selecting Properties can

modify the properties of any listed service. For optimal per-

formance, you can stop, and/or set on manual, a number of

services. Don’t disable a service unless you’re sure that no

other services or hardware needs it.

For example, the Portable Media Serial Number service has

no identifiable advantage, so set it on manual (or disable it

if you don’t have a portable music player). Many users can

set the Help and Support service on manual. If you don’t

use themes, turn off the service. Experiment with stopping

other services cautiously. You may never need services like

Telnet or Error Reporting. If you’re unsure about a particular

service, leave it alone. You can find out more about each

service, including any dependent services or services upon

which it depends, through its property sheet.

FIGURE 72—Services


In Vista and Windows 7, the only difference in the operation

of services is the path to the Services Control Panel. To begin

managing the services, you would click Start and then type

services. In the area above the search box, select Services.

Hidden Windows Components

Microsoft makes difficult the removal of some components,

like Windows Messenger. In Windows XP, it’s installed by

default, and it doesn’t appear in the Add or Remove Programs

list in Control Panel. You can make it possible to delete the

hidden components by editing the SYSOC.INF file. This file,

which is by default found in the C:\WINDOWS\INF folder,

can be opened with the Windows Notepad accessory.

Under the [Components] heading, you’ll see parameters for

various Windows applets. Some programs contain the word

hide. These programs include Windows Messenger (msmsgs),

Terminal Server, Pinball, and others. The programs are

installed on the PC, but their entries aren’t displayed on the

Add or Remove Program list. Remove hide from the line

msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7 so that it

reads as follows.

msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,7

Save the file, and open Add or Remove Programs. Click the

Windows Component button, and the hidden program

should now be on the list. If you wish, edit out hide every-

where it appears in the SYSOC.INF file to reveal other

removable Windows XP components.

In Vista and Windows 7, it’s a bit easier to uninstall these

hidden features.

1. Click Start, then Control Panel.

2. Select Programs and then Programs and Features.

3. On the left side, select Turn Windows Features on

or off.

4. Select the Continue button (if UAC is in effect).

5. Check or uncheck a feature.


Offering DMA to All ATAPI Drives

By default, slave drives on advanced technology attachment

packet interface (ATAPI) channels are set to programmed

input/output (PIO) mode, even when the attached device is

capable of much more efficient UltraATA or direct memory

access (DMA) mode data transfers. This setting can hurt the

performance of ROM burners, DVD movie playback, and

other drive functions. In addition, DMA mode data transfers

require much less CPU overhead than PIO mode transfers.

In Windows XP, you can correct the default settings using the

Device Manager.


2. Double-click System Properties and select the

Hardware tab.

3. Click Device Manager.

4. Expand IDE/ATAPI controllers by clicking the +

preceding the item.

5. Select the primary channel, and click Properties.

6. Choose the Advanced Settings tab.

Direct memory access (DMA)—A bus architecture capability that allows data to be sent directly

from a device (such as a hard drive) to the computer’s memory.

Advanced technology attachment packet interface (ATAPI)—An interface between a PC and CD,

DVD, and tape backup drives. ATAPI provides the additional commands needed for controlling a

CD player or tape backup.

Programmed input/output (PIO)—A way of moving data between devices in a PC in which all

data must pass through the processor. The following are PIO data transfer rates.

• Mode 0: 3.3 MBps






7. For each device listed, change the transfer mode to DMA

if available. Devices that aren’t capable of DMA mode

stay in PIO mode.

8. Repeat the process for the secondary channel (Figure 73).

The only difference in Vista and Windows 7 is the path to

Device Manager. In Vista,


and Maintenance and then System.

2. On the left side of the page, select Device Manager.

From this point, the operation is the same as that for

Windows XP.

FIGURE 73—Changing theIDE Channel Properties


In Windows 7,


and Security and then System.

2. On the left side of the page, select Hardware and Sound.

3. Under Devices and Printers, click Device Manager.

From this point, the operation is the same as that for

Windows XP.

Windows Special Effects

Windows has more graphic features than previous Microsoft

operating systems. Menu transitions are animated, dialogs

and mouse cursors have shadows, screen fonts are adjusted

for maximum readability, and there are many other memory-

eating features.

Windows, during installation, runs a few tests to autoconfigure

its GUI settings for a mix of functionality and appearance.

These settings can be overridden if the feature is having a

negative impact on the system functions, or if you would

prefer to not have a feature.

Some of the settings are accessed through the Effects set-

tings on the Appearance tab of the Display Properties. In

Windows XP, the Effects setting in the Display Properties dia-

log box can be accessed using the following procedure:


2. Click the Appearance tab, and then click Effects.

3. Here, you can alter the types of the menu transitions,

shadows, and font properties (Figure 74).

In Vista,


2. Select Windows Color and Appearance.

3. Click the Effects button.


Windows 7 controls effects in one place, except for clear type,

which is managed in the same place as it is in Windows XP

and Vista. In Windows 7,

1. Click Start. When the menu appears, right-click

Computer and select Properties.

2. On the left side of the page, select Advanced System

settings.

3. On the Advanced tab under the Performance section,

click the Settings button.

4. The box that appears allows you to manually enable and

disable effects, or you can choose to let Windows decide

by making a general selection indicating the relative

amount of resources you would like to devote to appear-

ance as compared to performance (Figure 75).

FIGURE 74—The EffectsDialog Box


Other memory-eating Windows options are configurable using

the System Properties tool, in all versions. Open it using the

following procedure:

1. Click Start and Control Panel, and then double-click

System. Alternatively, you can right-click My Computer

and click Properties. In Vista and Windows 7, you see

the box in Figure 72; in Windows XP, Figure 73.

2. Click the Advanced tab, and then click Settings in the

Performance part of the dialog box.

3. On the Visual Effects tab of the Performance Options

dialog box, you can configure the PC to choose between

visuals and performance (Figure 76).

FIGURE 75—PerformanceOptions in Windows 7


FIGURE 76—The VisualEffects Tab on thePerformance OptionsDialog Box

You can also customize the mix from the list of visual effects.

1. Click the Advanced tab of the Performance Options dia-

log box (Figure 77).

2. Ensure that processor scheduling and memory usage are

configured for programs. The background services and

caching are used on PCs that are servers.

3. Specify the size and location of the system’s paging file.

Windows XP does an efficient job of managing its own

paging file, and there appears to be no advantage in

manually overriding Windows XP’s paging file handling.


Tweak UI

Other utilities created by Microsoft and others can enhance the

speed of a PC. One of these is the Tweak UI PowerToy, which

gives you access to system settings that aren’t available using

the Windows XP default user interface. This tool is in essence

a collection of dialog boxes that allows you to fix some features

without needing to directly access the registry. The settings

include ones that affect the mouse, Explorer, and the taskbar.

Version 2.10 of Tweak UI requires Windows XP Service Pack

1, and this is the version that works with Windows XP. You

can download this version here:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/

powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

FIGURE 77—The PerformanceOptions’ Advanced Tab


Some unusual situations can result from using this tool, so

make changes incrementally and set restore points often. If

you don’t understand the functions of Tweak UI, or if you

change multiple settings all at once, you’re likely to end up

with a PC that needs to have its OS reinstalled.

Listed are some of the common changes made on the

Windows XP operating system using Tweak UI:

• Don’t beep on errors.

• Disable combo box animation.

• Disable cursor shadow.

• Disable list box animation.

• Disable menu animation.

• Disable menu fading.

• Disable menu selection fading.

• Disable mouse hot tracking effects.

• Disable window animation.

• Don’t show Help on Start menu.

• Don’t show Recent Documents on Start menu.

• Don’t allow Web content to be added to the desktop.

• Clear document history on exit.

• Disable smooth scrolling

• Don’t maintain document history.

• Don’t maintain network history.

• Don’t manipulate connected files as a unit.

• Don’t prefix “Shortcut to” on new shortcuts.

• Don’t show links on Favorites.

• Don’t show My Documents on Start menu.

• Don’t show My Pictures on Start menu.

• Use Classic Search in Explorer.


• Use Classic Search in Internet Explorer.

• Do use Tab to navigate Autocomplete.

• Hide places bar in common dialogs.

• Disable balloon tips in Taskbar and Start menu.

Exercise 1

To aid in your understanding of the material, perform the

following exercises.

1. Set the computer to adjust the CPU to give priority to

Programs and not Background services in Windows XP.

2. Create a shortcut on the desktop for the Calculator in

Windows XP.

3. Turn off System Restore in Vista.

4. Defragment the hard drive in Windows 7.

Check your methods with those on page 266.


Self-Check 4

1. Name three things you can do to increase the performance of a PC with Windows XP installed.

__________________________________________________________

2. True or False? Changing services settings can disable a PC.

3. What is the name of the feature that allows more than one user to be logged on to a PC atthe same time?

__________________________________________________________

4. One tool that removes unnecessary files from a PC is _______.

5. True or False? Windows XP optimizes file placement and the boot process automatically.

6. The capability that allows data to be sent directly from a device (such as a hard drive) to thecomputer’s memory is called _______.

7. In Vista, what are the three startup types for a service?

__________________________________________________________

8. In Windows 7, how can you invoke the System Configuration Utility (SCU)?

__________________________________________________________

9. True or False? Windows Updates can be disabled in Vista.

10. The version of prefetch in Vista is called _______.



OPERATING-SYSTEM PROCESSESMost problems with a PC’s operating system can be grouped

into two categories:

• Boot problems, which occur during the loading of the OS

• System problems, which occur after the OS is loaded and

running

We’ll now focus on boot problems. Boot problems often

happen after the PC has some changes in the hardware or

software components. One of the best strategies for keeping a

system running is to have a way to reset the PC to a working

state.

Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 include a solution:

System Restore. In a data set called a restore point, System

Restore backs up the registry and system files required for

the system to function. The restore point function doesn’t

back up the system files required to boot the OS. To set a

new restore point,

1. Click Start, point to Programs or All Programs,

Accessories, and then System Tools.

2. Click System Restore.

3. On the System Restore screen, click the Create restore

point radio button and then click Next.

4. Name your restore point and then click OK or Create.

StartupThe boot process for Windows XP remains unchanged from

Windows NT. Understanding the boot process and customiz-

ing it when required are among the first steps in supporting

the Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 operating system

installations.


The Windows XP Boot Process

The boot process for Windows XP is a sequential process

outlined in Table 13. The names of the files involved in the

process are in Table 14. With a dual-boot system that’s not

booted to Windows, control is passed to Bootsect.dos, which

loads the rest of the selected operating system.

Table 13

THE BOOT SEQUENCE

Step Performed By Description

1 Startup BIOS Power-on self test (POST) is executed.

2 Startup BIOS Master Boot Record (MBR) is loaded, and the master boot programis run.

3 MBR program Boot sector from the active partition is loaded, and the program inthis boot sector is run.

4 Boot sector program The Windows NT Loader (ntldr) file is loaded and run.

5 Windows NT loader Processor is changed from real mode to flat memory mode. Thisallows 32-bit code execution.

6 Windows NT loader Minifile system drivers are started.

7 Windows NT loader The Boot.ini file is read, and the boot loader menu is built.

8 Windows NT loader Ntdetect.com is run to detect hardware installed.

9 Windows NT loader The information in the registry about device drivers is read. Thedevice drivers, Hal.dll, and Ntoskrnl.exe are loaded.

10 Windows NT loader Ntldr passes control over to Ntoskrml.exe, and load is complete.


The Vista and Windows 7 Boot Process

Beginning with the Vista operating system, the way that

Windows computers (Vista, Windows 7, Server 2003, Server

2008) boot and the source of the boot information changed.

The process is described in Table 15.

The boot configuration information formerly contained in the

boot.ini file is now located in the boot configuration database

(BCD). Moreover, the Bootmgr now handles the job that for-

merly was performed by the NT loader (NTLDR). Edits to the

boot information are no longer made by editing the boot.ini

file but rather by editing the BCD with a command-line tool

Table 14

FILES REQUIRED FOR WINDOWS 2000 AND XP TO BOOT

File Location

Ntldr Root directory of the system partition (usually C:\)

Boot.ini Root directory of the system partition (usually C:\)

Bootsect.dos Root directory of the system partition (usually C:\)

Ntdetect.com Root directory of the system partition (usually C:\)

Ntbootdd.sys Root directory of the system partition (usually C:\) Only used in systemswith Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) boot drives.

Ntoskrnl.exe \winnt_root\system32 directory on the boot partition

Hal.dll \winnt_root\system32 directory on the boot partition

System \winnt_root\system32 directory on the boot partition

Device drivers \winnt_root\system32 directory on the boot partition

Table 15

THE BOOT SEQUENCE

Step Performed By Description

1 Startup BIOS POST is executed.

2 Startup BIOS MBR is loaded.

3 MBR Partition boot record is loaded.

4 PBR The boot sector is located, and bootmgr is loaded.

5 Bootmgr Bootmgr locates winload.

6 Winload The kernel is initialized.


called bcedit.exe. Msconfig can also be used to edit this infor-

mation. Finally, as you see, the process is more streamlined

as well.

Troubleshooting the Boot Process

The Windows operating systems covered in this study unit

are some of the most stable available for Intel and AMD-

based processors. However, this doesn’t mean that there will

never be problems booting the PC. Problems that halt the

boot process commonly involve problems with device drivers

or the registry. When the PC won’t boot in a normal way, the

Windows operating system allows access to many critical files

for troubleshooting.

The Advanced Options Menu

Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 allow you to interrupt the

boot process. This practice is often used as a troubleshooting

tool when the PC is unable to successfully boot the PC. To

interrupt the boot process, press the F8 key during the Starting

Windows display. This action accesses the Safe Boot options

and opens the Advanced Options menu. This feature is avail-

able on PCs for which pressing the F8 key during boot hasn’t

been disabled. Disabling this feature is a common security

feature on networked computers.

With the minor differences noted in the list, Windows XP,

Vista, and Windows 7 offer the Safe Boot options that load

the PC with a minimal set of drivers for troubleshooting the

boot process. You can use these boot options to modify the

registry or install/remove device drivers. You can use these

boot options to modify the registry or to install and remove

device drivers. To use the Safe Boot option,

1. Restart the computer, and when the boot menu appears,

press F8. On a computer that’s configured for booting to

multiple operating systems, you can press the F8 key

when you see the boot menu.

2. When the Windows Advanced Options menu appears,

select an option. Then, press Enter.


3. When the boot menu appears again, with the words Safe

Mode displayed at the bottom, select the installation you

want to start, and then press Enter.

The Windows Advanced Options menu offers several choices

for booting the PC, and each choice has its own combination

of drivers installed. The following list explains the options

and specifies which operating systems support each option.

