Mike Meyers A+ Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting Pcs Instructor S Manual Chapter 13

Mike Meyers’ A+ Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs Instructor’s Manual Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Understanding Windows

Learning Objectives

This lesson will help you understand Windows and the role of the operating system. By the end of this lesson, you should be able to do the following:

· Explain the Windows interface

· Identify the features and characteristics of Windows 2000 and Windows XP

· Describe the current versions of Windows

Pre-test

1. Name some of the elements of the Windows user interface.

2. What is name of the file responsible for starting the booting process in Windows 2000/XP?

3. Where is the boot partition on a Windows XP system?

4. What is the hardware abstraction layer (HAL) and what important function does it perform in Windows 2000/XP?

5. What does Windows 2000/XP use instead of the File Allocation Table (FAT)?

Lecture Outline

Essentials

I. Windows Interface

A. All Windows version share certain characteristics, configuration files, and utilities.

B. User Interface. Windows offers a set of utilities or interfaces that include the following:

1. Login. Provides a login screen. Windows 9x provides no security and allows you to bypass this screen, but Windows NT/2000/XP provide security by requiring users to log in.

2. Desktop. The primary interface to the computer; allows users to customize it.

3. Taskbar and Start Menu. At bottom of desktop; has four sections:

a) Start button. Opens the Start Menu, displays programs and allows users to start them.

b) Quick Launch area. Allows users to customize this area for activating programs quickly without going through the Start Menu.

c) Running programs area. Displays programs currently running; allows users to switch between programs or to minimize and maximize programs.

d) System tray. Displays current date and time and shows small icons for all programs running in the background.

4. My Computer. Provides access to all drives, folders, and files; allows user to double-click icon to see contents of drive or directory.

5. Windows Explorer. Tool to show file and folder information through a double-paned display.

6. My Documents, My [Whatever]. Special icons/folders. My Documents is the central storage area for files created by applications. Other folders include My Pictures, My Music, My Videos.

7. Recycle Bin. Provides protection in case you delete a file accidentally. Deleted files are stored in the Recycle Bin and may be restored if the Recycle Bin has not been emptied or until the Recycle Bin reaches its maximum size, at which time Windows starts emptying it automatically starting with the oldest file placed in it. Note that files deleted from a floppy disk do not go to the Recycle Bin and cannot be retrieved.

8. My Network Places. If the PC has a network connection, this provides a central location to show all network connections and allow configuration. Windows 9x called it Network Neighborhood, while Windows 2000/XP names it My Network Places.

9. Hot keys. Allow use of key combinations in place of extensive point and clicks.

a) Function keys

b) Popular hot keys

c) Working with text

C. Tech utilities. Four basic utilities provided in the OS itself:

1. Right-click. Brings up an alternate menu. Available almost everywhere in Windows. Properties is a common menu choice.

2. Control Panel. Handles maintenance, upgrade, and configuration. Includes many applets such as Add/Remove Programs, Display, System, etc. Each applet includes help. All icons in the Control Panel are files with the extension .CPL.

3. Device Manager. Lets techs examine and configure hardware and drivers. Allows driver updates. Access via System Properties (Hardware tab) or Computer Management. Problems readily identified as red “X” or yellow exclamation point.

4. System tools. Includes variety of tech utilities such as System Information and Disk Defragmenter.

a) Activate Windows (XP only). If not done during installation, can be done later via this menu.

b) Backup. Built-in backup utility.

c) Character Map. Access to other characters not readily available on the keyboard.

d) Disk Cleanup. Looks for unneeded files. Helps free up disk space.

e) Disk Defragmenter. Used to defragment drives, as discussed in Chapter 10.

f) Files and Settings Transfer Wizard (XP only). Invaluable tool used to allow a user to keep many of their files and settings when switching from an old computer to a new computer.

g) Scheduled Tasks. Allows programs to be scheduled to run on a recurring basis.

h) Security Center (XP only). Central location for configuring security features.

i) System Information. Central source for significant amount of information on system. Information here is often available elsewhere.

j) System Restore (XP only). Takes regular snapshots of system. Allows rollback of system to an earlier time.

