Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows
2nd Edition
Published on 2. October 2008
Book
Mixed media product
888 pages
978-0-7897-3695-6 (ISBN)
Description
The ultimate guide for anyone who wants to know how Windows ticks and how to keep it ticking.
Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows, Second Edition, is the book hardcore Windows Vista and XP users have been clamoring for. Mueller, author of the bestselling Upgrading and Repairing PCs, and Knittel, famous for his bestselling Special Edition Using Windows books, now bring you an equally in-depth guide to Windows troubleshooting and repair. This comprehensive resource includes information on:
Installation
Licensing issues
Managing security
Optimizing performance
Backing up and recovering data
Networking your Vista and XP computers
Dealing with annoying User Account (UAC) prompts
Configuring settings and the registry
Protecting Windows from viruses and spyware
Multibooting Vista with other operating systems
Automated Windows deployment for IT professionals
Touted as the greatest operating system to ever be released, Vista is considered by many to be a vast improvement over its predecessors, such as XP and 95/98. All that power, however, comes at a price. As with most major OS revisions, Vista is rife with usability and compatibility issues that frustrate even the most seasoned system techs. If you only buy one book on Windows, this is the one. You won't find tried and true Vista coverage anywhere else. Find out how to make Windows work with you and not against you with Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows, Second Edition.
On the DVD
The DVD contains two hours of all new, studio quality video-playable in your set-top DVD player and your computer! Scott digs deep into both Windows Vista and Windows XP. Topics include the differences between all of the various Windows editions and versions, coverage of the most important improvements in Vista, and reasons why you might even want to stay with
XP instead. Also covered are Vista and XP installation tips and tricks, updating Windows, dealing with product activation,
and more.
Scott Mueller is the most trusted, authoritative hardware voice in the industry. In addition to teaching hardware repair to thousands of computer professionals and enthusiasts, he has sold more than 2.2 million copies of Upgrading and Repairing PCs, making him the most world-renowned hardware author in history. Scott has taught hardware repair to a host of agencies in the U.S. and foreign governments and to corporations in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe. Scott also has appeared on Computer America, TechTV, and numerous local and national radio programs and serves as an industry expert for the news media.
Brian Knittel has been a software developer for 30 years, with more than 20 years of real-world experience with MS-DOS, Windows, and computer networking in the business world. Previously, he wrote Windows XP Under the Hood: Hardcore Scripting and Command Line Power and is coauthor of several other Que books including Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows editions covering Vista, XP Home, XP Professional, and Windows 2000 Professional.
www.informit.com/upgrading
If you don't have a DVD player or only have a set-top DVD, visit the site to download all the video from the DVD in Windows Media Player format!
Category Windows Operating System
Covers Microsoft Windows Vista and XP
User Level Intermediate-Advanced
Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows, Second Edition, is the book hardcore Windows Vista and XP users have been clamoring for. Mueller, author of the bestselling Upgrading and Repairing PCs, and Knittel, famous for his bestselling Special Edition Using Windows books, now bring you an equally in-depth guide to Windows troubleshooting and repair. This comprehensive resource includes information on:
Installation
Licensing issues
Managing security
Optimizing performance
Backing up and recovering data
Networking your Vista and XP computers
Dealing with annoying User Account (UAC) prompts
Configuring settings and the registry
Protecting Windows from viruses and spyware
Multibooting Vista with other operating systems
Automated Windows deployment for IT professionals
Touted as the greatest operating system to ever be released, Vista is considered by many to be a vast improvement over its predecessors, such as XP and 95/98. All that power, however, comes at a price. As with most major OS revisions, Vista is rife with usability and compatibility issues that frustrate even the most seasoned system techs. If you only buy one book on Windows, this is the one. You won't find tried and true Vista coverage anywhere else. Find out how to make Windows work with you and not against you with Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows, Second Edition.
On the DVD
The DVD contains two hours of all new, studio quality video-playable in your set-top DVD player and your computer! Scott digs deep into both Windows Vista and Windows XP. Topics include the differences between all of the various Windows editions and versions, coverage of the most important improvements in Vista, and reasons why you might even want to stay with
XP instead. Also covered are Vista and XP installation tips and tricks, updating Windows, dealing with product activation,
and more.
Scott Mueller is the most trusted, authoritative hardware voice in the industry. In addition to teaching hardware repair to thousands of computer professionals and enthusiasts, he has sold more than 2.2 million copies of Upgrading and Repairing PCs, making him the most world-renowned hardware author in history. Scott has taught hardware repair to a host of agencies in the U.S. and foreign governments and to corporations in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe. Scott also has appeared on Computer America, TechTV, and numerous local and national radio programs and serves as an industry expert for the news media.
Brian Knittel has been a software developer for 30 years, with more than 20 years of real-world experience with MS-DOS, Windows, and computer networking in the business world. Previously, he wrote Windows XP Under the Hood: Hardcore Scripting and Command Line Power and is coauthor of several other Que books including Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows editions covering Vista, XP Home, XP Professional, and Windows 2000 Professional.
www.informit.com/upgrading
If you don't have a DVD player or only have a set-top DVD, visit the site to download all the video from the DVD in Windows Media Player format!
Category Windows Operating System
Covers Microsoft Windows Vista and XP
User Level Intermediate-Advanced
More details
Edition
2nd edition
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Pearson Education (US)
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 231 mm
Width: 181 mm
Thickness: 51 mm
Weight
1420 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7897-3695-6 (9780789736956)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Previous edition
Scott Mueller | Brian Knittel
Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows
Book
12/2005
Que Corporation,U.S.
€63.79
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Persons
Scott Mueller is president of Mueller Technical Research (MTR), an international research and corporate training firm. Since 1982, MTR has produced the industry's most in-depth, accurate, and effective seminars, books, articles, videos, and FAQs covering PC hardware and data recovery. MTR maintains a client list that includes Fortune 500 companies, the U.S. and foreign governments, major software and hardware corporations, as well as PC enthusiasts and entrepreneurs. His seminars have been presented to several thousands of PC support professionals throughout the world.
