Special Edition Using Windows XP Professional

Contents at a Glance Introduction

I Introducing Windows XP Professional 1 Introducing Windows XP Professional 11 2 Getting Your Hardware and Software Ready for Windows XP Pro 47 3 Installing Windows XP Professional 71

II Getting Your Work Done 4 5 6 7

Using ®

®

Robert Cowart Brian Knittel

149

III Windows XP and the Internet

Microsoft Windows XP Professional

Using the Windows XP Interface 105 Using the Simple Supplied Applications Printing and Faxing 183 Multimedia and Imaging 219

8 Internet and TCP/IP Connection Options 259 9 Browsing the World Wide Web with Internet Explorer 291 10 Sending E-Mail with Outlook Express 327 11 Reading Newsgroups with Outlook Express 361 12 Chatting and Conferencing with Windows Messenger 385 13 Hosting Web Pages with Internet Information Services 413 14 Troubleshooting Your Internet Connection 441

IV Networking 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Overview of Windows XP Networking 463 Creating a Windows XP Pro Network 495 Using a Windows XP Network 541 Windows Unplugged: Remote and Mobile Networking 603 Connecting Your LAN to the Internet 657 Networking Mix and Match 691 Network Security 725 Troubleshooting Your Network 753

V System Configuration and Customization 23 24 25 26

Tweaking the GUI 771 Configuration via Control Panel Applets 801 Maintaining and Optimizing System Performance Font Management 887

VI System Administration and System Maintenance 27 28 29 30 31 201 W. 103rd Street Indianapolis, Indiana 46290

System Utilities 901 Managing Users 947 Managing the Hard Disk 987 Installing and Replacing Hardware 1041 Multibooting Windows XP with Other Operating Systems 1087 32 The Registry 1123 33 Troubleshooting and Repairing Windows XP 1151 Index

1167

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Special Edition Using Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional Copyright © 2002 by Que Corporation All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Nor is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. International Standard Book Number: 0-7897-2628-9 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2001090293 Printed in the United States of America First Printing: December, 2001 04 03 02 01

4 3 2 1

Trademarks All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized. Que Corporation cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark. Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Warning and Disclaimer Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and as accurate as possible, but no warranty or fitness is implied. The information provided is on an “as is” basis. The authors and the publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damages arising from the information contained in this book or from the use of the CD or programs accompanying it.

Associate Publisher Greg Wiegand Executive Editor Rick Kughen Acquisitions Editor Rick Kughen Development Editor Todd Brakke Managing Editor Thomas F. Hayes Project Editor Tonya Simpson Production Editor Benjamin Berg Indexer Tina Trettin Proofreaders Harvey Stanbrough Mary Ann Abramson Technical Editors Mark Reddin David Eytchison Doug Klippert Terry W. Ogletree Team Coordinator Sharry Lee Gregory Media Developer Michael Hunter Interior Designer Ruth Harvey Cover Designers Dan Armstrong Ruth Harvey Page Layout Scan Communications Group, Inc.

Contents Why This Book?

3

How Our Book Is Organized What’s on the CD?

Windows XP Professional on the Corporate Network 42 New Networking Features 43 Improved Network Security 45

4

6

Conventions Used in This Book Text Conventions 6 Tips from the Windows Pros Special Elements 7

6

Conventions Used in This Book

7

6

I Introducing Windows XP Professional 1 Introducing Windows XP Professional 11 An Overview of Windows XP Professional 12 A Little Windows History

13

What’s New in Windows XP Professional? 15 Interface Improvements 17 Internet Connections and Software 25 Hardware Improvements 26 File System Improvements 28 More Stability 28 Improved System Management 31 Differences Between Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP Professional, 64-Bit, and Server Versions of Windows XP 35 Differences Between Versions of Windows XP 35 How Does Windows XP Professional Compare to Unix and Linux? 39 Unix 39 Linux 40

2 Getting Your Hardware and Software Ready for Windows XP 47 General Considerations

48

Hardware Requirements 49 Option 1: Using What You’ve Got: Ensuring Compatibility via the HCL 51 Option 2: Choosing a Windows XP-Ready PC 53 Option 3: Upgrading Your Computer 54 Preparing Your Hardware for Windows XP 55 The Motherboard and CPU 55 The Importance of the Chipset 58 Slots 59 RAM 59 Hard Disk 60 Monitor/Video Card Support 61 Plug and Play Items 62 Preparing Your Software for Windows XP 63 Classes of Programs 65 Legit APIs Versus Hardware Twiddling 65 Hardware-Based Device-Protection Capabilities 67 Why Should You Care? 67 Windows XP-Approved Applications 68 Troubleshooting

68

Tips from the Windows Pros: Shopping for the Right Hardware and Software 69

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3 Installing Windows XP Professional 71 Choosing an Upgrade Path 72 Clean Installation Versus Upgrade 73 Dual-Booting Versus Single Booting 75 Choosing an Upgrade Path

75

Choosing a File System: FAT, FAT32, or NTFS? 80 A Brief History of File Systems 81 Disk Partitioning Tips 82 File System Conversion Limitations 85 Getting Your Network Information Together 85 It’s Backup Time!

The Taskbar, the Start Menu, and Other Tools 132

86

Clean Installation Procedure 88 Typical Clean Setup Procedure

Using Windows XP—the User Experience 113 Parts of the Windows XP Screen 114 Dialog Box Changes 119 My Computer and Windows Explorer 119 WebView 120 Selecting Several Items 122 Putting Items on the Desktop 124 Saving Files on the Desktop from a Program 125 Properties and the Right-Click 126 Using the Folders Bar (A.K.A. Windows Explorer) 129

Running Your Applications

88

How to Launch Your Apps

Upgrading over an Existing Operating System 96 Upgrade Report 98

Using My Documents, My Pictures, and My Music 140 Using the Help System

Making Replacement Startup Floppies

99

140

Exiting Windows Gracefully Troubleshooting

100

Tips from the Windows Pros: Automating Setup 101

141

Dealing with a Crashed Application or Operating System 143 Troubleshooting

144

Tips from the Windows Pros: Working Efficiently 146

II Getting Your Work Done 4 Using the Windows XP Interface 105 Who Should Read This Chapter?

134 134

106

Logging In to Windows XP 107 Logging On from the Welcome Screen 107 Using the Classic Logon 107 Changing the Default Logon Mode 109 Working with User Accounts 110

5 Using the Simple Supplied Applications 149 A Sea of Freebies

150

Notepad 150 Notepad’s Limitations 152 Running Notepad 153 Setting Margins and Adding Headers and Footers 154

Contents

WordPad 155 Save and Open Options 156 Running WordPad and Editing with WordPad 157 Adding Graphics to a WordPad Document 158 Display Options 159 Paint 159 Starting a New Image 161 Work Area, Toolbox, Tool Options, Color Palette 161 Working with the Painting Tools

162 Undoing Mistakes 163 Opening an Existing Picture 164 Zooming In for Detail Work 164 Saving Your Work 165 Calculator 165 Copying Your Results to and from Other Documents 167 Character Map 168 Using Character Map 168 Choosing from a Unicode Subrange 169 Entering Alternative Characters from the Keyboard 170 Volume Control

170

Working with the Windows Clipboard 172 Copying, Cutting, and Pasting in Windows Applications 174 Using the Search Applet 175 Searching for Text Within a Document 178 Looking for Any Kind of File Narrowing the Search 179 Troubleshooting

180

6 Printing and Faxing 183 Windows XP Printing Primer 184 The Printers and Faxes Folder 184 Installing and Configuring a Printer

Installing a Local Printer 188 If the Printer Isn’t Found or Is on a Serial (COM) Port 190 What to Do if Your Printer Isn’t Listed

192 Changing a Printer’s Properties 193 Comments About Various Settings

196 Removing a Printer from the Printers and Faxes Folder 199 Printing from Windows Applications

199 Pre-Printing Checklist 200 Printing by Dragging Files into the Print Manager 201 Printing Offline 202 Working with the Printer Queue 203 Deleting a File from the Queue 204 Canceling All Pending Print Jobs on a Given Printer 204 Pausing, Resuming, and Restarting the Printing Process 204 Rearranging the Queue Order 205 Viewing and Altering Document Properties 205 Printing to Disk Option Color Management

179

186

206

207

Faxing 208 Installing the Fax Service 208 Getting Set Up 209 Sending a Fax 211 Fax Management Utilities 212 Cover Sheets 213 Incoming Faxes 214

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Troubleshooting

216

Tips from the Windows Pros: Choosing a Printer Name 218

7 Multimedia and Imaging 219 Multimedia, Imaging, and Windows

220 How Windows Image Acquisition Works 220 What’s Built in to Windows XP for Photographs? 221 Using the Scanner and Camera Wizard 222 Using the Scanner and Camera Wizard with a Scanner 223 Using the Scanner and Camera Wizard with a Digital Camera 225 Using a Card Reader 227 Viewing Images 228 Using the Photo Printing Wizard

231 Copying Your Pictures to a CD-RW Drive 232 Working with Your Pictures Online 235 Going Beyond Windows XP’s Built-In Imaging Tools 238 What’s Built in to Windows XP for Video? 238 The Hardware You Need 239 Video Capture with Microsoft Movie Maker 239 Splitting and Combining Clips 241 Turning Your Video Clips into a Simple Movie 242 Editing Your Movie 243 Adding Narration to Your Movie 244 Adding Titles to Your Movie 245 Saving Your Project and Your Movie 246

Getting Your Movie to the Masses 247 Beyond Windows Movie Maker 248 Help Sites and Resources for Digital Video 248 Windows Media Player 248 Media Types Compatible with Media Player 249 Major Features of Media Player 250 Customizing Media Player 252 Troubleshooting

253

Tips from the Windows Pros: Archiving Your Company’s History 255

III Windows XP and the Internet 8 Internet and TCP/IP Connection Options 259 Going World Wide

260

Connection Technologies 260 Analog Modem 260 ISDN 261 DSL 261 Cable Modem 262 Satellite Service 263 Wireless 263 Choosing a Technology 264 Choosing an Internet Service Provider 265 Travel Considerations 266 AOL 266 Relying on the Internet Connection Wizard 266 Choosing Equipment

267

Ordering the Service

267

Installing the Hardware 268 Installing a Modem in Windows XP 268

Contents

9 Browsing the World Wide Web with Internet Explorer 291

Changing the Modem Type 270 Installing Multiple Modems 271 Installing Internal ISDN Adapters

271 Installing a Network Adapter 271 Installing a Satellite or Wireless Connection 272

280

Enabling the Internet Connection Firewall 281

284

MSN Explorer Browser—The Touchy-Feely Alternative to IE

318 319

Getting a Passport to Microsoft Country 321 Hey, Who’s Afraid of Microsoft Passport? 322

286

Managing Multiple Internet Connections 287 Troubleshooting

293

Customizing the Browser and Setting Internet Options 308 Setting Default Mail, News, and HTML Editor Programs 310 Setting Security and Privacy Preferences 311 Controlling Objectionable Content 315 Other Internet Settings 317 Effectively Searching the Web

Using Multiple Modems or ISDN Channels 285 Changing the Default Connection

293

Dealing with Multimedia Browsing and Downloading 300 Images 300 Audio and Video 301 Downloading Programs 307

Adjusting Dial-Up Connection Properties 276

Making and Ending a Dial-Up Connection 283 Checking the Connection Status Hanging Up a Dial-Up Connection 285

What’s New in Internet Explorer 6? Internet Explorer 6 Quick Tour Entering URLs 296 Browsing Offline 297

Configuring Your Internet Connection 273 Using a Referral ISP 274 Transferring an Existing Account to This Computer 274 Manually Configuring an ISP Account 274

Configuring a High-Speed Connection 278 Setting Up Dynamic IP Addressing 279 Setting Up a Fixed IP Address

Origins and Development of the World Wide Web 292

288

Tips from the Windows Pros: Staying Connected While Traveling Abroad 289

Troubleshooting

323

Tips from the Windows Pros: Finding and Using PDF Documents on the World Wide Web 324

10 Sending E-mail with Outlook Express 327 Choosing an E-mail Client 328 What If You Like Outlook 97, 98, or 2000? 328

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Other E-mail Clients

329

Choosing an E-mail Client

329

Outlook Express Quick Tour 330 Setting Up an E-mail Account 332 Outlook Express Quick Tour 333 Reading and Processing Incoming Messages 335 Outlook Express Quick Tour Deleting Messages 337

335

Creating and Sending New Mail 337 Sending and Receiving Attachments 339 Guarding Yourself Against E-mail Viruses 339 Setting Up a Signature 340 Requesting Receipts 341 Formatting Options for Mail 342 Sending and Receiving Secure Messages 343 Using the Address Book 345 Adding, Editing, and Removing Entries 345 Creating Distribution Lists 346 Finding People Who Aren’t in Your Address Book 347 Handling Unique Mail Situations 348 Modifying an Existing E-mail Account 348 Handling Multiple E-mail Accounts for the Same User 349 Organizing Your Mail 350 Filtering Your Mail 351 Checking Your Messages While Traveling 352 Backing Up Outlook Express Data

353 Dealing with Spam Troubleshooting

356

358

Tips from the Windows Pros: Creating Formatted E-mail 359

11 Reading Newsgroups with Outlook Express 361 Newsgroups and the Internet 362 What About Mailing Lists? 362 Using Mailing Lists 363 Locating News Servers 364 Setting Up a Newsgroup Account in Outlook Express 365 Downloading the Newsgroup List 366 Finding and Reading Newsgroups 367 Subscribing to Newsgroups 368 Managing Your Subscriptions 369 Reading and Posting Messages to a Newsgroup 369 Managing Messages 371 Reading News Offline 372 Newsgroup Safety 373 Filtering Unwanted Messages 373 Protecting Your Identity 374 Avoiding Spam 375 Responding to Anonymous Posters 376 Customizing Outlook Express for Newsgroups 377 Troubleshooting

378

Tips from the Windows Pros: Newsgroups . . . for More than Just News 380

12 Chatting and Conferencing with Windows Messenger 385 An Overview of Windows Messenger 386 What Is Messaging, Anyway? 386 What Windows Messenger Can and Can’t Do 387 Systems Requirements and Platform Compatibility 388 With Whom Can I Communicate? 389

Contents

Getting Started with Windows Messenger 390 Signing In with Your .NET Passport 390 Signing In to Messenger 391 Adding Contacts 392 Setting Messenger Options and Preferences 393 Chatting with Text 396 Chat Etiquette 397 My Status, or Out to Lunch and Back Again 398 Signing Out 398 Group Chat 399 Sending and Receiving Files 399 Communicating with Voice 400 Tuning Up Audio Hardware 401 Chatting by Voice 402 Communicating with Video 404 Tuning Video Hardware 404 Chatting with Pictures and Voice

IIS Services and Requirements 417 Do You Really Want to Do This? 417 IIS Components 418 Before You Get Started 420 Name Service 420 Determining Which IIS Services You Need 421 World Wide Web 422 FrontPage 2000 Extensions 422 FTP 423 SMTP Mail 423 Other Components 423 Installing IIS

424

Taking a Quick Tour 425 Online Documentation 426 Printer Manager 426 Setting Up a Simple Web Site

427

Managing Your Site with the Computer Management Console 428

Conferencing Options 406 Application Sharing 406 Whiteboard 408 What About NetMeeting?

408

Managing the FTP Server Managing the SMTP Server Log Files

432 433

434

409

Enabling Site Searching Using the Indexing Service 435

Tips From the Windows Pros: Extending Your Chat Community 410

Configuring Shared Connections

Troubleshooting

431

Sharing Folders with Web Sharing

405

13 Hosting Web Pages with Internet Information Services 413 Overview of Internet Information Services 414 What Does a Web Server Do? 414 A Folder by Any Other Name Is . . . a Virtual Folder 415 Default Documents—When “Nothing” Just Isn’t Enough 416 MIMEs Make It Happen 416 To Run or Not to Run 416

436

Security Issues for Internet Services Keeping up to Date 437 File Security 437 Authentication 437 Configuring Your Server 438 Troubleshooting

436

438

Tips from the Windows Pros: Scripting for Interactive Sites 439

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Network Form and Function Size Matters 467

14 Troubleshooting Your Internet Connection 441 It’s Great When It Works, But . . .

442 Before You Run into Trouble

442

Troubleshooting 443 Identifying Software Configuration Problems 443 Identifying Network Hardware Problems 449 Identifying Modem Hardware Problems 450 Identifying Modem Connectivity Problems 451 Troubleshooting Internet Problems with Windows TCP/IP Utilities 452 ipconfig 452 ping 453 tracert 455 pathping 456 route 457 Web-Based Utilities 458 Speed Check 458 Whois Database 458 Reverse Tracert 459 WS_Ping Pro Pack 459 Tips from the Windows Pros: Pinging with Larger Packets 459

IV Networking 15 Overview of Windows XP Networking 463 Network Concepts 464 Why You Really Need a Network

464 No Longer a Dark Art 465 Network Neighborhoods 465

466

Network Connection Technologies Physical Media 468 The OSI Model 474 Network Clients 476 Protocols 476 Network Adapters 478

468

Resolving Computer Names 478 NetBEUI 478 IP Name Services and Routing 479 IP Addresses and Network Masks 480 Windows Networking and TCP/IP 482 The Many Faces of Windows XP 483 The Windows Peer-to-Peer Network 483 The Windows .NET/2000/NT Server Network 484 The Active Directory Network 485 The Windows Offline/Remote Network 485 Windows XP’s Network Services 486 File and Printer Sharing 486 Roaming User Profiles 487 Distributed Applications 487 .NET 488 Virtual Private Networking 488 Remote Access 488 Connection Sharing 489 Active Directory 490 IntelliMirror 492 Intranet/Internet Services and Tools 492 Security 493 Tips from the Windows Pros: Becoming a Networking Professional 493

Contents

16 Creating a Windows XP Pro Network 495 Creating or Joining a Network

496

Planning Your Network 496 Are You Being Served? 497 When to Hire a Professional 499 Planning for Adequate Capacity 500 Printers 500 Backup System 500 Power Surprise 501 Choosing a Network and Cabling System 501 10BASE-T Ethernet 502 100BASE-Tx Ethernet 504 Phoneline Networking 504 Wireless Networking 506 IEEE-1394 (FireWire) Networking 507 Mixed Networking 508 Printing and Faxing 509 Providing Internet Connectivity Providing Remote Access 510 Installing Network Adapters 510 Checking Existing Adapters 510 Installing a New Network Adapter

511 Installing Multiple Network Adapters 512 Installing Network Wiring 513 General Cabling Tips 513 Wiring with Patch Cables 515 Installing In-Wall Wiring 516 Connecting Just Two Computers

517 Adding Network-Capable Printers

518 Connecting Multiple Hubs

518

Configuring a Peer-to-Peer Network

519 Using the Networking Setup Wizard 520

Manually Configuring Your Network 523 Configuring Network Components 526 Setting Your Computer Identification 529 Joining a Windows XP/2000 Domain Network 531

533

Network Security

Checking Out the Neighborhood

533

Install and Configure Backup Software 534 Bridging Two Network Types with Windows XP 535 Troubleshooting

536

Tips from the Windows Pros: Grassroots Networking 538

509

17 Using a Windows XP Network 541 Windows XP Was Made to Network 542 Workgroup Versus Domain Networking 544 Traditional Versus Web Sharing 544 What’s in a Name? 545 The UNC Naming Convention 546 Naming for Web-Based Sharing 546 My Network Places Using Shared Folders

547 549

Exploring and Searching the Network 550 Understanding Shared Resources 552 Searching the Network 553 Advanced Active Directory Searching 557 Adding Network Places 559 Using a Shared Disk Drive 561

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Using Internet-Based File Storage Services 561 Mapping Drive Letters 562

565

Using Web Folders

Using Printers on the Network 566 Installing Network Printers 567 Using a Network Printer 572 Using Printers Over the Internet with IPP 573 Using Other IPP Printers 576 Using Unix and LPR Printers 576 Using AppleTalk Printers 577 Using Other Network-Connected Printers 578 Using Network Resources Effectively

578 Use My Network Places 579 Make Folder Shortcuts 579 Use Offline Network Folders 579 Put Tools and Documentation Online 579 Organize Your Network to Fit Your Users 580 Sharing Resources

580

Sharing Folders and Drives 580 Sharing Folders on a Workgroup Network 581 Sharing Folders on a Domain Network 583 Sharing Web Folders

585

Sharing Printers 587 Installing Extra Printer Drivers 588 Setting Printer Permissions 589 Notifying Users When Printing Is Complete 589 Tracking Printer Users 590 Changing the Location of the Spool Directory 591 Printer Pooling 592

Separator Pages 592 Sharing Printers on the Web via IPP 594 Managing Network Use of Your Computer 594 Managing Network Resources Using the Command Line 595 Mapping Drives with net use 596 The Distributed File System Troubleshooting

597

598

Tips from the Windows Pros: Using Command-Line Utilities 600

18 Windows Unplugged: Remote and Mobile Networking 603 Going Unplugged

604

Dial-Up Networking 605 Setting Up Dial-Up Networking 605 Setting a Dial-Up Connection’s Properties 607 Managing Dial-Up Connections from Multiple Locations 610 Making a Dial-Up Connection 611 Callbacks 614 Using Remote Network Resources 615 E-mail and Network Connections 615 Monitoring and Ending a Dial-Up Connection 616 Enabling Dial-In and VPN Access to Your Computer 617 Wireless Networking

620

Offline Folders 620 Identifying Files and Folders for Offline Use 621 Using Files While Offline 623 The Synchronization Manager 623

Contents

Making Your Shared Folders Available for Offline Use by Others 627 Offline Files Properties 628 Using Offline Folders 629 Web Folders and Web Printing

630

Virtual Private Networking 631 Setting Up for Virtual Private Networking 632 VPN Connection Properties 633 Dialing a VPN Connection 634 Routing Issues 635 Enabling VPN Access to Your Computer 635 Remote Desktop 637 Enabling Remote Desktop Access to Your Computer 638 Connecting to Other Computers with Remote Desktop 639 Remote Assistance 642 Requesting Remote Assistance Responding to an Assistance Request 644

642

Copying Files Between Two Computers 646 Infrared File Transfers 648 Setting Up an Infrared Device 648 Infrared File Transfer 649 Digital Camera Image Transfer 650 Infrared Printing 650 Multiple LAN Connections Troubleshooting

651

652

Tips From the Windows Pros: Manually Adding Routing Information 654

19 Connecting Your LAN to the Internet 657 It’s a Great Time to Connect Your LAN to the Internet 658

The Nuts and Bolts of the Connection 658 The Need for Speed 658 Ways to Make the Connection 659 Managing IP Addresses 661 NAT and Internet Connection Sharing 661 Running Your Own Web Servers 664 A Warning for Business Users 665 Frame Relay 665 Getting Your Internet Service Installed 666 When the Phone Company Is Involved—DSL and ISDN 666 Ordering the Service 668 Configuring Your LAN 670 Configuring Microsoft Internet Connection Sharing with a Dial-Up Connection 670 Configuring Microsoft Internet Connection Sharing with a Broadband Connection 674 Configuring a Sharing Router with an Analog, ISDN, or Broadband Connection 676 Configuring Routed Service Using a Router 679 Configuring Routed Service Using Windows as a Router 680 Making Services Available 682 Enabling Access with Internet Connection Sharing 682 Enabling Access with a Sharing Router 685 Enabling Access with Routed Service Using Windows as a Router 687 Troubleshooting

688

Tips from the Windows Pros: Squeezing Top Speed from Your High-Speed Connection 689 Setting the Receive Window in Windows XP and 2000 690

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20 Networking Mix and Match 691 Networking with Other Operating Systems 692 Internetworking with Novell NetWare 692 Using a NetWare Client 693 Choosing Network Protocols 694 Installing Microsoft Client Service for NetWare 695 Configuring Microsoft Client Service for NetWare (CSNW) 696 Installing and Using Novell’s Client Software 697 Setting Provider Order 698 Using NetWare Resources 699 NetWare and the Command Prompt 702 Troubleshooting a Novell Network Connection 703 Internetworking with DOS and OS/2

703 Internetworking with Unix and Linux

705 The SMB/CIFS Protocol 705 Samba 705 Samba Client Tools 706 Samba Server Tools 706 Telnet 709 The Berkeley r Commands 710 Internetworking with Macintosh 711 Mac Files and Networking 711 Planning for Compatibility 712 Internetworking Options 713 Internetworking Over Dial-Up and VPN Connections 715 Advanced Networking Services 716 Setting Network Bindings 716 Installing Optional Network Components 717

Troubleshooting

719

Tips from the Windows Pros: The Hosts File 722

21 Network Security 725 It’s a Cold, Cruel World

726

Who Would Be Interested in My Computer? 726 Types of Attack 728 Your Lines of Defense 729 Preparation

730

Active Defenses: Blocking Known Methods of Attack 732 Set Up Firewalls and NAT (Connection Sharing) Devices 732 Secure Your Router 738 Set Up Restrictive Access Controls 738 Keep Up-to-Date 739 Testing, Logging, and Monitoring 740 Test Your Defenses 740 Monitor Suspicious Activity 741 Disaster Planning: Preparation for Recovery After an Attack 742 Make a Baseline Backup Before You Go Online 743 Make Frequent Backups When You’re Online 743 Write and Test Server Restore Procedures 743 Write and Maintain Documentation 743 Prepare an Incident Plan 744 Specific Configuration Steps for Windows XP 745 If You Have a Standalone Windows XP Professional Computer 745 If You Have a LAN 745 Enabling the Internet Connection Firewall 746 Tightening Local Security Policy 747

Contents

More About Security Troubleshooting

750

750

22 Troubleshooting Your Network 753 754

When Good Networks Go Bad Getting Started 754

Tweak UI

Diagnostic Tools 755 My Network Places 755 Event Viewer 756 Device Manager 758 Testing Network Cables

786

Miscellaneous GUI Tips 788 Fonts Preview Trick 788

758

Checking Network Configuration 760 ipconfig 760 Network Troubleshooter 761 netdiag 761 My Computer 762 Network Connections 763 Testing Network Connectivity ping 763

Display Properties 775 Themes Tab 776 Desktop Tab 776 Screen Saver Tab 778 Appearance Tab 779 Settings Tab 781 Working with Power 784

763

Diagnosing File and Printer Sharing Problems 764 Testing Network Throughput 765 Measuring Network Utilization 766 Tips from the Windows Pros: Monitoring Your LAN 766

Which Windows Are You Using? 789 Tweaking the Clock to Add Your Company Name 789 Administrator Tools Not Showing Up 790 Changing the Location of the My Documents Folder 791 Cascading Elements Off the Start Menu 791 Virtual Desktop 791 AutoPlay 792 Switch Control and Caps Lock Keys 792 Auto Scrolling with a Three-Button Mouse 792 Customizing Folder Views 792 Customize This Folder 793 Setting Folder Options 794 Configuring the Recycle Bin

V System Configuration and Customization

Tuning Visual Effects Troubleshooting

796

796

797

23 Tweaking the GUI 771 GUI: To Tweak or Not to Tweak

772

Start Menu Pizzazz! 772 Working with the Taskbar 773 Customizing the Start Menu 774

24 Configuration via Control Panel Applets 801 Sizing Up the Control Panel

802

Opening the Control Panel 803 The New Control Panel 803 Breaking Down the Category View 803 What Should You Use? 807

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Accessibility Options 811 Accessibility Keyboard Settings 811 Accessibility Sound Settings 812 Accessibility Display Settings 812 Accessibility Mouse Settings 813 Other Accessibility Settings (General Tab) 814 Add Hardware

814

Add or Remove Programs 817 Change or Remove Programs Add New Programs 818 Installing Programs from the Network 819 Add/Remove Windows Components 820 Date and Time

Mouse

822

824

825

Phone and Modem Options 827 The Windows Telephony Interface 828 Dialing Rules 829 Area Code Rules Tab 830 Calling Card Tab 830 Setting Modem Properties 832 Diagnostic Properties 834 Regional and Language Options

834

Scanners and Cameras 835 Getting Images into the Computer

836 Sounds and Audio Devices 836 The Volume Tab 837 The Sounds Tab 837 The Audio and Voice Tabs 839 The Hardware Tab 840 Speech 840 System: Device Manager 840 Troubleshooting

842

Running a Tight Ship

846

Measuring System Performance with Performance Monitor 846 Tuning Windows Performance with the System Applet 849 Adjusting Visual Effects for Performance 850 Adjusting Processor, Memory, and Virtual Memory Usage 851 Setting Environment Variables 856 Program Compatibility Wizard

821

Game Controllers Keyboard

817

25 Maintaining and Optimizing System Performance 845

858

Configuring the Program Environments 860 VDM—The Virtual DOS Machine 861 Configuring the Windows 3.x Environment 861 Configuring the DOS Environment 864 The Windows XP Command Line What’s New or Different from MS-DOS 872 Troubleshooting

871

881

Tips from the Windows Pros: Getting More Out of the Command Prompt with Command Extensions 882 Commands Affected by Command Extensions 882 Using Command Extensions to Make CD (Change Directory) Easier 883 Using Command Extensions to Make PROMPT More Powerful 884 Using Command Extensions to Change the Color of the Command Prompt Window 884

26 Font Management 887 A Little Windows Font History

888

Contents

888

A Little Font Primer

889

Font Substitutions

Building a Font Collection Classes of Fonts 891 Procuring Fonts 892

890

Managing a System’s Font Collection 893 Adding Fonts 893 Displaying and Printing Font Examples 894 Hidden System Fonts 895 Removing Fonts 896

896

Troubleshooting

VI System Administration and Maintenance

Windows Update 930 Obtaining New Updates 930 Using Rollback to Uninstall a Windows Update 932 Task Manager 932 Applications Tab 933 Processes Tab 934 Performance Tab 936 Networking Tab 938 Users Tab 938 Protecting the System Files 938 Running the File Signature Verification Tool 939 Using the System File Checker Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 941 Troubleshooting

27 System Utilities 901 Getting Under the Hood Scheduled Tasks

902

904

System Applet 908 Setting the Computer Name 908 Managing and Controlling Hardware 909 Advanced System Properties 910 Controlling System Restore Settings 911 Setting Automatic Updates 911 Using the Remote Tab 911 Administrative Tools 916 Computer Management 916 Event Viewer 920 Services 926 System Tools 927 Activate Windows 927 System Information 928 Accessibility

929

940

943

Tips from the Windows Pros: Power User Tricks 945 Adding a Serial Mouse Without Rebooting 945 Removing Windows Update from the Start Menu 946

28 Managing Users 947 Multiple Users on One Machine

948

User Account Types 948 Guest and Administrator Accounts 949 The Run As Command 950 Why Use Separate User Accounts? 951 Working with Passwords 952 Changing Other Users’ Passwords 953 Changing Network Passwords 953 Preventing Password Disasters 954 If You Forgot Your Password . . . 955 Using a Password Recovery Disk 956

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Creating and Managing User Accounts 956 User Accounts Control Panel 957 User Management for Workgroup Networks 957 Enabling and Disabling the Welcome Screen 959 User Management for Domain Networks 960 Local Users and Groups Management Tool 962 Setting Up Home Directories 967 Sharing Files Among Users 968 Working with Private Files 969 Simple File Sharing

NTFS File Permissions 972 Inheritance of Permissions 973 Advanced Security Settings 974 Viewing Effective Permissions 975 Access Auditing 976 Taking Ownership of Files 977 Assigning Permissions to Groups

977 979

User Profiles 979 The Profile Manager 981 Moving Profiles with the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard 982 Troubleshooting

983

Tips from the Windows Pros: Setting up for Multiple Users 985

29 Managing the Hard Disk 987 Hard Disk Management

988

Windows XP File and Storage Systems 989 Dynamic Storage 989 Organizational Strategies

Disk Management 993 Assigning Drive Letters and Joining Volumes 994 Dynamic Disk Management 997 Extending a Disk 998 Creating a Spanned Volume 998 Creating a Striped Volume 999 Removable Storage

1001

Disk Defragmenter Running Defrag

1001 1003

Detecting and Repairing Disk Errors 1005

970

Securing Your Printers

Windows XP’s Disk Management Tools 992

991

Convert

1007

Encryption 1007 Rules for Using Encrypted Files 1010 Suggested Folders to Encrypt 1011 Protecting and Recovering Encrypted Files 1012 Compression: How It Works, How to Use It 1014 Indexing 1016 Managing the Indexing Service

1016

Disk Cleanup Utility 1018 Using Internet Explorer’s Cache Cleanup 1021 Backup Tools and Strategies 1021 Windows Backup Program 1021 Restoring Data from a Backup 1027 Scheduling Jobs 1029 Alternative and Creative Backup Strategies 1030 Guarding Your Profile 1031 Zipping Files

1034

Third-Party Management Tools

1035

Contents

Hard Disk Troubleshooting 1035 Take the Mental Approach First 1036 Problems and Solutions 1037

Using Hardware Profiles 1077 Altering a Hardware Profile’s Device Complement 1080

Tips from the Windows Pros: Quieting a Noisy System 1039

Troubleshooting

30 Installing and Replacing Hardware 1041 Upgrading Your Hardware 1042 BIOS Settings 1043 Upgrading Your Hard Disk 1043 Upgrading Your Hardware Adding RAM 1044

1043

Adding Hardware 1045 Providing Drivers for Hardware Not in the List 1049 Removing Hardware 1050 Using the System Applet 1050 Driver Signing 1051 The Device Manager 1053 Using the Troubleshooter 1056 Updating Device Drivers 1057 Device Driver Rollback 1058 The Resources Tab 1058 Understanding and Resolving Hardware Conflicts 1059 IRQs 1060 DMA Channels 1063 I/O Port Assignments 1064 Memory Addresses 1065 Installing and Using Multiple Monitors 1066 Installing a UPS 1070 UPS Considerations for Windows XP Professional 1071 Installing and Configuring the Windows 2000 UPS Service 1073 Running a Command File When the Power Fails 1076 Testing Your UPS Configuration

1077

1081

Tips from the Windows Pros: Upgrading and Optimizing Your Computer 1083 Make the Move to PCI Cards 1083 Keep Your Eyes on the Hardware Compatibility List 1084 Sleuthing Out Conflicts 1084 Optimizing Your Computer for Windows XP 1085

31 Multibooting Windows XP with Other Operating Systems 1087 Why Multiboot? Preparation

1088

1089

File System Specifics FAT16 1091 FAT32 1091 NTFS 1092

1089

Application Considerations

1093

The Windows XP Boot Loader 1093 The Master Boot Record 1093 The BOOT.INI Settings File 1094 Multiboot Scenarios

1095

Dual-Booting Windows XP Professional and Windows Me/9x 1096 Putting Windows XP Professional and Windows 9x in the Same Partition 1096 Installing Windows XP Professional into the Second Partition 1102 Avoiding Drive Letter Madness 1104 Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional 1106 Windows XP Professional and Windows 2000 or NT 1106

xix

xx

Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows XP Professional

Windows XP, Windows NT 4.0, and Windows 9x/Me 1108 Windows XP and Linux 1109 LILO, the Linux Loader 1110 Installing Linux 1110 Getting the Linux Boot Sector 1115 Adding Linux to the Windows XP Boot Loader 1116 Mounting Windows Disks Within Linux 1116 The Virtual Machine Approach Macintosh and Windows Troubleshooting

1117

1119

1146

1146

Troubleshooting

Tips from the Windows Pros: Living with More Than One OS 1122

32 The Registry 1123

Tips from the Windows Pros: Registry Tips on the Web 1149

33 Troubleshooting and Repairing Windows XP 1151

1124

How the Registry Is Organized

Other Registry Tools 1145 TweakUI 1145 X-Setup 1145 Registry Toolkit 1145 Resplendent Registrar 1146 Registry Privileges and Policies

1121

What Is the Registry?

Editing the Registry of a Remote Computer 1141 Editing Registry Entries for Another User 1142 Editing Registry Entries for Another Windows Installation 1143 Editing Registry Security 1144

1124

Registry Contents 1127 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE 1127 HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG

Troubleshooting 101 Boot Options

1152

1152

Recovery Console

1155

1129

Parallel Copies of Windows XP

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT 1129 HKEY_USERS 1130 HKEY_CURRENT_USER 1130

As a Last Resort

Backing Up and Restoring the Registry 1130 Backing Up the Registry 1131 Restoring the Registry 1134 Using Regedit 1136 Viewing the Registry 1137 Searching in the Registry 1138 Editing Keys and Values 1138 Advanced Registry Editing 1141

1158

Preventing Problems System Restore

1156

1159

1160

Black Magic of Troubleshooting Scatter-Gun Troubleshooting

Index

1163

1165

About the Authors Robert Cowart has written more than 35 books on computer programming and applications, with more than a dozen on Windows. His titles include Windows NT Unleashed, Mastering Windows (3.0, 3.1, 95, 98, and Me), Windows NT Server Administrator’s Bible, Windows NT Server 4.0: No Experience Required, and Special Edition Using Windows 2000 Professional. Several of his books have been bestsellers in their categories, and have been translated into more than 20 languages. He has written on a wide range of computer-related topics for such magazines as PC Week, PC World, PC Magazine, PC Tech Journal, Mac World, and Microsoft Systems Journal. He has taught programming classes at the University of California Extension in San Francisco and has appeared as a special guest on the PBS TV series Computer Chronicles, CNN’s Headline News, ZD-TV’s The Screen Savers, and ABC’s World News Tonight with Peter Jennings. He is president and co-founder of Brainsville.com, a company specializing in creating multimedia training courses. Robert resides in Berkeley, California. In his spare time, he is involved in the music world, presenting chamber-music concerts and playing classical piano. He also is a teacher of the Transcendental Meditation technique. Brian Knittel has been a software developer for more than 20 years. After doing graduate work in nuclear medicine and magnetic resonance imaging technologies, he began a career as an independent consultant. An eclectic mix of clients have led to long-term projects in medical documentation, workflow management, real-time industrial system control, and most importantly, 15 years of real-world experience with MS-DOS, Windows, and computer networking in the business world. Previously, he co-authored Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional and contributed to several of Bob Cowart’s other Windows books. Brian lives in Albany, California, halfway between the tidal wave zone and the earthquake fault. He spends his free time restoring antique computers (check out www.ibm1130.org) and trying to perfect his wood-fired pizza recipes.

About the Contributors Elaine Kreston has been a contributing author on other computer book titles, and is a creator and designer of Web sites. Her natural affinity for helping others solve computer problems was discovered while procrastinating from her real job, that of a professional cellist. Mark Edward Soper has been a PC user for 18 years, and has been a computer trainer and technical writer since 1988. Author of more than 150 magazine articles and several books, including The Complete Idiot’s Guide to High-Speed Internet Connections and TechTV’s Upgrading Your PC, he also has written frequently about Windows from version 3.1 to Windows 2000. He lives in Evansville, Indiana, where he enjoys researching the history of transportation. James Michael Stewart has been writing about Microsoft, the Internet, and certification for nearly seven years. Michael has contributed to more than 75 books in this area. His technical interests include IT certification, Windows, security, and the Internet. Michael also is an instructor at Networld+Interop. He spends his spare time learning to do everything, one hobby at a time.

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Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows XP Professional

Dedication In memory of all the victims of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks, near and far—Bob To Dr. Bertram G. Katzung, who many years ago gave me support, encouragement, and the opportunity to begin my career in computing—Brian

Acknowledgments This book, as much as the product it covers, is the product of a team effort. We couldn’t have produced this without the great team at Que, the assistance of contributing writers, the patience and support of our friends, and so . . . We feel privileged to be part of the consistently professional Special Edition Using family. Producing these highly technical, state-of-the art books requires a dedicated and knowledgeable staff, and once again the staff at Que did an amazing job. Executive editor Rick Kughen has provided unflagging, cheerful support and guidance through our three SE Using volumes. Our development editor, Todd Brakke, pored over every word on every page of this volume and our equally weighty Windows XP Home Edition book and offered invaluable direction and tuning. This is a much better book than it could have been without him. We’d like to acknowledge the efforts of our technical editors: Mark Reddin, Doug Klippert, and David Eytchison. Special thanks to Benjamin Berg for not only his ace copy editing, but for the technical know-how and eye for detail that he brought to the project. We also would like to thank the editorial, indexing, layout, art, proofing, and other production staff at Que—Tonya Simpson, Tina Trettin, and more. These folks labor away largely unseen and often unthanked. You did a marvelous job. We’d like to thank Elaine Kreston, James Michael Stewart, and Mark Soper for their cometo-the-rescue aid in helping us get this book to press on time (more or less!); Norm Aleks for advice and insight into the world of Linux; and Eric Fitzgerald at Microsoft for clarifying the intricacies of Windows network security. No book could make it to market without the real-world personal relationships developed between booksellers on the one hand, and the sales and marketing personnel back at the publishers. We’ve had the opportunity to meet sales and marketing folks in the computer publishing world, and know what a difficult job selling and keeping up with the thousands of computer titles can be. Thanks to all of you for your pivotal role in helping us pay our mortgages! Finally, we should acknowledge those who made it possible for us to get through the months of writing. Bob first thanks his agent, Chris Van Buren, for standing by him with encouragement on down days and sharing his excitement after his successes. Many thanks for fighting for better contracts, keeping things in perspective, and phoning in long distance (even from Brazil!) for conference calls. And, as always, thanks to friends and family who, even though used to seeing him disappear for months on end, let him back in the fold when it’s over. This goes for Elaine, in particular, whose daily support and patience made such a difference. Also, to Baxter the cat for her companionship.

Contents

Brian adds big dittos to Chris Van Buren and special thanks to Bryce Carter for guidance, and Norm Aleks for patience and support. Life will get back to normal soon . . . just in time to start another book or two.

Tell Us What You Think! As the reader of this book, you are our most important critic and commentator. We value your opinion and want to know what we’re doing right, what we could do better, what areas you’d like to see us publish in, and any other words of wisdom you’re willing to pass our way. As an associate publisher for Que, I welcome your comments. You can fax, e-mail, or write me directly to let me know what you did or didn’t like about this book—as well as what we can do to make our books stronger. Please note that I cannot help you with technical problems related to the topic of this book, and that due to the high volume of mail I receive, I might not be able to reply to every message. When you write, please be sure to include this book’s title and author as well as your name and phone or fax number. I will carefully review your comments and share them with the author and editors who worked on the book. Fax:

317-581-4666

E-Mail:

[email protected]

Mail:

Greg Wiegand Que Publishing 201 West 103rd Street Indianapolis, IN 46290 USA

xxiii

INTRODUCTION

In this chapter Why This Book? 3 How Our Book Is Organized 4 What’s on the CD? 6 Conventions Used in This Book 6

2

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing or considering the purchase of Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows XP Professional. It’s amazing the changes that 15 years can bring to a computer product such as Windows. When we wrote our first Windows book back in the mid-’80s, our publisher didn’t even think the book would sell well enough to print more than 5,000 copies. Microsoft stock wasn’t even a blip on most investors’ radar screens. Boy, were they wrong! Who could have imagined that a little more than a decade later, anyone who hoped to get hired for even a temp job in a small office would need to know how to use Microsoft Windows, Office, and a PC. Fifteen Windows books later, we’re still finding new and exciting stuff to tell our readers. Some people (including the U.S. Department of Justice) claim Microsoft’s predominance on the PC operating system arena was won unethically through monopolistic practices. Whether or not this is true (we try, almost successfully, to stay out of the politics in this book), we believe that Windows has earned its position today through reasons other than having a stranglehold on the market. Consider that Windows NT 3.1 had 5 million lines of code. Windows XP weighs in with more than 30 million. This represents a lot of work, by anyone’s accounting. Who could have imagined in 1985 that any decent operating system a decade and half later must have support for so many technologies that didn’t even exist at the time: CD-ROM, DVD, CD-R and CD-RW, Internet and intranet, MP3, MPEG, DV, USB, FireWire, APM, ACPI, RAID, UPS, PPOE, 802.11b, fault tolerance, disk encryption and compression . . . ? The list goes on. And could we have imagined that a Microsoft Certified System Engineer certificate (MCSE) could prove as lucrative as a medical or law degree? Although rarely on the bleeding edge of technology, and often taking the role of the dictator, Bill Gates has at least been benevolent from the users’ point of view. In 1981, when we were building our first computers, the operating system (CP/M) had to be modified in assembly language and recompiled, and hardware parts had to be soldered together to make almost any new addition (such as a video display terminal) work. Virtually nothing was standardized, with the end result being that computers remained out of reach for average folks. Together, Microsoft, Intel, and IBM changed all that. Today, you can purchase a computer, printer, scanner, Zip drive, keyboard, modem, monitor, and video card over the Internet, plug them in, and install Windows, and they’ll probably work together. The creation and adoption (and sometimes forcing) of hardware and software standards that have made the PC a household appliance the world over can largely be credited to Microsoft, like it or not. The unifying glue of this PC revolution has been Windows. Yes, we all love to hate Windows, but it’s here to stay. Linux is on the rise, but for most of us, at least for some time, Windows and Windows applications are “where it’s at.” And Windows XP ushers in truly significant changes to the landscape. That’s why we were excited to write this book.

Why This Book?

Why This Book? We all know this book will make an effective doorstop in a few years. You probably have a few already. (We’ve even written a few!) If you think it contains more information than you need, just remember how helpful a good reference can be when you need it at the 11th hour. And we all know that computer technology changes so fast that it’s sometimes easier just to blink and ignore a phase than to study up on it. Windows XP definitely is a significant upgrade in Windows technology—one you’re going to need to understand. Microsoft has folded all of its operating systems into the Windows XP product line, so rest assured it will be around for some time. On the surface, Windows XP might provide much of the same functionality as Windows 98 and Windows Me, but it’s a completely different animal, and the differences are more than skin deep. From the way users sign on, to the new Start menu, to its day-to-day management tools, XP bears little resemblance to its predecessors. Don’t let that worry you: In all ways, it’s superior to any operating system Microsoft has ever produced. Is Windows XP so easy to use that books are unnecessary? Unfortunately, no. True, as with other releases of Windows, online help is available. As has been the case ever since Windows 95, however, no printed documentation is available (to save Microsoft the cost), and the Help files are written by the Microsoft cronies. You won’t find criticisms, complaints, workarounds, or talk of third-party programs there, let alone explanations of why you have to do things a certain way. For that, you need this book! You might know that Windows XP comes in two versions: Home Edition and Professional. Other publishers have produced single volumes to cover both operating systems, but we think that will only end up confusing readers. Instead, we’ve produced two books, because we wanted you to have a book that addresses your specific needs. This book covers Windows XP Professional’s more advanced management and networking features, and, while it anticipates that some home users will choose the Professional version, it also addresses the business and/or power user. Still, we assume you probably are not an engineer, and we’ll do our best to speak in plain English and not snow you with unexplained jargon. In this book’s many pages, we focus not just on the gee-whiz side of the technology, but why you should care, what you can get from it, and what you can forget about. The lead author on this book has previously written 15 books about Windows, all in plain English (several bestsellers), designed for everyone from rank beginners to full-on system administrators deploying NT Server domains. The co-author has designed software and networks for more than 20 years. We work with and write about various versions of Windows year in and year out. We have a clear understanding of what confuses users and system administrators about installing, configuring, or using Windows, as well as (we hope) how to best convey the solutions to our readers. This book grew out of our popular Windows 2000 book (Special Edition Using Windows 2000 Professional), and like Windows XP itself, builds on the experience we gained with that operating system. We spent many months testing Windows XP betas through numerous

3

4

Introduction

builds, participating in the Microsoft beta newsgroups, documenting and working through bugs, and installing and reinstalling Windows XP on a variety of networks and computers. The result is what you hold in your hands. While writing this book, we tried to stay vigilant of four cardinal rules: ■

Keep it practical.

■

Keep it accurate.

■

Keep it concise.

■

Keep it interesting, and even crack a joke or two.

We believe that you will find this to be the best book available on Windows XP Professional for the intermediate to advanced user. While writing it, we targeted an audience ranging from the power user at home or the office, to the support guru in a major corporation. Whether you use a Windows XP PC or support others who do, we firmly believe this book will address your questions and needs. We’re also willing to tell you what we don’t cover. No book can do it all. As the title implies, this book is about Windows XP Professional. We don’t cover setting up the Server versions of this operating system called Windows .NET Server, Advanced Server, and Datacenter. However, we do tell you how to connect to and interact with these servers, and even other operating systems, including MacOS, Linux, and older variants of Windows, over a local area network. And, due to space limitations, there is only passing coverage of Windows XP’s command-line utilities, batch file language, and Windows Script Host. For that (in spades!), watch for Brian’s upcoming book Windows XP Under the Hood, to be published in June, 2002. Also in summer 2002, look for Bob and Brian’s Platinum Edition Using Microsoft Windows XP. That hefty tome will pick up where the Special Edition Using Windows XP book leaves off. If you think this book changed your life, just wait until you get your hands on the Platinum Edition. We worked hard not to assume too much knowledge on your part, yet we didn’t want to assume you aren’t already experienced with Windows. The working assumption here is that you are already conversant at least with some form of Windows, preferably 9x, Me, or 2000, and possibly with NT 4. However, we provide a primer on the Windows XP interface (including video of it on the CD-ROM) because the look and feel of Windows XP is significantly different from its predecessors. Even when you’ve become a Windows XP pro, we think you’ll find this book to be a valuable source of reference information in the future. Both the table of contents and the very complete index will provide easy means for locating information when you need it quickly.

How Our Book Is Organized Although this book advances logically from beginning to end, it’s written so that you can jump in at any location, quickly get the information you need, and get out. You don’t have to read it from start to finish, nor do you need to work through complex tutorials.

How Our Book Is Organized

This book is broken down into six major parts. Here’s the skinny on each one: Part I, “Introducing Windows XP Professional,” introduces Windows XP and explains its features, new screen elements (GUI), and the design and architecture behind Windows XP. It then explains how to ready your hardware and software for installation of XP and describes the installation process itself. Part II, “Getting Your Work Done,” is, well, about getting your work done. Perhaps the bulk of readers will want to study and keep on hand this part as a reference guide. Here, we cover using the interface, running programs, organizing documents, sharing data between applications, and printing and faxing documents. We also cover how to best work with the increasingly popular plethora of digital imaging tools and formats encountered with digital photography and nonlinear video editing in your PC. Part III, “Windows XP and the Internet,” introduces you to Windows XP networking, Internet style. We start with Internet connection options and then move on to the supplied Internet tools. We provide in-depth coverage of Outlook Express for mail and newsgroups, Internet Explorer for Web surfing, and Windows Messenger for audio and videoconferencing. The final two chapters show you how to set up your own Web server, and how to diagnose Internet connection problems with utilities such as ping and ipconfig. Part IV, “Networking,” deals with networking on the LAN. Here, we explain the fundamentals of networking and, in case you don’t have a corporate networking department to do this for you, we walk you through planning and installing a functional LAN in your home or office. We cover the use of a Windows XP network; give you a chapter on dial-up, remote, and portable networking; show how to internetwork with Unix and other operating systems; and finish up with crucial security tips and troubleshooting advice that the Windows Help files don’t cover. This chapter also covers Windows XP’s new Remote Desktop and Remote Assistance features, and shows you how to set up a secure, shared Internet connection for your LAN. Part V, “System Configuration and Customization,” covers system configuration and maintenance. We tell you how to work with Control Panel applets, provide tips and tricks for customizing the graphical user interface to maximize efficiency, manage your system fonts, and describe a variety of ways to upgrade your hardware and system software (including third-party programs) for maximum performance. Part VI, “System Administration and Maintenance,” dives even deeper into system administration and configuration, with coverage of supplied system administration tools such as the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) and its plug-ins. We also provide techniques for managing multiple users; means for managing the hard disk, including multiple file system formats such as FAT32 and NTFS; and details on setting up multiboot machines with Windows 9x, DOS, Linux, and Windows 2000. We cap off this part with coverage of the Windows Registry and a chapter on troubleshooting and repairing problems with your Windows XP installation.

5

6

Introduction

What’s on the CD? We’ve made a 45-minute CD-ROM–based video presentation, so not only can we tell you how to use and manage Windows XP, we can actually demonstrate specific skills so you can learn more quickly. We show you how to get around the new XP interface as well as how to set up a simple network—one of XP’s great strengths. You’ll want to be sure to check this out, and meet the authors.

Conventions Used in This Book Special conventions are used throughout this book to help you get the most from the book and from Windows XP Professional.

Text Conventions Various typefaces in this book identify terms and other special objects. These special typefaces include the following: Type

Meaning

Italic

New terms or phrases when initially defined.

Monospace

Information that appears in code or onscreen.

Bold monospace

Information you type.

Words separated by commas

All Windows book publishers struggle with how to represent command sequences when menus and dialog boxes are involved. In this book, we separate commands using a comma. Yeah, we know it’s confusing, but this is traditionally how the Special Edition Using book series does it, and traditions die hard. So, for example, the instruction “Choose Edit, Cut” means that you should open the Edit menu and choose Cut. Another, more complex example would be “Click Start, Settings, Control Panel, System, Hardware, Device Manager.”

Key combinations are represented with a plus sign. For example, if the text calls for you to press Ctrl+Alt+Delete, you would press the Ctrl, Alt, and Delete keys at the same time.

Tips from the Windows Pros Ever wonder how the experts get their work done better and faster than anyone else? Ever wonder how they became experts in the first place? You’ll find out in these special sections throughout the book. We’ve spent a lot of time under the Windows hood, so to speak, getting dirty and learning what makes Windows XP tick. So, with the information we provide in these sections, you can roll up your shirt sleeves and dig in.

Conventions Used in This Book

Special Elements Throughout this book, you’ll find Notes, Cautions, Sidebars, Cross-References, and Troubleshooting Tips. Often, you’ll find just the tidbit you need to get through a rough day at the office or the one whiz-bang trick that will make you the office hero. You’ll also find little nuggets of wisdom, humor, and lingo that you can use to amaze your friends and family, not to mention making you cocktail-party literate. Tip from

We specially designed these tips to showcase the best of the best. Just because you get your work done doesn’t mean you’re doing it in the fastest, easiest way possible. We’ll show you how to maximize your Windows experience. Don’t miss these tips!

&

Notes point out items that you should be aware of, but you can skip them if you’re in a hurry. Generally, we’ve added notes as a way to give you some extra information on a topic without weighing you down.

Pay attention to cautions! They could save you precious hours in lost work.

We designed these elements to call attention to common pitfalls that you’re likely to encounter. When you see a Troubleshooting note, you can flip to the end of the chapter to learn how to solve or avoid a problem.

Cross-References Cross-references are designed to point you to other locations in this book (or other books in the Que family) that will provide supplemental or supporting information. Cross-references appear as follows:

➔

For information on updating offline Web pages, see “Browsing Offline,” p. 297.

Sidebars Sidebars are designed to provide information that is ancillary to the topic being discussed. Read this information if you want to learn more details about an application or task.

7

PART

Introducing Windows XP Professional 1

Introducing Windows XP Professional 11

2

Getting Your Hardware and Software Ready for Windows XP 47

3

Installing Windows XP Professional 71

I

1

CHAPTER

Introducing Windows XP Professional In this chapter An Overview of Windows XP Professional A Little Windows History

12

13

What’s New in Windows XP Professional?

15

What Is Not in Windows XP Professional

34

Differences Between Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP Professional, 64-Bit, and Server Versions of Windows XP 35 Differences Between Versions of Windows XP

35

How Does Windows XP Professional Compare to Unix and Linux? Windows XP Professional on the Corporate Network

42

39

12

Chapter 1

Introducing Windows XP Professional

An Overview of Windows XP Professional Windows XP Professional is the successor to Windows 2000 Professional, and takes its place as the corporate desktop and workstation version of Windows for the early 21st century. However, Windows XP Professional also is part of the first family of Windows to break down the long-standing barrier between home-oriented and business-oriented releases of Windows. The release of Windows XP in Home and Professional versions is a big move for Microsoft, which has offered separate home-oriented (Windows 3.x/9x/Me) and corporateoriented (Windows NT/2000) versions with drastically different internal designs since 1993. The common code base of both versions of Windows XP also is a big benefit for both users and developers. It makes program and device driver development much easier, because device drivers and software programs need to be created just once, rather than twice. The goal that Microsoft had in mind for Windows XP Professional was ambitious: to create a reliable, easy-to-use operating system whose features would provide complete corporate network and security features, while also including features popular with users who might have previously used Windows 9x or Windows Me. Windows XP Professional also is designed to provide application and hardware compatibility with products made for older versions of Windows, and even MS-DOS game and graphics applications. It’s a tough job, but Windows XP Professional meets these requirements quite well. Windows XP Professional combines the reliability and corporate networking/security features of Windows 2000 with improved versions of the multimedia and crash-recovery features that Windows 98 and Windows Me pioneered. To make it easier to move to Windows XP Professional, it’s designed to work much better than Windows 2000 did with older Windows (and even DOS-based) software, while still supporting the latest productivity, educational, recreational, and gaming programs from Microsoft and other publishers. What does the “XP” in Windows XP stand for? “Experience,” and you will find that using Windows XP Professional will feel like a new experience thanks to its new Luna user interface. And, beneath the surface, there’s a mixture of the new, the enhanced, and the triedand-true features brought over from both Windows 2000 and Windows 9x/Me. Originally code-named Whistler, Windows XP is the product of a development process that began with a consumer operating system code-named Neptune in late 1999 and a separate business-oriented operating system code-named Odyssey, which was planned as a successor to Windows 2000. In January 2000, Microsoft decided to integrate both Neptune and Odyssey into a single operating system family code-named Whistler, which you now know as Windows XP. Windows XP has been in the public eye longer than any other Windows version during its development process, and the final product has received a great deal of user feedback, thanks to its unprecedented public beta-testing process. Although some pundits derided Microsoft for charging users for the “privilege” of using a beta product, the decision to allow users to try beta versions with the Windows XP Preview Program, starting in April 2001, has helped make Windows XP a better product. The public scrutiny of Windows XP

A Little Windows History

has forced controversial features such as Smart Tags (which added Microsoft-generated URLs to Web pages) to be dropped and others such as Hardware Activation (required before Windows XP can be used for the first time) to be modified in the favor of users.

A Little Windows History As you surely know, Windows is a graphical user interface (GUI) and operating system (OS) that is the heart and soul of your computer. Although Windows was once a toy (I remember when people bought Windows mainly because of the graphical word processor and paint program it included), it’s now an essential element in your computing experience. When Windows first hit the market in 1985, it actually was a shell that sat upon the increasingly shaky foundations of MS-DOS. Early versions were frequently used as menuing systems for launching MS-DOS programs, because programs that actually required Windows were quite scarce for several years. In fact, to help promote Windows as a platform for programs, Microsoft distributed a “runtime” version of Windows with some of the early Windows-based programs such as Aldus PageMaker (now an Adobe product). Users who didn’t have a full version of Windows needed to install the runtime version before using the program. The runtime version of Windows was launched when the application (such as PageMaker) was started and provided Windows menuing and print services, and closed when the application was closed. Windows didn’t really take off until the introduction of Windows 3.0 in 1990 (it could multitask both DOS and Windows programs if you used a 386 or 486 processor) and Windows 3.1 in 1992, which introduced TrueType scalable fonts. Windows for Workgroups 3.1 (1992) and 3.11 (1994) pioneered the built-in networking features that would typify all subsequent versions of Windows up to the present. Windows for Workgroups 3.11 was the last version of Windows to require that MS-DOS or a comparable text-based operating system be present at installation time. Although Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Me no longer required MS-DOS, they still used an improved form of DOS for some operations. This dependence upon MS-DOS made for an increasingly unstable operating system because the management tricks necessary to keep MS-DOS, old 16-bit Windows applications, and new 32-bit Windows programs running on the same hardware at the same time led to frequent reboots and system lockups. Although many of the features pioneered by Windows 9x and Windows Me have been retained and enhanced in Windows XP, Windows XP is not a true descendent of DOS-based Windows. Instead, the Windows XP family is the latest descendent of the “other” Windows family a family of Windows products that do not use MS-DOS as a foundation. Microsoft’s development of a non–DOS-based operating system goes back to 1987 and the joint development (with IBM) of a Windows replacement called OS/2. OS/2 was aimed squarely at the emerging corporate network world then dominated by Novell and its NetWare network operating system.

13

Part

I Ch

1

14

Chapter 1

Introducing Windows XP Professional

Unlike NetWare, Microsoft and IBM’s OS/2 was designed to handle both the server and the desktop side of network computing. Unfortunately for OS/2, the IBM-Microsoft partnership broke up in 1991 after a series of disagreements about the direction of OS/2. IBM kept OS/2, and Microsoft stuck with Windows. Microsoft had already begun the development of Windows NT in October 1988 with the hiring of Dave Cutler, who had developed the VMS (Virtual Memory System) operating system for Digital Equipment’s (DEC) line of VAX multitasking and multiuser computers. The development of Windows NT took several years: The first version to reach retail shelves, Windows NT 3.1, was introduced in mid-1993. Windows NT introduced several features common to all its successors, including Windows 2000 and Windows XP: ■

Preemptive multitasking—The user doesn’t need to wait for one task to finish before starting another one.

■

Client/server model for computing—The operating system is divided into two parts, just as with mainframe systems.

■

Dynamic disk caching/virtual memory—The operating system can use more than one drive as virtual memory (using disk space in place of RAM); desktop Windows versions up through Windows Me can use only one drive for virtual memory.

■

Fault tolerance features—The capability to handle power outages and disk crashes.

■

Capability to start and stop network services without rebooting.

■

Fully 32-bit architecture—Windows NT and its successors are free from the limitations of 16-bit Windows (and MS-DOS!) instructions.

■

Support for multiple file systems, including the old FAT16 file system used by MSDOS and Windows 9x and the NTFS file system developed for Windows NT, which supports advanced security features, long filenames, and automatic error correction.

Windows NT 4.0, introduced in mid-1996, was modeled after the Windows 95 user interface (instead of the Windows 3.1 user interface used by earlier Windows NT versions), and provided crash protection superior to that of Windows 95. However, it lacked support for Plug and Play, the easy hardware installation feature introduced by Windows 95, and many Windows 95-compatible hardware devices wouldn’t work with Windows NT 4.0. Windows 2000, introduced in early 2000, was originally called NT 5.0 during its prerelease period, and began the NT family’s move toward becoming more user-friendly. Many of Windows 2000’s features have become part of Windows XP Professional, including Plugand-Play hardware support, ACPI power management, support for USB and IEEE-1394 ports and devices, AGP video, Internet Connection Sharing, and enhanced system management. Windows 2000 also improved drive support by adding support for FAT32, the file system introduced by Windows 95 OSR 2.x that shatters the 2.1GB limit per drive letter imposed by FAT16. It also introduced a more advanced version of NTFS that supports file encryption, file compression, and support for mounting and dismounting drives to allow them to be accessed through folders on another drive. Windows XP also supports these file-system features of Windows 2000.

What’s New in Windows XP Professional?

While Windows NT was being developed and improved, Microsoft was also developing its Windows 9x product family, which culminated in the release of Windows Me in 2000. Windows Me, like Windows 9x, is a hybrid operating system with some features inherited from MS-DOS as well as 32-bit code, so its internal architecture is nothing like Windows XP’s. Instead, the most significant fact about Windows Me from a Windows XP Professional user’s viewpoint is Windows Me’s introduction of a wide variety of built-in multimedia and imaging features. Windows XP features, such as the Scanner and Camera Wizard, the slideshow features in the My Pictures folder, and Movie Maker, are all descended from Windows Me. Another significant feature of Windows XP that Windows Me pioneered is System Restore, which allows the user to get around tricky OS problems by resetting the system configuration to what it was on a previous day. Like Windows 2000 before it, Windows XP is a highly extensible operating system. Windows XP uses a microkernel derived from Windows 2000, featuring an object-oriented, modular design that enables various types of services, file systems, and other subsystems to be attached to the core operating system, just as various types of hardware can be attached to a PC. The result is that Windows XP can emulate other operating systems and support applications originally designed for DOS, 16-bit Windows, older 32-bit Windows versions, POSIX-compliant Unix applications, and OS/2. Whereas Windows 2000 provided a “onesize-fits-all” approach to running older Windows programs, which didn’t always work, Windows XP goes beyond Windows 2000 by providing a customizable emulation feature that enables you to select which version of Windows it should emulate to run a particular program. See Chapter 25, “Maintaining and Optimizing System Performance,” for details. Windows XP Professional can be fairly described as a combination of the security, stability, and corporate networking features of Windows 2000 and the multimedia, entertainment, and error-handling features of Windows Me.

What’s New in Windows XP Professional? Now that you know Windows XP’s family history, you’re ready to find out what new features Windows XP Professional brings to the Windows family. One of the questions people ask me as I write books about each new version of Windows is whether the new version is different enough to justify upgrading. The Windows XP family is a major upgrade from any previous version of Windows, and the jump from Windows 98 or Windows Me to Windows XP Professional is as massive a jump as the one from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95 was a few years ago. Windows XP Professional isn’t just a much-improved version of the Windows 2000 family, preserving Windows 2000 Professional’s corporate networking and security features, but is also a superset of Windows XP Home Edition, which integrates improved versions of multimedia and recreational features originally introduced by Windows 98 and Windows Me. Thus, whether you want an operating system ready for the corporate desktop or are looking to add multimedia and recreational features to your corporate operating system, Windows XP Professional can do the job. Thus, Windows XP Professional can be used to replace both Windows 2000 and the long-lived Windows 9x family on corporate desktops.

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How big a change is Windows XP? Estimates are that by the time it was released, it contained about 40 million lines of code (see Table 1.1). That’s more than one-third more code than its immediate predecessor, Windows 2000, and plenty of room for its new and enhanced features.

Table 1.1

Lines of Code Comparison

Operating System

Lines of Programming Code

Windows NT 3.1

6.5 million

Windows NT 3.5

10 million

Windows 95

10 million

Windows 98

13 million

NT 4

16.5 million

Windows 2000

~29 million

Windows 2000 Advanced Server

~33 million

Windows 2000 Datacenter

>40 million

Windows XP

~40 million

Windows XP is much bigger than Windows 2000 because it adds new multimedia and entertainment features absent from Windows 2000 Professional and because it also contains improvements to features carried over from Windows 2000. Because Windows XP Professional offers so many improvements and new features when compared to Windows 98, Windows Me, and even Windows 2000, in this section we’ll highlight some of the new and improved features and what each feature does. Table 1.2 highlights some of the key improvements found in Windows XP Professional and points you to the chapter in which it is covered.

Table 1.2

Coverage of New and Improved Windows XP Professional Features

Feature

Covered in Chapter

New setup process

3

New interface: My Documents, My Pictures, My Music, custom toolbars, intelligent Menus, new help system, search function

4

Multimedia improvements: DVD, DirectX 8.1, image color management, scanner and digital camera support, Windows Movie Maker, Windows Media Player 8, CD burning, Web Publishing Wizard

4, 7, 13

Hardware support: Plug and Play, multiple monitors, FireWire

25

Active Directory

15

Enhanced Web browsing with IE 6

9

What’s New in Windows XP Professional?

Table 1.2

Continued

Feature

Covered in Chapter

Better e-mail and news reader with Outlook Express 6

10, 11

Improved mobile support and power management

18

New Microsoft Management Console (MMC)

27

Improved Installer/Remover

24

Kerberos security

17

Internet Connection Sharing

17

Fast User Switching

28

Windows Messenger, NetMeeting

12

Remote Assistance

33

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

5

System Restore

27

Network Setup Wizard

16

System File Protection

33

Internet Connection Firewall

19

Credential Manager

16

Task Manager

27

Personalized Welcome Screen

28

Taskbar Grouping

23

File Management

4

Compatibility Mode

23

Dual View

27

ClearType

4

Windows Help

4

Device Driver Rollback

33

Network Bridging

17

Interface Improvements Although some might disagree, Windows XP really is the best-looking version of Windows ever, but the improvements are more than just skin deep. Windows XP takes full advantage of today’s widespread support for high-resolution, 24-bit (16.8 million color) displays to provide subtle shading and animation effects to make working easier, but it also provides a more intelligent and customizable interface compared to previous Windows versions.

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Startup and Start Menu Improvements After you get to the splash screen, Windows XP Professional looks like no other Windows version. Before the splash screen loads, pressing F8 brings up a troubleshooting options menu that most closely resembles the one provided for Windows 2000, although Windows 9x/Me users will also find it familiar. This Advanced Options menu lets you boot into alternative modes such as “safe mode” to do troubleshooting (see Figure 1.1). Normal boot processes display a splash screen that is more compact than the previous full-screen one used by Windows 9x/Me and has an easy-to-see progress bar in the middle of the screen. Figure 1.1 New startup options in Windows XP Professional offer various troubleshooting options if you simply press F8 at boot time.

If you upgraded from an earlier version of Windows, your system will also display a “Return to OS Choices Menu” option after the “Reboot” option when looking at the troubleshooting options.

Windows XP shortens the startup time by using a technique called prefetching, which loads major portions of the operating system at the same time that devices are being initialized, rather than performing loading and device initialization in series, as with earlier versions of Windows. And, Windows XP learns which hardware and software you use during the first few times you boot your system, and moves the files used by your hardware and software to the fastest parts of your drive to further improve boot time. If you’re bringing up your system from a sleep mode, standby and hibernation are both much faster with Windows XP Professional. Newer notebook computers can restart from Standby, which shuts down power to peripherals but maintains power flowing to your RAM, in as little as two seconds. Hibernation, which stores the state of your system (open files and programs) on the hard disk before powering down, is also faster. Newer systems can emerge from Hibernation in as little as 20 to 30 seconds. After you’ve booted your system, the Windows XP Professional Start menu makes it easier to use the most popular programs. It shows you the major new features, and a link called All Programs displays the rest of the programs ready for your use.

What’s New in Windows XP Professional?

If you need help through the Internet or e-mail, or with your system’s configuration, the Start menu items Control Panel, Help and Support, Internet Explorer, and Outlook Express are all available as soon as you click the Start button. Right-click on the taskbar, select Properties, Start Menu, and Customize and you can control the appearance of the Start menu and the programs and features that will be displayed (Figure 1.2). Figure 1.2 Customize your Start menu by selecting the number of popular program shortcuts, icon sizes, and default Web browser and email programs.

Select large icons for better visibility, or small icons to show more programs at a time. By default, the Start menu displays six programs you use most often, but you can set the number yourself or clear the list of programs. By default, Internet Explorer is displayed as the standard Web browser, and Outlook Express is the standard e-mail program, but you can remove them from the Start menu or choose alternatives you’ve installed. Click Advanced to specify other Start menu features (see Figure 1.3), including ■

Disabling features such as submenus opening when you pause over them

■

Disabling the highlighting of newly installed programs until you run them for the first time

■

Whether to display the Control Panel, Favorites menu, Help and Support, My Computer, My Documents, My Music, My Network Places, My Pictures, Network Connections, Printers and Faxes, Run command, Search, and System Administration tools

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Figure 1.3 The Advanced dialog box lets you choose which Windows XP folders and tools to display on the Start menu, which display options to use, and other customizations.

You also can select whether to scroll the Programs menu, select how to display some menu items, and whether to display recently opened documents. Figure 1.4 shows a typical menu on a Windows XP Professional system. Figure 1.4 The Windows XP Professional main menu on a typical system just after initial installation. As you use different programs, the contents of the lower left-hand side of the menu will vary.

As you can see in Figure 1.4, the menu also adapts to your recent selections, placing shortcuts to the last six programs you’ve run into the blank space at the left side of the Start menu, as discussed earlier in this section. Windows XP also launches your favorite programs up to 50 percent faster after you’ve run them a few times. It stores information about frequently used programs for faster loading in the future.

What’s New in Windows XP Professional?

The following is the rundown of a few other interface niceties that are new or improved, especially if you previously used Windows 9x or Windows Me: ■

New wizards—Several new wizards have been added to simplify common tasks such as printing photos, copying photos to a CD-R or CD-RW drive, running older programs under Windows XP, and others.

■

Easier-to-use multiple-tab menus and properties sheets—As you move your mouse from tab to tab, the tab currently under the mouse pointer is highlighted with a colored bar across the top of the tab. This feature makes it easier to click the correct tab on properties sheets such as the System properties and many others.

■

My Music—A new My Music folder has been added for MP3 and WMA digital music files you download or create. You can play the music in this folder by clicking the Play All button, and shop for more music online. This complements the My Documents and My Pictures folders for unified storage of all types of media files.

■

Customizable toolbars—You can drag toolbars, such as the Web address toolbar, around on the desktop or add them to the taskbar at the bottom of the screen. Additional personalized Start menu and taskbar settings are available from the Taskbar Properties dialog box shown in Figure 1.5 (right-click the Taskbar and choose Properties).

■

Media toolbar—In all Explorer windows, you can add a Media toolbar. From this toolbar, you can easily choose music or radio stations to listen to while you work, and you can view current movie previews.

■

Taskbar icon grouping—If you have multiple instances of the same program running (such as several Internet Explorer windows), Windows XP saves room in the taskbar by displaying a single icon for the program with a number listing how many instances are stored under the icon. Click on the icon and scroll to display the instance you want to display. You also can close an entire group of windows at the same time.

Figure 1.5 In this dialog box, you can choose new options for taskbar properties.

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Smarter Open dialog boxes—Many dialog boxes, such as the ones you use to open and save files, now remember the most recently entered filenames. Open dialog boxes also sport an iconic representation of the common locations in a new left pane, called the Places Bar (see Figure 1.6). Not all applications support the Places Bar, but those that do make it easier to save files to different local or network drives.

Figure 1.6

Places Bar

New Open dialog boxes include the Places Bar at the left side of the window.

■

Customizable Explorer toolbars—The toolbars are customizable, just like in IE or Office.

■

Improved topic-based help system in enhanced HTML—The Windows XP Help and Support Center most closely resembles the hugely remodeled help system introduced in Windows Me. To save search time, major topics are displayed on the left side, and common tasks are listed on the right side. The index is a click away on the top of the screen, and a Favorites button makes it easy to collect help pages you use frequently, and display them instantly. Click the Home button to return to the main Help and Support Center menu at any time.

■

New display options in Windows Explorer—You can group related files in Windows Explorer with the Show in Groups option, view Thumbnails of picture files, use a Tiled view to combine large icons with file detail, and use Filmstrip view in picture folders to see a larger view of the selected picture and navigate with directional arrows to other pictures in the folder.

■

New balloon help tips—Novice users will appreciate the new balloon help tips that pop up, such as when you let your mouse pointer hover over certain icons, when network connections are made, reporting the connection speed, or to report immediate problems that require quick action (see Figure 1.7).

