CompTIA A+ Certification Practical Application Support Skills (2009 Objectives with Windows 7)

CompTIA A+ Certification Practical Application Support Skills

(2009 Objectives with Windows 7)

Study Notes

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Acknowledgements

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Study Notes Table of Contents

Page iii

Table of Contents

Course Introduction i

Table of Contents ............................................................................................................. iii About This Course ............................................................................................................ vi

Module 1 / Supporting Windows 1

Module 1 / Unit 1 Monitoring and Performance Tools 3

Command Prompt and Text Editors ................................................................................... 3 System Information and Monitoring ................................................................................... 7 Performance Options ....................................................................................................... 25 Remote Utilities ............................................................................................................... 35

Module 1 / Unit 2 Disk and File Management Tools 45

Disk and Volume Management ........................................................................................ 45 Navigating Directories at the Command Prompt .............................................................. 55 File Management using a Command Prompt ................................................................... 64

Module 1 / Unit 3 Troubleshooting Windows 76

Windows Troubleshooting ............................................................................................... 76 Troubleshooting Applications ......................................................................................... 100 Windows Printer Troubleshooting .................................................................................. 102

Module 1 / Unit 4 Viruses and Malware 105

Malware Symptoms ....................................................................................................... 105 Anti-virus Software ........................................................................................................ 110

Module 1 / Summary Supporting Windows 123

Course Introduction CompTIA A+ Certification Practical Application Support Skills

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Module 2 / Supporting Networks 125

Module 2 / Unit 1 Installing a SOHO Network 127

Implementing a LAN ...................................................................................................... 127 Configuring Network Properties ..................................................................................... 133 Implementing Wireless Networks ................................................................................... 140 Configuring a Windows Client ........................................................................................ 153 Configuring Internet Connections .................................................................................. 156

Module 2 / Unit 2 Network Security 170

User and Group Accounts ............................................................................................. 171 Setting Share Permissions ............................................................................................ 180 NTFS Folder and File Permissions ................................................................................ 185 Troubleshooting File System Security............................................................................ 193 Other Security Mechanisms ........................................................................................... 195

Module 2 / Unit 3 Troubleshooting Networks 207

Troubleshooting Networks ............................................................................................. 207 Testing TCP/IP .............................................................................................................. 211 Troubleshooting Client Connectivity .............................................................................. 219 Troubleshooting Routers and Firewalls.......................................................................... 219 Troubleshooting Web Browsers ..................................................................................... 225 Troubleshooting Email Clients ....................................................................................... 231 Troubleshooting FTP ..................................................................................................... 232 Telnet and Secure Shell (SSH) ...................................................................................... 235 Troubleshooting Voice-over-IP ...................................................................................... 236 Well-known Ports .......................................................................................................... 239

Module 2 / Summary Supporting Networks 243

Study Notes Table of Contents

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Module 3 / Supporting PC Hardware 245

Module 3 / Unit 1 Maintaining PCs 247

Maintenance Toolkit ...................................................................................................... 247 Preventative Maintenance ............................................................................................. 257

Module 3 / Unit 2 Upgrading and Troubleshooting PCs 269

General Installation and Upgrade Advice ....................................................................... 269 Upgrading and Optimizing Hardware ............................................................................. 270 Disassembling a PC ...................................................................................................... 276 Installing Components on the Motherboard ................................................................... 285 CMOS Setup ................................................................................................................. 295 Troubleshooting Motherboard Components ................................................................... 303

Module 3 / Unit 3 Upgrading and Troubleshooting Peripherals and Laptops 320

Storage Devices ............................................................................................................ 320 Adding and Removing Peripheral Devices ..................................................................... 333 Upgrading and Troubleshooting Laptops ....................................................................... 347

Module 3 / Unit 4 Maintaining and Troubleshooting Printers 360

Dot Matrix Printers ......................................................................................................... 360 Inkjet Printers ................................................................................................................ 363 Laser Printers ................................................................................................................ 366 Maintaining and Upgrading Printers ............................................................................... 372 Printer Troubleshooting ................................................................................................. 379

Module 3 / Summary Supporting PC Hardware 385

Index 387


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About This Course

This course is intended for students wishing to qualify with CompTIA A+ Certification. A+ certification is designed to help students become entry-level IT technicians. It covers preventative maintenance, basis networking, installation, troubleshooting, communication skills, and professionalism.

What are the Course Prerequisites?

You should have successfully completed the companion "CompTIA A+ Certification Essentials Support Skills" course or have equivalent previous experience of PC support. Specifically, it is recommended that you have the following skills and knowledge before starting this course:

■ Identify types and characteristics of PC components, including motherboard, CPU, memory, and storage, input, and output devices.

■ Install and configure peripheral devices.

■ Identify types and characteristics of portable computers.

■ Install and configure Microsoft Windows 2000 / XP / Vista / 7.

■ Perform basic PC maintenance and troubleshooting.

■ Understand fundamental principles of securing IT systems and working safely.

■ Communicate effectively with customers.

■ Install and configure print and imaging devices.

■ Understand fundamental principles of implementing LANs and internet access.

Course Outcomes

This practical "hands-on" course will teach you the fundamental principles of supporting desktop and portable computers and operating systems. This course will teach you how to install, maintain, and troubleshoot computer components and systems. As a PC technician, you will be expected to support old and new systems, so it is important that you have a full understanding of legacy hardware and software, as well as the latest technologies.

On course completion, you will be able to:

■ Manage and optimise Windows using command line tools, administrative consoles, and Remote Desktop.

■ Manage and optimise disks and volumes using command line tools and administrative consoles.

Study Notes About This Course

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■ Diagnose and resolve Windows troubleshooting scenarios.

■ Use anti-virus tools to prevent and recover from malware infections.

■ Configure and troubleshoot local network and wireless connections and client applications.

■ Configure and manage users, groups, and shared resources.

■ Configure and troubleshoot access control measures, such as BIOS security, authentication, encryption, and firewalls.

■ Perform preventative maintenance using approved tools and products.

■ Assemble, disassemble, and upgrade PC and laptop components.

■ Configure and update BIOS/CMOS.

■ Troubleshoot, optimise, and upgrade hardware.

■ Troubleshoot and maintain printers.

How Certification Helps Your Career

The main aim of this course is to help to prepare you for CompTIA's A+ Certification Practical Application exam (exam code 220-702).

To obtain CompTIA A+ Certification, you must pass both the Practical Application exam and the Essentials exam (220-701). You must complete the Essentials Support Skills course to prepare for the Essentials exam. It is strongly recommended that you complete the Essentials Support Skills course before starting this one.

Certification proves you have the knowledge and skill to solve business problems in virtually any business environment. Certifications are highly valued credentials that qualify you for jobs, increased compensation, and promotion.

IT is Everywhere

IT is ubiqitous; a critical

requirement of most

organizations. Globally, there are over 600,000 IT job openings.

IT Knowledge and Skills Gets

Jobs

Certifications are essential

credentials that qualify you for jobs, increased compensation, and promotion.

Retain your Job and Salary

Make your expertise stand above the rest. Competence is usually retained during times of

change.

Want to Change Jobs?

Certifications qualify you for

new opportunities, whether you see

limited advancement in your current job or need to change

careers.

Stick Out from the Resume Pile

Hiring managers can demand the strongest skill set.


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CompTIA A+ certification held by many IT staff in organisations. Worldwide, more than 800,000 individuals are CompTIA A+ certified and 31% of IT staff within a random sampling of US organisations within a cross section of industry verticals hold A+ Certification.

Indeed, A+ Certification is often a prerequisite qualification for employment and is mandated or recommended by many leading computer manufacturers and vendors, such as Cisco and HP and Ricoh, the US State Department, and US government contractors such as EDS, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman.

CompTIA Career Pathway Completing this course will help you to pursue a career in ICT. This course will particularly benefit you in pursuing a career in supporting desktop personal computer users, in job roles such as Support Engineer, Maintenance Engineer, Desktop Engineer, Computer Administrator, or PC Support Analyst.

CompTIA offers a number of credentials that form a foundation for your career in technology and allow you to pursue specific areas of concentration. Depending on the path you choose to take, CompTIA certifications help you build upon your skills and knowledge, supporting learning throughout your entire career.

Study of the course can also help to prepare you for other, similar technical support qualifications and act as groundwork for more advanced training. Other qualifications available include:


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■ CompTIA Network+ - a foundation-level certification of competency in network installation and configuration.

■ CompTIA Server+ - validates the skills of advanced IT technicians (individuals with 18-24 months' experience with Industry Standard Server Architecture [ISSA]).

■ CompTIA Security+ - validates knowledge of communication security, infrastructure security, cryptography, operational security, and general security concepts.

■ Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) - a foundation-level certification of competency in Cisco networking appliance installation and configuration.

■ Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator / Engineer / IT Professional (MCSA / MSCE / MCITP) - Windows-specific qualifications; passing CompTIA's A+, Network+, and either Server+ or Security+ Certification can satisfy the requirements for the elective part of the certification, as well as providing a solid groundwork for the further study required for MCSA / MCSE (Windows Server 2003 track) or MCITP (Windows Server 2008 Server Administrator / Enterprise Administrator track).

■ Other corporations such as Novell, HP, CompuCom, and Ricoh also recognise CompTIA A+ as part of their certification tracks or require that their service technicians obtain the certification.

■ Help Desk Support Analyst - The Help Desk Analyst certification series, administered by the Help Desk Institute (www.thinkhdi.com), certifies learners' customer service and Help Desk management skills. Various levels of certification are available, including Customer Support Specialist, Help Desk Analyst and Help Desk Manager.

About the Course Material

The course material has been prepared as an aid for your use throughout the training course. You may keep this manual for your own reference after the course is finished. We hope you will find the course material useful for future reference.

The course comes in two parts. This "Study Notes" volume contains the main text of the book for you to refer to in class and to review at home as you prepare for the exam. The course text is divided into several modules, each covering a different subject area. Each module is split into a series of units containing related topics for study. Each unit has a set of review questions designed to test your knowledge of the topics covered in the unit.

At the back of the "Study Notes" volume there is an index to help you look up key terms and concepts from the course.

The accompanying "Labs and References" book contains a list of the CompTIA certification objectives (and where in the study notes you can find useful material to prepare for each objective), tips for taking the CompTIA exams, the practical labs for you to complete in class, answers to the end of unit review questions, and a glossary of terms and concepts used in computer support.


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If you are viewing this course as an ebook, the "Labs and References" volume is located after the index - use the bookmarks panel to navigate between sections.

When you have completed the course and want to prepare for the exam, you can take a practice test at www.gtssupport.com/flower27/220-702/index.htm.

Video Training

gtslearning and Professor Messer are excited to announce a joint effort in interactive learning for CompTIA's certification courses.

Professor Messer uses gtslearning's CompTIA certification courseware to develop and record his popular video training sessions. Now you can easily follow along with his video presentations using the links provided in the margins of this course book.