Scott is best known as the author of the longest-running, most popular, and most comprehensive PC hardware book in the world, Upgrading and Repairing PCs, which has not only been produced in more than 18 editions, but has also become the core of an entire series of books. Scott has authored many books for more than 20 years, including Upgrading and Repairing PCs, 1st through 18th editions; Upgrading and Repairing Laptops, 1st and 2nd editions; Upgrading and Repairing PCs: A+ Certification Study Guide, 1st and 2nd editions; Upgrading and Repairing PCs Field Guide; Killer PC Utilities; The IBM PS/2 Handbook; and Que's Guide to Data Recovery. Scott recently completed Upgrading and Repairing PCs: Build a PC with Scott Mueller, a 2-hour DVD and 100-page book, which shows viewers how to build a computer, step-by-step. Contact MTR directly if you have a unique book, article, or video project in mind, or if you want Scott to conduct a custom PC troubleshooting, repair, maintenance, upgrade, or data-recovery seminar tailored for your organization:
Mueller Technical Research
3700 Grayhawk Drive
Algonquin, IL 60102-6325
847-854-6794
847-854-6795 Fax
Email: scottmueller@compuserve.com
Web: http://www.upgradingandrepairingpcs.com
http://www.scottmueller.com
http://forum.scottmueller.com
Scott's premiere work, Upgrading and Repairing PCs, has sold more than 2 million copies, making it by far the most popular and longest-running PC hardware book on the market today. Scott has been featured in Forbes magazine and has written several articles for PC World magazine, Maximum PC magazine, several newsletters, and the Upgrading and Repairing PCs website.
If you have suggestions for the next edition of this book, any comments about the book in general, or new book or article topics you would like to see covered, send them to Scott via email at scottmueller@compuserve.com or visit http://www.upgradingandrepairingpcs.com. Scott has a forum exlusively for those who have purchased one of his books or DVDs. Visit http://forum.scottmueller.com to view the forum.
Brian Knittel has been a software developer for nearly 30 years. After doing graduate work in medical imaging technologies, he began a career as an independent consultant. An eclectic mix of clients has led to long-term projects in medical documentation, workflow management, realtime industrial system control, and most importantly, more than 15 years of real-world experience with MS-DOS, Windows, and computer networking in the business world. He is the author of Windows XP Under the Hood: Hardcore Scripting and Command Line Power, and is co-author of several other Que books including Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows editions covering XP Home, XP Professional, and Windows 2000 Professional. Brian lives in Albany, California, halfway between the tidal wave zone and the earthquake fault. He spends his free time snowboarding, restoring antique computers (check out www.ibm1130.org), and trying to perfect his wood-fired pizza recipes.
Mark Edward Soper has taught computer troubleshooting and other technical subjects to thousands of students from Maine to Hawaii since 1992. He is a longtime contributor to Upgrading and Repairing PCs, working on the 11th though 16th editions. He has contributed chapters to Upgrading and Repairing Networks, Second Edition, Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows, Millennium Edition, and Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows XP (both Home and Pro editions).
Mark coauthored both the first and second editions of Upgrading and Repairing PCs, Technician's Portable Reference, and Upgrading and Repairing PCs: Field Guide and cowrote Upgrading and Repairing PCs: A+ Study Certification Guide, Second Edition. Mark also authored Absolute Beginner's Guide to Home Networking, Absolute Beginner's Guide to A+ Certification and currently is writing Absolute Beginner's Guide to Home Automation. He is a regular contributor to Maximum PC magazine.
Mark Reddin is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and A+ Certified PC technician. In his younger days he enjoyed tinkering with computers during the time of the early Commodore and Atari systems (with all those wonderful games). Mark delved more seriously into computer technology during his undergraduate studies at Ball State University and has since been involved in the industry in various capacities. His experience with computers and networks has ranged from consulting to owning and operating a sales and repair shop. Additionally, he has been involved as both a technical and development editor with numerous Que publications over the past 5 years, including Upgrading and Repairing PCs and How Computers Work.
Scott is best known as the author of the longest-running, most popular, and most comprehensive PC hardware book in the world, Upgrading and Repairing PCs, which has not only been produced in more than 18 editions, but has also become the core of an entire series of books. Scott has authored many books for more than 20 years, including Upgrading and Repairing PCs, 1st through 18th editions; Upgrading and Repairing Laptops, 1st and 2nd editions; Upgrading and Repairing PCs: A+ Certification Study Guide, 1st and 2nd editions; Upgrading and Repairing PCs Field Guide; Killer PC Utilities; The IBM PS/2 Handbook; and Que's Guide to Data Recovery. Scott recently completed Upgrading and Repairing PCs: Build a PC with Scott Mueller, a 2-hour DVD and 100-page book, which shows viewers how to build a computer, step-by-step. Contact MTR directly if you have a unique book, article, or video project in mind, or if you want Scott to conduct a custom PC troubleshooting, repair, maintenance, upgrade, or data-recovery seminar tailored for your organization:
Mueller Technical Research
3700 Grayhawk Drive
Algonquin, IL 60102-6325
847-854-6794
847-854-6795 Fax
Email: scottmueller@compuserve.com
Web: http://www.upgradingandrepairingpcs.com
http://www.scottmueller.com
http://forum.scottmueller.com
Scott's premiere work, Upgrading and Repairing PCs, has sold more than 2 million copies, making it by far the most popular and longest-running PC hardware book on the market today. Scott has been featured in Forbes magazine and has written several articles for PC World magazine, Maximum PC magazine, several newsletters, and the Upgrading and Repairing PCs website.
If you have suggestions for the next edition of this book, any comments about the book in general, or new book or article topics you would like to see covered, send them to Scott via email at scottmueller@compuserve.com or visit http://www.upgradingandrepairingpcs.com. Scott has a forum exlusively for those who have purchased one of his books or DVDs. Visit http://forum.scottmueller.com to view the forum.