5. Command line. All versions of Windows include the command line. Easy way to access it is by selecting Start | Run, and typing cmd in the dialog box.

a) Similar to DOS, but not DOS

b) DOS is dead, but the command-line interface thrives

IT Technician

6. Microsoft Management Console. A shell program that holds individual utilities called snap-ins. The user opens a blank MMC and adds snap-ins as needed. The MMC can become a central repository for almost every traditional tool in Windows, even the Device Manager.

7. Administrative Tools. Available in Windows 2000/XP, this applet in the Control Panel includes almost all snap-ins. It contains four divisions.

a) Computer Management. This applet includes two major consoles:

(1) System Tools. Includes System Information, Performance Logs, Alerts, and Device Manager.

(2) Storage. Includes Disk Defragmenter and Disk Management consoles, tools used to manage storage devices, including removable storage devices.

b) Event Viewer. Tracks designated kinds of events to show in a glance when the PC had problems or who logged on when.

c) Performance. This console consists of two snap-ins:

(1) System Monitor. Monitors the system and provides real-time data.

(2) Performance Logs and Alerts. Creates logs that monitor information over time; able to issue alerts when performance falls below designated levels.

d) Services. Shows the status of all services on the system. Windows comes with about 100 separate programs called services. Startup Type services provides a pull-down menu that lets you configure the service to start automatically when the system starts or manually only when you start it. You can also disable services to prevent them from starting at all.

D. OS folders

1. All versions of Windows organize essential files and folders in a similar way. All have a system folder; all use the Registry files; and all provide a RAM cache file for robust access to programs and utilities.

2. System folder or SystemRoot identifies the folder in which Windows has been installed. For Windows XP, it is most likely C:\WINDOWS, and for Windows 2000, it is most likely C:\WINNT. It is often written as %SystemRoot%. WinDir is the Windows 95 equivalent of SystemRoot.

3. Registry. Stores everything about your PC, including hardware, network information, user preferences, and file types.

a) For Windows NT/2000/XP, numerous Registry files called hives are stored in the \%SystemRoot%\System32\Config folder.

b) Accessing the Registry. The safest way to access the Registry is through the Control Panel. Any changes you make to the Control Panel are automatically stored in the Registry. You can also access the Registry directly by using the command line editor REGEDIT, but if you make a mistake, your system may not start. Use the Control Panel instead.

c) Can access through REGEDIT (older version that was good for searching), or Regedit32 (semi-newer version which was good for editing). Windows XP and Vista combine them both. Entering Regedit or Regedit32 in the command prompt or Run dialog box will launch the same program.

d) Registry components. In Windows 9x/Me, the Registry is organized into six main subgroups or root keys, each of which contains other subkeys or values.

(1) HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT. Defines the standard class objects or named groups of functions used by Windows 9x; includes file associations and what icons are to be displayed with various kinds of files.

(2) HKEY_USERS. Stores all personalized preferences or information for all users; includes colors, screen savers, and desktop contents.

(3) HKEY_CURRENT_USER. Stores personalized information for the current user only.

(4) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. Contains all data for a system’s nonuser-specific configurations, including devices that have been removed.

(5) HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG. Used if the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE has more than one value option, such as multiple monitors. Rarely used.

4. Swap file. Also called a RAM cache or virtual memory, the swap file is a portion of the hard drive that acts as an extension of system RAM. If the PC runs out of RAM, it swaps inactive programs from RAM to the swap file to make space for other programs. But the programs must be moved back to RAM before they can be used. Windows slows down noticeably as Windows swaps files from RAM to the hard drive. You’ll also notice the hard drive light coming on at times when you are neither saving nor retrieving data from it.

a) The swap file is a hidden system file.

b) Windows NT/2000/XP calls the file PAGEFILE.SYS and stores it at the root of the C: drive.

II. Features and Characteristics of Windows 2000/XP

A. Windows NT 4.0, released in 1996, is a 32-but GUI OS that provides good performance, scalability, and security. Windows 2000/XP based on the NT core, but include greater ease of use and support for hardware. Windows 2000/XP offer Plug and Play, which was missing in Windows NT.

1. Windows NT OS Organization: Although it looks similar to Windows 9x, its organization is very different. NT is robust, scalable, and cross-platform. Using an object-oriented approach, NT divides the OS into three parts:

a) Drivers. Excellent NT drivers plus the ability to use other drivers without compromising the OS.

b) NT Executive. Uses the hardware abstraction layer (HAL) to separate system-specific device drivers, thus making NT cross-platform.

c) Subsystems. Running processes are separated into different subsystems, making NT robust.