You can use the links in three ways:

1) If you have an ebook, just click the link to open the video in your browser.

2) If you have a QR code scanner, point your camera at the code to open it in your phone or tablet's browser.

gtsgo.to/1q3xc

3) If you have a printed book but no scanner, enter the web address into your browser.

We do endeavour to keep the video links up-to-date, but if you come across a broken link, please email the link code (for example "1g3xc") to [email protected] and we will update it.

Course Conventions and Icons

The following conventions have been used in this course. These are especially useful for following the practical lab exercises.

■ Bullet and number lists - steps for you to follow in the course of completing a task or hands-on exercise and review questions are indicated by numbered bullet points. Other bullet points indicate learning objectives and feature lists.

■ File and command selection - in the labs, files, applets, dialogs and other information that is displayed on the screen by the computer is shown in sans serif bold. For example: Click OK, Select Control Panel, and so on.


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■ Sequences of commands - in the labs, a sequence of steps to follow to open a file or activate a command are shown in bold with arrows. For example, if you need to access the system properties in Windows, this would be shown in the text by: Start > Control Panel > System.

■ Commands - commands or information that you must enter using the keyboard are shown in Courier New Bold. For example: Type [email protected]. Courier New Bold-Italic represents some sort of variable, such as your student number. For example, if your student number is "5", you would follow the instruction ping 10.0.0.x by entering ping 10.0.0.5.

■ Using the mouse - when instructed to click, use the main mouse button; when instructed to alt-click, use the secondary button (that is, the button on the right-hand side of the mouse, assuming right-handed use). Sometimes you need to use both the keyboard and the mouse - for example, Ctrl+click means hold down the Ctrl key and click the main mouse button.

The following symbols are used to indicate different features in the course book:

Icon Meaning

A tip or warning about a feature or topic.

A reference to another unit, where more information on a topic can be found.

A link to a Professor Messer video presentation. Click or use a QR scanner to open the link or enter the address printed below it.

Space for you to make your own notes.

Review questions to help test what you have learned.

A hands-on exercise for you to practise skills learned during the lesson.

Content Seal of Quality

This courseware bears the seal of CompTIA Approved Quality Content. This seal signifies this content covers 100% of the exam objectives and implements important instructional design principles. CompTIA recommends multiple learning tools to help increase coverage of the learning objectives.

The contents of this training material were created for the CompTIA A+ Certification Practical Application exam (exam code: 220-702) covering version 2.0 of the 2009 Edition A+ CompTIA certification exam objectives.


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It is CompTIA's policy to update the exam regularly with new test items to deter fraud and for compliance with ISO standards. The exam objectives may therefore describe the current "Edition" of the exam with a date different to that above. Please note that this training material remains valid for the stated exam code, regardless of the exam edition. For more information, please check the FAQs on CompTIA's website (support.comptia.org).

Four Steps to Getting Certified

This training material can help you prepare for and pass a related CompTIA certification exam or exams. In order to achieve CompTIA certification, you must register for and pass a CompTIA certification exam or exams.

In order to become CompTIA certified, you must:

1) Review the certification objectives at www.comptia.org/certifications/testprep/examobjectives.aspx to make sure you know what is covered in the exam.

2) After you have studied for the certification, take a free assessment and sample test from CompTIA at www.comptia.org/certifications/testprep/practicetests.aspx to get an idea what type of questions might be on the exam. You can also use gtslearning's free practice tests at www.gtssupport.com/flower27/220-702/index.htm.

3) Purchase an exam voucher on the CompTIA Marketplace, which is located at www.comptiastore.com.

4) Select a certification exam provider and schedule a time to take your exam. You can find exam providers at www.comptia.org/certifications/testprep/testingcenters.aspx

How to Obtain More Information

■ Visit CompTIA online - www.comptia.org to learn more about getting CompTIA certified.

■ Contact CompTIA - call 866-835-8020 ext. 5 or email [email protected].

■ Connect with CompTIA: .

■ Join the IT Pro Community - visit itpro.comptia.org to join the IT community to get relevant career information.

No part of these notes may be reproduced in any form, electronic or printed, without the written permission of a director of gtslearning International Limited. If you suspect that these notes have been unlawfully copied, please telephone +44 (0)207 887 7999 or email [email protected]

Study Notes Supporting Windows

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Module 1 / Supporting Windows

A+ Certification Practical Application Domain Areas

% of Examination

1.0 Hardware 38% 2.0 Operating Systems 34% 3.0 Networking 15% 4.0 Security 13%

Unit Domain Objectives / Examples

1.1 Monitoring and

Performance Tools

2.1 Select the appropriate commands and options to troubleshoot and resolve problems msconfig • edit • [command name] /? 2.3 Given a scenario, select and use system utilities / tools and evaluate the results System monitor • Administrative tools (Computer Management, Services, Performance Monitor) • Task Manager (Process list, Resource usage, Process priority, Termination) • System Information • Remote Desktop Protocol (Remote Desktop / Remote Assistance) • Regional Settings and Language Settings 2.4 Evaluate and resolve common issues System Performance and Optimisation (Aero settings, Indexing settings, UAC, Sidebar settings, Startup file maintenance, Background processes)

1.2 Disk and File

Management Tools

2.1 Select the appropriate commands and options to troubleshoot and resolve problems dir • chkdsk (/f /r) • copy (/a /v /y) • xcopy • format • md / cd / rd 2.2 Differentiate between Windows Operating System directory structures (Windows 2000, XP, Vista, and Windows 7)) User file locations • System file locations • Fonts • Temporary files • Program files 2.3 Given a scenario, select and use system utilities / tools and evaluate the results Disk management tools (defrag, ntbackup, Check Disk) • Disk Manager (Active, primary, extended and logical partitions, Mount points, Mounting a drive, FAT32, NTFS, and FAT64 [exFAT], External hard drives, Flash drives, Drive status [Foreign drive, Healthy, Formatting, Active, Unallocated, Failed, Dynamic, Offline, Online]) • Task Scheduler 4.2 Implement security and troubleshoot common issues System files and folders

No part of these notes may be reproduced in any form, electronic or printed, without the written permission of a director of gtslearning International Limited. If you suspect that these notes have been unlawfully copied,

please telephone +44 (0)207 887 7999 or email [email protected]

Module 1 / Unit 1 CompTIA A+ Certification Practical Application Support Skills

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Unit Domain Objectives / Examples

1.3 Troubleshooting

Windows

2.1 Select the appropriate commands and options to troubleshoot and resolve problems SFC 2.3 Given a scenario, select and use system utilities / tools and evaluate the results Administrative tools (Event Viewer) • Device Manager (Enable, Disable, Warnings, Indicators) • System Restore 2.4 Evaluate and resolve common issues Operational Problems (Windows specific printing problems, Print spool stalled, Incorrect / incompatible driver form print, Auto-restart errors, Bluescreen error, System lockup, Device driver failure [input / output devices], Application install, start or load failure, Service fails to start) • Error Messages and Conditions (Boot, Invalid boot disk, Inaccessible boot drive, Missing NTLDR, Startup, Device / service failed to start, Device / program in Registry not found, Event Viewer (errors in the event log)

1.4 Viruses and Malware

4.1 Given a scenario, prevent, troubleshoot and remove viruses and malware Use anti-virus software • Identify malware symptoms • Quarantine infected systems • Research malware types, symptoms and solutions (virus encyclopaedias) • Remediate infected systems • Update anti-virus software (Signature and engine updates, Automatic vs. manual) • Schedule scans • Repair boot blocks • Scan and removal techniques (Safe mode, Boot environment) • Educate end user


Study Notes Monitoring and Performance Tools

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Module 1 / Unit 1 Monitoring and Performance Tools

Objectives

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:

■ Open the command prompt and enter commands.

■ View online help for a command.

■ Edit plain text files at the command prompt.

■ Use consoles to monitor and optimise Windows:

System Information

MSCONFIG

Services

Task Manager

Performance Monitor / Reliability and Performance Monitor

■ Configure visual effects, caching, and indexing options to improve performance.

■ Configure Regional and Language Settings.

■ Use Remote Desktop and Remote Assistance.

Command Prompt and Text Editors

Most configuration of Windows can be done via convenient GUI interfaces, such as the management consoles and Control Panel. In some circumstances though, it is necessary to use a command prompt to configure or troubleshoot a system. As you learn the commands better, you may also find it quicker to use the command prompt for actions such as file management. Learning commands is also valuable if you have to write scripts to automate Windows.

gtsgo.to/897x8




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Opening the Command Prompt

You can run any command from the Run dialog. However, to input a series of commands or to view output from commands, you need to use the command prompt (CMD.EXE). To open the prompt, type cmd at the Run dialog or use the shortcut in the Accessories program group on the Start menu.

Command Prompt

In Windows Vista/7, you may need to run the command prompt with elevated privileges in order to execute a command. To do this, alt-click the command prompt shortcut and select Run as administrator then confirm the UAC (User Account Control) prompt.

To run a command, type it at the prompt (>) using the command name and any switches and arguments using the proper syntax. When you have typed the command, press Enter to execute it.

The syntax of a command lists which arguments1 you must use (plus ones that are optional) and the effect of the different switches. Switches are usually preceded by the forward slash escape character.

As you enter commands, the prompt fills up with text. If this is distracting, you can use the cls command to clear the screen.

Some commands, such as nslookup or telnet, can operate in interactive mode. This means that using the command starts that program and from that point, the prompt will only accept input relevant to the program. To exit the program you use the exit or quit command.

1 If an argument, such as a file path, includes a space it needs to be entered within quotes ("...").



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Other Command Prompts

Running a command prompt within Windows makes the commands from the Windows command interpreter (CMD.EXE) available.

The Windows 2000/XP troubleshooting utility Recovery Console is also used at a command prompt, but the environment is slightly different to the full version of Windows. Conversely, the Windows Vista/7 Recovery Environment (RE) command prompt is basically the same as that of the full product. If you use a DOS or Windows 9x startup disk, the command environment is different again. Also, you will not be able to access NTFS drives.

Getting Help

The command prompt includes a rudimentary help system. If you type help at the command prompt then press Enter, a list of available commands is displayed. If you enter help CommandName, help on that command is displayed, listing the syntax and switches used for the command. You can also display help on a particular command by using the /? switch (for example, format /? displays help on the Format command).

Help on the format command

Text Editor

The command prompt text editor (EDIT.COM) is a plain text editing application. It is a suitable application for changing system files. Unlike a word processor, it does not put any special characters in a file that may render it unreadable to the system.

The utility can either be used to create a new file (simply enter edit or edit FileName2) or to edit an existing file:

edit C:\BOOT.INI

2 Obviously if you enter an existing file name, the file will be opened for editing. Using a file name does not automatically create the file. You need to save the file first.