Brian Knittel has been a software developer for nearly 30 years. After doing graduate work in medical imaging technologies, he began a career as an independent consultant. An eclectic mix of clients has led to long-term projects in medical documentation, workflow management, realtime industrial system control, and most importantly, more than 15 years of real-world experience with MS-DOS, Windows, and computer networking in the business world. He is the author of Windows XP Under the Hood: Hardcore Scripting and Command Line Power, and is co-author of several other Que books including Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows editions covering XP Home, XP Professional, and Windows 2000 Professional. Brian lives in Albany, California, halfway between the tidal wave zone and the earthquake fault. He spends his free time snowboarding, restoring antique computers (check out www.ibm1130.org), and trying to perfect his wood-fired pizza recipes.
Mark Edward Soper has taught computer troubleshooting and other technical subjects to thousands of students from Maine to Hawaii since 1992. He is a longtime contributor to Upgrading and Repairing PCs, working on the 11th though 16th editions. He has contributed chapters to Upgrading and Repairing Networks, Second Edition, Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows, Millennium Edition, and Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows XP (both Home and Pro editions).
Mark coauthored both the first and second editions of Upgrading and Repairing PCs, Technician's Portable Reference, and Upgrading and Repairing PCs: Field Guide and cowrote Upgrading and Repairing PCs: A+ Study Certification Guide, Second Edition. Mark also authored Absolute Beginner's Guide to Home Networking, Absolute Beginner's Guide to A+ Certification and currently is writing Absolute Beginner's Guide to Home Automation. He is a regular contributor to Maximum PC magazine.
Mark Reddin is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and A+ Certified PC technician. In his younger days he enjoyed tinkering with computers during the time of the early Commodore and Atari systems (with all those wonderful games). Mark delved more seriously into computer technology during his undergraduate studies at Ball State University and has since been involved in the industry in various capacities. His experience with computers and networks has ranged from consulting to owning and operating a sales and repair shop. Additionally, he has been involved as both a technical and development editor with numerous Que publications over the past 5 years, including Upgrading and Repairing PCs and How Computers Work.
Content
Introduction 1
1 Windows Version History 5
A Brief History of PC Operating Systems......................... 5
DOS History............................................................... 5
Evolution of DOS....................................................... 6
MS-DOS Versus PC DOS...................................... 10
DOS Versions.......................................................... 12
MS-DOS Alternatives............................................... 18
The Evolution of Microsoft Windows............................... 19
16-Bit Windows....................................................... 20
The Windows 9x Family.......................................... 26
The Windows NT Family......................................... 30
Alternative CPU OS Versions: Intel, Alpha, MIPS, and Motorola 40
Service Packs, Hotfixes, and Rollups..................... 42
2 Windows Boot (Startup) 45
System Layers................................................................. 45
Hardware Layers..................................................... 46
BIOS........................................................................ 46
Hardware Abstraction Layer.................................... 48
Device Drivers......................................................... 50
File Systems and Filters.......................................... 51
Services................................................................... 52
The Startup Process....................................................... 52
BIOS Startup............................................................ 52
Bootstrap Loaders................................................... 54
Windows XP/2000/NT Startup................................. 56
Windows Vista Startup............................................ 57
The Windows NT Kernel......................................... 58
The Logon Process................................................. 60
Windows Boot Options.................................................... 63
Boot.ini and the Boot Menu (Windows NT Through XP) 64
Windows Vista Boot Configuration Data Store....... 71
Adjusting Boot Options with MSConfig.................... 76
Windows Advanced Options Menu (Safe Mode)..... 77
Installing a Multibooting System............................... 82
Windows Services........................................................... 83
List of Windows Services........................................ 87
Using the Services Manager.................................. 125
Managing Services from the Command Line........ 127
Device Drivers and the sc Command................... 128
3 Installing Windows 129
Preinstallation Considerations....................................... 129
System Requirements for Windows XP Professional 130
System Requirements for Windows Vista............ 131
Checking Hardware and Software Compatibility... 131
Known Compatibility Issues for Windows XP....... 132
Known Compatibility Issues for Windows Vista.... 132
Migrating Files and Settings to New Installations.. 135
Getting the Network Configuration......................... 139
Choosing a File System........................................ 141
Installation Types........................................................... 144
Upgrade Installations to Windows XP................... 144
Upgrade Installations to Windows Vista................ 147
Clean Installations.................................................. 148
Repair Installations................................................ 149
Using Installation Switches for a Windows XP Installation 151
Using Installation Switches to Install Windows Vista 154
Clean Install Procedures............................................... 158
Windows XP Clean Install..................................... 158
Windows Vista Clean Install.................................. 164
Multibooting Other Operating Systems......................... 169
Using Multiple Partitions......................................... 169
Using a Single Partition.......................................... 170
Using a Third-Party Boot Loader........................... 171
Using Virtual Machines.......................................... 171
Clean Install Summary.......................................... 176
Installation Problems with Windows...................... 177
Automated Deployments............................................... 177
Adding and Using the Deployment Tools for Windows XP 178
Windows Installation Tools for Windows Vista..... 188
Installation Tools for Windows XP and Windows Vista 195
Windows Copy Protection............................................. 204
Product Activation for Windows XP....................... 205
Windows Vista Product Activation with MAK and KMS 211
Windows Genuine Advantage for Windows XP and Vista 212
4 Upgrading Windows 215
Windows XP Upgrade Installations............................... 215
Deciding Whether an Upgrade to Windows XP Is Worthwhile 216
Upgrade Scenarios................................................ 218
Troubleshooting a Failed Upgrade......................... 224
Uninstalling Windows XP....................................... 225
Windows Vista Upgrade Installations............................ 226
Deciding Whether an Upgrade to Vista Is Worthwhile 227
Upgrading from Windows XP to Windows Vista... 230
Troubleshooting a Failed Upgrade to Windows Vista 234
Reverting to Windows XP After Upgrading to Windows Vista 235
Migrating Existing Installations....................................... 237
Moving to a New Drive........................................... 237
Moving a Windows Installation to a New Motherboard 240
Moving Data to a New System.............................. 242
Moving Applications............................................... 248
Installing Service Packs................................................. 252
Installing Service Packs for Windows XP............. 252
Installing Service Packs for Windows Vista.......... 255
Uninstalling Vista SP1............................................ 258
Making Vista SP1 Installation Permanent.............. 258
5 Tweaking and Tuning Windows 259
Configuration Settings................................................... 259
Display Settings..................................................... 261
Start Menu Settings............................................... 270
Tuning System Properties..................................... 272