What’s New in Windows XP Professional?

23

Figure 1.7 The Windows XP Help system makes it easy to move within the current topic or to switch to related topics, and balloon help pops up to provide immediate warnings.

Enhanced Search Feature and History The Windows XP Search option is familiar to users of Windows 2000 and Windows Me, but is greatly enhanced compared to the Find feature used by Windows 9x; you can search from any and all Windows Explorer windows. When you search the Internet, the LAN, or your local hard disk, you use the same dialog box now. You can search for a file, folder, network computer, person, Web topic, help topic, or map. You can display a thumbnail view of search results to see what files or other items have been found. If the network you’re on is using the MS Index Server, the discovered items are also ranked according to closeness of match, just like search engines do. A friendly animated dog provides minimal levels of entertainment during Search, but you can banish the dog off-screen by changing your search preferences. Pressing the Windows key + F or choosing Search from the Start menu brings up the box you see in Figure 1.8. This integrated, easier-to-use search feature helps you find information on your computer, your network, or on the Web. Select the type of search you want to perform, enter all or part of the name, and start the search. If you search the Internet with plain-text questions, Windows XP will choose a search task and web site best suited to your search.

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Figure 1.8 The Windows XP search tool works within Explorer and supports file, media, computer, Internet, and Help searches.

Enhanced Accessibility Support Using computers is hard enough for those of us who have full mobility and physical abilities, considering how cryptic and idiosyncratic Windows is. For many folks, just the physical act of using a computer poses an additional challenge. Windows XP Professional provides the following accessibility features through the Accessibility Options icon in Control Panel: ■

Onscreen keyboard—Allows text entry via the mouse

■

StickyKeys—Allow keyboard combinations to be entered one keystroke at a time

■

FilterKeys—Adjusts repeat rate and helps Windows ignore brief or repeated keystrokes

■

ToggleKeys—Plays tones when keys such as Caps Lock are pressed

■

SoundSentry—Displays your choice of visual alerts when your computer plays a sound

■

ShowSounds—Provides captions for programs’ speech and sounds

■

High-Contrast displays—Choice of a variety of extra-large text sizes and highcontrast Windows desktops

■

Adjustable cursor blink rate and cursor width—Makes it easier to find the text cursor onscreen

■

MouseKeys—Enables the numeric keypad to run the mouse pointer

■

Serial keys—Enables alternative keyboard and pointing devices to be attached through serial ports

What’s New in Windows XP Professional?

The following accessibility features can be started from the Accessibility folder (Start, All Programs, Accessories, Accessibility) or by pressing the Windows key + U: ■

Magnifier—Provides an enlarged view of the area under and near the mouse cursor

■

Narrator—A simple text-to-speech program (English only) for onscreen events and typed characters

■

Onscreen keyboard

Internet Connections and Software Windows XP Professional makes Internet use easier than ever. Its New Connection Wizard provides a one-stop interface for setting up Internet, home networking, direct serial/parallel/infrared connections (Direct Cable Connection for you Windows 9x fans), and remote office network connections through either dial-up or virtual private networking (VPN) connections. If you have an IEEE-1394 (FireWire) adapter, you also can use it for networking with this wizard. Windows XP Professional also supports Internet Connection Sharing, using either a conventional modem (for the Internet) and a network card (for the rest of the network) or two network cards (the second one is for use with broadband connections) in the host system. And, if you’re already running ICS on a Windows 9x/Me/2000 system, you can connect your Windows XP computer to it easily. Internet Explorer 6.0, an improved version of the browser Microsoft has used to take over the browser market from one-time leader Netscape, is standard in retail and upgrade versions of Windows XP; hardware vendors who preinstall Windows XP on new computers can choose to omit it, although it’s unlikely that most will. It now offers 128-bit encryption straight out of the box, meaning that you no longer need a strong encryption upgrade before you can go to some online banking, stock brokerage, or shopping sites. Internet Explorer 6.0 is visually different than IE 5.5 in its icon display. For example, the Stop icon is now a red X in a page, rather than in a circle. The Favorites icon is a star instead of a folder. Beneath the surface, more significant differences include ■

Integrated MSN Messenger support

■

New Privacy tab in Internet Options to control cookies and personal data

■

New Clear SSL State option on the Content tab to flush SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates from the SSL cache for security

■

Automatic resizing of images too large to be displayed in the browser window without scrolling

■

Enhanced Internet setup options

■

New Reset Web Settings option on the Programs tab

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IE 6.0 also retains the integrated search tool used in previous versions of IE, integrates it with the Explorer Search tool, and offers a much wider variety of search engines from which to choose. IE’s Search acts as a front end to popular search tools. Initially, it searches using the default search tool (MSN) or your preferred replacement (I like Google.com). After completing that search, you can send the search to other major search engines, one at a time. Type in two or more words, and the Search tool treats it as a phrase to get you more accurate results in most cases and fewer non-relevant hits. You can remove IE 6.0 from your system if you absolutely prefer another browser, but even if you’re more of a Netscape or Opera fan, you’ll probably want to keep IE 6.0 around for its tight integration to Windows Update, the online feature Microsoft uses to keep Windows up to date. Windows XP Professional provides these enhancements and brand-new features to its networking and Internet feature set: ■

An integrated Internet Connection Firewall—This feature, which is controlled from the network connection properties sheet, helps protect your connection from hacking by outside users, and is especially useful for full-time, always-on broadband connections such as cable modem, DSL, and LAN-based.

■

Automatic adjustment of receive window size to achieve better performance on ICS when a dial-up connection is being shared.

■

Support for Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE), an increasingly popular connection method for broadband modems.

■

A protocol stack that supports IP version 6, which enables Windows XP to be used to develop applications that will support IP v6 when it is introduced (IPv6 will use a larger universe of IP addresses and have other benefits).

Hardware Improvements Although Windows XP Professional is built upon the foundation of the “all-business” Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 versions, it is still designed to be a replacement for the consumer operating systems (Windows 9x/Me). Therefore, Microsoft is determined to support a much broader range of hardware in Windows XP than in previous versions. Windows XP ships with drivers for hundreds of hardware devices not supported by Windows 2000, making it easier to install a broad range of hardware with Windows XP than with Windows 2000. Drivers for many popular devices are supplied on the Windows XP Professional CD-ROM or are available from the vendor; Windows XP Professional will check Microsoft’s Windows Update Web site for new drivers if it doesn’t locate the right driver for your hardware. Both Windows XP Professional and Home Edition use the same Windows driver model (WDM) technology originally developed for hardware drivers in Windows 98/Me/2000. Thanks to the widespread preinstallation of Windows XP on new PCs, however, users should have a wider assortment of drivers to choose from initially than Windows 2000 users did.

What’s New in Windows XP Professional?

If you can’t get a Windows XP-specific driver for your hardware, most Windows 2000 device drivers will work with Windows XP Professional. And, because Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Home Edition share a common code base and have common multimedia and imaging features, the same device drivers will work on either version. In the meantime, if you have rare, discontinued, or otherwise nonstandard hardware, be sure to check Microsoft’s Hardware Compatibility List at www.microsoft.com/hcl before upgrading.

➔

To learn more about hardware support issues, see Chapter 2, “Getting Ready for Windows XP Professional.”

The following is the lowdown on the newly added hardware support, help, and troubleshooting: ■

The Device Manager can be launched as a part of the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) and offers online help, more ways to view devices, and easier driver updates.

■

The Add Hardware Wizard has been enhanced to make installing drivers for new hardware easier and more reliable, and to make it harder to install drivers for “phantom” devices not already installed in or connected to your system.

■

The Scanner and Camera Wizard introduced in Windows Me has been included and now supports flash memory card readers used by digital cameras, using a new technology called Windows Imaging Architecture (WIA). WIA is a Component Object Model (COM)-based architecture that incorporates device drivers supplied by the manufacturer and imaging applications supplied by third-party software vendors into its design. WIA supports both older TWAIN-based imaging devices as well as newer imaging devices supported specifically by WIA drivers.

■

Enhanced audio playback is supported with separate volume controls for each speaker in a multichannel configuration, Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC) to improve signal processing with USB microphones in particular, and Global Effects (GFX) to add support for newer USB-based audio technologies such as USB array microphones.

■

DirectX 8.1 is included for full support of the newest 3D games and multimedia programs. It supports USB, digital joysticks, more realistic 3D graphics effects, and better sound than previous DirectX versions.

■

After you install a third-party DVD decoder, you can use the Windows Media Player as your DVD playback program.

■

Support for both CD-R and CD-RW drives without the need to install third-party software for both data storage and music CD copying.

■

An enhanced version of multiple-monitor support called Dualview, which enables separate video displays on multi-monitor video cards and the built-in screen and external video ports of notebook computers.

■

Improved power management, with support for wake-on-event, an improved user interface, and support for power management in applications.

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Plug and Play and Other Goodies Windows XP Professional supports Plug and Play (PnP), meaning you can add new stuff to your computer, such as a printer, video card, USB port, and so on, and Windows will attempt to automatically assign it resources and add drivers. It does so, assuming the add-on hardware is Plug and Play compatible and the computer’s BIOS is Plug and Play compliant. Windows XP Professional’s version of Plug and Play works better than the Windows 9x/Me flavor, locating new hardware faster and mapping more PCI-based hardware to the same IRQ than Windows 9x/Me could do. This reduces hardware conflicts considerably. Windows XP Professional also supports ACPI’s enhancements to Plug and Play, USB devices, IEEE-1394 (FireWire/i.Link) devices, AGP video cards, DVD, and CD-ROM drives on a par with Windows 98/Me and Windows 2000. New hardware supported in Windows XP Professional includes ■

Portable audio players

■

CD-R and CD-RW drives

Windows XP Professional offers wizards to make copying files to these devices very easy.

File System Improvements Realizing the inherent security and efficiency limitations in the old DOS (FAT 16) file system, Microsoft has developed two improved file systems over the last several years—FAT32 and NTFS. NTFS was introduced with NT 3.1; FAT32, with Windows 98. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. FAT32’s big advantage is that it’s highly compatible with FAT16 yet supports larger disk drive partitions and divides the drive into smaller clusters than FAT16, thus economizing on disk space. However, it’s not nearly as secure as NTFS. Microsoft’s updates and tweaks to NTFS in NT 4 service packs pushed NTFS’s security even further, and Windows XP Professional uses the same enhanced NTFS 5.0 version originally introduced with Windows 2000. Now file caching for networked and shared drives is an option, and 128-bit file and folder encryption is built in. Caching speeds up access to the files as well and allows users to work with them offline.

You can still use FAT16 and FAT32 file systems with Windows XP Professional, but you might want to convert to NTFS either during the installation process or later for more efficient and more secure file storage. You can convert either FAT file system to NTFS, but you cannot convert FAT16 to FAT32 with Windows XP (as you could with Windows 98/Me).

More Stability Windows XP Professional inherits its stability in performance from Windows NT and Windows 2000. What makes the Windows NT/2000/XP family more stable than consumer Windows (3.x/9x/Me)?

What’s New in Windows XP Professional?

Windows XP Professional is more stable than Windows 9x/Me (not to mention old Windows 3.1!) because its internal design protects the system kernel, which is the core of the operating system. Windows XP Professional’s system kernel never interfaces directly with applications or hardware, which could corrupt the kernel and crash the system. Instead, applications and hardware make requests to subsystems, which then request attention from the kernel. Windows XP Professional’s stability also comes from its use of preemptive multitasking, which uses a scheduler to tell each program running how much CPU time it can use. Windows XP Professional divides tasks into four priority rankings and provides the most CPU time to real-time processes, followed by high-priority processes, normal priority tasks, and, finally, idle tasks. While Windows 9x and Me also support preemptive multitasking, their reliance on old 16-bit code made multitasking a much riskier process. To make multitasking work even better, Windows XP Professional also uses multithreading, which enables a single program to be divided up into separate threads (or subprocesses) which can be managed and run separately for greater efficiency. Finally, Windows XP Professional is more stable because it prevents “DLL Hell,” that all-too-common problem for Windows 9x/Me users who installed different programs that used different versions of the same DLL (Dynamic Link Library) program files. When programs used the wrong DLL files, they crashed, and sometimes took the whole operating system down with them. Microsoft has been aware of “DLL Hell” for some time, but fixes to this problem have been slow in coming. Windows 98 Second Edition provided for a feature called “side-by-side DLLs.” This allowed a developer to use the particular version of DLLs required by a particular program without overwriting system DLLs (those stored in the \Windows\System folder). This feature worked only on Windows 98SE and only if the program developer took advantage of the feature. Windows 2000 introduced Windows File Protection, which restored system files automatically if they were overwritten by an application when you installed it or ran it. This protected Windows from crashing, but didn’t do a thing about a program which needed a particular system file version to run. Microsoft’s solution in Windows XP is called Fusion, which allows programs to install whatever system files (DLLs and others) they need, and redirects any files which would replace system files to the program’s own folder. When such a program is run, Windows XP creates a memory-protected virtual machine to run the program with its own DLLs. The end result is that even if two or more programs are running at the same time, using different versions of DLL or other system files that would “break” the system in past versions of Windows, both programs will now run properly. No other programs can touch the area of memory granted to each program. Nor can that program or other programs gain access to the area of memory in which the basics of the operating system are running. This prevents the kinds of crashing wellknown to Windows 9x/Me users.

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Other Windows XP features which promote stability include ■

Shutdown Event Tracker—This optional feature can be enabled to allow you to enter the reasons for a shutdown or restart of Windows XP and takes a detailed technical snapshot of the system’s condition. The snapshot records the processes running on the system, system resource usage, pagefiles, and drives. You can use this information to determine causes for problems and their solutions. The Shutdown Event Tracker is enabled via editing the Registry; see Windows XP Help and Support for details.

■

Easier shutdown of unresponsive applications—You no longer need to open the Task Manager to shut down a program that’s no longer responding; just click on the window (which states if the program is not responding) and click the Close button, just as with a normally-responding application.

■

Windows Driver Protection—This feature prevents installation of defective drivers and provides an online link for more information and possible updates. It also blocks defective drivers that are installed via Registry keys or the CreateService API set.

■

Device Driver Rollback—You can return to the previous version of a device driver with all devices except printers. This feature is accessed through the Driver tab of a device’s properties sheet in Device Manager.

■

Automatic updates—Provides background updates for Windows with the ability to resume an interrupted download. You can choose whether or not to install the update once it’s been downloaded.

■

Dynamic updates—This setup option, if selected, checks for newer drivers and fixes online than those available on the Windows XP CD-ROM, assuring you of an up-todate version of Windows when first installed. A Dynamic Update package is available for network administrators to assure that all users get updated files when they install Windows XP in a corporate environment.

■

New Shadow Copy feature in Backup—The Windows XP Backup program can back up open files and create volume snapshots while users are working. This prevents open files from being skipped during a backup.

■

Enhanced Last Known Good Configuration—The Windows XP version of this startup option restores the device drivers used by the last known good configuration as well as the registry information. This enables you to recover from defective device drivers without the need to reinstall the originals.

■

Automated System Recovery (ASR)—ASR enables the Windows XP Professional backup tool can back up applications, the current condition of the system, and critical boot and partition files and restore them. ASR replaces the Emergency Repair Disk used by Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000, and supports PnP devices.

■

Enhanced System Restore feature—Originally developed for Windows Me, System Restore (which enables a user to return the system to a preset past condition) has many enhancements in Windows XP, including better performance and better use of disk

What’s New in Windows XP Professional?

space, support for NTFS compression, warning messages when disk space is running out, and the ability to remove all but the latest restore point to save disk space. ■

Better error handling—Windows XP’s error messages are easier to understand than those in previous versions of Windows, and provide better help for recovering from the error without rebooting the system. Also, Windows XP has a new Online Crash Analysis feature that logs details about a shutdown or “blue screen” crash to a file. When you restart the system, you can open an Internet connection and send the log to Microsoft Product Support Services for help within 24 hours. A companion Web site (oca.microsoft.com) allows you to check the status of your report.

Improved System Management Now let’s look briefly at what Windows XP Professional has to offer you as a manager of either a single computer or hundreds of machines in a large office setting. Will your work life really be less complicated, and should your company’s operating costs be lower? Most likely, because Windows XP Professional provides you with centralized control over all the PCs in your organization. You’ll also be able to use a new class of applications that are easier to deploy, more manageable, and more reliable. As a result, you will be able to provide better service with less hassle. Following are a few examples of Windows XP Professional’s features that can improve an IT administrator’s work life. The most important management tool in Windows XP Professional is called the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) or Computer Management. Computer Management provides a single interface for managing hardware (System Tools), drives (storage), and services such as indexing. It replaces the hodgepodge of programs and features found in Windows 9x and Me with a single interface (see Figure 1.9). It’s also extensible with new “snap-in” modules provided by Microsoft or other companies. Figure 1.9 Windows XP Professional’s Computer Management tool offers many different system services under one roof, and accepts plug-in modules.

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The Microsoft Management Console is a one-stop shop that you can use from your own desk to do the following: ■

Check the status of remote machine

■

Automatically install new applications

■

Upgrade old applications

■

Repair damaged applications

■

Manage devices

■

Manage security

■

Prepare new hard drives for use

In addition to MMC, an improvement to the Windows Management Architecture alerts administrators to possible impending hardware or software problems. Microsoft has implemented industry standards called WBEM (Web-based Enterprise Management) and WMI (Windows Management Instructions) that empower help-desk teams to diagnose problems using a variety of third-party management tools. These tools gather information about a workstation to aid in diagnosing problems. Another big area of annoyance for administrators is keeping track of updates for deployment across a whole sea of users. This is version control management. Management tools have been added to Windows XP Professional to help in service-pack slipstreaming, so a company can keep one master image of the operating system on a network and deploy it to individual PCs as necessary. Windows XP Professional also uses the Windows Update feature introduced by Windows 98, enabling managers and users to keep their systems up-to-date via a simple connection to the Web. Just click Start, All Programs, and choose Windows Update. Windows Update now supports both individual users with automatic gathering of device information and immediate downloads and corporate users, who can manually specify the updates needed and download an assembled package of desired updates. The Windows XP Control Panel now offers a choice of Classic View (resembling its default in previous Windows versions) or the new default, Category View. Category View groups Control Panel options by typical uses in a task-centric approach, and provides quick links to other related Control Panel options in its Other Places window (see Figure 1.10).

What’s New in Windows XP Professional?

33

Figure 1.10 The default Category View of Windows XP’s Control Panel is designed to display the most common tasks.

New and Improved Wizards Windows XP Professional features improved versions of wizards originally found in Windows 9x, Windows Me, or Windows 2000, including ■

Network Connection Wizard—This wizard lets you start up network connections onthe-fly, whether in the office or at home (phoning into the Internet via your ISP), creating a Virtual Private Networking (VPN) connection to a LAN in another location, or whatever. The Network Connection Wizard is also used to set up direct connections to other computers, directly through infrared, parallel, or serial connections (see Figure 1.11). Note that infrared connections between computers are now supported for an ad hoc instant (slow-speed) cable-less LAN.

Figure 1.11 You can use the Network Connection Wizard to create several different types of connections.

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■

Add Printer Wizard—This wizard makes it easy to set up and connect to local and network printers, even from an application, right from the Print dialog box (see Figure 1.12). No more fishing around for the Printers folder. The wizard automatically tries to determine the make and model of your printer without forcing you to scroll through a list of options.

■

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard—This wizard helps you move settings for Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, desktop and display, dial-up connections, and document folders (such as My Documents and My Pictures) to a different computer running any 32-bit version of Windows; you can also use it to transfer settings from your old computer to a computer running Windows XP. While you still need to install matching applications on the target computer, this wizard saves valuable setup time and helps you get back to work faster with your new system.

Figure 1.12 You can choose or create a new printer without opening the Printers Control Panel.

What Is Not in Windows XP Professional Windows XP Professional is almost completely a superset of Windows XP Home Edition. In other words, virtually every feature found in Windows XP Home Edition is also part of Windows XP Professional. Thus, it’s no longer necessary to decide between multimedia features and corporate networking as you would with Windows Me and Windows 2000 Professional. About the only major feature missing from Windows XP Professional is Windows XP Home Edition’s simplified user configuration. Because Windows XP Professional is designed for corporate networking it uses, as you learned earlier in this chapter, corporatestyle security settings which are much more comprehensive than those used by Windows XP Home Edition. Otherwise, every feature in Windows XP Home Edition is present in Windows XP Professional.

Differences Between Versions of Windows XP

Like Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP Professional is limited to ten simultaneous connections when it’s used as a Web server, and it supports either one or two processors. You will need to use Windows .NET Server (the server family based on Windows XP) when available if you need support for more users or more processors.

Differences Between Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP Professional, 64-Bit, and Server Versions of Windows XP Windows XP comes in two distinct varieties for 32-bit processors: ■

Home Edition

■

Professional

Although both versions contain the same integrated applications and multimedia features, Windows XP Professional also includes corporate network support, backup, and security features similar to those found in Windows 2000 Professional. The new 64-bit Itanium processor from Intel has its own 64-bit versions of Windows XP. Windows XP 64-bit Edition is the workstation version, shipping at the same time as 32-bit versions of Windows XP. It supports up to 16GB of physical RAM and up to eight terabytes (8TB) of virtual memory, and takes full advantage of the superior floating-point performance of the Itanium processor. The recommended hardware platform is an 800MHz or faster Itanium processor with 1GB of RAM onboard; one or two Itanium processors can be used. Windows XP 64-bit Edition can run 32-bit Windows programs in a subsystem. The user interface is very similar to Windows XP Professional but the features will vary. The first server version of Windows XP, Windows Advanced Server Limited Edition, is available from hardware OEMs of Itanium-based servers such as HP, IBM, and Compaq before the official release of Windows XP. Free upgrades will be available to Windows .NET Server (the name for XP-based server products) to users who license the product. Both 64-bit versions use an emulation layer called WOW64 to run Win32-based applications, although for best performance, Microsoft recommends using 32-bit software on 32-bit Windows systems. The emulation feature allows organizations to use their Itanium-based systems with existing Windows applications until 64-bit versions are created internally or purchased from software vendors. What about 32-bit server versions of Windows XP? Microsoft plans multiple server editions of Windows XP, although the products will be called Microsoft .NET Server when they are introduced; previously, the server products were referred to as Windows 2002 Server. The editions will differ based on differences in the total amount of memory used by each version, the number of processors supported, and the number of domains that can be controlled. Table 1.3 compares Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional to other versions of Windows.

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Yes

Multithreading

Yes

Yes

Yes

Runs 16-bit DOS Yes and Windows applications

Yes

No

Runs 32-bit Windows applications

Runs OS/2 applications

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No

No

Yes

No

Runs real-mode device drivers

No

No

Yes

Kerberos security

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

2

No

Preemptive

Yes

Access security

4

Yes

Preemptive

Yes

Windows 2000 Professional

4GB

2 native, 2 4 with OEMmodified HAL

Yes

Preemptive

Yes

Windows NT 4 Server

Maximum RAM supported

Number of CPUs 1 (maximum)

Preemptive Preemptive

Multitasking type

Yes

Yes

Virtual memory management (paging file on hard disk)

Windows NT 3.xx

Windows 9x/Me

Windows NT 4 Workstation

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

4GB

4

Yes

Preemptive

Yes

Windows 2000 Server

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

64GB

8

Yes

Preemptive

Yes

Windows 2000 Advanced Server Yes

Yes

Win XP Pro

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

64GB

32

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

64GB

1

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

64GB

2

Yes

Preemptive Preemp- Preemptive tive

Yes

Windows 2000 Datacenter Win XP Server Home

Various Capabilities of Windows XP Home Edition as Compared to Earlier Versions of Windows

Chapter 1

Feature

Table 1.3

36 Introducing Windows XP Professional

Yes

Yes No

Yes

95 OSR2 and 98/Me only

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

386

No

Planned

Support DOS FAT32

Supports OS/2 HPFS

Supports NTFS No

Yes

Supports DOS FAT16

Supports disk compression

File encryption

RAID support/ levels

Built-in networking

Built-in e-mail

Minimum Intel CPU required

Supports RISC chips

Supports Active Directory

No

Yes/MIPS R4000 Alpha

386

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

No

Runs POSIX applications

Windows NT 3.xx

Windows 9x/Me

Feature

No

Yes/ R4000 Alpha

Pentium

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

Windows NT 4 Workstation

Pentium

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Windows 2000 Professional

No

Yes

Yes/ Yes/ R4000 Alpha DEC Alpha

Pentium

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

Windows NT 4 Server

Yes

Yes/ DEC Alpha

Pentium

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Windows Windows 2000 Server

Pentium

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Win XP Pro

No

Yes

No

Pentium Pentium

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

2000 Datacenter Win XP Server Home

Yes/ Yes/ No DEC Alpha DEC Alpha

Pentium

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Windows 2000 Advanced Server

Differences Between Versions of Windows XP 37

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Windows 9x/Me No

No No Yes/10

Supports clustering

Supports load balancing

Supports Novell NDS

Includes Web server/Maximum number of connections

Continued

No/umlim

No

No

No

Windows NT 3.xx

Yes/10

Yes

No

No

Windows NT 4 Workstation

Yes/unlim

Yes

No

Yes, only in Enterprise Edition

Windows NT 4 Server

Yes/10

Yes

No

Windows 2000 Professional

Yes/unlim

Yes

No

Windows 2000 Server

Yes/unlim

Yes

Yes

Windows 2000 Advanced Server

Yes/unlim

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

No

Windows 2000 Datacenter Win XP Server Home

Yes/10

Yes

No

No

Win XP Pro

Chapter 1

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Table 1.3

38 Introducing Windows XP Professional

How Does Windows XP Professional Compare to Unix and Linux?

How Does Windows XP Professional Compare to Unix and Linux? Windows XP's kernel, like Windows 2000's, has its roots in Unix. Unix is a very popular multitasking operating system developed at Bell Labs in the early 1970s. It was designed by programmers for programmers. In fact, the language C was developed just to write Unix. Even though Unix has become a friendlier operating system with the addition of Windowslike interfaces such as MOTIF, it's still relatively user-unfriendly, requiring cryptic commands much like DOS.

Unix Because it is written in C, Unix can run on any computer that has a C compiler, making it quite portable. AT&T gave away the Unix source code to universities and licensed it to several companies during its early years. AT&T no longer owns Unix; the Unix trademark is now owned by OpenGroup, though the source code is owned by the Santa Cruz Operation (SCO). Unfortunately, to avoid even the licensing fees to AT&T, Unix lookalikes sprung up over the years. Without the proper license, these versions could not call themselves Unix, only Unixlike. And as these clones proliferated, cross-compatibility became an issue. More than a handful of versions (dialects) of Unix have appeared, the primary contenders being AT&T's own, known as System V, and another developed at the University of California at Berkeley, known as BSD4.x, x being a number from 1 to 3. Other popular brands of Unix these days are HP-UX from HP, AIX from IBM, Solaris from Sun, and SCO's version, UnixWare. In 1984, industry experts were brought together to create guidelines and standards for Unix clones, in hopes of creating a more coherent market. The result was a single Unix specification, which includes a requirement for POSIX (Portable Operating System Interface for Unix) compliance. Accepted by the IEEE and ISO, POSIX is a standard that makes porting applications and other code between variants of UNIX as simple as recompiling the source code.

Another popular version of Unix that runs on the PC platform is called FreeBSD. Briefly, FreeBSD 4.x is a Unix-like operating system based on U.C. Berkeley's 4.4BSD-lite release for the Intel 386 platform. It is also based indirectly on William Jolitz's port of U.C. Berkeley's Net/2 to the Intel 386, known as 386BSD, though very little of the 386BSD code remains. You can find a fuller description of what FreeBSD is and how it can work for you at www.freebsd.com.

Unix has been the predominant operating system for workstations connected to servers, mostly because of its multiuser capabilities and its rock-solid performance. Windows NT and its successors, Windows 2000 and Windows XP, have been making inroads due to the extensive number of development tools and applications for the Windows platform. However, the low-cost Unix variant called Linux is revitalizing Unix across all platforms.

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Linux Linux is a Unix lookalike. Linux isn't a port of a preexisting operating system, but rather it was written from the ground up by Linus Torvalds, a Finnish-born computer scientist who wanted to develop a Unix-like operating system for computer students to run on low-cost Intel computers. Torvalds wrote the kernel with the help of a handful of computer programmers. Like all variants of Unix, Linux has many of the features of NT/Windows 2000/Windows XP, such as true multitasking, virtual memory, shared libraries, intelligent memory management, and TCP/IP networking. Linux is an open system, and programmers worldwide are invited to participate in its building and refinement. Unlike other flavors of Unix that were based on licensed source code, Linux is based on Minix, which mimics Unix in a way that does not infringe on the Unix license. That's why Linux distributions are practically free.

Actually, the term Linux pertains only to the kernel. What people have come to refer to as Linux is actually a collection of separate pieces of code, the majority of which are GNU. It was not until Linux came together with GNU that the full power of the Linux OS (what GNU enthusiasts would called GNU Linux) crystallized.

The several popularly distributed Linux versions are differentiated mostly by the selection of tools and utilities bundled with them. The most popular package at this point is Red Hat Linux. If you want to go it alone, you can acquire Linux for free, but buying some commercially bundled packages makes the job of installation and support easier because you get support. Technically, the distribution of the software must be free, in accordance with the GNU General Public License (GPL) agreement governing the distribution of Linux and the collected modules that accompany it. Linux is now running on a wide variety of systems, including Sun JavaStations, the IBM RS/6000, and the Alpha chip originally developed by DEC and later sold by Compaq, MIPS, SPARC, Open VMS, Digital Unix, and other platforms.

Windows Application Compatibility with Linux IT professionals willing to get under the hood and poke around and learn Linux's ways are impressed with its solidity. Though Linux is not commonly used as a business productivity workstation, it is being embraced by some for back-end Web servers or transaction servers where reliability is a high priority. WINE, a DOS, Windows 3.1, and 32-bit Windows emulator, is a popular program used by a number of vendors to move their Windows programs to the Linux platform. For more information, see the WINE Web site at www.winehq.com. However, even the most recent versions of WINE are limited, especially in their multimedia support. To get full Linux and full Windows XP support on a single system, set up a dual-boot system. The only reliable way to run Windows programs on a Linux system is to dual-boot.

How Does Windows XP Professional Compare to Unix and Linux?

➔

41

To learn more about dual-booting Linux, see "Windows XP and Linux," p. 1109.

Mainstream applications for Linux have taken a long time to arrive, but Corel's WordPerfect Office 2000 for Linux and Sun's StarOffice 5.2 provide powerful office suites with many of the features of recent Microsoft Office releases. CorelDRAW for Linux includes Linux-compatible versions of CorelDRAW 9 and PhotoPaint 9, and there are, of course, many downloadable freeware and shareware programs for Linux available online. Microsoft, of course, doesn't want to develop Linux versions of either its programming languages or applications such as Office, for obvious reasons. Obviously, as a capitalistic enterprise, Linux doesn't cut it for the entrepreneur, unless he or she is willing to look at the world through a radically new set of glasses. Giving away your software doesn't net you much. Then again, people are giving away PCs to sell the advertising, so go figure. The world of computing might be changing more than we know. But because applications developers for the Linux environment are supposed to distribute their source code along with the applications, this is a daunting shift of worldview for a behemoth such as Microsoft, which works overtime to protect its intellectual property. The upshot is that you're out of luck if you want to run Word, Excel, or Access, Internet Explorer, or any other Microsoft programs on a Linux box.

Windows XP Versus Linux Trying to compare Windows XP versus Linux is difficult for several reasons, including ■

Windows XP requires a relatively recent computer with at least 128MB of RAM to function, while Linux can run successfully on even 486-based systems long obsolete for use with Windows

■

Windows XP is available in just two versions (Home Edition and Professional), while Linux is available in numerous distributions

■

Windows XP is primarily a GUI-based operating system, while Linux is primarily command-line driven (although KDE and Gnome, the two most common GUIs, are increasingly popular)

Although Linux has made great strides in so-called "back end" uses such as Web servers, network servers, and embedded devices, Windows XP is a better choice for desktops for several reasons, including ■

Journaling file system for higher reliability and crash recovery.

■

Compatibility testing and guarantees for operating system and applications.

■

Wide availability of commercial applications at retail and online stores.

■

Clustering and base-load balancing.

■

Long-term roadmap of operating system deployment plans.

■

Larger hard disks and maximum file sizes. Linux's maximum file size is 2 Gigabytes; Windows XP's limit is 18.4 quintillion bytes (Petabytes).

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■

“Synchronous I/O,” which allows smoother running in Windows XP when multiple threads are being processed and waiting for input or output. It improves SMP scalability as well.

■

Consistent GUI across all tools—Linux has no single standard GUI at present.

■

A single version which can be installed for most major languages and countries.

■

Dedicated support network, with close to one-half million Microsoft-certified trained professionals and engineers.

We believe that the entire Linux/Windows controversy comes down to this: Microsoft offers lots and lots of powerful stuff (which you can use to build very sophisticated software) from the C++ compiler, to the component-nature of Excel and other apps, to the ASP scripting language, COM, and so on. These tools let you leverage everything Microsoft offers to make very powerful applications. As people used to say in the sixties and seventies, nobody ever lost his job buying IBM. Now it's safe to say nobody ever lost his job buying Microsoft. True, you're locked into Windows because the stuff you build on Windows systems can't be ported to Unix variants, but that's the price you pay for the tools, the user base, and the support and training. Although increasing support options are available for Linux (see www.linuxcare.com), enterprise-level support for Linux is still not as widespread as for Windows. Linux might be a decent choice for the small-business owners or IS professionals who need to build low-cost servers for Web, e-mail, or file sharing. This operating system is designed for those uses, and the popular Red Hat and Caldera Linux packages make installation relatively painless (not as easy as Windows XP Professional, though, mind you). If you're thinking of using Linux on your desktop PC, beware—you might be biting off more than you can chew. The manuals that come with Linux—even the commercial versions—are dense. It is not always headache-free. But if you have a good understanding of computer technology and insist on switching from Windows to something more stable and more flexible, Linux might be the choice for you. If nothing else, using Linux will be a learning experience. However, for the foreseeable future, Linux will be primarily a server and embedded-device operating system, rather than a desktop operating system.

Windows XP Professional on the Corporate Network Windows XP Professional, because it's designed as a replacement for Windows 2000 Professional, is designed to work well on corporate networks. Thus, it contains all the network and security features of Windows 2000 Professional, including ■

Support for IP Security (IPSec) to protect data being transmitted across VPNs

■

Kerberos v5 support for authentication

■

Group Policy settings for administering networks and users

■

Offline viewing of network data when not connected to the network

■

Synchronization of local and network files

Windows XP Professional on the Corporate Network

43

■

Remote access configuration wizard

■

Microsoft and Novell NetWare network clients

Part

■

Support for Active Directory (Microsoft's directory service feature which helps to manage users and resources on large networks)

Ch

■

Disk quotas to prevent a few storage-hog users from running the server out of space

■

Internet Information Services, including FTP, FrontPage 2000 Server Extensions, SMTP (Simple Mail Transport Protocol) service, World Wide Web service, the management snap-in for the Microsoft Management Console, remote deployment support, and documentation

■

Fax services for sending and receiving faxes

■

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) support

■

Print services for Unix

New Networking Features Windows XP also adds many new network features especially designed to make corporate networking easier and more reliable, including ■

Networking has been integrated into the Task Manager to display real-time network usage and connection-speed information.

■

An enhanced Netdiag.exe command-line diagnostics tool is provided on the Windows XP CD-ROM.

■

An enhanced version of Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS), version 5.1, with support for PnP and Power Event Notification, send cancellation, better statistics capability, and better performance.

■

A new version of the Windows Telephony API (TAPI), version 3.1, with support for H.323-compatible IP telephony and IP multicast A/V conferencing, recording of streaming A/V data for playback, USB phones, automatic discovery of telephony servers, and support for H.323 services such as call hold, call transfer, call diversion, call pack, and call pickup.

■

Support for newer network devices, including HomePNA phoneline networks, USBconnected network devices, software-based (also called controllerless or "Winmodem") modems, and infrared-enabled cell phones (as modems).

■

Support for Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) devices on a network, and use of UPnP to detect Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) hosts on a network.

■

Network bridging—One computer can run two different types of networks (such as Fast Ethernet and IEEE 802.11b [Wi-Fi] wireless Ethernet) and act as a connection between them. You need a network card for each network type you're bridging.

■

Auto-configuration of IEEE 802.11b Wi-Fi networks—Wi-Fi (wireless Ethernet) networks are harder to configure than wired networks such as Fast Ethernet, because you must synchronize the card to the wireless access point that allows your PC to talk to others. Windows XP Professional detects the correct settings automatically.

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■

Ability to store and recall settings of various wireless networks the user has connected to in the past for automatic configuration when the same network is encountered again. This feature simplifies moving between multiple wireless networks, such as home and office or different offices.

■

An enhanced Connection Manager with new management options, split tunneling (secure VPN and public Internet access at the same time), Favorites feature for storing connection settings for different locations (useful for business travelers), client-side logging for troubleshooting, and support for ICS.

■

The enhanced Network Troubleshooter feature, available from the left-hand menu of the Network Connections menu, provides one-stop access to network-related tools in the Help and Support center. You can start Ping and Net View commands to diagnose and check Internet and LAN connections, as well as run troubleshooters for Internet Connection Sharing, Modems, and other home and corporate network configurations. A new Network Diagnostics tool scans the network and tests your network card. As shown in Figure 1.13, at the end of the testing process, it displays the results of its tests for Internet service settings, computer information, and network adapters (including modems).

■

Support for encrypted folders with multiple users.

■

Remote desktop support via Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), enabling users to access their computers remotely from anywhere with network access, including other offices, at home, or airport kiosks.

■

Improved Group Policy feature with hundreds of new policies provided, making it easier to choose a pre-defined policy instead of needing to modify one.

Figure 1.13 The Network Diagnostics tool displays the configuration of both hardware and software components on your network.

Windows XP Professional on the Corporate Network

■

Remote Assistance to allow network or Internet-based help desk personnel to view a user's display and provide training or technical assistance. This feature can be centrally enabled or disabled as desired.

Improved Network Security Windows XP Professional, like Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000, is a high-security operating system designed for corporate networks. While many of its security features are carryovers from its predecessors, Windows XP Professional also features new and enhanced tools for network security, including ■

Standard access control list settings, standard security groups, and predefined security templates offering Basic, Compatible, Secure and Highly Secure group policies—All of these security settings can be modified as needed, and can be controlled with tools such as the Microsoft Management Console or those provided with the optional Windows XP Professional Resource Kit.

■

Default guest-level access for network, Internet access, and simple security (non-domain) networks—This feature limits the ability of intruders to gain access to private information.

■

Limited access for users who don't password-protect their accounts—User accounts without passwords can't be used for any purpose other than to logon to their own systems; remote logons are no longer permitted.

■

Support for the Encrypted File System (EFS)—You can encrypt data with your choice of the expanded Data Encryption Standard (DESX) or Triple-DES (3DES), and all contents of an encrypted folder are also encrypted. Encryption also works with offline files and folders and with Web folders, and is designed to be managed through Group Policy and command-line programs.

■

User certificates are stored in a subfolder of each user's Documents and Settings folder, and private keys are stored in a different subfolder. Private keys are automatically encrypted when stored.

■

A Credential Manager Key Ring feature which stores multiple credentials (username/password) used on the system. As you navigate from one secured network to another, the correct credential to log in is selected automatically, based on criteria such as the server name and domain name. This feature also works with Remote Access and Virtual Private Networking.

■

Support for digitally signed software—This feature allows an administrator to block unsigned or unapproved ActiveX controls from running a system, prevent Windows Installer from installing unsigned or unapproved programs, and prevent unsigned Visual Basic Scripts from being run.

■

Built-in support for smart card authentication

Windows XP Professional builds on the already-strong corporate network features of Windows 2000 Professional to provide more powerful and easier corporate networking, security, and management.

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Getting Your Hardware and Software Ready for Windows XP In this chapter General Considerations Hardware Requirements

48 49

Preparing Your Hardware for Windows XP Preparing Your Software for Windows XP Troubleshooting

55 63

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Getting Your Hardware and Software Ready for Windows XP

General Considerations So much for the hype about Windows XP, all its new features, and some of the details of its design and architecture you learned about in Chapter 1, “Introducing Windows XP Professional.” So, the question at this point is, “Are you really going to install it?” If you are, you should go ahead and read this chapter and the next one. In this chapter, I’ll coach you on preparing for the installation and checking your hardware and software requirements; then I’ll discuss some compatibility issues that might affect your product-purchasing decisions. The next chapter covers more specific installation issues, such as choosing disk formats, upgrading versus installing fresh, and dual-booting. I’ll also walk you through the setup procedure. Of course, if Windows XP Professional is already installed on your PC, you can probably skip Chapter 3, “Installing Windows XP Professional.” You should at least, however, take a brief look at this one because it includes some discussion that might affect software and hardware installation decisions you might make when using Windows XP Professional in the future. Understanding what you can do with, and shouldn’t expect from, an operating system is always good background material when you use as complex a tool as a computer on a regular basis. Pay particular attention to the section about RAM and hard disk upgrades, how to access the online Hardware Compatibility List (HCL), and how to find the Windows XP-approved applications list at Microsoft.com. As you’ll learn in the next chapter, the Windows XP Setup program automatically checks your hardware and software and reports any potential conflicts. Using it is one way to find out whether your system is ready for prime time. It can be annoying, however, to find out something is amiss at midnight when you’re doing an installation, especially when you could have purchased RAM or some other installation prerequisite the previous day when you were out at the computer store. Likewise, you don’t want to be technically capable of running Windows XP Professional only to experience disappointing performance. To help you prevent such calamity or surprise, the first part of this chapter will cover hardware compatibility issues. In general, I’ll say this about Windows XP hardware compatibility. Microsoft’s goal was for 90 percent of systems sold since January 2000 to have a “positive upgrade experience.” Microsoft defines a positive upgrade experience as everything working without any issues at all. This is a significantly high figure. The remaining ten percent may have a speed bump along the way, not necessarily a computer that doesn’t boot. Generally, these speed bumps are devices in, or attached to, your PC that might not have a driver that tells Windows XP how to use it; or maybe there’s an application or two on your system that doesn’t run.

You might be able to obtain a “preflight” CD from retail stores to check your current system’s compatibility with Windows XP or download a compatibility checker from the Microsoft Web site. Check the Windows XP Web site (www.microsoft.com/ windowsxp) for details.

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Hardware Requirements Let’s start with the basics. The principal (and minimal) hardware requirements for running Windows XP Professional are as follows: Windows XP Professional Minimum

Pentium 233 (or equivalent) or higher CPU (Pentium III or 4, or equivalent such as AMD Duron or Athlon recommended).

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64MB RAM (128MB recommended); 4GB of RAM maximum)

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At least 1.5GB of free disk space

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Super VGA (800×600 resolution) or higher video adapter and monitor with 16-bit or higher color depth

2

Keyboard Mouse or compatible pointing device CD-ROM (12x minimum speed) or DVD drive These are Microsoft’s suggested minimums, and not necessarily what will provide satisfactory or exceptional performance. Some users have reported that they have installed on lesser machines. Microsoft tries to quote minimum requirements that will provide performance the average user can live with. I have installed XP on a little Sony VAIO n505VE which has an Intel Celeron II 333MHz processor, and it works like a champ. Although Microsoft doesn’t specifically mention it, you’ll want at least 4MB of video RAM to allow your system to choose 24-bit (16.8 million colors) color depths at 1024×768 resolutions, and a sound card to work with Windows Media Player. Table 2.1 compares system requirements for popular operating systems.

Table 2.1

Hardware Requirements by Operating System

Operating System

CPU (Minimum Required/ Recommended)

Memory (Minimum Required/ Recommended)

Disk space (Minimum Required/ Recommended)

Windows 98

P133 MMX/PII-300

16MB/64MB

300MB

Windows NT 4.0 Workstation

P133/P166

16MB/32MB

110MB

Windows NT 4.0 Server

P133/P166

32MB/64MB

200MB

Windows 2000 Professional

P133/PII-300

64MB/128MB

650MB/500MB

Windows 2000 Server

P133/PII-300

64MB/128MB

850MB/1GB

Novell NetWare 5

386

64MB/256MB

500MB/1GB

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Table 2.1

Continued CPU (Minimum Required/ Recommended)

Memory (Minimum Required/ Recommended)

Disk space (Minimum Required/ Recommended)

Red Hat Linux 5.2 Server

P166

16MB

1.6GB

Windows XP Professional

P233/PII300+

64/128MB

1.5GB

Windows XP Home Edition

P233/PII300+

64/128MB

1.5GB

Operating System

Surprised that you can run this operating system on a machine that’s only a 233MHz Pentium? By today’s standards, that’s a pokey old processor. I’ve actually heard of people running Windows NT on 33MHz machines with decent performance, assuming the system had enough RAM. But with over 30 million lines of programming code in Windows XP (NT had only 5 million), some additional horsepower is clearly a good idea for XP. Tip from

&

With the plummeting prices of CPUs these days, there’s scant disincentive to upgrading your CPU and motherboard or just getting a whole new system for Windows XP. The price wars between Intel and AMD might be brutal on the corporate battlefield, but the consumer is clearly the winner. 700–900MHz-class desktop clone computers with 20GB or larger hard disks and 128MB of RAM are easily available for around $500 to $700.

Anyway, based on what you can get for a song these days, you shouldn’t have any difficulty hustling up the bucks to buy a machine that will run Windows XP adequately. Almost a decade ago when I was writing about Windows NT 3.1, the cost of admission was significantly higher; you had to be on the bleeding edge of computing to build a quality NT-style workstation. As a consultant, I get more phone calls and e-mails asking what kind of computer to buy than on any other topic. Despite the rapid de-escalation in prices and apparent exponential increase in computing speed, putting together a machine to run Windows XP Professional successfully for your needs might not be as easy as you think. Whenever I build a new system, I’m surprised by twists I hadn’t considered, new hardware standards I didn’t know even existed, and so on. You probably know the story. If you’re a power-user type or hardware jock running the PCs at your company, you probably spend your coffee breaks poring over magazines like Killer PC or belong to the Captain Number Crunch fan club. You can find some blindingly fast stuff, such as accelerated 3D AGP video cards, ATA 100 drive arrays, new kinds of high-speed RAM, and so on. As much fun as it is for speed freaks, a screamer PC that will take the computing Grand Prix doesn’t necessarily a good XP box make. And as much as everyone is hoping that Windows XP will

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broaden hardware and application compatibility over the annoying confines that Windows NT and Windows 2000 suffered, it’s still a protected and somewhat picky system. Hardware that purrs away happily under Windows 9x might not necessarily cut it under Windows XP. Before you go cutting purchase orders and checks for your personal PC or 20 for the office, look a little further by at least skimming through this chapter.

Option 1: Using What You’ve Got: Ensuring Compatibility via the HCL You can take three basic approaches to ensure hardware compatibility. The first is relatively simple and may prevent your having to purchase anything new. Microsoft has done most of the compatibility testing for you already and posted that information in its Hardware Compatibility List (HCL). You can view the HCL by opening the Hcl.txt file in the Support folder on the XP CD, although the Web-based list will be more up to date. http://www.microsoft.com/hcl/

In either case, if your hardware isn’t listed, the setup process might not be successful. To see the most recent version of this list, visit the site. There’s a link to the site from the Windows XP Setup CD-ROM. Just insert the Setup CD and click on Visit the Compatibility Web Site. Tip from

To find general information about Windows XP Professional, including compatibility, check out the following: http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsXP/

& The HCL site has an interactive list displaying hardware compatibility for all Microsoft operating systems. Figure 2.1 shows the result of my search for display cards. Figure 2.1 Use the online Microsoft Hardware Compatibility List to check on your hardware before you either purchase or decide to upgrade to Windows XP.

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The interface is a little Spartan, and the first field you fill in is not explained. The upside is that you can type a word to narrow the search, such as Presario or SCSI, and then choose the subcategory of hardware you want the site to search, such as system/mobile uniprocessor (that means laptop computer in layman’s terms) or Printer. Then click Search Now. You might have to try several approaches to find the item you want. The list is quite large, so keep trying with a slightly different approach if your item doesn’t come up the first time. Scroll to the right to see additional operating systems such as Windows 98 or Windows Me. Also, be sure to click Legend to learn what the icons represent. The check mark in a bullseye reading “Logo” indicates the product meets requirements for the Windows Logo program, the highest level of hardware compatibility. If the Logo icon also displays a drive icon, you can download a compatible driver by clicking on the icon. If the Logo icon also displays a CD icon, the Windows CD-ROM has the driver needed for the device. A bullseye reading “Compatible” indicates the device will work with Windows, although the device doesn’t meet all the requirements for the Windows Logo program; the Windows CD-ROM contains a compatible driver. For a complete list of URLs related to upgrading to Windows XP, see “Compatibility and Upgrade Help,” in the “Troubleshooting” section at the end of this chapter.

Don’t know what’s in your system or not sure if you thought of everything that might conflict with Windows XP Professional? No problem. You can run the Windows XP Compatibility Tool (testing program) from the CD. This program detects your hardware and verifies compatibility. Insert the CD (you’ll have to borrow one from someone who has it, if you don’t want to purchase it just to find out), and choose Perform Additional Tasks from the main menu. Then choose Check System Compatibility. When you run the program, a report is generated telling you whether your computer cuts the mustard. The test is discussed in Chapter 3.

If you forget to run the test in advance, don’t worry; you’ll still get the report. Why? It’s run automatically when you activate the Setup program to install XP. It’s just nice to do it in advance so you are aware of contingency problems well ahead of time. (The Setup program and some examples of reports are covered in Chapter 3.)

What do you do if some component of your system (or your entire computer) doesn’t rank high enough to appear and isn’t listed in the compatibility list? Well, you can wing it and see how things work out. Just install XP onto the computer in a separate directory or disk partition (dual-boot); then see what happens. If this approach doesn’t work, you can revert to using your old operating system, having only lost an hour’s time. You should also approach the hardware manufacturer and ask whether a Windows XP driver is available for the component. (How to set up a dual-booting arrangement is discussed in Chapter 3.) Tip from

&

Some people say that you don’t need to ensure availability of drivers for Plug and Play devices. Although the idea was that all officially sanctioned Plug and Play devices

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(bearing the PnP logo) are automatically supported by Windows, this isn’t always true. Check carefully to see that any new PnP device you’re considering comes with drivers for, or has been tested with, Windows 2000 Professional or XP. If the box says “Designed for Microsoft Windows 2000” or “Designed for Microsoft Windows XP” and bears the Windows 2000 and/or XP logo, you’re probably home free. Since Windows 2000 and XP are built on the same base code, drivers for one might work with the other in some cases. Part

Option 2: Choosing a Windows XP-Ready PC It isn’t a bad idea to just bite the bullet and shell out for a new machine once every two years or so. I’m a holdout myself, even though I’m a techno-junkie. The bottom line is that I’m cheap, so I try to squeeze out every last CPU cycle from my computers and keep them running for a very long time. I’m still using an old machine based on Intel’s 386 processor (which is two generations removed from the original Pentium) running DOS as a router to the Internet. Clearly, I don’t like to participate in the “throw-away society’s” idea of planned obsolescence. But every time I upgrade to a new computer, I notice a significant number of niceties across the board, for example, quicker response; more inclusive power management so my system uses less power when it’s idle (and cuts my utility bills!); reduced energy consumption due to lower chip count (which also cuts my utility bills!); more hardware setting options; a faster DVD drive with support for CDROM media; high-speed ports such as USB and FireWire (also known as i.Link and IEEE 1394b) that work with the newest scanners, printers, and drives; faster video display; and so on. If you have decided to start fresh and purchase new PCs for your personal or corporate arsenal, let me suggest an easier way to choose them than to check each piece against the HCL. Just as with the individual hardware item listings in the HCL, Microsoft’s testing lab awards the “Windows-Ready PC” merit badge to computers that meet their requirements. To see a list of XP-ready computers, check this site: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/ready/

You’ll find a mixture of major-brand and budget vendors listed, so you have a lot of choices if you decide to buy a new PC with a Windows XP logo on it. It will take awhile for them to show up. My recent purchase was guaranteed to run Windows 2000, though, and that was enough for me. Sure enough, it installed and booted Windows XP just fine.

What You Get with a Windows XP-Ready PC When you purchase a Microsoft-sanctioned Windows XP computer, you get more than you asked for, but I guess that’s capitalism and, besides, with “bloatware” being so prevalent these days, it’s better to prepare for the coming need for bigger and faster everything. As of this writing, all Windows XP-ready PCs meet the requirements shown in Table 2.2.

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Table 2.2

Windows XP-Ready PC Requirements1

Feature

Requirements

Operating system

It comes preinstalled with Windows 2000 Professional or Windows Me.

RAM

Includes at least 128MB of RAM.

Logo rating

It bears a logo that reads: “Designed for Windows 2000” or “Designed for Windows 2000/Me”

Power Management

Supports Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) for laptops to increase battery life, among other benefits.

CPU

Desktop and laptop machines come with at least a 266MHz Pentium III processor or equivalent.

Other

USB ports, CD-R or CD-RW drive, Wake-On LAN network interface card. Preferably no parallel or serial ports. Possibly a microphone and Web camera, and an IEEE-1394 (FireWire) port.

1The

requirements listed in Table 2.2 are preferred. They exceed the minimum requirements to run Windows XP. See the beginning of this chapter for the minimum requirements.

Notice that, depending on when you buy it, an XP-ready PC might have Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows XP as its operating system. In any case, XP-ready machines are fully capable of being upgraded to Windows XP if they include one of the other Windows versions.

Option 3: Upgrading Your Computer Don’t want to purchase a whole new computer, but your hardware isn’t all on the HCL? Or do you have some old, stodgy disk drive, SCSI controller, video adapter, motherboard, or some other piece of gear that you want to upgrade anyway? You’re not alone. The PC upgrade business is booming, as evidenced by the pages and pages of ads in the backs of computer rags and the popularity of computer “swap meets,” where precious little swapping is going on except that of hardware components for the hard-earned green stuff. If only my co-author and I had written Scott Mueller’s book, Upgrading and Repairing PCs, we would be very happy authors. It’s perennially one of the best-selling computer books. Buy It or Build It? I have a word of caution about the “building your own” mindset. I started in PCs back before IBM got into the fray, and in those days, you had no choice but to build your own microcomputer. Lots of the building required using a soldering iron, too (and close proximity to the freezer to thrust burned fingers into). The notion of a completely packaged PC ready to go was sort of disgusting to hobbyists, of course, at least at first. I’ve been through about 20 PCs so far. After my first few fully integrated (packaged) systems, it started to dawn on me that I didn’t have to spend half my time under the hood, and I could really get some work done. I was pretty much hooked, even though I get stung by the upgrade bug once in a while, adding peripherals, hard drives, scanners, CD-RW drives, video cameras, and backup devices. Overall, though, my advice is this: If you think you’re going to save a lot of time and money while building yourself a better mousetrap than you can get from some serious vendor or systems integration house, “fo ‘get

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about it!” as Crazy Eddie says. Any company worth its salt has engineers and testers whose job is to iron out the software and hardware incompatibilities that you don’t want to lose sleep over. If you want to upgrade what you have, that’s not necessarily terrible, but if you want to build a new system from the ground up, I advise against it. Save yourself some agony, and buy a computer from a reputable dealer, preferably someone who will guarantee it to work with the operating system you have in mind. Especially when you’re dealing with local clone builders, you should get that guarantee in writing. Get as much in the box as you can, including video, audio, modem, network card, CD-ROM/DVD/CD-R/CD-RW, hard disk, floppy drive, USB, and serial and parallel ports. The basic system with keyboard, mouse, and drives should all work and boot.

The next few sections describe upgrading your PC for operation under Windows XP Professional in case you’re the incurable upgrader type and want to take that route.

Preparing Your Hardware for Windows XP The amount of hardware upgrading you might need to make to prepare your system for Windows XP Professional depends in great measure on how close your system is to the minimum hardware requirements discussed earlier in the chapter. Because Windows XP’s userfriendly multimedia and system protection features demand more computer power than previous versions of Windows, a system which barely exceeds the minimum hardware requirements for CPU, memory, video, and hard disk space can make running Windows XP an ordeal instead of a pleasure. I’ve had slow machines with small hard drives and fast machines with large hard drives; faster and larger is better, both for you and for Windows XP.

The Motherboard and CPU So, you want a general upgrade to the performance of your system? The cheapest upgrade you can make is probably to add more RAM (see below). But if your wallet allows, and you want to get to the core of your system for a serious upgrade, start with the motherboard. Don’t bother upgrading just your CPU without upgrading the motherboard too. While CPU upgrade kits are available to allow some older systems to use newer processors, recent changes in CPU speeds, physical packaging, and electrical requirements mean you’re much better off upgrading both the motherboard and the CPU if you need a speed boost. Even if you’re considering a RAM upgrade, do the motherboard/CPU upgrade first because a new motherboard often uses a better, faster type of RAM than your current system does. Motherboard improvements roll down the pike every few months, and adding a new CPU to an old design isn’t going to net you much. Motherboards are pretty cheap—typically around $100–$150 even for a good one, such as an Intel, Supermicro, Abit, or ASUS (this price is sans CPU); figure anywhere from $75 to $200 bucks more for the CPU, depending upon how close to the 1.4GHz and above “bleeding edge” you want to go). Don’t get a motherboard from a company that doesn’t put its name on the board, doesn’t have a good Web site for technical support, or doesn’t have a phone number. It’s not worth saving a few bucks. Also, check the Microsoft HCL, of course, to see whether it’s been tested. Get a board with the latest system memory (as of

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this writing, the major choices were PC133 SDRAM or better yet, PC2100 DDR SDRAM), and a chipset that was designed to make it work optimally with the CPU you selected. (See the next section to learn about the importance of chipsets.) Ideally, you’ll want a modern motherboard with a fast CPU. So, get your hands on a motherboard that supports the ACPI power management scheme (not just APM) and a reasonably quick processor (in the 800 to 1GHz range), such as a Celeron, Pentium III, Pentium 4, AMD Athlon (with the Thunderbird core), Athlon 4, or AMD Duron. It should have a 100 or 133MHz or faster internal bus (called the “front-side bus” or FSB), support for ATA100 hard drives and AGP graphics, a flashable (upgradable) BIOS for later upgrading, and it should be designed around the processor you have in mind. Preferably, it should come with the CPU installed. Installing a CPU isn’t that difficult, but if you don’t do it right, the CPU can overheat and croak. Tip from

Some processors—such as the Intel Celeron, Pentium III, and AMD Athlon—are available in both slot-based and socket-based types. The slot-based processors are out-of-date for new motherboard/CPU purchases. Buy socketed processors and motherboards that match and your ability to move up the computer ladder to faster processors later is more likely than with the older slot-based processors.

&

Virtually all new motherboards are of the “ATX” format. These motherboards don’t fit in the older AT-style cases and don’t work with the AT power supplies either. ATX power supplies work hand-in-hand with the ACPI chipset and operating system, allowing the software to control the power states of the PC, including sleep, suspend, soft power down and up, and so on. There are some AT-style boards available still, but I suggest getting a new case and power supply and opting for the ATX version of whatever motherboard you’re considering. A new case and power supply shouldn’t cost you more than about $60. When you install Windows XP on an ACPI-based system, you might need to update the ACPI BIOS to get the full benefits of Plug and Play and power management. If you don’t do the update, you might have any of the following problems: ■

You can’t install Windows XP because of an ACPI BIOS error.

■

After you install Windows XP, power management or Plug and Play functionality is not present.

■

After you install Windows XP, power management or Plug and Play functionality is present but doesn’t work correctly.

To obtain an update that should prevent these problems, contact your computer’s manufacturer. Actually it’s a good idea to contact the manufacturer (or check their Web site) even before you install XP. If you can get the latest BIOS update, the XP installation will go more smoothly and the ACPI features such as power management are more likely to work properly once XP is installed. BIOS upgrades are available for many laptops as well as for desktop computers.

Preparing Your Hardware for Windows XP

Now listen up. This one is really important. Be aware that installing an incorrect BIOS update may cause serious damage to your computer system. It’s mandatory that you obtain the correct version of BIOS for your motherboard model from the manufacturer. Computer manufacturers may offer several different BIOS versions for different models. Do not download a version of BIOS that is not specified for your specific motherboard model. Installing an incorrect BIOS update may cause serious damage to your computer system. Contact your computer or motherboard manufacturer to ensure you have the most current BIOS version.

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Tip from

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Many motherboard manufacturers provide an easy way to download a BIOS upgrade and install it via their Web pages. Also, on some motherboards, you have to enable BIOS upgrading by changing a jumper setting. I suggest that you disable the jumper when you’re not upgrading to prevent viruses or some runaway program from messing with your BIOS settings.

Tip from

Check the Web site www.motherboards.org for in-depth information about the latest motherboards, chipsets, types of RAM, and much more. You can even find information on building your own computer. It’s a pretty amazing site.

&

If you really want to delve into the research, check the Usenet newsgroups. Point your newsreader to alt.comp.periphs.mainboard

You can find many other motherboard groups as well, addressing specific brands, but this is the place to start. You’ll have your reading cut out for you. If you prefer to use a Web browser to search newsgroups, send your browser to groups.google.com.

If you’re going to be running applications that can actually benefit from multiple processors (check with the software vendor because not all applications do), then you should consider going full bore with a dual-processor motherboard. Although Intel’s processors were the only players in this game until mid-2001, AMD’s Athlon MP now provides you with a costeffective choice.

Only XP Professional will run with dual CPUs, incidentally. XP Home will not. Check with the maker of a dual-CPU motherboard to ensure it will run with XP, if in doubt. Also, if you want to run with the new Intel Itanium processor, you need a special 64-bit Itanium version of XP Professional.

Suffice it to say that older systems based on 386, 486, and early Pentium processors are now out of the picture. If you want to keep these machines in service, put less-demanding versions of Windows on them, and network them as clients into your Windows XP or 2000 LAN.

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The Importance of the Chipset Keep in mind that the CPU is only a very small part of the overall design of a motherboard and computer. Many people ask me about upgrading their computers by simply dropping in a (relatively) expensive CPU chip or going through all kinds of machinations to speeddouble the chip, and so forth. Just like you don’t become Arnold Schwarzenegger or Rambo by getting a brain transplant, you can’t create a supercomputer just by upgrading the CPU. Efficiency of the CPU is interdependent with several variables, such as the support chipset and the internal system bus speed. In fact, contrary to popular belief, the efficiency of the computer is more affected by the chipset than by any other factor—not the CPU nor the video nor the hard disk. The CPU can be changed. The memory can be upgraded. The hard disk can be swapped. But the motherboard has been designed around the capabilities of the chipset, and until you change the motherboard, your PC will function largely the same. You cannot upgrade the chipset on a motherboard; you have to replace the board. Desirable chipsets support the following features: ■

Advanced memory types—SDRAM, DDR SDRAM, RDRAM.

■

Error-checking and correction—ECC memory uses parity-checked or special ECC modules, which are more expensive than ordinary memory; recommended for servers or mission-critical workstations.

■

Hardware monitoring and management—Support for S.M.A.R.T. hard disks (drives that can alert you to impending failure), compatibility with system management standards such as DMI (Desktop Management Interface) and SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol), and on-board monitoring of processor temperature and fan RPMs.

■

Fast (800MHz to 1GHz or above) processors—Intel Pentium III and Celeron, Intel Pentium 4, AMD Athlon and Duron.

■

Fast memory bus (FSB) speeds—PC133 (SDRAM), PC2100 (DDR SDRAM), Rambus 800MHz (RDRAM).

■

PCI bus sync—Synchronous or asynchronous to memory bus speed.

■

PCI bus type—32-bit or 64-bit (for servers and technical workstations).

■

SMP capability—Single, dual, trio, or quad CPU support.

■

AGP 4x or faster slot—For fastest video.

■

Four or more USB ports—Enables use of more USB devices and allows each device to run faster (due to less contention with other devices).

■

Support for built-in PCI EIDE controller running at ATA/100; RAID support enables faster or more reliable operation.

You can see that the chipset is at the very heart of much of what the computer does. Because it cannot be upgraded, though, there isn’t much talk about it, and people tend to forget about its centrality. Equally important to the overall design of the chipset is how well the

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CPU and chipset engineers communicated during the design of the chipset. Doing your homework on the latest chipsets and their compatibility/performance with specific CPUs will serve you well.

Slots When you’re scoping out a motherboard, think about how many slots you will need for plug-in boards (which can include cards for your sound, video, modem, and so on). More and more hardware is built onto the main boards now because very large-scale integration chips (VLSI) make it possible; therefore, you’ll tend to need fewer slots than in the past. Often network support, audio, and even AGP video are built into the motherboard. If you want to use your own sound card and special super-duper video adapter, you can save a few bucks by getting the “bare-bones” version of a motherboard that does not include sound or video on it. However, if you want to avoid the hassle and keep more slots available for your other boards, buy the motherboard with this stuff integrated on it (such as on-board audio, which provides lower-cost—and lower-performance—audio capability that should suit your needs, unless you need high-end workstation performance, performing video capture or editing sound files). For one thing, all the parts are guaranteed to work together. If you think you’ll want to add your own boards for the motherboard-included functions, make sure you can turn them off (usually with jumpers or software settings in the BIOS). As of this writing, most motherboards were strong in PCI slots and have phased out ISA slots. Few have even one ISA slot these days. And most motherboards now have an AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) slot for plugging in a fast video card. AGP is based on the PCI bus but fine-tuned for the needs of high-performance 3D graphics.

RAM Like other versions of Windows NT, Windows XP Pro uses the memory it finds in the system intelligently. And it loves memory! The cheapest and easiest upgrade you can make to your PC is to add RAM. If your computer seems to “hit the hard disk” (that is, you have a delay in activity and you hear some clickity-click sounds in the computer and see the disk access light on the front of your system flash annoyingly) every time you click something or move the mouse around, Windows is doing way too much disk swapping (accessing data from your hard drive rather than system memory). You should be able to quickly switch among 5 to 10 programs without a lot of wait or noise from your PC. Go get some new memory that matches the kind of board you have (read the motherboard or your PC’s manual), and carefully install the memory. Unplug the computer. Open the case, and find the RAM slots. Touch the metal case with your other hand before inserting the RAM. (RAM chips are very susceptible to damage by static electricity.) Get the fastest kind of memory that your motherboard can take advantage of. Modern motherboards automatically detect memory you install (no switch setting is necessary), and Windows XP reads this setting and uses it as necessary. In general, the more memory you have installed, the better. Microsoft suggests 128MB for decent system performance. If you’re running lots and lots of programs at once, I even suggest more on the

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order of 256MB to 512MB, but I’ve found 128MB adequate for even running 10 or more programs, while many folder windows were open, along with a couple of browser windows. I’m writing this chapter on a PII 300 with 128MB laptop, and it’s plenty zippy. I typically have more than 10 programs and/or windows open, playing MP3 files, checking e-mail in the background, and browsing the Web. Another machine of mine has only 64MB and does a fair bit more disk swapping. At this point, memory is so inexpensive that there is no reason not to upgrade if you need to. If you can’t seem to get your newly installed RAM to be detected, see “RAM Not Recognized” in the “Troubleshooting” section at the end of this chapter.

Hard Disk You need approximately 1.5GB of free hard disk space just to install Windows XP. This amount is just a little indication of Windows XP’s storage hunger. With bloatware on the rise (programmers figure why bother making programs fast and tight with storage being so cheap, I guess), it behooves you to have lots of storage space. Like upgrading RAM, upgrading the hard disk is easy these days—even on the pocket book. Get down to Costco, or check www.buycomp.com for the latest prices on hard disks. They are continuing to plummet. For less than a couple hundred dollars, you can get a hard disk up to 60GB or more in size. The 1.5GB you need for the installation will look like nothing. As with RAM, modern motherboards autodetect and configure hard disks when you insert them. Installing the current crop of EIDE (sometimes called ATA) drives has become very easy. The biggest nuisances with drive upgrades are figuring out whether to ditch the old one or keep it, deciding which drive will be the boot drive, and figuring out how to back up and restore. The EIDE spec allows for four drives, one of which is probably your CDROM. That typically leaves room for three, unless you have a CD-RW or another type of removable-media drive (such as a Zip or SuperDisk drive) in the box. There are too many options to cover here, but the easiest upgrade path is to make the new drive a “slave” on the primary IDE channel. Make sure to set jumpers on the drives’ circuit as necessary, and ensure that you have the necessary cables to hook up the drives. Jumper your boot drive as master and the secondary drive as slave.

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To learn more details about multibooting schemes, see Chapter 31, “Multibooting Windows XP with Other Operating Systems.”

Tip from

&

If you want to install another hard disk (instead of removing the one you already have) and both of your IDE cables already have two drives connected, you can add additional ATA/IDE ports with an Ultra ATA/100 adapter card from Maxtor (www.maxtor.com), SIIG (www.siig.com), or Promise Technologies (www.promise.com). All you need is an empty PCI slot to add support for up to four more IDE/ATA drives. If you have no more 3.5-inch drive bays for your hard disk, but you have an empty 5.25-inch drive bay (the drive bay size used by CD-ROM drives), use the adapter kit packaged with some retail-boxed drives, or purchase a separate kit from a computer store. The kit has spacers and screws to allow your small drive to fit into the larger bay.

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Unlike NT, Windows XP can be installed on large removable media. The Setup program doesn’t look to determine whether the target volume is removable. The %SystemRoot% (WINNT) folder is typically on a fixed hard disk, but it could be on a removable disk, such as a Jaz drive. One application would be to install, say, Linux on one removable drive, Windows NT 4 on another, Windows 98 on a third, and so on.

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To learn more details about multibooting schemes, see Chapter 31, “Multibooting Windows XP with Other Operating Systems.”

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Some computer jocks building high-performance systems such as big servers use SCSI drives. These require a special SCSI controller card. Note that even with Ultra2/Wide SCSI and a high-spindle-speed (10,000 RPM) drive, you’ll only get 80MB/sec transfer rates—slower than today’s fastest ATA drives. (The older Fast-Wide SCSI and Ultra-SCSI are only 20MB/sec.) So the advantages of SCSI over ATA are a thing of the past. If what you’re after is performance for, say, non-linear video editing workstations, or high-speed servers, I’d opt for multiple ATA/100 drives connected via a RAID 0 arrangement. Some motherboards, such as those from Abit, offer an on-board RAID controller that lets you gang up two ATA/100 drives to work in tandem, essentially doubling your hard drive data transfer rate. Promise (http://www.promise.com) makes a plug-in board called the FastTrak 100 that allows RAID arrangement using up to four additional drives to your computer.

Monitor/Video Card Support Because a doggy, older video card can bring even a snappy system to a crawl when you scroll the screen or move a window around, you’ll want to find yourself a fast AGP card if your motherboard has an AGP slot. Microsoft has made the move to support video as nicely in Windows XP Professional as it did in the 9x platform, even more so in some ways. You have the option of connecting up to ten monitors, for example, and using them together. You should check your video cards’ specs and the HCL to see whether they will work in multimonitor arrangements before purchasing, though. Virtually any Super VGA–compatible video card will work with Windows XP, but if you’re thinking about upgrading for more speed or features, get an AGP board that has the bells and whistles you want—TV out, video capture, a fast 3D chipset for games, whatever; any recent motherboard which doesn’t have on-board video will have an AGP slot. Decide the resolution you want to use, and make sure the card supports the number of colors you’ll need at that resolution; if you choose a video card with at least 16MB of RAM, you can handle resolutions up to 1,600×1,280 with 24-bit (16.8 million) color. If you have a 17-inch CRT or 15-inch LCD monitor, you’ll want to be running at 1024×768 resolution. Make sure the board can run at 72Hz refresh rate at the color depth and resolution you desire, too, so you won’t see flicker on your CRT screen (LCD monitors don’t require a high refresh rate). P.S. Your monitor needs to be able to do it, too. Check the monitor specs. Some older monitors can’t run at, say, 1024×768 while refreshing at 72Hz.

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If you’re looking for a new monitor for use with Windows XP, keep in mind that 15-inch LCD panels have about the same usable screen space as 17-inch conventional monitors. Tip from

Many users who are in the market for a new monitor are buying LCD panels instead of conventional glass-tube CRTs. If you’re shopping for a new monitor, keep these differences between LCD and CRT monitors in mind.

&

Laptop and other flat-panel screens look very good at only one resolution—the socalled “native resolution.” Other resolutions can be displayed, but they tend to look blocky. Some LCDs look better than others in nonnative resolutions due to built-in antialiasing firmware. If you plan to switch resolutions (as with DOS-based graphics software or for previewing Web pages you’re building), check the quality of the LCD panel at different resolutions. And, unlike standard CRT monitors, LCD monitors look best at low refresh rates. If you buy an LCD monitor, be sure to set the refresh rate to 60Hz. It will probably look clearer that way. You don’t have to worry about flicker on an LCD monitor; it’s not an issue, and any advertising about high refresh capabilities of an LCD monitor is bogus and misleading. The pixels are transistors and simply don’t flicker because they don’t have to be refreshed in order to stay on. You’ll still pay 2–3 times more for an LCD panel than for a CRT, but if you’re crowded for space on your desk, they’re great.

Windows XP comes with a large complement of 32-bit driver support for many devices, including a wide variety of video cards. It’s quite likely that your card is going to be recognized, but you should check with the HCL just to make sure.

Plug and Play Items Plug and Play (or PnP, as it is commonly abbreviated) has brought a new level of sophistication to the PC. Much of the headache of PC upgrades stemmed from internal conflicts between plug-in boards and peripheral devices that were not easily detected by the operating system and too difficult for users to configure. Installing even a simple modem was often an exercise in failure for many users as they struggled to determine and set the board’s jumpers, dip switches, or software settings to use an available IRQ (Interrupt Request). With PnP, you just plug in a board, screen, printer, scanner, or other peripheral, and reboot. PnP doesn’t always work as advertised, but most of the time it does, and it’s a big step in the right direction. NT-based platforms began supporting PnP with Windows 2000. Now with XP, PnP installations are easier than ever. If XP can’t find a driver when you install a device, the Windows Update site will be queried. There are currently more than 5,000 drivers on the Windows update site. Chances are good the system will automatically find a driver for you somewhere.