• Repair the computer (Vista and Windows 7), which pro-

vides a list of recovery tools that can be used to diagnose

and repair boot problems

• Safe Mode (Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7), which

uses a minimal set of device drivers and services (mouse,

except serial mice; monitor; keyboard; mass storage;

base video; default system services; and no network

connections) to start Windows (This option is often used

when a newly installed hardware item is causing boot

problems.)

• Safe Mode with Networking (Windows XP, Vista, and

Windows 7), which uses a minimal set of device drivers

and services to start Windows, plus the drivers that you

need to load networking (This option is used for newly

installed hardware problems when you need access to a

network.)

• Safe Mode with Command Prompt (Windows XP, Vista,

and Windows 7), which is the same as Safe mode, except

that cmd.exe starts instead of Windows Explorer (There’s

no GUI loaded with this mode.)

• Enable low-resolution video (640 × 480) (Vista and

Windows 7), which uses the current video driver but a

low resolution and refresh rate

• Safe Mode with Command Prompt, Enable VGA Mode

(Windows XP), which starts Windows in 640 × 480 mode,

using the current video driver, not Vga.sys (This mode is

useful if the display is configured for a setting that the

monitor can’t display.)


• Last Known Good Configuration (Windows XP, Vista, and

Windows 7), which is presented when Windows experi-

ences problems during the boot process (This configuration

is stored in the registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\

HARDWARE . If you’ve accidentally removed a critical

device (for example, the display), Windows automatically

uses the Last Known Good Configuration to start the OS.)

• Directory Service Restore Mode (Windows XP, Vista, and

Windows 7), which is valid only for Windows-based

domain controllers, and which performs repair services

to the Active Directory domain database

• Debug Mode (Debugging Mode in Vista and Windows 7),

which enables debug mode in Windows (Debugging infor-

mation can be sent across a serial cable to another

computer running a debugger. This mode is configured

to use COM2. Further details on using this feature is

found in the Windows 2000 Professional Resource Kit

available from Microsoft.)

• Disable automatic restart on system failure (Vista and

Windows 7), which stops the normal behavior of Windows,

which is to restart when an error causes a failure, and

which can be used if the startup is stuck in a loop of

restarts

• Disable Driver Signature Enforcement (Vista and

Windows 7), which stops the normal behavior of

Windows and allows only signed drivers to load

• Directory Service Restore Mode: Debugging Mode

(Windows XP), which turns on debug mode in Windows

(Debugging information can be sent across a serial

cable to another computer that’s running a debugger.

This mode is configured to use COM2.)

Professional Tip

If you’re experiencing troubles booting the PC, don’t log on. An

authenticated log-on overwrites the Last Known Good Configuration

stored in the registry with the one that’s currently causing troubles.


• Enable Boot Logging (Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7),

which enables logging when the computer is started with

any of the Safe Boot options except Last Known Good

Configuration (The boot logging text is recorded in the

Ntbtlog.txt file in the %SystemRoot% folder.)

• Start Windows Normally (Windows XP and Windows 7),

which starts Windows in its normal mode

• Reboot (Windows XP), which reboots the computer

• Return to OS Choices Menu (Windows XP), which, on a

computer that’s configured for booting to more than one

operating system, returns to the boot menu

The Recovery Console

If using Advanced Options doesn’t solve the boot problems,

the next level of troubleshooting is to use the Recovery

Console. The Windows Recovery Console is designed to help

you recover when your Windows-based computer doesn’t

start properly or at all. This method is recommended only if

you can use the command prompt to identify and locate

problem drivers and files. To use the Recovery Console, you

must have administrator privileges.

Installing the Recovery Console (Windows XP only). To

use the Recovery Console, you must first install it to make it

available in case you’re unable to restart Windows. To install

the Recovery Console, you must have administrative rights

on the computer. It’s wise to install the Recovery Console on

important workstations and servers. After installation, you

can select the Recovery Console option from the list of avail-

able operating systems at startup.

Although you can run the Recovery Console by booting

directly from the Windows installation CD, it’s more conven-

ient to set it up as a startup option on the boot menu. To

install the Recovery Console,

1. Insert the Windows installation CD.

2. Click Start, and then click Run.

3. In the Open box, type d:\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons,

where d is the drive letter for the CD or DVD drive.


4. Click Yes to start the installation procedure.

5. Restart the computer. The next time you start the com-

puter, you’ll see a Microsoft Windows Recovery Console

entry on the boot menu.

Using the Recovery Console (Windows XP only). Now that

the Recovery Console is installed on the PC and is displayed

as one of the boot options, you can use this utility to enable

and disable services, format drives, read and write data on a

local drive, and perform other administrative tasks. The

Recovery Console is particularly useful if you need to repair

the computer by copying a file from a floppy disk or CD to

the hard disk, or if you need to reconfigure a service that’s

preventing the computer from starting properly. To run the

Recovery Console,

1. From the boot menu, select Microsoft Windows Recovery

Console.

2. When you’re prompted to do so, type the administrator

password. If the administrator password is blank, press

Enter.

3. At the command prompt, type the appropriate commands

to diagnose and repair the Windows installation.

4. For a list of commands available in Recovery Console,

type recovery console commands or help at the command

prompt, and then press Enter. For information about a

specific command, type help and the command name,

and then press Enter.

5. To exit the Recovery Console and restart the computer,

type exit at the command prompt and then press Enter.


If you’re unable to even get to the boot-option screen, you

can run the Recovery Console from the Windows XP Startup

disks or the Windows XP installation CD. To start a PC from

the Windows CD, you need to configure the BIOS to boot

from the CD or DVD drive. To run the Recovery Console from

the Windows XP startup disks or the Windows XP CD,

1. Insert the Windows XP startup disk into the floppy disk

drive, or insert the Windows CD into the CD or DVD

drive. Then, restart the computer.

2. At the prompt, click to select any options that are

required to start the computer from the floppy drive or

the CD or DVD drive.

3. When the Welcome to Setup screen appears, press R to

start the Recovery Console.

4. If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot computer,

choose the system that you need to access from the

Recovery Console.

5. From this point, the procedure is the same as using the

Recovery Console from the boot menu.

Using the Recovery Console command prompt. When

using the Recovery Console, you’re working at a special

command prompt rather than the usual Windows command

prompt. The Recovery Console has its own password-

controlled command interpreter. To enter this command

interpreter, type the local administrator password (not a

domain administrator password).

When the Recovery Console starts, you have the opportunity

to press F6 to install a SCSI or RAID driver, in case you need

the driver to access the hard disk. After a few seconds, the

Recovery Console menu is displayed with a numbered list of

the Windows installations on the computer. Press a number,

and press ENTER, even if only one entry appears. When you

see the prompt for %SystemRoot% (usually C:\Windows),

you can begin using commands for the Recovery Console.

Table 16 describes the available commands.


Table 16

COMMANDS FOR THE RECOVERY CONSOLE

Command Description

Attrib Changes attributes on one file or subdirectory.

BatchExecutes commands that you specify in the text file, Inputfile. Outputfile holdsthe output of the commands. If you omit the Outputfile parameter, output is displayed on the screen.

Bootcfg Used to manipulate the Boot.ini for boot configuration and recovery.

CD (Chdir)CD changes the current directory only within the system directories of the cur-rent Windows installation, removable media, the root directory of any hard diskpartition, or the local installation sources.

Chkdsk

Checks the drives within the current Windows installations for problems. Chkdskon the Recovery Console requires Autochk. Chkdsk automatically looks forAutochk.exe in the startup (or boot) folder. If Chkdsk can’t find the file in thestartup folder, it looks for the Windows Setup CD-ROM. If Chkdsk can’t find theinstallation CD-ROM, it prompts the user for the location of Autochk.exe. Chkdskon the Recovery Console supports the following switches.

/p Runs Chkdsk even if the drive isn’t flagged as dirty.

/r Locates bad sectors and recovers readable information. This switchimplies /p

Cls Clears the screen.

CopyCopies one file to a target location. By default, the target cannot be removablemedia and you cannot use wildcards. Copying a compressed file from theWindows Setup CD-ROM automatically decompresses the file.

Del (Delete)Deletes one file. Operates within the system directories of the current Windowsinstallation, removable media, the root directory of any hard disk partition, orthe local installation sources. By default, you can’t use wildcards.

Dir Displays a list of all files, including hidden and system files.

Disable

Disables a Windows system service or driver. The variable service_or_driver isthe name of the service or driver that you want to disable. When you use thiscommand to disable a service, it displays the service’s original startup typebefore changing the type to SERVICE_DISABLED. You should note the originalstartup type so that you can use the Enable command to restart the service.

Diskpart

Diskpart manages partitions on hard-disk volumes and supports the followingswitches and syntax.

/addCreates a new partition. The variable device is the device name for anew partition (such as \device\anewdisk). The variable size is the size,in megabytes, of a new partition.

/delete

Deletes an existing partition. The variable drive is the drive letter for apartition that you’re deleting (for example, D); partition is the partition-based name for a partition that you’re deleting, (for example: \device\olddisk\partition1) and can be used in place of the drive variable.


Table 16—Continued

Command Description

Enable

Enables a Windows system service or driver. The variable service_or_driver isthe name of the service or driver that you want to enable, and start_type is thestartup type for an enabled service. The startup type uses one of the followingformats: SERVICE_BOOT_STARTSERVICE_SYSTEM_STARTSERVICE_AUTO_STARTSERVICE_DEMAND_START

Exit Quits the Recovery Console and then restarts the computer.

Expand

Expands a compressed file. The variable source is the file that you want toexpand; you can’t use wildcard characters by default. The variable destination isthe directory for the new file; by default, the destination can’t be removablemedia and can’t be read-only. You can use the attrib command to remove theread-only attribute from the destination directory. Expand supports the followingswitches.

/f:filespec Required if the source contains more than one file; this option permits wildcards.

/y Disables the overwrite confirmation prompt.

/y Specifies that the files shouldn’t be expanded and displays a directory of the files in the source.

Fixboot Fixboot writes a new boot sector on the partition the current installation uses forthe system partition.

Fixmbr

Fixmbr repairs the boot partition’s master boot code. The variable device is anoptional name that specifies the device that needs a new MBR. Omit the namevariable when the target is the boot device.

/q Performs a quick format.

/fs Specifies the file system.

Help Help lists all the commands that the Recovery Console supports.

Listsvc Displays all available services and drivers on the PC.

LogonLogon is used to move to another installation or subdirectory. The command dis-plays all detected installations of Windows and requests the local administratorpassword in order to switch to another installation.

Map

Map displays currently active device mappings. Map supports the followingswitch in the Recovery Console environment.

/arc Used to specify the use of Advanced RISC Computing (ARC) paths(the format for Boot.ini) instead of Windows device paths.

MD (Mkdir)MD makes a new directory within the system directories of the current Windowsinstallation, removable media, the root directory of any hard disk partition, orthe local installation sources.

More/Type Displays the specified text file on screen.


Several environmental rules are in effect while you’re working

in the Recovery Console. Type set to see the current environ-

ment. By default, these are the rules:

• AllowAllPaths = FALSE, which prevents access to directo-

ries and subdirectories outside the system installation

that you selected when you entered the Recovery Console

• AllowRemovableMedia = FALSE, which prevents access to

removable media as a target for copied files

• AllowWildCards = FALSE, which prevents wildcard sup-

port for commands such as Copy and Delete (Wildcards

use ? and * to represent a letter or word. The command

Copy *.* would copy all file types.)

• NoCopyPrompt = FALSE, which means that you’re

prompted by the Recovery Console for confirmation

when overwriting an existing file


Command Description

Net Use

Net Use connects to a remote share for the Windows XP Recovery Console. Thesyntax for this command is:NET USE [devicename | *] [\\computername\sharename[\volume] [password |*]]

[/USER:[domainname\]username][/USER:[dotted domain name\]username][/USER:[username@dotted domain name][/SMARTCARD][/SAVECRED][[/DELETE] | [/PERSISTENT:{YES | NO}]]

NET USE {devicename | *} [password | *] /HOMENET USE [/PERSISTENT:{YES | NO}]

Rd (Rmdir)RD removes a directory within the system directories of the current Windowsinstallation, removable media, the root directory of any hard disk partition, orthe local installation sources.

Ren (Rename)

Ren renames a file or directory within the system directories of the currentWindows installation, removable media, the root directory of any hard disk partition, or the local installation sources.You can’t specify a new drive or path as the target.

Set Displays and sets the Recovery Console environment variables.

Systemroot Systemroot sets the current directory to %SystemRoot%.


Deleting the Recovery Console. Use the following proce-

dure to delete the Recovery Console from the PC:

1. Restart the computer.

2. Click Start, click My Computer, and then double-click

the hard disk on which you installed the Recovery

Console.

3. On the Tools menu, click Folder Options, and then click

the View tab.

4. Click Show hidden files and folders, click the Hide

protected operating system files check box to clear the

checkmark, and then click OK.

5. At the %SystemRoot% root folder (normally C:WINNT),

delete the Cmdcons folder and the Cmldr file.

6. Still at the %SystemRoot% root folder, right-click the

Boot.ini file, and then click Properties.

7. Click the Read-only check box to remove the check-

mark, and then click OK.

8. Open the Boot.ini file in Microsoft Windows Notepad,

and remove the entry for the Recovery Console. The

entry looks similar to this:

C:\cmdcons\bootsect.dat= “Microsoft Windows Recovery

Console” /cmdcons

9. Save the Boot.ini file, and Close it.

Vista and Windows 7 System Recovery Options

The Recovery Console was discontinued as a main advanced

boot option when Vista was released, but was included in a

set of tools that are a part of a new option called System

Recovery Options. These options may or may not be prein-

stalled. If they aren’t, you can access them by booting from

Caution!

Modifying the Boot.ini file incorrectly may prevent the computer from

restarting. Be sure to delete only the entry for the Recovery Console.

It’s also recommended that you change the Boot.ini file attribute

back to read-only after you complete this procedure.


the CD. The tools available when you select System Recovery

Options, either from the Advanced boot menu or from the

installation media (Figure 78) are

• Startup Repair, which scans the computer for the prob-

lem and, if it’s a damaged or missing system file, repairs

the file or files

• System Restore, which allows you to return the computer

system state to an earlier point in time when the system

was bootable (It does require that a restore point exists.)

• Windows Complete PC Restore (called System Image

Recovery in Windows 7) , which allows you to restore

the entire computer from a backup (The backup can be

made with the Windows Complete PC Backup and

Restore Tool and must already exist on backup media

to use this option.)

• Windows Memory Diagnostics Tool, which scans the

memory to find errors

• Command prompt, which replaces the Windows XP

Recovery Console

FIGURE 78—Vista andWindows 7 RecoveryOptions


Windows XP Setup Disks

Vista and Windows 7 don’t support booting to floppy disks.