Managing Startup Programs.................................. 283
Internet Explorer..................................................... 287
TweakUI and TweakVI................................................... 288
Using TweakUI to.................................................. 289
Other Useful XP PowerToys................................. 291
Vista Tweaking Tools............................................. 291
The Windows Registry.................................................. 291
Structure of the Registry........................................ 292
Backing Up and Restoring the Registry................ 293
Editing the Registry................................................ 296
Editing the Registry Remotely............................... 297
Editing a Hive File.................................................. 298
Deploying Registry Settings.................................. 299
Managing Windows Services........................................ 302
Managing Services with the GUI............................ 303
Managing Services on Another Computer............. 307
Managing Services from the Command Line........ 307
Running Your Own Program as a Service............ 308
Monitoring Your System to Identify Bottlenecks............ 310
Using the Task Manager........................................ 310
Using the Performance Monitor............................. 311
Tuning for Maximum Performance................................ 314
Installing Sufficient Memory (RAM)........................ 315
Placing the Page File............................................. 318
Defragment the Disk.............................................. 319
Disk Interface Tuning............................................. 320
What to Enable and Disable.................................. 321
Improving Startup and Logon Time....................... 322
6 Networking Windows 325
Setting Up a Network..................................................... 325
Network Hardware......................................................... 326
Wireless Versus Wired......................................... 327
Network Interface Adapters................................... 328
Cabling................................................................... 328
Hubs and Switches................................................ 329
Wireless Access Points........................................ 330
Gateways and Routers.......................................... 330
Wireless Networking...................................................... 331
Wireless Network Basics...................................... 332
Wireless Network Security.................................... 333
Creating a Random Encryption Key...................... 334
Setting Up a Wireless Network Access Point....... 335
Using the Wireless Network Setup Wizard........... 336
Joining a Wireless Network................................... 340
Configuring a Workgroup Network................................ 341
Setting Up a Network on XP.................................. 341
Setting Up a Network on Vista............................... 344
IP Addressing Options........................................... 347
Configuring Additional Useful Network Services... 351
Designating a Master Browser.............................. 355
Simple File Sharing........................................................ 356
Sharing Resources........................................................ 358
Sharing Folders and Drives................................... 359
Sharing Printers..................................................... 362
Sharing Fax Modems and Other Devices............. 364
Avoiding Firewall Issues........................................ 364
Providing Shared Internet Access................................. 365
Adding a Connection-Sharing Router.................... 367
Using Windows Internet Connection Sharing........ 369
Setting Up Remote Access to Your Computer............. 370
7 Protecting and Securing Windows 371
It Takes More Than Just Software................................. 371
Reduce Your Exposure......................................... 372
Take Advantage of the Tools You Have................. 373
Keep Abreast of Updates....................................... 374
Be Skeptical........................................................... 375
Keep Backups....................................................... 376
Apply Defense in Depth......................................... 376
Windows Passwords.................................................... 376
Setting Up a Password.......................................... 377
Improving Password Security................................ 378
User Account Control.................................................... 379
Windows Update........................................................... 382
Using Windows Update......................................... 383
Configuring Automatic Updates............................. 384
Firewalls......................................................................... 386
How Software Firewalls Protect Your PC from Attacks 387
Windows Firewall.................................................. 388
Third-Party Firewalls.............................................. 391
Antivirus and Antispyware Software-Which Do You Need? 393
Antivirus Software.................................................. 396
Third-Party Antivirus Programs............................. 396
Antispyware Software.................................................... 398
Windows Defender................................................ 398
Third-Party Spyware Removal Programs............. 401
Cleaning an Infected Computer..................................... 402
Identifying Spyware................................................ 402
Installing and Running Antispyware Software....... 403
Recovering from Browser Hijacks......................... 404
What to Do If the Automated Utilities Fail.............. 405
Bootable Tools........................................................... 407
8 Managing Windows 409
Managing Users............................................................. 409
Domain and Workgroup Environments................. 410
Account Types....................................................... 412
Which Type of Account to Use?............................ 414
Default Accounts and Groups............................... 415
Security Principals................................................. 417
Account Permissions............................................ 419
Adding and Deleting User Accounts from the Control Panel 425
Setting Local Security Policy................................. 432
Local Accounts and Password Reset Disks......... 432
Managing Users from the Management Console.. 433
The Windows 2000 User Manager, for Vista and XP, Too 435
Managing Users from the Command Prompt....... 437
Automating User Management.............................. 438
Managing User Profiles.......................................... 439
Controlling How Users Log On and Off................. 445
Logging on as Administrator.................................. 447
Showing and Hiding Accounts on the Welcome Screen 448
Fast User Switching.............................................. 450
Enabling Automatic Logon..................................... 451
Dealing with a Lost Password............................... 452
Managing Hardware....................................................... 454
Using Device Manager........................................... 454
Forcing Detection and Reinstallation..................... 457
Dealing with the Blue Screen of Death.................. 457
Updating Device Drivers........................................ 458
Replacing Hardware.............................................. 461
Using Driver Rollback............................................ 461
Disk Management.......................................................... 462
Partitioning and Formatting with the Disk Management Console 464
Moving Dynamic Disks to Another Computer....... 470
Resizing Partitions................................................. 470
Converting FAT16/FAT32 File Systems to NTFS. 472
Hard Drive Cleaning............................................... 473
Defragmenting for Greater Speed......................... 475
Backing Up Your Disk.................................................... 478
Backup Integrity..................................................... 479
Volume Shadow Copy........................................... 480
Backup Files and Folders on Vista........................ 482
Previous Versions.................................................. 487
Complete PC Backup on Vista.............................. 489
Automated System Recovery on XP..................... 493
Using NTBackup Backup on XP............................ 493
Third-Party Backup Solutions................................ 499
System Restore............................................................. 500
What Restore Points Actually Restore.................. 500
Creating Restore Points........................................ 502
