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Maintaining and Troubleshooting

Windows 2000 and XPChapter 15

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• In this chapter, you will learn to

– Maintain Windows 2000/XP

– Optimize Windows 2000/XP

– Troubleshoot Windows 2000/XP

Overview

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Maintaining Windows

CompTIA A+Essentials

Essentials

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Patches, Updates, Service Packs

• Windows updated regularly– Flaws, bugs, program errors found and corrected

• Windows Update– Allows automatic

updating of systemsover Internet

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Automatic Updates

• Automatic (recommended)– Updates downloaded and installed automatically

• Download updates for me– Updates downloaded but not installed automatically

• Notify me– User notified when updates are available

• Turn off Automatic Updates– No automatic updates

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User Accounts and Groups

• User account needed to log on to system– Only account after install is Administrator

• Groups used to assign rights and permissions to groups of users

• Two groups created by default– Administrators– Guests (disabled by default)

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Users and Passwords (2000)

• Force user logon– Users must enter a user name and password

• Administrator account– Not recommended for

regular use– Additional account created

for regular use

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Create New Users (2000)

• Access Users and Passwords applet from Control Panel– Creates user name and password– Can add users to groups– Standard Users—Power Users group

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Managing Users in XP

• Users and Passwords applet in Control Panel– Similar to Users and

Passwords in 2000

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Managing Users in XP

• Two possible logon screens– User name and Password boxes– Welcome screen

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Managing Users in XP

• Account types– Computer administrator (member of administrators

group)– Limited account (member of local users group)– Accounts can be changed

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Fast User Switching

• Allows users to switch between sessions– One user doesn’t need to log off while another

user logs on– Both sessions active (though only one visible at

a time)

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Password Security

• Never give out passwords over the phone

• Use strong passwords– At least 6 to 8 characters– Include letters (both cases), numbers, symbols

• Change passwords at regular intervals

• Don’t write down passwords

• Password reset disk can be used in XP

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Resetting Forgotten Passwords in Windows XP

• Windows XP allows the currently logged-on user to create a password reset disk

– Use if the password is forgotten

– Can access any encrypted files after resetting password

– If an administrator resets your password, you’d lose access to encrypted files

– User Accounts: in Control Panel, select your user account, choose Prevent a Forgotten Password under Related Tasks and follow the wizard

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Disk Maintenance

• When troubleshooting OS, remember basic disk tools– Error-checking– Disk Defragmenter

• Disk Cleanup– Helps clean out junk files

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Maintenance

• Registry maintenance – Registry can get bloated– Older tool from Microsoft named RegClean– Not updated for 2000/XP– Can use third-party tool such as EasyCleaner

by ToniArts

• Security– Spyware/anti-virus/firewall– Integral part of computing today– Covered in more depth in Chapter 23

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Optimizing Windows

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Installing or Removing Software

• Installing software– Most programs are distributed on CD-ROMs that

make use of the Autorun feature– Or you could use the Add/Remove Programs icon in

Control Panel

• Removing software– Use the uninstall option that is part of the program– Or go to Control Panel’s Add/Remove Software

applet

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Add/Remove Programs

Uninstall option

Control Panel

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Windows Components

• Miscellaneous components can be installed or uninstalled

• Access from Add/Remove Programs

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Installing/Optimizing a Device

• Same in 2000 and XP

• Driver Updates– Can use Windows

Updates

– Must use Custom option

– Or check manufacturer Web site

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Driver Signing

• Process of testing and verifying drivers

• Windows Hardware Quality Lab– Tests drivers– Issues digital signatures

• Signed drivers– “Designed for Windows 2000”– “Designed for Windows XP”

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Unsigned Drivers

• Many manufacturers issue drivers that have not been tested & signed by MS– When detected during a hardware install, you’ll get

the message shown– Can choose Driver Signing Options

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Device Manager

• Can roll back faulty driver1. Original driver installed2. Driver updated (with faulty driver)3. Driver can be rolled back to original

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Adding a New Device

• Windows usually automatically detects new devices

• If not, use the Add Hardware Wizard

– From Control Panel

– From Hardware tab of System Properties

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Performance Options

• Performance Options are under the Advanced tab of My Computer Properties

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Resource Tracking

• Core Resources– CPU– Memory– Disk– NIC

• Resource tracking tools– Task Manager– Performance Console

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Task Manager

• To start Task Manager, – Press Ctrl-Shift-Esc or Ctrl-Alt-Del

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Performance Console

• Performance Monitor contains two utilities

– System Monitor snap-in• Track resource use and network throughput• Collect and view real-time data about memory, disk,

processor, network, and other activity in graph, histogram, or report form

– Performance Logs and Alerts snap-in• Collect performance data from local or remote computers• Configure logs to record performance data and set system