The pivotal question to ask when wondering whether your hardware is XP-compatible is whether the manufacturer or Microsoft supplies a Windows 2000 driver for it. Windows 2000 and XP rely on what is called the Windows Driver Model (WDM). (In addition to WDM, Windows 98 also supported older 16-bit drivers, but Windows 2000

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and Windows XP don’t.) The bottom line is that if there is a Windows 2000 driver for a piece of your hardware, it will probably work okay in XP. Microsoft has been very busy testing existing hardware with XP, and in cases where a driver won’t work with XP, rather than causing a system crash, XP utilizes a trick called “defective driver blocking.” DDB prevents problem drivers from ruining a user’s system. When an acceptable driver for a detected hardware device can’t be found, you’ll see a window that lets you offer feedback to Microsoft, such as “Hey, the driver for my _____ didn’t work.” If and when a driver for that device is developed, an AutoUpdate notification will pop up and offer it to you. If by fluke a bad driver is actually loaded, it shouldn’t cause your system not to boot. Instead, the system should boot into “Safe Mode,” where you can remove the driver so that the system will boot normally. For more information about Safe Mode, see Chapter 33, “Troubleshooting and Repairing Windows XP.” For more information about removing devices and drivers, see Chapter 30, “Installing and Replacing Hardware.”

Tip from

To be permitted to display the “Windows 2000-compatible,” “Windows Me compatible,” or “Windows XP compatible” logo, hardware and software must be PnP-capable. Look for this logo or the Plug and Play moniker when buying.

&

Preparing Your Software for Windows XP In preparation for upgrading to or installing Windows XP fresh, you need to consider software compatibility issues. Chapter 1, “Introducing Windows XP Professional,” described how Windows XP is largely backward-compatible with DOS, Windows 3.x, Windows 9x, and Windows 2000 applications. Windows 2000’s support for older programs, was, well, not so great. In fact, during the development of Windows 2000, application compatibility (especially for consumer end-users) was almost an afterthought. The focus for Windows 2000 was the corporate user. As a result, numerous consumer-oriented applications, such as games, failed to run on Windows 2000, leaving many power users and home consumers in the lurch. Windows XP Professional is designed to work with both corporate users and home users’ applications. To ensure expanded software compatibility, Microsoft set up an Application Compatibility Experience group shortly after the XP project began in December 1999. This group consisted of more than 200 testers, developers, and program managers who tested applications in a variety of scenarios (clean installs, migrations, upgrades) using various hardware configurations. The result is that your existing software, whether Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000, or even DOS and Windows 3.x, will likely run under XP. Even older games should run. As an example, SoundBlaster-compatible sound works in DOS boxes under Windows

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XP. This means you can spend your lunch hour playing games like DOOM and Castle Wolfenstein in Windows XP—in a window or in full screen mode. As with the hardware compatibility notifications previously described, for programs that don’t run, application fixes can be shipped dynamically to customers automatically, via AutoUpdate and Windows Update, after XP is installed. Tip from

&

Although discussed more in Chapter 3, it is worth mentioning that XP Home Edition will support upgrades from Windows 98, 98 SE, and Millennium Edition (Me), but not from Windows 95, NT 4.0 Workstation, or Windows 2000 Professional. Users of Windows XP Professional can also upgrade from Windows 95, NT 4.0 Workstation, and Windows 2000 Professional. The moral is that if you want to upgrade rather than to dual-boot, and you’re running Windows 95, NT 4.0 Workstation, or Windows 2000 Professional, you’ll need to purchase Windows XP Professional.

The good news is that Windows XP (both Home and Professional) will be highly compatible with many DOS and Windows 3.x applications, and with virtually all 32-bit programs that were designed for Windows 9x, Me, NT, and 2000. In addition, all your software (especially 3.x software) will benefit from having a face-lift—nicer borders, more options in the dialog boxes, smoother functioning, an increased capability to work with larger files, and so forth. For programs that are quirky, you may have to resort to the new Windows XP compatibility modes. Windows XP’s programmers have supposedly pinpointed more than 150 areas where apps from earlier versions of Windows might fail. They’ve created fixes for these problems and supplied XP with “compatibility modes” that let you fake out the offending application, running it in such a way that it believes it’s running under Windows 95, or Windows 98, Me, NT 4, or 2000. The fixes can be applied to an application shortcut so that it always works properly when executed. This was mentioned in Chapter 1. For some apps, you may be alerted that there’s a downloadable patch for the application (this may happen also when installing Windows XP, as described in Chapter 3). While Windows XP is designed to run most older applications and games, this backward compatibility doesn’t apply to utility programs which must work at a very deep level with the operating system and hardware. Programs such as older versions of disk-repair utilities such as Norton Utilities; anti-virus programs such as Norton Antivirus and McAfee Virus Scan; and system-management utilities such as Norton System Works, Ontrack System Suite, and others might not be compatible with Windows XP, because of differences in how Windows XP handles internal programs, memory, and drives compared to earlier Windows versions. If you’re wondering if a particular disk, anti-virus, or system utility works with Windows XP, contact the vendor before you run the program. To avoid problems that can be caused by running programs that are not designed with Windows XP in mind (and can’t be tamed by the compatibility options built in to Windows XP), Windows XP will block programs from running if they won’t work. Windows XP also features a new technology called AppsHelp which is triggered when

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problematic programs try to run. Thus, Windows XP is designed to achieve the twin goals of making your older software work while protecting your system from any problems that some older programs can cause. In general, if you have your arsenal of programs chugging away under Windows 9x, Me, NT, or 2000 successfully, your applications will upgrade to Windows XP with only minor incident. Setup’s compatibility testing program will alert you about any needs or incompatibilities. If you want to better understand the vagaries and nuances of Windows XP’s application restrictions, read on.

Classes of Programs You are probably aware of a distinction to be made between types of programs. Most programs folks use on a daily basis are called productivity applications or simply applications. They include programs such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Access, Adobe Photoshop, DreamWeaver and other Web page editors, CAD-CAM programs, video and sound editing programs—just to name a few of the thousands that are available. Typically, such programs help you produce documents in a certain line of work. These applications run at the highest level of the computer system, well on top of the operating system, and don’t get down into the nitty-gritty of it. By contrast, utilities are programs that try to get down deeper into the operating system and are used to manage the computer. Programs such as virus eradicators, hard disk partitioning and image backup tools, hard disk organizers, user interface tweakers, and power management tools fall into this class of programs. Norton System Works, Ontrack Partition Magic, and McAfee Anti-virus are examples. Even though most people don’t typically distinguish between utilities and applications and simply use the word application (or just program) to refer to any program, technically, they are different. As you’ll see, it’s very likely that your existing applications are going to work under Windows XP Professional. However, it’s far less likely that the system or disk utilities you want to bring over from less-empowered iterations of Windows will work without being updated. Tip from

If you have a program that uses 16-bit drivers, you need to get 32-bit drivers from the software vendor to ensure that the program functions properly after the upgrade to Windows XP.

&

Legit APIs Versus Hardware Twiddling As you might recall from Chapter 1’s brief discussion of the XP architecture, when applications need help from the operating system to, say, print or write a file to disk or accept keyboard input, the environment subsystem passes the request to the Executive. The NT Executive runs in protected mode so that applications (or utilities) can’t threaten the stability of the system. The requests that applications make are known as API calls. (API stands for application programming interface.) APIs are built into each environment subsystem and make up a set of tricks or canned functions the programmer can call upon.

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The NT Executive, kernel, and hardware abstraction layer (HAL) take care of the rest of the work after the request is made. Recall also that the non-Win32 environment subsystems turn their calls over to the Win32 subsystem, which then routes them to the Executive. Thus, the environment subsystems have to translate native Windows 3.x, OS/2, and DOS calls into Win32 calls, which are then passed to the Executive using API calls the Executive understands. A lot of interpreting goes on, and lots of middle management. For general applications, all this is just peachy because most applications just want traditional access to hardware: keyboard input, screen output, printing, and reading and writing data files on disk. APIs are a great help here, as is the Executive, because applications programmers don’t have to handle the drudgery of system housekeeping on their own. The existence of an API makes writing Windows programs much easier. As you might have suspected, any program or utility that wants to work directly with hardware, or makes calls that would otherwise be trapped because they don’t exist in the Windows XP environment subsystems, will fail or will likely be crippled in some way. Typically, Windows XP shuts them down after generating an error message of some sort, possibly asking if you want to try a solution on the Windows Update Web site. Exceptions are legitimate calls to COM and LPT (serial and parallel) ports made by DOS programs in the course of traditional procedures such as dialing a modem or printing a document. Many DOS communications programs expect to access the serial port UART (the chip that runs the serial port) directly, for example. NT “virtualizes” the PC serial and parallel ports in the 16-bit subsystem, intercepting the request and sending it through the Executive as legitimate. The port is emulated in software, basically, and the DOS program is none the wiser. DOS programs that try anything more sophisticated, such as writing to the hard disk tracks or doing fancy stuff with the ports, screen, or keyboard, will be trapped. In Windows 3.x, API end runs often were neither perceived nor prevented, resulting in system breaches and crashes. This was particularly a problem with DOS programs because they assumed they had control of the entire computer (DOS isn’t a multitasking operating system). Windows 3.x allowed this use, so games and utilities programmers took advantage of this “feature” to write some pretty audacious programs. DOS-based viruses are a good case in point. Viruses make a hobby of fiddling with the innards of your operating system (typically by altering data on the hard disk), with insidious effects. Windows 3.x couldn’t prevent such security breaches because it had no way of knowing they were occurring. Windows XP (and 2000) are much better at preventing them. The BIOSs of modern PCs can also detect attempts to futz with the boot tracks of the hard disk, too, though the feature can be defeated through disabling the antivirus or write-protect boot sector setting in the BIOS Setup utility. Windows 9x and Windows Me were somewhat better at protection than 3.x, though not by a great margin. Portions of the kernel were protected, and if a program acted improperly, you stood a better chance of being able to kill it without bringing down the whole operating system. The designers of Windows 9x and Me achieved a higher degree of hardware isolation by virtualizing all the hardware, the same approach used in NT, 2000, and XP. Every physical piece of hardware in the computer is accessed only by virtual device drivers (called VxDs in Windows lingo). When an application wants to use device, it asks the operating

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system for it via the API call. Then the operating system validates the request and passes it along to the device driver, which in turn handles the actual communication with the device. As with previous Windows versions, Windows XP allows the user to define certain characteristics for running DOS programs, through PIFs (Program Information Files). PIFs allow you to set default properties for MS-DOS programs, such as font size, screen colors, and memory allocation.

Hardware-Based Device-Protection Capabilities Intel and compatible CPUs have capabilities that come to the rescue, to some degree, in helping prevent hardware access breaches, yet still handle the request. The CPU works in concert with the operating system to achieve the desired result. When a DOS program running in Windows tries to access hardware, Windows maps the DOS API call to the Win32 API. This procedure is fine until a direct call to hardware is attempted. An intelligent feature built in to Intel 386 and subsequent chips (up to and including the Pentium 4 as well as compatible processors such as the AMD K6 family, Athlon and Duron), called the I/O permission bitmap, comes to the rescue by noticing this request and putting up a red flag. When an application is run, Windows XP detects what type of program it is—whether DOS, Windows 3.x, 32-bit Windows, or OS/2. When the VDM (virtual DOS machine) for a DOS program is set up, it provides all the basic services of a PC, and it also creates an I/O permission bitmap for the application. The bitmap is essentially a table with entries for each of the computer’s internal ports (there are many, used for different things, such as the system clock, network boards, and so on), and it shows which, if any, of the ports allow direct access. If the DOS program tries to access hardware outside this accepted list of virtualized hardware, the red flag goes up, Windows XP notices it, and the program is terminated, typically accompanied by an entry in the system error logs.

Why Should You Care? Enough theory. What does this mean to you and to your application choices? Most of your older software will probably run fine after the upgrade. But if you’re upgrading from Windows 3.x or 9x and you’ve been running older 16-bit programs, especially hard disk utilities, you might have some trouble.

Even though you might be able to run some of your older programs such as disk utilities that interact directly with your computer’s hard disk by forcing the issue with the XP compatibility modes, it doesn’t mean that it’s advisable. Windows 3.x programs, for example, don’t know about long filenames and can truncate long filenames or at least not display them or accept them in dialog boxes, which can be annoying. Running such programs is not recommended, and I suggest you put them in cryogenic suspension. With XP, the upgrade might be significantly easier than Windows 2000 was (or might have been), but that doesn’t mean you should necessarily be cheap and not upgrade to the XP versions of your favorite apps when you get the chance.

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As mentioned, Setup examines the applications you have installed and attempts to warn you of incompatibilities. In some cases, you’ll just be told to bag the program. In other cases, you’ll be prompted to contact the maker for updates, called upgrade packs, or to insert the disks with upgrade packs on them at the appropriate time.

Windows XP-Approved Applications So, which programs are really ready for Windows XP? The logo requirements for “Windows XP-Ready Software” are similar to those discussed previously for hardware. Just check the product’s packaging or the Web page description of the product you’re thinking of purchasing. If it’s Windows 2000-compatible, chances are good that it will run under Windows XP, but that’s not guaranteed. I suggest you contact the maker or check a few sites on the Web first.

Troubleshooting RAM Not Recognized I’ve added RAM to my computer, and it doesn’t seem to show up. You must check several things when adding RAM to ensure that it shows up correctly in Windows. If the BIOS detects the RAM, you can be assured that it will be detected in Windows, so don’t worry about any settings within Windows per se. Just do what is necessary for the computer to report the correct amount of total RAM when it is booting within the BIOS. Older machines used to require switch settings or BIOS setting adjustments when you added RAM, but virtually all new computers do not. Of course, you can and should always consult the manual supplied with your computer when performing a RAM upgrade. Follow this checklist: ■

Be sure you purchased the correct type, form factors, and capacity of RAM.

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Be sure the RAM is the correct speed for the computer.

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Double-check that the RAM is inserted correctly and firmly seated in the computer. With the power off, try removing and reinserting it.

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Be sure you inserted the RAM in the correct slot. Most computers have a few slots for RAM. Many motherboards require that RAM slots be filled in a specific order, or autodetection of RAM will not work.

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If it’s still a no-go, remove the RAM (turn off the power first, of course), carefully package the RAM in an antistatic bag, and return it to the dealer to be tested.

Compatibility and Upgrade Help Where can I learn more about compatibility and upgrade options for my Windows XP computer? Microsoft maintains several resources for Windows XP. You can check the following: ■

The Microsoft Deployment Resources Web site includes operating system migration guides, pointers to training resources, and a strategic upgrade white paper. You can find this information at the following address: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/techinfo/deployment/default.asp

Tips from the Windows Pros: Shopping for the Right Hardware and Software

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The Hardware Compatibility List provides quick access to compatibility information for a variety of equipment vendors, computer systems, and specific peripherals by name and type. It’s located at this address: http://www.microsoft.com/hcl

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Microsoft’s Windows XP Expert Zone features columns, tips, and XP newsgroups. It’s located at this address: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/default.asp

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The Windows XP Professional site is located at this address: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/default.asp

■

Microsoft’s “Windows XP Ready” program can help you find workstations and servers that are 100 percent Windows XP-compatible. Check with your PC vendor to see whether existing products can be retrofitted to comply with Microsoft’s specifications. Go to the following address: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/ready

Tips from the Windows Pros: Shopping for the Right Hardware and Software Many people ask how I decide what hardware and software to purchase or discard when preparing for an operating system upgrade such as Windows XP. Here are some personal notes. When I want to use one of my old utilities or applications for my Windows XP machine, I first check to see whether what I want to do is already covered by some other program. A better mousetrap is always around. Consider zip utilities, for example. I used to use DOSbased zip programs; then I moved on to WinZip. Under Windows 98, I used Windows 98 Plus!, which includes native support for zip in the GUI, so I could zip and unzip right in the Explorer interface. When I upgraded to Windows 2000 Professional and I was wondering what to use, I popped onto the Web and did a search or two and came across Turbo Zip. I think the link said something about working with NT, so I gave it a shot. Now I’m using Turbo Zip. It works fine under NT and Windows 2000 Professional. Although Windows XP has native compression included, like Windows 98 Plus! and Windows Me, you might want to use WinZip or Turbo Zip if you are familiar with them and like them. As for productivity applications, I’m game to try anything I was using under Windows 98 and Me: Photoshop, Adaptec Easy CD Creator, CoolEdit 96, Excel 97, Word 97, Ulead Media Studio Pro, RealJukebox MP3 player, FrontPage Express, CuteFTP, ThumbsPlus, even some 3.x applications such as Collage Image Capture (for capturing screen shots for this book). I trust that Windows XP will alert me if the application isn’t safe to use. If I hear that a 32-bit version of a previously 16-bit application is available and will run faster (I usually assume it will at least have some nifty new features, such as better Save As and Open dialog boxes, support for more file formats, or something) then I’ll spring for it if the price isn’t too outrageous or if an upgrade option is available.

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I used to hang with Netscape Navigator, but frankly I like Internet Explorer better mostly because I love the F11 feature that increases the browser size to the full screen so that I can see the maximum amount of text at one time. Also, because I use Outlook Express for my mail, and they are integrated pretty nicely, I go for the package. (Microsoft got me on this one, sorry to say.) A few years ago, after first starting to use Windows 95, it took me several months to get used to using the desktop and the taskbar. But soon I was converted. Anyone upgrading from Windows 3.x will probably go through the same confusion at first. Whereas my home base had been the 3.x Program Manager and File Manager, I quickly became addicted to dropping folders and documents right on the desktop, dragging files to a floppy drive on the desktop, and so forth. The Windows XP interface is better-looking and has more features than the Windows 9x interface also familiar to Windows Me, NT, and 2000 users, and offers even more file-management features. It’s getting easier and easier to copy files around, drop them in e-mail, or view a slide show of images from my digital camera using thumbnails in an Explorer window. The need for many of the shell add-ons that I once used in earlier Windows has vaporized. When it comes to hardware, although I’m an experimenter and always want to try out the latest gizmos, I’m hard-core practical. Got that from my parents, I guess. Trying out new hardware and returning it aren’t nearly as easy as deciding not to purchase software after trying the demo for free. As the saying goes, “Learn from other people’s mistakes because you won’t live long enough to make them all yourself.” Too bad you can’t try hardware for free; shipping charges, restocking fees, and hassles with sales people are too much for me to worry about. I don’t buy new hardware unless it’s on the Microsoft HCL for the operating system that I’ll be using with the system. It’s that easy. I have too much weird off-brand hardware sitting in closets around my office or that I’ve donated to local community groups just because it didn’t work with my operating system. Before I purchase, I also look around to see what the most popular item in a niche is. I bought a PalmPilot even though the CE devices have broader functionality, for example. Buying mainstream means I’ll have more add-on products, supplies, cables, media, drivers, and online support from users. That support is worth the extra few dollars or loss of bleeding-edge features any day. And finally, I usually go for version 2.0. If a product catches on and has industrywide support, I’ll go for it, but not until then. I never bought a Sony Beta VCR, a nine-track tape player, or an Atari or Timex-Sinclair computer. My newest computers are a Socket A-based 1GHz AMD Athlon uniprocessor on an ASUS motherboard, and an HP 1GHz Pentium III laptop. I checked the newsgroups and various Web sites before shelling out for the Athlon and didn’t push it to beyond 1GHz, even though I could have overclocked the CPU to squeeze out a tad more performance. I didn’t go with multiprocessors or UltraWide SCSI. Internal timing in CPUs and computers that are pushing the outside of the envelope can be problematic, so why push it?

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Choosing a File System: FAT, FAT32, or NTFS? Getting Your Network Information Together It’s Backup Time!

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Choosing an Upgrade Path This chapter describes the variety of installation options available for Windows XP Professional. Even if your system is already installed, you might be interested in reading through this chapter for some helpful information about dual-booting various operating systems and working with multiple formats of disk partitions (FAT, FAT32, and NTFS). For information on partitions, see the “Disk Partitioning Tips” later this chapter. Due to improvements and standardization in user interfaces and to Microsoft-imposed installation procedures for Windows programs, setup of application programs nowadays is typically a piece of cake and self-explanatory. Likewise, installation of all newer Windows versions has grown increasingly automated. Installing Windows XP is usually a fairly simple process, but it will take an hour or more to complete. This chapter covers the installation issues you will need to ponder under different scenarios. I’ll walk you through a typical installation, but if you’ve installed any Windows product since Windows 98 you shouldn’t be surprised by anything. I’ll also describe the basic decision tree you’ll have to mull over before committing to Windows XP and the path you’ll follow to get it up and running. Along the way, I’ll discuss why you might make one choice over another and what to do when the process goes awry. There are two primary installation scenarios: clean installation or upgrade installation. A clean installation is performed onto a new/formatted empty hard drive or to overwrite an existing OS. An upgrade installation retains existing settings and applications. In addition to the type of installation to perform, you must also address the issues of multi-booting and selecting a file system. I’ll tell you what to expect when upgrading. Look for the section that applies to you. Also, check the general discussions about dual-booting and upgrading your file system because they apply in all cases. You’ll find a more in-depth discussion of multi-booting in Chapter 31, “Multibooting Windows XP with Other Operating Systems.”

In addition to this chapter, you should also read two informative text files found on the Windows XP CD. The first is the file Read1st.txt, which you’ll find on the root directory of the CD. This file contains last-minute installation information Microsoft didn’t publish until it released the final version of Windows XP. The second is the file PRO1.txt, which is found in the SETUPTXT folder of the CD. This file contains detailed release notes covering topics such as installation, customization, and startup.

As mentioned in Chapter 1, “Introducing Windows XP Professional,” Windows XP also supports installation capabilities attractive to the IS professional, such as push installations and automated installations that require no user intervention. For more information about these kinds of sophisticated deployment processes and automated installation tools, you

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should seek the aid of Microsoft’s Windows XP Resource Kit. There, you’ll find instructions for creating automated installation scripts. I’ve provided a short overview of automated installations at the end of this chapter.

Clean Installation Versus Upgrade Let’s talk about installing Windows XP. The next major question you must ask is whether to upgrade from an existing operating system or install fresh. Windows XP Professional supports upgrading from the following operating systems: ■

Windows 98, OSR2, Second Edition (SE), Millennium Edition (Me)

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Windows NT 4.0 Workstation (with Service Packs)

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Windows 2000 Professional (with Service Packs) Part

Windows XP Home edition can be upgraded to Windows XP Professional edition.

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If your system is running any other OS not included in this list (such as Windows 95, Windows NT Server, Windows 2000 Server, or even Windows 3.x), you must perform a clean install. Clean installs do not retain any settings or applications. All settings must be re-configured and all applications must be re-installed after the clean installation of Windows XP is complete. Most Windows veterans know by now that doing a fresh installation is usually the most beneficial approach in the long run, even though it means more work up front installing applications and reentering personal settings, remote access and networking details, and so forth. You probably have some seat-of-the-pants experiences with Windows operating systems becoming polluted over time by wacko applications that mysteriously trash the Registry or erase or overwrite important files, like .DLL files, that Windows needs to operate properly. With a clean installation, such worries are forgotten. It’s like selling off that lemon of a car you’ve been wrestling with for the last five years. And yes, you’ll lose lots of settings that are annoying to input again, such as Internet dial-up and TCP/IP settings, e-mail accounts, address books, and so forth. You should attempt to back up as much important data as you can, such as your address books, e-mail, personal documents, and so on, before performing a clean installation over an existing OS. Windows XP is somewhat self-healing. Because system files and DLLs are protected against trampling, you’re going to have a more sturdy system in the long run anyway. If your system is acting a little wonky already anyway (unexpected crashes, for example), it’s better to do a clean installation. A clean installation will reformat your boot partition (that’s the one where Windows lives) and will just edit your system partition (that’s the one that boots the system and displays the boot menu). In those cases where the boot and system partitions are the same, the partition will be reformatted.

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When you choose to upgrade over an existing operating system, you also run the possibility that some applications won’t work properly afterward because they aren’t fully compatible with Windows XP. Fortunately, Windows XP is even more backward-compatible than Windows 2000, especially with its Windows Compatibility Mode.

Windows Compatibility Mode is a nifty new feature that enables Windows XP to support a wider range of software products than Windows 95 and Windows NT combined. A compatibility mode is simply a designation for a software platform emulation environment. In other words, when an application is launched with compatibility mode enabled, a virtual machine representing that application’s native environment (Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, or Windows 2000) is created in such a way that the application is fooled into thinking that it is the only application present on the computer system running its preferred OS. More details on working with applications is discussed in Chapter 23, “Tweaking the GUI.” By the way, for DOS executables the Properties dialog box is much different than for those of Windows executables. To learn more about tweaking the DOS environment, see “Configuring the DOS Environment” in Chapter 25.

Table 3.1 compares performing a clean installation versus upgrading your existing Windows installation.

Table 3.1

Clean Installation Versus Upgrading

Perform a New Installation When You Can Answer “Yes” to Any of the Following:

Consider Upgrading When You Can Answer “Yes” to All the Following:

You’ve just purchased a new hard disk or reformatted it.

Your current operating system supports upgrading.

The operating system you have on your computer isn’t among those on the upgrade list.

You want to fully replace your previous Windows operating system with Windows XP.

Your computer has an operating system already, but you’re ready to kill it and start fresh with Windows XP.

You want to keep your existing files and preferences.

You want to create a dual-boot configuration with Windows XP and your current system. (Note that Microsoft recommends using two partitions to do so.)

You’re ready to chance that in some rare cases, applications or hardware won’t immediately work as they did under the old operating system.

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In any case, installing a “new” or “clean” version of Windows XP does not mean that the drive on which you are installing XP will be reformatted. The XP installer won’t format the drive unless you direct it to do so. You can place a new or clean Windows XP installation on a drive (in this case, we’ll assume it’s the C: drive) even if the C: drive already has Windows 98 installed on it. To do this, install XP in a different directory. When the XP installation is complete, delete Windows 98, because running two operating systems in the same partition is not recommended. Ideally, however, if you plan to keep your original operating system intact, you’ll want to install XP into another partition.

Dual-Booting Versus Single Booting In addition to the upgrade/fresh installation issue, you also must consider the dual or multiboot issue. Dual-booting is a scheme that lets you keep your old operating system and install Windows XP as a clean installation. Windows XP can be installed onto any hard disk volume or partition within a computer; it is not limited or restricted to drive C as is Windows 9x. Thus, by adding a new hard drive and installing Windows XP onto it, you’ll retain your original, pre-existing OS. When you boot up, you are given a choice of operating system to start.

Notice in this book that we use the term “dual-booting” often. This usually refers to having only two OSes on the same system. We use this term since most multiple OS scenarios employ only two OSes. But we could have just as easily substituted the term “multi-booting” to include those systems with two or more OSes. So, when you see “dual-booting” don’t limit your thinking to only two OSes.

Windows XP officially supports dual-booting with any Microsoft Windows operating systems as well as MS-DOS and OS/2. You can multi-boot almost any OS that uses FAT or NTFS file systems on the boot drive. That includes Linux (notice that Microsoft doesn’t tout that feature loudly?). With the aid of third-party partition managers, you are able to multi-boot Windows XP with any OS in existence.

Third-party partition or multi-boot managers include PartitionMagic from Power Quest (www.powerquest.com) and System Commander from V Communications (www.v-com.com).

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Pros of Dual-Booting There are lots of reasons for setting up a dual- or multi-booting computer, especially if you are in the business of testing computers or you run a wide variety of software and hardware on your computers. Personally, of the five computers in my office, four of them are dualbooting. The following are a few thoughts about dual-booting that you might want to consider before making the decision: ■

I multi-boot on a couple of my machines because I run lots of Windows tools, hardware-specific programs like video editing programs, CD-writers or rewriters, and so on. Also, I’m always testing new programs. No matter how much I would prefer to run just a single operating system, sometimes I need to run other versions of Windows to get a driver or some application to work. So, it makes sense for me to multi-boot.

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If you’re a gamer, chances are you need MS-DOS, Windows 9x, or Windows 2000 just to get certain games to run or even some joysticks or control devices. Most games will function under Windows XP, but you may discover a few cases where things are not exactly as you’d expect. If you can’t live without a game, then create a multi-boot system including the alternate OS needed for your game-du-jour. For the full scoop on compatibility with your favorite games, check with some gaming magazines or the makers of the games in question. Configuring game controllers is covered in Chapter 24, “Configuration via Control Panel Applets.”

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If you’re regularly testing or running lots of different kinds of software and own an abundance of hardware, or you’re a new hardware junkie like me, being stuck with just a single operating system is like being in jail. Choose to multi-boot, even though this choice can cause some headaches, as described in the following section.

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If you have doubts about compatibility with your hardware or software and don’t want to jeopardize your existing operating system, use a dual-boot arrangement for a while and see what you think. If you become confident that XP is going to work for you, you can either perform an upgrade installation over your existing operating system or move over into using XP only. (That is, you can migrate your data and applications into your XP setup.) If you decide to upgrade over your old OS rather than migrate into the clean XP, you can then remove the clean XP test system to free up disk space. If you decide XP doesn’t cut the mustard, you can remove it. Regardless of how you do the eventual upgrade, this kind of approach gives you the time to test things out. You’ll eventually end up with a single OS in the long run, one you’re happy with.

Tip from

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There is an alternative to dual- or multi-booting that makes installing multiple OSes on your computer easier, although not quite as quick or responsive. A program called Virtual PC lets you install and run multiple operating systems at the same time. One host operating system runs the secondary operating systems within it. For example, you could have Windows Me be the host to run Windows XP. You boot up Windows Me, run the Virtual PC program, and then tell Virtual PC to boot up Windows XP. You end up having Windows Me and Windows XP running at the same time. It’s pretty impressive. Use of virtual computers is covered in Chapter 31.

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Cons of Dual-Booting Dual or multi-booting isn’t always as simple or attractive as it might seem at first. You must understand the limitations and requirements of making your computer a home for more than one operating system. Operating systems are, for the most part, egotistical and stingy. They don’t always coexist on the same computer peaceably. Therefore, you should be aware of a few points before deciding to dual-boot your machine: ■

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You must reinstall many applications, particularly ones that make Registry entries, such as Office, or ones that put portions of themselves (for example, DLL files) in the operating system directory. You must run the Setup routines for each such program once for each operating system. Your applications should still work in both environments, and contrary to what you might think, you don’t have to duplicate all the files on disk if you install them into the same directories under each operating system. Still, you must go through the process of installation again. Some applications that run in both environments just don’t behave properly or cooperate as you would hope. This is especially true of ones that share the same data files or futz with the Registry. If a program itself tweaks the Registry or alerts your data files to what operating system has been working with it, and then you reboot in the other operating system (each operating system has its own Registry files, remember), unexpected incompatibilities can crop up.

Some programs are, obviously, less picky because they are not as integrated into the operating system. Netscape seems to live quite peaceably in a multi-boot arrangement, mail and all.

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Any application that relies on the operating systems’ rights settings, user identities, or multiple profiles will likely not interrelate properly between the operating systems. As you probably know, Windows XP, Windows 98/SE/Me, Windows NT, and Windows 2000 can be set up with multiple-user settings stored on the same machine. Applications that take advantage of these settings often store individual settings in the Registry and in folders such as Windows\profiles or C:\windows\application data or, in the case of Windows 2000 and Windows XP, C:\documents and settings. In any case, because applications sometimes look to the operating system for information about a user’s individual settings, whether it’s gleaned from the Registry or user-specific folders such as the Desktop folder, things can go mighty awry if you’re hoping to run certain applications under either operating system, and you’re not a bit crafty. One way to live with this situation is to focus on using one operating system and use the other only when some application or hardware refuses to run in your primary OS.

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Upgrading to Windows XP pulls in all (or as much as possible) of the preexisting settings, such as e-mail accounts, LAN settings and dial-up connections, machine user accounts, and so on. If you dual-boot, you have to create them from scratch for the new operating system.

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Security is a biggie. Is security an issue for you? Do you need to keep prying eyes at bay? Unless you’re going to set up a separate partition or drive with NTFS and encryption on it, you’re increasing the chances of security breaches by dual-booting. Drive, volume, partition, and file security are minimal under any OS using FAT16 or FAT32 partitions (including Windows 9x/Me), since these can be altered by anyone who can boot the system in DOS or a DOS-based operating system. If you want to dual-boot and still have some decent security, then you should install Windows XP on a second drive, formatted in NTFS; alternatively, you can create an NTFS partition on your main drive and install into it. Use the NTFS partition for your Windows XP files and encrypt sensitive data files. When installing, you are given the option of converting to NTFS. (Encryption can be performed after Windows XP is installed.)

To learn more details about file and folder encryption, see “Encryption," p. 1007. ■

The only Microsoft operating systems that read NTFS partitions are Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP. If you want to multi-boot and gain the advantages of NTFS, remember that you can’t access any data files on the NTFS partitions when you’re running DOS, Windows 3.x, or Windows 9x/SE/Me. (Linux, however, can read and write to NTFS partitions.)

Precautions When Dual-Booting If, after reading the pros and cons, you think you want to set up a dual-boot system, consider the following precautions in addition to those listed previously. This part is going to take a little studying, so put on your thinking cap. ■

Although it’s possible to install multiple OSes into the same partition on your hard drive, don’t do it. However, many of the Windows operating systems, specifically Windows 95 and 98/SE/Me as well as Windows 2000 and Windows XP share similar common directory names (such as \Windows, \Program Files, and \Documents and Settings). Installing a new OS into the same partition as an existing OS runs the risk of overwriting important files. This is true, even if you select to use a different primary folder name. I highly recommend installing each OS into its own partition (with the possible exception of DOS). You make this choice when installing Windows XP through the “advanced” options during the initial phase of setup. Most other OSes (especially Windows NT and Windows 2000) offer similar options.

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Microsoft doesn’t suggest mixing file systems in dual-boot arrangements because it complicates matters. To quote the documentation, “. . . such a configuration introduces additional complexity into the choice of file systems.” Microsoft’s warning is probably just an admonition against burdening the operating system and your applications with multiple file systems and multiple operating systems on the same machine.

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Admittedly, mixing them does complicate things. If you want to play it safe, go with the lowest common denominator of file systems for the operating systems you’re installing. Typically, it is FAT or FAT32. (See the “Choosing a File System: FAT, FAT32, or NTFS?” section later in this chapter.) ■

Installation order is important in some cases. To set up a dual-boot configuration between MS-DOS/Windows 3.x or Windows 95 with Windows XP, you should install Windows XP last. Otherwise, important files needed to start Windows XP could be overwritten by the other operating systems. For dual-booting between Windows 98/SE/Me, Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP, installation order is irrelevant.

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To set up a dual-boot configuration between MS-DOS/Windows 3.x or Windows 95 with Windows XP, the primary partition (that is, the one you boot from) must be formatted as FAT. If you’re dual-booting Windows 95 OSR2, Windows 98, Windows NT, or Windows 2000 with Windows XP, the primary partition must be FAT or FAT32, not NTFS. These two rules make sense because, without third-party drivers, Windows 9x/SE/Me can’t read or exist with NTFS, and Windows 95 can’t read either NTFS or FAT32.

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There is more than one version of NTFS. Windows XP and Windows 2000 both use NTFS v5. Windows NT 4.0 right out of the box uses NTFS v4. But Windows NT 4.0 can be upgraded to use NTFS v5 by installing Service Pack 4. This becomes important when you attempt to dual-boot with Windows NT 4.0 (without Service Pack 4) and Window XP. The NT OS will be unable to access files on the Windows XP NTFS formatted partitions. Your only options are to apply SP4 to NT or use FAT.

To learn more details about the complications involved with dual-booting NT and Windows XP, see the next section, “Precautions When Dual-Booting Windows NT and Windows XP.” ■

You can install Windows XP on a compressed drive if that drive was compressed using the NTFS disk compression utility, but not if made with DoubleSpace or DriveSpace or some other disk compressor such as Stacker. If you’re going to dual-boot with Windows 9x, remember that Windows XP Professional won’t see the compressed DoubleSpace and DriveSpace partitions, and any NTFS partitions, compressed or not, will be invisible to Windows 9x without third-party drivers.

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Sometimes an operating system reconfigures your hardware through software settings. Suppose you install some new hardware and run Windows 98. That operating system will detect it and might do some software setting on the hardware that works with Windows 98 but which conflicts with Windows XP. This problem should be rare because most hardware these days is Plug and Play-compatible and should be configurable on-the-fly as the operating system boots up. But be aware of the possibility. A good example is that two operating systems might have different video display drivers for the same video adapter, causing you to have to manually adjust the screen size and orientation when you switch between them.

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Precautions When Dual-Booting Windows NT and Windows XP You must follow some weird rules when dual-booting Windows NT (3 or 4) and Windows XP. Mostly, they have bearing on which file systems you can use. For folks testing Windows XP while keeping the tried and true Windows NT 4 around, they can pose a bit of an annoyance. Here’s the list: ■

You should upgrade to at least NT 4.0 Service Pack 4 if you want to dual-boot with Windows XP sharing NTFS partitions. Upgrade first and then install Windows XP; or your NT 4 system will not boot.

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Computers dual-booting Windows NT and Windows XP must have different computer names under each boot configuration if the computers are connected to an NT domain. Otherwise, the domain controller is given conflicting information about the workstation, and it deals with these two types of workstations in slightly different ways (for example, security tokens).

Dual-booting with Windows 2000 does not encounter these issues since it shares the same version of NTFS that Windows XP uses. For more detailed information about configuring your computer to dual-boot, see Chapter 31, which is devoted to this topic.

Choosing a File System: FAT, FAT32, or NTFS? The next major consideration on the pre-installation agenda is determining what type of file system you intend to use. The rules and regulations discussed in the preceding section might have narrowed down this choice for you. Still, you’ll likely want to read about the pros and cons of the various file-keeping schemes in use on Windows XP machines and consider a few details on how they influence your installation.

Windows XP doesn’t know about compressed drives such as those created with DriveSpace or DoubleSpace. You have to decompress them before installing to Windows XP. Decompressing is a real pain if your disk space is totally packed (because as your files decompress, they fill up even more space on an already cramped drive). You might have to decompress in stages, moving data off the hard disk to backup media or another drive.

As mentioned in the preceding sections on dual-booting Windows XP and a second operating system, it’s a good idea to think about what file system you’re going to use, preferably before installing Windows XP. Although you can use utilities in Windows XP and external utilities such as PartitionMagic to convert partitions between file systems after the fact, forethought and advance partition preparation are the better path. Let’s do a little review of file systems you can use and advantages of each.

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A file system is a scheme by which data files and directories (folders) are stored and retrieved on a floppy disk or hard disk. Tape and other media have file systems as well, but here I’m talking only about hard disks. Windows XP supports three file systems: the NT File System (NTFS) or one of the file allocation table file systems (FAT or FAT32).

A Brief History of File Systems In the beginning, there was FAT, and it was good. FAT is the system that DOS uses; it’s been around for a long time, since the early ‘80s. FAT stands for File Allocation Table. A file allocation table is basically a table of contents of the disk that the operating system uses to look up the location of a file, even if the file is broken up in pieces (sectors) scattered across the disk’s surface. The FAT scheme brought relatively simple, reliable, and efficient floppy and small hard disk storage to the PC. It’s also the scheme that, unlike the Macintosh file system, brought the confining 8.3 file-naming convention that many of us learned to live with and hate. For example, myletter.doc is an example of the longest-possible 8.3 filename. When NT 3.x appeared, it included NTFS as an acknowledgment of the shortcomings of the FAT system, including a hard drive partition size limit of 2 gigabytes (GB). NTFS provided long filenames, more security and fault tolerance, better disk compression, support for hard disks up to 2 terabytes (that’s big), and support for advanced multiple-disk arrangements such as striping and mirroring (RAID). Also, as drives become larger, efficiency of disk storage doesn’t fall off under NTFS as it does with FAT. Windows 95 brought long filenames to FAT through some sleight of hand, but still the system was not good at dealing with the newer large drives and wasted a bunch of space on them when it stored tiny files. So, to both provide good backward compatibility with FAT disks and still offer support for large drives, Windows 95 OSR2 and Windows 98 both included a new file system called FAT32. Essentially a beefed up FAT file system, FAT32 isn’t as robust as NTFS, and it’s not compatible with NTFS. The FAT32 system eliminated the 2GB upper limit on partition size support (it also can run as high as 2TB) and increased effective storage capacity by lowering the cluster size on large drives. NT 4 can’t read or work with FAT32, nor can DOS and Windows 3.x. However, both Windows 2000 and Windows XP support FAT32.

Clusters are the smallest amount of space that can be used to store information on a hard disk. On smallish drives, the cluster size is also pretty small, so storing dinky files that are only, say, 1KB in size is pretty efficient (there is little wasted space). But on today’s huge drives, under the FAT scheme, the cluster would necessarily be much larger (this is a limitation of the FAT system, not the drive). You end up donating serious amounts of space to no good cause. The bottom line is that FAT32 and NTFS get you more bang for your hard disk buck, because lowering the cluster size allows for more efficient use of space, especially on larger drives.

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The bottom line? As with Windows NT and Windows 2000, NTFS is the recommended file system for use with Windows XP. NTFS v5 has all the basic capabilities of FAT as well as all the advantages of FAT32 file systems. The weird thing is that now you have to think about three different file systems when considering dual-booting. When you consider that you have at least nine Microsoft operating systems to choose from and three file systems, the combinations get complex. Therefore, understanding the limitations of each is important. Tip from

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You can convert an existing partition to NTFS during setup, but if you want to wait, you can convert it later by using a command-line utility called convert.exe (see “Convert” in Chapter 29). Another approach is to use PartitionMagic, which is discussed later in this chapter.

One of the prime points to remember is that if you’re dual-booting, only Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP systems can read NTFS partitions. If you don’t care about accessing the NTFS partition from, say, Windows 98, this is not a big deal. It simply does not appear in Windows Explorer and is not available from your applications. This is the main reason Microsoft doesn’t want you to mix file systems; it simply confuses people. When you’re running partitions larger than 32GB, you should really format them as NTFS. If you choose to use FAT, anything over 2GB should be formatted FAT32.

File systems are terribly complex and a subject far beyond what I can cover in a Windows book. For the most part, you don’t need to know more than what is presented here, unless you are naturally inclined to learn everything you can about complex topics (don’t worry, you are not alone). In that case, I recommend that you pick up a copy of Upgrading and Repairing PCs, 13th Edition, by Scott Mueller (also published by Que).

Disk Partitioning Tips In case you don’t know, disk partitioning is a scheme by which you can have a single hard disk look like multiple hard disks to the operating system. If you partition a disk into, say, two partitions, the operating system displays disks C and D rather than just C. You split up the space on the drive between the partitions based on your needs. One of the most notable needs for disk partitioning was to accommodate operating systems that imposed limitations on the size of partitions. As hard disks grew in size, partitioning was required in order to use the entire disk. Because FAT had a limitation of 2GB, users relied on partitioning or other software driver schemes to get around this imposed top end. Another common reason for partitioning is for running dissimilar operating systems, ones

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that cannot read from or write to a common file system. Because each partition can have its own disk format, this could often circumambulate such requirements. One partition could be FAT, another NTFS, and another HPFS (for OS/2), and so on. Any hard disk can contain up to four primary partitions. Only primary partitions can be marked active. An active primary partition is where the computer’s BIOS looks for a bootable operating system when powered on. In addition to primary partitions, there are extended partitions. A system can have up to four primary partitions or a maximum of three primary partitions and a single extended partition. The extended partition is a bit different than a primary partition. First, extended partitions cannot be marked active. Second, extended partitions must be divided into logical drives. Only primary partitions and logical drives can be formatted and assigned a drive letter. To total number of primary partitions plus logical drives cannot exceed 32 for a single hard drive. For examples of these issues, see Figure 3.1. Disk 0 has a single primary partition (C), and an extended partition. The extended partition contains two logical drives (D and G) and 1.86GB of free space. The extended partition is highlighted with a thick border; that’s how you distinguish it from primary partitions. This extended partition could contain another 29 logical drives before reaching the 32 division maximum per drive. Disk 1 consists of a single primary partition (F) and 15.11GB of free space. This free space could be used to create up to 3 additional primary partitions, or up to 2 additional primary partitions and an extended partition containing logical drives. Drive 2 consists of a single primary partition (E). Figure 3.1 Disk Management viewed through Computer Management, showing drive partitioning.

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In most cases, you’ll rarely need to divide a drive into more than 4 sections. And then, that may only occur when you need to divide a large drive into FAT partitions (because each partition cannot be larger than 2GB). The tools you use to create partitions will manage the division classification for you. If you use FDISK, you’ll be a bit more aware of the presence of extended partitions and logical drives. If you use the Windows NT, Windows 2000, or Windows XP drive tools (such as the Disk Management tool) you’ll see extended partitions and logical drives labeled, but the OS manages when these need to be created. Some people use partitions for dividing up their data rather than for accommodating different file systems. You might want a partition to organize information—for example, one for backup data, one for documents and data files, one for applications only, or for the operating system only. Then you can more easily design your backup strategy.

When you do a new installation of Windows XP, the Setup program looks around and automatically selects an appropriate disk partition as the destination based on size and format. You can override the choice by clicking the Advanced Options button during Setup, though.

If you’re going to dual-boot, you should install on a separate partition. Either create one or use one that is already present. The reason for using a separate partition for each operating system is to prevent Setup from overwriting important files belonging to the other operating system. If you have unpartitioned (different from unused) space on your disk, Setup can create a partition during installation. If you intend to dual-boot Windows 9x and Windows XP, Windows 9x should be on the first partition. In general computer terms, this means the boot drive. In Windows NT speak, this is the system partition.

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If you’re considering creating a system that is bootable in more than one operating system, see “Dual-Booting Versus Single Booting,” p. 75.

The exact options you have during Setup change depending on your existing hard disk configuration. You might have as many as four options when partitioning your hard disk: ■

If you have adequate unpartitioned space, you can create a new Windows XP partition in that space and install Windows XP in it.

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If the hard disk is unpartitioned (no partitions at all—freshly formatted) you can create and size the Windows XP partition.

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If the disk does have an existing partition, but you don’t care what’s in it, Setup lets you delete the partition and create a new one of your chosen format for installing Windows XP. Beware, though; deleting an existing partition destroys every file on the partition.

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If the existing partition is large enough, it’s actually possible to put Windows XP on it. Contrary to what the Microsoft documentation says, installing on an existing partition

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doesn’t overwrite all data on that partition. If you choose a directory separate from the existing operating system (for example, install into C:\winxp), Setup leaves any existing C:\windows directory alone. But don’t forget, the \Program Files and \Documents and Settings folders may be altered by the new OS so that the pre-existing OS can’t access the data stored there. Things can get kind of funky with other possible file collisions, too. You can dual-boot, but you might have to reinstall your applications. The better approach is to play it safe and create a new partition to install into. Tip from

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Don’t even try to install Windows XP on a partition that is less than 1GB. Although Windows XP only requires 650MB (only!), I think creating a 2GB partition is more reasonable. If you are upgrading you’ll need an extra 300MB to store the recovery files, and Setup won’t allow you to start the process with less than 1GB of free space. You’ll want (and need) the additional free space later for future additions and modifications to the operating system.

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File System Conversion Limitations This section lists a few ridiculous warnings and limitations—ridiculous because these steps are not required if you use PartitionMagic. Due to limitations of Setup and Microsoft’s supplied disk tools (FDISK, for example), you should be aware of these issues. First, most conversions between file systems are multi-step processes involving backing up and then restoring the partitions after reformatting. For example, although converting to NTFS during installation is easy, if you change your mind and want to revert to FAT, you have to back up all your files on the NTFS partition, reformat the partition as FAT (which erases all the files), and then restore the files from backup. The same is true of converting a FAT partition to FAT32. One workaround is to use the FAT32 converter in Windows 98 or 95 OSR2. Each of these operating systems has a tool that performs such a conversion quite easily. Second, you can’t restore an NTFS v4 (file system from NT 4) partition after you convert it to NTFS v5 (file system from Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows NT 4.0 SP4+). There’s no easy way out on that score. There is support for NTFS v5 file formats via tools like PartitionMagic to do this, though.

Getting Your Network Information Together As part of the installation procedure, you are asked details about your network connection (assuming you’re going to run the computer in question on a local area network; if it’s not, just skip over this part).

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You must supply the following information: ■

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Is the computer going to join a domain or a workgroup? You can answer Workgroup if you don’t know and later change to a domain. Ask someone who knows. If you select the Domain option, you’ll have to ask your network administrator to create a new computer account to allow you to join that domain or to edit your existing account to reflect the new computer name.

To learn more information about networking settings, see “Setting Your Computer Identification,” p. 529, and “Configuring Protocols,” p. 523.

A computer account is a specific type of account that a Windows NT, Windows 2000 Server, or .NET Server administrator makes to allow a given computer to join the domain. In a domain, both computers and users have accounts on the server. A domain client is a system that is a member of a centrally controlled and secured network environment.

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Are you already part of a network? If so, collect the following information, scribble it down on a piece of paper, and keep the paper handy: Name of your computer Name of the workgroup or domain IP address (if your network doesn’t have a DHCP server)

It’s Backup Time! Okay, so you’re ready to do the installation. Need I say it? If you’re upgrading from a previous version, Setup is supposed to let you back out and restore your system to its previous state if you panic in the middle. I’ve actually backed out of Setup a few times successfully, but that doesn’t mean it will always work. Setup does lots of stuff to your operating system and hard disk files, and particularly if it bombs halfway through the process, things could get sticky. So ask yourself, “Do I have important data on my computer?” If so, back it up before you start your installation. Can you afford the downtime incurred should you need to reinstall your applications and operating system? If not, back them up, too. Windows XP does bring a new feature to the table when you are upgrading from Windows 9x/SE/Me. This new feature is the ability to uninstall Windows XP and return to the previous OS. During the initial stages of the upgrade installation, a complete backup of the existing 9x OS is created (about 300MB of stuff). This backup is performed automatically to

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protect users. There are advanced command-line startup options that can be used to disable this activity, but if you are smart enough to figure out how to do that, you are smart enough to make your own backup. Plus, this backup feature not only allows you to roll back but it protects you during installation. If the upgrade install fails, the system will return to the previous OS automatically. After about 60 days or so, you will be prompted whether to retain or delete this backup archive of the previous OS. This backup procedure consumes about 300MB of space, so if your destination partition does not have around 1GB of free space the Setup routine will terminate before even getting started. This backup protection is only used for Windows 9x/SE/Me; it is not available for upgrades from Windows NT or Windows 2000. Backing Up to a Disk Image One technique I like for doing serious backups is to make a disk image of my main hard drive. With a disk image, if the drive dies or I have some other catastrophe, such as a new operating system installation going south, I can just restore the drive to its previous state, boot tracks, operating system, data, and applications, all in one fell swoop. I use a program called DriveImage from PowerQuest for this task, though some people swear by a competing product called Norton Ghost. Either one is a powerful tool for making backups and recovering from a dead operating system. These programs work by copying your hard disk sector by sector and storing the whole image in a single huge file on another drive. The large file they create contains all the necessary information to replace the data in the original tracks and sectors. If you have a CD-writer, you can use a CD-R as the backup medium. If you have a CD-RW drive, it can provide a very cost efficient (though slow) means of backing up and restoring. It also works with a second hard disk in the computer, a second partition on a hard disk, and removable media such as Zip or Jaz drives. Another approach is to store an image on a hard disk across the LAN on another workstation, though recovering from the remote station is a little more complex than from a local drive.

If you must back up data only and don’t care about reinstalling your applications or operating system (this backup approach is easier, of course), you can use some backup program or you can simply copy the files onto other drives using Windows Explorer or some other utility. How you back up your files depends on your current operating system. If you’re running Windows 9x/SE/Me/NT/2000, one obvious approach is to employ the Windows Backup program (by choosing Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Backup). You might have to install it if it’s not there. To do so, open the Control Panel, choose Add/Remove Programs, and then select Windows Setup. Remember, in Windows NT, you need a tape drive installed for the Backup tool to work. All other Windows versions of Backup can store the backup files to any writable media. If you’re in doubt about the use of the Backup program, check the Windows Help system.

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To learn more details about backup strategies, see “Backup Tools and Strategies,” p. 1021.

Okay, enough for the safety speech. You are old enough to know whether you put on your parachute before you jump out of the plane.

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Clean Installation Procedure The three basic types of clean installation procedures are as follows: ■

Install on a brand new disk or computer system

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Erase the disk, format it, and install

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Install into a new directory for dual-booting (see the multi-boot discussion earlier in this chapter)

If you intend to use either of the first two methods, make sure you are equipped to boot your computer from the CD-ROM. Most of today’s breeds of computers support booting from the CD-ROM drive. Doing so might require changing the drive boot order in the BIOS or CMOS, but try it first without. With no floppy disk inserted and a clean hard disk, the CD-ROM drive should be tried next. The Windows XP CD-ROM is bootable and should run the Setup program automatically. The Windows XP setup procedure can also be launched using the five setup boot floppies. On an older computer, you might have to ensure you can boot into DOS from a floppy. People preparing to set up Windows on older computers often overlook this point. They wipe the hard disk and then boot up with a floppy only to find the CD-ROM drive isn’t recognized, so they can’t run the Setup program on the CD. If you have the boot floppy for Windows XP, your CD-ROM drive will mostly likely be recognized upon booting, assuming your CD-ROM drive is among those supported. If you have misplaced your floppies or they were not included with your Windows XP CD, check out the “Making Replacement Startup Floppies” section later this chapter. If you can’t get DOS to recognize your CD-ROM drive, see “My Existing OS Won’t Recognize the CDROM Drive” in the “Troubleshooting” section at the end of this chapter.

Remember to check Chapter 2, “Getting Ready for Windows XP Professional,” to ensure that your hardware components meet the minimum requirements to run Windows XP.

Installation takes 60–90 minutes depending on the speed of your machine. Refer to the following sections if you have questions about the steps of the process. The process is fairly similar for each category of installation, with the addition of the software compatibility report when you’re upgrading from an older operating system.

Typical Clean Setup Procedure If you’re installing into an empty partition, and you can boot an operating system that is supported for the purpose of Setup (Windows 9x/SE/Me/NT/2000), just boot up, insert the CD, and choose Install Windows XP from the resulting dialog box. Then, you can follow the installation step-by-step procedure below.

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If Windows doesn’t automatically detect the CD when you insert it, you must run the Setup program, setup.exe, manually from the Start, Run dialog box. Once the Setup routine has started, you can follow the installation step-by-step procedure below. Another method of kick-starting the installation of Windows XP can be performed from any OS which has access to the CD. If the OS is a non-Windows non-32-bit OS, then execute \i386\winnt.exe. If the existing OS is a 32-bit Windows OS, then execute \i386\winnt32.exe. If you are able to use the winnt32 launch tool, you can follow the typical installation step-bystep procedure below.

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If your computer has a blank hard disk, or your current operating system isn’t supported, the process is different. You have to start the installation either by using the five supplied Setup startup disks or by booting from the Windows XP CD (this approach works only if your computer is newer, and you can boot from the CD-ROM drive). Setup automatically runs if you boot from the CD-ROM.

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Yet another setup initiation method involves the network. To initiate a network installation, you must have a network share of the distribution CD or a copy of the CD on a hard drive. The destination system must have network access and the user account must have at least read access to the installation files. Setup is initiated by executing winnt or winnt32 from the network share (the same 16-bit and 32-bit rules apply). For example, from the Start, Run command type a path of \\<servername>\<sharename>\i386\winnt. Setup will recognize an over-the-network installation and will automatically copy all files from the network share to the local system before the first reboot. If you used the winnt launch tool, used the boot floppies to initiate setup, or were able to start from a bootable CD your installation varies from the typical installation step-by-step procedure as follows: 1. A text-only step wizard is launched. 2. Verify that the displayed path is the correct location of the Windows XP source files. Press Enter. 3. Setup copies numerous files to the hard drive of the computer; this may take a few minutes. Once complete, the system reboots. 4. Once the system reboots, the Setup Wizard continues. 5. Jump to step 15 of the following typical installation step-by-step procedure to continue. The typical clean installation step-by-step procedure is as follows: 1. The Windows Setup Wizard appears. Using the Installation Type pull-down list, select New Installation. (Note: Upgrading is discussed later in this chapter). 2. Click Next. The License Agreement page appears.

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Corporate attorneys know that people don’t read these software agreements. I’ve even heard reports of software in which the agreements make you promise not to write a review of the software without alerting the manufacturer first. I’m sure some interesting, precedent-setting cases will occur in upcoming years.

3. Read the agreement then select the “I accept this agreement” radio button. 4. Click Next. The Your Product Key page appears. 5. Type in your 25-digit Product Key. 6. Click Next. The Setup Options page appears. 7. Click the Advanced Options button. 8. Verify that the path for the location of the source files is correct (it should be :\i386, or if you are installing over a network this would be \\<servername>\<sharename>\i386). 9. If you wish, change the name of the main Windows directory. 10. To force Setup to duplicate all necessary files to the hard drive before initiating the installation procedure, mark the Copy all installation files from the Setup CD check box.

Copying all the Setup files to the hard disk has two advantages. First, you can save yourself some time because the file copying and decompressing process is faster from the hard disk than from a CD-ROM drive. Second, the next time Windows XP needs access to Setup files (when you add new hardware, for example), you won’t have to insert the CD-ROM. Just browse to the correct directory. Copying the more than 6,000 files (yes, that’s thousand, amounting to about 450MB) from the CD takes about 15 minutes on a reasonably fast system.

11. To be able to select the partition to install Windows XP into (that is, other than drive C), mark the I want to choose the install drive letter and partition during Setup checkbox. 12. Click OK. Click Next. The Performing Dynamic Update page appears. 13. If your system has Internet access on the pre-existing OS, you can optionally select to download the latest setup files for Windows XP at this time. Mark the Yes radio button. If your system does not currently have Internet access, select No, click Next, and then skip to step 15. 14. Click Next. The setup routine attempts to contact the Microsoft download site and retrieve any new Setup files. Once this is completed, the setup routine reboots the system automatically.

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15. Once the system reboots, the Welcome to Setup text-only screen prompts you t install Windows XP, repair an existing installation, or exit Setup. Press Enter to continue with setup. 16. Your drives will be examined and the partition manager is displayed. This tool is used to select the installation partition for Windows XP. If the partition already exists, use the arrow keys to select it, then skip to step 25. Tip from

&

If you want to install Windows XP into a separate partition, make sure the partition is preexisting or that you have some unpartitioned space on your hard drive. Sorry to state the obvious, but Setup doesn’t let you change the size of existing partitions onthe-fly, even though it does convert from FAT to NTFS and does create NTFS partitions from an unpartitioned space. If you have a large hard disk all in one partition (typical with today’s cheap drives as they come from the factory) and want to split it, use a utility program such as FDISK, NT’s Disk Administrator tool, 2000’s Computer Management tool, or PartitionMagic (I highly recommend PartitionMagic). If you want to install into an NTFS partition, remember that FDISK can’t create NTFS partitions. As a workaround, you either have to convert the target partition to NTFS during or after Setup or use a utility such as PartitionMagic that can make or convert FAT partitions to NTFS. Note that the NTFS partition does not have to be formatted in advance of your running Setup; as long as it exists as a partition, Setup will offer to format it for you. The main advantage of having multiple partitions on a hard disk these days is to support different file system formats. You can use FAT or FAT32 on one partition to run DOS or Windows 9x, for example, and use an NTFS partition for Windows XP.

Tip from

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FDISK is often the tool of choice for ex-DOS users when managing drive partitions. This tool works great as long as you are working with all primary partitions or only FAT, FAT32, and OS/2’s HPFS. FDISK is not even able to recognize NTFS-formatted extended partitions. So, if you need to delete such a partition, you either need to have access to a Windows NT, Windows 2000, or Windows XP OS on the same system as the hard drive in question, and boot into the setup routines of one of these three OSes to use the text-based partition configuration tool, or use a third party tool. I’ve already mentioned PartitionMagic, but there is another tool you may want to look at: DELPART. DELPART is a DOS based tool from Windows NT 3.51; you can find it floating around the Internet with a quick search on “delpart”. This tool can delete any and all partitions on a hard drive, thus making way for easy re-partitioning and new OS installation. This is a tool I always keep handy.

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17. If an existing partition must be deleted to create unpartitioned space where you want to install Windows XP, go on to step 18. Otherwise, skip to step 21. 18. Use the arrow keys to select the partition to delete, then press D. 19. If the selected partition is a system partition, you must press Enter to confirm the deletion of a system partition. 20. Press L to confirm deletion of the partition. (Yes, this is a valid extra step to make sure you are aware that you are deleting a partition.) 21. To create a new partition out of unpartitioned space, use the arrow keys to select the unpartitioned space, then press C. 22. Type in the size of the partition you wish to create out of the unpartitioned space. The default size listed is the maximum size that can be created. Once you have typed in a number, press Enter. 23. Use the arrow keys to select the newly created partition. 24. Press Enter to install Windows XP into the selected partition. 25. Select the file system to format the partition. If the partition is already properly formatted with NTFS v5, another option of “Leave the current file system intact (no changes)” is available. If this option is available, select it and press Enter. Then skip to step 28. 26. Use the arrow keys to select the NTFS file system (not the one with (Quick) next to it).

By the way, the Quick options for both NTFS and FAT are only there when you are converting or over-formatting a partition which already has been formatted. It’s a way to save time, especially if you are formatting a 2GB or larger drive. I recommend staying away from the Quick format and letting the Setup Wizard perform a full format on the destination partition. It will take a little longer, but it will ensure a properly formatted drive.

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If you want to know more information about deciding whether you should change file systems, see “Which File System: FAT, FAT32, or NTFS?” p. 80. Also, Chapters 29 and 31 contain additional information about file systems and formats.

27. Press Enter to initiate formatting. The progress of the formatting action is displayed. 28. When formatting is complete, files are copied to the destination partition. This can take 10 minutes. 29. When the file copy procedure completes, the system automatically reboots. 30. After it’s rebooted, Setup launches a basic Windows GUI environment. After performing numerous operations (this could take about 10 minutes or more), the Setup Wizard appears displaying the Regional and Language Options page. The defaults are for English and a US keyboard; if you require other settings click on the Customize or Details buttons to change them.

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If the Windows installer crashes during the installation, see “Windows Crashes During Installation” in the “Troubleshooting” section at the end of this chapter.

31. Click Next. The Personalize Your Software page appears. 32. Type in your name and a company name if appropriate. 33. Click Next. The Computer Name and Administrator Password page appears. 34. Type in a meaningful computer name for this system in the Computer name field, such as wxp-181. WXP-181 in my naming convention tells me that the system is running Windows XP and has an IP address of 172.16.1.181. All of the systems on my network use the same first three values in the four part IP address.

Choose a computer name that is unique. It must differ from any other computer, workgroup, or domain names on the network. You’ll probably want to enter your name or a name of your own choosing, though Setup supplies some cryptic name for you. You might want to coordinate naming your computer with your LAN administrator, if you have one.

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3 35. Type in and confirm a password for the administrator account.

You definitely should assign a password for the administrator account. If you leave this field blank, anyone can get into the system settings by just entering Administrator as the username and pressing Enter with no password. An Administrator account is set up automatically during each installation, just as in NT/2000. The Administrator account is assigned full rights, allowing the administrator to create user passwords, set up new accounts, and mess with all the computer’s settings as a manager. When you specify a password for the administrator, enter it, write it down somewhere safe, and remember it!

36. Click Next. If you have a modem present on your system, the Modem Dialing Information page appears. Type in your area code, and then click Next. 37. The Date and Time Settings page appears. Set the date and time and select a time zone. 38. Click Next. If a network interface is detected, the system installs networking components, and then the Networking Settings page appears. If no network interface is installed in your system, skip to step 46. 39. If you are connected to a Microsoft network which uses DHCP to assign TCP/IP address configuration settings for clients, select the Typical settings radio button, click Next, and then skip to step 46. DHCP or Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol is a networking service operating from a Windows Server system which can provide clients with IP configuration upon bootup. 40. If you are connected to a network of any other configuration, select the Custom settings radio button, and then click Next.

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Select the Custom settings option if you want to manually configure network clients, services, and protocols. But do so only if you’re an expert in these matters and know that the typical settings won’t cut it. You’ll probably be fine with the default settings, and you can change them later if not.

41. The Networking Components page appears. To alter the TCP/IP settings on this system, click to select the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) item from the list of components, and then click the Properties button. 42. The Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties dialog box appears. Select the Use the Following IP Address radio button. Fill in the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway (if available). 43. If you need to use DNS, select the Use the Following DNS Server Addresses radio button and fill in the IP addresses of one or two DNS servers. 44. Click OK. You are returned to the Networking Components page. 45. Click Next. The Workgroup or Computer Domain page appears.

During Setup, you must join either a workgroup or a domain. If your system is a standalone system, you must join a workgroup. If your system is the first or only system within a workgroup, providing a name in the field on the Workgroup or Computer Domain page will create the workgroup. Being a member of a workgroup offers you nothing as a standalone system, but it is still a requirement of setup. A workgroup is a more casual collection of connected computers than is a domain. Any computer can join a workgroup. To join a workgroup on the LAN, you just supply the workgroup name. All computers set for the same workgroup name can share files, printers, and other resources. The Setup program suggests a name, but if you already have a workgroup in your office, use that name. A domain is a collection of computers that an administrator creates. Domains offer more security and control than workgroups do. Ask your system administrator if you don’t know the domain settings. He or she has to create a computer account for you before you can join the domain. If you’re upgrading from Windows NT, your existing computer account is used to identify you. If you have the right privileges already, you can create the account during the Setup process, but you have to enter the username and password that match the entry in the domain controller (server) for the preexisting account. A wizard for Network Identification will walk you through joining a domain. If you run into trouble joining a domain (the network server doesn’t allow it), join a workgroup first, and join the domain later.

46. If this system is not on a network or is a member of a non-domain network, select the No radio button and provide a name of a workgroup. The default name of Workgroup is often sufficient. 47. If this system is to be a member of a domain, select the Yes radio button and provide the name of the domain.

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48. Click Next. 49. If you selected to join a domain, you will be prompted for the name and password of an administrator level account within the domain. Provide this information and click OK. 50. Setup will proceed with installing the OS using the settings you’ve just provided. This may take 20 minutes or more. 51. If any issues or problems were encountered during the installation, a pop-up dialog box appears. If you want to view the log file of errors now click Yes. If not, click No. You can always view this information by reading the setuperr.log file later with any text editor, such as Notepad or WordPad. 52. At this point, the Setup process is complete and the system needs to be rebooted. This may occur automatically or you may be prompted to confirm the reboot. 53. Window XP is booted, but there are still several steps remaining before you can gain access.

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54. The Welcome to Microsoft Windows XP screen appears, accompanied by an animated wizard. You must wait until it is through “talking” to you. Then, click Next.

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55. Setup checks your system for Internet connectivity. No matter what Setup determines, you must indicate whether the system gains Internet access through a local network (the Yes radio button) or must establish a dial-up connection (the No radio button). I assume you have a cable modem or a connection over a network, so select Yes. 56. Click Next. The Ready to activate Windows screen appears. 57. Unless you have a specific reason not to, select the Yes, Activate Windows Over the Internet Now radio button.

In an effort to curb software piracy, Microsoft has implemented a new scheme to prevent unauthorized installations of Windows XP. After installing Windows XP, you must activate it within 30 days. When you activate Windows XP, your product key is filed into a database along with hardware identifiers from your computer. Activation prevents the same product key from being used numerous times. Microsoft claims the hardware identifiers cannot be used to trace a specific computer and that the activation process is fully anonymous. If you fail to activate within the time limit, the system fails to function until activation is completed. Activation can occur over the telephone if you do not have an Internet connection. The phone numbers to call are listed on the activation screen and in the readme file on the distribution CD. If you choose to skip activation during setup, an activation command is added to the top of the All Programs list within the Start menu.

58. Click Next. The Ready to register with Microsoft screen appears. 59. Unless you want to offer private information to Microsoft, select the No, Not At This Time radio button.

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Registration is a separate and distinct process from activation. Activation is mandatory for a functioning OS past the 30-day grace period. Registration is voluntary. You should register if you want to get junk snail mail and e-mail from Microsoft, because Microsoft uses this information to focus product marketing.

60. Click Next. The Will you be sharing this computer with other users screen appears. 61. If you want to maintain unique user accounts for each person who will use this system, select Yes. If you select no, Windows XP is configured to log in automatically with the administrator account each time the computer boots. If you select No, skip to step 64.

Selecting not to create unique user accounts for each person does not mean you cannot switch to this in the future. However, if you select No, you must initially log in to the system with the Administrator account. Once you’ve logged on, you can create other local user accounts or configure the system to log on to a domain and use domain user accounts. Network logon is discussed in Part IV. See Chapter 28 for details on creating user accounts.

62. Click Next. The Who will use this computer? screen appears. 63. Type in the names of up to six users for this system, one in each field. 64. Click Next. The Thank you! page appears; click Finish. 65. The Windows XP Welcome screen appears with the names of the user accounts created in step 63 listed in a column on the right ready for logon. If you selected No in step 61, you’ll be automatically logged on as the administrator and presented the Windows XP desktop. The final step necessary to complete the installation of Windows XP is to log in. If you don’t already know how to log in to Windows XP, jump over to Chapter 4 and check out the “Logging into Windows XP” section. If Windows refuses to boot after the installation is complete, see “Windows XP Fails to Boot After Installation” in the “Troubleshooting” section at the end of this chapter.

Upgrading over an Existing Operating System If you’re upgrading rather than performing a clean installation, the process is a bit different. Setup checks on the advisability of upgrading and asks a few more questions. This section provides a few points concerning the upgrade or dual-boot with preexisting operating systems. The steps included here are for upgrading over Windows 98 SE. Similar steps apply to the other operating systems.

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Let me add an additional note about network connections when you’re upgrading. If you’re upgrading a Windows 9x/SE/Me/NT/2000 system that’s a member of a Windows NT or Windows 2000 domain, you must check a few things in advance, or you’ll end up wasting some time. Ideally, you should make sure the Windows 9x machine is connected to the domain and working properly because the user profile for the upgraded workstation needs to be stored on the domain controller. If the domain isn’t available during setup, the user’s preferences are placed in a local user account on the workstation computer, and you have to copy the profile to the domain profile after joining the domain. So, to avoid that situation, follow these steps: 1. Ensure that the computer’s workgroup is set to the domain you participate in by choosing Start, Settings, Control Panel, Network (on Windows 9x/SE/Me systems). Then select the Identification tab, and verify the workgroup. 2. Create a computer account on the domain server if it doesn’t exist already. The computer must have access to the domain during setup. 3. Upgrade the system to Windows XP. If you don’t follow these steps, you’ll have to copy the profile to the domain later. To do so, choose Control Panel, System, User Profiles, Copy.

To begin the upgrade process, follow these steps: 1. Start the Setup program as discussed in the clean install section. The Windows Setup Wizard appears. Using the Installation Type pull-down list, select Upgrade. 2. Click Next. The License Agreement page appears. 3. Read the agreement then select the I accept this agreement radio button. 4. Click Next. The Your Product Key page appears. 5. Type in your 25-digit Product Key. 6. Click Next. The Performing Dynamic Update page appears. 7. If your system has Internet access from the pre-existing OS, you can optionally select to download the latest setup files for Windows XP at this time. Mark the Yes radio button. If your system does not currently have Internet access, select No, click Next, and then skip to step 9. 8. Click Next. The Setup routine will attempt to contact the Microsoft download site and retrieve new Setup files. 9. The Provide Compatible Names page may appear. If you have local names which conflict with existing network names, you’ll be prompted to change them. This dialog box automatically provides alternative names by adding a dash and a number to the end of the duplicate. Click Next to accept the suggested changes. You can alter a name change by selecting it in the list and clicking the Change button. 10. The Network Connection Status page appears. Select the appropriate radio button that matches the network connectivity of this system. The options are: This computer is

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offline; It connects directly to a local area network; and It connects to a remote network through a modem or other connection. The default selection represents the status that setup detected from your existing OS. I assume you have direct LAN connection (the middle radio button), select it, then click Next. If your system is offline or connected through a modem or some other connection, you might see other setup wizard screens prompting for related configuration details. 11. The Join a Domain page appears. If the current OS is a member of a domain, the default setting of this page will be Yes, Use This Domain with the name of the domain in the text field. If no domain is used by the existing OS, the No, Skip This Step option is selected. You can change the default on this page and even define a different domain to join. I assume you will accept the default of the same domain as the current OS. Click Next. 12. If a computer account is not already present in the domain for the new OS, Setup prompts you whether to create an account. Click Yes. You must provide the username and password of an Administrative level user account in the domain, and then click OK. You’ll need to confirm that the provided user account has permissions to create new computer accounts in the domain; click Yes. 13. Setup prepares the Upgrade Report.

Upgrade Report After you supply your product key, Setup creates an upgrade report summarizing everything that might not work with Windows XP and giving you a chance to access update files that hardware or software vendors might have available (check their Web sites). If you don’t have upgrade files for the listed items, you might skate by anyway. The upgrade report is a pretty spiffy HTML-based dialog box that details what might not work anymore if you go ahead with the installation. It has a link to the Windows XP Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) for easily checking to see whether the Brand X video card you just bought really won’t work or if the compatibility test was just out of date. Do check the list, assuming your computer is on the Internet. Although your list might be long, it might not be catastrophic news. Most of the stuff my systems showed didn’t end up causing problems. For example, I know that the video card I have is supported, as is the Epson printer. Both were listed as potentially problematic. Most of the other things such as shares, Recycle Bin, backup files, and DOS startup file issues were no big deal. The new operating system takes care of most of these issues, mostly due to Plug and Play and good hardware detection during Setup. Plus, I probably did have some old junk in my AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files that’s no longer valuable. The DOS exceptions were Sound Blaster drivers that DOS-based games used—the kinds of things that most Windows XP users are not going to worry about. If you see anything listed about your video card, disk controller, sound card, or tape backup, you might want to check on those items a little more closely and download a driver update

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pack from the manufacturer before you update. Basically, you should take seriously anything that might suggest incompatibility that will prevent basic operation or bootability of the system, and you can acknowledge but not sweat the rest. Tip from

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If you just want to run the upgrade report and not execute the complete Setup program, insert the installation CD in the CD-ROM drive, or connect over the LAN to the CD. If the Welcome to Microsoft Windows XP splash screen appears, click Check System Compatibility, and then Check My System Automatically. Follow the wizard’s prompts to perform an upgrade or XP compatibility test. If the splash screen does not appear or you are working from DOS, issue the following command: winnt32 /checkupgradeonly

This command generates just the report. Part

You can just follow the rest of the instructions as they come up on the screen. Your computer might have to restart several times in the process. If the computer seems to be stuck, wait several minutes to ensure it’s really stopped functioning properly. Then reboot it. Windows XP uses an “intelligent” Setup feature that should restart where it left off. Eventually, after much spinning of the hard disks, the system will boot up into Windows XP. But before you are granted access to the new system, there are still the issues of activation, registration, and user accounts to deal with. Jump to step 54 in the typical clean installation step-by-step (earlier in this chapter), to complete the installation procedure. If Windows refuses to boot after the installation is complete, see “Windows XP Fails to Boot After Installation” in the “Troubleshooting” section at the end of this chapter.