2. NT supports symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) for systems with up to 32 CPUs. (High-end versions of Windows 2000 go beyond SMP to provide clustering that allows multiple systems to share redundant data for ultimate protection.)

3. NT File System (NTFS). A 32-bit file system that offers excellent features:

a) Long filenames. Up to 255 characters.

b) Redundancy. Uses Master File Table (MFT) instead of FAT and stores a backup copy of the MFT in the middle of the disk to protect it.

c) Backward compatibility. Can even use DOS or Windows 9x/Me programs in an NTFS partition.

d) Recoverability. Uses transaction logging to determine incomplete file transactions and restore the file to the original format automatically.

e) Security. Here’s where NT shines, either for networks or for individual PCs that are shared by more than one user. Just about every Properties dialog in NT has a Security tab. Major features of NTFS security are

(1) Long filenames (LFNs). Up to 255 characters.

(2) Redundancy. Uses MFT. Keeps backup copy in the middle of the drive.

(3) Backward compatibility. FAT and FAT32 programs and files can be copied to and from an NTFS drive.

(4) Recoverability. Uses transaction logging to protect against accidental shutdowns and system lockups.

(5) Security. Allows file and folder access restrictions based on user and group memberships.

f) Security. Security is implemented through users, groups, and permissions. Permissions can be granted to either a user or a group. Users can gain access to files or folders through either their own user account or through membership in a group.

(1) Accounts. You must have a valid user account and password to start the system. When installed, Windows NT sets up an administrator account with full power.

(2) Groups. A group is a collection of accounts that share the same capabilities, thus making administration easier. Permissions may be set for the group so that whenever a new user is added, that account has the same permissions as the group. An account may belong to more than one group. Windows provides seven built-in groups that cannot be deleted: Administrators, Power Users, Users, Backup Operators, Replicator, Everyone, and Guests.

(3) Windows XP keeps these same groups and adds four others, including Help Services and Remote Desktop Users. However, when used as a standalone computer, XP Home or Professional creates only three account types: Computer Administrator, Limited User, and Guest.

(4) NTFS permissions. The level of access to every file or folder on an NTFS partition depends on NTFS permissions. The CompTIA A+ Certification exams expect you to understand some basic concepts about permissions, including the those listed next.

· Ownership. Whoever creates a file or folder becomes the owner who has the ability to restrict access, even from administrators.

· Take Ownership permission. Allows anyone with permission to seize control of a file or folder. The Administrator accounts have Take Ownership permission. Even if the owner has blocked access, this permission allows an Administrator to take ownership of a file or folder and then access the file.

· Change permissions. Allows an account with this permission to grant or deny permissions to other accounts.

· Folder permissions. Access the folder properties and then the Security tab to set permissions for a folder. Standard permissions for a folder include Full Control, Modify, Read & Execute, List Folder Contents, Read, and Write.

· File permissions. Include Full Control, Modify, Read & Execute, Read, and Write.

g) Techs and permissions. Techs need administrative privileges to do just about anything on an 2000/XP machine, so it is good practice to have the administrator create a new account for you with administrator privileges that can be deleted when you have completed your work. If you don’t administer the computer, don’t ask for the password to the permanent administrator account.

B. The boot process. Windows 2000/XP use three or four boot files that must be stored in the system partition. NT calls the partition that holds the actual OS the boot partition while the partition that holds the files necessary to start the computer is called the system partition. While these two may be on the same partition, they may also be on separate partitions.

1. NTLDR. After the system boots up, the MBR on the hard drive starts the NTLDR program. NTLDR then loads the BOOT.INI, a text file that lists the OSs available and allows the user to select which one should be used to start the computer.

2. BOOT.INI. A text file that lists the OSs available. It uses an ARC naming system to identify the exact disk controller, disk, partition, and folder where the OS is located. The disk controller can be either SCSI or ATA based.

a) MULTI is used for ATA drives. It is associated with RDISKS. If MULTI is specified, the value of DISKS is meaningless. MULTI identifies the ATA adapter. The first MULTI adapter is numbered 0.