However, for Windows XP, there are six setup boot floppy

disks. These disks contain the files and drivers that are

required to access the CD or DVD drive and begin the setup

process. These disks aren’t part of the Windows XP package

and need to be downloaded from Microsoft. For information

about what setup boot disk versions are available for down-

load, visit the following sites:

Windows XP Home Edition http://www.microsoft.com/down-

loads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=E8FE6868-6E4F-

471C-B455-BD5AFEE126D8

Windows XP Home Edition SP1 http://www.microsoft.com/

downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=FBE5E4FC-

695F-43E5-AF05-719F45C382A4

Windows XP Professional http://www.microsoft.com/down-

loads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=55820EDB-5039-

4955-BCB7-4FED408EA73F

Windows XP Professional SP1 http://www.microsoft.com/

downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=83F53BE9-

28FA-40E8-8EC2-631504EF5E26

The download contains only one large program file. Running

the downloaded file extracts the files. The following is the

process required to create the setup disks from the down-

loaded file.

1. Run the download file from the location it was written to

by double-clicking the file’s icon. You receive the follow-

ing prompt:

This program creates the setup boot disks for Microsoft

Windows XP. To create these disks, you need to provide

six blank, formatted, high-density disks.


2. Type the drive letter for the floppy disk drive, which is

typically drive A. After you type the floppy disk drive

letter, you see the following prompt:

Insert one of these disks into drive A:. This disk becomes

the Windows XP Setup Boot Disk.

3. Press any key when you’re ready.

4. The downloaded file starts extracting and copying the

files. Continue inserting the blank disks as you’re

prompted to do so until all six disks are created. If the

process is interrupted, you must run the downloaded

program file again from the beginning.

5. Label each disk with the number that’s specified during

the extraction. You must use the disks in the correct

order during the setup process.

To test your copy of the setup disks, insert the first disk in

the floppy disk drive, and then restart the computer. Note

that the computer must be configured to boot from the floppy

disk drive. In some cases, you may need to modify the com-

puter’s BIOS settings to do this.

The setup process starts. Insert the other floppy disks as

you’re prompted to do so. Note that you need to use the origi-

nal Windows XP CD to finish setup.

The RegistryIn the Windows for Workstations and Windows 3.x operating

systems, there were many files scattered all over the hard drive

used by Windows and applications to initialize (set parameters)

for the OS and applications. These files, commonly identified

by the .ini file type, were necessary for the OS to function.

However, there was no communication between the .ini files.

The possibility of conflicts for resources or resetting parame-

ters increased as new software and hardware was added to

the computer. To solve this problem, the Windows NT, XP,

Vista, and Windows 7 operating systems use a centralized

database, called the registry, which eliminates the need for

many of these.ini files.


The Logical Organization of the Registry

The registry is organized as a hierarchical database with an

inverted treelike design. Many types of data are stored in the

registry, including user settings, system configurations,

applications software settings, device drivers, and hardware

profiles. Logically, the registry follows the treelike structure

that has five branches, called keys or subtrees (Figure 79).

FIGURE 79—You can think of the Windows registry as an inverted treelike structure.


Each key or subtree contains several subkeys. The subkeys

contain values, which in turn contain names and data. The

values are the lowest level of the registry. Table 17 lists the

keys (subtrees) and their functions within the Windows NT,

XP, Vista, and Windows 7 operating systems.

The Physical Organization of the Registry

The physical makeup of the registry on a Windows

PC is quite different from the logical setup. The

registry is a single database that’s contained in five

files in the \%SystemRoot%\system32\config folder

(Figure 80).

These files, called hives, don’t have a one-to-one

correlation with the five keys, or subtrees, of the

logical organization. The keys are stored as hives

or parts of the hives (Figure 81).

To further clarify the way the hives store the key’s

information, look at Table 18.

Table 17

KEYS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE WINDOWS NT OPERATING SYSTEM

Keys Functions

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Contains all configuration data about the computer. This includesinformation about device drivers and devices included at startup.

HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG Contains information about the current hardware configuration.This data is extracted from the Software and System hives.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT Contains information on software and software configuration. Thisdata is extracted from the Software hive.

HKEY_USERS Contains information about the currently logged-on user.

HKEY_CURRENT_USERS Contains information used to create the log-on screen and the IDof the current logged-on user.

FIGURE 80—The files that makeup the registry are stored in the\%SystemRoot%\system32\con-fig folder.


Registry Backup

Because it’s a vital part of the OS, the registry needs to be

copied before and after it’s edited. A copy should also be made

before you add hardware or software to the PC, and after

you’re sure the installation has been successful (from the

OS’s point of view). The registry is backed up while creating

a Restore Point.

FIGURE 81—TheRelationship of Keys(Subtrees) and Hives inthe Registry

Table 18

KEYS/ HIVES OF THE REGISTRY

Root key name Abbreviation

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE HKLM

HKEY_CURRENT_USER HKCU

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT HKCR

HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIGURATION HKCC


Registry Modifications

This section of the study unit is designed to instruct you on

editing the registry, for rare occasions when a manual change

is required. We don’t recommend manually altering this data-

base unless you have no other choice. If you do need to

modify the database, some specific steps are required. Before

you start, remember to back up the registry.

Windows has a registry editor named regedt32.exe. This file

is stored in the \%SystemRoot%\system32 folder. This editor

looks and acts similar to the Windows Explorer (Figure 82).

The next step is to run regedt32.exe. There are two ways to

start this program.

1. Use Explorer to open the \WINNT\System32 folder.

2. Double-click regedt32.exe.

or,

1. Click Start, and then Run.

2. In the Open box, type regedit.exe., Then, click OK. This

action opens the Registry Editor (Figure 79). Clicking a

plus (+) opens the key; conversely, clicking a minus (–)

closes a key. We aren’t going to change the registry at

this time (we’ll simply view it), so we’ll set the Registry

Editor to read-only mode.

3. Click the Options menu and select Read-only Mode.

FIGURE 82—regedt32.exe


4. To view a screen that looks like the example in

Figure 79,

• Reduce all the subtree windows to icons except

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

• Maximize the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE window.

Notice that HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE has five sub-

keys. The Hardware subkey is newly created each

time the Windows environment starts, so it isn’t

contained in a hive.

• Notice the values on the right side of the Registry

Editor screen. Each value contains a name, data

type, and the value itself.

5. To edit the registry, double-click the value to open an

edit box. Make your changes in this box, and click OK.

6. Exit the registry by choosing Exit on the Registry menu.


Self-Check 5

1. How many keys are contained in the registry?

__________________________________________________________

2. The registry is contained in how many hives?

__________________________________________________________

3. By default, the hive file(s) are stored in the _______ folder.

4. The HKEY_USERS key is contained in the _______ hive.

5. True or False? The regedt32.exe program is used to modify the registry.

6. What is the name of the file that contains boot information in Windows XP?

__________________________________________________________

7. Which operating systems use System Recovery Options?

__________________________________________________________

8. True or False? You can download startup disks from Microsoft for Vista.

9. What is the Windows Complete PC Restore recovery option called in Windows 7?

__________________________________________________________



SOFTWARE IN THE WINDOWSENVIRONMENTSoftware is installed and uninstalled using the Control

Panel’s Add or Remove Programs tool. To get to this tool,

click Start and Control Panel, and then double-click Add

or Remove Programs.

Installing and Removing Software

Software Installation in Windows XP

Installation of software is usually quite straightforward and is

often supported by the software’s setup or install file. Insert

the floppy disk or CD into the appropriate drive, open the

drive, and click the Setup, Startup, or Install executable file.

Some software products are so self-installing that all you

need to do is insert the floppy disk or CD to start the instal-

lation automatically.

If the software doesn’t have such a utility included, you need

to use the Add or Remove Programs wizard. Doing the follow-

ing steps accesses this wizard.

1. Click Start and Control Panel.

2. Double-click Add or Remove Programs and then click

Add New Programs to open the dialog box that assists

you in the installation of the software (Figure 83).

3. Click CD or Floppy to start the installation process.

You’re prompted to insert the CD or floppy disk contain-

ing the program. If the program resides in a directory on

the PC, click Browse and navigate to the program’s file

or directory.

4. The InstallShield Wizard opens and guides you through

the installation process.

5. After installation, delete all the files and folders in the

C:\WINDOWS\TEMP folder. This practice conserves

hard drive space and eliminates a possible cause of

errors the first time you run the program.


Software Removal in Windows XP

The remove (uninstall) process is even easier than the install

process. If the program has its own uninstall program, just

run it from the Start menu. This removes most traces of the

program from the PC. If the program doesn’t have its own

uninstall program, you need to use the Add or Remove

Programs wizard. To use the wizard,


2. Double-click Add or Remove Programs to open the

dialog box that assists you in the removal of the program

(Figure 84).

3. Scroll down the list of installed programs, highlight the

program you wish to remove, and click Change/Remove.

FIGURE 83—Add or Remove Programs Wizard


4. A software uninstall wizard goes through a series of

screens that require a few decisions on your part and

then uninstalls the program. At times, the uninstall

process leaves a file folder or item on the Start menu (or

in the C:\Program Files directory) that you need to delete

manually. The same may be true of shortcuts you have

in the Startup folder or on the desktop.

Software Installation and Removal in Vista and Windows 7

In Vista and Windows 7, the Add or Remove Programs utility

has been replaced with Programs and Features in the Control

Panel, and it can be used only to remove software, not to install

it. The good news is that almost all software now comes with

its own install program, so all you do is insert the CD or DVD

and the program walks you through the installation. To locate

and use these tools and uninstall software,

1. Click Start and Control Panel, and select Programs.

2. On the Programs page, select Programs and Features.

The box in Figure 85 appears. Highlight the program

you wish to remove, and use either the context menu

that appears or the Uninstall menu item on the toolbar

to remove the software.

FIGURE 84—Uninstalling a Program


Troubleshooting Software ProblemsEven with the most painstakingly developed programs for

Windows, problems can arise. The easiest solution to a

program that isn’t working is to uninstall and reinstall the

program. This process often eliminates the problem, so try it

first. Other program problems, however, may not have as

straightforward a solution.

Software Conflicts

If Windows has been running correctly and the existing

programs have been working well, but you start to experience

problems (specifically, general protection fault errors) with

any program, existing or new, after installing something

new, you can usually find the problem in the C:\I386 or

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 folder (Figure 86).

FIGURE 85—Uninstalling in Vista and Windows 7


These folders contain files that are used by the OS

and other programs. Most of the files are dynamic-

link library (DLL) files that have the .dll extension.

These library files perform common tasks for many

programs, so new code doesn’t have to be written

each time you use a drop-down menu from the tool-

bar. Windows comes with many of these DLL files

as part of the OS, but programs also add many of

these files when they’re installed. It’s possible that

the existing DLL file that was working fine with all

the programs and the OS was overwritten by a more

recent version of the DLL supplied on the program

floppy disk or CD. This overwrite is done automati-

cally, without any screen prompts to allow you to

choose if you want the file overwritten. The interest-

ing part of this problem is that the standard

solution won’t work. Reinstalling the program won’t

overwrite a DLL with the same or newer date.

The uninstall process won’t work either, because

DLL files that reside in the WINDOWS\SYSTEM32

or C:\I386 folder aren’t (and shouldn’t be) removed

during the uninstall process. Also, looking for this

troublesome DLL can be difficult because file dates

aren’t updated as they’re written, and the typical

WINDOWS\ SYSTEM32 or C:\I386 folder has over a

hundred DLL files.

However, if this problem has already occurred, you can

restore the system to the level you backed up before you

installed the program. To restore the system to a prior state,

1. Click Start, point to All Programs, Accessories, System

Tools, and click System Restore.

2. Click the Restore my computer to an earlier time

radio button (Figure 87). Although the box looks slightly

different in Vista and Windows 7, the function is exactly

the same.

3. Select a restore point, and click OK.

FIGURE 86—Some of the DLL Files inthe C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 Folder


Dr. Watson in Windows XP

If you don’t have a backup level before the problem installa-

tion, you need to use some of the tools that are part of the

OS. One method is to start Dr. Watson and then start the

program that’s not working correctly and reproduce the

error. Dr. Watson records a detailed report of the system

errors that occur and what program caused the error in a

log file. This log file is written to C:\WINDOWS\DRWATSON\

WATSONxx.WLG, where xx is the incremental number of the

log file by time and date. View the latest (highest number) log

file using the Diagnostic tab. To access Dr. Watson,

1. Click Start, point to All Programs, Accessories, System

Tools, and click System Information.

FIGURE 87—Windows XP System Restore


2. Click Tools, and then select Dr Watson from the roll-down

menu (Figure 88).

FIGURE 88—The Dr.Watson Utility

or,


2. In the Open box, type DRWATSON. Then, click OK.

Use the recorded information to simplify the search for the

modules or files that cause the error. You can try going to

http://www.support.microsoft.com/ to see if this error has

happened often enough have a solution listed at this site.

Problem Reports and Solutions in Vista

In Vista, the Dr. Watson utility has been replaced with a set of

tools called Problem Reports and Solutions. Application errors

are only one of the types of errors that this tool can report to

Microsoft so that a solution can be found.


Windows Error Reporting collects information about the com-

puter configuration, what the software was doing when the

problem occurred, and other information directly related to

the problem. You can set the tool either to report the problem

automatically or to prompt you before doing so. You can also

exempt certain programs from this reporting.

After the problem is reported, if and when a solution is found

you’re notified with an icon in the notification area. If you

choose not to view the solution at that time, you can return

to the tool at any time and view all the reported solutions. To

access the tool to make changes to the settings and to view

solution,

1. Click Start and Control Panel, and then select System

and Maintenance.

2. Select Problem Reports and Solutions. The box shown

in Figure 89 appears.

FIGURE 89—The Problem Reports and Solutions Dialog Box


If the computer was installed recently, there may be no prob-

lems or solutions listed. If the problems have been reported

and solutions have been sent back from Microsoft, they

would be listed.

3. To change the operation of the tool, click Change Settings

on the left side of the page. The box in Figure 90 appears.

At this page, you can specify whether you want to be

alerted before a problem is reported.