Making Replacement Startup Floppies Windows XP setup can be launched from floppies, in case you don’t have a computer that is bootable (blank hard disk, for example), and you can’t boot from the XP Setup disc. Some older computers’ BIOS do not support booting from the CD-ROM drive, for example. You might not have received the boot floppies with the Windows XP distribution CD, or they might be been lost or damaged. In any case, you can create new setup boot floppies right from the CD. You need to gather five preformatted blank floppies, and then follow these steps: 1. Label the five floppies as “Windows XP Setup Disk 1,” “. . . Setup Disk 2,” and so on. 2. Insert the first disk into the floppy disk drive, and insert the Windows XP CD into the CD-ROM drive. 3. Choose Start, Run, and type the following: d:\bootdisk\makeboot.exe

(Replace d with the letter of your CD-ROM drive) 4. Follow the onscreen directions.

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Troubleshooting Windows XP and the setup process itself are very resilient. I’ve performed dozens of installations while writing this book and I’ve yet to have a failed install. In general, as each new generation of Microsoft OS hits the streets, there are fewer installation problems. I remember the days of installing Windows NT 4.0, which had problems more often than not. I probably spent upwards of two days on a single system once just to get the main OS installed! Anyway, just because it is much improved over previous OSes doesn’t mean that the Windows XP installation procedure can’t experience problems when you perform the install. There are several common causes of problems and several common problems. In the next sections I tackle each of these and provide you with realistic solutions.

Windows Crashes During Installation I tried to install Windows XP, but it crashes while installing. The trick with any Windows Setup is to get it to complete without crashing or freaking out about some setting you try to make during the process. Hold off doing anything fancy— stuff like network settings, screen savers, video display settings, and so on—until well after you have finished the installation. Just get through the installation as simply as possible, and then poke around and tweak up your settings later.

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To learn more details about recovering a trashed installation of Windows XP, see “The Recovery Console,” p. 1155.

Windows Setup is intelligent. It keeps tabs on where in the process things stalled. Simply restarting Setup should result in it picking up where it left off. This, at least, is some consolation. Next time around, keep it simple, and get by with as few settings as possible. Just make the necessary ones. Sometimes a machine will hang when you’re playing with the Regional settings, language, or something you can easily change later. Also, avoid the Advanced settings if you don’t need them. At a certain stage, Setup switches from character-based screens to graphical screens (GUI mode). If, at this point, Setup crashes, your video display card might not be compatible with Windows XP. Make sure you checked your system’s innards against the Hardware Compatibility List. Also, ensure that you meet the minimum requirements in terms of RAM and hard disk space. Most of the causes of installation problems are directly related to nonHCL compliant hardware.

My Existing OS Won’t Recognize the CD-ROM Drive I can’t get my existing OS to recognize my CD-ROM drive, so I can’t install Windows XP. The following are a few other workarounds for those weird occasions when you just can’t get DOS to recognize your CD-ROM drive: ■

The preferred method is to create the boot floppies from the Windows XP CD. See the section “Making Replacement Startup Floppies,” earlier in this chapter.

Tips from the Windows Pros: Automating Setup

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Create an Emergency Startup Disk (ESD) from Windows 98. As of Windows 98, popular CD-ROM drivers are dumped on the ESDs when you create them by choosing Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs, Startup Disk.

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Use an old DOS startup disk with installable device drivers for the CD-ROM drive on it as stipulated in the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files on the floppy. Creating such a disk typically takes a little knowledge of MSCDEX command-line arguments, and you need the driver supplied with the CD-ROM drive.

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Using your existing operating system or a floppy disk with network client software on it, connect to the network and run Setup from a remote CD-ROM drive. This process can take some work if you have to boot in DOS, however. You must know lots of network settings and use the command line to get them going. Your network administrator might have to tell you the exact path of the setup command. You’re looking for the file winnt.exe or winnt32.exe from the i386 directory of the distribution files.

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Another solution is to copy all the appropriate CD-ROM files to your hard disk one way or another (even lap-linking between two computers is an approach I’ve used successfully). You need all the files in the root directory of the CD and everything in the I386 folder. When files are on the hard disk, switch to the folder you stored the file in, and run winnt.exe or winnt32.exe.

Windows XP Fails to Boot After Installation I got through the installation, but Windows XP won’t boot now. You can take several steps when an installation doesn’t seem to have worked out. As I mentioned in the first troubleshooting tip, you can try to determine when Setup failed. If, by observation, you can determine the point at which it failed, you might be able to avoid whatever it was you did the first time around. Restart Setup, and see whether reinstalling will help. While you’re installing again, note that Setup asks whether you want to load any SCSI drivers at a certain point. At about this point, you can opt not to install support for power management. Try opting out of the power management. You can install it later by choosing Control Panel, Add New Hardware. Sometimes power management can cause problems on a machine that doesn’t support it correctly, or doesn’t support it at all.

Tips from the Windows Pros: Automating Setup If you intend to install Windows XP on a bevy of computers, answering all of its installation questions repeatedly can prove an exercise in inefficiency. Instead, you can create a special script to automate the process. The Setup Manager Wizard helps you design the script, or you can base yours on the example supplied on the Windows XP CD. The script you create is called an answer file, and it is used to install Windows XP in socalled unattended mode. In this mode, nobody needs to interact with the computer during installation. The script simply supplies the answers that you would normally have to enter

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from the keyboard, such as acceptance of the license agreement, workgroup and computer name, network details, and so on. The script can fully automate or only partially automate the Setup process. For example, you might want to supply defaults for the user but let him or her change them. A script can additionally stipulate the creation of special folders, execution of programs upon completion of Setup, location of Setup files, and more. Of course, creating answer files makes sense only when you’re installing Windows XP on multiple computers with a hardware complement that you know will install Windows XP properly; otherwise, you can waste even more time trying to troubleshoot what happened in your absence that caused a failed or broken installation. As you know, sometimes unexpected developments occur during Setup that might require intervention. The Setup routine is fairly successful at detecting hardware when doing installations, so it’s worth a try if you’re deploying a large number of machines. In most cases, the time spent creating an answer file for automated unattended setup will become cost effective when you must install three or more systems. Performing unattended setups is a fairly advanced topic. I would need to devote several chapters to it in order to give it reasonable coverage. Instead of listing step-by-step information here, I prefer to point you to the best reference available on the subject—namely Microsoft itself. The Windows XP Resource Kit has complete and exhaustive information about automating installation. Plus, if you check out the text, html, and Word doc files on the distribution CD (don’t forget to check the support subdirectory), you’ll find a fairly useful description there too. In addition to the script-based answer file method of installation automation, there is another type of automated install for Windows XP. IntelliMirror for Windows XP (available on the Windows XP Server product) has a tool called RIS or Remote Installation Services. This is a nifty tool that can create clones of existing systems or create new systems from the original distribution files. Clients are installed over the network. The clients are booted using a special NIC or a RIS boot disk. The system image is pushed to the client over the network. The whole process of RIS can be automated so no human interaction is required between powering on the client and logging in after the install completes. RIS is another level of complexity beyond the answer file installation method. Deployment of RIS usually becomes cost effective for 30 or so systems. Complete details about RIS and installing Windows XP is found in the Windows XP and Windows .NET Server Resource Kits.

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Who Should Read This Chapter? Before going on in this book, make sure you’ve read the introduction and installed Windows XP correctly onto your computer (installation is explained in Chapter 3, “Installing Windows XP Professional”). When those hurdles are completed, return here to learn about the user interface. Many might wonder why an advanced book such as this would include coverage of something as basic as the user interface. This is a decision that was primarily driven by the knowledge that many users of Windows XP Professional will be upgrading from Windows 9x, NT, and even 2000. For those users, savvy as they may be with Windows concepts, the Windows XP interface is different enough that they’ll need a roadmap to get started. Once you are familiar with it, you’ll wonder how you ever got around in those old clunky environments. In addition to just the new look of Windows XP, many new functions are woven into the fabric of the new user interface (UI). We don’t want you to miss out on them! We’ve also included some UI tips and tricks you might not have known about. So even if you consider yourself a Windows veteran, at least take the time to skim through this chapter before you move on.

Upgrading may not be just for the fun of it. Microsoft has already announced that it will drop support for MS-DOS, Windows 1.0–3.x, Windows for Workgroups, and Windows 95 on December 31, 2001. Support for Windows 98 (OSR2, and SE), Me, and Windows NT 4 Workstation will be dropped on June 30, 2003. When Microsoft says it will be dropping support, that means the Microsoft technical support system will not respond to calls or e-mail with questions regarding these operating systems. So, upgrade or be left in the dust.

Don’t just take our word for it. Experiment with the new UI as you read this chapter. We’ve found that nothing can substitute for direct hands-on operation to get an understanding and a feel for the new user environment. Most of the information in this chapter is not of a level or type that may damage your system, but whenever caution is needed we’ll be sure to spell it out clearly. We won’t be able to cover everything about the new environment in this chapter, but we do a good job of covering the important aspects and those of interest to most readers. If you run across a button or command that you don’t recognize, don’t be afraid to explore the Windows Help service for details and instructions. The XP Help system is much improved over its predecessors and actually includes meaningful content.

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For those looking for ways to tweak and customize the new GUI, take a look at Chapter 23, “Tweaking the GUI,” p. 771.

If at any time you desire to put this book down and walk away from your system, jump to the “Exiting Windows Gracefully” section near the end of this chapter to find out how to log off with aplomb.

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Logging In to Windows XP At this point, you should have Windows XP Professional installed. But before you explore the OS, you have to log in. There are often several steps required before you gain access to your system. First, the OS must be installed—that was covered back in Chapter 3. Second, you must power up the system if it is not already. Booting can take several minutes depending on the installed components and network membership. Be sure that all bootable CDs are removed from the CD drives and that no floppies or Zip/Jaz disks are present in their respective drives (you want to allow the system to boot from the hard drive, not to attempt a boot from some other media). Once the system is fully booted, you need to log on. Depending on which logon mode the system is using, you need to either click on a username/icon on the Welcome screen, or press Ctrl+Alt+Del to provide logon credentials to gain access to the system. If your system was a network member before an upgrade install, or you altered the default settings of the network components during a manual or unattended installation, you’ll need to use the secure logon, which is covered in the section, “Using the Classic Logon.” Otherwise, Windows XP presents you with the Welcome screen for one click access to the desktop.

Logging On from the Welcome Screen If you see the Welcome screen, just click on your user account to log on. The Welcome screen presents a list of available user accounts that can be employed to access this system. If a password is associated with a selected account, you will be prompted to provide it. If you need a hint (and a hint is defined), click the question mark. Every time you boot your system, you must log in. Also, any time you return to your system after another user has logged off, you must log in. The Welcome screen is the default logon mode for Windows XP. In this mode, the screen lists all local user accounts available for accessing this system. This mode offers no real logon security; it is simply a means by which the system maintains unique user environments (that is, profiles) that it can easily switch between. (As mentioned in Chapter 1, even running applications are maintained in memory as users sign in and out.) If passwords are defined for an account, they are requested.

Using the Classic Logon The classic logon mechanism accessed by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del from the Welcome screen is a secure logon method for accessing the machine you’re using on a domain. Keep in mind that the logon credentials required for a secure logon are username, password, and logon location. The logon location is either local (indicated by the computer name) or domain. If your system is a member of a workgroup, you will log in locally. We’ll talk more about the issues of networking, workgroups, and domains in later chapters (see Part IV). If you don’t have a user account with which to log in, go to the secure logon screen and log on using the Administrator account (if you know the password). Keep in mind that to log on

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as the system administrator, you must use the secure logon screen. If you want to create other user accounts (either for yourself or others), see the section “Working with User Accounts,” later in this chapter. The classic logon method is labeled as secure for two specific reasons. First, you must always provide a password. Even though a blank password can be assigned, thus making an insecure account, the password field must be addressed at logon. Second, you must provide a valid username. By default, the last username to successfully log on will be displayed, but that’s the only user account name you get to see, unlike the Welcome logon screen which openly displays the names of all defined user accounts. If you see a Press

CTRL-ALT-DEL to logon

message, follow these steps:

1. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del. The Log On to Windows dialog box appears. 2. In the User name field, type in your user account name. 3. If your computer is not part of a network and you did not upgrade a system that had local user accounts with passwords, then you can ignore the password field. If you are a member of a network domain or using an account upgraded from a previous system, you’ll need to provide the password you used to log in before you upgraded to Windows XP. If you’ve forgotten your password, talk with your network administrator or jump to Chapter 28, “Managing Users,” or Chapter 33, “Troubleshooting and Repairing Windows XP.” 4. The logon location will be the same as the last successful user logon. If you are not sure what this was, click Options to reveal the Location pull-down list. Select the domain or local computer name (for standalone or workgroup). 5. Click OK to continue.

Those of you unfamiliar with processes involved in using a networked OS (like Windows XP) are no doubt finding much of this material, like managing accounts, or having to log on to your computer using an account, new to you. All you need to know for now is the following: • A domain is a logical collection of computers who are all members of the same network. A domain is centrally controlled—which means one (or few) server(s) define the domain, control access to resources, and verify your identity at logon (a.k.a. credential authorization). • The Administrator is a default user account on every Windows NT, 2000, and XP system which has full and unrestricted access to the system. The Administrator account is typically used to configure hardware and software, install new applications, and define user access to resources. If you’d like to know more about domains, please see Part IV where networking is discussed, and if you’d like to know more about the Administrator account take a look at Chapter 28.

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Changing the Default Logon Mode Changing the default Logon mode requires the following steps (note: this action can only be performed if the computer is not a domain member): 1. Click the Start button, and then click on Control Panel. The Control Panel appears. 2. In Category mode or Classic mode, click User Accounts. The User Accounts interface appears. If the User Accounts interface does not appear, your system probably is configured as a domain client. The layout and presentation of many aspects of Windows XP is different from any previous Microsoft OS. The default setting is to use the new XP layout, but if you prefer the more familiar look and feel of previous versions of Windows, look for options that let you display windows and dialog boxes like the Control Panel in “Classic mode.” This most often means returning to a Windows 2000 or Windows Me layout. The main difference between the two is that the Category mode displays links only to common actions that it has grouped into categories, whereas (in the case of the Control Panel) Classic mode displays all of the individual Control Panel applets.

3. Click on Change the Way Users Log On or Off. The Select Logon and Logoff options page appears, as shown in Figure 4.1. Figure 4.1 The Select logon and logoff options page of the User Accounts interface.

4. If you leave the Use the Welcome Screen box checked, the system will continue to use the Welcome logon screen in which you just choose an account by selecting it from the list of accounts available to that machine. If you uncheck the box, the system will use the classic logon method, in which you must type in the account to which you want to log in.

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5. If you leave the Use the Welcome Screen check box checked, an additional check box of Use Fast User Switching is available. This lets users quickly log on and off, while keeping their programs actively running and operating in the background. It’s an easy and efficient way for people to share a computer. 6. Click OK to save your changes and close the Select logon and logoff options. 7. Click the Red X button on the title bar to close the User Accounts interface and then do the same to close the Control Panel. Your changes will take effect the next time you log out and log back in. After you’ve logged in, it’s time to explore the user interface, or as Microsoft likes to call it, the user experience.

Working with User Accounts During the installation of Windows XP, you defined a password for the Administrator account. If you also defined additional user accounts during that process, Windows considers these accounts to be equal to the Administrator account. If you performed an upgrade install on a system with pre-existing user accounts, any pre-existing accounts were retained, and their access levels were converted into their XP equivalents. There are three types of local accounts available on Windows XP Pro:

If you purchase a system with XP pre-installed, the system will prompt you for a few specifics, such as a computer name and an administrator password, during the first bootup.

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Computer administrator—Can create, change, and delete user accounts; can make system level changes; can install programs; and can access all files

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Standard—Can make basic changes to computer settings, can install hardware and software if the installation does not affect restricted settings, and can access only personal files

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Limited—A restricted user with only minimal system access and no ability to alter system configuration

If your system is connected to a network, then when you are logged in to the domain you will be using a domain-level user account. There is always at least one user account on Windows XP—namely the Administrator account. This account is always protected by a password. There is also another default account, the Guest account. This account has restricted system access and can be disabled, so it may not always be available for use as a login. Plus, even if it is enabled, you won’t be able to make any system changes or even create other user accounts under its security restrictions.

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When performing normal tasks on your system, you should always log in with a standard user account instead of the Administrator account or any account with computer administrator level access. Why? Because it’s too easy to make a system level change that damages or significantly alters your system. By removing your ability to make sweeping changes you’ll limit your exposure to this risk.

Creating New User Accounts User account management is performed by the Administrator or any other user account with computer administrator level access. This access includes creating new users and altering the settings on existing users. Lets explore new user creation first: 1. Open the Control Panel by clicking on the Start menu, then clicking on Control Panel. The Control Panel appears. 2. Click on User Accounts. The User Accounts interface appears (see Figure 4.2). Figure 4.2 The User Accounts interface. Part

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3. Click Create a New Account. 4. The first prompt is for the name of the user account. Type a name into the field (for example, Joe or lab1user), and then click Next. Your account name may consist of upper- and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols except for /\[]”:;|+=,?*. The account name can be up to 20 characters long. 5. The second prompt is to select the access level for the account. Select the Standard radio button, and then click Create Account. 6. You’ll be returned to the User Accounts interface. The newly created user account will appear in the list of user accounts at the bottom on this window.

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Modifying an Existing Account After you create an account, there are several changes you can make to it that tailor it to that user’s needs. To alter the settings on an existing account from the User Accounts interface 1. With the User Accounts window open (as described in the previous section), click Change an Account. 2. Click on the name/icon of the account to alter. 3. A menu of options for this account is displayed (see Figure 4.3). Figure 4.3 The alter user account menu.

For a standard account, these include • Change the name • Change the picture • Change the account type • Create a password • Delete the account Click on one of these selections and follow the prompts to make the desired change to the selected account. 4. Once you complete altering the current account, click the Back button. This returns you to the account to change selection list. If you wish to alter a different account, go back to step 2. 5. If you are finished altering accounts, click the Back button again to return to the User Accounts interface. 6. Go ahead and click the X button to close the User Accounts windows, and then do the same for the Control Panel.

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Using Passwords By default, new accounts do not have passwords. After you define a password for an account, you are prompted for that password whenever you attempt to log on with that user account, whether through the Welcome screen or Ctrl+Alt+Del. Through the Welcome screen, if you forget your password, click on the ? button to obtain a hint (if you defined one when you created the password). The password hint is not accessible through the Ctrl+Alt+Del logon mode. You’ll want to create a unique user account for every user of this system. Plus, be sure to grant computer administrator access only to those users who actually need it, in other words, those users who will be installing a lot of hardware and software and performing systemwide configuration changes. Plus, if anyone is concerned about other users snooping into their stuff, define passwords for each user account. Password-protected user accounts are a necessity in office environments, but even if you’re using Windows XP Professional at home, it might be a blessing there, too.

There is a lot more to working with user accounts than what is described here. For more exhaustive coverage of user account management, please see Chapter 28, “Managing Users.”

Part

II When you first log on to Windows XP, you are deposited directly into your so-called Windows XP user experience. This consists of a desktop with a recycle bin and a taskbar with a Start menu and a clock/icon tray. Microsoft has finally provided a clean, elegant first logon screen. It’s up to you to populate your desktop and customize your environment to fit your needs, habits, and desires. This could be a little disconcerting at first if you are a veteran Windows user. You’ll wonder where the icons such as My Computer, Internet Explorer, and Network Neighborhood are. Don’t worry, you’ll figure out other ways to get to these, and you can add them to the desktop later. But for now you can access them through the Start menu.

Using Windows XP—the User Experience Windows XP has a familiar yet different user interface. Most of the visual aspects of the desktop environment have been updated, but you’ll find most of the tools and applications you remember from Windows 9x and Windows 2000 right where you expect. The new interface or user experience is called Luna. Luna includes visual updates and improvements to all native dialog boxes, displays, windows, and interfaces. Most notably these changes are seen on the Start menu, the taskbar, the Explorer, and the Control Panel. If you want the older stylings of previous Windows versions (mainly Windows 2000 era visual stylings), revert to the “classic” style. However, we highly recommend giving the new look and feel a try for a week or so. We did, and we love it.

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Microsoft’s visual palette has moved from a flat gray to include brilliant blues and subtle offwhites. In addition, Microsoft has rounded the corners of windows, added 3D icons, and added action centers (that is, tasks and commands focused on content) everywhere. The result is not only eye-pleasing, but elegantly simple to work with. But even with all the enhancements, everything still seems to have a similar function or placement to that of Windows 2000 and not too different from Windows 9x or Me. Thus, you’ll easily leverage your existing experience and expertise in navigating and operating Windows XP. After a few days, you’ll soon forget how you got by without all these useful improvements.

For a nearly exhaustive list of keyboard shortcuts for navigating and controlling aspects of Windows XP, check out the “Windows keyboard shortcuts overview” document, available through the Help and Support Center. Just click Start, Help; type in the title in the Search field; and then click the green arrow. It should appear under Full-text Search Matches, so click on that button in the Search Results to get to it.

However, Windows is more than just an operating system and graphical user interface. Like other versions of Windows, Windows XP includes a broad collection of useful programs, from a simple arithmetic calculator to fancy system and network management tools. This list also includes a word-processing program called WordPad, a drawing program called Paint, Internet Explorer for cruising the Web, Outlook Express for e-mail, MovieMaker for creating digital movies, NetMeeting for video and telephone conferencing over the Internet, CD burning software that lets you create your own CDs, a DVD playback tool, utilities for keeping your hard disk in good working order, and a data-backup program—just to name a few.

Parts of the Windows XP Screen At this point, you should be booted and signed in. After you’ve logged in, Windows XP deposits you in its basic environment (called the desktop). You’ll probably notice two things almost immediately: first, the taskbar at the bottom of the screen, and second, an empty (or nearly so) desktop (see Figure 4.4). The taskbar is the central control mechanism for the Windows XP user experience. It hosts the Start menu, the Quick Launch bar, active program buttons, the system tray, and the clock. The only item that is present on your desktop is the Recycle Bin, although if you purchased a computer system with XP pre-installed, you might see other icons as well. Notice that it’s now located by default in the bottom right corner. (That’s awfully Macintosh-ish, don’t you think?)

If you or someone else has used your Windows XP setup already, it’s possible that some open windows will come up on the screen automatically when Windows boots (starts up). It’s also possible that you’ll see more icons on the Desktop than what’s shown in Figure 4.4, depending on the options chosen when Windows XP was installed, whether other applications were loaded before upgrading, and whether custom shortcuts to the desktop have been defined.

Using Windows XP—the User Experience

Figure 4.4

Desktop

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Icon

The default desktop with the Start menu open.

Start menu

Part Quick Launch bar

Taskbar

System tray

There are three primary areas of the screen to explore: the desktop, icons, and the taskbar. All you really must know to use Windows XP’s interface are these essential building blocks and how to manipulate a window and its commands. If you’ve been using Windows 3.x, 9x, NT, or 2000, then you already know the latter. You just need to be brought up to speed on the advanced XP interface specifics. As mentioned in the introduction, for the purposes of this book, we assume that you have basic Windows proficiency and have been using Windows 9x, NT, or 2000. Therefore, we skip subjects such as how to click using the mouse, what double-clicking is, and how to scroll a window. (If you need this level of hand-holding, you may want to find a beginner’s book, such as Easy Windows XP, instead.)

The Desktop Let’s start with the desktop. This is your home base while doing your work in Windows. It is always on the screen as the backdrop (whether you see it or not) and you can deposit files and folders right on it for storage. It’s analogous to a real desktop in this way. It also serves as a handy temporary holding area for files you might be copying from, say, a floppy disk to a hard disk folder. The Recycle Bin holds deleted work objects such as files and folders until you empty it (with caveats). Just as in previous versions of Windows (or the Mac for that matter, if you’re coming from that background), you’ll do all your work in Windows XP using graphical representations of your files and applications (called icons).

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All the desktop icons you are familiar with from Windows 9x and 2000 have been moved to the Start menu. You can gain access to My Computer, My Documents, and My Network Places with a simple click on the Start button. If you revert to the previous Windows 2000 Start menu (called classic), then these items reappear on the desktop (see Chapter 23’s section titled “Start Menu Pizzazz!”). In either case, you control which icons or shortcuts appear on your desktop. You can add icons and shortcuts to your desktop to you heart’s content. However, Windows XP doesn’t want to let things stay cluttered. So, if you fail to use any of the items on your desktop for more than 60 days, the Desktop Cleanup Wizard is launched automatically to prod you into removing unused items or moving them into the Unused Desktop Shortcuts folder. This folder appears on the desktop automatically after the Desktop Cleanup wizard is used to remove unused shortcuts. When the Desktop Cleanup Wizard launches, just follow the wizard’s prompts to select which icons to remove (or, more specifically, move into the Unused Desktop Shortcuts folder).

The Recycle Bin The Recycle Bin acts a bit like the waste paper basket at the side of your desk. After you throw something into it, it’s basically trash to be thrown out, however you can still retrieve items from it if you get there before the cleaning staff takes empties it and throws it away for good. Within Windows XP, the Recycle Bin holds those files you’ve deleted using Windows Explorer, My Computer, or the Open/Save As dialog boxes. It does not capture files deleted by third-party tools, files deleted from floppies or network drives, files removed with an uninstall program or from DOS boxes, and DOS files running in a DOS box. The Recycle Bin has limited storage capacity. By default, it retains deleted files that total up to 10% of the total capacity of each hard drive on your computer. When the maximum size of the Recycle Bin is reached, the oldest files are permanently removed from the hard drive to make room for newly deleted files. The size of the Recycle Bin can be customized as a percentage across all drives or as a unique size on each individual volume. The Recycle Bin is customized through its Properties dialog box (see Figure 4.5). The configuration options are discussed in Chapter 23, “Tweaking the GUI,” but if you want to get there now, just right-click over the Recycle Bin icon and select Properties from the pop-up menu. After a file is removed from the Recycle Bin, it cannot be recovered using native tools. You must restore the files from a backup, use a third-party recover tool (which often needs to be in place before the file is deleted), or live without the lost files. If you don’t want your excess trash sitting around, you can also configure the system to bypass the Recycle Bin entirely so that it permanently deletes files immediately instead of granting you a recovery period. To restore a file still retained in the Recycle Bin, double-click the desktop icon to open the Recycle Bin, locate and select the file to restore, and then issue the Restore command from the File menu or the Recycle Bin Tasks list (see Figure 4.6). The file/folder(s) will be returned to its original location.

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Figure 4.5 The Recycle Bin Properties dialog box.

Figure 4.6 Restoring a file from the Recycle Bin.

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You can also manually empty the Recycle Bin. This is often a useful activity before defragmenting your hard drive or just wanting to permanently delete files and folders. The Empty Recycle Bin command, found in the right-click pop-up menu for the icon, the File menu (be sure no items are selected, otherwise the File menu’s context changes to file/folder restore operations), and the Recycle Bin Tasks list of the Recycle Bin interface, is used to clear out all files being retained.

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Don’t try moving program files unless you know that they have not registered themselves with the operating system and they can harmlessly be moved around between folders. If you must move applications, use a tool specifically designed for this. The tool MagicMover from PowerQuest, a program bundled with PartitionMagic (see www.powerquest.com), was able to perform this task for Windows 2000 systems. PowerQuest has released an updated version of PartitionMagic that does support Windows XP.

Icons As you almost certainly know, the small graphical representations of your programs and files are called icons. Windows XP uses icons to represent folders, documents, programs, and groups of settings (such as dial-up connections). Graphically, icons got a 3D facelift in Windows XP, even when compared to their Windows 2000 counterparts. In most cases, the default icon displayed for an object somewhat represents the function of that object.

In recent versions of Windows Microsoft has begun using the term “folder” instead of “directory”. They want to focus your thoughts toward the idea of your files being stored on the hard drive in a manner similar to that of a filing cabinet for manila folders. While we think this analogy is helpful, we don’t always stick to Microsoft-speak. So, if you see “folder” or “directory” anywhere in this book, keep in mind we consider them to be the same thing.

Icons are either objects themselves or they are shortcuts. A shortcut is a means to gain access to an object from multiple locations throughout the environment. Shortcuts are the preferred mechanism by which access to the same object is achieved from multiple locations, rather than making duplicate copies of the original object or application. Duplicating the object often causes version problems, such as never knowing which one has your most recent changes, and difficulties in upgrading or replacing applications. Shortcuts eliminate these issues and take up less space. You could have thousands of shortcuts pointing to the same application or document and still save drive space! Additionally, a shortcut can define alternative launching parameters, such as default directories, command line parameters, compatibility mode, and so on. To alter the settings of a shortcut, just right-click and select Properties from the pop-up menu.

Compatibility mode is a nifty new feature that enables Windows XP to support a wider range of software products than Windows 95 and Windows NT combined. A compatibility mode is simply a designation for a software platform emulation environment. In other words, when an application is launched with compatibility mode enabled, a virtual machine representing that application’s native environment (Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, or Windows 2000) is created in such a way

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that the application is fooled into thinking that it is the only application present on the computer system running its preferred OS. Don’t fret that I didn’t include MS-DOS or Windows 16-bit (Windows 3.x) applications in that list of environments. Those are already automatically launched into their own virtual machine. That is discussed in Chapter 23, “Tweaking the GUI.”

Dialog Box Changes The Open and Save dialog boxes (a.k.a. file or browse dialog boxes) for most applications still offer the same shortcuts and controls as those of Windows 9x, Me, and 2000. This typically includes a shortcut menu to History, Desktop, My Documents, My Computer, and My Network Places. You’ll also still find the Look In pull-down list with quick selections for local drives, user home directories, shared folders, and more. Not all applications that function on Windows XP will offer a fully enhanced file dialog box. Many dialog boxes have tabs. These often appear at the top of a dialog box, like the tabs for General and Sharing shown in Figure 4.7. Tabs are used to offer multiple pages or displays of controls within a single smaller window. Many of the configuration settings dialog boxes have tabs, so watch for them. To select another tab, just click on it. In some cases, tabs are easy to miss. The new color scheme and display enhancements don’t always direct your eyes to tabs. Figure 4.7 A properties dialog box containing tabs you can click to see additional settings.

My Computer and Windows Explorer My Computer and Windows Explorer are still present with many of the same functions and features as in previous versions of Windows, but a few interesting enhancements have been made. Yes, Windows Explorer is still hidden away in the Accessories area of the Start menu. Microsoft wants to draw your attention away from how files are managed on the hard drive and to direct your attention to how documents are arranged within your personal folders (such as My Documents, My Pictures, and so on). My Computer and Windows Explorer are used to access the folder structure of your hard drives to locate files. Through these tools you can move, copy, delete, rename, create new, and more.

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Surprisingly, Windows XP still includes a Program Manager from the days of Windows 3.x. It’s there for full backward compatibility for applications. If you want to work with it, just execute Progman.exe in the Start, Run box. Keep in mind that File Manager doesn’t work with long filenames. Also, it doesn’t have the capability to exploit the advances in the interface, such as links to the Web, and lacks flexibility in cutting, copying, and pasting objects between locations, including networked workstations.

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WebView WebView is Microsoft’s attempt to make your local content integrate as seamlessly as possible with Internet-based content. This integration offers the benefits of more information displayed within the interface by default and quick access to common activities. For example, a single click can initiate a file or folder rename, a move or copy, or even the deletion of a selected item (or items).

In the chapters on using the Internet (Chapters 8–14), we’ll cover the ins and outs of getting connected, browsing the Web, using search engines, creating and serving Web pages, and using e-mail, newsgroups, and so forth. However, what’s relevant here is how the Windows XP WebView affects how you work with files and folders.

The WebView display option for Windows Explorer and My Computer has been greatly improved. No longer a direct annoyance, WebView finally offers useful information, true content-directed capabilities, and easier data object manipulation. What does this all mean? Well, it means that doing the things you normally do with files and folders will be easier than ever before. Basically, WebView transforms the interfaces of your file and folder utilities into more Web-like mechanisms. They offer graphical representations of objects, they display more details about the selected objects, and most of the functions or commands are single-click activated. Figure 4.8 shows Windows Explorer in WebView. WebView gives you access to common tasks related to files and folders. In addition to the list of quick access tasks, WebView displays a quick access panel that allows you to jump quickly to other resource locations. The Details section displays basic information about a selected item, such as ■

The selected item’s name and type (such as document, folder, application, and so on)

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The date on which it was most recently modified

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Its size, author, and other item-specific information

Much of this information also appears in a ToolTip when the mouse cursor is placed over an object.

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Figure 4.8 Windows Explorer in WebView.

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Your desktop is “active.” It can display Web page information (such as your home page) or streaming data gathered from the Internet, such as news, weather reports, traffic reports, stock tickers, and so on.

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My Computer and Windows Explorer have Back, Forward, Search, and History buttons, just like a Web browser.

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The toolbars in folder and Explorer windows are customizable and have address lines, just like a browser. You can type in a Web address, hit Enter (or click Go), and the window will adjust appropriately to display the content. If you enter a Web address, that page will display. If you enter a drive letter (C:, for example), its contents will be displayed.

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Every folder on your system can be customized with a background color, picture, hot links, instructions, and so forth. Basic customizations are made without knowledge of HTML coding, through a wizard.

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Many of the Windows preset folders already have hot links to relevant sites, help files, and troubleshooting tools.

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WebView can be fully customized with unique icons for each folder and file, different display layouts for each folder, and thumbnails of album art on music files.

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Windows XP is able to navigate the contents of compressed archives, such as zip files, without a third party utility. Archive files act like compressed folders.

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There are many more features and options in the interface, but we’ll get to those in the sections on customizing with the Control Panel, as well as in the Windows Explorer and My Computer coverage. Also, Chapter 23, “Tweaking the GUI,” covers even more ways to change the interface. WebView is enabled by default on Windows XP. But, if you decide you would rather live without WebView, it is not difficult to return to the Classic style of Windows 2000’s interfaces. WebView is enabled and disabled through the Folder Options Control Panel applet, by choosing Tools, Folder Options from any My Computer or Windows Explorer window. As shown in Figure 4.9, WebView is enabled or disabled on the General tab of the Folder Options Control Panel applet. This is a systemwide change. Once WebView is disabled, it is disabled on all Windows Explorer and My Computer windows. Figure 4.9 The General tab of the Folder Options Control Panel applet.

If you’re the controlling type, you might want to fine-tune other aspects of your folders’ behavior. Go back to the Folder Options applet, and then select the View tab. You’ll see a bevy of options that affect how folders and their contents are displayed. Change any settings you like. (Some of these are pretty technical, though. If you don’t understand a setting, don’t touch it.) We’ll check out most of these in Chapter 23.

Selecting Several Items On most lists, especially within My Computer and Windows Explorer, not to mention the file and browser dialog boxes, you can select multiple items at once to save time. The normal rules of selection apply: ■

Draw a box around them by clicking and holding over empty space near the first item then drag across and over the desired selections until all are highlighted and/or contained within the selection box, and then release the mouse button.

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Select the first of the items, hold down the Ctrl key, and click to select each additional object you want to work with. Use this technique to select a bunch of noncontiguous items.

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Select the first of the items, hold down the Shift key, and click the last item. This selects the entire range of objects between the starting and ending points.

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After several items are selected (they will be highlighted), right-clicking any one of the objects will bring up the Cut, Copy, Paste menu. The option you choose will apply to all the selected items. Also, clicking anywhere outside of the selected items will deselect them all, and Ctrl-clicking (or pointing) to one selected object will deselect it.

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Take a look at the Edit menu in any folder window. There are two commands at the bottom of the menu: Select All and Invert Selection. These can be useful when you want to select a group of files. Suppose you want to select all but two files; select the two you don’t want and then choose Edit, Invert Selection.

Drag-and-drop support is implemented uniformly across the Windows XP interface. In general, if you want something placed somewhere else, you can drag it from the source to the destination. For example, you can drag items from the Search box into a folder or onto the desktop, or you can add a picture attachment to an e-mail you’re composing by dragging the picture file into the new e-mail’s window. Also, the destination folder does not have to be open in a window. Items dropped onto a closed folder icon are added to that folder. You can also drag-and-drop items via the taskbar by dragging an item over an application button and waiting a second for that application to be brought to the forefront. You can also drop items into the Start menu to add them to the listings, or drop items over desktop icons to open them with the application onto which you drop the item (assuming the application supports the object’s file type). Arranging your screen so you can see source and destination is graphically lovely and intuitively reassuring, because you can see the results of the process. However, it’s not always the easiest. Once you get familiar with the interface, you’ll want to try the Cut, Copy, and Paste methods of moving files and folders.

Don’t try moving program files unless you know they have not registered themselves with the operating system and they can harmlessly be moved around between folders. If you must move applications, use a tool specifically designed for this, such as MagicMover from PowerQuest, a program bundled with PartitionMagic (see www.powerquest.com).

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Putting Items on the Desktop The Desktop is a convenient location for either permanent or temporary storage of items. Many folks use the Desktop as a home for often-used documents and program shortcuts. I’m quite fond of using the Desktop as an intermediary holding tank when moving items between drives, computers, or to and from floppy disks. It’s particularly good for pulling found items out of a Search window or other folder while awaiting final relocation elsewhere. Here are some quick notes about use of the Desktop that you should know about. For starters, you can send a shortcut of an object to the Desktop very easily by right-clicking it and choosing Send To, Desktop (thus creating the shortcut). Second, remember that the Desktop is nothing magical. Actually, it’s just another folder with a few additional properties, prime among them is active Internet-based information, such as stock tickers, weather, and the like. Also, each user on the machine can have his/her own Desktop setup, with icons, background colors, screen saver, and such. The major feature of the Desktop is that whatever you put on it is always available by minimizing or closing open windows or more easily by clicking the Show Desktop button on the Quick Launch bar. Keep in mind that some items cannot be moved onto the Desktop—only their shortcuts can. (For example, if you try dragging a Control Panel applet to the Desktop, you’ll see a message stating that you cannot copy or move the item to this location.) If you must be able to access a Control Panel applet from the Desktop, the answer is clear in this case because you don’t really have a choice. Just create a shortcut to the applet and place it on the Desktop. However, in other cases when you’re copying and moving items around, particularly when using the right-click method, you’ll be presented with the options of copying, moving, or creating a shortcut to the item. What’s the best choice? Here are a few reminders about shortcuts. Remember that they work just as well as the objects they point to (for example, the program or document file), yet take up much less space on the hard disk. For this reason, they’re generally a good idea. What’s more, you can have as many shortcuts scattered about for a given object as you want. Therefore, for a program or folder you use a lot, put its shortcuts wherever you need them—put one on the Desktop, one on the Quick Launch bar, one on the Start menu, and another in a folder of your favorite programs on the Desktop. Make up shortcuts for other objects you use a lot, such as folders, disk drives, network drives and printers, and Web links. From Internet Explorer, for example, drag the little blue E icon that precedes a URL in the address bar out to the Desktop to save it as a shortcut. Clicking it will bring up the Web page.

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Remember that shortcuts are not the item they point to. They’re aliases only. Therefore, copying a document’s shortcut to a floppy or a network drive or adding it as an attachment to an email doesn’t copy the document itself. If you want to send a document to some colleagues, don’t make the mistake of sending them the shortcut unless it’s something they’ll have access to over the LAN or Web. If it’s a shortcut to, say, a word-processing document or folder, they’ll have nothing to open.

The link between shortcuts and the objects they point to can be broken. This happens typically when the true object is erased or moved. Clicking the shortcut can result in an error message. In Windows 2000 and in Windows XP, this problem is addressed in an ingenious way. Shortcuts automatically adjusted when linked objects are moved. The operating system keeps track of all shortcuts and attempts to prevent breakage. Shortcut “healing” is built into Windows XP for those situations where the automated recover mechanism fails. If you’re in doubt about the nature of a given shortcut, try looking at its properties. You may find it telling, or at least interesting. Right-click the shortcut and choose Properties. Clicking on Find Target will locate the object the shortcut links to and will display it in a folder window. Part

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To quickly bring up the Properties dialog box for most objects in the Windows GUI, you can highlight the object and press Alt+Enter.

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Saving Files on the Desktop from a Program Because the desktop is a convenient place to plop files and folders, modern applications’ Save As boxes list the desktop as a destination option. Even if the app’s dialog box doesn’t have the desktop icon in the left pane, the drop-down list at the top of the box will have it. If you are using a very old legacy application (such as those for Windows 3.x), you may need to manually locate the desktop folder within the file system. It’s located on the same drive as the main Windows directory, in \Documents and Settings\<username>\Desktop (where <username> is the name of the user account). Locating the desktop in a Windows 3.x program’s Save As box is a pain, because long filenames will be truncated to 8.3-style names and have ~ marks imposed on them. Here’s how that works: For 16-bit programs, Windows removes spaces, shortens long names to six characters, and inserts a ~ character and then a number. If two files have the same first six characters (for example, Bob’s resume and Bob’s resume revised), the number is incremented for the second file. Therefore, those files appear as bobres~1 and bobres~2.

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The location of the desktop folder for a user will not be on the local machine if IntelliMirror is being used on a network using Windows 2000 or Windows .NET Server in such a way that the user’s desktop will follow him or her from workstation to workstation. In this case, the desktop will be in a folder on the server and will be more difficult to locate from an old-style Save As dialog box. Just use another folder to save the file and then move it to the desktop using My Computer or Windows Explorer.

Properties and the Right-Click Ever since Windows 95, a common theme that unites items within Windows is the aspect called properties. Properties are pervasive throughout Windows 9x, Windows NT 4, Windows 2000, and now Windows XP. The Properties dialog boxes provide a means for making changes to the behavior, appearance, security level, ownership, and other aspects of objects throughout the operating system. Object properties apply to everything from individual files to folders, printers, peripherals, screen appearance, the computer itself, or a network or workgroup. All these items have property sheets that allow you to easily change various settings. For example, you might want to alter whether a printer is the default printer or whether a folder on your hard disk is shared for use by coworkers on the LAN. A typical set of properties is shown in Figure 4.10, which displays the properties for the D: drive (hard disk) on a computer. Notice that there are several tab pages on this dialog box. Some property dialogs only have a single page, whereas others may have many. Figure 4.10 A typical Properties dialog box for a hard disk.

Property sheets are very useful and often serve as shortcuts for modifying settings that otherwise would take you into the Control Panel or through some other circuitous route. With some document files (for example, Word files), you can examine many settings that apply to the file, such as the creation date, author, editing history, and so forth. A typical printer’s property sheet contains security, color management, location, name, and share status information. You can even change your screen colors, display resolution, screen savers, and more

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by right-clicking over the desktop and clicking Properties from the pop-up menu. This opens the Display applet without having to traverse the Control Panel. Although everyday users might not have need for property sheets, power users certainly will. As you use property sheets, you’ll also become familiar with and accustomed to another aspect of the Windows XP interface: the right-click. Until Windows 9x, the left (primary) mouse button was the one you did all your work with unless you were using a program that specifically utilized the other buttons, such as some art programs. However, Windows 9x instituted the use of the right-click to bring up various “context-sensitive” menus in programs and throughout the interface. These have been incorporated into Windows XP. Here are some typical uses of right-click context menus: ■

Sharing a folder on the network

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Changing the name of your hard disk and checking its free space

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Changing a program’s icon

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Creating a new folder

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Setting the desktop’s colors, background, screen saver, and so on

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Adjusting the date and time of the clock quickly

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Closing an application by right-clicking on its icon in the taskbar and choosing Close

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Displaying a font’s technical details

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Renaming an object

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Accessing an object’s Properties dialog box

As an example of the right-click, simply get to an empty place on the Desktop and right-click on it. Right by the cursor, you’ll see a menu that looks like the one shown in Figure 4.11. Notice that you can slide up and down the menu to make choices. Choose Properties down at the bottom of the list. You’ll see the Properties settings for the your desktop (as well as general video display, screen saver, and other related items). By the way, many menus (Start, menu bar, pop-up, and so on) have commands with a small arrow to one side. If you highlight one of these commands, a submenu will fly open, hence the term fly-open menu. Here are some other examples of useful right-click activities: ■

Right-clicking on any window’s title bar produces a menu containing the Restore, Move, Size, Minimize, Maximize, and Close commands.

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Right-clicking on and dragging an icon from the Explorer or a folder onto the desktop reveals a pop-up menu with the options Copy Here, Move Here, Create Shortcuts Here, and Cancel.

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In many applications, selecting text and then right-clicking produces an edit menu at the cursor location that lets you choose Cut, Copy, or Paste.

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Figure 4.11 An example of a rightclick menu, this one from an empty location on the desktop. Notice how it contains fly-open menus.

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Right-clicking an empty area of the taskbar gives you a menu that lets you manage the display of all the windows you have open. For example, you can tile all open windows or set the properties of the taskbar. (The taskbar is discussed in more detail later in this chapter.)

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In the Explorer, right-clicking on a file lets you work with it in various ways, depending on the file type. You can open the document, send it to an e-mail recipient, run a program, install or set up a utility such as a screen saver, play a sound file, and so forth.

If you want to use Windows most efficiently, make a habit of right-clicking on objects to see what pops up. You may be surprised to see how much time you save with the resulting shortcuts.

Starting with this chapter, we’re going to assume that you understand the choice between single-click mode and double-click mode. Some of the figures in the book might have icons, files, or other object names underlined, whereas other may not, based on what mode the computer was set in when the screen shots were grabbed. Don’t let it throw you. When we say “double-click something,” we mean run it or open it by whatever technique is applicable based on your click setting. Also, when we say “click on it,” that means select it. Remember that if you have single-clicking turned on, just hover the pointer over (that is, point to) the item to select it. Generally, we will be working from the defaults set by Microsoft.

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Using the Folders Bar (A.K.A. Windows Explorer) For a bird’s-eye view of your computer, turning on the Folders bar is the way to go. It makes copying, moving, and examining all the contents of your computer easier than navigating up and down the directory tree through folders. If you’re doing housekeeping, copying and moving items around from one folder to another or across the network, or hopping back and forth between viewing Web pages and your local hard disk, mastering this view will serve you well. You probably remember that the folder view was introduced with Windows 95 in the form of Windows Explorer, and although it’s still in XP under that name, it’s not featured as much as it used to be. This is because the functionality of Windows Explorer can be added to all folder windows (such as My Computer) simply by clicking on the Folders button in the toolbar. The Folder View paradigm affords significant power and flexibility in file and folder control, and has been adopted by Microsoft and other software makers for other classes of programs. For example, right-click on My Computer and choose Manage. The resulting application (Computer Management) uses the same approach, as do many Web pages. For everyday file and folder management, I prefer Folder View over the usual folder system, which can clutter your screen with numerous overlapping windows when you have lots of them open. Instead, with Folder View (call it Windows Explorer, if you wish), whether you want to examine the Control Panel, the local area network, the Internet, your hard disk, or the Recycle Bin, it can all be done with a minimum of effort from the Explorer. Folder View also makes copying and moving files between far-flung folders and drives a snap. To recap, you can get to the Windows Explorer in two ways: ■

Open My Computer (or any folder) and choose View, Explorer Bar, Folders (or easier yet, click on the Folders button in the toolbar).

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Click Start, All Programs, Accessories, Windows Explorer.

Figure 4.12 shows the folders that appear on my own computer in Folder View. Tip from

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As an easy way into Windows Explorer, I always keep a shortcut to it on the Quick Launch bar or on the Desktop (see Chapter 23 for how to use the Quick Launch bar). Another trick is to right-click the Start button and choose Explore. This brings up the Windows Explorer, too.

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Figure 4.12 The basic Windows Explorer screen, showing the computer’s major components on the left and the contents on the right.

Displaying the Contents of Your Computer When you use Folder View (or run Windows Explorer), all the objects constituting your computer appear in the list on the left. Some of those objects have a plus sign (+) next to them, which means the object is collapsed; it contains subitems that aren’t currently showing. For example, the hard disk drives (C: and D:) shown in Figure 4.12 are collapsed. So are My Network Places and My Documents. Click an item in the left pane to see its contents in the right pane. If the item has a plus sign, click it to open up the sublevels in the left pane, showing you the relationship of the folders and other items in a tree arrangement. In the figure, you can see that the Bob’s Documents folder has been opened in this way. Notice that the + is replaced with a minus (-) sign, indicating that the object’s display has been expanded. Clicking the minus sign causes that branch to collapse. If you open a local disk drive or disk across the network, you can quickly get a graphical representation of the disk’s folder layout. Then, click a folder to see its contents. By rightclicking on disks, folders, or files, you can examine and set properties for them. The straight lines connecting folders indicate how they’re related. If you have more folders than can be seen at one time, the window will have a scrollbar that you can use to scroll the tree up and down. Notice that there are two scrollbars—one for the left pane and one for the right. These scroll independently of one another—a feature that can be very useful when you’re copying items from one folder or drive to another.

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Working with Objects in Folder View Working with folders and files in this view is simple. As explained previously, you just click an item in the left pane, and its contents appear in the right pane. Choose the view (Large Icons, Small Icons, and so on) for the right pane using either the toolbar’s View button or the View menu. In Details view, you can sort the items by clicking the column headings. When they’re displayed, you can drag items to other destinations, such as a local hard disk, a floppy drive, or a networked drive. You can drag and drop files, run programs, open documents that have a program association, and use right-click menu options for various objects. For example, you can right-click files or folders and choose Send To, 3 1/2 Floppy to copy items to a floppy disk. I use the Send To, Mail Recipient option all the time, to send attachments to people via e-mail. With a typical hard disk containing many files, when its folders are all listed in the left pane, some will be offscreen. Because the two panes have independent scrollbars, dragging items between distant folders is not a problem. Here’s the game plan: 1. Be sure the source and destination folders are open and visible in the left pane, even if you have to scroll the pane up and down. For example, a network drive should be expanded, with its folders showing (using and mapping network drives are covered in Chapter 17). 2. Click the source folder in the left pane. Now its contents appear to the right. 3. Scroll the left pane up or down to expose the destination folder. (Click only the scrollbar, not a folder in the left pane; if you do, it will change the displayed items on the right side.) 4. In the right pane, locate and drag the items over to the left, landing on the destination folder. The folder must be highlighted; otherwise, you’ve aimed wrong. This technique will suffice most of the time. Sometimes it’s too much of a nuisance to align everything for dragging. In that case, use the cut/copy-and-paste technique discussed earlier in the chapter. Remember, you can copy and paste across your home LAN as well as between your local drives. Here are a few tips when selecting folders: ■

Only one folder can be selected at a time in the left pane. If you want to select multiple folders, click the parent folder (such as the drive icon) and select the folders in the right pane. Use the same techniques described earlier for making multiple selections.

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When a folder is selected in the left pane, its name becomes highlighted. This is a reminder of which folder’s contents are showing in the right pane.

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You can jump quickly to a folder’s name by typing its first letter on the keyboard. If there’s more than one folder with the same first letter, each press of the key will advance to the next choice.

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The fastest way to collapse all the branches of a given drive is to click that drive’s plus sign.

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You can quickly rearrange a drive’s folder structure in the left pane by dragging folders around. You can’t drag disk drives, but you can create shortcuts for them (for example, a network drive) by dragging them to, say, the Desktop.

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If a folder has subfolders, those will appear in the right pane as folder icons. Clicking one of those will open it as though you had clicked that subfolder in the left pane.

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When dragging items to collapsed folders (ones with a plus sign), hovering the pointer over the folder for a second will open it.

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You can use the right-click-drag technique when dragging items if you want the option of clearly choosing Copy, Move, or Create Shortcut when you drop the item on the target.

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To create a new folder, in the left pane, click the folder under which you want to create the new folder. Right-click in the right pane and choose New, Folder.

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Delete a folder by right-clicking on it and choosing Delete. You’ll be asked to confirm.

Although powerful, the Folder View is also dangerous. It makes accidental rearrangement of your hard disk’s folders extremely easy. When selecting folders, be careful to not accidentally drag them! The icons are small, and this is easy to do accidentally, especially over in the left pane. A little flick of the wrist and a click of the mouse, and you’ve dragged one folder on top of another folder. This makes it a subfolder of the target. Remember, the left pane is “live” too. Rearranging the directory tree could make programs and files hard to find and even make some programs not work. If you think you’ve accidentally dragged a folder (its subfolders will go, too) into the wrong place, open the Edit menu. The first choice will probably read Undo Move. Choose it, and the folders or files you dragged will be returned to their previous locations.

The Taskbar, the Start Menu, and Other Tools The taskbar is the command center for your user environment under Windows XP. With few or no desktop icons after initial setup, everything you do within Windows XP has to start with the taskbar. The taskbar (refer to Figure 4.4) is host to several other highly useful tools, such as the Start menu, the Quick Launch bar, the open application buttons, and the system tray. The Start menu is the control center for Windows XP. Most native applications and installed applications will have an icon within the Start menu used to launch or access them. The Start menu has two columns of access elements. The left column includes Internet and E-mail access on top and a list of most recently used applications on bottom. By default, it displays the six most recently accessed applications. A fresh installation of Windows XP will include pre-stocked items in this list, such as Windows Media Player, MSN Explorer, Windows Movie Maker, Tour Windows XP, and Files and Settings Transfer Wizard. This leaves room for only a single recently accessed application. These prestocked items will eventually disappear, but that can take up to 60 days. You can forcibly remove them one at a time by issuing the Remove from This List command from the right-click pop-up menu.

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At the bottom of the left column is All Programs, which is an access point to the rest of the Start menu. Those of you from Windows 9x/Me/NT/2000 will recognize this as the Programs section of their Start menus. The Start menu’s right column lists My Documents, My Recent Documents, My Pictures, My Music, My Computer, My Network Places, Control Panel, Printers and Faxes, Help and Support, Search, and Run. Below both columns are the Log Off and Shut Down buttons. Log Off is used to either fully log off the system or switch user contexts. The Shut Down command is used to power down (turn off), restart, or hibernate the computer.

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Pressing Ctrl+Esc or the Windows key opens the Start menu as though you clicked the Start button. Once open, navigate using the arrow keys. The Enter key is used to launch or access the selected item.

& The top-level of the Start menu is managed by the system itself; you don’t get to change what is displayed there, other than launching applications so they show up in the mostrecently used (MRU) list. It should be obvious that clicking on any of the items listed on the Start menu either launches an application or opens a new dialog box or menu. Most of the items on the top-level of the Start menu are discussed later in this chapter. The organization of the All Programs section of the Start menu can be altered as you see fit. This is done through a series of drag-and-drop operations. New items are added to the Start menu by dragging the item from My Computer or Windows Explorer over the Start menu button, then over All Programs, and then to the location where you wish to drop it. The Start menu can even be manipulated from as a set of files and shortcuts through My Computer or Windows Explorer. You’ll need to go to the system root (usually C:, but it could be anything on multi-boot systems), and drill down through to \Documents and Settings\<username>\Start Menu\Programs (where <username> is the name of the user account whose Start menu you wish to modify). The area immediately to the right of the Start menu is the Quick Launch Bar. Microsoft sticks links to Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player here by default, as well as the Show Desktop tool, which minimizes all open windows. You can add your own link just by dragging and dropping an application icon over this area. The Quick Launch Bar is not enabled by default. To enable this handy tool, open Taskbar and Start Menu Properties, select the Taskbar tab, and then mark the Show Quick Launch check box. To the far right on the taskbar is the system tray. Some services, OS functions, and applications place icons into this area. These icons provide both instant access to functions and settings as well as status displays. For example, when working on a portable system, a battery will appear in the system tray that indicates how much juice is left. The clock is also located in the system tray.

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Between the Quick Launch Bar and the system tray are the active application buttons. These are grouped by similarity, not by order of launch. Plus, if the taskbar becomes crowded, multiple instances of similar applications will be cascaded into a single button.

You can reposition the taskbar on the right, left, or top of the screen. Just click any part of the taskbar other than a button and drag it to the edge of your choice. The Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box includes a locking option to prevent the taskbar from being moved accidentally. Be sure to deselect this option before attempting to relocate the taskbar (right-click the taskbar and clear the check mark next to the Lock the Taskbar option).

You can further control and modify the taskbar and Start menu through their Properties dialog boxes.

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For more information on customizing the taskbar and Start menu, see Chapter 23, “Tweaking the GUI.”

Running Your Applications If you’re just upgrading from Windows 9x, you already know how to run applications, how to switch between them, and how to manage them. But, if you are new to Windows OSes, here is a quick how-to guide.

How to Launch Your Apps Applications are launched under Windows XP in a number of different ways, as is the case with many other things in Windows. You’ll probably end up employing the technique that best fits the occasion. To run an application, perform one of the following tasks (ranked in order of ease of use): ■

Use the Start button to find the desired application from the resulting menus.

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Drag an application shortcut to the Quick Launch bar at the bottom of the screen and click it to run.

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Open My Computer or Windows Explorer, browse through your folders to find the application’s icon, and double-click it.

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Run the old-style Windows 3.x Program Manager, open the group that contains the application’s icon, and double-click it. To open Program Manager, execute progman from the Run command.

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Find the application using the Start, Search command and double-click it.

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Enter command names from the command prompt (click Start, All Programs, Accessories, Command Prompt to open the command prompt window). You must know the exact name and most likely the folder in which it’s stored.

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Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to launch the Task Manager. Click on New Task and then type in the executable filename for the program (for example, word.exe).

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An alternative approach is to open a document that’s associated with a given application— this is a trick to open the application: ■

Locate a document that was created with the application in question and double-click it. This runs the application and loads the document into it. With some applications, you can then close the document and open a new one if you need to.

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Right-click on the desktop or in a folder and choose New. Then choose a document type from the resulting menu. This creates a new document of the type you desire, which, when double-clicked, will run the application.

Here’s how to open an existing document in an application (ranked in order of ease of use): ■

Click Start, Documents and look among the most recently edited documents. Clicking one will open the document in the appropriate application.

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Use the Start, Search command to locate the document.

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Run the application that created the document and check the document’s MRU (most recently used) list on the File menu. It may be there. If so, click it.

In the name of expediency, we’re not going to cover all these options. Once you get the hang of the most common approaches, you’ll understand how to use the others. Notice that some of the approaches are “application centric,” whereas others are “document centric.” An application-centric person thinks, “I’ll run Word so I can write up that trip expense report.” A document-centric person thinks, “I have to work on that company manual. I’ll look for it and double-click it.”

Running Programs from the Start Button The most popular way to run your applications is with the Start button, which is located down in the lower-left corner of your screen. When you install a new program, the program’s name is usually added somewhere to the Start button’s All Programs menu lists. If you’ve recently used an application, Windows XP may list it in the recently used list on the top-level Start menu area. Sometimes you’ll have to “drill down” a level or two to find a certain program, because software makers sometimes like to store their applications under their company names (for example, RealNetworks creates a group called Real, which you have to open to run RealPlayer or RealJukebox). Then you just find your way to the program’s name, choose it, and the program runs. Suppose you want to run the calculator. Here are the steps to follow: 1. Click the Start button. 2. Point to All Programs. 3. Point to Accessories, and then choose Calculator. Note that all selections with an arrow pointing to the right of the name have submenus— meaning that they’ll open when you click them or hover the pointer over them. There may be several levels of submenus. For example, to see the System Tools submenu, you have to go through All Programs, Accessories, System Tools.

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Sometimes, spotting a program in a list is a visual hassle. Press the first letter of the program you’re looking for and the cursor jumps to it. If there are multiple items starting with that letter, each keypress advances one item in the list. Also, pressing the right-arrow key opens a submenu. The Enter key executes the highlighted program. Items in the lists are ordered alphabetically, although folders appear first, in order, with programs after that.

Often you’ll accidentally open a list that you don’t want to look at (say, the Games submenu). Just move the pointer to the one you want and wait a second, or press the Esc key. Each press of Esc closes one level of any open lists. To close down all open lists, just click anywhere else on the screen, such as on the desktop or another window. All open Start button lists go away. If a shortcut on your Start menu doesn’t work, see “Shortcut Doesn’t Work” in the “Troubleshooting” section at the end of this chapter.

Running a Program from My Computer or Windows Explorer If you’re a power user, chances are good you’ll be sleuthing around on your hard disk using either the My Computer approach or the Windows Explorer. I certainly have programs floating around on my hard disk that do not appear in my Start button program menus, and I have to execute them directly. In general, the rule for running programs without the Start menu is this: If you can find and display the program’s icon, just double-click it. It should run. Tip from

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Just as in Windows 2000 and Windows Me, the differences between My Computer and Windows Explorer within Windows XP are more cosmetic than functional. In fact, simply by changing the defaults of the display mode (WebView or classic), the same view (that is, the same layout, panes, and details) is obtainable using either interface. To alter the views, use the View menu (or the toolbar buttons).

Right-clicking My Computer and choosing Manage launches a powerful computer manager program called Computer Management. This is covered in Chapter 27, “System Utilities.”

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My Network Places is a version of the My Computer interface that is used to gain access to network resources. Overall, it’s used in the same manner as My Computer. The only difference is that you must be on a network and someone must grant you access to shared resources on other systems for this tool to be of any use. Thus, we’ve left the discussion of this tool to Part IV, “Networking.”

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Getting to a program you want is often a little convoluted, but it’s not too difficult to grasp. Plus, if you understand the DOS directory tree structure or you’ve used a Mac, you already know more about XP than you think. Double-click a drive to open it, and then double-click a directory to open it. Then double-click the program you want to run. Figure 4.13 shows a typical directory listing for My Computer. Figure 4.13 A typical directory as shown in My Computer.

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4 Here are some notes to remember: ■

Get to the Desktop quickly by clicking the Show Desktop icon in the Quick Launch bar (just to the right of the Start Button).

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Folders are listed first, followed by files. Double-clicking a folder will reveal its contents.

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If you want to see more folders on the screen at once to help in your search, you have several options. The View menu or the View button on the toolbar can be used to change view options. The Titles view shows large icons with titles and other descriptors. The Icons view uses small icons with only the object name. The Thumbnails view displays images extracted from the file objects themselves—this view is most useful for graphic files. The List view displays everything in a column by its object name only. The Details view offers the most comprehensive information about file system objects in a multi-column display with object names, object type, size, modified date, comments, and so on.

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Pressing Backspace while in any folder window will move you up one level in the directory tree. Also, the Back and Forward buttons work just like they do in a Web browser— they’ll move you forward and back through folders you’ve already visited.

& Of course, many of the files you’ll find in your folders are not programs. They’re documents or support files. To easily find the applications, choose the Details view and then click the column head for Type. This sorts the listing by type, making it easy to find applications in the list (which carry an “Application” label).

Applications, registered file types, and certain system files will not have their file extensions (a period and three letter label that follows the file name) displayed by default. “Hidden” system files and directories will be invisible, too. This choice was made to prevent cluttering the display with files that perform duties for the operating system but not directly for users. It also prevents meddling with files that could cripple applications and documents, or even the system at large. Personally, I like seeing as many details about files as possible, so when I first install a system, I change the default settings to show me every file on my system. This is done through the View tab of the Folder Options applet accessed through the My Computer or Windows Explorer Tools menu or the Control Panel.

Running Applications with the Search Command One of the first rules of organization is to know where things are, and how to keep them in their rightful places. The Search command from the Start menu is a tool often used in this mission. It is invaluable for those of us who are too lazy to get organized— just do a search for that file you know you stored somewhere, but couldn’t remember where to save your life. Yes, indeed, it’s a wonderful tool for the absent-minded. If you’re interested in organizing your “stuff” (the lexicon’s term du jour for anything in your computer), you must find it first. The Search command offers major assistance to the sleuth. The Search tool found at the top level of the Start menu is a powerful tool for locating files, folders, computers, people, and even Internet resources (see Figure 4.14). (Press F3 or Windows-F as shortcuts to the Search tool.) The first page of the search tool prompts you to select the type of search to perform. The options include Pictures, music, or video; Documents; All files and folders; and Printers, computers, and people. You can limit your search to the local system or include anywhere within your reach over the network. It always helps to know the exact name of the object you are looking for, but even if you only know part of it, the Search tool quickly locates all of the possibilities.

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You can use standard DOS-style wildcards in your searches for files. For example, the * character substitutes for a character string of any length and ? replaces one character. Once a list of possible suspects is returned, click on one to open it in its respective application. Figure 4.14 The Search tool window with results from a “*.txt” search.

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Once an item is listed in the search results, it is accessed by double-clicking on it. If it is an application, it will be launched. If it is a data file, it will be opened within its associated application. If it is a Web URL, your Web browser will be launched to view it. If it is a media file, the correct player will be launched to playback or display it. The Search tool can be used to execute a program that you can’t seem to find in the Start menu, can’t find anywhere on the system using My Computer, and which won’t execute from the Run command. Also keep in mind that applications that won’t execute from the Run command are outside of the paths known to Windows XP. Paths is an environment variable (see Chapter 24, “Configuration via Control Panel Applets”) which defines all common locations where Windows will search for executables or other necessary files. If it lies outside the path, then Windows XP can’t find it without help. When using Search’s All files and folders, be sure to pay attention to the Look In selection. By default, Search will look on all local hard drives. If you want to limit the search to a single drive or want to search over the network, you’ll need to alter this setting. Fortunately, there is a pull-down list with all the common options plus Browse. The Browse selection is used to select any folder or drive anywhere within your reach over the network or locally.

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Using My Documents, My Pictures, and My Music Windows XP is designed to help you focus on your creative tasks rather than the underlying OS which supports the tools and files. Part of this includes the My Documents, My Pictures, and My Music Start menu items. These links also appear on most file or browse windows as well as within My Computer and Windows Explorer. These three My labeled elements always link you back to a standard location where your personal data files are stored. The My Documents folder is the master folder for all of your personal data files. This is the default storage location whenever you save a new document or data file. This is also where the My Music and My Pictures subfolders reside. These folders are provided to you to simplify the storage and retrieval of your most intimate file-stored creations. Clicking on one of these Start menu links will open a My Computer window. Tip from

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My Documents is not the same as My Recent Documents. My Recent Documents is a quick-access list of the 15 most recently accessed resources. This included documents, music files, image files, archive files, and even (sometimes) programs. If you ever want to clear out the list of recently accessed documents, the Clear List button beside the check box does just that.

Using the Help System We’ve yet to advance our computing systems to the level displayed in Star Trek where officers command an action and it takes place. When you want your computer to do something, you need to tell it what to do. Often, you have to explain in great detail at every step exactly what actions to take or not to take. The Windows XP Help system is designed to aid you in finding out what everything within the environment can and cannot do as well as teaching you how to perform the activity you need for work or play. The Help system is accessed by clicking on the Help and Support item on the top level of the Start menu. The Help system offers a wide range of options from a search routine, to topic-organized texts, to task-assisting walk-throughs, to Internet updated dynamic content help (see Figure 4.15). The Help system also includes access to a full index, a history list, and a favorites list. It operates in much the same way as a Web browser—using hyperlinks, back and forward buttons, and the ability to return to the start of the system using the Home button. When searching for material, you can use Boolean rules to fine-tune your keyword search phrases (AND, OR, NOT, and NEAR). This is definitely a tool that is worth your effort to explore and to consult in times of trouble or confusion.

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Figure 4.15 The Help and Support Center interface.

Exiting Windows Gracefully When you’ve finished a Windows XP session, you should properly shut down or log off to ensure that your work is saved and that no damage is done to the operating system. Shall we reiterate? Shutting down properly is very important. You can lose your work or otherwise foul up Windows settings if you don’t shut down before turning off your computer. If multiple people share the computer, you should at least log off when you’re finished so that others can log on. Logging off protects your work and settings from prying eyes. When you shut down, Windows does some housekeeping, closes all open files, prompts you to save any unsaved work files, and alerts the network that you and your shared resources are no longer available for consultation. There are several ways to shut down the computer, all or only some of which might apply to your machine. Newer machines will have more shutdown features because they’re likely to have advanced power management built into them via ACPI. Here are the steps for correctly exiting Windows: 1. Close any programs that you have running. (This can almost always be done from each program’s File, Exit menu or by clicking the program’s close button.) If you forget to close programs before issuing the Logout or Shut Down command, Windows will attempt to close them for you. If you haven’t saved your work, you’ll typically be prompted to do so. Some programs, such as DOS programs, you’ll have to manually close. Windows will alert you if it can’t automatically close an open program. Quit the DOS program and type exit at the DOS prompt, if necessary. If you are just switching user context, your open application’s status is saved so you can quickly return to it later. 2. Click Start, Turn Off Computer. You’ll see the dialog box shown in Figure 4.16.

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Figure 4.16 The Turn off computer selection dialog box.

3. Click on the desired option. Here are some points to consider: ■

The Hibernate option records the current state of the system to disk, and then shuts down the computer. Once the power is turned back on, the system reboots. If you log back in as the same user who initiated the hibernation, the system returns to its exact state at the moment of hibernation.

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If your computer has Advanced Power Manager (APM) or Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) built in, you will see the Standby option instead of Hibernate. (Standby is explained later in this section.) This will certainly be the case with PCs fitted with ATX motherboards (as opposed to the older AT-style PC) and power supplies. The ATX motherboards have standby capability that Windows XP should recognize and utilize. If your system isn’t ACPI enabled, you won’t see the Standby option.

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If you have an APM or ACPI system and want to Hibernate your system rather than put it on Standby, you can access this option by pressing and holding Shift. This action changes the Standby button to Hibernate. Be sure to hold the Shift key down while you click the Hibernate button.

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If you want to log off, use the Log Off command button from the Start menu instead of the Turn Off Computer command button (first click Cancel on the Turn Off Computer dialog box). There are no logoff options offered in the Turn Off Computer dialog box.

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If you attempt to shut down the computer while another user’s desktop is still active (that is, Switch User was employed and at least one other user is still logged on), you’ll see a warning message stating that performing a shutdown could result in data loss along with the options to continue with shutdown (Yes) or abort (No).

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Logging off clears personal settings from memory and puts the computer in a neutral state, waiting for another user to log on. However, it doesn’t bring the system to its knees. Logging off will not stop running services, which can include Web services, file sharing, print sharing, UPS support, and scheduled tasks. When the Log Off command button is clicked on the Start menu, you are offered two options: Switch User or Log Off. The latter exits you from the system and closes all applications. The former retains your environment while allowing another user to gain access to their desktop.

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Standby puts the computer in a suspended state, letting you quickly come right back to where you were working before you suspended the PC. This means you don’t have to exit all your applications before turning off your computer. You only have to choose Standby. This also saves energy, because the hard drives, CPU, CPU fan, some internal electronics, and possibly the power supply and fan will go into a low-power state. Your monitor, if Energy Star compliant, should also go into a frugal state of energy consumption. When you want to start up again, a quick press of the power switch (on some computers a keypress on the keyboard or a jiggle of the mouse will do) should start up the system right where you left off. Make sure to press the power button for just a second or so. Anything more than four seconds on most modern computers in a standby state will cause the computer to completely power down. Be aware that Standby will hold your system state only so long as the computer has power. If the power fails, everything stored in the computer’s RAM will be lost. You’ll end up doing a cold boot when the power is restored or, if it’s a laptop with a dead battery, when you hook your AC adapter up to your laptop again. The moral is to be cautious when using Standby. You should save your work before going into Standby mode, if not close important documents. One of the most welcome features of recent versions of Windows, including Windows XP, is hibernation. Like standby mode, hibernation lets you pause your work and resume later, without laboriously shutting down and reopening all your applications and files. But unlike Standby, Hibernate isn’t volatile. If the AC power fails or batteries run flat, it doesn’t matter because Hibernate stores the “system state” on a portion of the hard disk rather than keeping the system RAM alive in a low-power state. After storing the system state to the hard disk, the computer fully shuts down. When restarted, a little internal flag tells the boot loader that the system has been stored on disk, and it’s reloaded into memory. Hibernation requires as much free hard disk space as you have RAM in your PC. If you have 128MB of RAM, you’ll need 128MB of free disk space for hibernation to work. If Hibernate is not an option on your Shut Down menu, enable it through the Power Options in Control Panel. The dialog box reports the amount of disk space needed for your system in case you’re unaware of the amount of RAM in your system. When you choose Hibernate from the shutdown menu, Windows XP has to create a fairly large file on disk. In my case, for example, it’s 256MB in size. On a 1GHz Intel Pentium III, the entire process takes about 15 seconds. Restarting takes about the same amount of time. Remember, if you’re going to put a laptop running on batteries to sleep for more than a few hours, use Hibernate or just do a complete shutdown, closing your applications and documents. That way, if the batteries run out, you won’t lose your work.

Dealing with a Crashed Application or Operating System Even though Windows XP is fairly immune to crashing, the applications that run on it are not necessarily so robust. Not to be cynical, but many IS professionals don’t consider any version of Windows worth their trouble until version 2 or a couple of service packs hit the

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streets, because they know bugs tend to be prevalent in first-release software. With an operating system as complex as Windows XP, we bet there are a few gotchas lurking. If your system is still stuck but you can get the Task Manager up, see “Forcing Your Computer to Shut Down” in the “Troubleshooting” section at the end of this chapter. If your laptop computer won’t shut down no matter what you do, see “Ctrl+Alt+Delete Doesn’t Work” in the “Troubleshooting” section at the end of this chapter.

My point here is that you’re going to bump into some unstable behavior from time to time. If you notice that a program’s not responding, you may have a crash on your hands. To gracefully survive a crash, possibly even without losing any of your data, try the following steps: 1. Try pressing Esc. Some programs get stuck in the middle of a process and Esc can sometimes get them back on track. For example, if you accidentally pressed Alt, this activates the menus. A press of Esc will get you out of that loop. If you’ve opened a menu, two presses of Esc or a click within the application’s window may be required to return to normal operation. 2. Windows XP has greatly improved application-management facilities. In most cases, even after an application has crashed, you should still be able to minimize, maximize, move, resize, and close its window. 3. Can you switch to the app to bring its window up front? First try clicking any portion of the window. If that doesn’t work, click its button in the taskbar. Still no? Try using successive presses of Alt+Tab. If you get the window open and responding, try to save any unfinished work in the app and then try to close it by clicking the close button or selecting the File, Exit. 4. If that doesn’t work, try right-clicking the program’s button in the taskbar and choosing Close from the pop-up menu. 5. If that doesn’t work, press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to launch the Task Manager. Notice the list of running applications. Does the one in question say “Not responding” next to it? If so, click it and then click End Task. 6. If Task Manager reports that you don’t have sufficient access to terminate the task, you must reboot the system. First, attempt a graceful shutdown using the Turn Off Computer command. However, if that fails (that is, it hangs on the hung application or it never seems to complete the shutdown process), you’ll need to resort to power cycling. Once the system reboots you should be back to normal.