Restoring a Restore Point..................................... 503
9 Windows Commands and Scripting 505
The Windows Command Prompt................................. 505
What the Command Prompt Really Does............ 506
Environment Variables........................................... 507
Executable Program Types................................... 509
Program Subsystems........................................... 510
Interpreting Command-Line Syntax....................... 513
Environment Variable Substitution......................... 515
Input and Output Redirection................................. 515
Command Pipelines.............................................. 518
Command Separators........................................... 519
Command-Line Quoting........................................ 520
Escaping Special Characters................................ 520
Editing Command Lines........................................ 521
Name Completion.................................................. 522
Copy and Paste in Command Prompt Windows.. 523
DOSKEY Macros................................................... 525
Command Extensions........................................... 527
Printing in the Command-Line Environment......... 528
Stopping Runaway Programs............................... 530
Configuring the Command-Line Environment............... 531
Console Window Properties.................................. 531
Changing the Search Path.................................... 531
Predefined and Virtual Environment Variables...... 532
Setting Default Environment Variables.................. 535
AutoRun................................................................. 537
Configuring the MS-DOS Command Environment 538
User Account Control and the Command Line............. 548
Opening an Elevated Command Prompt.............. 549
Useful and Important Commands................................. 550
cd........................................................................... 550
pushd and popd..................................................... 551
dir........................................................................... 551
more....................................................................... 552
runas...................................................................... 553
start........................................................................ 554
control.................................................................... 555
net.......................................................................... 557
findstr..................................................................... 560
Other Programs..................................................... 562
Batch Files..................................................................... 562
Creating and Editing Batch Files........................... 563
Batch File Programming........................................ 564
Argument Substitution........................................... 565
Argument Editing................................................... 566
Conditional Processing with if............................... 568
Processing Multiple Arguments............................. 571
Working with Environment Variables..................... 574
Processing Multiple Items with the for Command. 576
Using Batch File Subroutines................................ 580
Prompting for Input................................................ 581
Running GUI Applications from a Batch File......... 583
Scripting with Windows Script Host.............................. 583
Script Languages................................................... 584
Creating and Editing Scripts.................................. 585
Security Issues...................................................... 586
Running Scripts..................................................... 587
Scripting and COM Objects................................... 588
Sample Scripts...................................................... 590
Learning More About Scripting............................... 592
Windows PowerShell.................................................... 592
PowerShell Concepts............................................ 593
Downloading and Installing Windows PowerShell 595
Learning More About Windows PowerShell.......... 596
10 Windows File Systems 597
Disks, Partitions, and Volumes..................................... 597
Basic Disks and Volumes..................................... 598
Dynamic Disks and Volumes................................ 598
Creating Partitions......................................................... 599
Assigning Drive Letters to Volumes...................... 601
Running FDISK...................................................... 605
Drive Partitioning and Formatting with Disk Management 607
Drive Partitioning with Aftermarket Utilities............ 610
High-Level (Operating System) Formatting........... 612
File System Tool Limitations................................. 614
Drive Capacity Limitations..................................... 615
Boot Sectors.................................................................. 619
Master Boot Record............................................... 620
Primary and Extended Partitions........................... 621
Windows Disk Probe............................................. 627
Volume Boot Records........................................... 632
The Data Area........................................................ 638
File Systems.................................................................. 638
Clusters (Allocation Units)..................................... 639
File Allocation Table....................................................... 640
FAT12.................................................................... 641
FAT16.................................................................... 642
VFAT and Long Filenames.................................... 644
FAT32.................................................................... 647
File Allocation Table Tutorial.................................. 652
Directories (Folders).............................................. 656
FAT File System Errors......................................... 659
NTFS.............................................................................. 663
NTFS Architecture-The MFT............................... 666
NTFS 3.0/3.1.......................................................... 668
Creating NTFS Drives........................................... 670
NTFS Tools............................................................ 670
File System Utilities....................................................... 672
CHKDSK Operation............................................... 672
The RECOVER Command................................... 673
SCANDISK............................................................. 674
Disk Defragmentation............................................ 675
Third-Party Programs............................................ 678
11 Windows Data Recovery 679
The Windows Recycle Bin and File Deletion................ 679
Recovering Files That Are Not in the Recycle Bin 681
Undeleting Files Under NTFS................................ 681
Retrieving Data from Partitioned and Formatted Drives 682
Norton Unformat and Its Limitations...................... 683
Recovering Lost Partitions and Files..................... 683
Using a Disk Editor........................................................ 686
Types of Disk Editors............................................ 686
Using a Disk Editor to Recover an NTFS Volume Boot Sector 687
Using a Disk Editor to Undelete Files.................... 693
Retrieving a Deleted File from a Disk.................... 701
Data Recovery from Flash Memory Devices................ 704
FAT File System Troubleshooting............................. 705
NTFS File System Troubleshooting.......................... 706
12 Windows Troubleshooting 709
Troubleshooting Basics................................................. 709
What You'll Find in This Chapter........................... 711
A Word About Viruses and Spyware..................... 711
Windows "Sickbed" Symptoms............................. 712
Windows Installation Troubleshooting........................... 713
Legacy/Unsupported Hardware Devices............... 713
Windows XP Upgrade Advisor.............................. 714
Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor........................... 714
Updating Computer Firmware............................... 715
Other Common Windows Installation Issues........ 716
Pre-Windows Startup Troubleshooting......................... 717
Common Boot Error Messages and Solutions..... 718
Windows Startup Troubleshooting................................ 720
Windows Advanced Options Menu....................... 721
Using the System Restore Tool with Windows XP and Vista 725
Recovery Console for Windows XP...................... 728
Command Prompt in Windows Recovery Environment 746
Automated System Recovery with Windows XP.. 746
Troubleshooting Problem Devices with Device Manager 750