FIGURE 90—Changing the Settings for Problem Reports and Solutions


4. To exempt a program or to make per-user settings,

click the Advanced Settings link, which yields the box

in Figure 91. On this page, you can

• Disable reporting for all users

• Disable reporting for yourself only

• Control settings that can be changed by nonadmin-

istrative users

• Exempt programs from reporting

FIGURE 91—The Advanced Settings for Reporting a Problem


Problem Reports in Windows 7

Although the Problem Reports and Solutions tool per se

doesn’t exist in Windows 7, problem reporting does occur and

is managed in a new tool called the Action Center, which also

manages a number of other computer functions such as

backups, virus protection and Windows Updates. To locate

this tool and its controls (which are pretty much the same as

those in Vista),

1. Click Start, Control Panel, and System and Security.

2. Click Action Center, and the box in Figure 92 opens.

FIGURE 92—The Windows 7 Action Center


3. To view reported solutions, select View archived

messages in the menu on the left. A list of messages

about problems appears. In Figure 93 the computer has

no reported solutions.

4. To make changes to the settings, select Change Action

Center Settings, and you’re directed to the Turn

messages off page. At the bottom of this page, select

Problem Reporting Settings. The same options to con-

trol the behavior of reporting are found here (Figure 94).

FIGURE 93—Reviewing Messages


Backup and Monitoring Methods

System Directory Backup

For all Windows versions, if you plan to do extensive additions

to the programs on the PC, and if you have enough free space

on the hard drive, back up the entire C:\WINDOWS\

SYSTEM32 and C:\I386 folders. These folders supply you

with a copy of all the DLL files that may have been changed

by the hardware installation. To fix a problem, you can com-

pare the files in the old folders with the ones in the current

one and swap one DLL file at a time to discover which one is

causing the problem.

FIGURE 94—Problem Reporting Settings


The OS during Software Installation

One solution to a software-conflict problem is to install

a program that tracks the changes to the C:\WINDOWS\

SYSTEM32 and C:\I386 folders during installation. Norton

Utilities and McAfee System Mechanic are good examples of

this type of program.

Special Software Installations

DOS Programs in Windows

Most people who use the Windows operating systems use a

variety of application software products, some of which

they’ve used in a DOS environment before their upgrade to

Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7. While most applications

install easily using Windows, some application installations

require extra steps to install them correctly.

DOS programs install and uninstall the same way as 32-bit

programs, but they’re managed differently by the OS. That is,

DOS programs have their settings listed in the [PIF95] section

of the Apps.inf file. If you want to change the settings for a

DOS program, you can

1. Right-click the filename in Explorer and select

Properties. If you don’t know where the file resides, use

the Windows search function.

• Click Start and then Search.

• Enter the filename in the appropriate box, and click

Search.

• You can right-click the filename here and select

Properties.

2. Click the Program tab, and then click the Advanced

button.

3. Select the MS-DOS mode check box (Figure 95).


4. Select either Use current MS-DOS

configuration (which runs the

DOSTART.BAT file when the program

is opened) or Specify a new MS-DOS

configuration. If Specify a new MS-

DOS configuration is chosen, you can

enter information that will be run for

this program’s DOS mode only. A typi-

cal entry would be to load SmartDrive

when the program is run, to speed up

disk access.

Changing the DOS settings as we’ve out-

lined creates an individual program

information file (PIF) for the DOS program

that will be run before the program. If there

isn’t a PIF or an entry in the [PIF95] section

of the Apps.inf file, a new entry will be

made using default values.

16-Bit Windows Programs in Windows XP

16-bit Windows programs install and uninstall the same way

as 32-bit programs. In the Windows XP environments, 16-bit

Windows-based programs run as separate threads in a

multithreaded process called Windows Virtual DOS Machine

(NTVDM). The NTVDM process simulates a 16-bit Windows

environment.

If you find that the 16-bit programs aren’t performing well

under the Windows XP environment, you can access and

configure some of the program’s properties.

1. In Windows Explorer, right-click the name of the pro-

gram and select Properties.

2. If the program’s display performance is slow, click the

Screen tab and then click Full-Screen.

3. If the program pauses periodically, click the Misc tab

and set the Idle Sensitivity slider to Low.

FIGURE 95—Advanced Program Settings forDOS Programs


Many different 16-bit applications designed to run under

Windows 3.1 have been tested with Windows XP. When you’re

troubleshooting a 16-bit Windows-based application that’s

not working properly under Windows XP, the following items

should be taken into consideration:

• If possible, verify that the application works correctly

under Windows 3.0 and 3.1.

• If the application requires a VxD (virtual device driver), it

won’t work properly under Windows XP.

• Some applications (such as Microsoft Word version 2.0

for Windows) won’t function properly under Windows

unless a default printer has been selected. Check the

Print Manager to see that a default printer has been

selected.

• Ensure that any dynamic link libraries (DLLs) used by

the application are both current and locatable by the

application (either on the system path or defined within

the application).

• Ensure that the default items in the CONFIG.NT and

AUTOEXEC.NT files are present and in the proper order.

1. CONFIG.NT contains the following commands by

default:

• dos=high, umb

• device=%SystemRoot%\system32\himem.sys

• files=20

2. AUTOEXEC.NT contains the following commands by

default:

• @echo off

• lh %SystemRoot%\system32\mscdexnt.exe

• lh %SystemRoot%\system32\redir

• lh %SystemRoot%\system32\dosx

• SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 P330 T3


• Any environment variables required by the Windows-

based application should be in the AUTOEXEC.BAT

file.

• If any changes are made to variables related to the

Windows 3.0 or 3.1 subsystem (wowexec.exe), you

may have to restart the computer for these changes

to be put into operation.

• Determine whether Windows has been installed as a

stand-alone operating system or as an upgrade from

Windows 3.0 or 3.1. If it’s an upgrade, information

from the WIN.INI and SYSTEM.INI files may haven’t

been correctly copied into the Windows registry’s

database. To correct this problem, you may have to

reinstall the application that’s not working.

• Try running the application in a separate memory

space by editing the icon or shortcut’s properties

and checking the appropriate check box.

16-Bit Windows Programs in Vista and Windows 7

Vista and Windows 7 don’t support running16-bit applications.

They support only 32- and 64-bit applications.

64-Bit Applications

As we wave goodbye to 16-bit applications, we say hello to

64-bit applications. Most likely, support for 32-bit applications

will cease, and all applications will be 64-bit. A key concept

to understand is that there are 32- and 64-bit operating

systems, and there are 32- and 64-bit applications. Their

relationship is as follows:

• A 32-bit application can be run on a 32- or 64-bit

operating system.

• A 64-bit application can be run only on a 64-bit

operating system.


• A 32-bit operating system can run on a computer that

has either a 32- or 64-bit CPU.

• A 64-bit operating system can be run only on a computer

with a 64-bit CPU.

Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 all come in 32-bit and

64-bit versions. Note that if you run a 32-bit operating sys-

tem on a computer with a 64-bit CPU, you’re losing the

advantage of having a 64-bit CPU.


Self-Check 6

Match the items on the left with their descriptions on the right. Indicate your answers in

the place provided.

______ 1. Dr. Watson

______ 2. DLLs

______ 3. Registry

______ 4. 16-bit Windows Program

______ 5. MS-DOS program

______ 6. 64-bit CPU

______ 7. 32-bit CPU

______ 8. 32-bit application

______ 9. Action Center

______ 10. Problem Reporting and Solutions


a. Perform common tasks for many programs

b. A centralized database of initialization files

c. Settings listed in [PIF95] section oftheApps.inf file

d. A utility that records system errors in Windows XP

e. Runs in its own NTVDM

f. Can be run on either a 32 or 64-bit OS

g. Required for a 64-bit OS

h. Can host only a 32-bit application

i. The replacement for Dr. Watson in Vista

j. Where solutions are reported in Windows 7


HARDWARE IN THE WINDOWSENVIRONMENTHardware installation, like software installation, is quite

easy using Windows tools, as long as all the hardware

devices on the PC were designed to be plug and play (PnP)

compliant. If even one of the devices on the PC isn’t designed

around the Windows PnP specification, you can experience

some problems with hardware installations. These problems

can be bothersome, but they’re easy to circumvent if you

know what hardware devices you need to configure sepa-

rately. By the time Vista and Windows 7 were released,

almost all devices on the market supported plug and play,

and therefore a manual installation is no longer required.

In these operating systems, all that’s need for a successful

installation is the correct device driver.

In Windows XP, hardware is installed using the Control

Panel’s Add Hardware tool. To get to this tool, click Start,

point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-

click the Add Hardware tool.

Plug and PlayIn Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7, plug and play (PnP)

is used to automatically detect new hardware and determine

essential information about the device.

PnP Operation

Information is gathered about what device drivers are required

as well as what resources (memory and IRQ) the hardware

needs to link to. This information is then used by the OS to

configure the hardware device. To use this function, the

hardware needs to have some built-in features that allow

the OS to determine this information.


The PnP BIOSThe PnP BIOS stores all the PnP information that has been

gathered, and each time the PC is booted, it presents this

information to the OS for further processing. There’s also

extended system configuration data (ESCD) BIOS, which does

all the things a PnP BIOS does, plus creates a list of all the

manual configuration changes that you’ve made during the

installation of non-PnP-compliant devices. This information

is also stored on the BIOS, so even if the hard drive fails, all

the hardware configuration data is stored on the BIOS.

PnP Hardware Installation

The process used to install PnP-compliant hardware devices

is straightforward and simple. After the device is physically

installed, turn on the PC, which then launches the Add New

Hardware Wizard (Figure 96).

FIGURE 96—The Add New Hardware Wizard


The wizard configures the new hardware and prompts you for

the required software (device driver) to complete the process.

If the device is PnP compliant, but not recognized by the OS

during the boot process, you need to


2. Double-click Add Hardware to open the Add New

Hardware Wizard (Figure 96).

3. On the opening screen, select Yes (Recommended).

4. If the hardware is recognized as PnP compliant, the wiz-

ard configures the new hardware and prompts you for

the required software (device driver) to complete the

process.

5. If the device is recognized but not PnP compliant, the

Add New Hardware Wizard opens a screen on which you

can manually configure the device. Suggestions are

offered for resources required by the device (Figure 97).

Use the settings offered unless the hardware manufac-

turer has its own recommended settings.

FIGURE 97—Suggested Resource Settings


A final obstacle that can happen when you start the system

with a new hardware device connected is that the Add New

Hardware Wizard may not detect the hardware device at all

(Figure 98).

When you click the Next on this screen, you’re offered a list

of devices (Figure 99). Select the best match for your new

device.

FIGURE 98—The Add NewHardware Wizard doesn’tdetect the hardwaredevice.

FIGURE 99—Device Types


A list of supported manufacturers and models is displayed.

If the device is manufactured by one of the companies on the

list, select it. Then, select the model from the list on the left.

If you have a floppy disk or CD from the manufacturer, click

Have Disk (Figure 100).

General Hardware Installation and Removal

Hardware Installation in Vista and Windows 7

Almost all devices supported with Vista and Windows 7 are

plug and play. One problem you may encounter when

installing a device in Vista, however, is that the device driver

may not be present in the driver cache, provided with each

installation DVD. Once you’ve plugged the device in, Vista

completely sets up the device if the driver is present. If it’s

not,

1. Click Start, right-click Computer, and select Manage.

2. When Computer Management opens, select Device

Manager from the left-side menu.

FIGURE 100—A List ofManufacturers and Models


3. When the Device Manager console populates the details

screen, expand the section representing the type of

device you’re adding as shown in Figure 101 (in which

Network adaptors is expanded).

4. Right-click the device you just plugged in. It will proba-

bly have a black exclamation point on a yellow field

(which indicates that the device isn’t working properly).

Select Update Driver Software.

5. When the system asks you where you would like to

search for the driver, select Browse my computer for

driver software (Locate and Install driver software

manually) if you have the driver on a CD or floppy. If

you don’t, select Search Automatically, and the system

searches the computer and the Internet.

6. If the driver is located either on the computer or the

Internet, select the driver file. If you have the CD,

browse to the location of the driver on the CD and

select it. In either case, after selecting the driver file,

click Next. Windows then installs the driver.

FIGURE 101—The Device Manager


Hardware Removal in Windows XP

Unlike programs, it’s possible to remove hardware devices

without following any special process. The device driver

remains on the PC in case you reinstall the device in the

future. However, sometimes this causes errors or messages

as the OS looks for the missing device. Thus, a better approach

is to use the Add/Remove Hardware function in the Control

Panel. This practice allows you to temporarily unplug or eject

a device (while keeping the driver). You may also permanently

remove the device. A permanent uninstall removes the device

and its driver.

Hardware Removal in Vista and Windows 7

In Vista and Windows 7, simply unplug the device. If you

also want to remove the driver for the device, go into Device

Manager and, on the View menu, select Show Hidden

Devices (in Device Manager hidden devices are those that

aren’t physically present but their drivers are being retained

in case the hidden device is plugged back in). Then, right-

click the device and select Uninstall. Upon the next reboot,

the driver for the device will be removed and the device will

no longer show up in Device Manager, even if you select

Show Hidden Devices, which means that you have to install

the driver again if you decide to plug the device in again.

Hardware Problem Troubleshooting

Newly installed hardware devices rarely cause a PC to not

boot properly. The only exception to this may be a hard drive

on which you set the jumpers to master during installation.

In this case, the PC tries to boot from a blank hard drive and

won’t succeed. To resolve this problem, reset the jumpers on

the system’s hard drives so that the drive with Windows

installed is the master and the new blank drive’s jumper is

set to the slave position.

The OS usually identifies any other problems with hardware

during the BIOS bootstrap phase, in which the PnP or ESCD

BIOS information is processed by the OS. When a conflict

occurs with a hardware device, the OS informs you of a

resource conflict or, in a worst-case scenario, the device

doesn’t work as expected.


The Device Manager can be a powerful troubleshooting tool

in locating and resolving resource conflicts. To open the

Device Manager,

1. Click Start, and point to Control Panel.

2. Double-click System, and then click the Device

Manager tab. A list of devices is displayed. Six different

symbols may be in front of a listing for a hardware

device.

• A plus sign (+) indicates the device has a list of types,

models, and/or manufacturers for it. Click the plus

sign to open the list.

• A minus sign (–) indicates the list of devices is

already expanded. Click the minus sign to collapse

the list.

• An open diamond ( ) indicates the device is a SCSI

device.

• A red X through the device’s name indicates a dis-

abled device. This may be a device that has been

removed from the PC.

• A yellow circle with an exclamation point (!) indicates

a problem with the device (Figure 102).

• A blue I on a white background indicates the device

has been manually configured. This doesn’t indicate

a problem.

To expand the explanation of a problem, click the device to

select it and then click Properties. This action opens the

Device Properties dialog box, which may have some useful

information about solving the problem. Information on the

property dialog box includes the device’s I/O addresses,

DMA channels, and IRQs. Also included is a list of other

devices that are trying to use these resources. Resolution of

the problem requires you to assign unique resources to the

device that’s having a problem.


FIGURE 102—A device thatisn’t working is signifiedby a yellow circle contain-ing an exclamation point.