Troubleshooting Shortcut Doesn’t Work I click a shortcut somewhere in my Start menu and nothing happens or I get an error message. Windows isn’t smart enough, or, to put it another way, it would be too much software overhead for the OS to keep track of all the shortcuts and update them, as necessary, when the files they point to are moved or deleted. A system that’s been in use for some time will certainly

Troubleshooting

have “dead” shortcuts, just as Web pages have broken links floating around. When you click a shortcut icon anywhere in the system—be it the Start menus, the desktop, or in a folder—and you get an error message about the program file, click OK and let Windows take a stab at solving the problem by searching for the application. If it’s found, Windows XP “heals” the shortcut so that it will work again next time you use it. If that doesn’t work, trying searching yourself using Start, Search. See whether you can track down the runaway application. If you’re successful, you’ll probably be best off erasing the bad shortcut and creating a new one that points to the correct location. You can create a new shortcut by right-clicking the app’s icon and choosing Create Shortcut. Then drag, copy, or move the shortcut to wherever you want, such as onto the Start button. Another good trick to help you sort out a bad shortcut or to follow where its trail is leading is to right-click the icon and choose Properties, Find Target. Tip from

Remember, moving folders containing applications (for example, Office might be in C:\Program Files\MSOffice) is a really bad idea. Once installed, many programs want to stay where they were put.

& Forcing Your Computer to Shut Down The system is acting sluggish, nonresponsive, or otherwise weird. If your system is really acting erratically or stuck in some serious way and you’ve already killed any unresponsive programs, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete. This should bring up the Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc will too). Click the Shut Down menu, and then select Turn off. If you get this far, there’s hope for a graceful exit. You might have to wait a minute or so for the turn off command to take effect. If you’re prompted to shut down some programs or save documents, do so. Hope for a speedy shutdown. Then reboot.

Ctrl+Alt+Delete Doesn’t Work Even Ctrl+Alt+Delete doesn’t do anything. If Turn off doesn’t work, it’s time to power-cycle the computer. Press the power switch to turn off the machine. On a machine with APM or ACPI support (one that can perform a soft power down), this may require holding the power button in for more than four seconds. You could lose some work, but what else are you going to do? Sometimes it happens. This is one good reason for saving your work regularly, and looking for options in your programs that perform autosaving. As writers, we set our AutoSave function in MS Word to save every five minutes. That way, we can recover from a system crash and only lose up to five minutes of work instead of everything.

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Incidentally, while extremely rare, I’ve known laptops to not even respond to any form of command or power button when the operating system was fully hung. I’ve even had to remove any AC connection, fully remove the main battery, wait a few seconds, and then reinsert the battery and reboot. Removal of the battery is important; otherwise, the battery keeps the computer in the same stuck state, thinking it’s just in standby mode.

Tips from the Windows Pros: Working Efficiently The interface is your portal into the operating system and therefore into your computer. You’re likely to be using it every day, so it behooves you to “work the system” as effectively and efficiently as possible. As writers and programmers on deadlines, we’re using our computers at breakneck speed most of the time. Cutting corners on how you control the system interface saves you literally hundreds of miles of mousing around on your desktop over the course of a few years. Here are our top time-saving and motion-saving tips for using Windows XP: ■

To get to the desktop (minimize all open windows), press the Windows key and M at the same time. To reverse the effect, press Shift+Windows+M. This is a real time-saver. If you prefer the mouse, click the Show Desktop button in the Quick Launch Bar. It does the same thing.

■

Change between apps with Alt+Tab. Aiming for an application’s little button on the taskbar is a hassle. You’ll get tendonitis doing that all day.

■

Buy an ergonomic keyboard, split in the middle. Try not to rest your wrists on a hard surface. Cut a mouse pad in half and use Velcro, tape, or glue to affix it to the palm rest in front of the keys, if you’re a “leaner.”

■

Double-click a window’s title bar to make it go full screen. Editing in little windows on the screen is a hassle and requires unnecessary scrolling.

■

To close a program or window, press Alt+F4. It’s that easy. Alternatively, right-click its button on the taskbar and choose Close. Aiming for that little X in the upper-right corner takes too much mouse movement.

■

Put all your favorite applications, dial-up connections, folders, and documents on the Quick Launch bar. Forget about the Start button. You can put about 20 things down there on the Quick Launch bar for easy one-click access. Use it. When an item falls out of use, erase the shortcut. They’re only shortcuts, so it doesn’t matter if you erase them.

■

If there are too many items within the Quick Launch bar to be displayed within the current area, two little arrows (>>) will be displayed. This indicates that other Quick Launch icons are present but are currently hidden from view. To see the hidden icons, click on the double arrow to see a pop-up menu or click and drag the edge of the main toolbar area (just to the right of the Quick Launch bar) to expand the space available for the Quick Launch bar.

Tips from the Windows Pros: Working Efficiently

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Those little double arrows appear in many locations throughout the user experience. You’ll see them on the Quick Launch bar, the system tray, the WebView details pane, ends of toolbars, and more. They simply indicate that either more data is available but it’s currently hidden from view, or that all data is currently displayed but it can be hidden or reduced in size. In some cases, the double arrows are a toggle between minimum and expanded views, while at other times, the double arrows will display the hidden items when clicked but will return to their previous display once you make a selection or click somewhere else.

■

Use Standby and Hibernate! Don’t boot up every time you turn on your computer. It’s a waste of valuable time. Keep your favorite programs open: e-mail, word processor, picture viewer, Web browser, spreadsheet, whatever. Yes, do save your work, maybe even close your document, but leave the apps open and keep the machine in standby or hibernate mode.

■

If you use a laptop in the office, get a good external keyboard to work with it. Your hands will probably be happier, and you’ll type faster. Also, get a pointing device that works best for you. Those “pointing stick” mice are not for everyone. Try a few different pointing devices and come up with one that works best for you.

■

Discover and use right-click shortcuts whenever possible. For example, in Outlook Express, you can easily copy the name and e-mail address of someone from the Address Book and paste them into an e-mail. People are always asking me for e-mail addresses of mutual friends or colleagues. I click on a person’s entry in the Address Book and press Ctrl+C (for copy); then I switch back to the e-mail I’m writing and press Ctrl+V (paste). Then Ctrl+Enter, and the e-mail is sent.

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Also in Outlook Express, you can reply to an e-mail with Ctrl+R. Forward one with Ctrl+F. Send a message you’ve just written by pressing Ctrl+Enter. Send and receive all mail with Ctrl+M.

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In Internet Explorer, use the F11 toggle to go full screen. This gets all the other junk off the screen. Also, use the Search panel to do your Web searches (opened by clicking the magnifying glass search toolbar button). You can easily check search results without having to use the Back button. And speaking of the Back button, don’t bother moving the mouse up there to click Back. Just press Alt+left arrow. The left- and right-arrow buttons with Alt are the same as the Back and Forward buttons.

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In most Microsoft applications, including Outlook Express and Internet Explorer, F5 is the “refresh” key. In OE, for example, pressing F5 sends and receives all your mail, so long as the Inbox is highlighted. In IE, it refreshes the page. In Windows Explorer, it updates the listing in a window (to reflect the results of a file move, for example). Remember F5!

■

In Word, Excel, and many other apps, Ctrl+F6 is the key that switches between open windows within the same app. No need to click on the Window menu in the app and choose the document in question. Just cycle through them with Ctrl+F6.

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In whatever apps you use most, look for shortcut keys or macros you can use or create to avoid unnecessary repetitious work. Most of us type the same words again and again. (See, there I go.) As writers, for example, we have macros programmed in MS Word for common words such as Windows 2000 Professional, Control Panel, desktop, folders, and so on. Bob has created a slew of editing macros that perform tasks such as “delete to the end of line” (Ctrl+P), “delete line” (Ctrl+Y), and so on. In Word, press Alt+T+A and check out the AutoCorrect and AutoText features.

See Chapter 23, “Tweaking the GUI,” to add more time-saving tricks to your arsenal.

CHAPTER

Using the Simple Supplied Applications In this chapter A Sea of Freebies Notepad

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WordPad Paint

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Calculator

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Character Map Volume Control

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Working with the Windows Clipboard Using the Search Applet Troubleshooting

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A Sea of Freebies Although you no doubt have collected your own arsenal of workhorse programs to assist you in your daily chores, Windows XP Professional, like past versions of Windows, comes replete with numerous freebie utility programs to handle common, everyday tasks. These utility programs range from the bizarre to the useful—from pinball and solitaire to audio CD and DVD movie players, word processing programs, and a calculator, to name but a few. Whether they are intended for entertainment or as daily helpmates for such tasks as jotting down simple notes or making quick calculations, none of these programs requires a degree in rocket science to figure out. They are fairly self-explanatory, and it’s possible you’ve used them before in their previous versions. Therefore, this chapter covers them only briefly, suggests a few tips, and leaves the rest to you and the Windows Help file. Because many of the accessory programs fall into discrete categories, such as communications, multimedia entertainment, or system tools, look to relevant sections of this book to find coverage of such tools. This chapter covers the more basic, yet still quite useful, tools that don’t fit neatly into a pigeonhole. Tip from

&

Windows XP comes with a bunch of games (FreeCell, Minesweeper, Pinball, Solitaire, Hearts, Internet Backgammon, Internet Checkers, Internet Hearts, Internet Reversi, Internet Spades, and Spider Solitaire). You can get to these from Start, All Programs, Games. If some of these are missing from your Windows XP installation, you can load them by using Add or Remove Programs in Control Panel. (Control Panel is covered in Chapter 24, “Configuration via Control Panel Applets”). After you select Add or Remove Programs, choose Windows Components (on the left side of the dialog box), then highlight Accessories and Utilities and click Details. Then click Games and click Details. Then check the games you want. This book doesn’t cover the specifics of each of these games because you can probably figure them out yourself—and you probably ought to be getting some work done at the office (except for lunchtime and breaks). Click Help in each game for game rules and guidance. If you like games, you might check them out.

Notepad Notepad has been around since Windows 3.0. It’s a simple, no-frills text editor that does no fancy formatting (though it does enable you to change the display font) and is popular for composing “clean” ASCII (.TXT) files. I use Notepad for jotting down quick notes. You could say Notepad is a text editor, whereas WordPad (see the “WordPad” section later in this chapter) is a word processor. Unlike WordPad, Notepad cannot view or edit Microsoft Word (.DOC) or Rich Text Format (.RTF) files. It’s a perfect tool to call up whenever you need to view a simple README.TXT file or fine-tune some program code (programmers like this tool).

Notepad

Tip from

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Here’s a quick way to create a Notepad file. Just right-click the desktop or a folder, choose New, Text document. Then type in the name for your document and press Enter. Now press Enter or double-click the icon, and the new Notepad file opens. This is a good technique for taking down a quick memo, making notes about a phone call, or keeping a to-do list on your desktop.

Text-only files contain text characters and nothing else—no character formatting such as italics, bold, underlining, or paragraph formatting information such as line spacing, and definitely no graphics. Sometimes such files are called ASCII files, plain ASCII files, or simply text files. As of Notepad version 5 (included in Windows 2000; the notepad version in Windows XP is version 5.1), the Save As dialog box allows you to save in several text-only file types listed in the Encoding pull-down menu: ANSI, Unicode, UTF-8, and Unicode big endian. These formats provide you with greater flexibility when you’re working with documents that use different character sets. The default is ANSI, and unless you are inserting non-U.S. characters, you should use this format when you save files. ASCII, ANSI, and Unicode—Alphabet Soup Anyone? ASCII stands for American Standard Code for Information Interchange. Standard ASCII is a 7-bit characterencoding scheme used to represent 128 characters (upper- and lowercase letters, the numbers 0 through 9, punctuation marks, and special control characters) used in U.S. English. Most current Intel-based systems support the use of extended (or “high”) ASCII, which is an 8-bit system. The 8th bit allows an additional 128 special symbol characters, foreign-language letters, and graphic symbols to be represented. Even with 8 bits, ASCII is not capable of representing all the combinations of letters and diacritical marks that are used in the Roman alphabet. DOS uses a superset of ASCII called extended ASCII or high ASCII. A more universal standard is the ISO Latin-1 set of characters, which is used by many operating systems, as well as Web browsers. ANSI stands for the American National Standards Institute. Windows uses the ANSI character set, which is very similar to ASCII. Windows 3.x and Windows 95 support the ANSI character set, which includes 256 characters, numbered 0 to 255. Values 0 to 127 are the same as in the ASCII character set. Values 128 to 255 are similar to the ISO Latin-1 character set but naturally have extensions and incompatibilities. Unicode, which uses 16 bits, goes beyond ASCII and ANSI. Developed by the Unicode Consortium between 1988 and 1991, Unicode enables almost all the written languages of the world to be represented using a single character set. Using Unicode, 65,536 possible characters can be represented, approximately 39,000 of which have now been assigned, 21,000 of them being used for Chinese ideographs.

Although they’re visually boring and lackluster, text files do have some important advantages over formatted text documents. Most importantly, they are the lowest common denominator for exchanging text between different programs and even between different types of computers. Literally any kind of word processor and many other types of programs, from email tools to databases, can share textual information using simple text files, regardless of computer type or operating system. To be sure your recipients using other kinds of computers can read a text email attachment or a text file on a disk, stick with the simple text files such as the ones Notepad creates.

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Source code used to generate computer programs is often stored as text files, too. Because files are clean, without extraneous codes for formatting, program compilers (software that converts the source code into a working program) are not confused. Good examples of simple ASCII program code or configuration file code are found in the WIN.INI, SYS.INI, PROTOCOL.INI, BOOT.INI, CONFIG.SYS, and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. These files, found in many Windows computers, control various aspects of Windows, all of which can be edited with Notepad. HTML code for Web pages is another example. You can safely edit HTML in Notepad. Windows recognizes any file with a .TXT extension as a text file and opens it in Notepad when you click it. For this reason, README files supplied with programs—even some supplied with Windows—are stored as .TXT files. Take a look around on the Windows XP Professional CD, and you’ll find some pithy files about setup, networking, and so on. After you open them in Notepad, turn on the word wrap feature (by choosing Format, Word Wrap) to view the document correctly.

➔

To learn more about Word Wrap, see “Running Notepad,” p. 153.

Notepad’s Limitations As I mentioned previously, Notepad does no formatting. In fact, it doesn’t even wrap lines of text to fill the window unless you tell it to. Notepad can’t properly render or print formatted documents created with WordPad, Microsoft Word for Windows, WordPerfect, or any other fancy word processor (unless you saved files you create with those programs as ASCII or ANSI text files). You can open these document types, but they look like gibberish. Also, it doesn’t have any fancy pagination options, though it does print with headers and footers via the Page Setup dialog box. Although you can change the font in Notepad 5, font information isn’t stored in the file. Font choice is a personal preference for viewing and printing, and applies to all files you open in Notepad. Tip from

&

Be careful about opening formatted text files with Notepad. Typically, this will take a little doing, because when you use the File, Open command, the box defaults to “.txt” files. But you could enter the entire name of a preexisting file that you wanted to examine, such as a mydocument.doc or mydocument.rtf. A formatted file will probably appear as gibberish in Notepad. Nonetheless, if you accidentally save the file, the formatting is stripped out of it, and the file can become useless. I don’t recommend using Notepad to view a file unless you have no other software tool suitable for the purpose, because it’s hard to read the file and you can easily damage it. If you want to examine executable files or initialization or control files used by programs, I suggest a file viewer intended for this purpose, such as FVIEW. Many utility programs for this purpose are available on the Web or at software stores. One such program is called QuickView Plus. It’s a full version of the quick viewers supplied with Windows 9x. It’s available from Jasc Software (http://www.jasc.com). QuickView Plus is also useful for viewing the contents of temporary files which may contain a version of a document you were working on when your system locked up.

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Notepad files used to be limited in size to about 50KB. That’s no longer the case. Even very large files can be loaded into Notepad 5.1.

Running Notepad To run Notepad, click Start, More Programs (or just Programs, depending on how you have your taskbar settings), Accessories, Notepad. Notepad then appears on your screen (see Figure 5.1). When it does, you can just type away. Figure 5.1 You can use Notepad to edit simple text. I’ve entered some text already.

Of course, you can choose File, New to start a new file at any time. If you’ve made changes in the current file and haven’t saved them, Notepad asks if you want to save it before creating the new file. You use the standard File, Open and File, Save As commands. You can only have one document open at a time in Notepad.

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Although you can have only one file open in a particular Notepad window at a time, you can have multiple Notepad windows running. This enables you to cut, copy, and paste text between windows or perform visual file comparisons.

& You should turn on word wrap when you enter text unless you’re entering program code that is line oriented. When you do, by choosing Format, Word Wrap, the text wraps within the constraints of the window. If you resize the window, the text rewraps to fit the available space. Note that the word wrap setting doesn’t affect the text file itself. That is, Notepad doesn’t insert line feeds or carriage returns at the points where the lines wrap. As with most Windows text programs, the keys shown in Table 5.1 have the effects shown here.

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Table 5.1

Keys in Notepad

Key

Moves Insertion Point To

Home

Start of the line

End

End of the line

PgUp

Up one window

PgDn

Down one window

Ctrl+Left Arrow

Start of previous word

Ctrl+Right Arrow

Start of next word

Ctrl+Home

Start of the file

Ctrl+End

End of the file

F5 (particular to Notepad)

Inserts the time and date

Ctrl+Backspace

Deletes a word to the left

Del

Deletes letter right

Backspace

Deletes letter left

If you can’t see all the text in a Notepad window, see “My Text Is Chopped Off” in the “Troubleshooting” section at the end of this chapter.

Setting Margins and Adding Headers and Footers Despite the paucity of formatting options for onscreen display, you can format printed output to some degree. Use the File, Page Setup command to establish headers and footers. Enter your desired footing and heading text. Margin changes and header and footer settings aren’t visible onscreen but do print. You can also include the special codes shown in Table 5.2 in the header and footer fields. You can enter these codes alone or within a text string.

Table 5.2

Formatting Codes for Notepad

Code

Effect

&d

Includes the current date

&p

Includes the page number

&f

Includes the filename

&l

Forces subsequent text to left-align at the margin

&r

Forces subsequent text to right-align at the margin

&c

Centers the subsequent text

&t

Includes the time of the printing

Here are a couple examples to help you take advantage of these formatting codes. To print the time and filename at the top of each page, add this to the header field in the Page Setup menu as shown in Figure 5.2:

WordPad

Printed at &t

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Filename is &f

If the time the document was printed was 10:30 a.m. and the filename was README.TXT, the header will appear like this when the document is printed: Printed at 10:30 Filename is Readme.txt

By default, &p (page number) is used in the footer field as shown in Figure 5.2, so the page number will print at the bottom of each page unless you add or remove footer codes. Figure 5.2 Adding Header and Footer codes to identify printouts from Notepad.

When you print a document, Notepad lets you choose the page range, the number of copies, and the printer to which the job is sent. See Chapter 6, “Printing and Faxing with Windows XP,” for more details. Part

You won’t be able to select which page(s) to print with Notepad unless the document has had page breaks inserted in it by its creator. For example, the .TXT documents on the Windows XP CD-ROM can only be printed in their entirety.

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WordPad For more capable word processing than Notepad can accomplish, you can use WordPad. Though it’s not Word or WordPerfect, it works fine for most everyday writing chores. It includes most of the formatting tools people need for typical writing projects, and the price is right. You can edit documents of virtually any length, it supports drag-and-drop editing, and it can accept graphics pasted to it from the Windows Clipboard. WordPad supports the following: ■

Standard character formatting with font, style, and size

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Standard paragraph formatting with changing line spacing, indents and margins, bullets, justification, and right and left alignment

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Adjustable tab stops

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Search and replace

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Headers and footers

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Pagination control

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Insert and edit graphics

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Undo

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Print preview

It doesn’t do tables, columns, indexes, master documents, outline view, legal line numbering, or anything really groovy, though. Go get Word or WordPerfect if you have that level of needs.

Save and Open Options WordPad can save and open files in several formats: ■

Rich Text Format—This choice is the default. The Rich Text Format is used more and more as a common format for exchanging documents between word processors, though few, if any, use it as their primary format (it’s sort of like an Esperanto for word processors). The Rich Text Format preserves the appearance as well as the content of your document. Graphics and other objects can be saved in the file along with the text but might be lost when you open the file with another application. To learn more about how to insert graphics into a WordPad document so that the graphic will be stored in the document, see “Adding Graphics to a WordPad Document” later in this chapter.

■

Text Files—See the discussion of text files earlier in the chapter in the section covering Notepad.

■

Unicode—See the discussion of Unicode earlier in the chapter in the section covering Notepad.

WordPad also can open the following document types (although it must save changes to these files as .RTF, Text, or Unicode documents): ■

Word for Windows—This choice opens documents stored in the format used by Microsoft Word for Windows, version 6.0 and Microsoft Word 95 (.DOC). If you have any version of Microsoft Word installed, incidentally, double-clicking a .DOC file opens it in Word, not WordPad.

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Windows Write—This choice opens documents stored in the .WRI format used by Windows Write, the simple word processor supplied with Windows 3.x. This feature enables you to read README.WRI files supplied with some older Windows applications.

■

Text Documents—MS-DOS Format—This choice opens text documents stored with the MS-DOS version of the ASCII character set.

WordPad correctly opens even incorrectly named (wrong extension) RTF and Word 6 files if you select the All Documents option in the Files of Type area in the Open dialog box or

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type the document’s full name. If WordPad doesn’t detect a file’s format, it opens it as a textonly file. Note that if a document contains formatting information created by another application it will likely appear as garbage characters mixed with the document’s normal text.

Running WordPad and Editing with WordPad To run WordPad, choose Start, All Programs, Accessories, WordPad. The WordPad window then comes up. Figure 5.3 shows an example of a Notepad file which has been edited with WordPad. Figure 5.3 WordPad includes moderately sophisticated word processing features. Use the View menu to activate the toolbar and ruler bar shown here.

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As with most Windows programs these days, you don’t have to memorize what each button on the toolbar does. Just position the mouse pointer over the button and a pop-up screen tip will appear on the status bar at the bottom of the screen. When you’re doing lots of editing and formatting in WordPad, check the View menu. You can turn on as many of the toolbars as you need to quickly change formatting, tab locations, and so on. A check mark next to a bar’s name means it’s on. They are toggle settings. You can drag and drop or “tear off” the various toolbars. Just position the mouse pointer over the far left edge of any bar (don’t click a button); then drag the bar where you want it. Editing is simple in this program and complies with Windows standards and then adds a few rules of its own. I’ll outline them very quickly. Just enter your text as usual. Lines of text occur automatically and are readjusted if you resize the window, change the margins, or change the font size. You can move the cursor around with a click of the mouse or by using the control codes listed for Notepad in Table 5.1.

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You can double-click a word to select the whole word. To select the entire document quickly (select all), move the cursor to the left edge of the document until the arrow changes direction, and then Ctrl+click. To select an arbitrary area, click and drag the pointer over the text. Release when the text is highlighted. You can also select areas of text by pressing Shift and using the arrow keys. The spot where you first click (beginning of the selection) is called the anchor point. You can triple-click to select a paragraph. After text is selected, you can format it with the toolbars and format menu commands. To move blocks of text, either select the text and use Cut, Copy, and Paste from the Edit menu, or drag it with the mouse to the new location and drop it. Tip from

To insert characters that aren’t available on your keyboard, such as ™, ®, or ©, use the Character Map accessory, covered later in this chapter in the section “Character Map.”

& WordPad handles each paragraph as a separate entity, each with its own formatting information, such as tab stops. To apply changes to multiple paragraphs, select them first. To undo the last command, choose Edit, Undo; click the Undo button (the curving arrow) on the toolbar; or press Ctrl+Z. Undo can undo the following errors: block deletions, anything removed by pressing Del or Backspace (as a unit), blocks replaced by typing, new text typed (back to the last time you issued a command), and character and paragraph formatting changes (if you select the Undo command immediately after making the change).

Adding Graphics to a WordPad Document You can insert a graphic—and other OLE objects—into a WordPad document in one of three ways: by pasting the graphic from the clipboard, by creating the object from scratch as you insert it, or by inserting an existing object stored in a disk file. The basic steps required are similar for either method, but they vary slightly in detail. ■

Select Edit, Paste to insert a graphic you’ve put on the system Clipboard.

■

Select Insert, New Object to create a new graphic using another program or an existing file. In the Insert Object dialog box, choose the type of graphic object you want from the list, and click OK. At the insertion point, an area opens for the graphic. You create the graphic in the second program and then exit the graphics program using the appropriate command (typically Exit and Return) and return to WordPad.

■

Click the graphic, and then drag the picture’s handles (the small black squares along the edges) to resize the image.

After you’ve pasted the graphic, you have only crude control over positioning it where you want it in the document. You can’t move a graphic around with the mouse, and no menu command is available for this purpose. Instead, you must push the picture around in your

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document with ordinary typing, the Backspace key, or the Tab key, or you can cut and paste it into a new location. Tip from

&

When you insert an existing object from a file, the Insert Object dialog box offers a Link check box. If you check this box, any changes to the source file are reflected in the WordPad file. This is called Object Linking and Embedding (OLE), and is different than the usual Cut, Copy, and Paste commands. It’s not used very often, so it’s not covered in this book. For more information about OLE, check the Windows Help system, and search for linking and embedding. If you want to retrieve the document with graphics intact on another computer, I recommend using the Edit, Paste method if you can do so. Documents created with the Insert, New Object method that used an existing graphic didn’t store the object inside the document file, but used a pointer to it. When the document was retrieved from another system, it would have a framing box instead of the actual graphic.

Display Options A few WordPad preferences affect viewing of files. You can check the View, Options dialog box to see them. All the tab pages except General Options in the Options dialog box pertain to the various types of documents that WordPad can open: Text Only, Rich Text Format, Word for Windows, Windows Write, and Embedded. Each of these pages offers identical choices. These settings affect display only; none of these choices affect the way your document prints. If you have trouble inserting tab stops where you want them, see “Adding and Modifying Tab Stops” in the “Troubleshooting” section at the end of this chapter.

Paint Paint is a simple drawing program that creates and edits bitmapped images in a variety of formats. Using free-form drawing tools, text, and special effects, you can create projects such as invitations, maps, signs, and wallpaper for your desktop. and you can edit images linked into documents created by other programs (see Chapter 4 for more details about linking and embedding). Let me explain why Paint is called a bitmapped image editor. Your computer’s screen is divided into very small dots (pixels or pels) that are controlled by the smallest division of computer information—bits. A bitmap is a collection of bits of information that creates an image when assigned (mapped) to dots on the screen. This bitmap is similar to one of those giant electronic billboards in Times Square, New York, that can display the score, a message, or even a picture by turning on and off specific light bulbs in the grid. Being a bitmapped drawing program, rather than an object-oriented drawing program like Adobe Illustrator or CorelDraw, Paint has some significant limitations to keep in mind— also some advantages. After you paint a shape, you can’t move it independently. You can use the computer to remove an area of the painting and place it somewhere else—as if you were

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cutting out a piece of the canvas and pasting it elsewhere. But all the dots in the area get moved, not just the ones in the shape you’re interested in. Windows XP Professional doesn’t come with an object-oriented graphics program. Simple object-oriented graphics modules are included in some word processors and spreadsheets. An addition to Paint that appeared in the Windows 2000 version and carries over to Windows XP is the capability to save files in JPG and GIF formats in addition to the usual bitmapped (BMP) formats. You can also edit and save files in the TIF and PNG files formats. Table 5.3 lists and briefly breaks down each of these picture formats.

Table 5.3

File Formats Supported by Microsoft Paint

File Format

Full Name

Typical Use

BMP

Bit-Mapped Picture

BMP files store graphics in a format called DIB. They tend to be large in file size, and are used by Windows for features things such as screen wallpaper.

JPG

Joint Photographic Experts Group

Highly compressed means of storing graphics files, and often compress to about 5% of uncompressed size. This is a “lossy” format, meaning that some of the detail is lost as a sacrifice for small sized files. Often used on the Web or for storing photos from digital cameras.

GIF

Graphics Interchange Format

Often used on Web pages for logos or other images with limited color (256 maximum) graphics. Like JPG, GIF files can be stored with compression, making them very efficient in terms of storage space and e-mail or Web transmission. GIF files discard color data rather than image detail.

PNG

Portable Network Graphics

A relatively new format similar to GIF and created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) as a freely-usable, unlicensed format for storing graphics and photos. Browser support for PNG remains spotty at this time, even with the newest Microsoft and Netscape versions. See http://www.libpng.org/pub/png/ pngapbr.html for details.

TIF

Tagged Image File Format

This is one of the most widely upported and cross-platform file formats for images on PCs (including Macs). These files are not used on the Web. Web browsers can’t display them, and they are often large. Digital cameras sometimes store highest quality, uncompressed images in TIF format. Because TIF files use lossless compression (no visual data is ever lost), this format is recommended for archival storage of image data.

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If what you want to do is edit photo images (typically JPG, TIF, or GIF) created with a digital camera or scanner, you should use another program such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Elements, or PhotoDeluxe, Paint Shop Pro, Kai Photo Soap, or another of the many popular programs designed specifically for photos. Microsoft Office comes with a photo editor, called Microsoft Photo Editor, that can do the job, too. Tip from

&

Using the Image Preview feature (discussed in Chapter 7, “Multimedia and Imaging”) you can view, rotate, and perform basic tasks with image documents. You can transfer pictures to your computer from a digital camera or scanner, view your pictures in a slideshow, and annotate your fax documents. The Photo Printing Wizard, in Windows XP, can walk you through the process of printing your digital photos or scanned images. We cover that in Chapter 7, also.

Starting a New Image To bring up Paint, choose Start, All Programs, Accessories, Paint. When the Paint window appears, maximize it. Figure 5.4 shows the Paint window and its component parts. I’ve loaded a BMP-file photograph into the program by double-clicking on a BMP file I found using the Search tool. (See Chapter 4 and Chapter 9 for discussion of the Search tool.) Figure 5.4 The Paint window.

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Work Area, Toolbox, Tool Options, Color Palette You create the drawing in the central area (or work area). Down the left side, the Toolbox holds a set of tool buttons for painting, drawing, coloring, and selecting. You choose colors from the Color Box at the bottom of the window. The status bar offers help messages on menu choices and displays the coordinates of the mouse pointer.

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The object is to choose a tool and start fiddling around. You’ll soon learn which tool does what. Hovering your mouse pointer over a tool displays some pop-up text with the tool’s name. Some of the tools are a little difficult to figure out, but if you open Help and look up the tool, you can find descriptions there for each of them. When you start a new picture, you must attend to a few details; then you can get on with painting. 1. If a picture is open, choose File, New to erase the previous image (if you need to have more than one graphic file open at a time with Paint, just start a new copy of Paint). 2. Choose Image, Attributes to set the picture size and whether it’s color or black and white. You can alter the size of the overall canvas when you’re painting, so don’t lose any sleep over perfecting it before you start. An image prints smaller on paper than it appears onscreen because the printer’s resolution is much higher (each dot is smaller). So if you’re aiming to print out your creation, you might want to do a little experimentation. Setting the printed size of your image is easy. You used to have to calculate it based on the resolution of your printer and the pixel size of the image. Now you can just choose Image, Attributes and set the size in inches (or cm, or pixels, if you wish). You can check that the size looks about right at any time, by choosing File, Print Preview. Remember, though, that if your picture is wider than it is tall, and if it’s printed width is more than about 8 inches, you need to change the page orientation for printing from Portrait to Landscape. To do so, just choose File, Page Setup, and select the appropriate button. The maximum picture size is limited by available memory and color setting. Black-andwhite pictures use far less memory than color pictures do, so they can be much larger. Paint lets you know if you set a picture size that’s too large to fit in memory. A black-and-white image is not the same as a grayscale image, in which you can paint with 16 or more separate shades of gray. Black and white has only two colors—black and white. Duh. To create a grayscale image, you must place the desired shades of gray on the palette. Tip from

You can resize a picture with the mouse by dragging the handles on the edges of the white workspace; however, the direct entry method in the dialog box is more accurate.

&

Working with the Painting Tools Before beginning to use a tool, you set the color to paint with. You need to set two colors: background and foreground. One of the most fundamental techniques to learn is selecting a color to paint with. In Paint, you control both foreground and background colors independently.

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The foreground or drawing color is the main color you paint with. For example, when you add strokes with Paint’s paintbrush, draw lines or shapes, or even when you type text, these items appear in the currently selected foreground color. The term background color is somewhat different. Many of the tools (such as the Brush, Pencil, and the Shape tools) let you paint with the so-called background color just as you would with the foreground color. All you have to do is hold down the right mouse button instead of the left one as you paint. The background color also determines the fill color for circles, squares, and other enclosed shapes; the fill color inside text frames; and the color with which you erase existing parts of the picture. If you select a section of the picture and drag it to another location, the resulting “hole” is filled with the background color. You can change the background color as many times as you like. An alternative technique for selecting colors is using the Eyedropper tool, which lets you “suck up” a color that already appears in the picture. That color becomes the new foreground or background color for use with any of the painting tools. Tip from

You can start a new picture with a certain color as the “canvas.” Before you paint anything on the picture, choose the desired background color, and click anywhere over the work area with the Paint Can tool.

& After you have the colors selected, you can use the tools to draw: 1. Click the tool you want to use to select it. 2. Position the pointer in the work area where you want to start painting, selecting, or erasing, and then click and hold the mouse button. 3. Drag to paint, select, or erase. Release the mouse button when you are through. Some tools (for example, the polygon tool) require multiple clicks. When some of the tools are selected, the area below the grid of buttons provides options for the selected tool. The options are different for each tool.

Undoing Mistakes Every addition you make to an image eventually melds into the picture and can’t be undone. However, the program does keep track of the three most recent additions, allowing you some small degree of rethinking. Each time you make a new change, Paint “forgets” the fourth most recent change, and it becomes permanent. To undo a change, press the fairly-universal Undo command key, Ctrl+Z, or choose Edit, Undo. You can undo an undo by choosing Edit, Repeat.

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Tip from

&

Use the Save As option on the File menu to save your work periodically under a different filename to give yourself additional margin for changes. If you make a serious error you can’t undo, you can then open the most recently saved or an earlier version of your work and continue on from that version.

Opening an Existing Picture You might often use Paint simply as a viewer of BMP files. Web browsers do not open BMP files for display, so when you double-click a BMP, it runs Paint (unless the system association for BMP files has been set to another program) and opens the file. To see the maximum image amount at once, choose View, View Bitmap. All the other screen elements, including the title bar, menu bar, and scrollbars, disappear. Clicking anywhere on the screen or pressing any key returns you to the working screen. If you have opened a photographic picture for work in Paint, and it looks splotchy and uneven, see “Photos Look Terrible in Paint” in the “Troubleshooting” section at the end of this chapter.

Zooming In for Detail Work One of the best features of Paint is pixel editing. You can zoom in closely to edit a picture, dot by dot, and can choose from five magnification levels: normal, 2×, 4×, 6×, and 8×(800). Figure 5.5 shows a detail of a full-face portrait, showing only the person’s eye. This is at highest magnification, 8×(800). In Paint, you can use any of the standard painting tools at any magnification level. Use the Pencil tool to best change the color of one dot at a time. This feature is most useful when you have a little touchup to do (such as photo retouching), but you can’t seem to control the mouse well enough to do it in normal view. Figure 5.5 An image magnified for pixel editing.

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Saving Your Work You can choose from several BMP formats for saving Paint files; the variations pertain to the number of colors stored in the file. Normally, you can just let Paint choose the correct format for you, but sometimes knowing which format to use comes in handy. The following are the available BMP formats and their descriptions: ■

Monochrome bitmap—Use when you have only two colors (black and white) in your picture.

■

16-color bitmap—Use when you have 16 colors or fewer in your picture.

■

256-color bitmap—Use when you have more than 16 and fewer than 257 colors in your picture.

■

24-bit bitmap—Use when you have more than 256 colors in the picture.

Use the lowest possible setting, based on the number of colors with which you have been painting. The more colors you save, the larger the file. However, saving a picture with a format that has fewer colors might ruin it, causing it to lose detail. You can also save in a variety of other formats, as mentioned earlier. As a rule, save your image in a format that in which your target audience (or program) uses to view it. For example, if you intend to send an image to someone in email or put it on a Web page, stick with GIF, JPG, or PNG. These are the most universal image formats. Tip from

&

When a picture is displayed in the Paint window, you can set it to be the wallpaper on the computer’s desktop. Just choose File, Set as Background (tiled) or Set as Background (centered), depending on how you want it displayed. For large pictures, I would choose Centered.

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Calculator The Calculator is a quick and dirty onscreen version of two traditional pocket calculators: a standard no-brainer calculator and a more complex scientific calculator used by statisticians, engineers, computer programmers, and business professionals. They are good for adding up your lunch bill, a list of inventory items, or the mortgage payment on your office building. But neither calculator sports a running tape that you can use to backtrack through your calculations. To run the Calculator, choose Start, All Programs, Accessories, Calculator. A reasonable facsimile of a hand-held calculator then appears on your screen, as shown in Figure 5.6. You can switch between modes by choosing View, Standard or View, Scientific. The program always remembers which type was used last and comes up in that mode.

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Figure 5.6 The Scientific Calculator is the often-unseen mode that the Windows Calculator can appear in. Many additional functions appear in this mode.

Tip from

To quickly see a little help about any Calculator button, right-click the button, and choose What’s This?

& Tip from

To add a series of numbers or to find their mean, use the statistical functions on the Scientific Calculator. This way, you can see all the numbers in a list before you perform the calculation instead of having to enter them one at a time. And don’t let the idea of statistics make you nervous; the technique is very simple.

&

Most of the operations on the Standard Calculator are self-explanatory, but a couple of them—square roots and percentages—are just a bit tricky. Check the Help file for more information. Table 5.4 provides a quick reference chart of keyboard shortcuts.

Table 5.4

Keyboard Shortcuts for the Calculator

Button

Key

Button

Key

Button

Key

%

%

cos

o

MR

Ctrl+R

(

(

Dat

Ins

MS

Ctrl+M

)

)

Dec

F6

n!

!

*

*

Deg

F2

Not

~

+

+

dms

m

Oct

F7

+/-

F9

Dword

F2

Or

|

-

-

Qword

F12

PI

p

.

. or ,

Exp

x

Rad

F3

/

/

F-E

v

s

Ctrl+D

0 to 9

0 to

Grad

F4

sin

s

1/x

r

Hex

F5

SQRT

@

=

= or Enter

Hypo

h

Sta

Ctrl+S

Calculator

Table 5.4

Keyboard Shortcuts for the Calculator

Button

Key

Button

Key

Button

Key

A to F

A to F

Int

;

Sum

Ctrl+T

And

&

Inv

I

tan

t

Ave

Ctrl+A

In

n

Word

F3

Bin

F8

log

l

Xor

^

Byte

F4

LSH

.

&

Putting Windows XP Professional and Windows 9x in Separate Partitions As you have no doubt gathered by now, the preferred approach uses separate partitions. This arrangement is more flexible and foolproof in the long run. First, you must plan the installation from a file system standpoint. This will give you a better foundation from which to proceed: ■

The Windows 9x partition should be a FAT32 file system with C:\WINDOWS (the system directory), along with C:\Program Files contained in it.

■

Windows XP will reside on the second partition, containing the Windows XP %SystemRoot% directory (typically D:\WINNT), along with D:\Program Files. You can format this partition with NTFS or FAT32.

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You might want to reserve a third and final FAT32 partition solely for sharing data between the two operating systems. You can use drive C for this, too, of course.

Wherever I suggest that you might want multiple partitions, remember they don’t all need to be placed on the same drive. You can add additional hard drives and install partitions there. The setup procedure remains the same, however. Just select the additional drive when you’re choosing a partition to set up, format or install.

If you format the Windows XP partition with NTFS during installation, remember that it will not be visible to Windows 9x. Any FAT16 or FAT32 partitions located after the NTFS partition will be visible to Win9x. This can have the odd effect of making these extra partitions appear with different drive letters in the different operating systems, as each OS assigns letters to the partitions it recognizes, in order. I’ll give you a concrete example of this later in the chapter under “Avoiding Drive Letter Madness.”

Using FDISK to Define Partitions Chapter 3 covered the fact that Setup will enable you to use unpartitioned free space to create a second partition (either NTFS or not) for installing Windows XP. You also learned about using a third-party program such as PartitionMagic to more flexibly help in that process, especially if you don’t have any “free” (meaning unpartitioned) space on your hard disk, which is likely the case. If you already have a free partition or two for installing Windows XP after Windows 9x/Me, you can skip ahead to the section titled “Installing Windows XP Professional into the Second Partition.” If you need to define partitions before starting the Windows XP setup process (for example, to set up versions of Windows 9x or other operating systems), this section will give you an overview of the FDISK partitioning program that comes with DOS and Windows 9x.

Using the FDISK editor is a permanent process. If you have any disk partitions currently defined on your system, be sure to have a backup of all your important data because it might be damaged in this process. Unless you are partitioning your disk for the first time, you might find PartitionMagic more suited to the task of configuring your disk partitions. PartitionMagic also has the added advantage of being able to actually resize your existing partitions for a maximum amount of flexibility. More information on PartitionMagic can be found at http://www.powerquest.com/partitionmagic/index.html

If you need to set up partitions on a new disk, in lieu of using PartitionMagic (for whatever reason), you can opt to use the trusty old Microsoft-supplied FDISK program to do the job. It works okay in a pinch (especially on an unpopulated drive or one you’re going to wipe), and a knowledge of FDISK can sometimes come in handy.

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The following discussion shows how to start with a blank hard disk, use FDISK to create the partitions, and then install Windows 9x and Windows XP. The following explains how to define partitions for each operating system: 1. First, boot from the Windows 9x CD-ROM and select the second option, Boot from CD-ROM. If you are booting from a Windows 9x installation floppy, just proceed to step 2. 2. Select Start Computer with CD-ROM Support. 3. After finally booting into DOS, run the FDISK program, which will give you the opportunity to partition your disk so that each operating system can occupy a different partition. This is simply done by typing fdisk at the prompt: A:>fdisk

4. When FDISK is loaded, you are asked whether to enable large disk support. Select Yes, which enables you to later format the disk with the FAT32 file system. (If you selected No here, you would only be able to create a partition of 2048MB or less using the FAT16 file system.) 5. Next, you will be presented with a menu of options for partitioning your hard disk, as shown in Figure 31.1. For the purposes of this installation, select option 1, Create DOS Partition or Logical DOS Drive. This option enables you to create the first partition for installing Windows 9x. Figure 31.1 The FDISK main menu screen.

6. Select Create Primary DOS Partition to create a bootable primary partition.

All Microsoft operating systems must be bootable from the first primary partition on the primary IDE bus. The only exclusion to this is a SCSI-based system, which must be bootable from the first primary partition of the SCSI controller-assigned boot disk. This does not mean the system and other files must be installed here; it only means that the Windows boot information must be installed in the MBR (master boot record) of this partition.

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7. When asked whether you would like to use the maximum available size for this partition, select No. You will need additional space to be left on the disk for the other two partitions that will house the Windows XP system and the shared data partition. 8. Next you are asked for the size of the first partition. This particular setting will vary depending on the operating systems involved and the amount of disk space available. Table 31.2 (immediately following this set of steps) shows the minimum and recommended sizes for each operating system. You can make the partition larger than the recommended size, if you have the space. 9. Use the backspace key to erase the size that FDISK has filled in. Using the information in Table 31.2, enter the desired size for your first primary partition, in MB. For a 2GB partition, enter 2048. 10. Next, you must define the first partition as being the active partition so that the computer knows from which partition it should try to boot from. Press Esc to return to the main FDISK menu. Select option 2, Set Active Partition, to pick the first partition and set it as active.

If more than one primary partition is listed (as might be the case with some Compaq models that use a special diagnostic partition for their BIOS setup program and testing software), make sure you select the partition you just created.

11. If you want to create the XP and data sharing partitions during the XP install procedure, you can leave the remainder of the disk unpartitioned and skip ahead to step 15. Otherwise, you may now create the logical partitions to house your remaining two file systems. This can be done by selecting option 1, Create a DOS Partition or Logical DOS Drive, and then selecting option 2, Create Extended DOS Partition. 12. FDISK adds all addition FAT partition entries inside what it calls an Extended DOS partition. Therefore, you should allocate enough space for the Extended DOS Partition to hold your Windows XP volume and your shared data volume. If you need no other partitions, you can allocate all remaining space to the Extended Partition. Select a size, press Enter, and then Esc. 13. FDISK will prompt you for the size of the first FAT partition to create inside the extended partition—FDISK calls this a Logical DOS Drive. Select a size in MB for the Windows XP partition, and then press Enter and Esc. 14. FDISK will prompt you for the size of the next Logical DOS Drive. Allocate the remaining space to your data drive and press Enter. 15. Press Esc to exit FDISK. Finally, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete to restart the computer.

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Recommended Hard Drive Capacity for Each Operating System

Operating System

Minimum Size

Recommended Size

Windows 98

225MB to 400MB

2048MB

Windows NT 4.0

124MB

1024MB

Windows 2000 Professional

650MB

2000MB

Windows XP Home Edition

1500MB

2000MB

Windows XP Professional

1500MB

2048MB

Linux (Red Hat 6.1)

135MB to 1.2GB

2048MB

Microsoft and others’ discussions of disk space requirements in particular and hard disk storage in general are often confusing because MB (Megabyte) and GB (Gigabyte) have two different meanings. Hard drives and similar storage devices are normally rated in decimal MB, in which 1MB equals one million bytes, and decimal GB, in which 1GB equals one billion bytes. However, disk utilities such as FDISK and most system BIOSes rate drives in binary MB/GB; a binary MB is 1,024 × 1,024 (the value of a kilobyte times a kilobyte), for a total of 1,048,576 bytes, and a binary GB is 1024 × 1024 × 1024, for a total of 1,073,741,824 bytes. Thus, there are substantial differences in the size of decimal versus binary MB/GB. Recently, the term Mebibyte (Mi) has been developed to refer to binary MB and Gibibyte (Gi) to binary GB, but this usage is not yet widespread.

Installing Windows 9x into the First Partition After you’ve defined at least two partitions, you are ready to install Windows 9x into the first one. After that we’ll install Windows XP in the second one. 1. If you are installing Windows 9x (and you have a bootable version of the installation CD) you can install it by booting from its installation CD-ROM. Select Start Windows 9x Setup from CD-ROM.

If you’re having trouble accessing the CD-ROM drive, check the BIOS settings, or as a good little trick, many systems will boot up from a Windows 9x emergency startup disk with CD-ROM support (even one made on another machine). You can boot into DOS this way, with CD-ROM drivers loaded. Then run the Setup program located on the CD.

2. When you’re in the Windows 9x installation program, you will be given the option to format drive C: and continue with the installation. Setup may also require that you format partition D:. It’s okay to do this. 3. Continue with the Windows 9x installation, making sure that Windows is placed in the \WINDOWS folder on the C: partition by accepting the default.

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If you’ve been booting from your CD-ROM installation disc, be sure to change the boot sequence in your BIOS so that your hard disk boots before your CD-ROM. This is essential for a successful installation.

Tip from

&

Windows 9x is installed first for a very important reason. Windows 9x will always write its own master boot record to make the system boot into it after an installation. You’ll want to make sure that Windows XP has the last say in what gets installed at the master boot level so that you can take advantage of its versatile boot loader.

Installing Windows XP Professional into the Second Partition Continue your multiboot pursuit with the installation of Windows XP. Per Microsoft’s recommendations, you should run the Windows XP installation program from within Windows 9x. 1. Insert the Windows XP disc. The Windows XP Installer should auto-run. If it doesn’t, select Start, Run, and type D:SETUP, where D: is your CD-ROM drive letter. 2. Select Install Windows XP. When asked what type of installation you want to perform, select New Installation (Advanced) and click Next, as shown in Figure 31.2. Figure 31.2 Choose New Installation here to install XP into a separate partition.

3. Proceed through the License Agreement and Product Key pages to the Setup Options page. Click Advanced Options and check I Want To Choose The Install Drive Letter And Partition During Setup. This gives you the opportunity to select the D: partition as well as convert it to the NTFS file system later on in the setup. Click OK, and then Next. 4. After the Windows Setup Wizard copies some files to your hard disk, it will reboot your system and continue the installation from a text-based setup. From this setup, you will have the option to select where you’d like to install your Windows XP system, as

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shown in Figure 31.3. If you didn’t create the XP and data partitions earlier, you can use this menu to create new partitions by pressing C. Finally, select the second partition as the Windows XP install procedure and press Enter. Figure 31.3 Selecting the location of the \WINDOWS install directory from within the text-mode Windows XP Setup. Windows 2000 and NT Setup offer a similar choice. Part

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5. Next, you will be given the option to select the type of file system to use. You can keep your already formatted partition intact, select a new file system format, as shown in Figure 31.4. Figure 31.4 Here, you can choose to leave the original file system intact, or select a different file system for the Windows XP partition.

The “Quick” versions of these choices do not test the drive as it formats. Testing takes some time but it’s worthwhile, so I recommend that you not use the Quick format options. Tip from

&

Remember, you can convert a FAT partition to NTFS at any later time using a Windows command-line utility. Windows can’t convert NTFS back to FAT, however. If in doubt, use FAT for now.

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6. After making your choice, Setup will proceed to do its thing and install Windows XP. During setup, there will be one or two restarts and you’ll see the multiboot menu. Ignore it and let the default “Windows XP Setup” choice start up. This choice will be removed when Setup has completed successfully. 7. When you subsequently restart your computer, you should see the options shown in Figure 31.5. Figure 31.5 The final result—The Windows XP boot loader now shows both operating systems at boot time.

Formatting the Data-Sharing Partition On some of our machines, we’re quite content with two partitions only, with data placed either on the Windows 9x partition if it is nonsensitive, or on the Windows XP NTFS partition (and optionally in an encrypted folder) if it is sensitive. However, I recommend using a third partition to give you a place to store files that you want to keep whilst installing and uninstalling operating systems on the other two. I used such a partition while writing this book to hold my screen-capture program and notes; the main OS partitions needed to be erased and reinstalled dozens of times. If you did create an extra data partition as I described in the previous section, the final installation step is to format this remaining partition. This can be done by using the Windows XP Disk Administration program, or the FORMAT command from a Command Prompt window in either OS.

➔

See Chapter 29, “Managing the Hard Disk,” for more about formatting partitions with Disk Management.

Avoiding Drive Letter Madness As I mentioned earlier, when you use file formats that are not compatible among all the operating systems you’re using, logical drive letters will likely shift around based on which operating system you’re booting.

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The reason for this is that on bootup, Windows scans your disk controllers in the following order looking for fixed or removable hard disks: 1. Primary IDE Controller, Master Drive 2. Primary IDE Controller, Slave Drive 3. Secondary IDE Controller, Master Drive 4. Secondary IDE Controller, Slave Drive 5. SCSI Controllers, in SCSI ID order 6. Additional controllers (such as USB, IEEE-1394 drives) (If your computer boots from a SCSI drive, the SCSI drives are scanned first.) Only the compatible partitions on these drives are scanned and assigned drive letters in the order found. This means that Windows 9x will skip over NTFS partitions, and will assign different drive letters to any subsequent FAT partitions it finds than Windows XP, 2000 or NT will.

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For example, if I had one hard drive with three partitions, defined as follows:

Ch

#1 FAT32, Windows 98 Boot partition

31

#2 NTFS, Windows XP Boot partition #3 FAT32, Data only and a CD-ROM drive, Windows 98 and Windows XP will assign the default drive letters shown in Table 31.3.

Table 31.3

Logical Drive Letter Assignments

Drive

Partition

Drive Letter assigned by Windows 98

Hard Drive

#1, FAT32

C:

C:

#2, NTFS

(none)

D:

#3, FAT32

D:

E:

CDFS

E:

F:

CDROM

Drive Letter assigned by Windows XP

Notice that under Windows 98 the data partition is D:, whereas under Windows XP it is E:. This is not a problem if you store only data on the drive. However, it becomes more complicated if your applications expect to find support files on a given drive under any OS. You might have already thought about using Windows XP Disk Management to reassign the drive letters while Windows XP is running. Although it is true that Disk Management can set drive letters in any way you please, you can’t change the boot drive’s letter. In our example, this means that we can’t reverse the D and E drives letters to match Windows 98.

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However, there is another way. Retail copies of PartitionMagic include a program called DriveMapper that can remap the drive letters under Windows 98. You can run PartitionMagic in Windows 98, use the DriveMapper option, and reassign the data drive to E:, skipping D: altogether when you’re running Windows 98. Then make your CD-ROM drive F:. Now, you can have the same logical drive assignment in both operating systems.

If possible, reassign letters before you install applications; otherwise, Registry settings, shortcuts, and support files can point to the wrong drive. Consult the PartitionMagic user’s guide or Help file for more about considerations when reassigning drive letters.

Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional Installing both the Home Edition and Professional version of Windows XP on the same system is popular for many people who need to test applications in both environments. Because both operating systems use the same boot loader and compatible file systems, installation and setup are simple. However, you must ensure that the two versions are installed onto different partitions or hard drives. To set up dual-booting of Windows XP Home Edition and XP Professional, simply install them both one after the other, taking care to select the Advanced Options button on the Special Options page during setup. Check I Want To Choose The Install Drive Letter And Partition During Setup, and then click OK. This will let you select the partition on which each version gets installed.

Windows XP Professional and Windows 2000 or NT Installing both Windows XP and earlier NT versions on the same system is also something you might want to do. This configuration is popular for many people already running Windows NT 4.0 who want to try Windows XP before completely canning their previous installation. This is a worthwhile pursuit and can be obtained with a little care and planning. If you already have Windows NT 4.0 installed, you are probably using either the FAT16 file system or NTFS. Looking at Table 31.1, you can see that Windows XP supports both of the file systems supported by Windows NT 4.0. When installing Windows XP Professional, you simply select a new installation, as opposed to an upgrade, and the installer will handle the rest. As with the previous configuration, Windows XP will save your Windows NT 4.0 installation and give you the choice of selecting it at boot time.

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This setup also can suffer from the same sort of problems as the Windows 98/Windows XP configuration. You must be careful to not overlap your new and old installation directories. And although you can have them coexist on the same partition, you’d be installing files from two different versions of Windows into the same “Program Files” folder. It’s much more prudent to have them occupy separate partitions or drives.

Windows XP uses an updated version of the NTFS file system: NTFS5. Before installing Windows XP, you must be sure that you’ve first updated your installed version of Windows NT 4.0 with service pack 4 or greater. This will ensure that your NT 4.0 installation will be capable of reading your NTFS disk after adding Windows XP to your system. Service pack 6a is the current (and final) version. Even with the service pack, however, NT Version 4 won’t be able to read XP’s encrypted or compressed files.

Part

VI If you want to test or use Windows XP’s advanced file system features, or if the NTFS version issue worries you, you can use this setup on a dual Windows XP/Windows NT installation. Partition 1

Windows NT, NTFS version 4

Partition 2

Windows XP, NFTS version 5

Partition 3

Shared files, FAT16

Because Windows NT can’t read FAT32 disks, you have use a FAT16 partition as a shared file volume. To dual-boot NT and XP, do the following: 1. Install Windows NT 4.0. Chances are good that you already have it installed, in which case this portion of the job is already complete. 2. You’re going to want to have another partition to house Windows XP. Unless you have free, unpartitioned space available, you’ll need to install an additional disk drive, or use PartitionMagic to insert a new partition on an existing drive. If you do have unpartitioned space, you can install Windows XP directly into that. You can leave the new partition unformatted. 3. Boot up Windows NT, insert the Windows XP setup disc, and choose Install Windows XP from the menu. (If the menu doesn’t start automatically, look on the CD’s root directory for Setup.exe and run it.) 4. Choose New Installation from the wizard’s first page; otherwise, you’ll wipe out Windows NT 4.0. 5. Accept the agreement, enter the serial number, and follow the wizard. 6. From the Select Special Options page of the Windows XP Setup Wizard, select the Advanced Options button. Check I Want To Choose The Install Drive Letter And Partition During Setup, and then click OK.

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7. After the Windows Setup Wizard copies some files to your hard disk, it will reboot your system and continue the installation from a text-based setup. From this setup, you will have the option to select where you’d like to install Windows XP. Choose the partition you created in step 2, or choose any unformatted free space (if you have any). 8. Next, you will be given the option to select how you want the target partition formatted. Select Format as NTFS or Convert to NTFS. 9. The Setup process will continue normally. When it’s finished, you’ll be able to choose either Windows NT 4.0 or Windows XP when your computer boots up. Tip from

See the earlier section titled ”Formatting the Data-Sharing Partition” for some thoughts about creating a third partition to store data that can be shared between the two operating systems.

&

Windows XP, Windows NT 4.0, and Windows 9x/Me Although it might be uncommon, it is possible to create a setup using all three of these operating systems. Take the following approach: 1. Create three partitions (or four if you want a separate data partition). You can create these partitions on one or two hard drives. 2. If you decide you want a data partition, make it FAT16 because NT 4.0 can’t see FAT32. FAT16 is the one common denominator. See Table 31.4 for a suggested layout. As you can see from the table, we’re suggesting using FAT16 for all the partitions to ensure maximum compatibility and the least amount of drive letter shifting. 3. Install Windows 9x/Me in the first partition. If asked whether you want to upgrade to FAT32, say no unless you don’t mind having the first partition invisible to Windows NT 4.0. 4. Install Windows NT in the third partition and upgrade it to at least Service Pack 4. This system will dual-boot. Check it to see that it works acceptably. 5. Install Windows XP in New Installation mode, into the last partition. This should add the third operating system to the boot loader. 6. Format the data partition however you like. Remember that for maximum compatibility between all three operating systems, you’ll want to use FAT16. When you’re finished, the Windows XP boot loader will give you the option of booting into each of the three operating systems. Remember to heed the cautions explained earlier in this chapter regarding sharing data and applications between operating systems.

Windows XP and Linux

Table 31.4

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Booting Windows XP, NT 4.0, and Windows 9x

Partition #

Operating System

Format

Notes

Partition 1

Windows 95 OSR2 Windows 98 or Windows Me

FAT16

Can use FAT32 if you don’t mind this partition not being seen by NT 4.0.

Partition 2

Optional Data Partition

FAT16

We’ve put it second so its drive letter says the same under all 3 OSes.

Partition 3

Windows NT 4.0 SP4 or later

FAT16

Can use NTFS if you are aware of the consequences.

Partition 4

Windows XP

NTFS

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You can’t multiboot more than one version of Windows 95, 98, and Me even if they’re on different partitions. The only way to have more than one Windows 9x on a single machine is with a third-party boot manager such as BootMagic or System Commander. (See the section “Tips from the Windows Pros: Living with More Than One OS,” at the end of this chapter.)

Windows XP and Linux Using both Windows XP and Linux on the same system is a very rewarding multiboot scenario. This gives you two very powerful operating systems that can work in harmony on the same system. Linux can be booted from any type of partition on any installed disk, be it primary or logical. This enables you to create a Linux partition anywhere you have enough space to put it. One of the great advantages of this configuration is Linux’s capability to read, and sometimes write, nearly every file system under the sun. You’ll be able to share files between your two systems with a minimal amount of hassle. Be sure to see Table 31.1 (earlier in this chapter) to properly plan for file sharing between both operating systems.

Linux can read NTFS partitions quite well. But with the current level of NTFS support, when Linux writes to an NTFS partition, it causes some repairable damage to the file system that Windows XP has to fix the next time it boots. This makes me nervous, so I’d suggest that you avoid the need to have Linux write to an NTFS disk. Install Windows XP in a FAT32 partition, or use a third FAT16 or FAT32 partition to store common files.

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LILO, the Linux Loader Just as Windows XP uses the Windows loader to select an operating system and boot up, Linux uses LILO—the LInux LOader. LILO has a comparable ability to select among several OSes in different locations. It’s possible to use LILO as your primary boot program and to configure it to select between Linux and Windows XP. However, configuring LILO is beyond the scope of this book. I’ll only discuss how to set up multibooting with the Windows loader, so if you’re following these instructions it’s important that whatever process you use to set up your system, you end up with the Windows loader on your primary disk’s Master Boot Record, rather than LILO. There are two ways to make sure this happens: ■

If you install Linux first, and then Windows XP, the XP loader will replace LILO. Then you can use the procedure described later in this section to create a Linux boot file for the Windows loader.

■

If you install XP first, then Linux, you’ll have to take care to tell the Linux installation system not put LILO on your computer’s Master Boot Record (MBR). If it does, the XP loader will be overwritten. How you specify this differs from one Linux distribution to another, and may even differ between versions of the same distribution. In the instructions later in this section, I’ll describe how to do this for Red Hat Linux version 7.1, but the procedure may be different for your copy of Linux. If the XP boot loader does get overwritten, you’ll find out quickly: You won’t get a boot choice menu. You’ll have to follow the procedure under “Boot Menu Isn’t Displayed” in the Troubleshooting section at the end of this chapter.

Clearly, it easiest and safest if you can install Linux first. If you can’t, please read your Linux distribution’s installation instructions carefully, and select an installation mode that does not automatically put LILO on the Master Boot Record. The scenario we discuss in the next section assumes that you’ve already installed Windows XP before installing Linux. If you do accidentally overwrite the Windows Loader with LILO, see “Boot Menu Isn’t Displayed” in the “Troubleshooting” section at the end of this chapter.

Installing Linux This section deals with the task of installing Linux in a multiboot situation with Windows XP. Although a complete tutorial on the installation of Linux is out of the scope of this chapter, we will try to cover the essential points needed to make your system multibootable. The procedures in this chapter assume that you are using the current version of Red Hat Linux, which is 7.1 at the time of this writing. For the purposes of this example, you will be installing Linux onto a separate partition on the same disk as your Windows XP installation. Refer to Table 31.2 to be sure you have enough free space to install both Windows XP and Linux. Tip from

&

If you do not have enough space in your hard drive, consider adding a second disk or using the PartitionMagic program to shrink an existing partition.

Windows XP and Linux

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Although the following information provides the basics for dual-booting Windows XP with Linux, you’ll find much more detailed coverage in The Multi-Boot Configuration Handbook, published by Que. You should also search the Web for information. Check out http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/mini/Linux+NT-Loader.html and www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/mini/Multiboot-with-LILO.html.

You can install Linux and Windows XP in either order. Just be sure to read the previous section titled “LILO, the Linux Loader.” If you want to use NTFS for Windows XP, be sure to leave additional room for a FAT32 partition on which to store files you want to share between the two operating systems. Refer to Table 31.2 to find the minimum amounts of space needed. If you can, allow 3 or more GB for each partition. Now, let’s cover some of the important aspects of the Red Hat Linux installation procedure.

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1. Boot from the Red Hat Linux installation CD-ROM. This will bring you to the Red Hat Linux installation program. Press Enter to begin a graphical-interface installation.

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2. After some preliminary questions about your keyboard and mouse, you will be prompted for what type of installation you would like. In the examples shown here, I chose the Custom class (see Figure 31.6) so that I could specify that LILO not overwrite the Master Boot Record. This is very important if you’re installing Linux after Windows XP! If you’re installing Linux first, you can select a Workstation install, which will simplify your choices during the setup. Figure 31.6 Selecting the Custom installation type from within the Red Hat installation program.

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3. The next option offered by the Red Hat installation is whether you’d like automatic partitioning. Select the option to manually partition with Disk Druid and click Next. This step is necessary to create a multiboot system with Windows XP, using the Windows boot loader. 4. On the following screen, the Disk Druid tool gives you the option of creating your Linux partitions. Although there are many options for partitioning and mounting Linux partitions, you can make it much easier on yourself simply by creating a root and swap partition. These are all that is needed to successfully install Linux. On the bottom pane, you can see a representation of your disk, as well as the used and free space available on it (see Figure 31.7). Figure 31.7 The Red Hat Disk Druid disk partitioning tool.

5. Click the Add button, and you can now add a partition for your Linux system. (If you have already installed Windows XP, you’ll add the Linux partitions in addition to any already used for XP.) Because you will need to create two partitions, one each for / (or root) and swap, you must plan the sizes of each beforehand. Tip from

&

A good rule of thumb is to create a swap file that is at least the size of your installed memory. Twice the size is even better. This will be enough for most workstation applications. For example, if you’re allowing 2GB (2048MB) for Linux on a system with 128MB of RAM, you could create a 1920MB root partition and a 128MB swap partition.

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6. First, click the Add button to define the / (root) partition. 7. Type / into the Mount Point field and make sure the Partition Type is the default Linux Native. 8. In the size field, add the size in megabytes for your root partition. 9. Select OK to create the partition. Notice now that the Free column on the second pane has changed to reflect the remaining space on the partition. This is the space left for your swap partition. 10. Next, click Add and define the swap partition. In the size field, enter the desired size in MB for the swap partition. 11. For the partition Type, select Linux Swap, and the Mount Point field will automatically change to reflect that you are creating a swap partition. Click OK to create the partition. At this point, if you haven’t yet installed Windows XP, there should be a big chunk of unpartitioned space still available, as shown in Figure 31.8. Otherwise, you should end up with little or no unused space left. 12. After you have created these two partitions, click Next to continue the installation. Figure 31.8

Created partitions

Root and swap partitions as defined in the Red Hat Disk Druid tool.

Free and used space totals

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13. You will be asked whether you’d like to format your Linux root partition. This is perfectly safe so leave the option checked and continue by clicking Next. 14. On the next screen, Under LILO Configuration, check Create Boot Disk and Install LILO. Under Install LILO Boot Record On, select On First Record of Boot Partition, as shown in Figure 31.9. (If you’ve installed Windows XP already, it’s important that you make these choices no matter which Linux distribution you are using.) Figure 31.9 Boot disk and LILO configuration from the Red Hat Linux installer.

Important: Install LILO in boot partition

Write down the name of the partition that contains LILO. It will be named something like /dev/hda1. You’ll need to know this later when I discuss locating the Linux boot sector. 15. The bottom part of this screen sets which partitions show up in LILO’s boot menu, as well as how you want to label the partitions. If you’ve already installed Windows XP, LILO will add an entry for your Windows XP partition and label it dos. This will actually enable you to boot into Windows XP’s boot sector from within LILO by simply typing dos at the LILO prompt. Most likely, you’ll want to leave this at its default setting. 16. Click Next and proceed through the setup menus to configure networking and other peripherals, user accounts, and so on. Follow the instructions in your Linux distribution manual because this will vary from version to version. 17. The installation will finally create and format your Linux file system and install system packages to complete the installation.

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18. When prompted, insert your disk and the installer will create the boot disk for you. This boot disk will enable you to boot into Linux in case of an emergency (such as in case the Windows XP loader fails you!). 19. After LILO is installed, the Red Hat installation will finish and you may reboot your system.

Getting the Linux Boot Sector After you install Linux, you’ll need to create an image or file dump of the Linux boot sector. You need this to configure the Windows XP boot loader to boot into Linux. Here’s how to get it: 1. Get a blank, formatted 1.44MB floppy disk. 2. Shut down and reboot your computer with the Linux boot disk discussed in the previous section.

Part

3. When Linux has finished booting, log in as root using the password you supplied during installation. All the following steps must be performed as root.

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4. Remove the boot disk, insert the formatted MS-DOS floppy into your disk drive and type the following command: mount -t msdos /dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy

This will make the disk available to you by mounting it in the directory /mnt/floppy.

If you need to format the floppy from within Linux, you may do so by typing the following command from the prompt: fdformat /dev/fd0; /sbin/mkfs -t msdos

This command will give you a freshly formatted MS-DOS disk in Linux. From there you can simply mount the disk to get access to it.

5. The next step is to write the Linux boot sector to the disk. The most important part of this step is to make sure you take the boot sector from the correct partition. This partition is the one that was installed in LILO during the Linux installation. If you’re unsure which partition contains the Linux boot sector, issue the following command: more /etc/lilo.conf

which will give you output similar to the following: boot=/dev/hda1 map=/boot/map install=/boot/boot.b prompt timeout=50 image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.2-2 label=linux root=/dev/hda1 read-only

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6. The “boot=” entry at the top of the file tells us that LILO is installed in /dev/hda1. Using the dd program, issue the following command: /bin/dd if=/dev/hda1 of=/mnt/floppy/bootsect.lnx bs=512 count=1

This command will copy the Linux boot sector at /dev/hda1 to a file called bootsect.lnx on your disk. 7. Next, unmount the floppy disk using the following command: umount /dev/fd0

8. Finally, remove the floppy disk from your computer and reboot the system: /sbin/reboot

If you haven’t already installed Windows XP, do this now. If you created an extra partition to use for shared file storage, you can create and it now as well.

Adding Linux to the Windows XP Boot Loader After both Linux and Windows XP are both installed, you can add Linux to the Windows XP boot loader from any version of Windows you have installed. The steps are exactly the same and are not operating system-dependent. 1. First, copy the bootsect.lnx file, which you created in the previous section, from your floppy disk to the root of your C: drive. This can be done from a command prompt or from the Windows Explorer. This file must be located in the root folder. 2. Modify the BOOT.INI file to add an entry for Linux. The easiest way is to open the System control panel applet, view the Advanced tab, select Settings under Startup and Recovery, and click Edit. 3. Next, add the following line at the end of the BOOT.INI file: C:\bootsect.lnx=”Red Hat Linux 7.1”

4. You can now save BOOT.INI, reboot, and select Red Hat Linux 7.1 as one of your boot menu options. It’s a long and complex procedure, but that’s one of the reasons we love Linux!

Mounting Windows Disks Within Linux Next, you’ll want Linux to mount your Windows disks so that you can share files between both operating systems. This will enable you to copy files back and forth without using external media such as floppy disks. All the following steps must be performed as root because they are system-sensitive procedures: 1. First, create the directories within which you will mount the Windows file systems. The normal Linux convention is to create these directories in the /mnt tree. 2. Issue commands to create the directories for your Windows FAT16 or FAT32 partitions: mkdir /mnt/windisk1 mkdir /mnt/windisk2 (etc).

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These directory names are a matter of taste. You can use whatever name you feel comfortable with at this point. As long as these directories exist, your Windows partitions should mount easily.

3. To test the first mount point, attempt to mount the first FAT32 partition using this command: mnt -t vfat /dev/hda1 /mnt/windisk1

4. You can examine the contents of this partition by simply executing ls /mnt/windisk1

5. If the mount was successful, you will see a familiar list of files and directories found on your first Windows partition. 6. Likewise, you can mount an NTFS partition with the following command:

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mount -t ntfs /dev/hda2 /mnt/windisk2

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using the correct hard drive number, of course.

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31 By default, the NTFS file system driver is not enabled in Red Hat Linux. You must consult your documentation to enable this driver. As stated previously, if you use this driver, it is recommended that you use the read-only version. The current read/write version of the NTFS driver is still in the alpha stages as of this writing.

Enabling these file systems to automatically mount in Linux involves a procedure that is out of the scope of this discussion. Although it is possible, only experienced Linux users should attempt to modify the system’s boot time mount parameters. Typically, the changes needed to auto-mount foreign file systems are made in /etc/fstab. Red Hat Linux includes a GUI utility, called linuxconf, that makes this task much more simple. Consult the documentation that came with your Linux distribution.

The Virtual Machine Approach If you need access to multiple operating systems primarily for testing purposes, rather than for long periods of work, there’s a way to enjoy the use of multiple operating systems without any of the hassle of multiboot setups. In fact, you can even use multiple operating systems simultaneously on the same computer. It’s done with a setup called a virtual machine. It’s an old concept (IBM used it on its mainframes back in the 1970s) that’s making a big comeback thanks to today’s fast processors and huge hard disks. A virtual machine program emulates (simulates) in software all of the hardware functions of a PC. It lets an entire operating system (called a guest operating system) run as an ordinary application program on a host operating system like Windows XP. Since all of the hardware

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functions are emulated, the guest OS doesn’t “know” it’s not in complete control of a computer. When it attempts to physically access a hard disk, display card, network adapter or serial port, the virtual machine program calls upon the host operating system to actually carry out the operation. Even though the software may need to execute several hundred instructions to emulate one hardware operation, the speed penalty is only 5 to 10 percent. And if a guest OS crashes, it doesn’t take down your system. You can simply click a Reset menu choice and “reboot” the virtual machine. Check out Figure 31.10, where I have DOS, Linux, and Windows Me running in separate virtual machines. Figure 31.10 Virtual PC running Windows Me, Linux, and DOS on three virtual machines.

Another advantage of the virtual machine programs currently on the market is that they don’t allow the guest OS unfettered access to your real disk drives. Instead, you create a virtual disk, a single large file on your host operating system that contains the contents of what the virtual machine sees as a hard drive. With today’s large hard drives, it’s no big deal to create a 1 or 2GB file to serve as a virtual hard drive to host Windows 95, and another for Windows NT, and another for Linux . . . you get the picture. If you make a backup copy of the file after installing a guest operating system on one of these virtual disk drives, you can return the guest OS to its original, pristine state just by copying the backup over the virtual disk file. You can even boot up a guest OS, start a bunch of applications, and save the virtual machine in this exact state. When you want to use it again, you can just fire up the whole system starting right from this point. If you’re a tester or experimenter, a virtual computer can save you hours of time installing, reinstalling, and rebooting.

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Of course, you still need separate licenses for all of the extra operating systems you install, but the virtual machine can let you run as many OSes and as many configurations of these OSes as you like, separately or simultaneously. And all of this comes without the need to hassle with BOOT.INI or worry about partitions.

Have you wondered how operating system book authors get screen pictures of the bootup and installation process? In the old days, we had to use film cameras or video recorders. Now, we just use virtual PC programs, and use screen capture software to get images of our desktop. It’s a walk in the proverbial park.

If this sounds interesting, there are two products you should check into: ■

VMWare, sold by VMWare. Check out www.vmware.com. VMWare was the first commercial system to emulate a PC on a PC. (Previous PC emulators ran on other computing platforms.)

■

Virtual PC, sold by Connectix. These folks created Virtual PC for the Macintosh some time ago, and recently released Virtual PC for the PC. Check out www.connectix.com/products/vpc4w.html.

Both vendors have trial versions that you can download and test before buying. Both also support networking, device and file sharing, and cut-and-paste capability between the host OS and several types of guest OS.