Parallel Windows Installation......................................... 756
The Blue Screen of Death: Interpreting STOP Error Messages 757
Make a Record of STOP Errors............................ 758
Common STOP Errors......................................... 759
Windows XP and Windows Vista Troubleshooting Tools 764
Reading the Event Log.......................................... 764
Dr. Watson............................................................ 769
Windows Troubleshooters.................................... 771
CHKDSK................................................................ 772
DirectX Diagnostic Tool (DXDIAG.EXE)................ 773
Program Compatibility Wizard.............................. 775
System Configuration Utility................................... 776
Installing Additional Windows XP Support Tools... 779
Windows Vista Troubleshooting Tools.......................... 780
Windows Recovery Environment.......................... 780
Problem Reports and Solutions............................ 788
Reliability and Performance Monitor...................... 789
System Health Report........................................... 791
Using the Microsoft Knowledge Base............................ 792
Bonus Elements
A Windows Tool Reference A1
B Windows Command Reference B1
C Remote Desktop and Remote Assistance C1
TOC, 0789736950, 9/3/08
1 Windows Version History 5
A Brief History of PC Operating Systems......................... 5
DOS History............................................................... 5
Evolution of DOS....................................................... 6
MS-DOS Versus PC DOS...................................... 10
DOS Versions.......................................................... 12
MS-DOS Alternatives............................................... 18
The Evolution of Microsoft Windows............................... 19
16-Bit Windows....................................................... 20
The Windows 9x Family.......................................... 26
The Windows NT Family......................................... 30
Alternative CPU OS Versions: Intel, Alpha, MIPS, and Motorola 40
Service Packs, Hotfixes, and Rollups..................... 42
2 Windows Boot (Startup) 45
System Layers................................................................. 45
Hardware Layers..................................................... 46
BIOS........................................................................ 46
Hardware Abstraction Layer.................................... 48
Device Drivers......................................................... 50
File Systems and Filters.......................................... 51
Services................................................................... 52
The Startup Process....................................................... 52
BIOS Startup............................................................ 52
Bootstrap Loaders................................................... 54
Windows XP/2000/NT Startup................................. 56
Windows Vista Startup............................................ 57
The Windows NT Kernel......................................... 58
The Logon Process................................................. 60
Windows Boot Options.................................................... 63
Boot.ini and the Boot Menu (Windows NT Through XP) 64
Windows Vista Boot Configuration Data Store....... 71
Adjusting Boot Options with MSConfig.................... 76
Windows Advanced Options Menu (Safe Mode)..... 77
Installing a Multibooting System............................... 82
Windows Services........................................................... 83
List of Windows Services........................................ 87
Using the Services Manager.................................. 125
Managing Services from the Command Line........ 127
Device Drivers and the sc Command................... 128
3 Installing Windows 129
Preinstallation Considerations....................................... 129
System Requirements for Windows XP Professional 130
System Requirements for Windows Vista............ 131
Checking Hardware and Software Compatibility... 131
Known Compatibility Issues for Windows XP....... 132
Known Compatibility Issues for Windows Vista.... 132
Migrating Files and Settings to New Installations.. 135
Getting the Network Configuration......................... 139
Choosing a File System........................................ 141
Installation Types........................................................... 144
Upgrade Installations to Windows XP................... 144
Upgrade Installations to Windows Vista................ 147
Clean Installations.................................................. 148
Repair Installations................................................ 149
Using Installation Switches for a Windows XP Installation 151
Using Installation Switches to Install Windows Vista 154
Clean Install Procedures............................................... 158
Windows XP Clean Install..................................... 158
Windows Vista Clean Install.................................. 164
Multibooting Other Operating Systems......................... 169
Using Multiple Partitions......................................... 169
Using a Single Partition.......................................... 170
Using a Third-Party Boot Loader........................... 171
Using Virtual Machines.......................................... 171
Clean Install Summary.......................................... 176
Installation Problems with Windows...................... 177
Automated Deployments............................................... 177
Adding and Using the Deployment Tools for Windows XP 178
Windows Installation Tools for Windows Vista..... 188
Installation Tools for Windows XP and Windows Vista 195
Windows Copy Protection............................................. 204
Product Activation for Windows XP....................... 205
Windows Vista Product Activation with MAK and KMS 211
Windows Genuine Advantage for Windows XP and Vista 212
4 Upgrading Windows 215
Windows XP Upgrade Installations............................... 215
Deciding Whether an Upgrade to Windows XP Is Worthwhile 216
Upgrade Scenarios................................................ 218
Troubleshooting a Failed Upgrade......................... 224
Uninstalling Windows XP....................................... 225
Windows Vista Upgrade Installations............................ 226
Deciding Whether an Upgrade to Vista Is Worthwhile 227
Upgrading from Windows XP to Windows Vista... 230
Troubleshooting a Failed Upgrade to Windows Vista 234
Reverting to Windows XP After Upgrading to Windows Vista 235
Migrating Existing Installations....................................... 237
Moving to a New Drive........................................... 237
Moving a Windows Installation to a New Motherboard 240
Moving Data to a New System.............................. 242
Moving Applications............................................... 248
Installing Service Packs................................................. 252
Installing Service Packs for Windows XP............. 252
Installing Service Packs for Windows Vista.......... 255
Uninstalling Vista SP1............................................ 258
Making Vista SP1 Installation Permanent.............. 258
5 Tweaking and Tuning Windows 259
Configuration Settings................................................... 259
Display Settings..................................................... 261
Start Menu Settings............................................... 270
Tuning System Properties..................................... 272
Managing Startup Programs.................................. 283
Internet Explorer..................................................... 287
TweakUI and TweakVI................................................... 288
Using TweakUI to.................................................. 289
Other Useful XP PowerToys................................. 291
Vista Tweaking Tools............................................. 291
The Windows Registry.................................................. 291
Structure of the Registry........................................ 292
Backing Up and Restoring the Registry................ 293
Editing the Registry................................................ 296
Editing the Registry Remotely............................... 297
Editing a Hive File.................................................. 298
Deploying Registry Settings.................................. 299
Managing Windows Services........................................ 302
Managing Services with the GUI............................ 303
Managing Services on Another Computer............. 307
Managing Services from the Command Line........ 307
Running Your Own Program as a Service............ 308
Monitoring Your System to Identify Bottlenecks............ 310
Using the Task Manager........................................ 310
Using the Performance Monitor............................. 311