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Command line text file editor

The menu will respond to mouse clicks or you can use Alt to navigate it using the keyboard. Basic keyboard shortcuts, such as Ctrl+V to paste, are also supported.

When you have finished editing, remember to save the file. The program will prompt you if there are unsaved changes.

Many files used by the operating system and applications are in a binary file format that can only be interpreted by the application. A plain text file can be modified in any text editor, but if it is saved through an application other than a basic text editor, it could be converted to a binary format and so become unusable.

Batch Files and Scripts

A batch file is a plain text file saved with a .BAT or .CMD extension. The file should contain commands entered onto separate lines. When the batch file is run, each command executes in sequence.

The command @echo off is usually added to the top of the file to suppress the display of commands. A batch file can also accept user input, by entering an argument as a variable of the form %1.

A script can be used to create a mini-program, working with all the functionality of the chosen scripting language. Scripts can automate many functions of Windows. Most Windows scripts use VBScript (Visual Basic Script), which are given the extension .VBS. JavaScript is also used (.JS).

Batch files and scripts are commonly used to set up the user environment or copy files for backup. They can be run manually, automatically at logon (as part of a login profile), or automatically at any time using the Task Scheduler.



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System Information and Monitoring

System Information

System Information in Windows XP

The System Information (MSINFO32) application provides a Windows interface to some of the configuration information contained in the Registry. This information can also be printed to provide detailed reports. This application provides the following information:

Folder Information

System Summary

Information about operating system and BIOS versions and registration details.

Hardware Resources

I/O, DMA, IRQ, and memory settings.

Components A detailed list of all running devices including configuration information such as IRQ.

Software Environment

Various information including drivers, environment settings, network connections.

Internet Internet connection settings.

Applications Microsoft application settings

Note that you can run several troubleshooting tools from the Tools menu in the Windows 2000/XP version, including Net Diagnostics, System Restore, File Signature Verification, DirectX Diagnostics, and Dr Watson. In Windows Vista/7, shortcuts to these kinds of tools have been moved to the MSCONFIG utility.

gtsgo.to/qsocu




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MSCONFIG

System Configuration Utility in Windows XP

MSCONFIG (the System Configuration Utility) allows you to configure the startup mode, choosing between Normal, Diagnostic, and a Selective startup (where each portion of the boot sequence can be selected)3. The tool also provides a mechanism for modifying the entries in the various configuration and boot files.

The Services tab lets you choose specifically which services are configured to run at startup. The Startup tab controls the shortcuts that have been placed in the Startup folder of the Start menu (these also run automatically when Windows starts)4.

The BOOT.INI tab lets you configure basic settings in the boot configuration file. You can change the default OS, add boot options, and set the timeout value (the duration in which the boot options menu is displayed). To add boot paths you have to edit the file directly.

If the computer's performance is sluggish, try disabling startup items (so long as they are not providing key services, such as virus protection).

The Vista/7 version of MSCONFIG displays a bit more information, such as when a service was disabled, to make troubleshooting easier.

3 MSCONFIG is not included with Windows 2000 but can be downloaded from the web (the Windows XP version also works with Windows 2000). 4 The Start menu is built from a template containing settings for all users plus shortcuts customised for the current user profile. In Windows 2000/XP, the template is stored in c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu and user-specific settings in c:\Documents and Settings\UserName\Start Menu. In Vista/7, the template is stored in C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu and the user-specific shortcuts are in C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu



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It also includes a Tools tab containing shortcuts to various useful utilities including System Information, Configuring UAC, Registry Editor, and so on. You can use the Boot tab to configure the Boot Configuration Database, which replaces BOOT.INI, in Vista/7.

The MSCONFIG utility can be used to modify boot configuration under Windows Vista/7

Managing Services

Managing services using Computer Management console in Windows XP

Services provide functionality for many parts of the Windows OS, such as allowing logon, browsing the network, or indexing file details to optimise searches.

Services may be installed by Windows and by other applications, such as anti-virus, database, or backup software. You might want to disable non-essential services to improve performance or security. If something is not working properly, you should check that any services it depends upon are started.




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To configure services, alt-click (My) Computer and select Manage. Expand Services and Applications from the tree and click the Services icon. This displays a list of installed services in the right-hand panel. Clicking a service displays information about it in the left-hand panel. The alt-click menu for a service allows you to start, stop, pause/resume, or restart (stop then start).

Task Manager

The Task Manager utility (TASKMGR) allows the user to shut down applications that are not responding5. In addition to this functionality, Task Manager can be used to monitor the PC's key resources. The quickest way to open Task Manager is to press Ctrl+Shift+Esc.

Other ways to open Task Manager include pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del and selecting Task Manger, alt-clicking the taskbar, and running taskmgr.exe.

Click the Performance tab to view resource usage.

Windows XP Task Manager - Performance tab

5 An ordinary user can end unresponsive applications but administrative rights are required to end processes that were not started by the user. This protects the system as things like malware cannot disable anti-virus software.



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On a system with multiple processors, you should see multiple graphs for CPU Usage (one for each CPU)6. The following memory usage is displayed:

■ Physical Memory - usage of system RAM (not including pagefile).

■ Commit Charge - overall memory usage (including physical memory and pagefile).

■ Kernel Memory - physical and paged memory used by Windows core files.

High peak values are nothing to worry about, but consistently high utilisation means that you should consider adding more resources to the system (or run fewer processes!). CPU and physical memory obviously require physical upgrades. Windows will normally change the pagefile dynamically if it is running out of space. If it has been set manually, you should increase it (using the Performance Settings button on the Advanced page of System Properties).

In Vista/7, the graphs show CPU and system memory utilisation plus the stats for physical and kernel memory. In place of the commit charge information, there is a system summary showing handles, threads, and processes (software objects being managed by the CPU), system uptime, and pagefile usage. There is also a link to Resource Monitor, which shows additional live performance information.

Windows XP Task Manager - Processes tab

6 If this is not the case, select View > CPU History > One Graph per CPU.




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The Processes tab shows CPU utilisation and memory usage for each process. You would examine these values to discover whether a particular application was misbehaving (for example, an application may "leak" memory by not freeing it up when it has finished using it). To show more than the default CPU and Memory Usage, select View > Select Columns and check the items that you want to look at.

If a process is not responding or if you suspect it is faulty, you can alt-click and select End Process to terminate it.

In some circumstances, you may want to privilege one task over another (or conversely, set one task to have less resources than others). You can do this by alt-clicking the process and choosing an option from the Set Priority submenu.

Windows Vista Task Manager - setting process priority

For example, if you had a Voice over IP application and its priority was not already set to Realtime, changing its priority might improve call quality as the CPU would privilege that process over ones set to any other level.



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Under Windows Vista and Windows 7, there are also Services and Users tabs. You can use the Services tab to show which services are running, start and stop services, or open the services management console. The Users tab shows who is logged on to the machine. An administrator can disconnect or log off other users.

Windows Vista Task Manager - Users tab

As with other Vista/7 administrative tools, some settings in Task Manager (such as changing process priority to Realtime) are not available unless you run the tool with administrative privileges.

Task Manager is useful for viewing system resources at a point-in-time. For more in-depth performance analysis, you can record historical logs and track usage over time using a tool such as Performance Monitor or a third-party tool.




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System Monitor

A System Monitor (or Health Monitor or Diagnostics Tool) can be used to provide early warning of problems such as device temperature, fan speeds, voltage fluctuations, disk failure, chassis intrusion, component failure, and so on.

Dell diagnostic utility

Most PC and laptop vendors supply their own tool, accessible either as a boot option (press F12 at startup or similar) or as a Windows application.

Performance Monitor

When you install or purchase a computer for a given purpose, you will have tried to anticipate what sort of demands and software application requirements you have for the machine's intended usage and specified the appropriate hardware resources.

As time goes by, a user's demands on the system may increase, making additional demands on resources until a point is reached where application responsiveness is compromised to such an extent that the user begins to experience problems. You may be able to optimise settings to solve the problem temporarily but if demand increases at some point the machine will need a hardware upgrade or replacing with a better specified computer.

A user's opinion about performance is largely subjective. While it may not always be wrong, stating that a system is "slow" does not explain why it is slow. Performance Monitoring allows you to measure whether the key resources are being stretched to the point where they need to be upgraded or replaced.



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Understanding Resource Usage

A computer has four key resources: Processor, Memory, Disk, and Network. These are the resources that determine a computer's performance in a given situation. Which of these is the most important is dependent upon several factors. What the optimum configuration is for each is also variable.

Computer resources

■ Processors - desktop performance is very much governed by processor performance. The speed of the main CPU and its ability to multiprocess (for example, whether it is dual core) will usually be the most important factor in determining system speed. However, for certain applications, such as games, the performance of the GPU on the graphics card is almost as important.

■ Memory - a fast memory bus and the capacity of the memory modules are both important for performance. Higher clock speeds and technologies such as dual-channel improve throughput while memory capacity determines the ability to work with multiple applications and large files. If memory runs out, the system starts to use disk-paged memory, which is very slow in comparison with system memory.

■ Disks - on a client computer, the storage capacity of disks is probably more important than their speed, especially if the system has plenty of memory. Technologies such as Windows Vista/7 ReadyBoost and SuperFetch can improve performance by pre-caching code and data in system memory or flash memory.

■ Network - bandwidth of the network or modem link is self-evidently important when accessing a LAN or the internet. There is not often too much scope to upgrade this however.




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Establishing a Baseline

You may have experienced a situation where a computer suddenly stops performing well. Perhaps it takes an age to boot or loading a document that previously took a few moments now takes several minutes. This is (informal) performance monitoring, with comparison to a baseline. In this case, the baseline is your personal experience of the responsiveness of the computer under a given load.

An administrator needs to establish a more accurate baseline for comparison, in order to measure system responsiveness at a later date. A good time to do baselining is prior to the system going live. Install and configure your workstation and then place a simulated load on it (for which third-party and vendor specific tools exist). Then collect statistics for resource usage and performance for future analysis.

Changes to the system require a new baseline to be taken. Some examples when this should be done are:

■ Hardware or software upgrade.

■ Reconfiguration of software.

■ Installation of new software.

Measuring Performance in Windows

Windows Performance Monitor (found in the Administrative Tools menu7) can be used to provide real-time charts of system resources or can be used to log information to a file for viewing at a later date.

This topic first discusses Performance Monitor as supplied with Windows 2000/XP and then looks at the version provided with Windows Vista and Windows 7.

By monitoring different resources at different times of the day, you can detect bottlenecks in a system that are causing problems. These problems can then be rectified.

It may be that a particular application starts freezing for longer and longer periods. This could be caused by a number of things. By using Performance Monitor, you can decide what is causing it. Perhaps it is that the processor is too slow, which would cause the requests to take longer; perhaps the hard disk is too slow, which would mean that it takes too long for the computer to open and save files; perhaps the application uses a network link that has become faulty or congested.