Macintosh and Windows Has a friend ever given you a Macintosh disk and asked if you can read it, or have you wanted to run a particularly cool Mac program and been bummed that you can’t? Well, think again. Actually, the Mac can read and write PC disks, so that is one way around this hassle. Just give the colleague a formatted PC disk and ask him to copy the files you want onto the floppy. Or, you might try a program called Mac-In-DOS made by Pacific Micro. We’ve tried that and like it. It works in the PC and reads, formats, and writes Mac disks in the PC floppy drive. Search for it on the Web. It’s about $100 to buy, and you can download a free demo. But if you want to actually run Mac programs on the PC, can you? Well, believe it or not, the answer is yes. Sort of. Just as there are PC-on-a-PC virtual machine programs, as we discussed in the previous section, and PC-on-a-Mac programs such as VirtualPC, SoftPC, and SoftWindows, several Mac emulators can run Mac programs on your PC. One such program we’ve been experimenting with and are impressed with is called Executor, from ARDI. Executor is a virtual

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Macintosh machine program for reading and writing Macintosh formatted media and running Macintosh programs. ARDI has implemented the core of the Macintosh operating system independently from Apple Computer, Inc. As such, Executor requires no software (or ROM chip) from Apple, which makes it the only solution for many customers who need to run Macintosh programs who don’t already have a Macintosh. (Some of the other emulators require you to have an Apple ROM chip from one of their computers.) Executor runs as a native Windows application, either in full-screen mode or in a window (see Figure 31.11). You can print from Executor to any printer that your system can talk to (local printers, remote printers, faxes if you have the right software, and so on). You can cut and paste text and graphics between Executor and other applications. You can create shortcuts for a Macintosh application so that Executor will start up and run that application. Figure 31.11 Executor runs many Mac programs on the PC under Windows 9x, NT, 2000, and XP.

Unfortunately, Executor will not support applications that are “PowerPC-only,” which is an increasing proportion. Additionally, although ARDI supports most core operating system services, newer services are not supported. Macintosh programs are capable of querying the operating system to determine which services are supported and which aren’t, but programmers often make assumptions that are valid for real Macintoshes but that are not valid under Executor. Executor doesn’t yet support the system services that were added after Macintosh System 7.0 (Apple is now shipping 9.0 and X), nor does it yet support networking or system software extensions (known as INITs and CDEVs). ARDI has a compatibility database on its Web site at http://www.ardi.com, which you should check if you’re interested in running a particular program.

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting Boot Menu Isn’t Displayed When I start up my PC, I don’t get a choice of operating systems. Instead, an operating system boots up directly. What has happened is that an installation program overwrote the normal XP boot loader (for example, Linux may have installed the Linux Loader LILO). To restore the Windows loader, boot your computer from your Windows XP installation CD and follow the instructions to repair a damaged Windows XP installation. The only repair options you need to select at this point are the options to repair the startup environment and the boot sector. Your emergency disk will come in handy as the repair mechanism uses it to find your Windows XP partition.

Removing the Windows XP Boot Loader I want to remove the Windows XP Boot Loader. This might be needed if you have incorrectly installed an operating system and want to remove it to start over. The same process of removing the Windows XP boot loader is applicable to the Windows NT 4.0 boot loader. If you choose to perform this step, however, you must be sure that you have an operating system to boot into. For this example, assume you have Windows 98/95 installed and want to return to a state in which it is the only operating system available. First, while you are booted into Windows 98/95, you must create a bootable system disk. This can be accomplished by selecting the Add/Remove Programs control panel. Then select the Startup Disk tab. After creating a startup disk, reboot your system using the new disk. After you have fully booted into MS-DOS, simply enter the following command from the command prompt: sys C:

This will install the Windows 98 startup boot sector onto drive C: and remove the Windows XP boot loader. Now that you’re able to boot back into Windows 9x, simply remove the Windows XP directories. You can optionally remove the following files to clean up the rest of the Windows XP boot loader files: C:\boot.ini C:\ntldr C:\ntdetect.com

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Tips from the Windows Pros: Living with More Than One OS Even with all the advice in this chapter, managing more than one operating system on the same machine at the same time can be a daunting task. Fortunately, some special tools can save you at your darkest moments. (You never expected to find purple prose in a computer book, did you?) The Windows XP multiboot loader is capable of supporting a large number of multiboot situations—probably more than will fit on the screen in a list. Still, editing the BOOT.INI file is an intimidating process, and you must remember quirky rules about the order of operating system installation. If you’re interested in loading up a killer system with three or more operating systems, we recommend using a program designed specifically for the job. I’ll describe a couple of them for your consideration. Once again, the PowerQuest people come toq the rescue with their offering, called BootMagic, which is bundled with PartitionMagic. This program uses a graphical interface to help you set up and run multiple operating systems in the same machine, with a minimum of compatibility problems. You can run the setup interface from DOS, Windows 9x, or Windows NT/2000/XP. The program supports Windows XP/2000, Windows 95/98, Windows NT 4.0 (server and workstation), Windows NT 3.51 (server and workstation), Windows 3.x (must be installed with DOS 5 or later), MS-DOS 5.0 or later, PC-DOS 6.1 or later, Open DOS, OS/2 3.0 or later, Linux, BeOS, and most other versions of DOS and PC-compatible OSes (check their site at www.powerquest.com for more info). Another similar program is System Commander Deluxe, from V Communications. This product has received rave reviews from some magazines. System Commander Deluxe enables you to install and run any combination of PC-compatible operating systems, including Windows 95/98, Windows 3.x, Windows NT, DOS, OS/2, and all of the PC-compatible Unixes including Linux. Like BootMagic, this program also has a graphical user interface. In addition, it does partition management such as resizing, creation, and deletion. It’s available from V Communications, Inc. (check their site at www.v-com.com).

CHAPTER

The Registry In this chapter What Is the Registry?

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How the Registry Is Organized Registry Contents

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Backing Up and Restoring the Registry Using Regedit

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Other Registry Tools

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The Registry

What Is the Registry? The Windows XP Registry is a database in which Windows and application programs store startup information, hardware settings, user preferences, file locations, license and registration information, last-viewed file lists, and so on. In addition, the Registry stores the associations between file types and the applications that use them. For example, the Registry holds the information that tells Windows to use Media Player when you click on an MPG movie file. In the early days of DOS and Windows, programs stored this kind of information in a random collection of hundreds of files scattered all over your hard disk. (Remember CONFIG.SYS?) Thankfully, those days are now only a dim memory. Most of the time, you can get by without giving the Registry a second thought, because almost every useful Registry entry is set from a Control Panel applet, an application’s preferences dialog, or Windows Setup. From time to time, though, you might have to roll up your sleeves to find the location of an errant device driver, you might need to remove an unwanted startup program, or you might just be curious what kind of information Microsoft Office keeps on file about you. This chapter tells you how to go on these kinds of missions. Two Different Views One of the advantages of having two authors for this book is that you get two viewpoints. I (Brian) must confess I am a card-carrying Registryphobe; I think Registry tweaking is dangerous and minimally useful. As far as I’m concerned, the Registry is best left alone. I make my living programming with my computer, and the less fancy and more stable it is, the better. “Stock” is the way for me. For my co-author Bob, who also makes his living with his computer, the Registry is a tweaker’s paradise of undocumented adjustments and fascinating Windows trivia. He can change file locations, tune up networking performance, and generally adjust his computer to be “just so.” To each his own! We’ll both have our say here in telling you how to be careful with the Registry and in showing you how to work with it effectively.

How the Registry Is Organized The Registry leaves the plain text files of AUTOEXEC.BAT and WIN.INI far, far behind. It is a specialized database organized a lot like the files and folders on a hard disk. In fact, the Registry Editor navigates through the Registry using the same expandable list display that Windows Explorer uses to display a disk. Just as a hard disk contains partitions, the Registry contains separate sections called hives. (The reason Microsoft chose the word hive is unclear. It had something to do with busy bees, but more than that, the folks there won’t say.) In each hive is a list of named keys that correspond to the folders on a hard disk. Just as a file folder can contain files and yet more folders, a Registry key can contain values, which hold information such as numbers or text strings, and yet more keys. Even the naming of file folders and keys are similar: A folder might be named \Documents and Settings\brian\chapter32, and a Registry key might be named \HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft. Let’s look at the Registry starting with its top-level keys.

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The two main “top-level” keys are as follows: ■

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE contains all the hardware and machine-specific setup information for your computer. For example, it lists every device driver to load and all your hardware’s interrupt settings. It also holds software setup information that is common to all users.

■

HKEY_USERS has a subkey for each user of the computer. Under each user’s key, Windows stores user-specific information, such as color preferences, sounds, and the location of e-mail files.

The Registry Editor also presents three other sections that look like separate top-level keys: ■

HKEY_CURRENT_USER is the subsection of HKEY_USERS corresponding to the logged-on user. It holds preferences and software setup information specific to the current user, such the choice of screen saver and Office’s default language.

■

HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG, which is a shortcut to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Hardware Profiles\ Current, contains the hardware settings specific to the hardware profile chosen when Windows was started.

■

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT is a strange beast. This Registry section stores file associations, linking file types to applications. It’s a combined view of two other Registry keys: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes, which holds settings for all users, with the addition of HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes, which holds any personal settings stored for the current user. If the same value is defined in both HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ . . . and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, the HKEY_CURRENT_USER value is used.

In reality, these keys are views into subkeys of the first two, as illustrated in Figure 32.1. These three “virtual” top-level keys are there for convenience—it’s easier to look in HKEY_CURRENT_USER than to try to remember where to find user entries under the ugly numbered keys inside HKEY_USERS. Within each of the top-level keys, there are several subkeys holding related information. HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG, for example, contains two keys: Software and System. Software in turn contains two keys: Fonts and Microsoft. (By the way, with keys, just as with folders, you can spell out the full path—HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG\Display\Settings— or just refer to Settings, if you know you’re discussing HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG\Display). All this might seem a little daunting, but remember that the purpose of the Registry keys is to organize setup information sensibly. Instead of having this information in many mysteriously named and randomly located files, it’s all here, filed away in the Registry.

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Figure 32.1 The Registry is composed of two true toplevel keys and three “virtual” top-level keys.

HKEY_USERS

S-1-5-21-3768905638-1452377865-4404342884-500 S-1-5-21-25411…

AppEvents Console Control Panel …

HKEY_CURRENT_USER

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

Hardware

…

Software

Adaptec Classes

* .01d …

Description System

Current Control Set

Control

…

…

.

HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG

Another similarity between Registry keys and file folders is that both can have “access permissions” set to prevent unauthorized users from examining or modifying them. I won’t go further into this topic, except to recommend that you don’t attempt to set or modify the default permissions in the Registry. It’s too easy to make a mistake that will prevent even Windows itself from having access to the information it needs. If you implement Group Policies, the Policy Editor will adjust Registry permissions as necessary.

The Registry database itself is stored in several separate files, called hives, which I mentioned earlier. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE is stored in the folder \windows\system32\config, in several hive files: SAM, SECURITY, SOFTWARE, and SYSTEM. HKEY_USERS is stored with each user’s subkey in a separate hive file. These are kept in each user’s profile folder (\Documents and Settings\username) as a file named NTUSER.DAT, except the “Default User” key, which is in \windows\system32\config\DEFAULT. Finally, each user has a list of keys used to add to or override HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, which is stored in \Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows\ UsrClass.dat. (If you’re interested, you can see that even this information is maintained in the Registry, under the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\ Control\hivelist. Just don’t try to change these values!) You generally can’t examine or modify these files directly while Windows is running because Windows maintains exclusive control of them. Backup software uses special Windows program

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functions to get access to back up or restore them. The exception, though, is that the NTUSER.DAT files for users not currently logged in are not locked, so they can be copied and backed up as normal files.

Registry Contents What’s in the Registry, anyway? There’s a lot to it; many entire books have been written about it. If you want a full-blown guide to the Windows XP Registry, you might look for Microsoft’s Windows XP Resource Kit, or check your local bookstore for other weighty tomes. Short of that (way short) I can still do a quick overview of the Registry to give you some idea of its organization and contents. You just learned about the five main sections of the Registry. Let’s go through them one by one now, and hit on some of each section’s highlights.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE As you might expect, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE contains information specific to your computer, settings that aren’t user-specific. They include hardware settings and software information that is global for all users. The main keys in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE are shown in Table 32.1.

Table 32.1

Main Keys in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

HARDWARE

Contains information about the computer’s hardware platform and Plug and Play devices, discovered afresh each time the system is booted. No configurable settings are located here.

SAM and SECURITY

Contain the Windows Security Account Manager databases. These keys always appear to be empty because only Windows itself is allowed to read or edit the information.

SOFTWARE

Contains system-wide software settings for applications and Windows itself. This key contains many subkeys. The Classes subkey is special and is given its own virtual view as HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT. The other entries are generally named after software manufacturers. I’ll describe some of the more interesting keys in a moment.

SYSTEM

Contains a series of numbered ControlSet entries, each of which contains the settings for hardware and system services. One of them is chosen as the CurrentControlSet subkey. As you install or remove hardware, Windows rotates through the ControlSet entries, using one as the “current control set.” This way, it can keep previous versions to use as a backup.

The fun bits are in the SOFTWARE keys under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. Under SOFTWARE is the special Classes subkey, which I’ll describe in the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT section of this chapter. Also, there are subkeys named after software manufacturers that contain systemwide settings for these companies’ various programs.

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Under Microsoft, naturally, is a slew of subkeys for the software systems provided with Windows and for any add-ons you’ve purchased, such as Office. You’ll have more than 100 subkeys in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft just after installation and more when you start adding your own software. Most of the juicy settings that control Windows itself are found in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion. I’ll discuss just one of these juicy keys. When you log in to your computer, you know that Windows can start up some programs automatically. You can actually set a program to be started up at login in any of five ways: ■

A shortcut in the Startup folder of your Start menu (in \Documents and Settings\ yourloginname\Start Menu\Programs\Startup)

■

A shortcut in \Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

■

A key named Run, RunOnce, or RunOnceEx in \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

■

A key named Run, RunOnce, or RunOnceEx in \HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

■

A run= or load= entry in WIN.INI in the Windows directory (usually \windows or \winnt. Yes, WIN.INI is still around, because some older programs count on it being there.)

To maintain compatibility with older 16-bit Windows software (and even some new software that should know better), the original Windows SYSTEM.INI and WIN.INI files still exist, and Windows XP keeps a few of their entries up-to-date with information copied from the Registry. This lets older software that really depends on the old INI file system still function. It’s too bad that this old stuff is still around, but compatibility has turned out to be more important than neatness.

The Run keys are often set by software manufacturers who want their software to run automatically when you log on. Sometimes this is a good thing—as when Windows uses it to start the taskbar program. But this technique is sometimes used to install annoying programs you really don’t want to run. If the programs don’t have configuration or preference settings that will disable the run-on-logon behavior, you can delete their value entries under these keys. The RunOnce and RunOnceEx keys are used mostly by installation programs that need to complete their work after you restart your computer. Windows normally deletes these entries after you’ve logged in once and these programs have run, but they are sometimes not properly removed. If you’re plagued by unwanted or buggy programs when you log in, see “Tracking Down Errant Startup Programs” in the “Troubleshooting” section at the end of this chapter.

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HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG is a virtual top-level key containing information Windows uses to initialize during its bootup phase, and very little else. Despite its important-sounding name, you’ll find virtually nothing of interest to humans in here. The information is all set up automatically when you create Hardware Profiles. By virtual, I mean that the keys in HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG are really contained in other parts of the Registry, and using HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG is just a convenient way to get at them. A curious feature of this one is that its subkeys come from several different parts of the Registry. Its System\CurrentControlSet subkey comes from one of the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet### keys, and various parts of its Software subkey come from other parts of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. The Registry presents the information from these various keys again under HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG as a matter of convenience.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT is another of these virtual keys, provided to give programmers quick access to information from other places in the Registry. What you see under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT are the contents of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\ Classes, plus any additional user-specific settings stored under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\Classes, whose entries add to or override the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE entries. A large part of the Classes section is devoted to the associations the Explorer makes between file types (or filename extensions, like .doc) and the programs that are used to open, display, or edit them. This is the information you’re editing when you change associations in the Explorer by choosing Tools, Folder Options, File Types, as discussed in Chapter 21. These entries contain the nitty-gritty linkage information that Windows uses to locate software components based on ActiveX Controls, OLE, and the COM+ interprocess communication system. These entries are confusing, complex, and best left completely alone. Table 32.2 gives an overview of the structure of HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.

Table 32.2

The Structure of HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT

Entry

Description

*.* through .zip

For each listed file extension, the default value assigns a name to the file type. Each of these file type names appears later as a subkey of its own. File types that have OLE handlers have a subkey PersistentHandler, which gives a Class ID (a string of numbers like {098f2570-b . . . -03f3}). They are listed under the CLSID subkey, where the program file for the handler is named. Files that have associated programs to edit or display them also have shell or shellx subkeys, which contain the commands Explorer uses when you attempt to open a file using a double-click.

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Table 32.2

Continued

Entry

Description

filetype

Each named file type (for example, VBScript) contains the CLSID number of the associated handler for the file type. Windows looks up this information through the CLSID subkey to find the associated program.

CLSID

Contains a subkey for each registered Active-(something) handler; the sub-keys and values name the handler and point to the file containing its program code.

HKEY_USERS HKEY_USERS contains a subkey for each authorized user of the computer and an entry named .DEFAULT. The .DEFAULT section contains just that—the basic settings given to each new local user added to the computer. (I say local because, on a Windows .NET or 2000 Server domain-based network, when a user logs in for the first time using a domain login name, his or her default Registry entries are obtained from the domain’s server, not the local computer.) The user subkeys of HKEY_USERS have long numeric names. These names are the GUID or Globally Unique User Identification numbers generated by Windows as a computerfriendly representation of the user’s name. It’s by these numbers that Windows tracks users, whether local or domain-based. Nothing else is in HKEY_USERS besides these per-user subkeys. They appear as the contents of HKEY_CURRENT_USER and HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT when the associated user is logged in.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER HKEY_CURRENT_USER contains settings, preferences, and other information specific to the currently logged-in user. This whole “section” is actually a subkey of HKEY_USERS, as discussed previously, but is provided this way as an easy way to get to the information. The Software keys in HKEY_CURRENT_USER are similar to the Software subkeys in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. They’re grouped by software manufacturer, and Windows entries are stored in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion.

Backing Up and Restoring the Registry Because the Registry is now the one place where all the Windows hardware and software settings are stored, it’s also the one thing that Windows absolutely needs to run. You will hear dire warnings from Microsoft, other computer books, installation manuals, and now me: It’s very important to back up the Registry before you edit it. If a critical entry is lost or changed incorrectly (for example, one that holds the name of a driver file for your graphics display adapter), Windows may not be able to start at all.

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If you have a Registry problem, before attempting any drastic measures, see “Recovering from a Suspected Registry Problem” in the “Troubleshooting” section at the end of this chapter.

Make it a habit to back up the Registry every time you back up your hard disk and before you install new hardware or software. I can tell you from personal experience that without a Registry backup, something as common as a bad graphics card installation program can cost you a whole day of trying to get your system to boot again! Windows XP Professional has some built-in protection to help avoid this type of disaster, but you should still take your own precautions.

Backing Up the Registry You can back up the Registry in Windows XP in three main ways: You can back it up as part of a regular disk backup, you can use the Registry Editor to save a key to a disk file, or you can use a special-purpose Registry backup program. I suggest that you set your favorite disk backup program to back up the Registry files every time you back up your hard disk. Before you install a piece of new hardware or a significant software package, do a full disk backup, including the Registry. Before you manually edit the Registry for other purposes, back up the Registry by any of the means I’ll discuss in the next few sections. Part

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An Automated System Recovery backup is a fourth Registry backup of sorts—it saves the most critical, hardware-related information from the Registry on the Emergency Repair Diskette (ERD), then puts everything in the larger backup set. An up-to-date ERD can help you get Windows back on its feet if you have a Registry or other disaster. If you really want to get a gold star for preparedness, update your ERD every time you’ve added new hardware, after it has proven to be stable and work correctly.

To learn how to make an Emergency Repair Disk, see “Backup,” p. 1021.

Backing Up with Windows Backup To run the Backup utility included with Windows XP Professional, 1. Open the Start menu and choose More Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Backup. 2. Click Advanced mode, and select the Backup tab. 3. Check System State as shown in Figure 32.2. If you want to back up more than just the Registry, select any other drives and/or folders you wish to back up. 4. Select a destination for the Registry backup. You can save to a tape drive, network drive, Zip disk, or to a file on your hard drive (you could enter “C:\regback.bkf”). Select the desired backup destination (for example, “File”), and enter the desired location under Backup media or file name. Click Start Backup. 5. Click Advanced and uncheck Automatically back up System Protected Files with the System State. (This will cut the backup from more than 1GB of data down to around 10MB). Click OK. 6. Check Replace the data on the media with this backup, then click Start Backup.

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The System State backup option backs up the Registry along with boot files, Active Directory files, and Certificates. For this reason, it is a good idea to select System State every time you make a backup, to disk or tape. Now, with this backup on hand, if Registry problems occur after your installation, you can use the Backup utility again to restore the Registry to its previous state. Figure 32.2 Check System State to add the Registry to your backup set.

Although it’s best to perform a full backup to tape, disk, or other high-capacity storage media, you can perform a quick System State backup to a local disk file in preparation for adding new hardware or software.

➔

To learn more about Backup, see “Windows 2000 Backup Program,” p. 1159.

With Backup, you cannot save the System State of a remote computer, only the local computer. For remote or centralized backup services—to back up the Registries of all the computers on your network—you need to buy a third-party backup program. If you’re managing a large network of computers, you should definitely investigate centralized backup systems.

Backing Up with Third-Party Disk Backup Software Third-party disk backup software made for Windows XP Professional will include an option to back up the Registry. Be sure to check this option whenever you are backing up your hard disk. It may have options like the Windows Backup program to back up just the Registry and to back up to a disk file, so you can make a quick backup before attempting Registry edits. You should check your backup software’s manual for instructions on saving Registry and system information when you back up. I suggest that you always include the Registry in your backups.

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Backing Up with Third-Party Registry Backup Software There are third-party programs specifically designed to backup and restore the Registry and other critical Windows files. For example, SuperWin’s WinRescue program (www.superwin.com) can not only back up and restore the Registry, but can defragment the Registry’s files and work magic to revive a non-bootable Windows system. If you’re a Registry hacker, it would be worth buying a Registry backup tool. These programs will come with their own extensive instructions on backing up, restoring, repairing, and maintaining the Registry.

Backing Up with Regedit The Registry Editor, called Regedit, has a mechanism to export a set of Registry keys and values to a text file. If you can’t or won’t use a more comprehensive backup system before you manually edit the Registry, at least use this editor to select and back up the key that contains all the subkeys and values you plan to modify. This way, you can back up all the sections you plan to edit in one backup. That way, if it’s necessary later, you can restore these exported files, recovering any changed or deleted keys and values. Remember, though, that Regedit cannot remove entries you added that were not in the Registry before the backup! So, if an entry you add causes problems, the Registry Editor backup will not help you recover.

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To back up a key and its subkeys and values, follow these steps:

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1. To run Regedit, choose Start, Run. Type regedit and click OK. 2. Select the key you plan to modify, or a key containing all the keys you plan to modify, in the left pane. 3. Select File, Export (see Figure 32.3). Figure 32.3 You can save a Registry key and any keys and values it contains with Regedit.

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4. Choose a location and filename to use to store the Registry keys. I usually use the desktop for temporary files like this, so I’ll see them and delete them later. Tip from

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I recommend not using the default extension .REG. This extension is associated with Registry entries in the Windows Explorer, and selecting a REG file in Explorer instantly and silently restores it to the Registry. This operation is far too serious to have happen with just a mouse click or two.

5. Select All Files from the Save As Type list, and enter a name with an extension other than .REG—for example, c:\before.sav. 6. Click Save. The chosen key or keys are then saved as a text file. Tip from

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You can use this technique to copy a set of keys and values from one section of the Registry to another. First, export the desired key and values to a file. Edit the file with Notepad, and use the Edit/Replace menu to change all of the key names to the desired new location. Then import the file back into the Registry. I have used this method to copy a group of Registry entries under HKEY_CURRENT_USER to HKEY_USERS\.Default, for example, so that all newly created user accounts will have the desired setting.

Restoring the Registry If you’ve made Registry changes that cause problems, you can try to remember each and every change you made, re-enter the original information, delete any keys you added, and thus undo the changes manually. Good luck! If you were diligent and made a backup before you started, however, you can simply restore the backup and have confidence that the recovery is complete and accurate. If you think you have Registry problems, see “Signs of Registry Problems” in the “Troubleshooting” section at the end of this chapter.

To restore a Registry backup you made, follow the steps described in the following sections.

Restoring the Registry with Driver Rollback If you encounter problems immediately after installing or updating a device driver, you might be lucky enough not to need to manually restore the Registry. Windows XP may be able to help you automatically. Use the Device Manager’s “Roll Back Driver” feature to see if this fixes your problem.

➔

To see detailed instructions on updating device drivers, see “Updating Device Drivers,” p. 1057.

Restoring the Registry from Windows Backup The Windows Backup utility’s Restore feature lets you replace Registry and other System files saved before a failed installation or change. This step is fairly drastic, so be sure you’ve exhausted the less invasive procedures before you resort to this method. If you did a full

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backup, you’re fairly safe because all program files will be restored along with the Registry. If you backed up only the Registry itself, there’s a chance that the old Registry entries won’t solve any problems created by replaced system programs. Follow these steps to restore the backup: 1. Click Start, More Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Backup (or choose Backup if it’s on your Start menu). 2. Click Advanced Mode, and select the Restore and Manage Media tab. 3. Select Tools, Options. Choose Always Replace the File on My Computer. (You must choose this option because you’re replacing files that exist but contain the wrong information.) Then click OK. 4. Expand the list of cataloged backups (see Figure 32.4). Then locate the backup you want to restore, and check System State. If you want to restore other files and/or volumes backed up at the same time, check them as well. Figure 32.4 You can restore the Registry by restoring a System State backup.

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5. Select Start Restore. A dialog box then warns you that System State is always restored to the current location. Click OK. 6. When a dialog box offers you Advanced options, just click OK to proceed. 7. A dialog box appears to let you enter the name of the backup set file you’re restoring. Enter the name you used when you made the backup—for example, c:\before.bkf. Correct the name if necessary, and click OK. 8. When the backup is complete, Backup asks you to restart the system. You really must reboot now because the Registry files have not actually been restored. The recovered Registry data has been set aside and will only be installed the next time Windows starts. If you make any other Registry changes before restarting, they will be lost when the restored files are installed.

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Restoring the Registry from Regedit If a Registry editing session has gone awry, and you need to restore the Registry from a Regedit backup, follow these steps: 1. In Regedit, select File, Import. 2. Select All Files from the Files of Type list. 3. Locate the file you used to back up the Registry key or keys—for example, c:\before.sav. 4. Select Open. The saved Registry keys are then imported, replacing any changes or deletions. However, any keys or values you’ve added to the Registry will not be removed. If they are the cause of the problem, this restore will not help. If the Registry problems persist, you can try a rather drastic measure: You can use Regedit to delete the key or keys that were changed and then import the backup file again. This time, any added keys or values are removed. I suggest you try this approach only with keys related to add-on software, not for any of the Microsoft software or hardware keys. Tip from

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My final word on Registry repair: If you encounter problems with the Registry entries for hardware or for Windows itself, and restoring the Registry doesn’t help, you are probably better off reinstalling Windows or using the Emergency Recovery procedure than trying any further desperate measures to fix the Registry.

If you encounter what you think are Registry problems with add-on software, your best bet is to uninstall the software, if possible, and reinstall it before attempting any Registry restores or repairs.

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Using Regedit You might never need to edit the Registry by hand. Most Registry keys are set by the software that uses them. For example, Office XP sets its own preference values, and the Control Panel applets set the appropriate Display, Sound, and Networking Registry entries. In a way, the Control Panel is mostly just a Registry Editor in disguise. You might need to edit the Registry by hand if directed by a technical support person who’s helping you fix a problem, or when you’re following a published procedure to make an adjustment for which there is no Control Panel setting. In the latter case, before going any further, I need to say this one last time, to make it absolutely clear: Few circumstances really require you to edit the Registry by hand. Be sure

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you really need to before you do. And, if so, back up the Registry, or at least the section you want to change, before making any changes. In the next few sections, I’ll cover the basics of the Registry Editor.

Viewing the Registry The Registry Editor doesn’t have a Start menu item. You must run it from the Start, Run dialog. Enter regedit and click OK. Regedit displays a two-pane display much like Explorer, as shown in Figure 32.5). The toplevel keys, which are listed below My Computer, can be expanded just like drives and folders in the Explorer. In the pane on the right are the values for each key. The name of the current selected key is shown in the status bar. Figure 32.5 The Regedit screen shows keys on the left and values on the right. Part

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Table 32.3

Data Types Supported by Regedit

REG_SZ

Textual information, a simple string of letters

REG_DWORD

A single number displayed in hexadecimal or decimal

REG_BINARY

Binary data, displayed as an arbitrary number of hexadecimal digits

REG_MULTI_SZ

A string that can contain more than one line of text

REG_EXPAND_SZ

Text that can contain environment variables (such as %TEMP%)

Other data types such as REG_DWORD,_BIG_ENDIAN, and REG_FULL_RESOURCE_ DESCRIPTOR exist, but they are obscure, rare, and can’t be edited with Regedit.

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Searching in the Registry You can search for a Registry entry by key name, value name, or the contents of a value string. First, select a starting point for the search in the left pane. You can select My Computer to select the entire Registry, or you can limit your search to one of the top-level keys or any subordinate key. Next, select Find from the menu, and enter a search string into the Find dialog. The Find feature is not case sensitive, so upper- and lowercase don’t matter. You can check any of the Look At boxes, as shown in Figure 32.6, to designate where in the Registry you expect to find the desired text: in the name of a key, in the name of a value, or in the data, the value itself. Figure 32.6 In the Find dialog, you can select whether to search key names, value names, or value data.

Check Match Whole String Only to search only for items whose whole name or value is the desired string.

Most of the time I check all the Look At boxes but not Match Whole String Only.

Select Find Next to start the search. The Regedit display indicates the first match to your string, and by pressing F3, you can repeat the search to look for other instances. Tip from

The search function has two limitations: • You can’t enter a backslash (\) in the search string when looking for a key or value name; Regedit won’t complain, but it won’t find anything either.

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• You can’t search for the initial HKEY_xxx part of a key name. That’s not actually part of the name; it’s just the section of the Registry in which the key resides. So, to find a key named, for example, HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\MIDFile\shell\Play\ Command, you can’t type all that in and have Find jump right to the key. If you already know the full pathname of a key, use the left pane of Regedit to browse for the key directly.

Editing Keys and Values Regedit has no Save or Undo menu items. Changes to the Registry happen immediately and permanently. Additions, deletions, and changes are for real. This is the reason for all the warnings to back up before you poke into the Registry.

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Adding a Value To add a value to a key, select the key in the left pane, and choose Edit, New. Select the type of value to add; you can select any of the supported Registry data types: String, Binary, DWORD, Multi-String, or Expandable String. (The instructions you’re following will indicate which type of value to add.) A new value entry then appears in the right pane, as shown in Figure 32.7. Figure 32.7 New value adds an entry in “Rename” mode.

Enter the new value’s name, and press Enter to edit the value. ■

For string values, enter the text of the desired string.

■

For DWORD values, choose Decimal or Hexadecimal, and enter the desired value in the chosen format (see Figure 32.8).

■

For binary values, enter pairs of hexadecimal characters as instructed. (You’ll never be asked to do this, I promise.)

Figure 32.8 You can choose to enter a DWORD value in either decimal or hexadecimal notation.

Changing a Value If you want to change a value, double-click it in the right-hand pane to bring up the Edit Value dialog. Alternatively, you can select it and choose Edit, Modify from the menu, or right-click and select Modify from the context menu. Then make the desired change, and click OK. That is all you will likely ever need to do with Regedit. However, in the extremely unlikely case that you would want to delete a value or add or remove a key, the following sections can help see you through these processes.

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Deleting a Value If you’ve added a Registry value in the hope of fixing some problem and found that the change wasn’t needed, or if you’re instructed to delete a value by a Microsoft Knowledge Base article or other special procedure, you can delete the entry by viewing its key and locating the value on the right-hand pane. Select the value and choose Edit, Delete from the menu, or right-click and select Delete from the context menu. Confirm by clicking OK. There is no Undo command in the Registry Editor—when you delete a value, it’s gone for good. Be sure you’ve made a Registry backup before editing or deleting Registry keys and values.

Adding or Deleting a Key Keys must be added as subkeys to existing keys; you can’t add a top-level key. To add a key, select an existing key in the left pane, and select Edit, New, Key from the menu. Alternatively, right-click the existing key, and select New, Key from the context menu. A new key appears in the left pane, where you can edit its name, as shown in Figure 32.9. Press Enter after you enter the name. Figure 32.9 A new key appears in “Rename” mode.

You can delete a key by selecting it in the left pane and choosing Edit, Delete from the drop-down menu, or by right-clicking it and selecting Delete from the context menu. Click OK to confirm that you do intend to delete the key. Deleting a key deletes its values and all its subkeys as well, so without the protection of Undo (or a Registry Recycling Bin), this action is serious.

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Renaming a Key As you have probably guessed, the pattern for renaming a key follows the Explorer exactly: Choose the key in the left pane and select Edit, Rename, or right-click the key and select Rename. Finally, enter a new name, and press Enter.

Don’t attempt to rename keys without a very good reason, such as you mistyped the name of the key you were adding. If Windows can’t find specific Registry keys it needs, Windows may not boot or operate correctly.

Using Copy Key Name As you have probably noticed by now, Registry keys can be pretty long, tortuous things to type. The Registry Editor offers a bit of help to finger-fatigued Registry editors (and authors): Choosing Edit, Copy Key Name puts the name of the currently selected key into the Clipboard, so you can paste it elsewhere, should the need arise. For example, when you’ve found a neat Registry trick, you might want to e-mail your friends about it.

Advanced Registry Editing The Registry Editor has some advanced features you’ll need only if you’re managing a network of Windows XP computers or if you run into really serious problems with your Windows installation.

Editing the Registry of a Remote Computer The Registry Editor permits administrators to edit the Registry of other computers on a network. Of course, this operation is highly privileged, and you must have administrator privileges on the computer whose Registry you want to edit. To edit a remote computer’s Registry, choose File, Connect Network Registry. Next, enter the name of the remote computer, or choose Browse to select one graphically; then click OK. (Interestingly, Browse doesn’t let you use Active Directory to select a computer to manage, only the basic Network Neighborhood list.) When you’ve connected, the computer’s Registry keys appear in the list along with your own, as shown in Figure 32.10.

For you to be able to connect to the Registry on a Windows 95 or 98 computer, it must have Remote Management installed. This option must be installed as part of the computer’s Network Services through the Network Control Panel. Windows Me is not supposed to support remote Registry editing but you can install the Remote Management feature from a Windows 98 CD-ROM. On Windows NT, 2000, and XP, the Remote Registry service is installed automatically.

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Host Computer

Remote Computer

Figure 32.10 Viewing and editing a remote computer’s Registry.

Note that only the two main “real” top-level keys will appear: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and HKEY_USERS—the virtual keys will not. When you have finished editing the remote computer’s Registry, right click its name in the left-hand pane and select Disconnect.

You can’t use File, Export or File, Import to save or load a remote Registry’s values. These commands might appear to work, but they operate only on the local computer’s Registry.

Editing Registry Entries for Another User If you open a Registry Editor and look under HKEY_USERS, you will find that the only available subkeys are .DEFAULT, four entries for system services, and your own subkey, which is also accessible as HKEY_CURRENT_USER. As I mentioned earlier, Windows stores various parts of the Registry in data files called hives, and loads the hive containing your part of HKEY_USER only when you are currently logged on. When you log out, your subkey is unloaded from the Registry, and the hive file is left in your user profile folder. (And if you have a roaming user profile, your profile folder is copied back to the domain server. That’s how your settings are able to follow you from one computer to another.) As an administrator, you might find it necessary to edit Registry HKEY_USER entries for another user. For example, a startup program in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ Windows\CurrentVersion\Run might be causing such trouble that the user can’t log on. (Can you tell this is a pet peeve of mine?) If you can’t log on as that user, you can edit his or her HKEY_CURRENT_USER Registry keys in another way: 1. Log on as Administrator and run Regedit 2. Select the HKEY_USERS window. 3. Highlight the top-level key HKEY_USERS.

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4. Select File, Load Hive. 5. Browse to the profile folder for the desired user. It is in \Documents and Settings\ username for a local machine user in a workgroup, or for a Windows Server domain, in the folder used for user profiles on the domain controller. 6. Type the filename NTUSER.DAT. (The file does not appear in the browse dialog because it’s “super hidden”: a hidden system file). Then click Open. 7. A dialog then appears, asking you to enter a name for the hive. While HKEY_USERS normally loads user hives with a long numeric name, I suggest that you type the user’s logon name. Click OK. The user’s Registry data is then loaded and can be edited, as shown in Figure 32.11. Figure 32.11 An offline user’s Registry hive is now loaded and can be edited.

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32 8. When you’re finished editing, unload the hive. Select the key you added under HKEY_USERS (for example, the offline user key in Figure 32.11), and select File, Unload Hive. Confirm by clicking Yes on the warning dialog.

Editing Registry Entries for Another Windows Installation If you need to retrieve Registry entries from an installation of Windows 2000 or XP on another hard disk or partition, you can load any of that installation’s hive files for editing or exporting. This might happen when you ■

install a new hard disk and install Windows XP on the new disk.

■

have a severe Registry error that prevents Windows from booting at all. If you can’t use the Emergency Recovery procedure to fix the problem, you can install Windows onto another drive, partition, or folder on your computer. When you boot up that copy of Windows, you can load the original installation’s Registry files for editing. Then you can try to boot up the original installation.

To edit the other installation’s Registry, you will need to locate its hive files. They are usually found in the locations shown in Table 32.4.

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Table 32.4

Usual Location of Hive Files

Key

Hive File

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SAM

\winnt\system32\config\sam

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Security

\winnt\system32\config\security

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software

\winnt\system32\config\software

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System

\winnt\system32\config\system

HKEY_USERS\.Default

\winnt\system32\config\default

To edit another Windows installation’s Registry, use the technique I described under “Editing Registry Entries for Another User.” But instead of locating a user’s NTUSER.DAT file, locate the desired hive file on the other hard drive or partition. Unload it after you’ve exported or corrected the desired information.

Editing Registry Security Just as files and folders have security attributes to control access based on user and group identity, Registry keys and values have a complete set of Access Control attributes that determine who has rights to read, write, and modify each entry. For example, the Registry keys that control system services can’t be modified by non-Administrator users; otherwise they could conceivably make the entries refer to their own programs which would then run at a high privilege level. Access controls on the Registry is thus a key part of Windows security. If you absolutely must change permissions or auditing controls, locate the desired key or value, right-click it, and select Edit, Permissions. The Permissions dialog looks just like the comparable dialog for files and folders (see Figure 32.12), and lets you set read, write, and modify rights for specific groups and users. There is a corresponding set of audit settings. Figure 32.12 Registry Key Permissions control which users or groups are allowed to see or modify the Registry key and its values.

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Needless to say, incorrectly changing Registry key access rights can cause profound problems with Windows, so I encourage you not to make any changes to Registry access settings unless you’re explicitly instructed to do so. (This occasionally happens: Microsoft periodically issues security bulletins that tell how to eliminate newly discovered security holes in Windows. Sometimes the procedure involves limiting access to Registry keys.) Other than this, however, I recommend that you not attempt to change Registry security settings.

Other Registry Tools I’ve said that, although most Windows functions are controlled by Registry entries, most of these settings are made using Control Panel applets, Computer Management tools, and application preferences menus. There are some settings, however, that can’t be made using any standard Windows program. Making these changes used to require you to directly edit the Registry. Now, however, you’ll find a raft of third-party add-on tools to make these changes more safely via a nice graphical user interface. Let’s go through a couple of the more popular utilities.

TweakUI Microsoft produced a tool called TweakUI. If you don’t geek-speak, its name means “adjust the user interface in cool and arcane ways.” You can download TweakUI from Microsoft’s Web site at www.microsoft.com/ntworkstation/downloads/PowerToys/Networking/NTTweakUI.asp. This version works with Windows 2000 and Windows XP. TweakUI is definitely worth having. Using TweakUI, you can adjust mouse sensitivity, window movement, animation effects, the appearance of icons in the Explorer views, the visibility of desktop icons such as Internet Explorer, the visibility of local and network drives in the Explorer, and some security features such as hiding the name of the last-logged-on user.

X-Setup X-Setup, by Xteq, is like TweakUI on steroids. This shareware program presents more than 750 Registry-only settings and tweaks using a slick graphical Explorer-like interface. It includes wizards for some of the more complex tasks like mapping file types to Explorer icons. One of its niftiest features is its ability to record a series of changes to a log file that it can then play back on other computers. It’s free for home, nonprofit, and governmental users, or $199 per 10 copies for commercial users, at www.xteq.com.

Registry Toolkit Registry Toolkit is a shareware Registry Editor made by Funduc software with a nifty search-and-replace system. You can scan the Registry, changing all occurrences of one string to another, which is great for some nasty jobs. It also keeps a log of changes made so that edits can be undone. Its user interface isn’t very comfortable or slick, but if you need to manage a lot of identical changes in the Registry, this is one tool to check out. It’s free to try; $25 to register, at www.funduc.com.

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Resplendent Registrar Resplendent Registrar is a powerful Registry editing tool produced by Resplendence Software Projects (www.resplendence.com) with a drag and drop interface. Other features include a Registry defragmentation tool, a Registry compare tool, support for volatile Registry keys, and the option to edit Registry hive files on disk, allowing power users and administrators to edit Registry images of broken Windows installations. It’s also shareware ($44.95), and there’s a free “lite” version.

Registry Privileges and Policies In Windows NT, 2000, and XP Professional, Registry keys and values can have permissions set to define who has permission to view and edit them, just like folders and files. The Windows Policies system, which allows administrators to restrict users’ ability to change their computer configuration, is based on Registry access control. In a nutshell, Policies install Registry keys and values that tell Windows administrative programs such as Control Panel to hide certain controls and settings. For example, a policy entry might make the Display Control Panel hide the Power Management settings. These restricting Registry entries are then locked into place with permission settings that prevent the users from seeing or changing them. You don’t usually manage these entries using Regedit, but by using the Policy Editor and Manager, which is described in Chapter 28, “Managing Users.”

I gave this warning before, but it bears repeating: Trying to manually change Registry privileges is very dangerous. Don’t do it! You could easily render your system not only inoperative, but also out of your own ability to repair.

I have one more tip that’s so cool, I put it at the end of the chapter under “Tips from the Windows Pros.”

Troubleshooting Signs of Registry Problems How can I determine whether Windows problems are caused by the Registry? Registry corruption can take two forms: either the Registry’s database files can be damaged by an errant disk operation, or information can be entered incorrectly, by hand or by a buggy program. No matter what the cause, the result can be a system that won’t run. (I have encountered this problem myself. A bad display driver entry caused Windows to reboot over and over.)

Troubleshooting

Other signs of Registry corruption or errors could be as follows: ■

Drivers aren’t loaded, or they give errors while Windows is booting.

■

Software complains about components that aren’t registered or cannot be located.

■

Undesirable programs attempt to run when you log in.

■

Windows does not boot, or it starts up only in Safe mode.

Recovering from a Suspected Registry Problem How do I recover from a Registry problem? If any of the signs of a Registry problem occur just after you install new software or hardware, after you’ve edited the Registry manually, or after an unexpected and unprotected power loss to the computer, then you might have a Registry problem. Try these fixes in turn, checking after each step to see whether the problem is resolved: 1. If the problem occurred right after you installed new software, see whether the software manufacturer has released any updates for the software (especially during the first six months or so after Windows XP is released). If an update is available, install the updated software before proceeding. In any case, try reinstalling the software. If that doesn’t fix the problem, uninstall it and then reinstall it again. 2. If the problem occurred right after installing a new piece of hardware or updating a device driver, try updating the device driver or using the Driver Rollback feature.

➔

For information on the Device Rollback, see “Device Driver Rollback,” p. 1058.

3. Restart Windows, and just before Windows startup screen would appear, or when the “Please select the operating system to start” appears, press the F8 key. Select Last Known Good Configuration. Last Known Good uses the previous boot’s version of HKEY_LOCAL_CONFIG, so good hardware settings might be preserved there. 4. If you get to this point, get professional technical help if it is available. If that’s not an option, continue to step 5. 5. Use System Restore to try to return to an earlier saved system configuration.

➔

For information on the System Restore, see “System Restore,” p. 1160.

6. If none of these fixes solve the problem, or if you can’t get Windows started, try starting Windows in Safe mode. Starting this way circumvents many display driver setup problems. If you suspect the problem is caused by the display driver, set Windows to use the Standard VGA driver and restart. Then reinstall your normal graphics adapter (using the most recent updated driver). 7. If you have a backup containing the Registry (System State), restore it. This fix should return you to a state where you had a working system. 8. Use the Emergency Repair Disk to repair Windows (Repair mode). 9. Reinstall Windows in Repair mode.

➔

For more information about reinstalling Windows, see “Repairing Your Windows Installation,” p. 1158.

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10. Reinstall Windows in Clean Install mode. This will require you to reinstall all of your applications and reconfigure users, so it’s an absolute last resort.

Tracking Down Errant Startup Programs How do I track down and eliminate startup programs that don’t appear in the Start menu but start anyway when I launch Windows? When you log on, Windows examines the Startup folder in your personal Start Menu\ Programs folder as well as in the corresponding folder under \Documents and Settings\ All Users. In addition, Windows examines the Startup folder in the Start Menu Programs folders of both the user logging in and the All Users folder. Windows also looks in the Registry for values in the following keys: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce The LOCAL_MACHINE entries are run for all users, and the CURRENT_USER entries are, of course, specific to each individual user. If you’re trying to eliminate a Startup program and can’t find it in your own Startup folder, look in the following places: 1. Look for a shortcut or program in the folder \Documents and Settings\Default User\ Start Menu\Programs\Startup. 2. Examine SYSTEM.INI in C:\windows. Look for load= or run= lines in the [boot] section. The program might be run from here. 3. Examine the Startup folders under Programs in both your Start menu and in the All Users Start menu folder. Right-click your Start button, and select Explore to examine these folders. Note: You must have administrator privileges to delete an entry from the All Users Startup folder. 4. Run Regedit, and browse to key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion. Look for Run, RunOnce, or RunOnceEx subkeys. Check their values for entries that are starting the undesired program. The RunOnce entries are often set by installer programs to complete an installation process after rebooting and are sometimes not eliminated properly. 5. Repeat the same process with HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion, looking for Run, RunOnce, or RunOnceEx keys.

Tips from the Windows Pros: Registry Tips on the Web

If you can’t log in as the affected user, and you suspect that the startup program is run from the HKEY_CURRENT_USER Registry entry, see “Editing Registry Entries for Another User” earlier in this chapter.

Tips from the Windows Pros: Registry Tips on the Web As I’ve said repeatedly in this chapter, I don’t much like the idea of fooling with the Registry. While I like to set up my desktop with a familiar set of icons, I don’t like to customize things much beyond that because I want a computer to behave the way the documentation says it will. (And if something doesn’t work, I like to be able to just blame Microsoft and not worry that I might have caused the problem.) But that’s just me. Many people are interested in knowing what you can alter through Registry settings, and whole Web sites have sprung up to share Windows Registry tips and tricks. If you’re interested, you might check out these three: www.regedit.com www.jsiinc.com/reghack.htm http://is-it-true.org/nt/nt2000/utips/index.shtml

To be honest, I don’t find much of the listed tips to be helpful, and the TweakUI program I discussed earlier provides an easy way to do the same things. I have found one tip, though, that’s useful enough to pass on. If you’re a big Command Prompt user, you probably are used to opening a Command Prompt window and then having to change directories to get to the folder you want to work in. There’s a neat Registry trick that will let you open a Command Prompt window in any folder using the right-click menu in Explorer. Here are the steps: 1. Click Start and Run. Type regedit and press Enter. 2. Open key HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell. 3. Add a new key under shell named CmdHere. 4. Edit its (Default) value, and change the value to CMD appear on the right-click menu.

&Prompt Here.

This text will

5. Add a new key under CmdHere named command. 6. Set its (Default) value data to cmd marks exactly as shown.

/k pushd “%1”

taking care to add the quotation

Now, in the Explorer, you can right-click any folder, and CMD Prompt Here will appear on the menu. If you select it, a command prompt window will open with this folder as the current directory. (You can even select a shared folder on another networked computer. Windows prints a grumpy error message but it still works).

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Here’s one final tip: If you do find a Registry tweak that you find useful, I suggest that you use the Registry Editor’s “Export Registry File” function to save the altered key in a file. Edit the resulting .REG file with Notepad so that it lists only the key(s) and/or value(s) that need to be changed. This way, you can install it on other computers or on other users’ accounts without having to use the Registry Editor. Just locate the .REG file in Explorer and double-click.

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Troubleshooting and Repairing Windows XP In this chapter Troubleshooting 101 Boot Options

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Parallel Copies of Windows XP As a Last Resort

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Preventing Problems System Restore

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Black Magic of Troubleshooting Scatter-Gun Troubleshooting

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Troubleshooting 101 Inevitably, the only time you’ll ever have a problem with your computer system is the exact moment when it’s not convenient. Or more specifically, the moment when any delay would be severely detrimental to the continuation of your job or life. Fortunately, Windows XP has benefited from the failures of its preceding OSes and as a result is more stable than any other Microsoft OS. That is not to say that Windows XP will never experience a failure. However, the frequency of such failures is greatly reduced and in many cases Windows XP can self-heal. In this chapter, I discuss many of the fault-tolerant features of Windows XP, along with specific tools you can employ to resolve problems. Windows XP is chock full of helpful troubleshooting information. In many locations throughout the user experience, you’ll see a button labeled “Troubleshooter.” This button is most common when viewing the Properties dialog box of a device. This button launches a troubleshooting wizard that walks you through common resolution techniques for the problems you are encountering. You also can locate troubleshooting links within the Help and Support Center. Just search on a topic and look for the link to launch the troubleshooting wizard. While I’m discussing device Properties dialog boxes, I should also mention that you can gain access to these (among a few others, such as Computer Management for drives and Phone and Modem options for modems) through the Device Manager. Within the Device Manager you can look for devices with problems by looking for the yellow exclamation point or the red stop sign over the device’s icon. See Chapter 30’s section titled “System: Device Manager.”

Boot Options Windows XP offers several alternate boot methods which can be used to bypass a problem or boot into a reduced environment so you can solve the problem. If you can’t boot the system, this is the time to start considering the boot options. For example, if you’ve recently installed a new device driver that caused a serious system failure (you can’t boot), you can use a boot option to boot without that driver (this is called the “Last Known Good Configuration,” to be exact). Tip from

&

If you can boot, but you’re being plagued by other strange system anomalies, read the “System Restore” section later in this chapter. It might be a better choice for a simple repair. If you can boot, but a device isn’t working after having just installed a new driver, check the section on “Driver Rollback,” in Chapter 30.

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The boot options of Windows XP are accessed during the early stages of system startup. If you have more than one OS on your system, the boot menu will be displayed. You’ll have until the counter reaches zero to press F8. If you have only Windows XP Pro on your computer, you’ll see a message about pressing F8 after the computer’s own Power-On Self Test and the display of the graphical booting screen. You’ll have only a few seconds, so keep your finger over the F8 button and press it when the message appears. Pressing F8 at the correct moment reveals the Advanced Options Menu which contains several boot options. These options are listed in Table 33.1.

Table 33.1

Safe Mode Startup Options

Option

Description

Safe Mode

Starts Windows XP using only basic files and drivers (mouse, except serial mouse devices; monitor; keyboard; mass storage; basic video; default system services; and no network connections).

Safe Mode with Networking

Starts Windows XP using only basic files and drivers, plus network connections.

Safe Mode with Command Prompt

Starts Windows XP using only basic files and drivers. After you log on, the command prompt is displayed instead of the Windows desktop.

Enable Boot Logging

Starts Windows XP while logging all the drivers and services that were loaded (or not loaded) by the system to a file. This file, called ntbtlog.txt, is located in the %windir% directory. Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking, and Safe Mode with Command Prompt add to the boot log a list of all the drivers and services that are loaded. The boot log is useful in determining the exact cause of system startup problems.

Enable VGA Mode

Starts Windows XP using the basic VGA driver. This mode is useful when you have installed a new driver for your video card that is causing Windows XP to hang or start and lock up half-way into the initialization process. The basic video driver is always used when you start Windows XP in Safe mode (Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking, or Safe Mode with Command Prompt).

Last Known Good Configuration

Starts Windows XP using the Registry information that Windows saved at the last shutdown. Use this option only in cases in which you strongly suspect a program has written incorrect or damaging information to the Registry. The last known good configuration does not solve problems caused by corrupted or missing drivers or files. Also, any changes made since the last successful startup are lost.

Directory Services Restore Mode

This option is only valid for domain controllers.

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Table 33.1

Continued

Option

Description

Debugging Mode

Starts Windows XP while sending debug information through a serial cable to another computer.

Start Windows Normally

This option boots the system without altering the normal boot operation. Use this selection to return to normal booting after you’ve made any other selection from the advanced menu. Selecting this option causes the normal boot to occur immediately; you will not be returned to the boot menu.

Reboot

This command reboots the system immediately, without first booting into Windows XP or even returning to the boot menu.

Return to OS Choices Menu

This command returns to the boot menu without making an alternate boot selection.

After you’ve made a selection from the Advanced Options Menu, you are returned to the boot menu (Unless Reboot or Start Normally is chosen, of course). Notice your selected option is listed in blue at the bottom of the screen. From this point, you can select an OS from the list and continue with booting based on your selections.

Tip from

If a symptom does not reappear when you start in Safe mode, you can eliminate the default settings and minimum device drivers as possible causes.

& Using Safe mode, you can start your system with a minimal set of device drivers and services. For example, if newly installed device drivers or software is preventing your computer from starting, you might be able to start your computer in Safe mode and then remove the software or device drivers from your system. Safe mode does not work in all circumstances, especially if your system files are corrupted or missing, or your hard disk is damaged or has failed. In general, if you’ve just performed some operation that caused a system failure, the best first reboot action is to use the Last Known Good Configuration. If that fails to resolve the issue, use Safe Mode. If the problem is specific to the video drivers (or suspect that it is), you might want to use Enable VGA Mode instead of Safe Mode. If you’ve just recently changed video drivers or the video card itself, you may want to use the Enable VGA mode if things don’t act normally during the reboot. When you are able to access the system through Safe Mode, you need to resolve the issue causing the boot problem. In most cases, this will require you to reverse your last system

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alteration, application install, driver update, and so on. If your system stops booting properly and you did not make any changes, then you should probably call Microsoft tech support. They may be able to help track down the culprit and get things back on track. If none of these boot options results in a repaired system or offers you the ability to boot the system, you’ll need to move on to the Recovery Console.

Recovery Console The Recovery Console feature provides you with a command-line interface that enables you to repair system problems via a limited set of commands. For example, you could use the Recovery Console to enable and disable services, repair a corrupted master boot record, or copy system files from a floppy disk or a CD-ROM. The Recovery Console gives you complete control over the repair process but can be dangerous if not used with caution. If you’re not an advanced user, you should stay away from this set of commands. If you do plan to pursue use of the Recovery Console, I highly recommend consulting the Windows XP Resource Kit. The Recovery Console can be used in two ways. It can be installed so that it always appears on the boot menu as an alternate OS. Or, you can use it by initiating a repair via the setup routine. Both of these methods are discussed in this section. To run the Recovery Console on a system that will not start, do the following: 1. Insert the Windows XP Setup Disk into your floppy drive or, if you have a bootable CD-ROM drive, insert the Windows XP CD into your CD-ROM drive. 2. Restart your computer. 3. Follow the directions on the screen. If you’re using the Setup disks, you are prompted to insert the other Setup disks into the disk drive. Loading files might take several minutes. Choose the options to repair your Windows XP installation when prompted (press R for repair instead of Enter to install) and finally to start the Recovery Console when prompted.

To see the commands available on the Recovery Console, type help at its command prompt.

To install the Recovery Console on your computer so that it is always available, you must be logged on to Windows XP as a user with an Computer Administrator account type to be able to complete this procedure. 1. Log on to Windows as a Computer Administrator user. 2. With Windows running, insert the Windows XP CD into your CD-ROM drive. 3. If you’re prompted to upgrade to Windows XP, choose No.

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4. At the command prompt (Start, All Programs, Command Prompt), switch to your CDROM drive, and then type the following: \i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons

5. A dialog box appears, explaining what the Recovery Console is for, telling you it requires about 7MB of hard disk space, and asking whether you want to proceed. Click Yes. 6. A wizard starts and copies the files onto your hard disk. That’s it. Now that the Recovery Console is installed, it is listed as a selection on the boot menu—not on the Advanced Options Menu. The following are some notes on installing the Recovery Console: ■

To run the Recovery Console after it has been installed, you must restart your computer and select the Recovery Console option from the boot menu.

■

You must be logged on as a Computer Administrator user to be able to install the Recovery Console. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings may also prevent you from completing this procedure.

■

To see the commands available on the Recovery Console, type help at the command prompt.

■

You can allow a user to run the Recovery Console without logging on by enabling the Auto Admin Logon attribute in the Security Configuration Editor. The AutoAdminLogin attribute is located in the Console tree under Local Computer Policy, Computer Configuration, Windows Settings, Security Settings, Local Policies, Security Options. Otherwise, once the Recovery Console is started, you’ll be prompted for the Computer Administrator user account’s password.

■

If your computer does not start, you can run the Recovery Console from the Windows XP CD (if you have a bootable CD-ROM drive) or the Setup disks.

In many cases, the Recovery Console offers you enough reach to repair most problems. However, in the event that the Recovery Console fails to support necessary system alterations, you’ll need to attempt a parallel installation.

Parallel Copies of Windows XP Before you resort to doing a fresh installation over the top of a dead system, or wiping out the disk and starting over, you might want to try one other approach. This trick can sometimes get you up and running again, assuming you have enough disk space—and some patience. The following procedure creates a back door into a broken installation so that you can remove or change offending drivers, disable some offending services, tweak the Registry, and so on in hopes of getting it back up again. If nothing else, you can do a clean installation and pull in your settings from the old installation.

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The basic idea is that you do a clean installation of Windows XP into a fresh directory. Then you can use Regedt32 either to alter the Registry of the dead system or pull what you can out of it (such as user settings) into the new one so that you can trash the old installation. Here are the basic steps: 1. Install Windows XP into a fresh directory (a clean installation). For example, if your Windows directory is C:\Windows, you might use C:\Windows2 for this new installation. 2. Boot up Windows using the newly installed system. This should occur by default. 3. Try to repair the old copy by deleting or replacing defective driver files in the original Windows installation directory structure. If you suspect that a system service is crashing on bootup and that’s what’s crashing your computer, you can try editing the old system’s Registry to disable the service. Here’s how: 1. Run Regedt32.exe from the newly installed version of Windows XP and select the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

If you need help running Regedt32, see Chapter 32, “The Registry.” Don’t tinker with the Registry unless you know what you’re doing. Improper editing of the Registry can result in a dead computer.

2. Click Load Hive on the File menu, and open the following Registry file on the original Windows XP installation folder \oldwindowsfolder\System32\Config\System where oldwindowsfolder is the name of the folder of your original Windows installation. 3. Assign this hive a name such as OldSystem. This key contains the old HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System data from your old setup. 4. Browse into the subkey CurrentControlSet if it’s displayed. If it’s not, look in key Select at Value Current. It will be a number such as 1, 2, or 3. Back in OldSystem, open key ControlSet00x, where x is the number you found under Current. 5. Browse into the Services key, and look for the likely offending service. Under each service’s key is a value named Start, with one of the following values: 1. Starts in the first phase of bootup (these services are usually used to access file systems) 2. Starts automatically, just after booting 3. Starts manually 4. Disabled

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Services with a Start value of 1 are used to boot Windows, and you shouldn’t touch them. Services with a Start value of 2 are started just about the same time as the Login dialog appears in Windows. If your Windows system boots and then promptly crashes without your help, try setting the Start value of any suspected service(s) to 3 or 4. Be sure to write down the names of the services and their original Start values before you change anything! 6. Select the OldSystem key, and select the File menu, Unload Hive. 7. Use Notepad to view file the C:\BOOT.INI. You should see two entries for Windows XP, one using the original directory and one using the new directory. Note the order in which they’re listed. 8. Shut down Windows and reboot. You have to select a Windows installation from the two Windows XP entries listed. Refer to your notes made in step 7 to determine which entry is which. Select the old (original) installation to boot. You might need to repeat this process a few times, disabling a different service or two each time. If you can manage to reboot the old system with some system services disabled, uninstall and reinstall those services to recover your installation. This procedure is a little bit like performing brain surgery with a shovel, but it has resurrected systems for me before.

As a Last Resort You can reinstall Windows XP over a damaged Windows XP system. Doing so might be time-consuming, but reinstalling is useful if other repair attempts do not solve your problem. You should attempt an upgrade install first. If this works, you will have repaired your OS and retained your installed applications and most system configuration settings. If upgrading fails, you must perform a fresh install, which means you’ll have to re-install all of your applications and remake all of your settings changes. Unless you format the drive, your data files will remain unaffected by the upgrade or fresh install process. Tip from

&

If you do a fresh install, you don’t have to worry that your documents and settings will get wiped out. They won’t. During a re-install, Windows XP setup checks to see if there are pre-existing Documents and Settings for each user account you create, and uses a modification of that name to create the new account settings. For example, my account name is Bob. So, under D:\Documents and Settings, there is a sub-folder called D:\Documents and Settings\Bob. When I did a fresh reinstallation on the same drive, and set up my user account again (using the name “Bob” once again), XP did not overwrite the existing Bob folder. Instead it created a new folder called D:\Documents and Settings\Bob.HP-Laptop. XP appended the name of my computer onto my username. Now all I had to do was fish around in files and folders under Bob (such as Desktop, Favorites, Cookies, Application Data, and so on) and copy those over to the new Bob.HP-Laptop folder. Then I’m back in business.

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However, it is always a good idea to back up your data. Go back and check out the “Backup Tools and Strategies” section in Chapter 29 for ideas on performing that activity. Keep in mind that if your system fails to boot, you can’t get access to the Windows backup tool to create a backup. So, you must be proactive by backing up your important files on a regular basis. You might get lucky and be able to use the Safe Mode Command Prompt or the Recovery Console to access a command prompt where you can copy files to a floppy, removable medium, or other drives. But relying on this is not smart. Tip from

&

If data recovery is what you are after, there are ways to reclaim your data from the hard drive. These techniques assume that the files or folders you want to reclaim did not use NTFS encryption. There are several approaches you could consider. First, if you have a dual-boot system, look for the Documents and Settings folder on the XP boot drive. Drill down until you find the files you want. This assumes the OS you boot into can read the file system that your user files are stored under, of course. Second, you can try connecting the drive to another computer that boots an OS capable of reading the volumes and folders in question. Then go looking for the files. Find them, and copy them where you’d like.

In cases where the lost data files were encrypted under NTFS, you will need a recovery key to gain access to them. See Chapter 29 for more about managing the hard disk, and Chapter 28 for details about managing users and passwords.

Preventing Problems I have never believed that having to re-install and re-configure an OS is a true recovery method. Its more of a start-over-from-scratch method. There are some system failures which require such far reaching procedures, but in many cases you can prevent them. The most successful preventative measure is backing up. In fact, the only insurance you have from one moment to the next that your system and your data will even be accessible is a back up. Backups should be performed automatically and frequently. But just backing up is not enough; you must also verify that your backups are working properly and periodically walk through the process of restoring your system in the event of a failure. Backups are the key to a long life of your data. In fact, most of the repair capabilities of Windows XP are based around backups. Many repair functions don’t correct problems directly; instead they restore saved functioning files over problematic ones. This includes the Last Known Good Configuration, many functions within Recovery Console, and the System Restore capability (discussed later in this chapter). But all of these restore or repair functions focus on the OS, not on your data. Only a backup you configure and execute will protect your data. Flip back to Chapter 29, “Managing the Hard Disk,” for more details about backups.

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Backups are not the only preventative measures you should take. You should also regularly check your system’s performance. This process was discussed in Chapter 25, “Maintaining and Optimizing System Performance.” It is also a good idea to use a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply). A UPS conditions the power being fed to the computer and can provide several minutes of power in the event of a blackout. A UPS will prolong the life of your computer by protecting its sensitive components from electric fluctuations. Regularly check the Event Viewer for device, driver, and service problems. Problems of this nature usually appear in the System log. They are usually indicated by a yellow triangle or a red stop sign as the event detail’s icon. If you see problems related to key components of the system, you need to investigate the situation and resolve the problem. Unfortunately, the event details do not always provide enough information. You’ll need to use the Help and Support Center, the Microsoft online knowledge base (support.microsoft.com), or Microsoft technical support over the phone to decipher what cryptic information is presented. In many cases, the Windows XP troubleshooter will provide a workable solution. Otherwise, you should consult the vendor’s Web site for updated drivers and troubleshooting instructions.

The Event Viewer is discussed in Chapter 27, “System Utilities.” The hardware troubleshooter (both through the Add Hardware applet and the Device Manager) is discussed in Chapter 24, “Configuration via Control Panel Applets.”

You should also endeavor to regularly perform drive maintenance on your system. Maintaining healthy drives reduces the number of drive and file system related problems. Drive maintenance involves the following: ■

Manually removing old data files, either via deletion or backup

■

Use Disk Cleanup to remove unnecessary files

■

Use Error-checking to verify the volume is supporting its file system properly

■

Use Defragmenter to consolidate files and aggregate free space

These drive tools are discussed in Chapter 29, “Managing the Hard Disk.”

System Restore System Restore is a fabulous mechanism which first appeared with Windows Me. Now Windows XP incorporates it, too. System Restore enables you to restore the computer to a previously saved state. So, you can “roll back” your computer to the way it was working before your dog jumped on the keyboard, or before you installed that stupid program or device driver that lunched your system. Here’s how it works.

System Restore

1161

Performing a system restore does not affect personal files, such as documents, Internet favorites, or e-mail. It simply reverses system configuration changes and removes installed files to return the system to a stored state. System Restore automatically monitors your system for changes. Periodically easily identifiable restoration points are created. Plus, you can create your own restoration points manually. It should be obvious, but I’ll state it anyway: System Restore is only accessible if you can boot Windows XP. If your system does not boot, you must use one of the previously mentioned system recovery techniques. There are two control interfaces for System Restore. One is on the System Restore tab of the System applet. The other is the System Restore utility itself accessed through Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Restore. The System Restore tab (Figure 33.1) of the System applet is where System Restore is enabled or disabled for all drives in the computer. It is enabled by default. Figure 33.1 The System Restore tab of the System applet where drive by drive settings are defined to enable storage of system restore archives.

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33 While enabled, you can define on a drive-by-drive basis how much space can be consumed by System Restore to maintain restoration points. You can choose to turn off System Restore for individual drives or set the percentage of the drive usable by System Restore. Each drive has either 20% or 12% of its total size set as the default and maximum allowed usage levels (Figure 33.2). (It seems that if the 20% level results in a value over 400 MB, then the 12% level is used.) Keep in mind that if you disable System Restore on a drive, no changes to that drive are retained in restore points. The number of restore points retained by System Restore will depend on the amount of allowed drive space usage as well as the rate and significance of changes to the system.

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Figure 33.2 Drive settings dialog box for System Restore.

Restore points are created by Windows XP automatically whenever any one of several specific events occurs: ■

On first boot after installation

■

Every 24 hours of calendar time or every 24 hours of computer uptime

■

When a program is installed using InstallShield or Windows Installer

■

Automatic updates via Windows Update

■

Any restore operation

■

Installation of unsigned device drivers

■

At any restore operation using Backup

Keep in mind that not all program installations use InstallShield or Windows Installer. Thus, you should always manually create a restore point before installing applications. The creation of a restore point at any restore operation allows you to reverse a restoration. Thus, if after a successful restoration you are not pleased with the outcome, you can reverse the restoration. The system automatically removes any failed or incomplete restoration operations. System Restore does not replace the uninstallation process for removing an application. System Restore only monitors and protects against changes to the OS. It does not track the addition of new files to the system. Use the Add or Remove Programs utility or a vendor provided uninstall routine to remove applications. The System Restore tool (see Figure 33.3) in the System Tools section of the Start menu is actually a wizard accessed by clicking its icon in the Start menu under All Programs, Accessories, System Tools. This wizard walks you through the process of restoring the system to a previous saved state or to manually create a restore point. Just make a radio button selection and then click Next.

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1163

Figure 33.3 The System Restore tool.

When restoring a system, the list of available restoration points is displayed along with a calendar to help in time-lining and identifying. Once you’ve selected a restore point, you’ll be asked to confirm your wish to restore the system to the saved state and informed that the system will reboot to perform the action. Once the restore is complete, a new third radio button option for Undo My Last Restoration will appear on the first page of the System Restore Wizard. Creating a restore point is even simpler. All you need to do is provide a name for the restore point and click Create. The system state data will be saved.

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Black Magic of Troubleshooting It often seems like many professional technophiles have some sort of black magic they use when resolving problems. If you blink, you miss whatever it is they do to get the system back in working order. It’s often as if you are working with a techno-mage. Yes, it is true that some of our skills at resolving problems do seem like hocus pocus. But in reality, it’s a mixture of experience and knowledge. Both of which you can gain with time and effort. In my experience, I’ve found that most computer problems are physical in nature. Meaning some component is not connected properly or has become damaged. Of the remaining 5%, more than 4.99% is caused directly the user—whether through deliberate or accidental activity. User caused problems are typically configuration changes, installation of new drivers, or deletion of important files and folders.

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When I troubleshoot a problem on my own systems, I try to mentally walk backwards through whatever I’ve done to the system over the last few days or weeks. In many cases, I’ll remember installing some downloaded application or changing some Control Panel setting that I meant to uninstall or reverse, but never got around to do it. If the brainstorming fails to highlight any suspects, I check for physical issues. Is everything powered on? Are cooling fans still spinning? Are all the right cables still firmly connected? If I don’t discover anything obvious physically, I try a power-off reboot. The power-off reboot will reset all hardware devices, and in many cases resolve the problem (if it was device related). If possible, shut down the system gracefully. Then keep the power off for about 10 seconds before switching the system back on. You’ll be amazed at how often this works. My next steps always include a walk through the Event Viewer and any other types of log files I can find. Let the problem guide you in this process. For example, if the video system is failing, you probably don’t need to look through the modem logs. For me, every problem is unique. Often requiring a different resolution than any other problem I’ve tackled in the past. However, there are some general rules or guidelines I try to follow: ■

Try only one change at a time

■

Reboot twice after each change

■

Test each change for success

■

Try the least invasive first

■

Keep a log of your changes, you may need to undo them to produce a result, or you may need the resolution process again in the future

■

Consult vendor Web sites for possible solutions, if the problem seems to be specific to one device or software component

■

Be patient and take your time

■

After a few attempts at possible solutions, step back and re-evaluate before continuing

■

If you get frustrated, take a break. Anger and frustration are counter-productive when you need to be thinking clearly

■

Try to undo any recent changes to the system, including new hardware or software patches

■

Review areas of the system which have caused problems in the past

■

Try to repeat the failure; knowing where, how, or why the failure occurs can lead to a solution

Troubleshooting is both an art and a science. You’ll need organized patience and outrageous ingenuity. Plus, knowing where to look stuff up never hurts. Keep in mind that the entire Internet is waiting at your finger tips and mouse clicks. Search groups.google.com as well the regular Web. You’ll be amazed at what you find. Be precise in your search techniques to

Scatter-Gun Troubleshooting

help find the exact messages you need to read. The MS knowledge base is extremely helpful, too. Plus, lots of helpful information is included within the Help and Support system of Windows XP as well as the Windows XP Resource Kit. If all else fails, contact Microsoft technical support over the phone (see support.microsoft.com for contact numbers). In most cases, if the troubleshooting techniques in this book don’t resolve the issue, it usually beyond the end-user to correct.

Scatter-Gun Troubleshooting Not all of the troubleshooting techniques applicable to Windows XP are contained within this one chapter. If you’ve noticed, we’ve been discussing troubleshooting within every chapter. That organizational decision was intended to group recovery information with the discussion of the related technologies, deployment, usage, and management. So, before you throw your hands up in frustration that your questions are not answered or your problem is not resolved in this chapter, go check out the chapter dedicated to the specific subject earlier in this book.