Special-Consideration HardwareInstallationsWhen a device fails to configure correctly after installation,

you’re notified during the BIOS bootstrap phase of the

startup. 16-bit device drivers and legacy hardware devices

are commonly the cause of these problems.

16-Bit Device Drivers

If you have a hardware item that uses a 16-bit device driver,

a copy of the device driver file(s) is written to the hard drive

and the appropriate entries are made to the registry.

Windows also makes entries into the AUTOEXEC.BAT and

The term legacy, as it applies to PC technology, refers to applications

and hardware items inherited from earlier-than-current technology.


CONFIG.SYS files to have the device driver boot as part of the

OS. If Windows has difficulty finding or installing these 16-bit

drivers, you can

• Contact the hardware device’s manufacturer and see if

there’s an updated or 32-bit driver for the device.

• Use a substitute driver recommended by the manufacturer.

• Install the device driver at the DOS prompt. This method

is often supported by an install or setup program supplied

with the device by the manufacturer.

Any of the choices listed above usually installs the device

drivers and writes the appropriate lines in the AUTOEXEC.BAT

and CONFIG.SYS files. If this isn’t the case, you can manually

add the lines to these files or purchase a new device, which

is what you probably should do. The time spent modifying

the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files, as well as making

the registry entries, can make this effort a costly one.

Legacy Devices

If you’re installing a hardware device that worked well under

Windows 3.x and not under Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7

(assuming that the device is supported in these operating

systems, which is unlikely) you have a resource conflict.

Check the device against the hardware compatibility list for

the OS you’re using. You need to set the jumpers on the

device to force it to use a different set of resources. Refer to

the documentation that came with the device for jumper and

dipswitch settings. (The use of dipswitches to assign resource

requests was eliminated by PnP technology.)

A dipswitch is a series of tiny switches built into a circuit board.

Dipswitches enable you to configure a circuit board for a particular

type of PC or application. Dipswitches are always toggle switches,

with two possible positions—on or off. The DIP part of the name indi-

cates the shape of the switches. Dipswitches have the same

rectangular shape as dual in-line package (DIP) chips.


Self-Check 7

1. The feature used by Windows to detect new hardware is _______.

2. True or False? The PnP BIOS information is stored on the hard drive.

3. A small file that allows a hardware item to work on a PC is called the _______.

4. During the BIOS bootstrap phase of the startup, you’re notified about _______.

5. True or False? A yellow circle with an exclamation point (!) indicates a manually configureddevice that doesn’t have a problem.

6. The _______ tool, used to install devices in Windows XP, isn’t present in Vista or Windows 7.

7. What are devices that are installed, yet not physically present, called?

__________________________________________________________

8. True or False? A red X next to a device in Device Manager means that the device is disabled.

9. _______ are usually a problem experienced when using legacy devices.

10. What types of devices receive entries into the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files?

__________________________________________________________



TROUBLESHOOTING AND SUPPORTSupporting a PC with a Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7

operating system requires knowledge of the troubleshooting

and support tools the operating system offers.

Windows XP Support ToolsProvided here is an overview of some of the tools available to

troubleshoot Windows XP. Some are included in the Windows

XP support tools. These support tools can be installed from

the Windows XP disc. These tools are aimed at advanced users

and system administrators. Some of the utilities available can

cause damage to the PC if used incorrectly. Ensure that you

have a particular goal in mind. These tools aren’t the type you

should try out just to see what happens.

Windows XP Support ToolsFirst, uninstall any previous version of the Support Tools. To

install the new tools,

1. Insert the Windows XP disc. If the Windows XP installation

screen appears, click Exit.

2. Double-click My Computer, right-click the CD or DVD

drive, and choose Explore (Figure 103).

3. Locate the Support\Tools folder, and double-click

setup.exe.

4. The Windows Support Wizard launches. Click Next.

5. The End User License Agreement appears. Click I agree.

6. Enter your name and organization, if applicable.

7. Choose either a typical or a complete installation, and

click Next.

8. Confirm the location, and click Install.

9. When the installation has finished, the support tools

have been installed in the Program Files\Support Tools

directory, with shortcuts on the All Programs menu to

the command prompt, the Support Tools Help file, and

the Release Notes (Figure 104).


FIGURE 103—Accessingthe Windows XP SupportTools through MyComputer

FIGURE 104—The Support Tools Help File


Memory Profiling Tool

The Memory Profiling tool (memsnap.exe) takes a snapshot

of the memory resources being consumed by all running

processes and writes this information to a log file.

Poolmon Tool

The Poolmon tool (poolmon.exe) monitors memory tags,

including total paged and non-paged pool bytes. Poolmon is

often used to help detect memory leaks. Before running

Poolmon, you must enable pool tagging on the computer.

The easiest way to do this is to use gflags.exe to edit the

registry entry for you.

Registry Console Tool

The Registry Console tool (reg.exe) enables you to add,

change, delete, search, save, restore, and perform other

operations on registry entries from the command prompt

or a batch file. It can be used on both local and remote

computers.

Table 19 lists the root key abbreviations used for the Registry

Console tool. Reg.exe recognizes the data types listed in

Table 20.

Technical Note

Unlike most command-line tools, help for Poolmon is available after

running poolmon.exe by typing h or ?.

Caution

Don’t use a registry editor to edit the registry directly unless you

have no alternative. The registry editors bypass the standard safe-

guards provided by administrative tools. Editing the registry directly

can have serious, unexpected consequences that can prevent the

system from starting and require that you reinstall Windows XP.


Table 19

ROOT KEY ABBREVIATIONS

Root key name Abbreviation

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE HKLM

HKEY_CURRENT_USER HKCU

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT HKCR

HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIGURATION HKCC

Table 20

REG.EXE RECOGNIZED DATA TYPES

Value Meaning

REG_BINARY Binary data in any form.

REG_DWORD A 32-bit number.

REG_DWORD_LITTLE_ENDIAN

A 32-bit number in little-endian format. This is equivalent to REG_DWORD. (Endian refers to the way byte values are represented. Little-endian format shows the least significantvalues on the left; big-endian format shows the most signifi-cant values on the left.)

REG_DWORD_BIG_ENDIAN A 32-bit number in big-endian format.

REG_EXPAND_SZ A null-terminated string that contains unexpanded referencesto environment variables (for example, "%PATH%").

REG_MULTI_SZ An array of null-terminated strings, terminated by two nullcharacters.

REG_NONE No defined value type.

REG_SZ A null-terminated string. It will be a Unicode or ANSI string.

Technical Note

Only HKLM and HKCU are available on remote computers.


Task Killing UtilityThe Task Killing Utility enables you to stop tasks and

processes. Processes can be stopped using the process ID

number (PID), or by any part of the process name. To find the

PID, use TList, another Windows XP Tool. The kill command

can tell a process to stop itself or force the process to end.

Task List ViewerThe Task List Viewer displays a list of tasks, or processes,

currently running on the local computer. For each process,

it shows the process ID number, process name, and, if the

process has a window, the title of that window. Once you’ve

used TList to find the processes running on the computer,

you can end one or more of those processes by using the

Task Killing Utility.

Windows XP Error and Event Messages HelpThe Error and Event Messages Help file lists most of the error

and system-information messages generated by Windows XP,

and it provides explanations of each message and suggestions

on how to correct the problem. Some messages generated by

applications or device drivers have been included as well.

Windows XP Error and Event Messages Help isn’t intended

as an exclusive reference. If, for example, you encounter a

network error message, you can find information about it by

typing net helpmsg and the message identification number at

the command prompt.

Windows Installer ZapperThe Installer Zapper command-line tool removes files and

registry entries that sometimes are left behind after removing

software. It’s recommended to be used only as a last resort

because it can remove items required by the Windows Installer

service and cause the service to not work properly.

Dependency WalkerThe Dependency Walker tool builds a hierarchical tree diagram

of all dependent modules including .exe, .dll, .ocx, and .sys.

It scans both 32- and 64-bit Windows modules.


Connectivity Tester

The Network Connectivity Tester (netdiag.exe) tests the

functionality of the network client by performing a series of

tests. Table 21 lists the tests executable with the Network

Connectivity Tester. This command (netdiag) works only if

the Support Tools are installed. If items listed aren’t used to

refine the operation of the tool, all tests are run.

Table 21

TESTS USED WITH THE .NETDIAG TOOL

Test Description

Autonet Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address test

Bindings Bindings test

Browser Redir and Browser test

DcList Domain controller list test

DefGw Default gateway test

DNS DNS test

DsGetDc Domain controller discovery test

IpConfig IP address configuration test

IpLoopBk IP address loopback ping test

IPX Internet Package Exchange (IPX) test

Kerberos Kerberos test

Ldap LDAP test

Member Domain membership test. Can’t be skipped.

Modem Modem diagnostics test

NbtNm NetBT name test

Ndis Netcard queries test. Can’t be skipped.

NetBTTransports NetBT transports test. Can’t be skipped.

Netstat Netstat information test

Netware Netware test

Route Routing table test

Trust Trust relationship test

WAN WAN configuration test

WINS WINS service test

Winsock Winsock test


Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol Ping Utilities

There’s a pair of tools that work in unison to verify that the

required protocol and port for Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol

(PPTP) is being routed from a PPTP client to a PPTP server.

System Information

System Information retrieves and reports the system configu-

ration information for the hardware, system components, and

software environment. The display is at the command line. To

locate this tool,

1. Click Start, All Programs, and Accessories, and then

select System Tools.

2. Select System Information. The box opens after a brief

pause to gather information.

DiskProbe

The DiskProbe tool allows a local Administrator to directly

edit, save, and copy, on the physical hard drive, data that

isn’t accessible in any other way. You can use DiskProbe to

replace the Master Boot Record, repair damaged partition

table information, and repair or replace damaged partition

boot sectors or other file system data. DiskProbe doesn’t

support FAT32 or dynamic disks.

Distributed File System Utility

The Distributed File System Utility helps administrators to

diagnose the Distributed File System (DFS) from the command

prompt. It can be used to perform maintenance of a DFS

root and to clean up metadata left behind by orphaning or

abandoning domain-based DFS roots.

File and Directory Comparison

File and Directory Comparison (windiff.exe) compares and

shows the differences between two ASCII text files or folders

of ASCII text files. This is particularly useful for program

source code.


FileVer Command Line Utility

The version data on applications and other executable files is

displayed by the FileVer Command Line Utility (filever.exe).

Remote Storage Diagnostic Utility

The Remote Storage Diagnostic Utility examines and diagnoses

Remote Storage (HSM) databases. It can be used to retrieve

diagnostic information about removable media.

Remote Storage File Information Utility

The Remote Storage File Information Utility examines remote

storage reparse points, displaying remote storage information

for files in the current directory and its subdirectories

Security Administration Tools

The Security Administration Tools (sidewalk.exe) are a set of

programs to help system administrators manage access-

control policies on Windows 2000 and Windows NT systems.

Process Resource Monitor

The Process Resource Monitor (pmon.exe) tracks per-process

usage of CPU and memory.

Process Viewer

The Process Viewer (pviewer.exe) is a tool that displays infor-

mation about a running process and allows you to stop (kill)

processes and change process priority.

A reparse point is a file system object in NTFS version 5.0 that has a

definable attribute containing user-controlled data. It’s used to

extend functionality in the input/output (I/O) subsystem by altering

the way NTFS resolves path names.


Open Handles

Open Handles (oh.exe), true to its name, simply shows the

handles of all open windows (such as files and directories).

The tool can also show information relating to a specific

process, object type, or object name. This feature is useful

for finding the process that has a file open when a sharing

violation occurs.

Process and Thread Status Tool

The Process and Thread Status Tool (pstat.exe) lists all

running processes and threads and displays their status.

(Threads allow a program to split into multiple, simultane-

ously running tasks.)

Setx.exe Tool

The command-line Setx tool (setx.exe) offers administrators

a batch method for setting environment variables in the user

or system environment and requires no programming or

scripting. In addition to taking an environment variable and

its associated value from the command line, it can also get

the values of registry keys and write them to text files.

Service Pack Check

Service Pack Check (spcheck.exe) is used to determine which

service pack is installed on a Windows XP system. SPCheck

looks at which executable files, dynamic-link libraries, and

drivers are installed on the target system. This check helps to

identify when service packs or hot fixes should be reinstalled,

and it can ensure that all installed services are at the

appropriate service-pack level.

Xcacls.exe Tool

The Xcacls tool (xcacls.exe) sets all file-system security options

that are accessible in Windows Explorer. XcAcls does this by

displaying and modifying the access control lists (ACLs) of

files.


Compatibility Administration Tool

To browse and edit the Windows XP compatibility data-

base, you can use the Compatibility Administration Tool

(compatadmin.exe).

Page Heap

The Page Heap command-line tool (pageheap.exe) sets page

heap flags that help to find heap-related bugs and corrup-

tion. It can also help detect leaks in applications that are

running on the Windows XP Professional system. Leaks occur

when applications or processes fail to release allocated RAM.

Quick Fix Application

The Quick Fix Application (qfixapp.exe) provides an interface

for determining which combination of fixes resolves an appli-

cation compatibility problem for an executable (.exe) file.

Directory Disk Usage

Directory Disk Usage (diruse.exe) displays directory size

information, including compression information on NTFS-

formatted drives.

Disk Manager Diagnostics

The Disk Manager Diagnostics tool (dmdiag.exe) displays

system state and configuration information describing disk

storage. The tool displays the following information for the

computer on which it’s running:

• Computer name and operating system version

• Physical disk-to-disk type

• Mount points

• LDM file versions

In C and Pascal, a heap is an area of pre-reserved memory. A leak

is a gradual loss of usable memory when a program fails to return

memory obtained for temporary use.


• Drive letter usage, GetLogicalDrives(), GetDriveType()

• Device

• Symbolic links

• ldmsize

• Kernel list

• Disk partition information

Encrypting File System Information

The Encrypting File System Information tool (efsinfo.exe)

displays information about files and folders encrypted with

Encrypting File System (EFS) on NTFS partitions.

Fault Tolerant Disk

The Fault Tolerant Disk (ftonline.exe) allows an administrator

to mount and recover files from a fault tolerant disk created

in a previous version of Windows. This tool is useful if you

failed to upgrade the disks to dynamic disks, or failed to back

up your data before installing Windows XP Professional.

DHCP Server Locator Utility

The DHCP Server Locator Utility command-line tool (dhcploc.exe)

displays the DHCP servers active on the subnet. If it detects

any unauthorized DHCP servers, it beeps and sends out alert

messages. It also displays packets that it detects from DHCP

servers. You can use this tool to determine which DHCP servers

are available to a DHCP client and to detect unauthorized

DHCP servers on a subnet.