7 You can also run perfmon.exe.



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Using Performance - system monitoring in Windows

The performance of the computer could be increased by upgrading any or all of these components, but Performance Monitor will help you decide which is critical.

Objects, Counters, and Instances

Resources, such as memory and disk, are collected into objects. Objects have counters, representing different performance statistics, and there can be multiple instances of the same type of object.

For example, disk performance can be measured using the Physical Disk Object and the best counter to use is the Average Queue Length. If there are two disks, three instances of this object can be viewed: disk 0, disk 1, and disks Total.

Interval

As well as selecting objects and counters to monitor, you also need to define an appropriate sampling interval. If you are logging data for a few minutes, a short interval (of a few seconds) is fine; if measuring over a longer period (hours), you should set a longer interval (15 - 60 seconds) to avoid overloading the computer and generating an unmanageably large log file.

Monitoring Counters

You can monitor different parts of your system by adding different

counters to your monitor chart. To add a counter click the Add button.




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Adding a counter

Some of the most commonly used counters are listed below:

Object Counter Description

Processor % Processor Time

The percentage of time that the processor is executing a non-idle thread. In general terms this should be low. If it is greater than 85% for a sustained period, you may have a processor bottleneck.

% Privileged Time

% User Time

If overall processor time is very high (over 85% for sustained periods), it can be helpful to compare these. Privileged time represents system processes while user time is software applications. If privileged time is much higher, it is likely that the CPU is underpowered (it can barely run Windows core processes efficiently).

Physical Disk

% Disk Time The percentage of elapsed time that the selected disk drive is busy servicing read or write requests. This is a good overall indicator of how busy the disk is. Again, if the average exceeds 85% for a sustained period, you may have a disk problem.



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Object Counter Description

Physical Disk

Average Disk Queue Length

The number of requests outstanding on the disk at the time the performance data are collected. Taken with the preceding counter, this gives a better indicator of disk problems. For example, if the disk queue length is increasing and disk time is high, then you have a disk problem.

Memory Available Bytes

The amount of memory available - this should not be below about 10% of total system RAM. It can also be instructive to compare available bytes to committed bytes; if available bytes does not rise as committed bytes falls, there could be a memory leak.

Pages/sec The number of pages read from or written to disk to resolve hard page faults. This means your system is using the paging file. Nothing wrong so long as this is not excessive (averaging above about 50). You probably also want to check the paging file's usage by viewing the paging object itself.

Paging File

% Usage The amount of the pagefile instance in use in percent. If your paging file is currently 1000 MB on the disk and this figure averages 50%, then it means you might benefit from adding memory (about 500 MB in fact). Don't forget that if your system pages excessively, then disk performance will suffer - paging is disk intensive.

Notice that it is not always immediately apparent which component is causing a problem. Many counters are interrelated and must be viewed with other counters in mind. For instance, if your system memory is low, then the disk will likely be slow because of excessive paging. Conversely, if you have plenty of memory, then caching is enhanced, allowing the disk sub-system to run more efficiently.

You'll also notice that no objects/counters have been defined for network problems. That's primarily because there are more appropriate methods of determining network performance. You can collect statistics about the network interface, including packets sent or received per second; but in reality, they tell you little about whether there is a bottleneck in the network. It is usually better to use Network Monitor or a third-party analyser.




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When you have more than one counter running it can be hard to distinguish between them. This problem is solved by using the highlight button. To highlight a counter, select it from the list at the

bottom and click the Highlight button.

Highlighting a counter

Logging Performance

In Performance Monitor you can create counter log files that will record information for viewing at a later date. By using this feature, you can generate a library of log files taken at different times of the day, week or even year. This information can provide a system baseline and then be used to give a longer term view of system performance.

Viewing logs

There are two types of logs: counter and trace:

■ Counter logs allow you to collect statistics about resources, such as memory, disk, and processor. These can be used to determine system health and performance.

■ Trace logs can collect statistics about services, providing you with detailed reports about resource behaviour. In essence, trace logs provide extensions to the Event Viewer, logging data that would otherwise be inaccessible.



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Creating a trace log

Creating a Counter Log File

To create a counter log, expand the Performance Logs and Alerts folder, alt-click Counter Logs and select New Log Settings.

You are prompted to name your log and then you are presented with the screen below.

Counter log - General tab




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On the General tab you can add the counters you wish to be logged and set the logging interval. Be aware than you can't expect the system to collect vast amounts of data on many objects every half second. Therefore, set a suitable logging interval.

Also ensure that you measure over a suitable period. For example, there is not much point logging disk activity for a computer when the user is at lunch - it is not representative of typical usage.

Counter log - Schedule tab

From the Schedule tab you can control the start and stop time of the log. You can also configure an event to occur when the log has finished, such as launching a program or generating an alert.

From the Log Files tab you can set the properties of the log file itself including where it is stored, what it is called, what format the information is stored in, and what size the log file can grow to.

You can force the log to start or stop by alt-clicking it.

Analysing a Log File

Once a log file has been created you can load the logged data into Performance Monitor.

To do this, click the View Log File Data button.



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Data retrieved from a log file

Once the log file is loaded, you can add the counters stored in the log to the chart to view the static data.

Reliability and Performance Monitor

Windows Vista ships with the improved Reliability and Performance Monitor utility, accessed via Administrative Tools.

Reliability and Performance Monitor




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The default page (Resource View) shows an enhanced version of the sort of monitoring provided by Task Manager. You can see graphs of resource performance along with key statistics, such as threads started by a process or hard page faults / second (continually rising numbers of either of these can indicate a problem).

Under Monitoring Tools, there are options to open Performance Monitor itself (which works much as the 2000/XP version) and Reliability Monitor, which displays a log of "system stability" events, so you can see at a glance whether a particular application has stopped responding frequently.

Reliability Monitor

The other options are for creating reports and collecting data for analysis.

In Windows 7, Performance Monitor is still accessed via Administrative Tools or Performance Information and Tools but Reliability Monitor is in the new Action Center (expand Maintenance then click the Reliability history link).



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Performance Options

Upgrading the hardware resources on a system is fine if you have the budget and you can find compatible parts, but the rapid changes in computer technology mean that PCs and laptops can be very quickly left behind in terms of upgrade potential.

There are various tweaks that can be made to improve the performance of an older system without specifying new hardware.

Performance options are configured via the Advanced tab of the System Properties dialog:

Advanced properties under Windows XP and Windows 2000

The layout of this page under Windows XP and Vista/7 is different to Windows 2000. Make sure that you learn how to navigate to a particular setting under each version of Windows.

To configure the performance options, click the Settings button in the Performance section of the System dialog (Advanced tab).




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Visual Options

You can configure the visual options to enhance graphics responsiveness.

Configuring visual performance options in Windows Vista

You can set individual options or opt for Best appearance or Best performance.

In Vista/7, the Aero interface comes with several processor-intensive features, such as Flip3D and translucent title bars. Best performance will turn these off.

The Advanced tab allows you to configure processor performance, memory tuning, and paging.



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Processor Options

You should leave the processor scheduling option configured for Programs on all client systems, as this gives a small thread level boost to foreground tasks. The alternate option sets the thread level of all user mode tasks to be equal, thereby giving background threads an equal allocation of processor time. This should only be set on server-based systems.

Adjusting foreground and background responsiveness in Windows XP (left) and

Windows Vista (right)

Memory Options

The memory usage is pre-configured to be responsive to applications. When memory is unused, it is allocated to file cache, enhancing disk throughput. If your machine shares its files, you might enhance performance for other users by choosing the System Cache option.

SuperFetch and ReadyBoost

Vista/7 has a redesigned memory subsystem. Vista/7 uses a service called SuperFetch to pre-cache frequently-used programs in system memory. While previous versions of Windows implemented a similar process (prefetcher), SuperFetch is more "aggressive" in terms of utilising free memory and "intelligent" in terms of identifying typical patterns of application use.

If you observe Vista/7's memory usage, it may seem high compared to the number of programs you have running.




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Windows Vista/7 also implements ReadyBoost. This allows a flash memory Solid State Drive (SSD), hybrid HDD/SSD, or USB or ExpressCard flash drive to be used as a system cache. If the flash drive is suitable for the task (it must support low seek times and be at least the same size as the amount of installed system RAM), this can produce faster load times compared to hard disk, especially if there is not much system RAM (under 2 GB).

There is nothing to configure for either option, though the services can be disabled. Windows will detect the addition of a compatible flash memory device and prompt whether you want to use it with ReadyBoost.

Paging Options

Windows uses available disk space as a pagefile to increase the amount of physical RAM in the system. To access the Virtual Memory dialog, click Change from the Advanced Performance Options screen.

Refer back to the Essentials Support Skills course for more information on configuring pagefiles.

Data Execution Prevention

Data Execution Prevention (DEP) is a system designed to protect the computer from malware. Some malicious applications try to execute code through areas of memory marked for "data" usage by vulnerable software processes. DEP detects this sort of exploit and prevents the execution of code from "data" areas of memory.

Data Execution Prevention options



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Support for DEP has been built into most Intel (XD) and AMD (NX) CPU models of the last few years but it can be implemented in software too.

If the hardware option is not available and your CPU supports it, you should check the CPU settings in BIOS to ensure it is enabled. DEP is supported only under Windows XP SP2 and Windows Vista/7.

User Profiles

User profiles

Every local user's desktop settings are stored in a local (or cached) profile. This is in fact a series of files and folders, together with Registry settings, stored under the Documents and Settings folder (Windows 2000 / XP) or Users folder (Windows Vista/7) on the boot partition. If you wish, you can copy or delete these local profiles using the dialog above.

When a new user account is created, the initial profile is copied from the one called "Default User" (or just "Default" in Vista/7).




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Performance Information and Tools

Windows Vista and Windows 7 come with an additional utility that provides an alternative route for configuring some of the settings listed above (plus a few others).

Performance Information and Tools

The default page of Performance Information and Tools (accessed via Control Panel) shows the "Windows Experience Index" scores that Vista/7 has assigned to your hardware components. The overall rating is based on the lowest subscore.

The links allow you to start Disk Cleanup, open the Visual Effects dialog, and manage indexing, or use advanced tools (such as Performance Monitor).

Index Settings

The index service is important to the search functions of Windows 2000 and XP but is critical to the performance of Vista/7's new Instant Search tools. Indexing takes place in the background; when files are added and changed, more indexing and re-indexing will take place. By default, only user data folders are monitored. You can add other locations, but obviously the more locations that are added, the more indexing that is required to keep track of files in them.

The default dialog shows the current index status (complete in the example below) and the locations currently being monitored. Click Modify to add or remove locations or Advanced to rebuild the index and select which file types will be indexed.



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Indexing Options

Sidebar

Where Windows 2000 and Windows XP had the little used Active Desktop (allowing the display of a live webpage on the desktop), Vista has its Sidebar and Gadgets. Obviously, while charming, each gadget takes up its own little slice of system resources.