1165

INDEX

Symbols & (ampersand) command, 877 ^ (caret) command, 877 $ (dollar sign), 553 && (double ampersand) command, 877 \\ (double backslash), 546 3DES (Triple-DES), 45 10BASE-2 cables, 759 10BASE-T, 470-471, 502-504, 759 10/100 switching hub, 508 10/100BASE-T hub, 497 100BASE-T, 472, 759 100BASE-TX Ethernet, 504 1000BASE-T, 472, 501-502 16-bit applications, 65, 67, 165, 861, 880 24-bit bitmap, 165 32-bit applications, 877 64-bit Windows XP versions, 36-38 80 port, 436 256-color bitmap, 165 802.11b, 43, 473 802.3 framing, 720

A abstracts, 435, 1017 Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) slot, 59 Access Point, 506

access restrictions/rights Active Directory, 491 anonymous, 423 authentication, 423 Control Panel, 124, 802 e-mail, 290 enabling, 682-684 files/folders, 545, 562, 583-584, 599, 623, 630, 679, 738, 976-977, 1014 FTP, 739 hard drives, 1030-1031 hardware, 67 Hotmail, 320 HTTP, 739 list settings, 45 management screens, 679 Microsoft Passport, 321-323 objects, 984 partitions, 738 passwords, 738 Properties sheet, 992 remote access, 751 routers, 685-687, 751 security, 730-731 SMTP, 739 SNMP, 739 Troubleshooting, 983-984 Web Folders, 586 see also remote access Accessibility Options category view (Control Panel), 806, 808, 811-814, 903, 929-930 accessories, games, 150 accounts, see user accounts ACDSee image archiving, 256 ACLs, Scheduled Tasks, 908

Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC), 27 ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface), 54, 142, 145 ACPM (Advanced Configuration and Power Management), 809 Acrobat Reader, 325 action centers, 114 Activate Windows (Start menu), 927 activation, installation, 95 active application buttons, 134 active defense, 732, 739-740 active desktop, 121 Active Directory, 43, 485-486, 543 access, 491 ADSI, 491 containers, 490 domain networks, 551 hierarchy, 490 options, 543 policy functions, 543 printers, 568-571, 598 searches, 557-559 Active Server Pages (ASP), 439-440 Adapter tab (Display Properties dialog box), 784 adapters, see networks, adapters Add a Network Place Wizard, 559, 561

1168

Add Hardware applet Add Hardware applet (Control Panel), 27, 808, 814-816, 1050, 1057 Add Network Places Wizard, 566 Add or Remove Programs applet (Control Panel), 808, 817-820 Add Printer Wizard, 34, 568 adding Address Book entries, 345-346 applications, 808, 817-820 cameras, 809, 835-836 company names to clock, 789-790 computers to hubs, 519 contacts to Windows Messenger, 392-393 counters to Performance Monitor, 766 fonts, 808, 893-894 graphics to WordPad, 158-159 hardware, 27, 208, 648, 808, 814-816, 1045-1048 items to Start menu, 133 languages, 806 Linux to boot loaders, 1116 Media Player items to library, 252 mouse, 945-946 My Network Places, 559-560 offline files, 623 Print Manager to Start menu, 185 printers, 185, 518, 806 Printers and Faxes folder to Start menu, 184 RAM, 1044 Registry keys, 1139-1140 routes, 654-655 scanners, 809, 835-836 shared folders, 594-595 user accounts, 321, 960-961 WordPad, 181 Address Book (Outlook Express), 392 Backups, 354-355 configuration, 345

enabling/disabling, 358 entries, 345-346 addresses e-mail, 147, 338 Internet Explorer, 295 Searches, 555 spoofing, 728 Web Folders, 566 see also IP addresses Adjustable cursor blink rate and cursor width, 24 administration folders, 552-553 Group Policy settings, 42 options, 814 privileges, 484 remote, 553 Administrative Tools applet (Control Panel), 709, 808, 916 Component Services, 916 Computer Management, 916-920 log files, 921-926 ODBC Sources, 916 services, 926-927 Administrators group, 110 configuration, 108 domains, 484 files, 985 hardware, 1051, 1078 IIS, 424-425 installation, 93 permissions, 113 recovery certificates, 1014 subfolders, 564 user accounts, 111, 948-950, 963, 965, 978-979 Adobe Systems, Inc., 325 Fonts, 892 Photoshop, 238, 255 Reader, 325 ADSI (Active Directory Services Interface), 491 advanced backups, 1022 Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI), 54, 142

Advanced Configuration and Power Management (ACPM), 809 Advanced Power Management (APM), 142, 145, 785, 809 advanced properties, 310, 906 advanced searches, 555-559, 570 AEC (Acoustic Echo Cancellation), 27 AFP (AppleTalk File Protocol), 712 Aggregation, modems, 271, 829 AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) slot, 59, 1061, 1066 Alarms, UPS power failures, 1074 alerts, 32, 394 aliases, 118, 125 alignment, columns, 897 All Programs section (Start menu), 133 allocation memory, 806, 856 resources, 1059 Windows 3.x, 863-864 Allow Paste Operations via Script option, 314 Alt key, 812 Alternate Configuration, 651 American National Standards Institute (ANSI), 151 American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII), 151 analog camcorders, 238 analog connections, 260, 264, 676-679 anchor points, 158

assignments

animations GIFs, 301 menus, 780 performations, 850-851 ToolTips, 780 anonymous access, 423 folders, 751 FTP, 432 newsgroups, 376-377 Web Folders, 586 ANSI (American National Standards Institute), 151 Ansi.sys display driver, 881 answer files, 101 antivirus software, 357 AOL, 266, 411 APIs, 65-67 APM (Advanced Power Management), 142, 145, 785, 809 Appearance and Themes category view (Control Panel), 804 Appearance tab (Display Properties dialog box), 779-781 Appian Hurricane, 1081 AppleShare, 714-715 AppleTalk, 468, 477 File Protocol (AFP), 712 printers, 577-578 protocol, 715 Applets, Control Panel Accessibility Options, 808, 811-814 accessing, 124 Add Hardware, 808, 814-816 Add or Remove Programs, 808, 817-820 Administrative Tools, 808 Date and Time, 808, 821-822 Display, 804, 808 Folder Options, 808 Fonts, 808 Game Controllers, 809, 822-824

Internet Connection Options, 805 Internet Options, 809 Keyboard, 809, 824-825 Mouse, 809, 825-827 Network Connections, 805, 809 PCMCIA, 810 Phone and Modem Options, 809, 827-834 Power Options, 809 Printers and Faxes, 809 Regional and Language Options, 809, 834 Scanners and Cameras, 809, 835-836 Scheduled Tasks, 810 Sound and Audio Devices, 805, 810, 836-840 Speech, 810, 840 System, 810, 840-842 Taskbar and Start Menu, 810 Users Accounts, 810 Application Sharing (Windows Messenger), 406-407 applications 16-bit, 880 32-bit, 877 active application buttons, 134 adding, 808, 817-820 closing, 127, 146 crashes, 143-144 data, 980 debugging, 934 distributed, 487-488 DOS, 67 drivers, 12 editing, 808, 817-820 files, 118, 125, 712, 1019 Internet Explorer, 310 launching, 134-139, 394 Linux, 41 log files, 921, 923 Macintosh computers, 721-722 monitoring, 880 MS-DOS, 880 multibooting, 1093 offline folders, 629

popups, 757 printing, 184 publication, 492 removing, 808, 817-820, 842-843 shutdown, 30 single-document interface (SDI), 933 terminating, 933 toggling, 146 troubleshooting, 842-843 Windows 3.x, 863-864 Applications tab (Task Manager), 933-934 Applied Science Fiction, Inc., 256 AppsHelp, 64 ARC path, 1037-1038 archives faxes, 210 images, 238, 255-256 log files, 926 navigation, 121 ARCnet, 468 ARDI, Executor, 1119-1120 Area Code Rules tab (Phone and Modem Options), 830 arguments, 1007, 1009-1010 arp command, 873 Arrange Icons (View menu), 793 ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange), 151 ASIP (AppleShare IP), 714 ASP (Active Server Pages), 439-440 ASR (Automated System Recovery), 30, 1023 assign command, 878 assignments drive letters, 994-995, 1000, 1105-1106 group permissions, 977 I/O ports, 1064 IP addresses, 662, 664, 680 IRQs, 1061

1169

1170

assignments memberships, 965 separator pages, 593 tasks, 905-906 user profiles, 965 assoc command, 873, 882 associations files, 795 storing, 1124 asymmetric DSLs, 261 at command, 873, 907-908 AT Service Account (Scheduled Tasks), 907 atapi controller, 757 ATI, RADEON VE, 1081 ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode), 468, 472 atmadm command, 873 attachments, e-mail, 123, 339, 360, 363, 380-382, 745, 913 attributes, 975 ATX format, 56 audio configuration, 301-302 enabling/disabling, 302 hardware, 401 Media Player, 249 MP3, 305-307 Remote Assistance, 646 settings, 252 streaming broadcasts, 304-305 Audio command (Tools menu), 401 Audio Interchange File Format, 249 Audio tab (Sound and Audio Devices applet), 839 Audio/Video Tuning Wizard, 402 audits enabling, 438 events, 591 files/folders access, 976-977 log files, 924 policies, 749

aurally impaired, 808, 811-814 authentication access, 423 Kerberos v5, 42 NTLM, 709 servers, 437-438 smart card, 45 auto-answering, faxes, 214 auto-replies, mailing lists, 364 auto-scrolling, 792 AutoComplete (Internet Explorer), 297, 310, 317 AUTOEXEC.NT file, 857, 869-871 Automated System Recovery (ASR), 30, 1023, 1131 automating backups, 595 CDs, 792 computer shutdown, 750 configuration, 651 file operations, 595-597 installation, 101 network operations, 595-597 online help, 595 Outlook Express, 359 partitions, 1112 program launching, 394 reset configuration, 814 tasks, 904-905 updates, 30, 745, 911 synchronization, 625 AutoPing, 768 AutoPlay, 792 autosensing, 508 autotyping drives, 1082 AVI, 302-304

B back doors, security, 728 background color, 163, 317, 864 desktop, 804 multitasking, 856

Task Manager, 943 tasks, 937 backslash, double (\\), 546 Backspace key, 154 Backup or Restore Wizard, 1022 backups, 1131-1132 advanced, 1022 ASR, 1023 automating, 595 baseline, 743 CD-Rs, 87, 1024 Cluster Registry, 1028 commands, 878 compression, 1025 configuration, 534, 1023-1024 copy, 1026 daily, 1026 data, 806, 1027-1029 differential, 1026 disaster planning, 743 e-mail, 355 Emergency Repair Diskette (ERD), 1131 files, 1028 hard drives, 87, 1030 incremental, 1026 installation, 86-87, 90 job information, 1024 junction points, 1028 LANs, 1022, 1026 launching, 1022 location, 1028 networks, 500, 534 New Shadow copy, 30 normal, 1026 notebook computers, 1030 offline folders, 630 operating systems, 1159 Outlook Express, 353-355 recovery certificates, 1012-1014 Registry, 1028, 1131-1134 remote storage, 1025 removable storage devices, 1021-1022 replicated data sets, 1028 scheduling, 1025, 1029 security, 1028

canonical names

storing, 1024, 1028 system, 438 System State, 1025 tape, 1022 user profiles, 1031-1034 verification, 1025 virtual hard drives, 1118 volumes, 1025, 1028 backward compatibility, 63-65 balloon Help, 22 bands, 181 bandwidth, 938 banner pages, 697, 720 base memory addresses, 1065 base-load balancing, 41 baseline backups, 743 Basic authentication, 438 batch files, 579, 595, 871-872 batteries, 843, 1073, 1076 benefits, networks, 464 Berkeley r commands, 710-711 Berners-Lee, Tim, 292 bidirectional support, 196, 263 binaries, 380 bindings, 694-695, 716-717 BIOS configuration, 1038 hardware, 1043 SCSI drives, 1037 troubleshooting, 1082 updates, 56-57 USB controllers, 1056 bitmapped images, see images Bitstream fonts, 892 black-and-white images, 162 blocking device drivers, 1052 BMP files, 160, 224 Boolean searches, 140 bootcfg command, 873

booting BOOT.INI settings file, 1094-1095 CD-ROM, 88, 1096, 1102 dual-booting, 75-80 floppies, 99-100 hard drives, 1038 hardware, 1077-1079 loaders, 1116, 1121 log files, 1153 master boot record, 1093-1094 menus, 1121 operating systems, 107, 1152-1155 sectors, 1115-1116 single booting, 75-80 system, 904 timeouts, 1094 troubleshooting, 101, 1082 BootMagic, 1122 BOOTP, 736 bounces, 376 bridges, 43, 535-536 broadband connections, 260, 267, 659, 674-679 broadcasting, 304-305, 478 browsers, 757 elections, 695 installation, 293 MSN Explorer, 319-321 Novell NetWare, 700 offline, 297-299 printers, 571 Web pages, 439 see also Internet Explorer; Netscape Navigator BSD4.x, 39 buffers, 234, 866 bugs, 728, 739-740 building computers, 54-55 built-in commands, 871 BURNProof, 234 business connections, 555, 665 buttons, active applications, 134 buying computers, 54-55

C C drive, 1105 cables CAT-5 patch, 497 coaxial, 759 connections, 447, 665, 669, 688 crossover, 517, 646, 1031 hubs, 502 installation, 536 Internet, 669 LANs, 758-759 modems, 262, 264 networks, 501-502, 513-515, 758-759 patch, 515 plenum, 514 printers, 509 troubleshooting, 1038 UPS, 1073 caching cleaning, 1021 Internet Explorer, 309, 317 offline files, 621, 628 system, 937 cacls command, 873 Cailliau, Robert, 292 Calculator (Start menu), 165-168 Calendars, Internet Explorer, 311 CALL command, 882 call waiting, 830 callbacks, dial-up networking, 614-615 Calling Card tab (Phone and Modem Options), 830-831 Cameras. See also digital cameras adding, 809, 835-836 configuration, 809, 835-836 removing, 809, 835-836 troubleshooting, 843 canceling documents from printer queues, 204 canonical names, 456

1171

1172

capacity capacity hard drives, 1101 networks, 500 UPS, 1072 Caps Lock key, 792 capture printer command, 597, 702 capturing images, 238 carriage returns, 720-721 cascade ports, 518 cascading folders, 791 case sensitivity Creator code, 722 mail servers, 338 Type code, 722 CAT-5 patch cable, 497 catalogs directories, 1018 files, 1018 properties, 1017 queries, 1018 System, 1018 categories of log files, 923 Category view (Control Panel), 32, 803-807 CAUCE (Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial E-mail), 356 CD command, 882-883 CD-Rs, 27, 87 CD-ROM drives, 100-101, 1105 booting, 88, 1096 installation, 1102 requirements, 49 software, 561 CD-RW drives, 27, 232-235, 252, 255 CDs, 252, 325, 1024 Media Player, 249 music, 250 playing, 792 cellular phones, 833 censorship, newsgroups, 364 central office (CO), 667

CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research), 292, 439 CERT, 740 CERT-CC, 744 certificates computers, 552 files, 1012-1014 Internet Explorer, 310, 314 Outlook Express, 343 storing, 45 VPNs, 652 CGI (Common Gateway Interface), 417, 422 changing code pages, 877 directories, 883 folders, 883 passwords, 701 channels DMA, 1063-1064 ISDN, 285-286 Character Map utility (Start menu), 168-170 chatting online (Windows Messenger), 396-397 chat communities, extending, 410-411 contact notifications, 396 etiquette, 397-398 extending, 410-411 files, sending and receiving, 399-400 group chats, 399 signing out, 398-399 status messages, 398 video chat doesn’t work, 410 video communication, 404-405 voice communication, 400-404 chcp command, 877 CHDIR command, 882 checking domain membership, 762-763 viruses, 438

chips, CPUs, 58-59 chkntfs command, 873 choice command, 878 Choose Details option (View menu), 793 CIFS (Common Internet File System), 705 cipher command, 873, 1009 classes, fonts, 891 Classes section, 1129 classic logon, 107-108 classic view, 32, 807 cleanup, desktop, 116, 777 clear-to-send (CTS) pin, 1076 clearing log files, 926 Recycle Bin, 1020 ClearType, 890 clicking mouse, 826 clients AppleShare, 715 e-mail, 328-330 installation, 94, 102 networks, 466, 475-476, 486 Novell NetWare, 487, 693-698 peer-to-peer networks, 523-524 Samba tools, 706 telnet command, 709-710 Clipboard cutting and pasting, 172-175 Paste command, 182 ClipBook Viewer utility, 173 clocks company names, 789-790 configuration, 127, 821 see also date and time Close On Exit setting, 868 closing applications, 127 connections, 648 programs, 146 windows, 146

configuration

clusters, 41, 81, 1028 cmd command, 877 CMOS settings, 1082 cmstp command, 873 CO (central office), 667 Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial E-mail (CAUCE), 356 coaxial cables, 759 code pages, 877 CodecCentral, 248 color archives, 255 background, 163, 864 commands, 882, 884 configuration, 885 desktop, 780 foreground, 864 hue, 781 images, 162-163 Internet Explorer, 309, 317 luminosity, 781 management, 195, 207-208, 784 monitors, 781, 784 refiner cursor, 781 saturation, 781 schemes, 813 screens, 806 separator pages, 594 text, 864 columns, alignment, 897 COM ports, 66, 190, 1060 COM+ distributed application, 488 Command Prompt window, 1149 commands encryption, 1009-1010 extensions, 882 prompts, 702-703, 857, 865-866 utilities, 600-601, 1007 see also specific commands Common Gateway Interface (CGI), 417, 422

Common Internet File System (CIFS), 705 common tasks view, 794 communications, Windows Messenger, 389-390 community names, 719 compact command, 873 company name, 789-790 comparing Windows XP Home Edition with other Windows XP versions, 36-38 compatibility display logs, 63 DOS, 63 hardware, 51-52, 76 Hardware Compatibility List, 69, 1084 Linux, 40-41 Macintosh computers, 713 modems, 267, 605 modes, 64, 74, 118 platforms, 388-389 Program Compatibility Wizard, 858-860 Remote Assistance, 912 software, 63-65, 68, 76 testing, 41 Unix, 39 upgrades, 68-69 utilities, 64-65 Web sites, 1120 Windows, 12, 48 compilers, 152 Components, 916 installation, 820 networks, 717-718 removing, 820 compression, 69, 307 backups, 1025 drives, 79 encryption, 1010 files, 69, 1014-1016, 1020, 1034 uncompressing, 1058 utilities, 1035 zip files, 1034

Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center (CERT-CC), 744 Computer Management (Administrative Tools), 31, 136, 428-430, 594-595, 903, 916-920 computers accounts, 86, 529 adding, 519 building, 54-55 buying, 54-55 certificates, 552 configuration, 673 connection, 517 crashes, 100 disabilities, people with, 929-930 dual-booting, 80 Entire Network, 720 files, 646-648 identification, 529-530 idle time, 394 installation, 93 log on/log off, 133, 141-143 names, 477-483, 906, 908 NetBEUI, 477-478 optimizing, 1085 peer-to-peer networks, 523 performance, 936 restarting, 99 rollback, 1160-1163 Scheduled Tasks, 905 searches, 554 shutdown, 133, 141-143, 145, 876 themes, 804 upgrades, 54-55 WINS, 482 conferencing options (Windows Messenger), 406-408 CONFIG.NT file, 869-871 configuration 802.11b, 43 Administrator, 108 backups, 534, 1023-1024 BIOS, 1038 buffers, 866

1173

1174

configuration cameras, 809, 835-836 Client Service for NetWare, 696-697 clocks, 127, 821 color, 885 commands, 872 computers, 673, 908 connections, 436 consoles, 946 Control Panel, 802 currency, international, 809 date and time, 806, 808 desktop, 127 DHCP, 527 dial-up connections, 34 digital cameras, 225-226 e-mail accounts, 332-334 environment variables, 856-858 Fax Configuration Wizard, 209-210 faxes, 809 firewalls, 732 folders, 794-795 hard drives, 1032 hardware, 909, 1047 IEEE, 43 IIS, 429-430 Internet Connection Sharing, 670-676 Internet Connection Wizard, 273-274 Internet Explorer, 34 IP addresses, 279-281 IrDA, 648 ISPs, 274-276 keyboards, 809 log files, 924-925 memory, 856, 1065 modems, 834 mouse, 809 MS-DOS, 864-865 NAT, 732 networks, 498, 548-549, 716-717, 763 newsgroups, 365 Outlook Express, 34, 345, 377-378 peer-to-peer networks, 522 printers, 193-199, 809 properties, 126-128 Provider Order, 698-699

Recycle Bin, 796 Registry, 1129 Remote Desktop, 915-916 routers, 679-682 scanners, 223, 225, 809, 835-836 Scheduled Tasks, 905, 907 SCSI drives, 1037-1038 security, 730 servers, 438 services, 684 SMTP, 433-434 software, 443 speakers, 805, 837 Start menu, 772-773 system, 910 TCP/IP, 606, 651 UPS, 1073-1077 user accounts, 985, 1125 videos, 240-241 VPN, 632-633 Web sites, 427-428 Windows applications, 200-201, 861 workgroup networks, 544 conflicts detection, 816 hardware, 1059-1060, 1063-1065 I/O, 1084-1085 IRQ, 1084-1085 connections, 44, 396 analog, 676-679 anonymous, 432 broadband, 260, 659, 674-679 business, 665 cables, 447, 665, 688 closing, 648 computers, 517 cost, 264 dedicated, 659 default settings, 286 demand-dialing, 659 desktop icons, 276 dial-up, 34, 283-285, 276-278, 284, 444-446, 548, 605-610, 616, 652, 670-673, 715-716, 742 domains, 86 DSL, 278-279, 447, 665-666

enabling/disabling, 658 Frame Relay, 665-666 FTP, 433 hubs, 518-519 infrared printers, 650-651 Internet, 287-288, 509, 522, 751, 805 Internet Connection Firewall, 281-282 Internet Connection Sharing, 25-26, 659 Internet Explorer, 294, 310 IP addresses, 279-281 ISDN, 285-286, 676-679 ISPs, 274 LANs, 447-449, 651-652, 662 modems, 285-286, 288-289, 451 multilinking, 285 multiple, 457 nailed-up, 278 networks, 33, 43, 85-86, 563, 571, 763, 805 Novell NetWare, 701, 720 peer-to-peer networks, 520-521 performance, 689-690 phone numbers, 275 PPPoE, 678 printers, 184, 578 protocols, 716 redial attempts, 278 Remote Desktop, 637-639, 641 remote networks, 612-614, 709 routers, 457, 659, 663 security, 278 shared, 267, 278, 436, 489, 638, 642, 689 speed, 458, 658-659 subnets, 619 telephone numbers, 278 troubleshooting, 843, 1163 users, 938 voice, 646 VPNs, 634-637, 652, 715-716 Web servers, 417, 664-665 workgroups, 86

cursors

Connectix, Virtual PC, 714-715, 1119 Conseil European pour la Recherche Nucleaire (CERN), 292 consoles, 213, 941-942, 946 consultants, 494, 499 Contacting Server message, 438 contacts, 386 address books, 392 Hotmail directory, 392 Messenger Contact (Windows Messenger), 392-393 notifications of, 396 Contacts List (Outlook Express), 311, 358 Containers, Active Directory, 490 Content Advisor (Internet Explorer), 315-316 continuity testers, 759 Control Panel accessing, 802 Add Hardware applet, 1057 Add/Remove Hardware, 648 Category view, 803-807 Classic View, 32, 807 configuration, 802 dialog boxes, 810 fly-out window, 802 Folder Options, 794-796 Fonts applet, 893-896 Help, 810 interface, 802 opening, 803 permissions, 802 Power Options applet, 784-785, 1070 Registry, 802 Scheduled Tasks, 904-907 Start menu, 20, 132, 175-180, 594-595 System applet, 745, 796-797, 908-916, 1050-1059 user accounts, 957 Wireless Link, 654

controllers, 1063 controls, tasks, 907 Conversation window, 396-397 conversion, files, 85, 873, 1007, 1103 cookies Internet Explorer, 310, 314 Microsoft Passport, 322-323 profiles, 980 storing, 1020 Cool Desk, 791 copying AUTOEXEC.NT file, 869 Backups, 1026 Calculator results, 167-168 CDs, 250-251 CONFIG.NT file, 869 files, 710 images, 232-235 keys, 1141 Media Player, 250-251 music, 252 PIFs, 868 profiles, 982 text, 174-175 user accounts, 981 CorelDRAW, 41 corporate networks, 42-45, 414, 722 corruption, Registry, 1146 cost connections, 264 HPNA, 505 IIS, 420 ISPs, 264 motherboards, 55 networks, 498, 504 news servers, 364 counters, adding/deleting, 766, 877 country codes, 829 country= command, 870 cover sheets, 213 cprofile command, 873 CPUs, 54 chips, 58-59 dual, 57

performance, 936 requirements, 49 scheduling, 851 slot-based, 56 socket-based, 56 speed, 1050 upgrades, 55-57 cracking passwords, 728 crash, computers, 12, 100, 143-144 creating computer accounts, 86 connections, 605-606 consoles, 941-942 e-mail, 337-338, 359-360 encapsulated PostScript files, 206 files, 975 folders, 132, 975 hardware profiles, 1078 media pools, 1001 Outlook Express, 346-347 shortcuts, 548 swap files, 852 user accounts, 111, 963, 978 volumes, 998-1000 workgroups, 533 zip files, 1034 Creator code, 712, 722 Credential Manager Key Ring, 45 cross-platforming, 714-715, 1119-1120 crossover cables, 517, 646, 1031 cscript command, 873 CSNW (Client Service for NetWare), 696-697 CSV files, 355 Ctrl key, 123, 792, 812 Ctrl+Alt+Delete, 145-146 CTS (clear-to-send) pin, 1076 ctty command, 878 currency, 809, 834 cursors, 824, 826

1175

1176

customizing customizing folders, 121, 793 Internet Explorer, 308, 313 Media Player, 252-253 Start menu, 774 toolbars, 21 cutting and pasting encryption, 1010 text, 172-175 videos, 243

D daily backups, 1026 data backups, 806, 1027-1029 files, 140 forks, 711 links, 475 partitions, 84 pasted, 182 rates, 690 recovery, 1159 Regedit, 1137 storage, 1104 traceroute test, 459 writing, 975 Data Encryption Standard (DESX), 45 Data Link Control (DLC), 477 data-carrier-detect (DCD) pin, 1076 data-terminal-ready (DTR) pin, 1076 databases Active Directory, 490-492 distributed, 490 whois, 458 datatypes, 196 date and time, 93, 801, 806, 808, 821-822, 923 Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options category view (Control Panel), 806 DAVE, Macintosh computers, 715 Dazzle, DV-Editor SE, 248

dblspace command, 878 DCD (data-carrier-detect) pin, 1076 debugging applications, 934, 1154 decompression, see compression decryption, see encryption dedicated connections, 659 default configuration, 416 connections, 286 e-mail, 330 gateways, 526 homepages, 320 Internet Explorer, 310-311 Logon mode, 109-110 manual, 654-655 modems, 833 operating systems, 1094 power savings, 785 printers, 198, 572 profiles, 980 programs, 394 Web sites, 430 defective driver blocking, 63 defining partitions, 1098-1101 defragmentation, 878, 1035, 1044 disks, 806, 878, 919 hard drives, 854, 1001-1003, 1005, 1085 Registry, 1146 del command, 877, 882 Delete key, 154 deleting connections, 606 counters, 766 directories, 879 documents, 204 e-mail, 337 environment variables, 857 files, 116-118, 975, 985, 1018, 1021 folders, 116-118, 132, 985 hardware profiles, 1079 offline files, 623, 629 pagefile, 855 passwords, 954

profiles, 982 Registry, 1140 subfolders, 975 tasks, 906 temporary files, 1019 user accounts, 958-959 delivery, e-mail, 434 DELPART, 91 deltree command, 879 demand-dialing, 659 demarc (demarcation point), 667 denial of service, 729 dependencies (Administrative Tools), 927 desktop, 70 active, 121 background, 804 Classic style, 780 cleaning, 116, 777 configuration, 127 connection icons, 276 displaying, 137, 808 files/folders, 115-116, 125-126 icons, 115, 118-119, 780, 797 images, 229, 776 items, 124-125 magnifying, 929 profiles, 980 Recycle Bin, 115-118 Remote Desktop, 915-916 Sharing, 642 shortcuts, 124 stretching, 776 taskbar, 115 user interface, 113 viewing, 146, 783 virtual, 791 Web components, 776-778 see also monitors; screens DESX (Data Encryption Standard), 45 detection conflicts, 816 disk errors, 1005-1006 hardware, 1059-1060, 1063-1065

Display applet

device drivers, 12, 512 blocking, 1052 hardware, 842 ignoring, 1052 Registry, 1134 rollback, 30, 841 uninstallation, 1055 updates, 842, 1057-1058 warning messages, 1052 Device Manager (System applet), 840-842, 918, 1053-1055, 1064, 1084 device= command, 870

RAS, 617-619 remote network resources, 612-615, 715-716 roaming profiles, 614 status, 284 troubleshooting, 444, 446, 652 Unix, 715 VPNs, 617-619, 633-634 Dialers, 830, 833 Dialing Rules tab (Phone and Modem Options), 829-830

devices ejecting, 842 enabling/disabling, 842 hard drives, 1030-1031 hidden, 1064 IRQs, 1061 Media Player, 252 PnP, 842 uninstallation, 842 unplugging, 842 DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), 93, 453, 481, 526-527 diagnostic utilities, see troubleshooting Diagnostics tab (Phone and Modem Options), 834 dial-up networking, 488, 548, 809 callbacks, 614-615 configuration, 34 connections, 605-610, 616-617 e-mail, 615-616 enabling/disabling, 283-285 firewalls, 742 Internet Connection Sharing, 670-673 ISPs, 274 laptops, 610-611 Macintosh computers, 715 modems, 605 Novell NetWare, 715 phone and modem options, 612 profiles, 612 properties, 276-278

dialog boxes Control Panel, 810 fonts, 898 Options (Windows Messenger), 393-396 properties, 126-128 tabs, 119 differential backups, 1026 digests, mailing lists, 363 digital cameras, see cameras Digital ICE scanning equipment, 256 digital ID searches, 343-344, 556 digital signatures, 45, 939-940 Digital Subscriber Lines, see DSL Digital Video Magazine, 248 dir command, 877 Direct Connection, 647 Direct Network Connection, 496, 517 directories access, 749 changing, 883 deleting, 879 encryption, 1009-1010 excluding/including, 1018 FTP, 437 home, 967 Hotmail, 392 IIS, 437 image transfers, 650 services, 479, 1153

trees, 132 Web sites, 437 DirectX, 27, 823 disabilities, people with, 808, 811-814 accessibility options, 814 computer accessibility, 929-930 disabling, see enabling/disabling disaster planning backups, 743 incident plans, 744 security, 742-744 user notification, 744 Disconnect command (Remote Assistance), 646 discussion threads, 369 Disk Cleanup utility, 1018-1021 Disk Defragmenter node, 919 Disk Management utility, 919, 993-1000, 1035 diskcomp command, 877 diskcopy command, 877 Diskkeeper (Executive Software), 1035 diskpart command, 873 disks controllers, 1044 defragmention, 806, 878 drives, 561 errors, 1005-1006 files, 206 formatting, 712 partitions, 82, 84-85 space, 629 display Program Compatibility Wizard, 859 Remote Desktop, 640 Search Companion applet, 176 display adapters, 1067-1069 Display applet (Control Panel), 804, 808

1177

1178

Display Properties dialog box Display Properties dialog box, 775 Adapters tab, 784 Appearance tab, 779-781 Color Management tab, 784 Desktop tab, 776-778 General tab, 783 Monitor tab, 784 Screen Saver tab, 778-779 Settings tab, 781-784 Theme tab, 776 Troubleshoot tab, 784, 1056 display settings, 812-813 displaying boot menu, 1121 Desktop, 137, 808 documents, 897-898 files, 137-138, 159, 547 folders, 137, 794 fonts, 127, 168-170, 851, 892, 894-895 hidden devices, 1064, 1084 mouse pointer, 844 permissions, 972 Quick Launch bar, 146 text, 180 volumes, 994 distributed applications, 487-488 distributed databases, 490 Distributed File System (Windows .NET Server), 597-598 distribution lists, Outlook Express, 346-347 DLC (Data Link Control), 477 DLL (Dynamic Link Library), 29, 939 DMA channels, 1063-1064 DMZ hosts enabling, 687 firewalls, 686-687 security, 637 DNS (domain name service), 482-483, 526, 664, 686 inverse, 665 LANs, 722

Linux, 722 Macintosh, 722 packet filtering, 736 servers, 453, 526 suffixes, 453 Web pages, 420-421 Dnsapi client component, 757 Dnscache client component, 757 documents displaying, 897-898 filenames, 202 fonts, 897-898 printer queues, 204-205 profiles, 980 rendering, 184 searches, 178 security, 743-744 dollar sign ($), 553 domains, 542, 544 Active Directory, 551 administrators, 484 computer accounts, 86 connections, 86 controllers, 1153 e-mail, 434 encryption, 1011 installation, 94 logons, 107, 552 membership, 762-763 My Network Places, 548 names, 421 networks, 108 passwords, 952 policy functions, 543 roaming profiles, 543 security, 747 servers, 108, 484, 762-763 shared folders, 583 troubleshooting, 764 user accounts, 110, 960-962 viewing, 551 whois database, 458 see also DNS DOS COM port, 66 compatibility, 63 hardware, 67 LPT port, 66

LPT1 printer output, 597 mouse, 827 multibooting, 1122 networks, 703-705 partitions, 91 printing, 200 running, 67 startup, 101 troubleshooting, 844 WINE emulator, 40 dos= command, 870 doskey command, 878 dosonly command, 870, 873 dosshell command, 879 dots per inch (DPI), 783 double backslash (\\), 546 double-clicking, 798, 826 double-sided printing, 196 downloading Acrobat Reader, 325 AOL Instant Messenger, 411 audio, 302 e-mail attachments, 380-382 ICQ (I seek you), 411 multimedia, 307-308 newsgroups, 366-367 Perl, 439 printer drivers, 571-572 program files, 1019 progressive, 303 Samba, 706 screen savers, 779 themes, 776 Tweak UI, 786 updates, 930-931 video, 302 viruses, 307 Windows Messenger, 387 DPI (dots per inch) settings, 783 DPReview, 238 Dr. Watson, 934 drag-and-drop feature, 123, 131, 201, 243, 650 DreamWeaver, 427

editing

Drive Copy (PowerQuest), 1035 Drive Image (PowerQuest), 87, 1035 Driver Signing (System applet), 909, 1051-1053 driverquery command, 873 drivers device, 12, 1057-1058 hardware, 842, 1049 installation, 841 printers, 184, 192-193, 197, 571-572, 588, 749 program, 12 protecting, 30 reinstallation, 1055 resources, 1058 rollback, 30, 841, 1055 updates, 63, 842, 1055 drives autotyping, 1082 CD-R/CD-RW, 27 EIDE, 60 letters, 562-563, 994-995, 1000, 1104-1106 maintenance, 1160 mapping, 596-597 master/slave, 60 subfolders, 564 Drives and Network Adapters Troubleshooter, 1056 driving wheels, 822 drvspace command, 879 DSL (Digital Subscriber Lines), 261, 264, 447 connections, 278-279, 665-666 Internet, 666-668 ISDNs, 261 ISPs, 279 modems, 447 routers, 680-681 services, 268 shared, 688 splitters, 272 DTR (data-terminal-ready) pin, 1076

dual CPUs, 57 Dual View, 783 dual-booting, 75-80 computers, 80 file systems, 82 games, 76 partitions, 84 upgrades, 80 Windows 9x/Me, 1096-1098 Windows NT, 1107-1108 Dualview, 27, 1066 DV camcorders, 238, 255 DV-Editor SE (Dazzle), 248 DVD Troubleshooter, 1056 DVD video, 249 dynamic configuration IP addresses, 279-280 management, 997-998 storage, 989-991 updates, 30 Web pages, 422 Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), 93, 453, 481, 526-527 Dynamic Link Library (DLL), 29

E e-mail, 330 accessing, 290 accounts, 358 addresses, 147, 338 attachments, 123, 339, 360, 380-382, 913 certificates, 343 clients, 328-330 configuration, 332-334 creating, 337-338 default, 330 delivery, 434 dial-up networking, 615-616 digital IDs, 343-344 domains, 434 encryption, 343-345 Eudora Light, 329

formatting, 342-343, 356-360 free services, 290 HTML, 358, 360 HTTP, 334-335 images, 360 IMAP, 334 indexing, 180 Internet Explorer, 310-311 invitations, 644 links, 323 messages, 331, 335-337 Netscape Messenger, 329 Outlook Express, 328-329, 351-355, 358 passwords, 358 POP, 334 Preview Pane, 332 private keys/public keys, 343 receipt requests, 341-342 receiving, 433 replying, 147 security, 745 signatures, 340-341 SMTP, 423 spam, 360 spell-checking, 337 viruses, 339-340 echoconfig command, 870, 873 ECP printer ports, 1063 editing Address Book, 345-346 applications, 808, 817-820 AUTOEXEC.NT file, 869 calling card scripts, 831-832 CONFIG.NT file, 869 connections, 286 Control Panel, 803 cover sheets, 213 environment variables, 857 files, 157-158 hardware, 1051, 1080-1081 hosts, 722-723 images, 159, 163-164, 229 Internet, 805 log files, 434, 925 Logon mode, 109-110 MS-DOS, 866-869 offline files, 623 Outlook Express, 348

1179

1180

editing pagefiles, 853-854 passwords, 679, 953-954 permissions, 972, 975 PIFs, 867 print spooler folders, 591 printers, 193-199 Registry, 1138-1139, 1141-1146, 1157-1158 screens, 126, 804 shared folders, 582, 584 shortcuts, 118 Start menu, 134 taskbar, 134 user accounts, 112, 958-959, 961-965 videos, 248 volume, 805 VPNs, 633 WordPad, 181 effective permissions, 974-975 EFS (Encryption File System), 45, 1007 EIDE drives, 60, 1043 Ejecting devices, 842 elections, 695 electronic books, 325 embedding fonts, 897 Emergency Repair Disks (ERDs), 101, 1023, 1131 EMM commands, 870, 879 emoticons, 397 emptying Recycle Bin, 117 emulation, Macintosh, 1119 enabling/disabling abstracts, 435 access rights, 682-684 Allow Paste Operations via Script, 314 Anonymous access, 751 APM, 785 audio, 302 audits, 438, 977 boot logging, 1153 booting, 1077-1079 call waiting, 830 carriage return translation, 720

Close On Exit setting, 868 Command Extensions, 882 Compatible Timer Hardware Emulation, 880 connections, 283-285, 648 Content Advisor, 315 cookies, 314 devices, 842 DHCP, 453 dial-up networking, 617-619 Direct Connection, 647 DMZ hosts, 687 encryption, 315 filters, 374 firewalls, 680, 746-747 hibernation, 785 Indexing Service, 180, 425 Image Toolbar, 301 Internet Connection Firewall, 281-282 local security, 747-750 multimedia, 302 Network Monitor Driver, 765 newline translation, 720 offline files, 629 Outlook Express, 323, 358-359 printer sharing, 587 private files, 969 Protect My Computer, 281 protocols, 716 Quick Launch Bar, 133 Remote Assistance, 911 Remote Desktop, 638, 911 remote user notification, 590 Scheduled Tasks, 907 services, 1157-1158 Simple File Sharing, 971 sound, 839 UPS, 1075 VGA mode, 1081 video, 302 VMM, 855 VPNs, 635-636 Web Sharing, 431, 585 WebView, 122 Welcome Screen, 959-960 Windows, 927 word wrap, 180

encapsulated PostScript files (EPS), 206 encapsulation, 631 encryption CIPHER command, 1009 command-line arguments, 1009-1010 compression, 1010 Cut and Paste, 1010 decryption, 1008, 1010 DESX (Data Encryption Standard), 45 directories, 1009-1010 domain networks, 1011 EFS, 45 files/folders, 45, 1007-1014 Internet Explorer, 314-315 IPSec, 493 LMHASH, 704 NTFS, 1008, 1010 offline files, 629 Outlook Express, 343-345 passwords, 748, 954-955 patterns, 1010 performance, 1011 recovery agents, 1009 shared directories, 1010 End key, 154 endcap command, 702 endlocal command, 873, 882 energy conversation, 784 enhanced HTML, 22 Enhanced Last Known Good Configuration, 30 Enhanced System Restore feature, 30 enterprise management, 466, 722, 766 Entire Network lists, 720 Entries, Outlook Express Address Book, 345-346 environment subsystems, 860 environment variables, 857-858, 865, 910 EPS (encapsulated PostScript files), 206

faxes

ERASE command, 882 ERDs (Emergency Repair Disks), 1023 ergonomic keyboards, 146 error messages, 1005 Contacting Server, 438 file access, 983-984 File Is in Use by Another, 583 handling, 31 log files, 924 printing, 216, 590 Registry, 1146 reporting, 910 Sign In (Windows Messenger), 409 Unable to connect to server, 653 video cards, 1082 volume, 1160 Waiting for Response, 438 Web sites, 324 eSafe Mail, 357 ESD (Emergency Startup Disk), 101 Ethernet, 468 10BASE-T, 502-504 100BASE-Tx, 504 802.11b wireless, 473 Fast Ethernet, 472 Gigabit, 472 networks, 506-507 PPPoE, 278-279 ThinNet, 469 Etiquette, online chatting (Windows Messenger), 397-398 Eudora, 329 European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), 439 Event Viewer, 903, 918 applications, 921, 923 archived, 926 audits, 924 categories, 923 configuration, 924-925 date, 923 editing, 925

errors, 924 events, 925 filtering, 924 hardware, 924 monitoring, 923-924 opening, 922 permissions, 921 security, 921 system, 921 time, 923 types, 923 viewing, 923, 925 warnings, 924 troubleshooting, 756-758, 1160 eventcommand command, 873 eventcreate command, 873 eventquery command, 873 events auditing, 591 log files, 945 logon events, 749 overwriting, 925 sound, 838-839 eventtrigger command, 873 Evernet, 604 Everyone permissions, 734 evntcmd utility, 719 evntwin utility, 719 excluding/including directories, 1018 executing commands, 710 files, 1076-1077 permissions, 431-432 Executive Software, 1035 Executor, 1119-1120 exiting Slideshow feature, 230 Windows, 141-143 expand command, 873 exploiting bugs, 728 Explorer bar (View menu), 793 extending volumes, 989, 998

extensions files, 399, 712, 1017 FrontPage Server, 430 Web sites, 430 external adapters, 268, 290, 503, 1047 extracting zip files, 1034 eyestrain, 782

F F5 key, 147 Fading, ToolTips, 797 fan noise, 1039 FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), 362-363 Fast Ethernet, 472 fasthelp command, 879 FAT16/FAT32, 28, 80-82 conversion to NTFS, 1103 drive letters, 1105 FTP, 420 installation, 92 NTFS, 1007 multibooting, 1091-1092 shared folders, 582-583 Web data, 420 fault tolerance, 990 Favorites Internet Explorer, 298 profiles, 980 Fax icon (Printers and Faxes folder), 209 faxes, 208, 806 auto-answering, 214 cards, 1061 commands, 209 configuration, 809 console tools, 209-210, 212-213 cover sheets, 209, 213 devices, 208-209 Fax Configuration Wizard, 209-210 importing, 211 incoming, 214-215 networks, 509

1181

1182

faxes printing, 214, 217 receiving, 208 resolution, 215 saving, 210 sending, 208, 211-212, 215 services, 43 third-party software, 208 troubleshooting, 217-218 utilities, 212-213 fcbs= command, 870 FDDI (Fiber Distributed Date Interface), 472 FDISK, 91, 879, 1098-1101 FEK (file encryption key), 1009 Fiber Distributed Date Interface (FDDI), 472 fiber optics, 472 file and Print Services for NetWare (FPNW), 698 File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks, 487 File Is in Use by Another error, 583 File menu commands, 399-400 File Signature Verification tool, 903, 939 File Transfer Protocol, see FTP files access, 623, 976-977, 983-984 adding, 623 answer, 101 applications, 712 associations, 795 backups, 1028 cache, 621, 628, 1021 compression, 69, 1014-1016, 1020 copying, 710 creating, 975 deleting, 116-118, 623, 629, 975, 985, 1018, 1160 displaying, 137-138, 159, 547 dragging, 201

encryption, 1007-1014 extensions, 399, 712, 1017 formats, 156 hard drives, 1030 hidden, 177 hiding, 795 infrared, 649-650 local, 545 locking, 545 Macintosh computers, 711-712 Media Player, 249, 252 moving, 1010 MS-DOS, 869-871, 881 multimedia, 302 naming, 125, 202, 712-713, 861-863 offline, 485-486, 621-629, 652-653 online chatting (Windows Messenger), 399-400 operations, 595-597 ownership, 975, 977 pagefile.sys, 852 permissions, 974-975 private, 969-970 program, 118, 1019 recovering, 878 restoring, 116 saving, 125 searches, 556-557, 1020 security, 437 sending, 646, 649 sharing, 486-487, 545, 630, 970-971 access, 599, 679, 738 security, 733-735, 745 troubleshooting, 764-765, 984 user accounts, 968-969 storing, 115-116, 140, 437, 561-562 synchronization, 42 systems, 80-85, 92, 597-598, 938-941, 1089-1092 temporary, 1019-1021 text, 151 transferring, 289, 394, 646-648 troubleshooting, 1037 types, 795 viewing, 227

virtual memory, 851-855 WebView, 120 zipping, 1034 see also FAT16/FAT32 Files and Settings Transfer Wizard, 34, 982-983 files= command, 870 filmstrip view, 228 filters log files, 924 keys, 24, 811 NetBIOS, 679 newsgroups, 373-374 Outlook Express, 351-352 rules, 374 searches, 179-180 finding news servers, 364-365 Outlook Express, 347-348 passwords, 955-956 findstr command, 874 fine resolution, 215 finger command, 874 FIR (Fast Infrared), 648 firewalls configuration, 732 dial-up connection, 742 DMZ hosts, 686-687 enabling/disabling, 680 Internet, 26 Internet Connection Firewall, 281-282 names, 723 packet filtering, 735 personal, 737 security, 746-747 VPN, 631 FireWire, 189, 507, 647 FIRST response teams, 744 fixed IP addresses, 281 flash memory cards, 227-228, 254, 301 flatbed scanners, 256 flattemp command, 874 flightsticks, 822

FTP

floppy disks, 289 booting, 99 disk controllers, 1063 flowcharts, 443 fly-open menus, 127, 791 fly-out window, 802 FocalFix, 238 Folder Options (Control Panel), 794-796, 808 folders administration, 552-553, 790 cascading, 791 changing, 883 configuration, 794-795 creating, 132, 975 customizing, 121, 793 deleting, 116-118, 132, 985 displaying, 137, 794 Distributed File System, 597-598 drag-and-drop, 131 encryption, 44-45, 1011-1012 FTP, 432, 751 hard drives, 1030 hot links, 121 location, 126 My Pictures, 223 names, 131 offline, 620, 629-630 Offline Folders, 579 opening, 132, 794 Outlook Express, 359 ownership, 975 permissions, 974-975 print spoolers, 591 Printers and Faxes, 184-186 publishing, 556 searches, 179, 556-557 selecting, 131-132 sharing, 127, 431-432, 549-550 access, 562, 584, 976-977 adding, 594-595 domain networks, 583 editing, 582 mapping drives, 596 NTFS, 582 ownership access, 584

permissions, 563, 584 restrictions, 583 security, 582-585 troubleshooting, 750 Web Sharing, 544-545 workgroup networks, 581-582 shortcuts, 579 storing, 115-116 subfolders, 132 viewing, 130, 794, 808 Web Sharing, 546-547 Web sites, 415 WebView, 120 Folders bar, 131-132 fonts adding, 808, 893-894 alternative characters, 170 cartridges, 196 character map, 168-170 ClearType, 890 columns, 897 dialog boxes, 898 displaying, 127, 168-169, 894-895 documents, 897-898 embedding, 897 foreign language, 896-897 hidden, 895-896 icons, 898 Internet Explorer, 309 LCDs, 890 monospaced, 891 ornamental, 892 pi, 892 previewing, 788 printing, 894-895 proportionally spaced, 891 removing, 808, 896 sans-serif, 891 screens, 851 serif, 891 sizing, 780 substituting, 889-890 symbol, 892 TrueType, 889-890, 892-893 Unicode subrange, 169-170 Web sites, 892-893 Fonts applet (Control Panel), 808, 893-896

footers, 154-155 FOR command, 882 foreground color, 864 foreign languages, see international settings forks, Macintosh computers, 711 form feeds, 697 form-to-tray assignment, 197 format command, 878 formats, 359-360 disks, 712 e-mail, 985 files, 82, 156 hard drives, 985 Outlook Express, 342-343 forms, e-mail, 430 Forum of Incident Response and Security (FIRST response teams), 744 forwarding Outlook Express e-mail, 352 FPNW (File and Print Services for NetWare), 698 Frame Relay, 665-666 frames, 526 framing protocols, 475 free e-mail services, 290 free space, 127 FreeBSD, 39 freeware, 307 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), 362 FrontPage, 418-419, 425 IIS, 422 Web sites, 427 FrontPage Server, 430 fsutil command, 874 FTP (File Transfer Protocol), 418, 492, 686 access, 739 anonymous, 432 connections/disconnection, 433

1183

1184

FTP directories, 437 FAT, 420 folders, 432 IIS, 423 log files, 434 packet filtering, 736 permissions, 432 remote access, 423 security, 741 servers, 432-433 troubleshooting, 751 Write permission, 437 ftp command, 874 FTYPE * command, 882 ftype command, 874 Full Control permission, 972 full-duplex, 471 full-screen display, 147, 243, 869 full-text search CONFIG.NT, 871

G Game Controllers applet (Control Panel), 809, 822-824 gamepads, 809, 822 games, 76, 150, 1056 garbage characters, 881-882 gateways, 480 Gazo image archiving, 256 GB (Gigabyte), 1101 GeForce2 (nVidia), 1081 general people searches, 555 general properties, 633 General tab (Display Properties dialog box), 783 generic UPS, 1075-1076 getmac command, 874 GFX (Global Effects), 27 GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) images, 160, 300-301

Gigabit Ethernet (1000BASE-T), 501-502 Gigabyte (GB), 1101 Global Effects (GFX), 27 Go to option (View menu), 793 Google search engine, 319 GOTO command, 882 gpresult command, 874 gpupdate command, 874 grafting, 994-997 granting Write permission, 437 granularity, 485 graphical user interface (GUI), 13 graphics adding, 158-159 GIF images, 160 online, 301 TIF format, 214 troubleshooting, 324 Gravity, 382 grayscale images, 162 GRE packets, 47, 636 grouping commands, 877 groups, 42, 45 chats, 399 memberships, 965 permissions, 977 policies, 492 GroupShield (McAfee), 357 Guest accounts, 618, 949-950, 963 File transfers, 647 networks, 45 operating systems, 1117 permissions, 734 GUI (graphical user interface), 13

H hacking NAT, 663 prevention, 281-282

half-duplex+, 471 halftoning printers, 198 handles, 937 handling errors, 31 hard drives adapters, 60 backups, 87, 1029-1030 clusters, 81 configuration, 1032 defragmentation, 854, 1001-1003, 1005, 1085 devices, 1030-1031 drive letters, 994-995, 1105 dynamic disk management, 997-998 dynamic storage, 989 formats, 985 free space, 127 Indexing Service, 1016-1020 installation, 75 memory, 60-61 mirrored volumes, 990 motherboards, 59 mount points, 995-997 multiple, 858 noise output, 1039 operating systems, 1101 partitions, 84, 991-992 performance, 61 RAID-5 volumes, 990 RAM, 59-60 SCSI, 61 sharing, 580 simple volumes, 990 spanned volumes, 990, 998-999 spindle motors, 1039 storage, 989-991 striped volumes, 990, 999-1000 troubleshooting, 1035-1038 upgrades, 1043-1044 virtual, 1117-1119 volumes, 994, 998 hardware, 1125 abstraction layer (HAL), 66 acceleration rate, 784 access, 67 adding, 27, 808, 814-816, 1045-1048

icons

APIs, 65-67 audio, 401 BIOS, 1043 broadband services, 267 compatibility, 51-52, 76 configuration, 1047 conflicts, 1059-1060, 1063-1065 CPU chips, 58-59 Device Manager, 758, 1164 drivers, 1049 editing, 1051 external ports, 1047 HCLs, 27, 69, 193, 1072, 1084 I/O permission bitmap, 67 installation, 983 IrDA adapters, 648 IRQs, 1063 legacy scans, 1047 log files, 924 management, 909 modems, 268-271, 450 multimedia, 840 networks, 449 Plug and Play, 62-63 profiles, 842, 1077-1081 removing, 1050 requirements, 49-51 resource allocation, 1059 routers, 636 troubleshooting, 841, 1037, 1049, 1056, 1083, 1163 updates, 26-27 upgrades, 69-70, 1042 UPS, 1072 video, 61-62, 239, 404-405 video cards, 61-62 viruses, 66 VxDs, 66 HARDWARE key, 1127 Hardware tab (Sound and Audio Devices applet), 840 HDSL, 261 headers, 154-155 Help system, 22, 140, 595, 810, 1160 HelpAssistant user account, 963

helpctr command, 874 HFS+ disk formatting, 712 hibernation (Power Options applet), 18, 142-143, 147, 785 hidden devices Device Manager, 1064 displaying, 1084 Search Companion applet, 177 hiding files, 795 fonts, 895-896 hardware profiles, 1079 mouse pointer, 844 hierarchy, Active Directory, 490 High-Contrast displays, 24 high-speed DSLs, 261 hints, passwords, 113 history, 23 Internet Explorer, 309 Windows, 13-15 Windows XP, 12 World Wide Web, 292-293 hive files, 1124, 1126, 1143 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT key, 1129-1130 HKEY_CURRENT_ CONFIG key, 1125, 1129 HKEY_CURRENT_USER key, 1125, 1130 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE key, 1125, 1127-1128 HKEY_USERS key, 1125, 1130 home directories, 415, 430, 967 Home key, 154 home networks configuration, 548-549 network connections, 805 troubleshooting, 764, 1056 home pages, 320, 416

Home Phoneline Networking Association (HPNA), 504-506 HomePNA, 43 hosts adapters, 1044, 1061, 1063 editing, 722-723 files, 647 names, 453, 722, 760, 874 operating systems, 1117 VPNs, 636 Web sites, 418, 420, 662 hot links, folders, 121 Hotbot search engine, 319 Hotmail, 290, 320-321, 335, 392 HPNA (Home Phoneline Networking Association), 504-506 HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) ASP, 440 e-mail, 358-360 enhanced, 22 indexing, 180 Internet Explorer, 310-311 publishing, 422 HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), 297, 334-335, 430, 546, 686, 739 hubs, 470 10/100, 508 10/100BASE-T, 497 cables, 502 computers, 519 connection, 518-519 lights, 537 ports, 502, 518 hue, color, 781 hyperlinks, 439 Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), 334-335, 546

I i LINK, 507 icons, 115, 118-119 battery, 843

1185

1186

icons category view (Control Panel), 807 connections, 276 desktop, 780 fonts, 898 Messenger, 390 Quick Launch bar, 146 Send Files to Another Computer, 654 shared folders, 583 shortcuts, 118 troubleshooting, 797 ICQ, 411 IDE RAID Host adapter cards, 1061 motherboards, 1043 identification computers, 529-530 game controllers, 824 idle time/hangups, 394, 609, 626 IDSL, 261 IEEE, 43, 507-508, 1063 IF command, 882 Ignoring device drivers, 1052 IIS (Internet Information Services), 414 Computer Management console, 428-430 cost, 420 directories, 437 files, 437, 630 folders, 431-432 FrontPage 2000, 422 FTP, 423, 432-433 hyperlinks, 439 Indexing Service, 419, 425, 435-436 installation, 414, 424-425 log files, 434-435 online documentation, 426 opening, 428 printers, 424, 426, 630 RAD Remote Deployment Service, 419, 424 remote access, 438 requirements, 420 Scripts Directory, 424

servers, 437-438 services, 421 shared connections, 436 SMTP, 419, 423-424, 433-434 snap-in, 419 updates, 437 viewing, 425 virtual folders, 415 Web pages, 419-421 Web sites, 427-430 World Wide Web Service, 418, 422, 424 Image and Scanner Interface Specification (ISIS), 220 images archiving, 238, 255-256 Bit-Mapped Picture (BMP), 160 black-and-white, 162 capturing, 238 color, 162-163 copying to CD-RW drive, 232-235 desktop, 229, 776 e-mail, 360 editing, 159, 163-164, 229 GIF, 300 Graphics Interchange Format (GIF), 160 grayscale, 162 Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG), 160 JPEG, 236, 300 opening, 161-164, 229 ordering, 236-237 PNG, 300 Portable Network Graphics (PNG), 160 previewing, 229 printing, 162, 229, 254 properties, 229 publishing, 235-236 refreshing, 229 resizing, 162 resolution, 236 rotating, 229-230 saving, 165 scanning, 836 screens, 230-231, 236 sending, 229

storing, 235, 255 Tagged Image File Format (TIFF), 160 troubleshooting, 181 thumbnail images, 229 viewing, 228-230 work area, 161-162 Imaging Resource, 238 IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol), 334 Impersonation, Web sites, 728 importing faxes, 211 Outlook Express, 355-356 in-wall wiring, 516-517 Inbox (Outlook Express), 331 incident plans, 744 include command, 879 incoming connections, 636-637 incoming faxes, 214-215 incremental backups, 1026 indexes Indexing Service, 419 abstracts, 1017 directories, 1018 enabling, 425 files/folders, 1016-1018 hard drives, 1020 installation, 435-436 managing, 1016 properties, 1017 searches, 180, 1018 Web folders, 1018 Info-Zip, 1035 information events, 590 information superhighway, 292 Infrared Data Association (IrDA), 648-650, 654 infrared files, 195, 650-651 inheritance, permissions, 973-974

Internet Connection Sharing

Input Device Troubleshooter, 1056 input/output, see I/O inside wiring, 667 install= command, 870 installation activation, 95 administrators, 93 automating, 101 backups, 86-87, 90 BIOS updates, 56-57 browsers, 293 cables, 536 CD-ROM software, 561 clean, 73-75 Client Service for NetWare, 695-696 clients, 94, 102 components, 820 compressed drives, 79 computer names, 93 consultants, 499 date and time, 93 DHCP, 93 domains, 94 drivers, 841 FAT, 92 fax devices, 208-209 file systems, 92 hard drives, 75 hardware, 983 IIS, 414, 424-425 Indexing Service, 435-436 Internet, 666-669 ISDN adapters, 271 licensing agreements, 90 Linux, 1110-1115 LPD servers, 708 modems, 208, 268-273 monitors, 1066-1069 MS-DOS, 79 NetBEUI, 704 networks, 271-272, 493, 499-500, 510-513, 717-718 Novell NetWare, 697-698 NTFS, 92 operating systems, 78 partitions, 90-92, 1101-1104 Print Services for Unix, 718

printers, 184, 186-188, 567-568, 578 command-line utilities, 600-601 drivers, 192-193, 588 local, 188-189 serial ports, 190-192 procedures, 88-96 RAM, 59, 68 Recovery Console, 1155-1156 registration, 96 remote, 492 Remote Desktop, 915 RIP Listener, 718 RIS, 102 secondary display adapters, 1067-1069 Setup files, 90 Simple TCP/IP Services, 718 SNMP, 718 software, 983 troubleshooting, 100 Tweak UI, 787 Universal Plug and Play, 718 upgrade paths, 72 UPS, 1070, 1073-1077 USB controllers, 1056 video cards, 1082 Windows 3.x, 79 Windows 95, 79 wiring, 515-517 WMI SNMP Provider, 718 workgroups, 94 see also adding InstallShield, 1162 instant messages, 644 instant networking, 497 Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), 261, 264, 267, 271, 285-286, 666-669, 676-679 Intel video, Media Player, 249 intelligent UPS units, 1070 IntelliMirror, 102, 126, 492, 820

interactive logon, 749 interface, 17 command-line, 871 Control Panel, 802 GUI, 13 Luna, 12 interlnk command, 879 internal adapters, 271, 503 internal modems, 268 internal network numbers, 526 international settings, 290, 830, 896-897 Internet cafes, 289 connections, 287-288, 458, 509, 751 faxes, 215 files, 561-562, 1019-1021 firewalls, 26, 746-747 installation, 666-669 IPP printers, 573 LANs, 287, 745-746 legal issues, 306 Message Access Protocol (IMAP), 334 networks, 278 Options applet (Control Panel), 805, 809 PCI cards, 504 peer-to-peer networks, 522 printers, 567 Remote Assistance, 642-646 Remote Desktop, 638-641 security, 631, 747-750 services, 267-268 standalone computers, 745 synchronization, 822 whois database, 458 see also IPP printers; ISPs; newsgroups Internet Connection Firewall (ICF), 281-282, 610, 732 Internet Connection Sharing (ICS), 25-26, 266, 489, 527, 659, 737, 746 access rights, 682-684 configuration, 273-274

1187

1188

Internet Connection Sharing connections, 670-676 ISPs, 274-276 NAT, 661-664 security, 663 Sharing Troubleshooter, 610, 1056 VPN, 636 Internet Explorer, 70, 114, 492, 809 Acrobat Reader, 325 addresses, 295 advanced settings, 310 AutoComplete, 297, 310, 317 browsing, 297-299, 319-321 cache, 309, 317, 1021 calendars, 311 certificates, 310, 314 color, 309, 317 configuration, 34 connections, 294, 310 contact lists, 311 cookies, 310, 314 customizing, 308, 313 default settings, 310-311 e-mail, 310-311 encryption, 314-315 Favorites, 298 fonts, 309 history, 309 homepages, 309 HTML Editor, 310-311 links, 295 local intranet, 312 multimedia, 310 My Network Places, 560 navigation, 295 newsgroups, 310-311 objectionable content, 310, 315-316 overview, 25-26, 293-296 pages, 294, 299-300 personal profiles, 310 printing, 317 programs, 310 restricted sites, 312 screens, 294 searches, 147, 293, 317-319 security, 309, 311-314 shared folders, 750 toolbars, 295

troubleshooting, 324 trusted sites, 312 Internet Information Services, see IIS internetworking, 692 InterNIC, 458 interrupt handlers, 1060 interrupt requests, see IRQs intersrv command, 879 Inverse DNS, 482, 665 Invert Selection command, 123 invitation scripts e-mail, 644 Remote Assistance, 912-913, 915 saving, 913 I/O (input/output) conflicts, 1084-1085 permission bitmap, 67 port assignments, 1064 IP (Internet Protocol), 479 IP addresses, 480, 526, 760 assigning, 662, 680 dynamic, 279-280 fixed, 280-281 networks, 737 public, 661 static, 664 TCP/IP protocol, 619, 685-686 troubleshooting, 760-761, 764 UDP, 685-686 VPN , 635 Web pages, 420-421 see also NAT IP Security (IPSec), 42, 493 ipconfig command, 442, 452-453, 760-763, 874 ipMonitor, 767 IPNATHLP connection sharing, 757 IPP printers, 544, 573-576, 594 IPSec (IP Security), 42, 493

ipseccmd command, 874 IPSentry, 768 Ipswitch Software, 459 IPX/SPX (Internetwork Packet Exchange/ Sequenced Packet Exchange), 477, 526, 695 ipxroute command, 874 IrDA (Infrared Data Association), 648-650, 654 irftp command, 874 IRQs (interrupt requests) conflicts, 1084-1085 devices, 1061 hardware, 1060-1063 IEEE-1394, 1063 MS-DOS, 1062 operating systems, 1061 PCI cards, 1062, 1083 SCSI devices, 1063 USB, 1063 ISA devices hardware conflicts, 1062 SCSI host adapters, 1063 slots, 1083-1084 sound cards, 1063 ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network), 261, 264, 267, 271, 285-286, 666-669, 676-679 ISIS (Image and Scanner Interface Specification), 220 ISPs (Internet Service Providers) AOL, 266 configuration, 274-276 connections, 274 cost, 264 DSL, 279 international, 290 Internet Connection Wizard, 266 pinging, 459 referrals, 274 selecting, 265 traveling, 266, 289 troubleshooting, 288

line feeds

Itanium processor, 35 items drag-and-drop feature, 123 folders, 131 selecting, 122-123 Start menu, 133 Storing on desktop, 124-125 IUSR_xxx accounts, 618, 963 IWAM_xxx accounts, 618, 963

J-K Jasc, Paint Shop Pro, 255 job information, backups, 1024 John Cowley’s Lonestardigital, 238 join command, 879 joining networks, 496, 531-533, 879 Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) images, 160, 236, 300 joysticks, 809, 822 junction points, 1028 junk e-mail, 433 Kerberos protocol, 42, 493 kernel, 66, 936-937 Keyboard applet (Control Panel), 809, 824-825 keyboards, 114, 780 alternative characters, 170 configuration, 809 ergonomic, 146 filter keys, 811 laptop computers, 147 on-screen, 25, 930 requirements, 49 shortcuts, 166-167, 176, 641 sticky keys, 811 Toggle keys, 812 keys backups, 1133-1134 Notepad, 154 Registry, 1138-1141

Keywords, Search Companion applet, 177 Kinko’s Copy centers, 289

L -l option, 460 L2TP (Layer Two Tunneling Protocol), 632 label command, 878 languages adding, 806 configuration, 809 tags, 943-944 LANs (local area networks), 260, 467, 809 backups, 1022, 1026 cables, 688, 758-759 connections, 447-449, 651-652, 662, 689, 763 Device Manager, 758 domains, 722, 762-763 Event Viewer, 756-758 files, 764-765 Internet, 287 ipconfig utility, 760-761 manual configuration, 280 modems, 488, 688, 746 monitoring, 766-768 My Network Places, 755-756 names, 722-723 netdiag utility, 761-762 Network Troubleshooting Wizard, 761 performance, 766 ping utility, 763-764 printer sharing, 764-765 push technology, 819-820 Remote Desktop, 637 routers, 680-682, 746 security, 658, 745-746 shared DSLs, 688 shared folders, 582, 594-595 Telnet service, 710 throughput, 765 troubleshooting, 754-755 Web sites, 420, 662 see also networks

laptop computers dial-up networking, 610-611 hardware profiles, 1078-1079 Hibernate mode, 143 keyboards, 147 monitors, 1066 noise output, 1039 sound, 181 UPS, 1071 laser printers, 1072 LaserJet printers, 593 launching applications, 134-139 backups, 1022 Device Manager, 840 programs, 394 Quick Launch bar, 146 Task Manager, 144 see also opening; starting Layer Two Tunneling Protocol (L2TP), 632 LCDs (liquid crystal displays), 62 fonts, 890 monitors, 783 troubleshooting, 799 LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol), 492 left panes, 130 legacy scans, 1047 legal issues, 293, 306 length, videos, 243 Lexar Media, 254 Libraries, Media Player, 252 licensing agreements, 90 Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), 492 LILO (Linux Loader), 1110 limitations Notepad, 152 Windows XP, 34-35 line feeds, 720-721

1189

1190

links links e-mail, 323 Internet Explorer, 295 shortcuts, 125 troubleshooting, 439 Linux, 40-42 adding, 1116 applications, 41 boot sectors, 1115-1116 compatibility, 40-41 domain name lists, 722 hard drive capacity, 1101 installation, 1110-1115 LILO, 1110 multibooting, 1109, 1122 NTFS, 1109 partitions, 1112 PCs, 42 peer-to-peer networks, 525 printers, 706 small businesses, 42 Windows disks, 1116-1117 liquid crystal displays, see LCDs listings commands, 883 ipconfig /all command, 448 services, 684 listservs, see mailing lists LMHASH, 704 load balancing, 41 loadhigh= command, 870 local area networks, see LANs Local Computer Policy snap-in, 946 local configurations filenames, 545 Internet Explorer, 312 Logons, 107 phone numbers, 275 policies, 747-750, 903 printers, 34, 188-193 profiles, 980-981 resources, 640 user accounts, 948, 962-963 Local Users and Groups node, 918

LocalTalk, 477 location backups, 1028 dial-up networking, 610-611 folders, 126 print spooler folders, 591 Search Companion applet, 177 locking accounts, 748 routers, 738 taskbar, 134 lodctr command, 874 log files applications, 921, 923 archived, 926 audits, 924 categories, 923 clearing, 926 configuration, 924-925 date, 923 editing, 434, 925 errors, 924 filtering, 924 FTP, 434 hardware, 924 IIS, 434-435 monitoring, 923-924 opening, 922, 926 permissions, 921 Scheduled Tasks, 907 security, 921, 945 system, 921 time, 923 troubleshooting, 1164 types, 923 viewing, 923, 925 warnings, 924 Web sites, 429 Windows 2000-compatible, 63 logical drive letters, 1105-1106 login command, 552, 702, 741, 1130 logman command, 874 logo rating, 54 logon/logoff, 141-143, 749 classic, 107-108 computers, 133

default Logon mode, 109-110 Dial-Up Connection, 652 domains, 107, 609, 633 events, 749 local, 107 passwords, 108, 113 scripts, 966-967, 984 Welcome screen, 107 Logos, 63 logout command, 702 logs, see log files long-distance phone calls, 830 LPD, 708, 736 lpg command, 874 lpr command, 874 LPR printers, 576-577 LPT ports, 66, 597, 1060 luminosity bar, 781 Luna user interface, 12, 113

M MAC addresses, 478 Mac OS X Samba, 714 Mac-In-DOS, 1119 macfile command, 874 Macintosh computers, 711 Appleshare IP, 714 compatibility, 713 cross-platforming, 1119-1120 DAVE, 715 dial-up connections, 715 domain name lists, 722 files, 711-714, 721 names, 723 printers, 577, 713-714 resource editing, 721 shared files, 721-722 Unix, 714 upgrades, 713 volumes, 713 Windows, 714-715 Macros, 148, 745

Messenger

MagicMover (PowerQuest), 118, 123 magnifying desktop, 25, 929 mail, see e-mail mail servers, 338, 359, 606 mailing lists, 362-364 attachments, 363 auto-replies, 364 digests, 363 FAQs, 363 netiquette, 363-364 posting to, 363 replies, 363 security, 363-364, 731 maintenance, drives, 1160 management accounts, 749 enterprise, 766 FTP servers, 432-433 hardware, 909 Indexing Service, 1016 messages, 371-372 passwords, 952-953 power, 27 screens, 679 SMTP, 433-434 system, 31-32 tools, 525 user accounts, 957 version control, 32 mandatory profiles, 980 manual configuration ISPs, 274-276 LAN adapters, 280 networks, 763 routes, 654-655 TCP/IP, 651 synchronization, 624-625 map commands, 702 map root function, 564 MAPI (Messaging Application Programming Interface), 329 mapping drive letters, 562-563, 596-597 folders, 565 subfolders, 564

margins, 154-155 masks, networks, 761 master boot record, 1093-1094 master disk drives, 60 master file table (MFT), 1002 Matrox, Millennium G450/G550, 1081 Maximizing windows, 146 MB (Megabyte), 1101 McAfee, 357 MD command, 883 Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF), 1033 media access control (MAC address), 478 Media Player, 250-251 audio, 249 CDs, 249 Copying, 250-251 customizing, 252-253 devices, 252 DVD video, 249 files, 249, 252 Intel video, 249 libraries, 250, 252 Media Guide window, 250 Media Library, 251 MP3, 249 MPEG, 249 music, 250-252 networks, 253 Now Playing window, 250 performance, 252 Radio Tuner, 251 Skin Chooser, 251 skins, 249 Unix audio, 249 updates, 252 video, 249 visualizations, 252 WinAmp, 253 media pools, 1001 Media toolbar, 21 MediaTracer 5.0, 256

meetings, NetMeeting (Windows Messenger), 408-409 Megabyte (MB), 1101 memberships domain, 762-763 groups, 965 memmaker command, 879 memory access, 1063 addresses, 1065 allocation, 806, 856 Calculator, 167 hard drives, 60-61 IIS, 420 kernel, 937 MS-DOS, 867 printers, 198 RAM, 59-60, 1044 requirements, 49 troubleshooting, 1084-1085 usage, 851 virtual, 851-855 Windows 3.x, 863-864 memory-mapped I/O, 1064 menus animating, 780 cascading, 791 commands, 879 fly-open, 127 shadows, 780 messages discussion threads, 369 e-mail, 335-337 management, 371-372 newsgroups, 379 Outlook Express, 350-351, 355-356 posting, 369-371 reading, 369-373 scrolling, 397 SMTP, 434 status, 398 see also error messages messaging, 329, 386-387 Messenger screen Messenger, see Windows Messenger

1191

1192

MFT MFT (master file table), 1002 MGI, VideoWave 4, 248 microphones adjusting, 401 sound not picked up (Windows Messenger), 409-410 Microsoft legal issues, 293 Web site, 387, 400, 404 Microsoft .NET Passport, 959 Microsoft File Sharing packets, 637 Microsoft Investor, 323 Microsoft Management Console (MMC), 31-32, 941-943, 946 Microsoft Office 95, 180 Microsoft Passport, 321-323 Millennium G450/G550 (Matrox), 1081 MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions), 343, 416 minimizing windows, 146 mirror sites, 307 mirrored volumes, 879, 990 missing files, 653 Scheduled Tasks, 907 MKDIR command, 883 MMC (Microsoft Management Console), 31-32, 941-943, 946 mmc command, 874 mobility impairment, computer tools, 930 mode command, 878 models, printers, 567 Modem Troubleshooter, 1056 modems, 809 aggregation, 271, 829 analog, 260, 264

cable, 262, 264 capability, 605 cellular phones, 833 compatibility, 267 configuration, 834 connections, 288-289, 451 country codes, 829 default settings, 833 dial-up networking, 605 dialers, 833 external, 268 hardware, 450 installation, 208, 268-270 internal, 268 LANs, 488, 746 multiple, 271, 285-286 ports, 832-833 properties, 277, 832-834 remote access, 488 ring patterns, 834 satellite, 263, 272-273 selecting, 617 shared, 688 speakers, 832 speed, 277 troubleshooting, 288, 843 types, 270 UPS, 1072 volumes, 832 wireless, 263, 272-273 Modify permission, 972 modifying printers, 185 Monitor tab (Display Properties dialog box), 784 monitoring 16-bit applications, 880 dial-up networking, 616-617 LANs, 766-768 log files, 923-924 MS-DOS, 880 networks, 718-719, 741-742 Novell NetWare connections, 701 printers, 590-591 services, 438 systems, 846-848, 861 virtual memory, 855 WIN.INI file, 861 monitors AGP, 1066 color, 781, 784

desktop, 783 laptop computers, 1066 LCDs, 62, 783 multiple, 1066-1069 PCIs, 1066 primary display, 1066, 1081-1082 requirements, 49 resolution, 61, 782 slots, 1081 troubleshooting, 798-799 TV, 798 video cards, 1066 Web sites, 1067 see also screens monochrome bitmap, 165 monospaced fonts, 891-892 more command, 878 most recently used (MRU) list, 135 motherboards ATX format, 56 cost, 55 CPUs, 57 IDE RAID, 1043 multimonitors, 1067 replacing, 58 slots, 59 upgrades, 55-57 video, 849 Web sites, 57 Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG), 249, 302-304 motor impaired, 808, 811-814 mount points, 995-997 mounting Windows disks, 1116-1117 mountvol command, 874 mouse accessibility options, 813-814 adding, 945-946 configuration, 809 cursor schemes, 826 DOS, 827, 844 MouseKeys, 24 positioning, 826 requirements, 49 scrolling, 792 shortcuts, 147