Tuning for Maximum Performance................................ 314
Installing Sufficient Memory (RAM)........................ 315
Placing the Page File............................................. 318
Defragment the Disk.............................................. 319
Disk Interface Tuning............................................. 320
What to Enable and Disable.................................. 321
Improving Startup and Logon Time....................... 322
6 Networking Windows 325
Setting Up a Network..................................................... 325
Network Hardware......................................................... 326
Wireless Versus Wired......................................... 327
Network Interface Adapters................................... 328
Cabling................................................................... 328
Hubs and Switches................................................ 329
Wireless Access Points........................................ 330
Gateways and Routers.......................................... 330
Wireless Networking...................................................... 331
Wireless Network Basics...................................... 332
Wireless Network Security.................................... 333
Creating a Random Encryption Key...................... 334
Setting Up a Wireless Network Access Point....... 335
Using the Wireless Network Setup Wizard........... 336
Joining a Wireless Network................................... 340
Configuring a Workgroup Network................................ 341
Setting Up a Network on XP.................................. 341
Setting Up a Network on Vista............................... 344
IP Addressing Options........................................... 347
Configuring Additional Useful Network Services... 351
Designating a Master Browser.............................. 355
Simple File Sharing........................................................ 356
Sharing Resources........................................................ 358
Sharing Folders and Drives................................... 359
Sharing Printers..................................................... 362
Sharing Fax Modems and Other Devices............. 364
Avoiding Firewall Issues........................................ 364
Providing Shared Internet Access................................. 365
Adding a Connection-Sharing Router.................... 367
Using Windows Internet Connection Sharing........ 369
Setting Up Remote Access to Your Computer............. 370
7 Protecting and Securing Windows 371
It Takes More Than Just Software................................. 371
Reduce Your Exposure......................................... 372
Take Advantage of the Tools You Have................. 373
Keep Abreast of Updates....................................... 374
Be Skeptical........................................................... 375
Keep Backups....................................................... 376
Apply Defense in Depth......................................... 376
Windows Passwords.................................................... 376
Setting Up a Password.......................................... 377
Improving Password Security................................ 378
User Account Control.................................................... 379
Windows Update........................................................... 382
Using Windows Update......................................... 383
Configuring Automatic Updates............................. 384
Firewalls......................................................................... 386
How Software Firewalls Protect Your PC from Attacks 387
Windows Firewall.................................................. 388
Third-Party Firewalls.............................................. 391
Antivirus and Antispyware Software-Which Do You Need? 393
Antivirus Software.................................................. 396
Third-Party Antivirus Programs............................. 396
Antispyware Software.................................................... 398
Windows Defender................................................ 398
Third-Party Spyware Removal Programs............. 401
Cleaning an Infected Computer..................................... 402
Identifying Spyware................................................ 402
Installing and Running Antispyware Software....... 403
Recovering from Browser Hijacks......................... 404
What to Do If the Automated Utilities Fail.............. 405
Bootable Tools........................................................... 407
8 Managing Windows 409
Managing Users............................................................. 409
Domain and Workgroup Environments................. 410
Account Types....................................................... 412
Which Type of Account to Use?............................ 414
Default Accounts and Groups............................... 415
Security Principals................................................. 417
Account Permissions............................................ 419
Adding and Deleting User Accounts from the Control Panel 425
Setting Local Security Policy................................. 432
Local Accounts and Password Reset Disks......... 432
Managing Users from the Management Console.. 433
The Windows 2000 User Manager, for Vista and XP, Too 435
Managing Users from the Command Prompt....... 437
Automating User Management.............................. 438
Managing User Profiles.......................................... 439
Controlling How Users Log On and Off................. 445
Logging on as Administrator.................................. 447
Showing and Hiding Accounts on the Welcome Screen 448
Fast User Switching.............................................. 450
Enabling Automatic Logon..................................... 451
Dealing with a Lost Password............................... 452
Managing Hardware....................................................... 454
Using Device Manager........................................... 454
Forcing Detection and Reinstallation..................... 457
Dealing with the Blue Screen of Death.................. 457
Updating Device Drivers........................................ 458
Replacing Hardware.............................................. 461
Using Driver Rollback............................................ 461
Disk Management.......................................................... 462
Partitioning and Formatting with the Disk Management Console 464
Moving Dynamic Disks to Another Computer....... 470
Resizing Partitions................................................. 470
Converting FAT16/FAT32 File Systems to NTFS. 472
Hard Drive Cleaning............................................... 473
Defragmenting for Greater Speed......................... 475
Backing Up Your Disk.................................................... 478
Backup Integrity..................................................... 479
Volume Shadow Copy........................................... 480
Backup Files and Folders on Vista........................ 482
Previous Versions.................................................. 487
Complete PC Backup on Vista.............................. 489
Automated System Recovery on XP..................... 493
Using NTBackup Backup on XP............................ 493
Third-Party Backup Solutions................................ 499
System Restore............................................................. 500
What Restore Points Actually Restore.................. 500
Creating Restore Points........................................ 502
Restoring a Restore Point..................................... 503
9 Windows Commands and Scripting 505
The Windows Command Prompt................................. 505
What the Command Prompt Really Does............ 506
Environment Variables........................................... 507
Executable Program Types................................... 509
Program Subsystems........................................... 510
Interpreting Command-Line Syntax....................... 513
Environment Variable Substitution......................... 515
Input and Output Redirection................................. 515
Command Pipelines.............................................. 518
Command Separators........................................... 519
Command-Line Quoting........................................ 520
Escaping Special Characters................................ 520
Editing Command Lines........................................ 521
Name Completion.................................................. 522
Copy and Paste in Command Prompt Windows.. 523
DOSKEY Macros................................................... 525
Command Extensions........................................... 527
Printing in the Command-Line Environment......... 528
Stopping Runaway Programs............................... 530
Configuring the Command-Line Environment............... 531