You can configure the Sidebar using the Windows Sidebar Properties applet in Control Panel.

You can add or remove individual gadgets using the alt-click menu

on the Sidebar itself or through its notification area task icon .

In Windows 7, there is no Sidebar but gadgets are still available (Desktop Gadgets applet in Control Panel).

User Account Control

In Windows Vista and Windows 7, User Account Control (UAC) protects the system from malware running with elevated administrator privileges. This is a good thing, but if you need to perform a number of system administration tasks at the same time, UAC can prove very frustrating. UAC also does not work particularly well with Explorer and command prompt permissions




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There are a number of ways to disable UAC. The GUI methods are either to use MSCONFIG (disable for all users) or the User Accounts applet (disable for a specific user).

Using MSCONFIG to disable UAC

Both methods require a restart. Windows will nag you (perhaps properly8) to re-enable UAC, which you can do from the notification area prompt or using MSCONFIG again.

Windows 7 retains the UAC feature with some usability tweaks. Under the default settings, fewer actions require confirmation, multiple prompts for file / folder operations and Internet Explorer plug-in installation have been merged. Standard users can also install signed drivers, run Windows Update, pair with Bluetooth devices, and run network diagnostic and repair tools.

UAC notifications can be made more or less aggressive using the configuration option off the User Accounts applet.

Configuring UAC notifications

8 You can disable security notifications via the Security Center in Control Panel.



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Regional and Language Options

The Regional and Language Options applet in Control Panel lets you change the settings for applications (date format, currency, and so on) and the input language(s) for the keyboard from those chosen during setup.

Regional and Language Options

In Windows XP and Vista/7, the Location tab allows web services such as weather reporting or traffic news to default to your current location.

If you want to use multiple input languages (both US and UK keyboard layouts for instance), you can install them using the Keyboards and Languages tab and switch between them using the Language Bar or a defined keystroke combo.

If troubleshooting a keyboard issue, make sure the keyboard is set to the correct input language.




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Configuring input languages

If you have the appropriate language pack, you can also display Windows' and compatible applications' menus in the selected language.



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Remote Utilities

Windows XP and Vista/7 come with remote access features9. These are:

■ Remote Desktop - allows a remote user (perhaps a dial-in laptop user) to connect to their desktop machine. The desktop machine functions as a terminal server, and the dial-in machine as a Windows terminal. This allows the user to work as if physically connected to their workstation.

This would ideally suit laptop users working from home with a slow link. Having gained access to the corporate network (via the internet using a VPN, for example) they could then establish a remote desktop connection to their own office-based system.

■ Remote Assistance - allows a user to ask for help from a technician or co-worker. The "helper" can then connect and establish a session with the user. This session can include an interactive desktop, whereby the helper can control the system of the user.

Remote Desktop

To turn on Remote Desktop, open the System Properties sheet, and click the Remote tab. Check the box to enable remote desktop.

Enabling Remote Desktop

9 To access a Windows 2000 Professional system, you would need to use third-party software such as PCAnywhere or VNC (Virtual Network Computing). To access a Windows 2000 Server, you can use Terminal Services in Remote Administration Mode. You can use Windows 2000 (or Windows 9x or Windows NT4 for that matter) to access a Windows XP/Vista/7 host if you install the Remote Desktop client (MSRDPCLI.EXE) on the Windows 2000 PC (downloadable from the Microsoft website). You can also use Remote Desktop to administer a Windows 2003 or 2008 Server.




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Click the Select Remote Users button to define which users can connect remotely.

Windows Home editions do not include the Remote Desktop server so you cannot connect to them but they do include the client so you can connect to other computers from them.

The local user already has this property. You can select from members of the local accounts database or from the domain of which your machine is a member.

Remote Desktop - Logon properties

To utilise an established remote facility, open the Remote Desktop Connection shortcut, from the Communications menu in Accessories. You will need to define logon credentials, as above.



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Remote Desktop - Display properties

In addition, you might need to define display properties. You can use either full screen or some windowed display. Also, you can configure the quality of the colour scheme.

Remote Desktop - Local Resources




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The Local Resources tab allows you to define how key combinations (such as Alt+Tab) function - that is, will they affect the local computer, the remote computer, or the remote computer in full screen mode.

Remote Desktop - Performance options

Because the connection may be over a slow link, such as dial-up, you can configure optimisation based on the line speeds (modem, LAN, and so on). This affects bitmap caching and video options.

Once you have your remote desktop connection established, you can work quite normally, as if physically adjacent to the target machine - but be aware that no one else can use the target system while in remote mode. The system becomes locked and can be unlocked by the administrator or the remotely connected user only.

Remote Assistance

Remote support means taking control of the user's desktop or computer application to resolve a problem. This can result in an extremely quick resolution to a problem, with the additional bonus that the user can watch the solution being performed (a technician can also use this method to demonstrate procedures to a user).



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Enabling Remote Assistance

Remote Assistance uses the same protocols as Remote Desktop. Unlike Remote Desktop, both the local and remote user can see the desktop at the same time. There are also chat tools to allow them to talk and text message each other.

To enable Remote Assistance, open the System Properties sheet and click the Remote tab. Check the box for remote assistance and if you wish, click Advanced to define further properties.

Advanced remote assistance properties




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You can now configure the invitation duration. This is how long you are willing to allow a remote user to respond to your request for assistance before cancelling the invitation.

1) To request assistance, from the Start menu, select Programs > Remote Assistance or in Windows Vista/7, enter remote assistance into the Instant Search box on the start menu.

Note that Remote Assistance can also be offered without being requested. This is known as Unsolicited Help. This is achieved through the Help and Support program (search for "Offer Remote Assistance").

2) Click the option to Invite someone to help you.

Sending your request

3) You can then choose how the invitation is to be sent - by email, Windows Messenger, or by file10.

4) Enter a message and then define some security about the request, such as a password that the helper must know to make the connection.

10 In Windows 7, you can also use Easy Connect to send the invitation directly over the internet. Both machines must be running Windows 7 and have IPv6 enabled and the internet routers must support the Peer Name Resolution Protocol.



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Making the assistance secure

5) Define the invitation expiration and then an optional password. Send your invitation.

Receiving an email request for assistance

6) Your colleague receives the email message. If they wish to assist, they can double-click the attachment.




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Remote Assistance Invitation

7) Your assistant enters the password you specified (you will need to let them know what this is) and then chooses whether to assist.

Remote Assistance

8) You can exchange text messages and files or chat if the PCs are equipped with microphone and sound card. Click the Take Control button to use the remote PC's desktop (the remote user must click Yes to grant control).

9) Click Disconnect to end the session.

Because of the way that remote assistance invitations work, the process will only function reliably when used within a private network. Remote assistance connections on the internet may prove unreliable. Remote Assistance (and Remote Desktop) uses port 3389. This port may well be blocked on firewalls, as it is not a well known port.



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Review Questions / Module 1 / Unit 1 / Monitoring and Performance Tools

Answer the following questions. The correct answers are in the accompanying "Labs and References" manual.

1) When writing a batch file, how should a series of commands be entered? With each command on a separate line.

2) You are working on a Windows 7 PC and want to perform some disk management tasks at a command prompt. When you run the command you get an error message "This program needs to run with administrator privileges". What should you do? Close the command prompt then re-open it by alt-clicking the shortcut and selecting Run as administrator.

3) MSCONFIG can be used on both Windows XP and Windows Vista to manage startup items, but what advantage does Vista have over XP in this regard? Displays the date that an item was disabled.

4) How do you cause a program to run automatically for all users when Windows XP starts? Add a shortcut to the program in the Startup folder on the Start menu for the All Users object.

5) True or false? Kernel memory does not use the pagefile. False.

6) How would you check peak memory usage for a particular process? Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager and click the Processes tab. Select View > Select Columns. Check Peak Memory Usage and click OK.

7) What would you do if the total commit charge runs consistently close to its limit in Windows XP? Install more physical memory, increase the size of the pagefile, or advise the user to run fewer programs. This could also indicate a faulty application that is "leaking" memory.

8) If you want to set the privilege level for a process above that of most other privileges, what choices do you have? Above Normal, High, and Realtime - Realtime should be used with care.




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9) You are watching CPU Usage and notice that it often jumps to 100% then falls back. Does this indicate a problem? Probably not - CPU Usage usually peaks and falls. If it stays over 80-90% the system could require a faster CPU or there could be a faulty application.

10) You have a computer with two SATA disks. You want to evaluate the performance of the primary disk. How would you select this in Performance Monitor and what might be appropriate counters to use? Open the Add Counter dialog, select the PhysicalDisk object, select the counter, then select the 0 C: instance. Good counters include % Disk Time and Average Disk Queue Length.

11) You have enabled Data Execution Prevention on a computer and subsequently the user reports errors with Internet Explorer. Should you disable DEP again? You should investigate the cause rather than disabling security. The errors are likely to be caused by a faulty plug-in.

12) You need to restart the Print Spooler service on a Windows 2000 machine. You have logged on as Administrator. What are your next steps? Alt-click My Computer and select Manage. Select Services and Applications > Services. Alt-click Print Spooler and select Restart.

13) How do you configure an Administrator account to run without UAC in a workgroup / standalone environment? Modify the account settings in the User Accounts applet.

14) A user calls to complain that the symbols on the keyboard are wrong? What is the likely cause? An incorrect keyboard mapping has been selected - perhaps two keyboard layouts are installed and the user switched between them inadvertently.

15) Where are Remote Desktop login rights configured? From System Properties, select the Remote tab, and click Select Remote Users.

16) What methods exist to advertise your remote assistance request? Email client (MAPI), Windows Messenger, file, or Easy Connect (Windows 7 only).

17) If you cannot open a Remote Assistance session, what might you check first? That port 3389 is open on firewalls between the two hosts.


Study Notes Disk and File Management Tools

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Module 1 / Unit 2 Disk and File Management Tools

Objectives

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:

■ Use the Disk Management console to configure and troubleshoot disks and partitions.

■ Configure mount points and volumes on dynamic disks.

■ Use disk utilities to optimise performance.

■ Navigate between drives and directories and identify the location of system files and folders.

■ Perform file and directory management at the command prompt.

■ Use command-line disk utilities.

■ Use Task Scheduler.

Disk and Volume Management

When considering storage, bear in mind that the term physical disk refers to the actual hardware installed in your computer. The term partition refers to an area on the disk formatted to contain an operating system or some other data. In Windows, partitions are assigned a letter (C: for instance) and are often loosely referred to as "drives".

Basic Storage

With basic storage, a given physical disk can contain up to four primary partitions, any one of which can be marked as active, and therefore made bootable. This allows for four different "drives" on the same physical disk and for multiple operating systems (a multi-boot system). Each "drive" can be formatted with a different file system.