My Recent Documents

Mouse applet (Control Panel), 809, 825-827 Movie Maker, 114 cutting and pasting, 243 dragging and dropping, 243 DV camcorders, 255 editing, 248 frames, 243 full-screen display, 243 length, 243 narration, 244-245 pausing, 242 playback, 242 resources, 248 saving, 246-247 sending, 247 splicing/splitting, 241-242 storyboards, 242-243 titles, 245 transition, 244 videos, 240-241 moving Caps Lock key, 792 Ctrl key, 792 files, 1010 My Documents folder, 791 program files, 118 taskbar, 134 user accounts, 982-983 MP3, 249, 305-307, 382 MPEG, 249, 302-304 MRU (most recently used) list, 135 MrxSmb client, 757 MS Word, Web sites, 427 MS-DOS commands, 872, 877-880 configuration, 864-865 editing, 866-869 files, 156, 881 full-screen, 869 garbage characters, 881-882 installation, 79 IRQs, 1062 memory, 867 monitoring, 880 PIFs, 867 shared folders, 562 startup files, 869-871

technical support, 106 VDM, 861, 869 windows, 869 msav command, 879 msbackup command, 879 mscdex command, 879 msd command, 879 msiexec command, 874 msinfo32 command, 874 MSN Explorer, 319-321 MSN Messenger, 912 MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure), 1033 multibooting, 910 applications, 1093 data storage, 1104 drive letters, 1104-1106 FDISK utility, 1098-1101 file systems, 1089-1092 Linux, 1109-1115 operating systems, 1122 preparation, 1089, 1095-1096 virtual machines, 1117-1119 Web sites, 1122 Windows, 1102-1104, 1106-1109 multicasting, 478 multilingual fonts, see international settings multilinking, 271, 285 multimedia audio, 301-302 downloading, 307-308 e-mail attachments, 382 enabling/disabling, 302 features, 12 files, 302 GIF images, 300 hardware, 840 Internet Explorer, 310 JPEG images, 300 MP3 audio, 305-307 MPEG, 302-304 online graphics, 301 PNG images, 300 Search Companion applet, 177

streaming broadcasts, 304-305 video, 301-302 WMV, 302-304 multimonitors, 1066-1069 multiple user accounts configuration, 985 Internet, 287-288 Outlook Express, 349-350 Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME), 343, 416 multitasking performance, 855-856 preemptive, 29 processes, 935 multithreading, 29, 185 music Media Player, 250-252 MP3 audio, 305-307 My Music folder, 21 My Computer, 119-120, 137, 551 applications, 136-138 Computer Management, 136 domain memberships, 762-763 items, 122-123 Tweak UI, 787 My Documents folder, 140 encryption, 1011 moving, 791 My Pictures folder, 650 My Music folder, 21, 140 My Network Places, 136, 547-548, 551, 579, 615 adding, 559-560 domain networks, 548 Entire Network, 720 Internet Explorer, 560 opening, 547 shortcuts, 547, 549, 560 troubleshooting, 755-756 My Pictures folder, 140, 223, 650 My Recent Documents, 140

1193

1194

N-way autosensing

N N-way autosensing, 508 nailed-up dial-up connection, 278 names canonical, 456 computers, 906, 908 files/folders, 125, 131, 545, 861-863 firewalls, 723 hosts, 722 LANs, 722-723 Macintosh computers, 723 Novell NetWare, 699-700 peer-to-peer networks, 522 printers, 218 queries, 698-699 SNMP, 719 UNC, 546 Web Sharing, 546-547 workgroups, 722 Napster, 305 Narration, videos, 244-245 Narrator text-to-speech program, 25, 930 NAT (Network Address Translation), 389 configuration, 732 hackers, 663 Internet Connection Sharing, 661-664 network services, 663 security, 737 VPN, 636-637 native commands, 871 native resolution, 62, 783 navigation archives, 121 Internet Explorer, 295 Search Companion applet, 176 Slideshow feature, 230 nbtstat command, 875 NCP (NetWare Core Protocol), 476 NDIS (Network Driver Interface Specification), 43

Neptune operating system, 12 net command, 875 .NET distributed application, 488 .NET networks, 484 .NET Passport, 390-391 net use command, 596-597, 702 Net2Phone Web site, 402 NetBEUI, 477-478, 703-704 NetBIOS, 679, 736 NetBT client, 757 netdiag utility, 43, 761-762 NetHood, 980 netiquette, 363-364 netmask argument, 655 NetMeeting, 114, 408-409, 492, 556, 642, 679 Netscape Messenger, 329 Netscape Navigator, 70 netsh command, 875 netstat command, 875 NetWare, see Novell NetWare NetWare Core Protocol (NCP), 476 Network Address Translation, see NAT Network Connections Wizard (Control Panel), 33, 805, 809 Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS), 43 Network Hopper, 652 Network Monitor Driver, 524, 765 Network News Transport Protocol (NNTP), 362 Network Setup Wizard, 520-522, 746 Network Troubleshooter Wizard, 44, 761

Networking, 938 dial-up, 488 instant, 497 Macintosh computers, 711-712 services, 663, 718-719 VPN properties, 634 wireless, 620 see also dial-up networking networks, 553 100BASE-T, 472 100BASE-Tx Ethernet, 504 10/100BASE-T, 497 10BASE-T, 470-471, 502-504 Active Directory, 485-486, 490-492, 543, 557-559, 568-571 adapters, 60, 271-272, 478, 503-504, 510-512, 578, 1067-1069 AppleTalk, 577-578 appliances, 692 ATM, 468 backups, 500, 534 bandwidth, 938 benefits, 464 bindings, 716-717 bridging, 43, 535-536 broadcasting, 478 browsing, 571 cables, 501-502, 513-515, 758-759 capacity, 500 clients, 466, 475-476 command-line utilities, 600-601 components, 717-718 computers, 517, 554, 673 configuration, 498, 763 connections, 43, 85-86, 548, 563, 571, 578, 805 consultants, 494 corporate, 42-45 cost, 498 Device Manager, 758 DOS, 703-705 enterprise, 466 Ethernet, 468, 506-507 Event Viewer, 756-758 faxes, 509 files/folders, 545, 549-550, 556-557, 764-765

Novell NetWare

frames, 526 guest access, 45 hardware, 449 home, 548-549, 805 hosts files, 722-723 HPNA, 504-506 hub lights, 537 IEEE-1394, 507-508 IIS requirements, 420 installation, 493, 499-500 interface cards (NICs), 475, 503, 1061, 1063 internal network numbers, 526 Internet, 278, 509, 567 I/O port assignments, 1064 IP addresses, 737 IPP, 573-576 joining, 496, 531-533 LPP, 576-577 MAC addresses, 478 Macintosh computers, 715 masks, 761 Media Player, 253 monitoring, 718-719, 741-742 multicasting, 478 My Computer, 551 My Network Places, 551, 559-560, 579, 755-756 netdiag utility, 761-762 Novell NetWare, 700 operations, 595-597 organization, 580 OS/2, 703-705 packet filtering, 735-737 people searches, 554-556 physical network address, 478 physical transport, 466 ping utility, 763-764 planning, 496-497 power supply, 501 printers, 34, 500, 509, 518, 566-572, 599, 764-765 privileges, 484 professionals, training, 494 protocols, 466 real-time, 43 remote, 485-486, 510, 543, 615 resources, 485 searches, 553

security, 45, 533 shared folders, 500, 594-595 shields, 740 shortcuts, 548 small office, 548-549 spoolers, 567 standalone computers, 465 subnet masks, 480 ThinNet, 469 throughput, 765-766 token rings, 468 troubleshooting, 538, 754-755, 761 unicasting, 478 Unix, 576-577, 705 updating, 508 UPS, 1072 UTP, 469-470 WANs, 467, 482, 809 Windows .NET Server, 497-499 Windows 2000, 484 Windows 3.1, 509 Windows 95/98, 509 Windows NT, 484, 509 wireless, 506-507 wiring, 513, 515-517, 536 see also domains; LANs; peer-to-peer networks; VPNs; workgroups New Shadow copy, 30 new view network, 702 New Volume Wizard, 999 newlines, 720 news servers, 364-365 Newsbin, 382 Newsbin Pro, 382 Newsgrabber, 382 newsgroups, 382 binaries, 380 configuration, 365 downloading, 366-367 FAQs, 362 indexing, 180 Internet Explorer, 310-311 messages, 369-373, 379 MP3, 382 newsreaders, 382-383 Outlook Express, 355, 377-378

protocols, 362 security, 373-377 subscriptions, 367-369 synchronization, 372, 379 troubleshooting, 378-379 Usenet, 382 see also Internet newsreaders, 382-383 NewsRover, 382 next hops, 655 Nico Mak Computing, WinZip, 1035 NICs (network interface cards), 475, 503 NNTP (Network News Transport Protocol), 362 nodes, (Computer Management), 453, 918-920 noise output, 1039 non-Plug and Play hardware, 1045 non-standard protocols, 686-687 nonkeyboard keys, 170 normal backups, 1026 Northernlight search engine, 319 Norton Utilities (Symantec), 87, 357, 1035 notebook computers, 1030 Notepad, 150 headers/footers, 154-155 keys, 154 limitations, 152 margins, 154-155 running, 153-154 text, 180 Web sites, 427 notifications, 814 contacts, 396 disaster planning, 744 remote users, 589-590 UPS power failures, 1074 Notify Me of Missed Tasks (Scheduled Tasks), 907 Novell NetWare banner pages, 720

1195

1196

Novell NetWare Client for NetWare, 693-694, 696-697 clients, 697-698 command prompt, 702-703 connections, 701, 715 networks, 700 passwords, 701, 720 protocols, 694-695 Provider Order, 698-699 resources, 699-700 servers, 703, 719-720 Novell NetWare 5, 49 Now Playing window (Media Player), 250 Nslookup command, 492, 875 NT Executive, 66 ntbackup command, 875 ntcmdprompt command, 870, 875 NTFS (NT File System), 28, 80-82 conversion, 1103 drive letters, 1105 encryption, 1008, 1010 FAT16, 1007 FAT32, 1007 files/folders, 582-584, 976-977 installation, 92 Linux, 1109 multibooting, 1092 operating systems, 78 permissions, 972-975, 977 reading, 1107 restoring, 85 user accounts, 978-979 Web Folders, 586 NTLM authentication, 709 ntsd command, 875 NTUSER.DAT profiles, 980 NTVDM (Windows Virtual DOS Machine), 880 numlock command, 879 nVidia, GeForce2, 1081 NWCWorkstation client, 757 NWLink, 525-526 NwlnkIpx transport layer, 757

O Object Linking and Embedding (OLE), 158 objectionable content, Internet Explorer, 310, 315-316 objects renaming, 127 restrictions, 984 viewing on Folders bar, 131-132 ODBC Sources (Administrative Tools), 916 Odyssey operating system, 12 offline files/folders, 579, 620, 485-486 accessing, 623 adding, 623 application software, 629 backups, 1030 browsing, 297-299 caching, 621, 628 deleting, 623, 629 disk space, 629 editing, 623 enabling/disabling, 629 encryption, 629 missing, 653 pages, 299-300 printing, 202-203 reading messages, 372-373 reminders, 622 selecting, 621-622 sharing, 627-629 shortcuts, 622, 629 synchronization, 622-627, 653 temporary files, 1020 troubleshooting, 652-653 viewing, 42, 629 OLE objects, 158 On-Screen Keyboard, 930 one-time receipt, faxes, 214 online chatting (Windows Messenger), 396-397 chat communities, extending, 410-411 contact notifications, 396 etiquette, 397-398

files, sending and receiving, 399-400 group chats, 399 signing out, 398-399 status messages, 398 video communication, 404-405 voice communication, 400-404, 410 online configuration documentation, 426 graphics, 301 help, 595 ordering, 236-237 searches, 318-319 Web sites, 1160 Online Crash Analysis, 31 Onscreen keyboard, 24 open doors, security, 728 OpenGroup, 39 opening Control Panel, 803 Device Manager, 1053 e-mail, 339, 913 files, 156-157, 400, 875, 881, 919 folders, 132, 794 IIS, 428 images, 161-162, 164, 229 log files, 922, 926 My Network Places, 547 Start menu, 133 Volume Control, 170 Web Folder, 566, 598 windows, 880 Windows Explorer, 129 Windows Media Player, 303 see also launching; starting operating systems, 13, 54 backups, 1159 booting, 107, 1152-1155 CD-ROM drives, 100-101 crashes, 143-144 default settings, 1094 drive letters, 1104-1106 failures, 1159-1160 fonts, 895-896 hard drives, 1101 installation, 78 IRQs, 1061 multibooting, 1117-1119

PartitionMagic

multiple, 1122 multitasking, 855-856 Neptune, 12 NTFS, 78 Odyssey, 12 partitions, 82 printers, 567 RAM, 1044 Recovery Console, 1155-1156 subsystem commands, 872 technical support, 106 upgrades, 73-74, 96-99 user interface, 146 VGA, 1066 Whistler, 12 [operating systems] section (BOOT.INI settings file), 1095 optical fibers, 472 optimizing computers, 1085 options Active Directory, 543 Allow Paste Operations via Script, 314 Properties dialog box, 1055 Windows Messenger, 393-396 Options dialog box (Windows Messenger), 393-396 ordering images, 236-237 Internet installation, 267-268, 668 organization, networks, 580 ornamental fonts, 892 OS, see operating systems OS/2, 703-705 OSI model, 474-475 Outlook Express, 114, 328-329, 493 Address Book, 345-346, 354-355 addressing, 338 attachments, 339, 380-382 automation, 359 backups, 353, 355 certificates, 343

configuration, 34, 332-334 Contacts List, 358 creating, 337-338 default, 330 digital IDs, 343-344 distribution lists, 346-347 e-mail, 328, 330 filters, 351-352 formatting, 342-343 forwarding, 352 HTTP, 334-335 IMAP, 334 Inbox, 331 POP, 334 Preview Pane, 332 private keys/public keys, 343 receipt requests, 341-342 shortcuts, 147 signatures, 340-341 spell-checking, 337 enabling/disabling, 323 encryption, 343-345 folders, 359 HTML, 358 messages, 350-351, 355-356 newsgroups, 382 anonymous responses, 376-377 backups, 355 configuration, 365, 377-378 discussion threads, 369 downloading, 366-367 filters, 373-374 managing messages, 371-372 messages, 379 personal information, 374-375 posting messages, 369-371 reading messages, 369-373 security, 373 spam, 375-376 subscriptions, 367-369 synchronization, 372 troubleshooting, 378-379 newsreaders, 383 passwords, 358 people-search, 347-348 spam, 356-357

user accounts editing, 348 multiple, 349-350 user names, 358 viruses, 339-340 outside wiring, 667 overscanning, 798 overwriting events, 925 infrared files, 650 ownership files, 975, 977 shared folders, 584

P Pacific Gold Coast Corp., 1035 Pacific Micro, 1119 packets, 475 filtering, 735-737 performance, 689 ping utility, 459, 763 size, 460 pagefile.sys file, 852 Pagefileconfig.vbs command, 875 pages editing, 853-854 layout, 294 printing order, 197 protection, 197 viewing, 299-300 paging files, 851-855, 910, 1011 Paint (Start menu), 114, 159-161 images, 162-166 pixel editing, 164 work areas, 161-162 Paint Shop Pro (Jasc), 255 Paper, printing, 216 parallel ports, 66, 189, 597, 1060 parameters, 877, 1037-1038 PartitionMagic (PowerQuest), 75, 80, 85, 118, 123, 1035, 1098

1197

1198

partitions partitions access restrictions, 738 automatic, 1112 data storage, 84, 1104 defining, 1098-1101 disk, 82, 84-85 dual-booting, 84 extended, 989 FDISK, 1098-1101 hard drives, 84, 991-992 installation, 90-92 NTFS, 1109 operating systems, 82 primary, 989 reducing, 1110 virtual memory, 853 Windows 9x, 1096-1098, 1101-1102 Passports, .NET Passport, 390 passwords access restrictions, 738 changing, 701 connections, 608 cracking, 728 deleting, 954 e-mail, 358 editing, 679, 953-954 encryption, 748, 954-955 finding, 955-956 hints, 113 logons, 108, 113 managing, 952-953 Microsoft Passport, 322 Novell NetWare, 701, 720 protection, 45 RAS, 606 reset disks, 955 resetting, 956 Samba, 707 Secure Password Authentication (SPA), 333 security, 730, 748 Simple File Sharing, 706 troubleshooting, 358 updates, 701 user accounts, 962, 964 VPN properties, 633 Paste command (Clipboard), 182 pasted data, 182

patch cables, 515 path command, 72, 139, 878 pathping utility, 456-457, 492, 875 patterns, encryption, 1010 Pause Scheduled Tasks (Scheduled Tasks), 907 pausing documents in printer queues, 204-205 images, 230 Scheduled Tasks, 907 videos, 242 pbadmin command, 875 PCI cards IRQs, 1062, 1083 monitors, 1066 page description language, 592 resources, 1058 slots, 59 updates, 1083-1084 video cards, 1061 pcl.sep separator file, 593 PCMCIA adapters, 503, 810, 1050 pconsole command, 702 PCs cross-platforming, 1119-1120 Linux, 42 personal firewalls, 737 renting, 289 Windows XP, 53 PCT (Private Communication Technology), 315 PDF documents, 324-326 peer-to-peer networks, 465, 483-484, 496 clients, 523-524 computers, 523, 529-530 configuration, 522 connection, 520-521 DHCP, 526-527 Internet, 522 IPX/SPX, 526 Linux, 525 management tools, 525

names, 522 networking services, 520-522, 525 NWLink, 526 print services, 525 TCP/IP, 526-529 Unix, 525 see also workgroups pentnt command, 875 people searches, 347-348, 554-556 perfmon command, 875 performance animations, 850-851 connections, 689-690 encryption, 1011 hard drives, 61 Media Player, 252 multitasking, 855-856 packets, 689 Professional, 28-31 Remote Assistance, 915 storage volume, 910 system, 849, 904 visual effects, 850-851 Performance and Maintenance category view (Control Panel), 806 Performance Logs and Alerts node, 918 Performance Monitor, 765-766, 846-848, 855, 877 Performance tab (Task Manager), 936-937 Perl, 439 permissions administrators, 113 Control Panel, 802 displaying, 972 editing, 972, 975 effective, 974-975 Execute, 431-432 files/folders, 563, 584, 921, 974-975 FTP, 432 groups, 977 inheritance, 973-974 NTFS, 972-973 printers, 589

preparation

reading, 975 Registry, 114, 1146 Remote Assistance, 645-646 Scripts, 431-432 Web Folders, 586 Write, 437 personal computers, see PCs Personal Firewalls, 737 personal profiles, 310, 374-375 Personal tab (Windows Messenger), 393-394 Personal Web Services, 282 PgDn/PgUp keys, 154 Phone and Modem Options applet (Control Panel), 809, 827-834 phone numbers, 275, 605, 609, 612, 809 see also telephones Phone tab (Windows Messenger), 394 phone wire, see UTP Photo Printing Wizard, 231-232 photographs, see images PhotoPaint, 41 Photoshop (Adobe), 238, 255 physical network addresses, 478 physical transport, 466 pi fonts, 892 PICS (Platform for Internet Content Selection), 316 Pictures with online chatting, 405 PIFs (Program Information Files), 67, 867-868 ping utility, 453-454, 459, 492, 763-764 pixels, 159, 164 PKZip (PKWare), 1034-1035 Places Bar, 22 Planning networks, 496-497

platform compatibility, 388-389 Platform for Internet Content Selection (PICS), 316 Playback, videos, 242 playing CDs, 792 plenum cable, 514 plug adapters, 290 Plug and Play (PnP), 28, 62-63, 842, 1045-1046 plug-in PCMCIA cards, 504 PNG (Portable Network Graphics) images, 160, 224, 300 Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP), 477, 829 Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE), 278, 477 Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP), 478, 489, 632 points, fonts, 888 polarities, 1073-1076 Policy Editor (Registry), 1126 POP (Post Office Protocol), 290, 334, 686, 736 popd command, 875, 883 Portable Document Format (PDF), 324-326 Portable Network Graphics (PNG), 160, 224, 300 Portable Operating System Interface for Unix (POSIX), 39 ports, 735 assignments, 1064 cascade, 518 DOM, 66 hubs, 502 LPT, 66 modems, 832-833 port 80, 436 printers, 195 scanning, 741 UART, 66

Positioning the mouse, 826 POSIX (Portable Operating System Interface for Unix), 39 Post Office Protocol (POP), 290, 334, 686, 736 postal address searches, 555 posting messages on mailing lists, 363, 369-371 PostScript language, 592, 713 POTS, 667 power command, 879 Power Options applet, 784-785, 809, 1070 power plug adapters, 290 Power Quest, 75 power supply failures, 1071, 1074, 1076-1077 management, 27, 54 networks, 501 screen savers, 779 power-off reboot, 1164 PowerQuest, 87 BootMagic, 1122 Drive Copy, 1035 Drive Image, 1035 MagicMover, 118, 123 PartitionMagic, 118, 123, 1035 PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol), 477, 829 PPPoE (Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet), 278-279, 477, 678 PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol), 478, 489, 632 preemptive multitasking, 29, 185 preferences, Windows Messenger, 393-396 prefetching, 18 preparation, multibooting, 1089, 1095-1096

1199

1200

prevention prevention hacking, 281-282 operating system failures, 1159-1160 Previewing, 12, 332 fonts, 788 images, 229 primary display multimonitors, 1066 troubleshooting, 1081-1082 primary DNS suffix, 453 primary partitions, 989 print command, 878 Print Manager, 185-186, 201 printers, 806 Active Directory, 568-571 adding, 34, 185 bidirectional support, 196 browsing, 571 cables, 509 color management, 195, 207 configuration, 193-198, 809 connections, 184 datatypes, 196 drivers, 184, 197, 571-572, 588, 749 error events, 590 faxes, 217 font cartridges, 196 form-to-tray assignment, 197 halftoning, 198 IIS, 426 information events, 590 infrared ports, 195 installation, 184, 186-188, 567-568, 578, 600-601 Internet, 567 IPP, 544, 573 Linux, 706 local, 34, 188-193 LPT1 printer output, 597 memory, 198 models, 567 modifying, 185 names, 218 networks, 34, 500, 509, 518, 566, 571-578 operating systems, 567 pages, 197

paper, 216 permissions, 589 pooling, 592 ports, 195, 1063 priority, 198 queues, 202-205 remote user notification, 589-590 removing, 185, 199 resolution, 198 searches, 553 security, 195, 979 separator files, 198 serial ports, 196, 217 servers, 518 services, 525, 718 shared, 195, 199, 630 sharing, 186, 218, 486-487, 546, 587, 592-594, 714, 764-765 spoolers, 184, 567, 591 timeouts, 196 troubleshooting, 216-218, 598-599 UPS, 1072 user accounts, 590-591 virtual directory, 424 warning events, 590 Printers and Faxes applet (Control Panel), 184-186, 809 Fax icon, 209 printers, 185, 199 Printers and Other Hardware category view (Control Panel), 806 PrintHood, 980 printing applications, 184 banner pages, 697, 720 DOS applications, 200 error messages, 216 faxes, 214 fonts, 894-895 form feed, 697 images, 162, 229, 254 infrared printers, 650-651 Internet Explorer, 317 Macintosh computers, 713 offline, 202-203 printing to disk files, 206

resolution, 713 text, 217 troubleshooting, 1056 Unix, 43, 707-708 Web pages, 598 Windows applications, 199-201 priorities printers, 198 tasks, 935-936 privacy issues (Windows Messenger), 411 Privacy tab (Windows Messenger), 395 Private Communication Technology (PCT), 315 private files, 969-970 private keys, 343 privileges, 484, 749, 1078 prncfg.vbs command, 875 prndrvr.vbs command, 875 prngctl.vbs command, 875 prnjobs.vbs command, 875 prnmngr.vbs command, 875 prnport.vbs command, 875 procedures, installation, 88-96 processes, 876, 934-937 processing video, 784 processors, see CPUs productivity applications, see applications Profile Manager, 981-982 profiles assigning, 965 color management, 207 hardware, 842, 1063, 1077-1081 personal, 310 roaming user profiles, 487, 492, 543, 966 user accounts, 979-982 Program Compatibility Wizard, 858-860, 881 Program Information Files (PIFs), 67, 867

reassigning

Program Manager, 120 programming code, 16 programming languages, 39-42 programs, see applications progressive downloads, 303 prompt command, 878, 880, 883-884 properties bidirectional support, 196 color management, 195 command prompt windows, 865-866 configuration, 126-128 connections, 276-278, 607-610 datatypes, 196 default, 198 dialog boxes, 126-128 double-sided printing, 196 drivers, 197 font cartridges, 196 form-to-tray assignment, 197 halftoning, 198 images, 229 Indexing Service, 1017 infrared ports, 195 memory, 198 modems, 277, 832-834 pages, 197 ports, 195 printers, 193-198 priority, 198 properties sheet, 126, 866-869, 992, 1055 Remote Desktop, 640 resolution, 198 security, 195 separator files, 198 serial ports, 196 shared, 195, 199 shortcuts, 125 system, 910 tasks, 906 timeouts, 196 user accounts, 964-965 viewing, 276 VPNs, 633-634 proportionally spaced fonts, 891

Protect My Computer, 281 protection drivers, 30 Media Player, 250 passwords, 45 protocols, 605 AppleTalk, 715 bindings, 694-695 connections, 609-610 enabling, 716 framing, 475 networks, 466 newsgroups, 362 non-standard, 686-687 remote servers, 715-716 SIP Protocol (Session Initiation Protocol), 388 transport, 475, 693 Provider Order, 698-699 provisioning, 668 PS/2 mouse ports, 1060 pscript.sep separator file, 593 pseudonymous remailers, 375 public IP addresses, 661 public keys, 343 publishing applications, 492 folders, 556 HTML, 422 images, 235-236 software, 552 pulse dialing, 830 punchdown blocks, 517 push technology, 819-820 pushd command, 875, 883

Q-R QoS Packet Scheduler, 524 queries catalogs, 1018 commands, 875 names, 698-699 queues, see printers Quick Launch Bar, 133, 146 QuickTime, 304, 306 quit command, 709

RAD Remote Deployment Service, 424 RADEON VE, 1081 Radio Tuner (Media Player), 251 RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks), 990, 988 RAM, 54 adding, 1044 Hibernate mode, 143 installation, 59, 68 memory, 59-60 requirements, 49 simulating, 851 starting addresses, 1065 troubleshooting, 68 RAS (Remote Access Service), 488 dial-up networking, 617-619 Guest accounts, 618 IUSR_xxx accounts, 618 IWAM_xxx accounts, 618 mail servers, 606 modems, 605 passwords, 606 protocols, 605 security, 617-618 TCP/IP, 606 telephone numbers, 605 user IDs, 606 rasdial command, 655, 875 rasphone command, 655 rcp command, 710, 876 reading attributes, 975 e-mail messages, 335-337 messages, 369-373 NTFS, 1107, 1109 PDF, 324-326 permissions, 973, 975 shared folders, 584 Web Folders, 586 real-time networks, 43 RealPlayer, 302, 304, 306 reassigning drive letters, 1106 resources, 1058

1201

1202

rebooting rebooting, 1154 power-off reboot, 1164 system, 935 receive windows, 690 receiving e-mail attachments, 339 faxes, 208, 214 files, 399-400 instant messages, 644 mail, 341-342, 433 recent profiles, 980 recording narration for movies, 244-245 recover command, 878 recovering ASR, 30 data, 1159 encryption, 1009 files, 1012-1014 Registry, 1147 system, 910 Recovery Console, 903, 1155-1156 Recreational Software Advisory Council on the Internet (RSACi), 315 Recycle Bin, 115-118 clearing, 1020 configuration, 796 emptying, 117 storage, 116 Red Hat Linux, see Linux redialing connections, 278, 609 redirection Web servers, 415 reducing noise output, 1039 partitions, 1110 Redundant Array of Independent Disks, see RAID referral ISPs, 274 reformatting hard drives, 75 refreshing images, 229 screens, 784, 799 Web pages, 147, 439

reg command, 876 Regedit, see Registry Regedt32, 1157 Regional and Language Options applet (Control Panel), 809, 834 registration domain names, 421 installation, 96 Registry associations, 1124 backups, 1028, 1131-1134 Caps Lock key, 792 configuration, 1129 Control Panel, 802 corruption, 1146 Ctrl key, 792 data types, 1137 defragmentation, 1146 editing, 1146, 1157-1158 errors, 1146 hive files, 1124, 1126, 1143 keys, 1125, 1127-1130, 1138, 1140-1141 multiple users, 1142-1143 permissions, 1144, 1146 Policy Editor, 1126 recovery, 1147 remote computers, 1141 Resplendent Registrar, 1146 restoring, 1134-1136 searches, 1138 security, 1144-1145 storing, 579 structure, 1124 subkeys, 1142 Toolkit, 1145 troubleshooting, 1146-1147 TweakUI, 1145 users, 1130, 1145 values, 1139-1140 viewing, 1137 Web sites, 1149-1150 Windows 9x, 1097 Windows installation, 1143-1144 X-Setup, 1145 regsvr32 command, 876 reinstallation drivers, 1055

troubleshooting, 1158-1159 Windows XP, 1156-1158 relaying SMTP, 433 relog command, 876 rem command, 871 reminders, offline files, 622 remote access, 488, 757 commands, 710 configuration, 43 files, 710 FTP, 423 IIS, 438 modems, 488 networks, 510 restriction, 751 VPN, 489 Web sites, 435-436 see also RAS Remote Assistance (Windows Messenger), 45, 406, 489, 642, 686 audio, 646 compatibility, 912 configuration, 915 disconnection, 646 enabling, 911 files, 646 invitation scripts, 912-913, 915 performance, 915 permissions, 645-646 requesting, 642-644 responding, 644-646 shared connections, 642 voice connections, 646 Remote Desktop, 489, 637, 686, 915-916 configuration, 915-916 connections, 638-639, 641 disconnection, 641 display, 640 enabling, 638, 911 installation, 915 keyboard shortcuts, 641 LANs, 637 local resources, 640 properties, 640 shared connections, 638 Terminal Services, 637, 639 Web Connection, 915

routers

Windows .NET, 637 Windows NT Terminal Server Version, 637 remote networks, 485-486, 543 dial-up networking, 615 installation, 102, 492 log files, 923 notification, 589-590 procedure calls (RPC), 488 profiles, 612, 614 Registry, 1141 servers, 709, 715-716 storage, 1025 user profile connections, 612-614 Removable Storage utility, 919, 1001, 1021-1022 removing Address Book entries, 345-346 applications, 808, 817-820, 842-843 cameras, 809, 835-836 components, 820 files, 1160 fonts, 808, 896 hardware, 1050 printers, 185, 199 routes, 655 scanners, 809, 835-836 user accounts, 978-979 Windows Update, 946 Windows XP Boot Loader, 1121 renaming objects, 127 Registry keys, 1141 rendering documents, 184 renting PCs, 289 repairing disk errors, 1005-1006 replace command, 876 replacing motherboard, 58 replicated data sets, 1028 replies e-mail, 147 mailing lists, 363

reporting errors, 910 operating system upgrades, 98-99 requests IIS servers, 438 Remote Assistance, 642-644 Web browsers/servers, 415 Requirements, systems, 49-51 reset configuration, 814, 876, 955-956, 1164 Residential Gateway, 636, 663 resizing images, 162 resolution, 17 DPI settings, 783 faxes, 215 images, 236 monitors, 61, 782 native, 783 photographs, 181 printers, 198, 713 scanners, 255 screens, 62, 782, 804, 808 suggested, 783 Resource Kit, 102 resources allocation, 1059 editing, 721 forks, 711 networks, 485 Novell NetWare, 699-700 reassigning, 1058 see shared folders Resources tab (System applet), 1058-1059 Resplendent Registrar (Registry), 1146 responding Remote Assistance, 644-646 restarting computers, 99 documents in printer queues, 204-205 restoration points, see rollback restoring command, 879 data from backups, 1027-1029

Enhanced System Restore, 30 files, 116 NTFS, 85 Registry, 1134-1136 servers, 743 user profiles, 1032-1033 restrictions, see access restrictions/rights resuming documents in printer queues, 204-205 Scheduled Tasks, 907 rexec command, 710, 876 Rich Text Format, 156 right panes, 130 right-clicking, 126-128, 147 ring patterns, 834 RIP Listener, 525, 718 RIS (Remote Installation Services), 102 risk preparation, 730-731 rmdir command, 878 roaming profiles, 980-981 dial-up networking, 614 domain networks, 543 user accounts, 966 Roaming User Profile, 1032 roaming user profiles, 487, 492 rollback drivers, 30, 841, 1055, 1058 System Restore, 1160-1163 Windows Update, 932 root folders, 561 rotating images, 229 route command, 876 route utility, 457-458 routed service, 659, 680-682 routers access, 687, 751 adding, 654-655 configuration, 679-682 connections, 659, 676-679 files, 679 Internet service, 661 LANs, 746

1203

1204

routing lock down, 738 management screens, 679 NetBIOS, 679 packet filtering, 735-737 passwords, 679 removing, 655 security, 738 shared, 685-687 tables, 457 tracing, 877 VPN, 635-636 RPC distributed application, 488 RSACi (Recreational Software Advisory Council on the Internet), 315 rsh command, 710, 876 rsm command, 876 rules, filters, 374 runas command, 876, 950 running Calculator, 165 Character Map utility, 168 computers, 905 DOS, 67 executable files, 1076-1077 logon scripts, 984 Notepad, 153-154 scripts, 904 user accounts, 962-963 Windows, 789 runtime, 1070

S Safe Mode, 1153-1154 SAM key, 1127 Samba, 705-708, 714 SANS security, 740 sans-serif fonts, 891 Santa Cruz Operation (SCO), 39 satellite modems, 263 installation, 272-273 services, 268 saturation, color, 781

saving consoles, 941, 943 faxes, 210 files, 125, 156-157 hard drives, 1032 images, 165 invitation scripts, 913 searches, 180 videos, 246-247 sc command, 876 scandisk command, 880 ScanMail, 357 Scanner and Camera Wizard (Control Panel), 27, 809, 835-836 cards, 1063 digital cameras, 225-226 scanners, 223, 225 starting, 227 troubleshooting, 253 scanners, 255 adding, 809, 835-836 configuration, 223, 225, 809, 835-836 flatbed, 256 removing, 809, 835-836 troubleshooting, 253, 843 Scheduled Tasks (Control Panel), 553, 810, 903-908, 944-945 scheduling backups, 1025, 1029 file synchronization, 623-627 log files edits, 434 processors, 851 schemes color, 813 cursor, 826 sound, 805 schtasks command, 876 Screen Saver Heaven, 779 screen savers, 808 editing, 804 images, 230-231 power supply, 779 SETI@home, 778 Screen Savers Bonanza, 779

screens bitmapped images, 799 color, 806, 885 editing, 126 flickering, 797 fonts, 851 full screen, 147 icons, 898 images, 236 Internet Explorer, 294 LCD, 799 Messenger Sign In, 391 MS-DOS, 869 refresh rate, 784, 799 resolution, 62, 782, 804, 808 Welcome, 107 see also desktop; monitors scripts calling card, 831-832 directories, 424 e-mail, 430 IIS, 424 installation, 101 logon, 966-967, 984 Perl, 439 Permissions, 431-432 Remote Assistance, 912-913, 915 running, 904 saving, 913 server-side, 417 scrolling messages (Conversation window), 397, 792 SCSI drives, 61 booting, 1105 configuration, 1037-1038 disk partitions, 1099 host adapter cards, 1061 I/O port assignments, 1064 IRQs, 1063 troubleshooting, 1037 scsi() syntax, 1037 SDSL, 261 Search command, 138-139 Search Companion (Start menu), 23, 175-176, 293, 318-319 display, 176 document text, 178

Server Message Block

files/folders, 177, 179 filters, 179-180 Indexing Service, 180 keywords, 177 locations, 177 navigation, 176 saving searches, 180 wildcards, 179 Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), 778 searches Active Directory, 557-559 computers, 554 contacts, 392 files, 556-557, 1020 folders, 556-557 Help system, 140 Indexing Service, 1018 Internet Explorer, 147, 317 online, 318-319 paths, 139 people, 554-556 printers, 553, 568-571 Registry, 1138 starting, 319 Web sites, 435-436 wildcard characters, 139 secedit command, 876 secondary display adapters, 1067-1069 secondary partitions, 989 Secure Password Authentication (SPA), 333 Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption, 314 security, 493 access, 45, 730-731, 738 active defense, 732, 739-740 addresses, 728 audits, 749 back doors, 728 backups, 743, 1028 bugs, 728 cable connections, 669 CERT, 740 CERT-CC, 744 certificates, 45 computers, 750 configuration, 730 connections, 278

denial of service, 729 disaster planning, 742-744 DMZ hosts, 637 domains, 747 Driver Signing, 909 e-mail attachments, 745, 913 encryption, 45, 314-315 events, 945 Everyone permissions, 734 files, 399, 437, 733-735, 745 firewalls, 746-747 FIRST response teams, 744 FTP, 739, 741 group policies, 45 Guest permissions, 734 HTTP, 739 Internet, 631, 663 Internet Explorer, 309, 311-314 LANs, 658, 745-746 local, 747-750 log files, 921 mailing lists, 363-364, 731 Microsoft File Sharing packets, 637 NAT, 737 networks, 45, 533, 741-742 newsgroups, 373-377 open doors, 728 passwords, 730, 748 cracking, 728 deleting, 954 editing, 953-954 encryption, 954-955 finding, 955-956 managing, 952-953 protection, 45 reset disk, 955-956 permissions, 974-975 printers, 195, 979 RAS, 617-618 Registry, 1144-1145 risk preparation, 730-731 routers, 738 SANS, 740 servers, 438 shared folders, 582-585 SIDs, 982 SMTP, 739 SNMP, 739 social engineering, 729 software, 730

standalone computers, 745 system files, 938-939 testing, 740-741 Trojan horses, 728 updates, 437, 731 UPS, 1071 viruses, 728, 745 VPN properties, 634 Web sites, 728, 739-740, 750 Windows XP Professional, 493 wiretapping, 728 SECURITY key, 1127 Security tab, 984 Select All command, 123 selecting folders, 131-132 game controllers, 824 hardware profiles, 1078-1079 IPP printers, 573-575 ISPs, 265 items, 122-123 modems, 617 offline files, 621-622 profiles, 612 selection, clicking, 798 sending e-mail attachments, 339 faxes, 208-209, 211-212, 215 files, 399-400, 646, 649, 654 images, 229 videos, 247 separating commands, 877 files, 198 pages, 592-594 parameters, 877 user accounts, 951-952 Serial InfraRed (SIR), 648 Serial keys, 24 serial mouse, 945-946 serial ports cables, 1073 links, 1076 printers, 190-192, 196, 217 serif fonts, 891 Server Message Block (SMB) protocol, 476, 705, 736

1205

1206

Servers servers authentication, 437-438 DNS, 453 domain, 484 FTP, 432-433 IIS, 438 mail, 359 memory, 856 Novell NetWare, 703, 719-720 restoring, 743 Samba, 706-707 Scripts, 417 security, 438 telnet command, 709-710 VPN, 631 Web site extensions, 430 Servers Alive, 768 Service Advertising Protocol, 524 Service Profile Identification (SPID), 271 services, 903 bidirectional, 263 configuration, 684 enabling/disabling, 1157-1158 IIS, 421 Internet, 267-268 listing, 684 monitoring, 438 startup, 926-927 unidirectional, 263 unlisted, 684 Services and Applications node, 919-920 Sessions node, 919 SET command, 883 SETI@home screen saver, 778 setlocal command, 876, 883 settings, see configuration Settings command (Remote Assistance), 646 Settings tab (Display Properties dialog box), 781-784

Setup files installation, 90, 101 storing, 579 sfc command, 876 shadows, menus, 780 sharing applications, 406-407 connections, 267, 278, 489, 638, 642, 689 directories, 1010 disk drives, 561 DMA channels, 1063 DSLs, 688 files, 486-487, 970-971 access, 599, 630, 679, 738 Macintosh computers, 721-722 names, 545 security, 733-735, 745 troubleshooting, 764-765, 984 user accounts, 968-969 folders, 127, 431-432, 549-550, 918-919 access, 562, 583-584 adding, 594-595 domain networks, 583 drive letters, 562-563, 596 editing, 582, 584 mapping, 565 MS-DOS, 562 NTFS, 582 permissions, 563, 584 publishing, 556 security, 582-585 troubleshooting, 750 Web Sharing, 544-546 workgroup networks, 581-582 hard drives, 580 Internet connections, 436 modems, 688 names, 549, 553 network resources, 500 offline files, 627-628 printers, 186, 195, 199, 218, 486-487, 546, 587, 630 driver installation, 588 IPP, 594 Macintosh computers, 713 permissions, 589

pooling, 592 remote user notification, 589-590 separator pages, 592-594 spooling, 591 troubleshooting, 764-765 user accounts, 590-591 routers, 685-687 Web Folders, 585-587 shields, 740 SHIFT command, 883 Shift key, 123, 812 Shiva Password Authentication Protocol (SPAP), 609 shortcuts, 148 Administrative Tools, 808 creating, 548 Desktop, 124 editing, 118 folders, 579 icons, 118 links, 125 My Network Places, 547, 549, 560, 579 offline files, 622, 629 properties, 125 Quick Launch bar, 146 right-clicking, 147 troubleshooting, 144-145 Web Folders, 566 Windows Explorer, 129 see also icons ShowSounds, 24 shutdown applications, 30 computers, 133, 141-143, 750, 876 tracking, 30 troubleshooting, 145 UPS, 1072, 1076 SIDs (security identifiers), 982 Sign In error message (Windows Messenger), 409 Sign Out command (File menu), 399 Signals, UPS, 1073

Speech applet

signatures drivers, 1051-1053 e-mail, 340-341 verification, 1053 signing in/signing out, Windows Messenger with .NET Passport, 390-391, 398-399 Simple File Sharing, 432, 581, 706, 733-735, 971 Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), 334 Simple Network Management Protocol, see SNMP Simple TCP/IP Services, 525, 718 simple volumes, 990 simulating RAM, 851 single booting, 75-80 Single-Click selection, 798 single-document interface (SDI) approach, 933 SIP Protocol (Session Initiation Protocol), 388 SIR (Serial InfraRed), 648 sizing fonts, 780, 898 packets, 460 windows, 797 Skin Chooser (Media Player), 249, 251 slave disk drives, 60 sleep mode, 18 slide scanners, 255 sliders, 172 Slideshow feature, 231-232 exiting, 230 images, 230 navigation, 230 toolbar, 230 viewing, 227 slist command, 702 slot-based CPUs, 56 slots, 59, 1081

small office networks configuration, 548-549 Linux, 42 troubleshooting, 764 smart cards, 45 Smart Tags, 13 smartdrv command, 880 Smarter Open dialog box, 22 SMB (Server Message Block), 476, 705, 736 smbclient utility, 706 SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol), 334, 419, 686 access restrictions, 739 domains, 434 e-mail, 616 IIS, 423, 433-434 messages, 434 relaying, 433 Service, 424 SMTPSVC mail transport service, 757 snap-ins, 419, 941 SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol), 43, 492, 718-719, 757 access restrictions, 739 evntcmd utility, 719 evntwin utility, 719 installation, 718 names, 719 packet filtering, 736 troubleshooting, 767 social engineering, 729 socket-based CPUs, 56 software 16-bit drivers, 65 antivirus, 357 CD-ROM, 561 compatibility, 45, 63-65, 68, 76, 118, 858-860 digital signatures, 45 faxes, 208 installation, 983 Internet Connection Firewall (ICF), 732 publishing, 552

remote administration, 553 security, 730 troubleshooting, 443 upgrades, 67-70 uploads, 308 UPS, 1072 SOFTWARE key, 1127 sort command, 878 sound accessibility options, 812 cards, 1063 enabling/disabling, 839 events, 838-839 laptop computers, 181 schemes, 805 troubleshooting, 181 Volume Control, 170-172, 837 Sound and Audio Devices applet (Control Panel), 805, 810, 836-840 sound not picked up from microphones (Windows Messenger), 409-410 Sound Troubleshooter, 1056 Sounds tab (Sound and Audio Devices applet), 837-839 Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices category view (Control Panel), 805 SoundSentry, 24 source code, 152 spam e-mail, 356-357, 360, 375-376 spambots, 375 spanned volumes, 990, 998-999 SPAP (Shiva Password Authentication Protocol), 609 speakers configuration, 805, 837 modems, 832 volume, 401, 837 Speech applet (Control Panel), 810, 840

1207

1208

speed speed connections, 458, 658-659 modems, 277 processors, 1050 wireless transfers, 649 spell-checking, 337 SPID (Service Profile Identification), 271, 669 spindle motors, 1039 splicing videos, 241-242 splitting videos, 241, 272 spoofing addresses, 728 spoolers, see Print Manager stacks= command, 871 standalone computers, 465, 745 standard user accounts, 110 standby mode, 18, 142-143, 147, 785 star networks, 470 StarLan, 468 StarOffice, 41 start addresses, 1065 start command, 876, 883 Start menu (Control Panel), 132, 810 Accessibility, 903 Accessibility section, 929-930 All Programs, 133 All Programs section, 133 applications, 135-136 Calculator, 165-168 Character Map utility, 168-170 Computer Management, 594-595 configuration, 772-773 customizing, 774 editing, 134 folders, 791 Help system, 140 items, 133 My Documents, 140 My Music, 140 My Pictures, 140 Notepad, 150 opening, 133

Paint, 159-164 Print Manager, 185 Printers and Faxes folder, 184 profiles, 980 Scheduled Tasks, 904-907 Search command, 138-139 Search Companion applet, 175-180 System Tools, 903, 927-929 Volume Control, 170-172 Windows Update, 946 WordPad, 155-159 work area, 161-162 Start Talking command (Remote Assistance), 646 starting Photo Printing Wizard, 231 Profile Manager, 981 Scanner and Camera Wizard, 227 searches, 319 Windows, 1154 Windows Messenger, 390-391 see also launching; opening startup Administrative Tools, 927 DOS, 101 Files, 869-871 Scheduled Tasks, 904 system, 910, 1038 static IP addresses, 664, 685-686 static Web pages, 422 Status bar (View menu), 792 status messages, online chatting (Windows Messenger), 284, 398 sticky keys, 24, 811 Stop Using Scheduled Tasks (Scheduled Tasks), 907 stopping PCMCIA cards, 1050 processes, 876 Storage node, 919 storing associations, 1124 backups, 1024-1025, 1028

certificates, 45 cookies, 1020 data partitions, 1104 dynamic, 989 files, 140, 437, 561-562 files/folders, 115-116, 140, 432, 579, 1021 hard drives, 989-991 images, 235, 255 items on desktop, 124-125 MP3 audio, 306 My Documents folder, 140 My Music folder, 140 My Pictures folder, 140 Outlook Express, 350-351 profiles, 979 Recycle Bin, 116 separator pages, 593 user profiles, 1031-1034 video, 255 volumes, 910 storyboards, 242-243 streaming broadcasts, 304-305 stretching desktop, 776 striped volumes, 999-1000 structure, Registry, 1124 subfolders deleting, 975 drives, 596 folders, 132 mapping, 564 subkeys backups, 1133-1134 Registry, 1142 submenu command, 880 subnet masks, 480, 526, 619, 655 subranges, 169 subscriptions, 367-369 substituting fonts, 889-890 separator pages, 593 subsystem commands, 872 suggested resolution, 783 SUPPORT_xxxx user account, 963 swap files, 852

telephony interface

switches, 504, 508, 667, 669 Symantec, 1035 Symantec PC Anywhere, 686 symbols, 168, 877, 892 symmetric DSLs, 261 synchronization files, 42 Internet, 822 newsgroups, 372, 379 Novell NetWare passwords, 701 offline files, 622-627, 653 sys command, 880 sysprint.sep separator file, 593 sysprtj.sep separator file, 593 System applet (Control Panel), 810, 903, 908, 1050-1051 Advanced properties , 910 Automatic Updates, 745, 911 computer name, 908 device drivers, 1057-1058 Device Manager, 840-842, 1053-1055 Driver Signing, 1051-1053 hardware, 909 processor speed, 1050 Remote Assistance, 911-913, 915-916 Resources tab, 1058-1059 System Restore tab, 911 troubleshooter, 1056-1057 visual effects, 796-797 System catalog (Indexing Service), 1018 System Commander (V Communications), 75, 1035, 1122 System File Checker, 876, 903, 939-940 System File Signature Verification tool, 939 System Information (Start menu), 903, 928-929 SYSTEM key, 1127 System Monitor, 903

System Restore tab (System applet), 911, 1160-1163 System State, 1025 System Tools (Start menu), 903, 918, 927-929 System V, 39 SYSTEM.INI file, 861 systeminfo command, 876 systems applets, 849 backups, 438 battery icon, 843 booting, 904 caching, 937 configuration, 910 files, 938-941, 1010 log files, 921 management, 31-32, 902 monitoring, 846-848 performance, 904 rebooting, 935 recovery, 910 requirements, 388-389 startup, 910, 1038 trays, 133

T T1 lines, 667 T3 lines, 667 tabs, 119, 181 Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) images, 160 Take Control command (Remote Assistance), 646 tape backups, 1022 TAPI (Telephony API), 43, 828-829 Task Manager, 902, 932 Applications tab, 933-934 background, 943 launching, 144 Networking tab, 938 Performance tab, 936-937 Processes tab, 934-936 troubleshooting, 943 Users tab, 938

taskbar, 70, 114-115, 132-134, 773 Taskbar and Start Menu applet (Control Panel), 21, 810 taskkill command, 876 tasklist command, 876 tasks assigning, 905-906 at command-line utility, 908 automating, 904-905 background, 937 Control Panel, 803, 907 deleting, 906 enabling/disabling, 907 missing, 907 pausing, 907 priorities, 935-936 properties, 906 resuming, 907 stopping, 876 viewing, 907-908 tcmsetup command, 876 TCP/IP, 1723 carriage returns, 720 configuration, 606, 651 IP addresses, 619, 685-686 ipconfig utility, 452-453 newlines, 720 pathping utility, 456-457 peer-to-peer networks, 526-529 ping utility, 453-454 route utility, 457-458 tracert utility, 455-456 VPN, 636 Web sites, 429 technical support, operating systems, 106 telephones networks, 504-506 numbers, 278, 605, 612 plug adapters, 290 punchdown blocks, 517 Telephony API (TAPI), 43 telephony interface (Phone and Modem Options), 828-829

1209

1210

Telnet Telnet, 492, 876 Command, 709-710, 876 logins, 741 packet filtering, 736 routers, 751 TEMP variable, 858, 910 Template profiles, 980 temporary files, 317, 1010-1011 Terminal Services, 489, 637, 639 terminating applications, 933 Telnet sessions, 709 testing compatibility, 41 network shields, 740 security, 740-741 traceroute test, 459 text chatting with. See Windows Messenger color, 864 columns, 897 conversations, 396 copying, 174-175 cutting and pasting, 172-175 displaying, 180 files, 151 indexing, 180 printing, 217 searches, 178 text-to-speech programs, 810, 840, 930 TFTP, packet filtering, 736 tftp command, 876 Theme tab (Display Properties dialog box), 776 themes, 804 ThinNet, 469, 759 third-party disk backups, 1132-1133 threads, 29, 369, 937 three-button mouse, 792 throughput, networks, 765-766 thumbnail images, 229

Thursby Software Systems, 715 TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) images, 160, 214, 224 Time, see date and time timeouts booting, 1094 network connections, 563 printers, 196 title bars, 146 title command, 876 titles, videos, 245 tlntadm command, 876 TMP variable, 858, 910 Toggling, 24, 812 applications, 146 windows, 147 token rings, 468 tone dialing, 830 toolbars, 22, 792 customizing, 21 Internet Explorer, 295 Slideshow feature, 230 WebView, 121 Toolkit (Registry), 1145 tools, 706-707 Tools menu command Audio, 401 Options, 393 ToolTips, 780, 797 Torvalds, Linus, 40 touchpads, 825 traceroute tests, 459 tracerpt command, 877 Tracert, 442, 455-456, 493, 877 trademark symbol, 170 training network professionals, 494 transferring files, 289, 394, 646-650 ISPs, 274 wireless, 649 transition videos, 244

transport protocols, 475, 693 traveling ISPs, 266, 289 Triple-DES (3DES), 45 Trojan horses, 728, 962 Troubleshoot tab (Display Properties dialog box), 784 troubleshooter (System applet), 1056-1057 troubleshooting, 1152 anonymous FTP, 751 applications, 842-843 battery icon, 843 BIOS, 1082 booting, 1082, 1121, 1152-1155 cables, 1038 cameras, 843 carriage returns, 720-721 CD-ROM drives, 100-101 Clipboard, 182 columns, 897 computers, 101, 145 connections, 444-449, 688-689, 843, 1163 Ctrl+Alt+Delete, 145-146 Device Manager, 758 dial-up connections, 652 documents, 897-898 DOS, 844 drive letters, 1104-1106 DSLs, 688 DV camcorders, 255 e-mail, 323, 358 Entire Network, 720 Event Viewer, 756-758, 1160 faxes, 217-218 files, 764-765, 881, 983-985, 1037 flowcharts, 443 folders, 985 fonts, 898 foreign-language fonts, 896-897 garbage characters, 881-882 graphics, 324 hard drives, 1035-1038 hardware, 841, 983, 1037, 1049, 1083, 1163 hub lights, 537 hyperlinks, 439 I/O conflicts, 1084-1085

Uniform Resource Locators

icons, 797 IIS, 438 images, 254 installation, 100 Internet, 751 Internet Explorer, 324 IP addresses, 760-761, 764 IrDA, 649 IRQ conflicts, 1084-1085 ISPs, 288 LANs, 754-755, 758-759, 766-768 LCD screens, 799 line feeds, 720-721 log files, 1164 logon scripts, 984 Macintosh computers, 721-722 mail servers, 359 memory, 1084-1085 modems, 288-289, 450-451, 688, 843 monitors, 798-799, 1081 My Network Places, 755-756 Network Troubleshooter, 44 networks, 538, 754-755 cables, 758-759 configuration, 763 hardware, 449 throughput, 765-766 wizard, 761 newsgroups, 378-379 Notepad, 180 Novell NetWare, 703, 719-720 offline files, 652-653 operating systems, 143-144, 1159-1160 Outlook Express, 358-359, 379 packets, 459-460 Paint, 181 pasted data, 182 photographs, 181 ping utility, 763-764 power-off reboot, 1164 primary display, 1081-1082 printers, 216-218, 598-599, 764-765 Program Compatibility Wizard, 881 RAM, 68

receive windows, 690 Recovery Console, 1155-1156 Registry, 1146-1147 reinstallation, 1158-1159 routers, 751 scanners, 253, 843 Scheduled Tasks, 944-945 screens, 797 SCSI drives, 1037 Security tab, 984 Send Files to Another Computer icon, 654 shared folders, 721, 750 shortcuts, 144-145 SNMP, 767 software, 443, 983 sound, 181 synchronization, 653 System Restore, 1160-1163 Task Manager, 943 TV monitors, 798 upgrades, 68-69 user accounts, 1163 utilities ipconfig, 452-453 pathping, 456-457 ping, 453-454 route, 457-458 tracert, 455-456 video, 783 VPNs, 652 Web folders, 598 Web pages, 323, 439, 598, 751 Web Sharing, 599 Web sites, 289 Windows 95, 881 Windows Messenger, 409-410 Wireless Link, 654 wiring channels, 536 WordPad, 181 workgroups, 537-538 WS_Ping Pro Pack, 459 TrueType fonts, 889-890, 892-893 truncating filenames, 125 trusted sites, 312 TSStalk, 715

TTS (text-to-speech), 810, 840, 930 Tumbleweed Messaging Management System, 357 Tunnels, VPN, 631 TurboZIP (Pacific Gold Coast Corp.), 307, 1035 TV monitors, 798 TWAIN, 220 Tweak UI (Registry), 786-787, 1145 twisted-pair, see UTP Type code, 722 typeperf command, 877 types files, 795 log files, 923 modems, 270

U UART port, 66 UDP, IP addresses, 685-686 Ulead, Video Studio 5.0, 248 Ultra DMA (UDMA), 1063 Unable to connect to server error message, 653 unattended mode, see automating UNC (Universal Naming Convention), 546 uncompressing ZIP files, 1058 undelete utilities, 880, 1035 underrun protection, buffers, 234 undoing images, 163-164 unformat command, 880 unicasting, 478 Unicode range, 151, 156, 169-170 unidirectional services, 263 Uniform Resource Locators (URLs), 296-297, 415, 573-574

1211

1212

uninstallation uninstallation, 86-87, 787, 842, 932 Uninterruptible Power Supply, see UPS unique user accounts, 96 Universal Naming Convention (UNC), 546 Universal Plug and Play (UPnP), 43, 477, 525, 718 Unix, 39 Berkeley r commands, 710-711 BSD4.x, 39 carriage returns, 720-721 CIFS, 705 compatibility, 39 dial-up connections, 715 FreeBSD, 39 line feeds, 720-721 Macintosh computers, 714 Media Player, 249 networks, 705 peer-to-peer networks, 525 POSIX, 39 printer services, 487, 718 printing, 43, 576-577, 708 queues, 707 Samba, 706-707 SMB, 705 System V, 39 telnet command, 709-710 Unix-to-Unix Copy Protocol (UUCP), 362 unlisted services, 684 unlodctr command, 877 unplugging devices, 842 unsafe file extensions, 399 UTP (unshielded twistedpair cabling), 469-470, 502, 759 unzipping, see compression updates automating, 30, 911 BIOS, 56-57 device drivers, 1057-1058 downloading, 930-931 drivers, 63, 842, 1055 dynamic, 30 hardware, 26-27

ISA slots, 1083-1084 Media Player, 252 networks, 508 offline folders, 629 passwords, 701 PCI cards, 1083-1084 security, 437, 731 software, 308 Web sites, 594 Windows Messenger, 400, 404 upgrades 32-bit applications, 877 compatibility, 68-69 computers, 54-55 CPUs, 55-58 dual-booting, 80 hard drives, 1043-1044 hardware, 69-70, 1042 host adapters, 1044 installation, 72-75 Macintosh computers, 713 motherboards, 55-57 operating systems, 73-74, 96-98 packs, 68 software, 67-70 Windows, 64, 905 UPnP (Universal Plug and Play), 43 upper memory addresses, 1065 UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply), 501, 785, 1070 batteries, 1073, 1076 cables, 1073 capacity, 1072 enabling/disabling, 1075 executable files, 1076-1077 generic, 1075-1076 hardware, 1072 Hardware Compatibility List, 1072 intelligent UPS units, 1070 laptop computers, 1071 modems, 1072 networks, 1072 polarities, 1073, 1075-1076 power failures, 1071, 1074-1077 printers, 1072

runtime, 1070 security, 1071 shutdown, 1072, 1076 signals, 1073 software, 1072 Windows 2000, 1073-1076 workstations, 1072 URLs (uniform resource locators), 296-297, 415, 573-574 USBs, 189 Adapters, 504 controllers, 1056 IRQs, 1063 Troubleshooter, 1056 Usenet, see newsgroups user accounts, 810 Administrator, 110, 948-950 audits, 749 computers, 529 configuration, 1125 connections, 938 Control Panel, 957 creating, 111, 963 deleting disaster planning domains, 110, 960-962 editing, 112 e-mail, 358 files, 968-971 groups, 45, 492, 965, 978 Guest, 949-950 GUI, 13 home directories, 967 IDs, 606 input, 904 interface, 12 limited, 110 local, 948, 962-963 lockouts, 748 logged-in, 1130 logon scripts, 966-967 management, 749 Messenger screen, 391 MSN Explorer, 321 multiple, 985 names, 358 .NET Passport, 391 networks, 580 notification, 744 Outlook Express, 332-334, 348-350

VideoWave 4

passwords, 113, 606, 953-956, 962, 964 printers, 567, 590-591 profiles, 965-966, 979-983 properties, 964-965 Registry, 1130, 1142-1143 remote networks, 589-590, 612-614 removing, 978-979 restoring, 1032-1033 Roaming User Profiles, 1032 Run As command, 950 separating, 951-952 shared files, 984 Simple File Sharing, 706 standard, 110 storing, 1031-1034 troubleshooting, 1163 roaming user profiles, 487, 492 workgroups, 957-959 user interface, 106 action centers, 114 desktop, 113, 115-116 icons, 115, 118-119 items, 122-123 keyboard shortcuts, 114 My Computer, 119-120 operating systems, 146 Recycle Bin, 115-118 Registry, 1145 taskbar, 114-115, 132 WebView, 120-122 Windows Explorer, 119-120 Users tab (Task Manager), 938 utilities, 65 command-line, 600 compatibility, 64-65 compression, 1035 Convert, 1007 defragmentation, 1035 Defragmenter, 1044 Disk Cleanup, 1018-1021 Disk Management, 993-994, 1035 drive letters, 994-995 dynamic, 997-998 mount points, 995-997 spanned volumes, 998-999 striped volumes, 999-1000 volume extension, 998

evntcmd, 719 evntwin, 719 faxes, 212-213 FDISK, 1098-1101 Internet Connection Firewall, 610 Internet Connection Sharing, 610 ipconfig, 452-453, 760-761 netdiag, 761-762 pathping, 456-457 ping, 453-454, 763-764 Removable Storage, 1001 route, 457-458 smbclient, 706 tracert, 455-456 undelete, 1035 UTP (unshielded twistedpair cabling), 469-470, 502, 759 UUCP (Unix-to-Unix Copy Protocol), 362

V V Communications, 75, 1035, 1122 values, 1133-1134, 1138-1140 variables, 856-858, 865, 910 system, 857 users, 857 VDM (virtual DOS machine), 861, 863, 869 Vendors, software, 1035 verification backups, 1025 signatures, 1053 system files, 939-941 versions, 41 control management, 32 system files, 940-941 Tweak UI, 786 Windows, 12, 789 very large-scale integration chips (VLSI), 59 VGA mode, 1066, 1081, 1153 VHS video players, 238

video AVI, 302-304 configuration, 240-241, 301-302 cutting and pasting, 243 downloads, 302 dragging and dropping, 243 editing, 248 enabling/disabling, 302 frames, 243 full-screen display, 243 hardware requirements, 239, 404-405 Intel, 249 length, 243 Media Player, 249 motherboard, 849 MPEG, 302-304 narration, 244-245 online chatting (Windows Messenger), 404-405 pausing, 242 playback, 242 processing, 784 resources, 248 saving, 246-247 sending, 247 SIP Protocol (Session Initiation Protocol), 388 splicing/splitting, 241-242 storing, 255 storyboards, 242-243 streaming, 304 titles, 245 transition, 244 troubleshooting, 783 WMV, 302-304 video cards, 784, 1081 error messages, 1082 hardware, 61-62 I/O port assignments, 1064 installation, 1082 monitors, 1066 video chat doesn’t work (Windows Messenger), 410 Video Studio 5 (Ulead), 248 Video Tuning Wizard, 401 VideoMaker Magazine, 248 VideoWave 4 (MGI), 248

1213

1214

viewing viewing, 792-793 Category View, 32 Classic View, 32 Clipboard, 173 Control Panel, 807 desktop, 146, 783 Device Manager, 1054 domain networks, 551 Dualview, 27 faxes, 806 files, 227 filmstrip, 228 folders, 130, 794, 808 IIS, 425 images, 228-230 log files, 923, 925 objects, 131-132 offline files, 42, 629 pages, 299-300, 751 printers, 205, 806 processes, 935 properties, 276 Regedit, 1137 Scheduled Tasks, 907 Slideshow feature, 227 tasks, 908 Web Folders, 565-566 Web sites, 427 workgroup networks, 537-538, 548, 551 zip files, 1034 virtual settings desktop, 791 device drivers (VxDs), 66 directories, 415, 424 disks, 1118 DOS machine, 863 hard drives, 1118 machines, 1117-1119 memory, 851-855 PCs, 714-715, 1119 VPNs, 186, 631, 715 viruses, 728 checking, 438 downloads, 307 e-mail, 339-340 file extensions, 399 hardware, 66 security, 745 Trojan horse, 962 Windows 3.x, 66

visual effects, 796-797, 850-851 visual impairments, 930 Visual InterDev RAD Remote Deployment, 419 Visualization, Media Player, 252 visually impaired, 808, 811-814 VLSI (very large-scale integration chips), 59 VMM (Virtual Memory Manager), 852, 855 VMWare, 1119 voice communication microphones, 401 online chatting (Windows Messenger), 400-405 Remote Assistance, 646 SIP Protocol (Session Initiation Protocol), 388 speaker volume, testing and adjusting, 401 text-to-speech translation, 840 voice chat doesn’t work (Windows Messenger), 410 Voice tab (Sound and Audio Devices applet), 839 volume (sound), 170-172, 805, 837 volumes (hard drives) backups, 1025 displaying, 994 error checking, 1160 extending, 998 Macintosh computers, 713 master file table, 1002 mirrored, 990 modems, 832 mount points, 1028 RAID-5, 990 simple, 990 spanned, 990, 998-999 striped, 990, 999-1000 VPNs (virtual private networks), 809 configuration, 632-633 connections, 634-637, 652

distributed application, 488 encapsulation, 631 firewalls, 631 GRE protocol 47, 636 hardware sharing routers, 636 Internet Connection Sharing, 636 IP addresses, 635 L2TP, 632 PPTP, 632 properties, 633-634 remote access, 489, 715-716 servers, 631 TCP port 1723, 636 tunnels, 631 vsafe command, 880 vssadmin command, 877 VxDs (virtual device drivers), 66

W W32Time synchronization service, 757, 877 W3SVC server component, 757 Waiting for Response message, 438 WANs (wide area networks), 467, 482, 809 warning events, 590, 924, 1052 WAV files, 382, 838 WBEM (Web-based Enterprise Management), 32 WDM (Windows Driver Model), 220 Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning, see Web Sharing Web Folders, 565-566 encryption, 45 Indexing Service, 1018 NTFS, 586 opening, 566, 598 read/write access, 437, 586 sharing, 585-587 shortcuts, 566

windows

troubleshooting, 598 viewing, 565-566 Web Sharing, 565 Web pages cameras, 238 components, 777-778 Domain Name Service, 420-421 hosting, 420 IP addresses, 420-421 LANs, 420 printing, 598 refresh rate, 147, 439 troubleshooting, 323, 751 viewing, 751 Web Publishing Wizard, 235 Web servers, 414 browsers, 415-416 connections, 417, 664-665 default documents, 416 home pages, 416 redirection, 415 requests, 415 Web Sharing, 487, 544-545 IIS, 419, 431-432 names, 546-547 troubleshooting, 599 UNC, 546 Web Folders, 565 Web sites Adobe Systems, Inc., 325 ASP scripts, 440 audio, 301 Caps Lock key, 792 CERT-CC, 744 compatibility, 69, 1120 configuration, 427-428 corporate networks, 414 Ctrl key, 792 default documents, 430 directories, 437 e-mail, 329, 335 error messages, 324 European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), 439 folders, 415 fonts, 892-893 FreeBSD, 39 Hardware Compatibility List, 27, 1084

home directories, 415, 430 hosting, 418, 662 Hotmail, 321 HTTP headers, 430 image archiving, 236-238, 256 IPP printers, 574-575, 594 Ipswitch Software, 459 ISPs, 265 LANs, 767-768 Linux, 42 log files, 429 memory, 60 Microsoft, 323, 387, 400, 404 mirror sites, 307 monitors, 1067, 1081 motherboards, 57 MP3 audio, 306 multibooting, 1122 multimedia, 304-308 Net2Phone, 402 Novell NetWare, 697 offline browsing, 297-299 Online Crash Analysis, 31 online Help, 1160 PC emulation, 1119 PDF, 324-326 Perl, 439 photo editors, 255 port scanning, 741 Power Toys, 786 Registry, 1149-1150 Samba, 706 satellite modems, 263 scanners, 256 screen savers, 779 searches, 318-319, 435-436 security, 728, 739-740, 750 servers, 430 SETI@home, 778 Spam, 356 TCP Port, 429 traceroute test, 459 troubleshooting, 289 TWAIN, 220 updates, 594 upgrades, 68 URLs, 296-297 videos, 248 viewing, 427 virtual directories, 415

Windows XP Professional, 69 Windows Update, 400, 404 WINE emulator, 40 Web-based Enterprise Management (WBEM), 32 WebDAV, see Web Sharing WebShield (McAfee), 357 WebView, 120-122 Welcome Screen, 107, 620, 959-960 Whatsup, 767 Whistler operating system, 12 Whiteboard (Windows Messenger), 406, 408 whoami command, 701 whois database, 458 WHQL (Windows Hardware Quality Labs), 1052 WIA (Windows Imaging Architecture), 27, 220-221 wide area networks (WANs), 467, 482, 809 wildcard characters, 139, 179 WIN.INI file, 861 WinAmp, 253 windows Backup program, 87, 1131-1135 Catalog tool, 930 Classic style desktop, 780 closing, 146 command prompt, 865-866, 880, 1149 Compatibility Mode, 74 Conversation, 396-397 cross-platforming, 1119-1120 disks, 1116-1117 domain networks, 763 Driver Model (WDM), 62, 220 enabling, 927 exiting, 141-143 File Protection, 939, 941 Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL), 1052

1215

1216

windows history, 13-15 Imaging Architecture (WIA), 27, 220-221 installation, 1143-1144, 1162 Internet Naming Service (WINS), 482 Management Instrumentation (WMI), 877 Macintosh computers, 714-715 Maximizing/minimizing, 146 Media Player, 302-306 MS-DOS, 869 MSN Explorer, 321 Policies system, 1146 printing, 199-201, 707-708 refreshing, 147 Scripting Host, 600 Setup Wizard, 89 sizing, 797 starting, 1154 technical support, 106 toggling, 147 Update, 903, 930-932, 943-944, 946 versions, 12, 789 Windows 3.1, 40, 509 Windows 3.x color, 863 compatibility, 63 configuration, 861 installation, 79 memory, 863-864 technical support, 106 viruses, 66 Windows 95/98 compatibility, 63 file systems, 81 hard drive capacity, 1101 hardware requirements, 49 installation, 79 multibooting, 1122 networks, 509 programming code, 16 Scheduled Tasks, 905 technical support, 106 troubleshooting, 881 upgrades, 64, 905

Windows 9x faxes, 211 multibooting, 1108-1109, 1122 PCMCIA applet, 810 Registry, 1097 Windows 2000, 49 Advanced Server, 16 compatibility, 63 Windows 2000 Datacenter, 16 features, 12 multibooting, 1106-1108, 1122 networks, 484 NTFS, 78 Professional, 49, 1101 programming code, 16 Scheduled Tasks, 905 shortcuts, 125 upgrades, 905 UPS, 1073-1076 Windows Explorer, 22, 119-120 applications, 136-138 items, 122-123 opening, 129 shortcuts, 129 viewing, 228-229 WebView, 120 Windows for Workgroups, 106 Windows Me, 64, 106 Windows Messenger, 386, 390 Application Sharing, 406-407 chat communities, 410-411 communicating with people, 389-390 conferencing options, 406 contacts, 386, 392-393 downloading, 387 emoticons, 397 messaging, 386-387 NAT (Network Address Translation), 389 Net2Phone Web site, 402 NetMeeting, 408-409 online chatting, 396-400 options, 393-396

Options dialog box, 393-396 platform compatibility, 388-389 preferences, 393-396 privacy issues, 411 Remote Assistance, 406 signing in, 390-391 SIP Protocol (Session Initiation Protocol), 388 starting, 390 system requirements, 388-389 troubleshooting, 409-410 updating, 400, 404 video communication, 404-405 voice communication, 400-404 Whiteboard, 406, 408 work it can and cannot perform, 387-388 work to do before first run, 389 Windows .NET Server Distributed File System, 597-598 folders, 552-553 networks, 497-499 Remote Desktop, 637 Windows NT, 637 compatibility, 63 dual-booting, 80 hard drive capacity, 1101 hardware requirements, 49 multibooting, 1106-1109, 1122 networks, 484, 509 NTFS, 78 PCMCIA applet, 810 programming code, 16 technical support, 106 Windows Workgroup, 762 Windows Write, 156 Windows XP Boot Loader, 1121 comparing with other Windows XP versions, 36-38 compatibility, 48 history, 12

zones

Home Edition, 35, 50, 64, 1101, 1106 limitations, 34-35 multibooting, 1106-1109 networks, 497-499 PCs, 53 Preview Program, 12 Professional, 12, 50, 69, 1101-1104 programming code, 16 Registry, 1097 reinstallation, 1156-1158 routed service, 680-682 Tweak UI, 787 uninstallation, 86 versions, 41 Windows-on-Windows (WOW), 861-863 Windows Update Web site, 400, 404 WINE emulator, 40 WinFax Pro, 208 winnt command, 89, 877 winnt32 command, 877 WinRescue program, 1133 WINS (Windows Internet Naming Service), 482 WinZIP, 307, 1034 WinZip (Nico Mak Computing), 1035 Wired-Equivalent Privacy (WEP), 620 wireless modems, 263, 272-273 wireless networks, 473, 506-507, 620, 649, 654 wiretapping, 728 wiring cables, 515 channels, 536 hubs, 518-519 in-wall, 516-517 inside, 667 networks, 513 outside, 667

wizards, 21 Add a Network Place, 559, 561 Add Hardware, 27, 1050 Add Network Places, 566 Add Printer, 34, 568 Audio/Video Tuning Wizard, 402 Backup or Restore, 1022 Desktop Cleanup, 116 Files and Settings Transfer, 34, 982-983 .NET Passport Wizard, 390 Network Connection, 33 Network Troubleshooting, 761 New Volume, 999 Online Prints Ordering, 236-237 Photo Printing, 231-232 Remove Hardware, 1050 Scanner and Camera, 27, 223, 225-226 Video Tuning Wizard, 401 Web Publishing, 235 WMI SNMP Provider, 525, 718, 877 wmic command, 877 Word for Windows, 156 word wrap, enabling/disabling, 180 WordPad (Start menu), 114, 155-159, 181 WordPerfect Office 2000, 41 work area, images, 161-162 workgroups, 530, 542 clocks, 821 computer accounts, 86 configuration, 544 connections, 86 creating, 533 installation, 94 names, 722 networks, 483-484 shared folders, 581-582 troubleshooting, 537-538 user accounts, 957-959 viewing, 548, 551 see also peer-to-peer networks

workstations, 203, 854, 1072 World Wide Web (WWW), 292-293, 418, 422, 424 WOW (Windows-onWindows), 861-863 Write permissions, 437, 584, 586, 973 Writing data, 975, 1109 WS_Ping Pro Pack, 459

X-Z X-Setup (Registry), 1145 X86 computers, 1037 xcopy command, 878 xDSL, 261 XP-ready computers, 53 XperTrak Net, 768 Yahoo, 290, 335 zipping, see compression zones, security, 312

1217