alerts to notify you when a value is above or below a defined threshold

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Performance Console

Add counter

Legend

Value bar

– Press Ctrl-H to highlight one set of data

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Objects and Counters

• An object is a system resource

• A counter tracks specific information about the object

• Performance console includes System Monitor – Shows real-time data on objects– Click the + to add counters

for new objects

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Performance Logs and Alerts

• Performance Logs and Alerts allows you to create a baseline or log

– Record of anything that happens on your computer

– Right-click Counter Logs and select New Log Settings

– Give it a name and then make your choices

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Preparing for Problems

• Tools to prepare for problems– System Restore– Backup and Restore Wizard– Automated System Recovery– Emergency Repair Disk– Recovery Console

System

Restore

Backup/ Restore

ASR ERD Recovery Console

2000 Pro No Yes No Yes Yes

XP Home Yes No No No No

XP Pro Yes Yes Yes No Yes

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System Restore

• System Restore enables you to create a restore point

– A copy of your computer’s configuration at a specific point in time

– Does not include data, only system configuration

– To create a restore point• Start | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools |

System Restore

– A new restore point is automatically created whenever you install new software

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System Restore

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Backup and Restore Wizard

• Backup program enables you to back up and restore data and system files– Backup System State Data backs up the Registry

and other key system data

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Backup and Restore Wizard

• Another option– Windows 2000: Emergency Repair Disk (ERD)

• Stores a copy of the Registry in \WINNT\REPAIR

– Windows XP: Automated System Recovery (ASR)• Creates a backup of your system containing the system

partition and disks containing the operating system

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Recovery Console

• Recovery Console offers a command-line interface to help resolve issues such as faulty drivers

• Access Recovery Console– Run Setup, select Repair and then Recovery

Console (lets you run it from the CD)

– Or install to your hard drive and run \i386\winnt32 /cmdcons from your Setup CD

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Troubleshooting Windows

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Failure to Boot

• Common errors

– No Boot device Present– NTLDR Bad or Missing– Invalid Boot.ini

• Your response

1. Attempt to repair2. Attempt to restore3. Rebuild

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Attempt to Repair

• The Recovery Console is a text-mode command interpreter– Separate from the Windows command prompt– Allows you to gain access to the hard disk – Limited access to NTFS and FAT volumes– Requires an Administrator password– Start and stop services, repair the master boot

record and boot sector, format volumes

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Recovery Console Commands

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Attempt to Restore

• For Windows 2000– Use ERD– ERD is available only if ERD disk was created

• For XP use ASR– ASR Recovery is available only if ASR backup

was created– Consider ASR a last resort– Restores to ASR backup point

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Rebuild

• Try to back up or recover data first

• Recover CDs or recovery partitions restore system to factory state– All data is lost

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Failure to Load GUI

• Device driver problems– Windows Stop Error– Blue Screen of Death (BSoD)

Remove the device and reboot

• Registry– BSOD with “Registry File Failure”– “Windows could not start”

Restore the Registry (Last Known Good) and reboot

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Advanced Startup Options

• Press F8 after POST to launch Advanced Startup Options – Safe Modes– Enable Boot Logging– Enable VGA Mode– Last Known Good Configuration– Directory Services Restore Mode (Server only)– Debugging Mode– Boot Normally (to abort advanced boot options)

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Advanced Startup Options

– Safe Mode• Basic files and drivers are loaded

with no network • Can access Device Manager and

restore points in Safe Mode• Often works in response to BSoD

– Safe Mode with Networking• Networking capabilities added

– Safe Mode with Command Prompt

• Command prompt only

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Advanced Startup Options

• Enable Boot Logging– ntbtlog.txt is located in the windir folder (C:\winnt)

• Enable VGA Mode– Load driver in standard VGA mode– Allows correction of settings (refresh/resolution)

• Directory Services Restore Mode– Domain controllers only

• Debugging Mode – Rarely used

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Advanced Startup Options

• Use Last Known Good– If you install a new device driver, and Microsoft

Windows 2000 restarts but the system stops responding

– If you accidentally disable a critical device driver

• Don’t use Last Known Good– When the problem isn’t related to Windows 2000

configuration changes– After you log on– When startup failures relate to hardware failures or

missing or corrupted files

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Troubleshooting Tools in the GUI

• Once in the GUI, can use any tools we’ve discussed or will discuss

• Event Viewer

• Device Manager

• More

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Autoloading Programs

• MSConfig – Can set which programs and servers automatically

start or don’t– Very effective when combating Spyware

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Services and System Files

• Services– If critical services does not

start, Windows will give error– Common error:

Service set to manual instead of automatic

• System Files– DLLs– Protected with System File Checker (SFC)– SFC /SCANNOW will verify they are healthy

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