If for some reason, four drives are insufficient, then three primary partitions can be created and the remaining disk space allocated to an extended partition, which itself can be divided into as many logical drives as needed.

gtsgo.to/oktnp




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The drive containing the boot sector is usually drive C, and is referred to as the system partition. The drive containing the operating system files (the system root) is referred to as the boot partition. This can be on a logical drive in an extended partition and does not have to be the same as the system drive.

Each partition can be formatted using a different file system. Partitions for use with Windows should generally be formatted using NTFS, which is more efficient and supports advanced features such as permissions, encryption, and quota management. The older FAT / FAT32 system can be used for compatibility with legacy versions of Windows or other operating systems in a dual-boot environment.

Another option is a 64-bit version of FAT (exFAT) designed for use with removable hard drives and flash media. exFAT is supported under Windows 7, Vista SP1, and XP SP3. Like NTFS, exFAT supports large volumes (128 petabytes) and file sizes (16 exabytes). Its real use is not for massive drives however but for better performance on moderate size volumes (up to 1 TB) than NTFS. There is also support for access permissions but not compression or encryption.

As a new technology, exFAT is not very well supported by portable devices such as digicams or smartphones. FAT still represents the best choice for compatibility with the widest range of devices.

Disk Management Tool

Windows provides a powerful GUI Disk Management tool to format disks and manage partitions. To open the tool, alt-click (My) Computer and select Manage then select the Disk Management icon under Storage.

The Disk Management utility displays a summary of any fixed and removable drives (except the floppy drive) attached to the system. The top pane lists drives; the bottom pane lists disks, showing information about the partitions created on each disk plus any unpartitioned space.

To create a new partition, alt-click an area of unallocated space and select New Partition. Complete the wizard to select:

■ Amount of disk space to use.

■ File system (NTFS or FAT).

■ Drive letter.



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Disk Management utility

Partitions can be managed using the shortcut menu, which contains options to re-format or delete the partition or to change its drive letter.

You cannot modify system or boot partitions.

Dynamic Storage

Dynamic storage is a feature of NTFS-formatted disks and the professional / business editions of Windows. It allows the creation of volumes spanning multiple disks that can be shrunk and expanded. Dynamic disks can only be read by Windows 2000 / XP / Vista / 7 systems11.

To convert a basic disk to dynamic, alt-click and select Convert to Dynamic Disk12. Check the disks you want to add then click Convert.

The system will restart a couple of times while the configuration changes are completed.

Once the disk has been converted to dynamic, you can create new volumes13. These can be in the following configurations:

11 That is, the business and Ultimate editions - Windows XP/Vista/7 Home editions do not support dynamic disks at all so if you were to configure dynamic disks under Windows 7 Professional then move the disks to a computer running Windows 7 Home Premium, the volumes would not be readable. 12 If this option is not available, it is probably because the Windows edition does not support dynamic disks. Also, the option to convert from basic to dynamic disks is disabled on laptops. 13 Any existing partitions are converted to simple volumes.




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Creating a dynamic disk array

■ Simple - occupies space on a single disk. Unlike partitions on basic disks however, simple volumes can be extended to claim additional disk space later (or conversely shrunk to reclaim disk space).

■ Spanned - a volume using space on two or more disks. This arrangement is also referred to as JBOD (Just a Bunch Of Disks).

Creating a spanned volume



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■ Striped - a volume using space on two or more disks configured using RAID 0 to improve performance14.

■ Mirrored - a volume where one disk stores a copy (mirror) of the other disk. This provides redundancy (RAID 1). Mirroring is supported on Windows 7 only.

Spanned and striped volumes offer flexibility, but if any of the disks in the array fails, all data on the volume will be lost.

A dynamic disk can be converted back to basic, but the volumes (and any data on them) must be deleted first. As with basic partitions, volumes must be formatted (NTFS or FAT / FAT32) before they can be available to the OS.

Mount Points

A mount point means that rather than allocating a drive a letter, it is accessed from a designated folder in the file system. For example, you might partition and format a removable hard disk then mount it as a TOOLS volume within a user's Documents folder.

TOOLS volume mounted within the Documents folder - notice the drive does not

appear under any of the drive letters

14 Basically data is written across all disks whereas spanned just uses up space on the volume using the standard file access pattern




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To assign a volume to a mount point, first create a folder at the point in the file system you want to mount the drive. This folder must be empty. Next, either run the New Partition Wizard or unassign the drive letter from an existing partition and mount it (use the Change Drive Letter and Paths shortcut menu to do this).

Mounting a drive

Disk Images

Disk images are used with virtualisation software to store data written to a virtual machine's hard drive.

Windows 7 supports mounting Windows Virtual PC disk image files (VHD) within the local file system (alt-click Disk Management and select Attach VHD).

Windows 7 includes the option to mount virtual disk images (VHDs) under the local file

system



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Drive Status

Each disk and drive displays status indicators in the Disk Management program.

Disks can have the following status indicators:

■ Online - the disk is OK.

■ Not Initialised - when you add a new unpartitioned disk, a wizard runs prompting you to initialise, partition, and format the disk. If you cancel the wizard the disk will appear as Not Initialised - alt-click to start the wizard again.

■ Unreadable - the disk is damaged. This message can be transitory so try alt-clicking the Disk Management tool and selecting Rescan Disks. If the disk is still shown as unreadable, you would have to use third-party tools to try to recover data from it.

■ Foreign - if you configure a disk as dynamic on one computer, then install the disk in another computer, it will be marked as foreign. Alt-click the disk and select Import Foreign Disk to make it accessible to the system.

■ Offline / Missing - a disk configured as dynamic cannot be read. This could be a transitory error but is more likely to indicate that the drive or I/O to the drive is damaged, a cable is unplugged, the disk has been switched off, and so on. There are two options:

If the disk can be restored, use the Reactivate Disk option to add it back to the array

If the disk cannot be restored, use the Remove Disk option

Volumes (or partitions) can have the following status indicators:

■ Healthy - the partition is formatted and ready to read and write data. Healthy (System) indicates that the partition or volume contains the boot loader while Healthy (Active) represents the system volume used to boot. Healthy (Boot) represents a volume containing an OS while Healthy (Page File) shows one storing a page file. A drive may also display as Healthy (At Risk), which means that a number of I/O errors are occurring - a good sign that the disk or controller is failing.

■ Failed - this either indicates a damaged disk (basic) or a dynamic volume where the supporting disk drives are not available. You need to check the status of the devices (if cabling and power are OK the disk[s] or controller may have been damaged).




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One of the disks underlying the spanned volume is missing and consequently the

volume is marked as failed

■ Formatting - a user-initiated format is in progress. Wait for the format to complete before trying to access the partition or volume.

Converting from FAT / FAT32 to NTFS

Generally speaking, you should always use NTFS partitions, as these provide more features than FAT based partitions, notably security and reliability. However, systems being upgraded from Windows 98 or systems requiring dual-boot may initially use FAT. These can be converted during the installation process, or subsequently, using the command line CONVERT command.

convert <DriveLetter>: /fs:ntfs /v

A FAT or FAT32 volume may be converted to NTFS without loss of data. However, it is not possible to convert back from NTFS. A full backup of the disk should always be taken before converting.

Performance Settings

Many fixed and removable hard disks support write caching on the drive; you can also use Windows cache if not supported on the drive. Using write cache improves performance, but comes with an increased risk of data loss in the event of a power outage.

gtsgo.to/4len2



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Hard Disk policies

To configure caching properties, locate the disk in Device Manager or Disk Management, alt-click and select Properties. Select the appropriate option on the Policies tab.

If you have a DVD or Blu-ray drive, you can set the device's region via the Properties dialog. The firmware on most drives restricts the number of times the region can be changed.




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Disk Utilities

The Disk Management console provides a GUI interface for managing fixed and removable disk partitions and file systems. The following tools are also available for optimising disks:

■ Defragmenter - reorganises a drive to store information relating to each file in contiguous sectors of the disk. You can run Defragmenter from the Computer Management console or from the disk's Properties sheet (on the Tools tab).

Disk Defragmenter in Computer Management console

Defragmenter in Vista/7 is set to run automatically by default. There is no visual feedback on progress and under Vista you need to install SP1 before you can select which drive to defragment via the GUI.

■ Check Disk - checks the integrity of disks and can repair any problems detected. You can run it from the disk's Properties sheet (on the Tools tab).

■ Disk Cleanup - applications and installation programs create temporary and cached files as part of their normal operations. These files consume space on the disk. The Disk Cleanup utility (accessed via the System Tools folder in the Accessories group on the Programs menu) provides a means of deleting unwanted temporary files created by installation programs and applications and cached internet files. There is also an option to compress unused files.



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Navigating Directories at the Command Prompt

Even under a GUI-operated OS such as Windows, it is important for a PC technician to be able to complete file management and configuration operations using the command prompt. Some actions can be completed more quickly using commands; some commands can only be issued from a command line; and sometimes the GUI may not be available.

The Directory Structure

Every drive (partition or volume) contains a directory called the root directory. The root directory is represented by the backslash ( \ ). For example, the root directory of the C: drive is C:\ Below the root directory is a hierarchical structure of directories called subdirectories. Each drive may have a unique directory structure. A sample directory structure is shown in the diagram:

Files may be stored at each level, including the root level. The convention is to keep as few files as possible in the root directory.

Windows 2000 / XP System Files and Folders

The root directory of a typical Windows installation normally contains the following files and subdirectories:

■ Windows15 - the system root, containing drivers, logs, add-in applications, system and registry files (notably the System32 subdirectory16), fonts, and so on.

15 If the computer is running (or was upgraded from) Windows 2000, this folder is called WINNT. 16 System32 contains most of the applications and utilities used to manage and configure Windows. This is true even of 64-bit versions of Windows (32-bit Dynamic Link Libraries [DLL] running under 64-bit Windows are stored in the SYSWOW64 folder).

C:\

Documents and ... Program Files Windows

System32 ...

Config

Drivers

...

C:\Windows\System32

gtsgo.to/26c2bc




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■ Program Files - subdirectories for installed applications software17.

■ Documents and Settings - storage for users' profile settings and data. Each user has a folder named after their user account. This subfolder contains NTUSER.DAT (Registry data), My Documents, Temporary Internet Files, Cookies, recent file shortcuts, desktop shortcuts, temporary files created by applications, and so on.

This folder also includes "All Users", which contains desktop and Start menu shortcuts for all users of the computer. Windows XP uses this profile's Documents folder to share files between different users (Shared Documents). It also contains a folder called "Default User", which is the template for new user profiles.

■ Inetpub - if the web server Internet Information Services (IIS) is installed, this folder is created to store the default website and settings.

■ NTLDR - OS loader.

■ NTDETECT.COM - hardware recogniser.

■ BOOT.INI - multi-boot OS loader menu.

■ pagefile.sys - Virtual Memory pagefile.

■ hiberfil.sys - image of memory contents saved when the computer is put into hibernation.