Get Security ID

The Get Security ID (getsid.exe) compares the user security IDs

(SIDs) of two accounts. You can use it to compare account

SIDs between a primary domain controller and a backup

domain controller when you suspect user database corruption.


Network Monitor Capture Utility

The Network Monitor Capture Utility tool (netcap.exe) allows a

system administrator to monitor packets on a LAN and write

the information to a log file.

Extensible Performance Counter List

The Extensible Performance Counter List tool (exctrlst.exe)

lists all services and applications that provide registry-based

performance counters on local and remote Windows XP

Professional systems. It displays the names and locations of

the dynamic link libraries (DLLs) that support performance

counters, indicates disabled counters, and lets you enable

and disable the performance counters for a service.

Performance Data Block Dump Utility

The Performance Data Block Dump Utility (showperf.exe) dumps

the content of the Performance Data Block so you can view

and debug the raw data structure. Showperf generates a

display by loading and running each performance DLL,

extracting data from the performance registry, and displaying

the contents of the data buffer for each performance counter.

Page Fault Monitor

The Page Fault Monitor tool (pfmon.exe) traces the source

and number of page faults in a process and displays the

data in the command window, writes it to a log file, or both.

A sustained high rate of hard page faults might indicate a

shortage of memory and can cause a disk bottleneck. You

can resolve soft page faults with Virtual Memory Manager.

Security IDs (SIDs) are a data structure of variable length that

identifies user, group, and computer accounts.


Windows XP Tools Used to ManageServer ServicesThe following Tools, when installed on a Windows XP com-

puter, can be used to manage services residing on a server

remotely from the Windows XP computer.

DNS Server Troubleshooting

DNS Server Troubleshooting allows the administrator to view

the properties of DNS servers, zones, and resource records

from a Windows XP computer. In addition, the DNS Server

Troubleshooting tool can be used to manually modify these

properties, create and delete zones and resource records, and

force replication events between DNS server physical memory

and DNS databases and datafiles. For command-line Help,

type Dnscmd /?. For Help on a specific command, type

Dnscmd command /?.

ClonePrincipal

ClonePrincipal creates clones of Windows NT 4.0 users and

groups. It allows you to migrate the clones to Windows Active

Directory. More information on directory services, including

Active Directory, is here: http://technet.microsoft.com/

en-us/library/cc770946(WS.10).aspx.

ACL Diagnostics

ACL Diagnostics (acldiag.exe) helps diagnose and troubleshoot

problems with permissions on Active Directory objects. It

reads security attributes from ACLs and writes information

in either readable or tab-delimited format. ACL Diagnostics

also provides some cleanup functions.

Active Directory Diagnostic

The Active Directory Diagnostic tool (ntdsutil.exe) compares

and detects differences between naming contexts on domain

controllers. Options can be used to minimize or focus the

search or comparisons.


Domain Controller Diagnostic

The Domain Controller Diagnostic tool (dcdiag.exe) analyzes

and troubleshoots domain controller conflicts over a network.

It consists of a group of tests that verify different functional

areas of the system.

Active Directory Object Manager

The Active Directory Object Manager tool (movetree.exe)

allows administrators to move Active Directory objects, such

as organizational units and users, between domains in a

single forest. When performing operations with this tool,

movetree returns ErrorLevel 0 for success and ErrorLevels 1

to 5 for various types of failure. Table 22 lists the error level

values that can be used as a decisive factor for branching

when the tool is used in a batch file.

Active Directory Replication Monitor

The Active Directory Replication Monitor (replmon.exe) dis-

plays, in a graphical format, replication topology, status, and

performance of Active Directory domain controllers.

Table 22

MOVETREE ERROR LEVELS

Error Level Description

0 Success

1 Error - command line syntax

2 Error - directory conflict (duplicate names, insuffi-cient privilege, name conflict, immovable object)

3 Error - network error (DC unavailable)

4 Error - system resource (Low VM, disk space)

5 Error - internal processing error


Active Directory Administration and Search Tool

The Active Directory Administration and Search tool (ldp.exe)

allows users to perform LDAP operations, such as connect,

bind, search, modify, add, and delete, against any LDAP-com-

patible directory.

ADSI Edit Snap-In

ADSI Edit is a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in

that acts as a low-level editor for Active Directory. Using Active

Directory Service Interfaces (ADSI) provides a means to add,

delete, and move objects within the directory services. The

attributes of each object can be viewed, changed, and deleted.

DsAcls

The DsAcls tool facilitates management of access control

lists for directory services. DsAcls enables you to query and

manipulate security attributes on Active Directory objects.

Kerberos Keytab Setup

Kerberos Keytab Setup (ktpass) is used to generate Kerberos

keytab files and set password and account name mappings

for UNIX services that use the Windows 2000 Kerberos Key

Distribution Center (KDC).

Kerberos Setup

Kerberos Setup (ksetup) configures Windows XP clients to use

an MIT Kerberos server.

NlTest

The command-line NlTest tool helps perform these network

administrative tasks:

• Getting a list of primary domain controllers (PDCs)

• Forcing a shutdown

• Querying and checking on the status of a trust


• Testing trust relationships and the state of domain

controller (DC) replication in a Windows domain

• Forcing a user-account database into sync on Windows

NT 4.0 or earlier domain controllers (Windows 2000,

2003, and 2008 domain controllers use a completely

different mechanism for maintaining user accounts.)

Security Descriptor Check Utility

The Security Descriptor Check utility (sdcheck.exe) is another

command-line tool that displays the security descriptor for

any object stored in Active Directory. The security descriptor

contains the ACLs, defining the permissions that users have

on objects stored in Active Directory.

Windows Domain Manager

The Windows 2000 Domain Manager (netdom) enables admin-

istrators to manage Windows 2000, 2003, and 2008 domains

and trust relationships.

Winsock Remote Console

The Winsock Remote Console (wsremote.exe) can start a

console application on the server and connect to it from the

client using sockets or named pipes.

Vista TroubleshootingMicrosoft has indicated that support tools are no longer being

developed for client operating systems after Windows XP.

They’ve attempted to put all necessary tools for troubleshoot-

ing the local operating system in the system itself. They’ve

also made diagnostic tools more robust and user friendly.

Vista comes with a set of tools called the Windows Diagnostic

Infrastructure (WDI). Some of the tools are as follows.

A trust relationship is a link between domains that enables

passthrough authentication, in which a trusting domain honors

the logon authentications of a trusted domain.


Disk Diagnostics

Disk Diagnostics use Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting

Technology (SMART), previously available with third-party

tools only. It warns you if the disk is at risk of failure, and it

guides you through a backup session.

Windows Resource Exhaustion Detection and Resolution

The Windows Resource Exhaustion Detection and Resolution

tool (RADAR) monitors virtual memory and issues a warning

when resources fun low. Moreover, it identifies the process

causing the problem.

Memory Diagnostics

The Memory Diagnostics tool helps to determine if physical

memory is the cause of a crash.

Memory Leak Diagnostics

Memory Leak Diagnostics can identify a program leaking

memory and take steps to fix the problem.

Server 2008 Support Tools for VistaVista doesn’t officially support either the Windows XP or the

Windows Server 2003 support tools. However, the Windows

Server 2003 support tools installs and runs on Vista. To

install the Windows Server 2003 Support Tools,

1. Insert the Windows CD into the CD or DVD drive.

2. Click No if you’re prompted to reinstall Windows.

3. When the Welcome screen appears, click Perform

additional tasks, and then click Browse this CD.

4. Go to the \Support\Tools folder.

5. Double-click suptools.msi.

6. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen.


The Windows Server 2003 support tools include the following

items:

Acldiag.exe

Adsiedit.msc

Dcdiag.exe

Dsacls.exe

Ktpass.exe

Ldp.exe

Netdiag.exe

Netdom.exe

Repadmin.exe

Replmon.exe

Additional tools in the Windows Server 2003 Support Tools

are as follows.

Background Intelligent Transfer ServiceAdministrator

The Background Intelligent Transfer Service Administrator tool

(bitsadmin.exe) can be used to create upload and download

jobs and monitor progress. BITS stands for Background

Intelligent Transfer Service, which is an upload or download

method that operates in the background without affecting the

user. It also maintains awareness of the process and, if inter-

rupted, starts exactly where it was on a bit basis when

reconnected.

Distributed File System Utility

The Distributed File System utility (dfsutil.exe) also allows you

to query and troubleshoot the Distributed File System (DFS).

DFS allows you to host folders or volumes on separate physi-

cal servers while presenting to the user a tree structure that

doesn’t require the user to know the physical location of the

volumes other than the DFS root.


Dnslint.exe

Dnslint is a command-line utility that help to diagnose DNS

or name-resolution problems.

Iadstools.dll

Iadstools is a .dll file that you can use to write Visual Basic

scripts that enumerate or extract information about Active

Directory.

File Replication Service

The File Replication Service (FRS) utility (ntfrsutl.exe) is

involved in both DFS operations and Active Directory replica-

tion. This tool can be used to troubleshoot FRS problems.

Portqry.exe

The Portqry tool can be used to report the status of ports on a

computer. It can identify which ports are open or available by

reporting the ports’ status, which can be listening, not listen-

ing, or filtered. In general, for security reasons, ports that

aren’t required shouldn’t be listening or open.

Setspn.exe

The Setspn tool enables you to read, modify, and delete

service principal names (SPN) for an Active Directory

account. This is required when these names are stale or no

longer valid, such as in the case of renaming a computer.

Windows 7 TroubleshootingWindows 7 has a number of new built-in tools available to aid

in troubleshooting. These tools build on the infrastructure of

Vista.


Problem Steps Recorder

When attempting to help a user, an IT technician may find it

difficult to get useful information from the user. The user

may give an incomplete description, and the user can’t

always remember what he or she was doing or the order in

which it was done. The Problem Steps Recorder (PSR) allows

the user to turn the recorder on, generate the problem, and

record all of the clicks with screen shots. It also creates a

report of all processes and programs involved. This html

document can be sent to the technician and can make

troubleshooting much easier.

Troubleshooting PowerShell Scripts

These scripts can be executed remotely, locally, or through

group policy. Unified Tracing helps to identify and resolve

network connectivity issues in a single tool. Control Panel

contains an item called Troubleshooting, which can run at

any time and may even unearth problems that haven’t caused

an issue yet. Figure 105 is an example of an identified problem,

in this case a loss of the connection to the Internet.

Netsh

Netsh, a command-line tool, can be used to configure network

connections and to troubleshoot network-connectivity issues.


Windows 7 Support Tools You can install and use Windows Server 2008 Remote Server

Administration Tools, which perform some of the same func-

tions as the Windows XP tools that are used to manage

server services. The tools provided include the following.

Active Directory Certificate Services

The Active Directory Certificate Services tool is used to

connect to and manage a Server 2008 certificate server.

(Certificates are used to both encrypt data and authenticate

users and computers.)

FIGURE 105—Troubleshooting Computer Problems


Active Directory Domain Services

The Active Directory Domain Services tool is used to connect

to and access the same AD tools available on a domain

controller.

DHCP Server

The DHCP Server tools are used to connect to and manage a

DHCP server. (DHCP servers assign network configuration

information to computers.)

DNS Server

The DNS Server tools are used to connect to and mange a

DNS server. (DNS servers perform resolution of computer

names to IP addresses.)

File Services

The File Services tools are used to manage the DFS and

consist of a graphical tool as well as a set of command-line

tools. DFS allows you to host folders or volumes on separate

physical servers while presenting to the user a tree structure

that doesn’t require the user to know the physical location of

the volumes, other than the DFS root.

Network Policy and Access Services

The Network Policy and Access Services tools are used to con-

nect to and manage a network policy server. These servers

manage remote access connections and can ascertain the

health of computers before allowing them to connect to the

network, and can even remedy a problem, such as a missing

security update.

Terminal Services

The Terminal Services tools are used to manage remote desk-

tops and terminal services.


Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration Services

These tools are used to manage the Universal Description,

Discovery, and Integration (UDDI) service. This service helps

companies organize and catalog Web services and other pro-

gramming resources.

Common Support ToolsBeyond the OS-specific support Tools, the Windows XP,

Vista, and Windows 7 operating systems come with other

troubleshooting tools.

Command Prompt

A useful tool when Windows crashes or won’t boot correctly is

the command prompt. When the Windows’ GUI isn’t function-

ing, you need to work from the DOS command prompt. There

are four ways to get to this prompt. The reason for using one

method over another is determined by when the PC stops

processing information correctly. To access the command

prompt, try one of the following:

• Boot from a boot disk set.

• During Startup, press F8 to access the Startup menu.

On this menu, select either the Command Prompt or

Safe Mode Command Prompt mode.

• If Windows is running, click Start and then Run. Type

COMMAND in the Open box, and click OK.

• Again, when Windows is running, click Start, Programs,

Accessories, and then click Command Prompt.

Be aware that all the network drives you’re used to seeing

as part of the LAN to which the PC is connected may not be

available through the command prompt. Also, note that some

of the drive letters are different than when you use the

Windows GUI.


For further information on DOS commands and their struc-

ture, refer to the MS DOS 6 Users Guide, available from

Microsoft Press, or any of the numerous books published on

this topic. One Web site that supplies information on DOS

commands is http://www.computerhope.com/msdos.htm.

DirectX Diagnostic Tool

Another diagnostic tool available to help troubleshoot problems

is the DirectX Diagnostic Tool (Figure 106). This utility helps

isolate problems with multimedia applications. By using this

tool, you can test all the devices and device functions supported

by DirectX, as well as find out information on the level of the

DirectX files and modules installed on the System.

FIGURE 106—DirectX Diagnostic Tool


This utility has no options to fix problems it encounters, but

it does have the option of disabling certain features supported

by the DirectX programming. The DirectX Diagnostic Tool

also has a feature that allows you to save and then print a

copy of all the features and cards supported. This is good

reference material when you’re troubleshooting the actual

system hardware or applications.

File Signature Verification

The File Signature Verification tool can be used to identify

unsigned drivers on a PC. This information can be helpful

when you’re troubleshooting system instability. Instability

can present itself as the following:

• The computer stops responding while running an

application.

• You start receiving STOP error messages.

• You’re unable to put the computer into Standby or

Hibernate mode.

• You notice other unusual errors.

Microsoft has been promoting driver signing as a means to

advance the quality of drivers. Microsoft began digitally sign-

ing drivers for the Microsoft Windows 98 operating system.

The signed drivers needed to pass the Windows Hardware

Quality Labs (WHQL) tests. Although an unsigned system

driver may work, it can cause problems in Windows. To find

unsigned system drivers in the Drivers folder (most system

drivers are loaded from this folder) on the PC,

1. Click Start and point to All Programs, Accessories,

System Tools, and then click System Information.