Console Window Properties.................................. 531
Changing the Search Path.................................... 531
Predefined and Virtual Environment Variables...... 532
Setting Default Environment Variables.................. 535
AutoRun................................................................. 537
Configuring the MS-DOS Command Environment 538
User Account Control and the Command Line............. 548
Opening an Elevated Command Prompt.............. 549
Useful and Important Commands................................. 550
cd........................................................................... 550
pushd and popd..................................................... 551
dir........................................................................... 551
more....................................................................... 552
runas...................................................................... 553
start........................................................................ 554
control.................................................................... 555
net.......................................................................... 557
findstr..................................................................... 560
Other Programs..................................................... 562
Batch Files..................................................................... 562
Creating and Editing Batch Files........................... 563
Batch File Programming........................................ 564
Argument Substitution........................................... 565
Argument Editing................................................... 566
Conditional Processing with if............................... 568
Processing Multiple Arguments............................. 571
Working with Environment Variables..................... 574
Processing Multiple Items with the for Command. 576
Using Batch File Subroutines................................ 580
Prompting for Input................................................ 581
Running GUI Applications from a Batch File......... 583
Scripting with Windows Script Host.............................. 583
Script Languages................................................... 584
Creating and Editing Scripts.................................. 585
Security Issues...................................................... 586
Running Scripts..................................................... 587
Scripting and COM Objects................................... 588
Sample Scripts...................................................... 590
Learning More About Scripting............................... 592
Windows PowerShell.................................................... 592
PowerShell Concepts............................................ 593
Downloading and Installing Windows PowerShell 595
Learning More About Windows PowerShell.......... 596
10 Windows File Systems 597
Disks, Partitions, and Volumes..................................... 597
Basic Disks and Volumes..................................... 598
Dynamic Disks and Volumes................................ 598
Creating Partitions......................................................... 599
Assigning Drive Letters to Volumes...................... 601
Running FDISK...................................................... 605
Drive Partitioning and Formatting with Disk Management 607
Drive Partitioning with Aftermarket Utilities............ 610
High-Level (Operating System) Formatting........... 612
File System Tool Limitations................................. 614
Drive Capacity Limitations..................................... 615
Boot Sectors.................................................................. 619
Master Boot Record............................................... 620
Primary and Extended Partitions........................... 621
Windows Disk Probe............................................. 627
Volume Boot Records........................................... 632
The Data Area........................................................ 638
File Systems.................................................................. 638
Clusters (Allocation Units)..................................... 639
File Allocation Table....................................................... 640
FAT12.................................................................... 641
FAT16.................................................................... 642
VFAT and Long Filenames.................................... 644
FAT32.................................................................... 647
File Allocation Table Tutorial.................................. 652
Directories (Folders).............................................. 656
FAT File System Errors......................................... 659
NTFS.............................................................................. 663
NTFS Architecture-The MFT............................... 666
NTFS 3.0/3.1.......................................................... 668
Creating NTFS Drives........................................... 670
NTFS Tools............................................................ 670
File System Utilities....................................................... 672
CHKDSK Operation............................................... 672
The RECOVER Command................................... 673
SCANDISK............................................................. 674
Disk Defragmentation............................................ 675
Third-Party Programs............................................ 678
11 Windows Data Recovery 679
The Windows Recycle Bin and File Deletion................ 679
Recovering Files That Are Not in the Recycle Bin 681
Undeleting Files Under NTFS................................ 681
Retrieving Data from Partitioned and Formatted Drives 682
Norton Unformat and Its Limitations...................... 683
Recovering Lost Partitions and Files..................... 683
Using a Disk Editor........................................................ 686
Types of Disk Editors............................................ 686
Using a Disk Editor to Recover an NTFS Volume Boot Sector 687
Using a Disk Editor to Undelete Files.................... 693
Retrieving a Deleted File from a Disk.................... 701
Data Recovery from Flash Memory Devices................ 704
FAT File System Troubleshooting............................. 705
NTFS File System Troubleshooting.......................... 706
12 Windows Troubleshooting 709
Troubleshooting Basics................................................. 709
What You'll Find in This Chapter........................... 711
A Word About Viruses and Spyware..................... 711
Windows "Sickbed" Symptoms............................. 712
Windows Installation Troubleshooting........................... 713
Legacy/Unsupported Hardware Devices............... 713
Windows XP Upgrade Advisor.............................. 714
Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor........................... 714
Updating Computer Firmware............................... 715
Other Common Windows Installation Issues........ 716
Pre-Windows Startup Troubleshooting......................... 717
Common Boot Error Messages and Solutions..... 718
Windows Startup Troubleshooting................................ 720
Windows Advanced Options Menu....................... 721
Using the System Restore Tool with Windows XP and Vista 725
Recovery Console for Windows XP...................... 728
Command Prompt in Windows Recovery Environment 746
Automated System Recovery with Windows XP.. 746
Troubleshooting Problem Devices with Device Manager 750
Parallel Windows Installation......................................... 756
The Blue Screen of Death: Interpreting STOP Error Messages 757
Make a Record of STOP Errors............................ 758
Common STOP Errors......................................... 759
Windows XP and Windows Vista Troubleshooting Tools 764
Reading the Event Log.......................................... 764
Dr. Watson............................................................ 769
Windows Troubleshooters.................................... 771
CHKDSK................................................................ 772
DirectX Diagnostic Tool (DXDIAG.EXE)................ 773
Program Compatibility Wizard.............................. 775
System Configuration Utility................................... 776
Installing Additional Windows XP Support Tools... 779
Windows Vista Troubleshooting Tools.......................... 780
Windows Recovery Environment.......................... 780
Problem Reports and Solutions............................ 788
Reliability and Performance Monitor...................... 789
System Health Report........................................... 791
Using the Microsoft Knowledge Base............................ 792
Bonus Elements
A Windows Tool Reference A1
B Windows Command Reference B1
C Remote Desktop and Remote Assistance C1
TOC, 0789736950, 9/3/08