■ IO.SYS / MSDOS.SYS / CONFIG.SYS / COMMAND.COM / AUTOEXEC.BAT - Windows 9x boot and configuration files (these may be present if the PC is configured to dual boot or was upgraded).

A listing of the root directory would show all the first level directories on the disk and a few system files, including those above18.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 System Files and Folders

Vista/7 comes with a few changes to the default system folders:

■ Windows - the system root.

■ Program Files - subdirectories for installed applications software.

17 In 64-bit versions of Windows, a Program Files (x86) folder is created to store 32-bit applications. 18 At least, it will if the directory browser is configured to show hidden and system files.



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■ Users - replaces Documents and Settings. The internal layout of the profile folders is flatter, with subfolders for "Music", "Pictures", "Downloads", "Saved Games", and "Searches", in addition to "Documents". The "All Users" profile is called "Public".

In Windows 7, each profile folder still contains subfolders for different types of file (now renamed back to the XP conventions of "My Documents", "My Music", "My Pictures", "My Video", and so on). The profile folder also contains hidden subfolders used to store application settings and customizations, favorite links, shortcuts, temporary files, and so on. Access to the profile folders is mediated through Libraries.

■ Boot - contains the Boot Configuration Database (BCD) and log files. This replaces BOOT.INI.

In Windows 7, if the default installation options have been used, the Boot folder is stored in the hidden System Reserved partition.

■ c:\Windows\System32\WINLOAD.EXE - OS loader; replaces NTLDR.

■ c:\Windows\System32\WINRESUME.EXE - OS loader invoked when the computer has been put into hibernation.

■ pagefile.sys - Virtual Memory pagefile.

■ hiberfil.sys - image of memory contents saved when the computer is put into hibernation.

■ IO.SYS / MSDOS.SYS / CONFIG.SYS / COMMAND.COM / AUTOEXEC.BAT - Windows 9x boot and configuration files (these may be present if the PC is configured to dual boot).

System Variables

When entering directory paths as arguments, you may not know exactly which locations were chosen for installation. The command prompt recognises a number of system variables and replaces the correct path when one of these is used. Some of the common variables include:

■ %SystemDrive% - for example, "c:"

■ %SystemRoot% - for example, "c:\Windows"

■ %SystemDirectory% - for example, "c:\Windows\System32"

■ %UserName% - for example, "george"




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■ %HomeDrive% - for example, "c:"

■ %HomePath% - for example, "\Documents and Settings\george"

You can view the full list of variables using the set command (without switches) at the command prompt. set also lets you create and modify new variables. You can also view variables through the Advanced page of the System Properties dialog by clicking the Environment Variables button.

Environment Variables dialog

Registry

The Registry database is stored in binary files called hives. A hive comprises a single file (with no extension), a .LOG file (containing a transaction log), and a .SAV file (a copy of the key as it was at the end of setup). The system hive also has an .ALT backup file.

These files are stored in the %SystemRoot%\System32\Config folder, but hive files for user profiles are stored in the folder holding the user's profile.



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The following table shows the standard hives for a computer running Windows19.

Hive Files

HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG system, system.alt, system.log, system.sav

HKEY_CURRENT_USER ntuser.dat, ntuser.dat.log

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SAM sam, sam.log, sam.sav

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SECURITY security, security.log, security.sav

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE software, software.log, software.sav

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM system, system.alt, system.log, system.sav

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT default, default.log, default.sav

Directories and the Command Prompt

If the root directory of the C: drive is selected, the command prompt will display C:\> The greater than sign ( >) at the end of the prompt separates the prompt information from your input. If you change from the current directory (in this example, the root directory) to a first-level directory called WINDOWS, the prompt would become C:\WINDOWS>

Changing to a second-level directory called SYSTEM32 would change the prompt to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\>

A backslash ( \ ) is used to separate each directory level.

The Default Drive

Each drive is assigned its own drive letter. When using the command prompt from Windows, the default path will be %HomePath% (for example, c:\Documents and Settings\George).

Changing the Default Drive

To work from a floppy disk, when the default drive is C:

1) Insert the floppy disk into the floppy disk drive.

2) Type a: and press Enter.

19 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT is not stored in a hive but built from the \SOFTWARE\CLASSES keys in CURRENT_USER and LOCAL_MACHINE.




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The prompt should change to A:\> indicating that the default drive is now drive A.

If you try to switch to a removable drive when the disk is not in the drive, it will generate an error.

Changing the default drive and dealing with a missing disk

Changing the Current Directory (CD)

To find a particular file, it will often be necessary to move around the directory structure. The cd (chdir) command is used to change the current directory. If the current directory is C:\ and you want to change to c:\Windows, enter: cd windows

If the current directory is c:\Windows and you want to change to the root directory of the drive, enter: cd\

Navigating directories

If the current directory is c:\Windows and you want to change to c:\Documents and Settings, enter:



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1) cd\ - (to move up to the root directory)

2) cd Documents and Settings - (to move down into the Documents and Settings directory)20

OR

3) cd\Documents and Settings - (this achieves both of the above steps in one command)

It is not possible to move across from one directory to another at the same level. To reach c:\Windows from c:\Documents and Settings, the command has to return to the root directory and then select the chosen branch. The command cd\DirectoryName includes the two steps in one - for example, cd\Windows.

Moving up a level, for example, from c:\Windows\System32 to c:\Windows, is known as moving to the parent directory.

Moving to the parent directory can be achieved by typing cd.. Commands such as cd\ or cd.. do not require a space.

A common error is to use cd\Directory when cd Directory is required. To move further down the directory structure, use a space. The command cd\Directory would send the prompt back to the root directory from where it would then attempt to move into directory.

Displaying the Directory Structure (tree)

The tree command is used to display the directory structure, starting from the current directory and including any subdirectories.

tree command

20 With cd, it is not necessary to put quotes around the directory name, even though it contains spaces. Note also that the names are not case sensitive (if you were working on a Linux system they would be).




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To show the directory structure one screen at a time, enter: tree | more

The | character (known as the pipe character) can usually be found by holding down the Shift key and pressing the \ key.

To view the position of files stored within the directory structure, enter: tree /f | more

Listing Files and Directories (dir)

To find a particular file, it is often necessary to display the contents of a directory. Use the dir command to list the files and subdirectories from either the current drive and directory or from a specified drive and directory.

dir command

A subdirectory will be listed with <DIR> next to it in normal view or with square brackets [Windows] around the name if dir/w is used to list in wide view. To view all files and directories within the current directory, enter: dir

To view the files and directories in the root directory of the A: drive when your current drive is C: enter:

dir a:\

The \ following the a: is important. Typing just dir a: or dir c: would list the files present in the current directory for that drive (the last one used). To view files in a specific directory on drive A, you must type the full path; for example, dir a:\backups.

If the current directory has more than one screen of files and directories, type:

dir/w (lists files using wide format with no file details).



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dir/p (lists files one screen at a time).

dir/w/p (both of the above).

You can present files in a particular order using the /o:x switch, where x is n to list by name, s to list by size, e to list by extension, or d to list by date. The date field can be set by the /t:x switch, where x is c for created on, a for last access, or w for last modified.

Another useful switch is /a:x, which displays files with the attribute indicated by x (r, for Read-only, h for hidden, s for system, and a for archive).

Wildcards (Question Mark [?] and Asterisk [ * ])

A wildcard character allows you to use unspecified characters with the command. ? means a single unspecified character.

dir ????????.log - displays all .log files with 8 characters in the file name.

The asterisk is much more commonly used than the question mark. It can be used to indicate a string of unspecified characters.

The following examples show possible ways to use the asterisk with the DIR command:

dir *.* - displays all files and directories in the current directory.

dir *.doc - displays all files with the DOC extension in the current directory.

dir let*.doc - same as the previous example, but only shows files with LET as the first characters of the name.

dir *. - displays all files without an extension. This is often used to view directories.




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File Management using a Command Prompt

As mentioned above, it is important for PC technicians to be comfortable performing file management using a command line.

Copying and Moving Files

The move and copy commands provide the ability to copy and move files from one disk or directory to another from a command prompt. Both commands use a three-part syntax:

COMMAND Source Destination

Command Copy or Move

source The drive name, path and name of the files to be moved / copied.

destination The drive name and path of the new location. When using COPY, you can enter a different filename to create a duplicate in the same directory.

For example:

You want to copy all the files from the C:\Documents directory to the C:\Backup directory. You also want to move any files with a TXT extension from the C:\Backup directory to the C:\Backup\Archive directory. To do this, you would follow these steps:

1) Ensure the current directory is still C:\Documents. If not, use the command cd \Documents to change directory21.

2) Copy the entire contents of the current directory into the C:\Backup directory by typing copy *.* c:\Backup and pressing Enter.

3) Change the current directory to C:\Backup by typing cd \Backup and press Enter.

4) Move all the files with an extension of TXT into the C:\Backup\Archive subdirectory by typing move *.txt c:\Backup\Archive and pressing Enter.

The following switches are available to use with copy:

21 Alternatively, to move or copy a file from a directory other than the one you are in, enter the full path to the file as the source argument.



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Switch Use

/y /-y Enable (the default) or disable quiet mode. Disabling suppresses a warning if the move operation will overwrite an existing file22.

/v Verifies each file as it is written to the destination file to make sure that the destination files are identical to the source files.

/z Copy network files in restartable mode (if the network connection is lost, the utility will wait for it to be restored before restarting the copy process).

/b /a Switch between binary (the default) and ASCII text mode.

/d Decrypt an encrypted source file at the destination.

Copying Directory Structures

xcopy is a utility that allows you to copy the contents of more than one directory at a time and retain the directory structure.

The syntax for xcopy is as follows:

xcopy Source [Destination] [Switches]

The table below explains the different parameters and switches23.

Parameter Notes

source The location and names of the files to be copied. Source must include either a drive or a path.

destin-ation

The destination where the files are to be copied. Destination can include a drive letter and colon, a directory name, a filename, or a combination.

/i Specifies that the destination is a directory24.

/exclude: List file paths that should not be copied.

/u Copies only files that already exist in the destination.

/a Only copies files if they have their archive file attributes set. This switch does not turn off the archive attribute, which means that if a backup was performed afterwards which relied on the archive attribute, the files would still get backed up.

22 Obviously you can use this switch with the move command as well as with copy. 23 This is not an exhaustive list. Check the command help for additional switches and syntax. 24 If the destination does not end in a backslash and is not an existing directory and source contains multiple files, XCOPY normally prompts you to confirm whether destination is a file or directory.




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Parameter Notes

/m Only copies files if they have their archive file attributes set. Unlike the /a switch, the /m switch turns off the archive attributes. This means that if a backup was performed afterwards which relied on the archive attribute, the files would NOT get backed up.

/h Copies hidden files (XCOPY does not do this by default).

/r Copies read-only files.

/k Retains read-only attribute of source file at destination (not the default).