2. Click Tools and then File Signature Verification

(Figure 107).

3. Click the Advanced button.

4. On the Search tab, ensure that the Notify me if any

systems files aren’t signed radio button is selected and

click OK.


5. Click Start.

6. A list of unsigned drivers is displayed.

Doing the following also starts the File Signature Verification

tool on Windows XP and is the only way to invoke the tool in

Vista and Windows 7.

1. Click Start, and then Run.

2. In the Open box, type sigverif.exe, and then click OK.

You can use the list of unsigned drivers as a starting point

for troubleshooting issues in Windows. For example, WHQL-

signed drivers must support power management. Some

unsigned drivers don’t contain power management support,

so you may experience power management problems if you

install such a driver on Windows.

After you find the unsigned drivers, you can disable the

drivers one by one, using any of the following methods:

• Uninstall the software that installed the unsigned driver,

using the Add/Remove Programs tool.

• Disable the device in Device Manager. To do this, you

may have to click View, click Show hidden devices, and

then disable the device under Non-plug and play

Drivers.

• Rename the driver in WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS.

• If disabling a driver resolves the problem, contact the

manufacturer of the product using an unsigned system

driver for an updated version that’s designed to run with

Windows.

FIGURE 107—FileSignature Verification Tool


It’s possible to scan the entire Windows system drive for

unsigned drivers. This process can help you find and trou-

bleshoot problems such as mismatched DLL files, old driver

support files, and other issues.

File System Verification Utility

By default, Windows File Protection lets other applications

replace system files only when you use Windows Update,

perform OS upgrades using winnt32.exe, install service

packs with Windows Update, and install hotfixes.

Microsoft has digitally signed system files to ensure that the

OS runs smoothly. A digital signature is Microsoft’s assur-

ance that no other software installations have altered the files

that Microsoft has tested and approved. If someone replaces

a system file or a device driver, Windows File Protection

automatically replaces the replaced file or driver with

Microsoft’s digitally signed file.

You can configure the file signature verification behavior by

following this procedure (Windows XP only):

1. Click Start and Control Panel, and

double-click System.

2. Click the Hardware tab.

3. Under Device Manager, click the Driver

Signing button to configure the file sig-

nature verification options.

4. You can choose to ignore file verifica-

tion so that all device drivers install

regardless of whether Microsoft has

digitally signed them (Figure 108).

You can also choose the default behavior to

receive a warning before the system installs

a device driver that Microsoft hasn’t digi-

tally signed. Finally, you can simply block

installations of device drivers that Microsoft

hasn’t digitally signed.

FIGURE 108—File System Verification Tool


Network Diagnostics

Another feature on the tool list is the Network Diagnostics

utility (Figure 109).

This tool tests the network you’ve set up on the PC. It checks

all the network connections and reports on their status. To

access this tool,

1. Click Start, and select Help and Support.

2. In the search box at the top of the Help and Support

screen, type Network Diagnostics.

This is a diagnostic utility, so it has no options to fix any of

the problems it encounters. Often, though, knowing what

connection is causing a communications fault is a good first

step in solving the problem. This utility allows you to print a

copy of all the setup services and connections for reference

when you’re actively troubleshooting the PC.

FIGURE 109—Network Diagnostics


Performance MonitorPerformance Monitor can measure application and operating

system performance. Click Start, point to All Programs,

Administrative Tools, and click Performance Monitor to

open this utility in Windows XP. In Vista and Windows 7,

click Start and then type perform in the search box. Then,

select the utility name when it appears above the search

box. When the Reliability and Performance Tool opens,

select Performance Monitor from the tree on the left. The

Performance Monitor lets you track the use of system

resources over time. This utility allows you to set alerts on

the use of specific resources. You can also monitor systems

remotely, which is helpful in identifying network problems.

When you first open the Performance Monitor, you see a

blank chart. You must select which objects, instances, and

counters to monitor. To add items, click the + icon on the

toolbar, which opens the Add to Chart dialog box (Figure 110).

FIGURE 110—The Performance Monitor’s Add to Chart Dialog Box


By default, Performance Monitor opens the Add to Chart dialog

box with the Processor as the object and the %Processor Time

counter highlighted. This counter is one of the most commonly

used counters, and is a good choice for a default.

Table 23 provides a starting point for choosing counters. Select

the counters you want to monitor, and click Add. For a brief

explanation of a counter, click Explain. When you finish

adding counters, close the Add to Chart dialog box and

observe the graphical display.

Creating Charts

Performance Monitor has approximately 350 different counters,

and it can graph performance for several counters at the

same time (Figure 111).

An object is any system component that has a set of measurable

properties. An object can be a physical, logical, or software

component.

An instance is the number of occurrences of a particular object on

the system. Windows allows a listing of total instance, which gives

you the combined values for all instances.

A counter is a measurable attribute of the object. In Figure 110,

the processor object has several counters, including the percent-

age of processor time in use and percentage of time the CPU

spends in privileged and user modes.

Table 23

IMPORTANT COUNTERS TO TRACK WITH THE PERFORMANCE MONITOR

Object Counter Description

Processor %Processor Time Time executing non-idle thread

Process %Processor Time Time allocated to a specific process

Memory Pages/sec High value indicates excessive paging

Cache Data Map Hits% Low value suggests memory shortage

LogicalDisk Avg. Disk Queue Length Activity on logical disk


On the Add to Chart dialog box, you can change the thickness

line type and color of any counter displayed on the screen.

A thicker line is desirable if you’re using these graphs on a

projection system. If necessary, you can also vary the scale

for each item.

A legend of the monitored counters appears at the bottom of

the screen. Click a counter to have the values appear in the

boxes just above the legend. Listed are the last, average,

maximum, and minimum values, and the timescale in seconds

for the chart display.

FIGURE 111—Performance Monitor can produce a graphical representation of several counters at once.


Creating Reports and Logs

The chart view is one way to examine data with Performance

Monitor; you also can generate reports and logs. Performance

Monitor’s reports are text-based information collected from

selected counters updated at intervals (Figure 112).

The default interval is every five seconds. Performance

Monitor’s logs are files you can use to store data for analysis

in Performance Monitor or another utility. You can build log

files on a regular schedule to see how performance trends

develop. Keep in mind that Performance Monitor doesn’t

allow for long-term trend analysis. Performance Monitor can

take snapshots of the data at intervals and compare that

data. To set up a log, select the objects you want to track

(Figure 113).

FIGURE 112—APerformanceMonitor Report

FIGURE 113—APerformanceMonitor Log


For a log file, select only objects, not counters. Performance

Monitor tracks all the counters for each object and stores

them in a log file. You must also set the Log Options. You

must specify a log filename and an update interval. This box

is also used to start and stop collecting data. To open the Log

Options dialog box, click the Options menu item and select

Log (Figure 114).

Setting Alerts

Performance Monitor offers the ability to set alerts

(Figure 115). For a network administrator, this is one

of the most compelling reasons to use it. You can set the

Performance Monitor to send an alert for any counter when the

value goes above or below a specific value. The alert function

can also be set to run a program. For the alert function to

work, the Performance Monitor must be running. You need

to configure the Performance Monitor and Alert services to

start automatically.

FIGURE 114—The LogOptions Dialog Box


Saving the Settings

On the File menu, you have the option to save the settings.

This option changes depending on whether you’re looking at

the chart, log, alert, or report. You can save any view and the

workspace, which is the combination of the various views.

Clicking File on the menu and then selecting Save Workspace

saves all the settings in a file with a .pmw extension. By

selecting File on the menu bar and selecting Open, you can

restore the workspace the next time you use Performance

Monitor.

Monitoring Remote Computers

If you have the necessary authorization, you can monitor

another PC. You can do this by opening the Add to Chart

screen shown on Figure 110, and clicking the ellipsis (. . .)

button. This action opens a selection dialog box that shows

the domains, workgroups, and computers in the network.

Select the PC you want to monitor, define the counters for

that PC, and close the selection window. At the bottom of the

chart screen, the computer name appears with the parameter

you’re monitoring. Note that the Routing and Remote Access

service must be running on the PC you want to monitor

remotely.

Performance Monitor offers many more options. For example,

you can customize the appearance of your charts, add verti-

cal and horizontal grids, vary the update interval, and display

data as histograms instead of lines on the chart. The challenge

is to become familiar with the various counters and to know

what to monitor in the network.

FIGURE 115—ThePerformance Monitor’sAlert Dialog Box


The Performance Monitor can tell you which of the processes

are causing bottlenecks. Use Table 24 as a reference for the

minimum performance counters to use in finding the cause

of bottlenecks in any type of server. The format used to list

these counters is <object>\<performance counter>.

Table 24

SERVER PERFORMANCE COUNTERS

Potential

BottleneckPerformance Counter Definition

Memory

Memory\ Available Bytes

The amount of physical memory in bytes available toprocesses running on the computer. This counter displaysthe last observed value only; it’s not an average.

Memory\ Pages/sec

The number of pages read from or written to disk toresolve hard page faults. (Hard page faults occurwhen a process requires code or data that is not inits working set or elsewhere in physical memory, andmust be retrieved from disk). This counter serves asa primary indicator of the kinds of faults that causesystem-wide delays.

Cache\ Data Maps/secThe frequency that a file system such as NTFS mapsa page of a file into the file system cache to read thepage.

Network(Capture foreach networkadapterinstance.)

Network Interface\Bytes Total/sec

The rate at which bytes are sent and received on theinterface, including framing characters.

Network Interface\Bytes Sent/sec

The rate at which bytes are sent on the interface,including framing characters.

Network Interface\Bytes Received/sec

The rate at which bytes are received on the interface,including framing characters.

Network Segment\ %Network Utilization

Percentage of network bandwidth in use on a networksegment.

Disk

Physical Disk\% Disk Time

The percentage of elapsed time that the selected diskdrive is busy servicing read or write requests.

Physical Disk\% Idle Time

Reports the percentage of time during the sampleinterval that the disk was idle.

Physical Disk\Disk Reads/sec The rate of read operations on the disk.

Physical Disk\Disk Writes/sec The rate of write operations on the disk.

Physical Disk\Avg. Disk Queue Length

The average number of both read and write requeststhat were queued for the selected disk during thesample interval.



Potential


CPU

Processor\Interrupts/sec

The average number of hardware interrupts the proces-sor is receiving and servicing in each second. It doesn’tinclude deferred procedure calls (DPCs), which arecounted separately. This value is an indirect indicator ofthe activity of devices that generate interrupts, such asthe system clock, the mouse, disk drivers, data commu-nication lines, network interface cards, and other peripheraldevices. These devices normally interrupt the processorwhen they’ve completed a task or require attention. Mostsystem clocks interrupt the processor every 10 milliseconds,creating a background of interrupt activity. This counterdisplays the difference between the values observed inthe last two samples, divided by the duration of thesample interval.

Processor\ % ProcessorTime (Use the _Totalinstance to track performance of allprocessors in a multi-processor system.)

The percentage of time that the processor is executing anonidle thread. This counter was designed as a primaryindicator of processor activity. It’s calculated by measur-ing the time that the processor spends executing thethread of the idle process in each sample interval, andsubtracting that value from 100 percent. (Each processorhas an idle thread, which consumes cycles when noother threads are ready to run.) It can be viewed as thepercentage of the sample interval spent doing usefulwork.

System\ % PrivilegedTime (Use the _Totalinstance to track performance of allprocessors in a multi-processor system.)

The percentage of non-idle processor time spent in privi-leged mode. (Privileged mode is a processing modedesigned for operating system components and hard-ware-manipulating drivers. It allows direct access tohardware and all memory. The alternative, user mode, isa restricted processing mode designed for applications,environment subsystems, and integral subsystems. Theoperating system switches application threads to privi-leged mode to access operating system services.) %Privileged Time includes time servicing interrupts andDPCs. A high rate of privileged time might be attributa-ble to a large number of interrupts generated by a failingdevice. This counter displays the average busy time as apercentage of the sample time.

System\ % User Time(Use the _Total instanceto track performance ofall processors in a multiprocessor system.)

The percentage of non-idle processor time spent in usermode. (User mode is a restricted processing modedesigned for applications, environment subsystems, andintegral subsystems. The alternative, privileged mode, isdesigned for operating system components and allowsdirect access to hardware and all memory. The operatingsystem switches application threads to privileged modeto access operating system services.) This counter displaysthe average busy time as a percentage of the sampletime.


For file servers, we recommend that you log the performance

counters shown in Table 25 in addition to the general per-

formance counters.


Potential


CPU(Continued)

System\ ProcessorQueue Length

The number of threads in the processor queue. There’sa single queue for processor time even on computerswith multiple processors. Unlike the disk counters, thiscounter counts ready threads only, not threads that arerunning. A sustained processor queue of greater thantwo threads generally indicates processor congestion.This counter displays the last observed value only; it’snot an average.

System\ SystemCalls/sec

The combined rate of calls to Windows 2000 systemservice routines by all processes running on the computer.These routines perform all of the basic scheduling andsynchronization of activities on the computer, and pro-vide access to nongraphic devices, memory management,and name space management. This counter displays thedifference between the values observed in the last twosamples, divided by the duration of the sample interval.

System Context Switches/sec

The combined rate at which all processors on the com-puter are switched from one thread to another. Contextswitches occur when a running thread voluntarily relin-quishes the processor, is preempted by a higher-priorityready thread, or switches between user-mode and privi-leged (kernel) mode to use an Executive or subsystemservice. It is the sum of Thread: Context Switches/secfor all threads running on all processors in the computerand is measured in numbers of switches. There are con-text switch counters on the System and Thread objects.This counter displays the difference between the valuesobserved in the last two samples, divided by the durationof the sample interval.


Table 25

FILE SERVER PERFORMANCE COUNTERS

Performance

Object

Performance

Counter Definition

Server

Bytes Transmitted/sec

The number of bytes the server has sent on the network.Indicates how busy the server is.

Bytes Received/sec

The number of bytes the server has received from the network. Indicates how busy the server is.

System File ControlOperations/sec

The combined rate of file system operations that are neither read operations nor write operations, such as filesystem control requests and requests for information aboutdevice characteristics or status. This is the inverse ofSystem: File Data Operations/sec and is measured in number of operations per second. This counter displays the difference between the values observed in the last twosamples, divided by the duration of the sample interval.

Server WorkQueues Queue Length

The current length of the server work queue for the CPU. A sustained queue length greater than four might indicateprocessor congestion. This is an instantaneous count, notan average over time.