/d:Date Copies files modified on or after the specified date.

/p Prompts you to confirm whether you want to create each destination file.

/s Copies directories and subdirectories, unless they are empty. Without this switch XCOPY will only copy the contents of one directory just like copy does.

/e Copies any subdirectories, even if they are empty.

/t Copies directory structure but not files. Use with /e to recreate empty directories.

/w Displays the following message and waits for your response before starting to copy files:

Press any key to begin copying file(s)

/q Enables quiet mode (does not display file names while copying).

/f Displays full file path while copying.

/v /y /z As for COPY command.

Renaming a File (ren)

If a file name is to be changed, use the rename command, ren. The syntax of this command is: ren OldName NewName

For example, to rename the README.TXT file to READNOW.DOC use the following command:

ren readme.txt readnow.doc

To rename multiple files, wildcard characters may be used. For example, ren *.txt *.doc will rename all files with an extension of TXT to DOC.

Changing a file extension is not usually a good idea, as the file will no longer be associated with the application used to open it.



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Deleting a File (del)

To remove a file from a directory or a disk, use the delete command (del). erase has identical usage.

For example, to remove all files with an EXE extension from the C:\Backup directory, you would use the following commands:

1) cd\Backup - changes the current directory to that which holds the file(s) to be erased25.

2) dir *.exe - lists the directory contents and ensures files with an EXE extension are present.

3) del *.exe - deletes the files.

The following switches are available with the DEL command:

Switch Use

/p Prompt to delete for each file.

/f Suppress prompt for read-only files.

/q Suppress prompt on wildcard delete.

/s Delete files from subdirectories.

/a: Delete files with particular attributes (for example, /a:R) or without particular attributes (for example, /a:-R).

Creating a Directory

To create a directory, use the command md (mkdir). The syntax of this command is:

md [Drive:]Path

For example, to create a directory called "Data" in the current directory, type md Data. To create a directory called "Docs" in a directory called "Data" on the A drive, when the current path is c:\ type md A:\Data\Docs.

25 Again, you can use DEL with a file path if you do not want to bother to switch directories.




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Removing a Directory

To delete an empty directory, type rd Directory

If the directory is not empty, you can remove files and subdirectories from it using the rd /s command.

You can also use the /q switch to suppress confirmation messages (quiet mode).

Extracting a File

Setup files are often stored in compressed archives named CABs. Archives may be split over more than file stored on more than one floppy disk. The installation procedure extracts the files automatically, but on some occasions it may be necessary to retrieve a file manually. You can do this using the expand command.

For example, to extract a single file (ReadMe.txt) from Install.cab on the floppy drive to the root of c:\, type:

expand a:\Install.cab -f:ReadMe.txt c:\

To extract all files from a cab to a folder c:\Temp, type:

expand a:\Install.cab c:\temp

You can also use these switches:

/r - rename expanded files.

/d - locate or list files.

File Attributes

When you attempt to copy or delete files, you may receive an Access denied message. This may indicate that the file is protected through its file attributes.

It could also be that a file is protected by share or NTFS permissions. Permissions are discussed in Unit 2.2.

The attributes that can be set for a file are as follows:

■ Read Only - if set, prevents changes being saved back to the file (write-protected).

■ Hidden - conceals the file from normal directory listings.



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■ System - marks the file as important to the OS. The attributes of a system file cannot be changed without first removing the system attribute.

■ Archive - when set, shows that a file has been modified and not backed up.

File attributes can be set via the object's Properties dialog box, or you can use the attrib command. A full list of the switches available with attrib is shown in the table below.

Switch Description

+r Marks the file as read-only.

-r Clears the read-only attribute.

+a Sets the archive attribute.

-a Clears the archive attribute.

+h Marks the file as hidden, so that it will not be visible in a normal directory listing.

-h Clears the hidden attribute.

+s Marks the file as a system file.

-s Clears the system attribute.

/s Applies the command to files in subdirectories.

Examples:

attrib c:\BOOT.INI - displays the attributes of the BOOT.INI file.

attrib c:\WINDOWS\*.SYS -R - removes the read-only attribute from *.SYS files in the C:\WINDOWS directory.

attrib c:\*.BAT +H /S - hides all batch files on drive C:.

If more than one attribute is to be set or cleared with a single command, separate the switches with a space. The order of the switches is not important:

attrib c:\BOOT.INI -H -S -R




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Disk Utilities

As well as file management, there are several disk tools that you can run from the command prompt.

chkdsk

chkdsk scans for corrupt files and damaged areas of the disk and can be used to repair errors. chkdsk volume performs a scan only. The main parameters and switches are as follows:

Switch Use

path Specify a path (and optionally file name) to check.

/f Automatically fix errors.

/r Locate bad sectors. You are prompted to save any recoverable data, which is copied to the root directory as filennnn.chk files.

/x Force the volume to dismount. This will cause file errors for users with files open on the volume26.

/i /c On NTFS volumes only, skips parts of the checking process.

defrag

defrag runs the Defragmentation utility, used to optimise disk performance. The basic command is defrag volume, where volume is a drive letter or volume name. The main switches are as follows:

Switch Use

/a Analyse the volume and display a report.

/f Force the volume to be defragmented.

/v Display complete analysis and defragmentation reports.

There must be 15% free space on the volume for defrag to run successfully.

26 If the volume is in use and you use the /f or /r switches without /x, you are prompted to schedule CHKDSK for the next system restart.



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format

The format command formats (or re-formats) the drive using the specified file system. This process deletes any data existing on the drive27.

The basic command is format volume, where volume is a drive letter or volume name. The main switches are as follows:

Switch Use

/fs: Specify the file system (NTFS, FAT, or FAT32).

/v: Enter a label for the volume. If you do not include this switch, you are prompted for a label when format is complete.

/q Perform a quick format (does not scan for bad sectors).

/a: Specify the size of allocation units (512, 1024, 2048, 4096, 8192, 16K, 32K, 64K). If omitted, the default size depends on the size of the volume.

/x Force the volume to dismount. This will cause file errors for users with files open on the volume.

/c Enable file compression if using NTFS28.

ntbackup

You can also use the backup utility ntbackup at a command line (or more likely, as part of a script). You can use commands to back up files but not to restore them. The basic command is:

ntbackup backup "@SelectionFile.bks" /j "JobName" /f "DestinationFile.bkf"

This would back up files specified in SelectionFile.bks to the file path specified in DestinationFile.bkf using the supplied JobName.

It is also possible to back up to removable media using the /p (media pool) and /t (tape) switches. Media and tapes can be defined using the Removable Storage snap-in under Computer Management.

27 You can convert a FAT drive to NTFS without losing data using the command convert volume /fs:ntfs. 28 It's not usually a good idea to enable compression on the drive root, especially if the drive contains system files. Use folder properties to enable compression on a case-by-case basis.




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Some of the other parameters and switches are as follows:

Switch Use

/system state

Back up system state data.

/d Label the backup set.

/a Append the data to the tape (as opposed to overwriting existing sets).

/v:yes Verify data (or use /v:no to skip).

/m Specify the backup type (normal, copy, differential, incremental, or daily).

Vista/7 does not ship with the ntbackup program. Instead, the wbadmin utility can be used at the command-line to script backup jobs.

See the Essentials Support Skills course for more information about the backup program.

Task Scheduler

Task Scheduler, as its name suggests, sets tasks to run at a particular time. Tasks can be run once at a future date or time or according to a recurring schedule.

A "task" can be a simple application process or (more commonly) a batch file or script.

Task Scheduler is accessed via Control Panel in Windows 2000/XP and through Administrative Tools in Windows Vista/7. Apart from defining the path to the file or script you want to execute and setting the schedule, you should also enter the credentials that the task will run under - if the selected user account does not have sufficient permissions the task will not run.



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Scheduled Task properties in Windows 2000

Vista/7's Task Scheduler comes with numerous enhancements. Many of Windows' processes come with predefined task schedules (Disk Defragmenter, for instance, is now configured to run automatically by default). Other enhancements include:

■ You can define triggers other than a simple schedule (running a task when the machine wakes from sleep or hibernation for instance).

■ You can add multiple actions under a single task.

■ You can view a log of events connected to the task.

■ You can organise tasks in folders and there are more tools for managing them.

Windows Vista Task Scheduler




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Review Questions / Module 1 / Unit 2 / Disk and File Management Tools

Answer the following questions. The correct answers are in the accompanying "Labs and References" manual.

1) What type of partition is not bootable? Extended.

2) Once you have created a partition, can you use Disk Management to extend it? No.

3) What is meant by JBOD? Disks arranged in a spanned volume without any sort of RAID functionality.

4) What restriction is there on mounting a volume within the file system? The volume must be mounted within an empty folder.

5) You are troubleshooting a problem and find a disk marked as "foreign" listed under Drive Management. What does this mean? The disk was configured as dynamic under a different computer then installed in this one. You need to import the disk to make it usable.

6) A user is looking for ways to save space on their computer and has discovered a large file called hiberfil.sys in the root of the system partition. Can this be deleted? hiberfil.sys stores the contents of memory when the computer is put into a power-saving state. It's better to disable hibernation as otherwise the file may just be recreated.

7) A user's computer has been upgraded to Windows 7. When she tries to open a "My Documents" icon, she gets an error. Why is this? The icon is a junction point - a sort of shortcut for use by software applications only. The user should hide protected system files and use the "Documents" icon instead.

8) How do you run Check Disk in read-only mode? Do not select an option to fix errors automatically.

9) What is the function of CLEANMGR.EXE? Delete temporary and cached files.



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10) Why would you disable disk caching? To protect critical data against the risk of corruption if there happened to be a power outage immediately after an application's write operation.

11) Where are the Registry files stored? The %SystemRoot%\System32\Config folder (with the exception of NTUSER.DAT user profiles).

12) What command would you use to view the directory structure? TREE.

13) What is c:\ an example of? Root directory.

14) Regardless of the current folder, how could you open the System32 folder in one command, assuming that the SystemRoot is c:\Windows? cd\windows\system32 (with no spaces!).

15) Write the command to display all hidden files in the current directory. dir /a:h

16) Write the command to copy c:\sales and all its contents to c:\temp\sales. xcopy c:\sales c:\temp\sales\ /e

17) What switch sets the COPY command to work in network restartable mode? /x

18) What switch enables you to delete read-only files without a confirmation prompt? /f

19) Write the command to delete the c:\data directory and its contents. rd c:\data /s

20) How would you use the ATTRIB command to remove the Read-only and Hidden attributes from BOOT.INI? attrib c:\boot.ini -s -h -r (remember that any of system, read-only, or hidden prevent changes to other attributes, so you have to change them all).

21) Write the command to defragment the D: drive and display a complete report. defrag d: /f /v

22) What tool would you use to delete Temporary Files? Disk Cleanup.

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CompTIA A+ Certification Practical Application Support Skills (2009 Objectives with Windows 7)

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