Memory

Cache Bytes

The number of bytes currently being used by the file sys-tem cache. The file system cache is an area of physicalmemory that stores recently used pages of data for appli-cations. Windows 2000 continually adjusts the size of thecache, making it as large as it can while still preserving theminimum required number of available bytes for processes.This counter displays the last observed value only; it’s notan average.

Page Faults/sec

The overall rate-faulted pages are handled by the proces-sor. It’s measured in numbers of pages faulted per second.A page fault occurs when a process requires code or datathat’s not in its working set (its space in physical memory).This counter includes both hard faults (those that requiredisk access) and soft faults (where the faulted page isfound elsewhere in physical memory). Most processors canhandle large numbers of soft faults without consequence.However, hard faults can cause significant delays. Thiscounter displays the difference between the valuesobserved in the last two samples, divided by the durationof the sample interval.

Transition Faults/sec

Transition Faults/sec is the number of page faults resolvedby recovering pages that were on the modified page list, onthe standby list, or being written to disk at the time of thepage fault. The pages were recovered without additionaldisk activity. Transition faults are counted in numbers offaults, without regard for the number of pages faulted ineach operation. This counter displays the differencebetween the values observed in the last two samples,divided by the duration of the sample interval.


For Web servers, we recommend that you log the perform-

ance counters shown in Table 26 in addition to the general

performance counters.

Table 26

WEB SERVER PERFORMANCE COUNTERS

Performance

Object

Performance

Counter Definition

Process(inetinfo)

% Processor Time

The percentage of elapsed time that all of the threads ofthis process used the processor to execute instructions. An instruction is the basic unit of execution in a computer;a thread is the object that executes instructions; and aprocess is the object created when a program is run. Codeexecuted to handle some hardware interrupts and trap conditions are included in this count. On multiprocessormachines, the maximum value of the counter is the number of processors multiplied by 100 percent.

% Privileged Time

The percentage of elapsed time that the threads of theprocess have spent executing code in privileged mode.When a Windows 2000 system service is called, the servicewill often run in privileged mode to gain access to system-private data. Such data is protected from access by threadsexecuting in user mode. Calls to the system can be explicitor implicit, such as page faults or interrupts. Unlike someearly operating systems, Windows 2000 uses processboundaries for subsystem protection in addition to the traditional protection of user and privileged modes. Thesesubsystem processes provide additional protection.Therefore, some work done by Windows 2000 on behalf of your application might appear in other subsystemprocesses in addition to the privileged time in your process.

% User Time

The percentage of elapsed time that the threads of theprocess have spent executing code in user mode.Applications, environment subsystems, and integral subsys-tems execute in user mode. Executing code in user modecan’t damage the integrity of the Windows NT Executive,Kernel, and device drivers. Unlike some early operatingsystems, Windows 2000 uses process boundaries for sub-system protection in addition to the traditional protection of user and privileged modes. These subsystem processesprovide additional protection. Therefore, some work doneby Windows 2000 on behalf of your application mightappear in other subsystem processes in addition to theprivileged time in your process.

Thread Count

The number of threads currently active in the process. An instruction is the basic unit of execution in a processor,and a thread is the object that executes instructions. Everyrunning process has at least one thread.



Performance

Object

Performance

Counter Definition

Process(inetinfo)(Continued)

Page File Bytes

The current number of bytes the process has used in thepaging file(s). Paging files are used to store pages of mem-ory used by the process that aren’t contained in other files.Paging files are shared by all processes, and lack of spacein paging files can prevent other processes from allocatingmemory.

WebService

Bytes Total/sec The sum of Bytes Sent/sec and Bytes Received/sec. This isthe total rate of bytes transferred by the Web service.

Get Requests/sec

The rate at which HTTP requests using the GET method are made. Get requests are generally used for basic fileretrievals or image maps, though they can be used withforms.

CGI Requests/sec(only if you useCGI programs)

The rate of CGI requests that are simultaneously beingprocessed by the Web service.

ISAPI ExtensionRequests/sec (onlyif you use ISAPIextensions)

The rate of ISAPI Extension requests that are simultane-ously being processed by the Web service.

Active ServerPages (onlyif you useASP programs)

Requests/sec The number of requests executed per second.

InternetInformationServicesGlobal

Current FilesCached

Current number of files whose content is in the cache forWorld Wide Web (WWW) and File Transfer Protocol (FTP)services.

File Cache Hits % The ratio of file cache hits to total cache requests. A filecache hit is a successful lookup in the system’s file cache.

Using the information on the log files, use the CPU perform-

ance thresholds in Table 27 to identify a CPU cause of a

bottleneck.


Table 27

CPU-RELATED BOTTLENECKS

ResourceObject\

Counter

Suggested

ThresholdComments

Processor Processor\ % Processor Time 95%

Upgrade to a processor with a largerL2 cache, a faster processor, or installan additional processor.

Processor Processor\Interrupts/sec

Depends onprocessor.

A dramatic increase in this countervalue without a correspondingincrease in system activity indicates a hardware problem. Identify the net-work adapter causing the interrupts.Use the affinity tool to balance inter-rupts in a multiprocessor system.

Processor Processor\ % Interrupt Time

Depends onprocessor.

An indirect indicator of the activity ofdisk drivers, network adapters, andother devices that generate interrupts.

Server Server Work Queues\Queue Length 4

Tracks the current length of the serverwork queue for the computer. If thevalue reaches this threshold, theremay be a processor bottleneck. This is an instantaneous counter; observeits value over several intervals.

MultipleProcessors

System\ProcessorQueue Length 2

This is an instantaneous counter;observe its value over several inter-vals. A queue of two or more itemsindicates a bottleneck. If more than afew program processes are contendingfor most of the processor’s time,installing a faster processor or onewith a larger L2 cache will improvethroughput. An additional processorcan help if you’re running multi-threaded processes, but be aware thatscaling to additional processors mayhave limited benefits.

Using the information on the log files, use the memory perform-

ance thresholds in Table 28 to identify a memory-related

bottleneck.


Using the information on the log files, use the performance

thresholds in Table 29 to identify a disk-related bottleneck.

Using the information on the log files, use the performance

thresholds in Table 30 to identify a network-related

bottleneck.

Table 28

MEMORY-RELATED BOTTLENECKS

ResourceObject\

Counter

Suggested

ThresholdComments

Memory Memory\ AvailableBytes

Less than 4 MB

Research memory usage and addmemory if needed.

Memory Memory\ Pages/sec 20 Research paging activity.

Server Server\ Pool PagedPeak

Amount ofphysical RAM

This value is an indicator of the maxi-mum paging file size and the amountof physical memory.

Table 29

DISK-RELATED BOTTLENECKS

ResourceObject\

Counter

Suggested

ThresholdComments

Disk Physical Disk\% Disk Time 90% Add more disk drives and partition the

files among all of the drives.

DiskPhysical Disk\DiskReads/sec, PhysicalDisk\Disk Writes/sec

Depends onmanufacturer’sspecifications

Check the specified transfer rate foryour disks to verify that this ratedoesn’t exceed the specifications. Ingeneral, Ultra Wide SCSI disks canhandle 50 I/O operations per second.

Disk Physical Disk\CurrentDisk Queue Length

Number of spindles plus 2

This is an instantaneous counter;observe its value over several inter-vals. For an average over time, usePhysical Disk\ Avg. Disk QueueLength.


Table 30

NETWORK-RELATED BOTTLENECKS

ResourceObject\

Counter

Suggested

ThresholdComments

Network Network Segment\ % Net Utilization

Depends ontype of network

For full-duplex, switched Ethernet net-works, for example, 80 percent canindicate a bottleneck.

Processor Processor\Interrupts/sec

Depends onprocessor

A dramatic increase in this countervalue without a correspondingincrease in system activity indicates ahardware problem. Identify the net-work adapter causing the interrupts.Use the affinity tool to balance inter-rupts in a multiprocessor system.

ServerServer\ Work Item

Shortages3

If the value reaches this threshold,consider tuning InitWorkItems orMaxWorkItems in the Registry (underHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer).

Server Server\ BytesTotal/sec

If the sum of Bytes Total/sec isroughly equal to the maximum trans-fer rates of your network, you mayneed to segment the network.

NetworkSegment

Network Segment\Broadcast framesreceived/second

Depends onnetwork

Can be used to establish a baseline ifmonitored over time. Large variationsfrom the baseline can be investigatedto determine the cause of the problem.Because each computer processesevery broadcast, high broadcast levelsmean lower performance.

NetworkSegment

Network Segment\ % Network utilization

Depends onnetwork

Indicates how close the network is tofull capacity. The threshold dependson your network infrastructure andtopology. If the value of the counter isabove 30 to 40 percent, collisions cancause problems.

NetworkSegment

Network Segment\Total framesreceived/second

Depends onnetwork

Indicates when bridges and routersmight be flooded.


System File CheckerThe System File Checker (SFC) checks for damaged or

replaced system files, and then allows you to replace any

files that don’t match the original Windows files. The System

File Checker can be used to restore Windows OS files if

they’re corrupted. It also offers a convenient way to extract

compressed files (such as drivers) from installation disks. To

keep the files in good shape, run the System File Checker

after installing any new software. You must be logged on as

a member of the Administrators group to run the SFC. To

start the System File Checker,


2. In the Open box, type CMD and then click OK.

3. In the command prompt, type this: sfc/scannow

The SFC command, when used on the Windows command

prompt, can use the switches listed in Table 31.

Table 31

SFC SYNTAX AND SWITCHES

Syntax

SFC [/scannow] [/scanonce] [/scanboot] [/revert] [/purgecache] [/cachesize=x]

Switch Description

/scannow Scans all protected system files immediately.

/scanonce Scans all protected system files once.

/scanboot Scans all protected system files every time the computer is restarted.

/revert Returns the scan to its default operation.

/purgecache Purges the Windows File Protection file cache and scans all protectedsystem files immediately.

/cachesize=x Sets the size, in MB, of the Windows File Protection file cache.

/? Displays help at the command prompt.


Exercise 2

To aid in your understanding of the material, perform the

following exercises.

1. Set up the performance monitor in Windows XP to track

the Processor/% of Processor time counter.

2. Use system information to determine the amount of RAM

in the computer.

3. Install the Recovery Console on the PC, and check the

primary Windows drive.

4. Execute the System File Checker to determine if any of

the system files need to be replaced.

Check your methods with those on page 269.


Self-Check 8

Match the items on the left with their descriptions on the right. Indicate your answers in

the place provided.

______ 1. File System Verification Utility

______ 2. Performance Monitor

______ 3. DiskProbe

______ 4. System Information

______ 5. System File Checker


a. Checks for damaged or replaces OS files

b. Retrieves and displays the current configuration

c. Tracks application and OS resourceusage

d. Checks the OS for digital signatures

e. Doesn’t support FAT32

Self-Check 1

1. f

2. a

3. d

4. c

5. b

6. e

Self-Check 2

1. True

2. DirectX

3. clean install

4. hardware compatibility

5. False

6. Hardware and Sound

7. Hibernate

8. Vista

9. False

10. Hibernate

Self-Check 3

1. False

2. visual impairment, hearing impairment, and mobility

impairment

3. appearance of controls

4. Desktop Manager

5. Shortcut Properties Compatibility tab

6. Details and Previous versions

7. The Ease of use section of the Control Panel

265

Answers

Answers

8. Accessibility Wizard and Utility Manager

9. Hardware and Sound

10. Right-click and select Personalize.

Exercise 1

1. To set the computer to adjust the CPU to give priority to

Programs and not Background services,

• Click Start, click Control Panel, and double-click

System; or, right-click My Computer and click

Properties.

• Click the Advanced tab, and then click Settings in

the Performance part of the dialog box.

• Click the Advanced tab of the Performance Options

dialog box.

• In the Processor Scheduling section, select the

Programs radio button under Adjust for best

performance for.

2.

• The calculator is found by clicking Start, pointing to

All Programs, and Accessories.

• Right-click the Calculator icon, and select Copy.

• Right-click the desktop, and select Paste.

3.

• Click Start, click Control Panel, and double-click

System and Maintenance and then System.

• In the menu on the left side, select System

Protection.

• This action takes you to the System Protection tab on

System Properties. For any drives listed in the Create

restore point automatically box, deselect the check

box. To completely disable system restore, uncheck all

drives listed.

Self-Check and Exercise Answers266

4.

• Click Start, point to Programs, Accessories, and

System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter.

• Select the drive or partition, and click Defragment

disk.

Self-Check 4

1. Any three of the following:

• Add RAM.

• Add a CPU with more L2 cache.

• Defragment the disk.

• Clean up the desktop.

• Delete unnecessary files.

2. True

3. Fast User Switching

4. Disk Cleanup

5. True

6. direct memory access (DMA)

7. Automatic, manual, and disabled

8. Type Run in the search box, select it, and then type

msconfig in the run box.

9. True

10. Superfetch

Self-Check and Exercise Answers 267

Self-Check 5

1. Five

2. Five

3. \%SystemRoot%\system32\config

4. default

5. True

6. boot.ini

7. Vista and Windows 7

8. False

9. System Image Recovery

Self-Check 6

1. d

2. a

3. b

4. e

5. c

6. g

7. h

8. f

9. j

10. i

Self-Check 7

1. plug and play (PnP)

2. False

3. device driver

4. resource conflicts

5. False


6. Add Hardware

7. Hidden

8. True

9. Resource conflicts

10. 16-bit devices

Exercise 2

1. This is the default listing on the Add to Chart dialog box.

Simply open Performance Monitor using these steps:

• Click Start, point to All Programs, Administrative

Tools.

• Click Performance Monitor to open this utility in

Windows XP.

2. Your process will vary somewhat according to the OS

version installed. Here are the major steps:

• Click Start, Programs, Accessories and the select

System Tools.

• Select System Information. The box opens after a

brief pause to gather information.

• In the detail pane, locate the Physical memory

section, and the amount of memory is listed.

3. To install the Recovery Console,

• Insert the Windows installation CD into the CD or

DVD drive.

• Click Start, and then click Run.

• In the Open box, type d:\i386\winnt32.exe/cmdcons,

where d is the drive letter for the CD or DVD drive.

• Click Yes to start the installation procedure.

• Restart the computer. The next time you start the

computer, you see a Microsoft Windows Recovery

Console entry on the boot menu.

Self-Check and Exercise Answers 269

• On the boot menu, select Microsoft Windows Recovery

Console.

• When you’re prompted to do so, type the administrator

password. If the administrator password is blank,

press Enter.

• At the command prompt, type chkdsk d:, where d: is

the Windows drive.

4.

• Click Start and then Run.

• In the Open box, type CMD, and then click OK.

• In the command prompt type sfc/scannow.

• Wait until the scan completes, and view the results.

Self-Check 8

1. d

2. c

3. e

4. b

5. a
