Windows XP System Utilities 70-270: MCSE Guide to Microsoft Windows XP Professional.

Windows XP System Utilities

70-270: MCSE Guide to Microsoft Windows XP Professional

Control Panel Overview (Page 1)

Control Panel One of most important centralized locations

for in Windows XP management utilities From Start menu, select Settings, then

Control Panel There are new applets in XP:

An applet is a small application designed for a limited range of functionality or capability


There is a new "Category view" (default) as well as the original "Classic" view A hyperlink in the upper left corner of

each window facilitates switching between the two views

Control Panel in Category View

Control Panel in Classic View


In Category view, selecting any option displays dialog window with two sections: "Pick a task"

Displays links to launch wizards which guide user through a specific task

"Pick a Control Panel icon" Displays names of the commands for that

group from the Control Panel "Classic" view

Control Panel Categories

Accessibility Options (Page 1)

Special interface features for the visual-, audio-, or movement-impaired user

1. Select the "Keyboard" tab for: StickyKeys—enables pressing <Ctrl>, <Shift>

and <Alt> once without holding them down FilterKeys—enables ignoring quick or

repeated keystrokes ToggleKeys—audible tone plays when <Caps

Lock>, <Scroll Lock> and <Num Lock> are down


2. Select the "Sound" tab for: SoundSentry—displays visual clues when

system plays a sound ShowSounds—displays captions showing the

system has played a specific sound

3. Select the "Display" tab for: High Contrast—creates contrast between text

and background to improve reading Cursor Option—modifies cursor blink speed

and cursor width


4. Select the "Mouse" tab for: MouseKeys—alters the numeric keypad

function so that it controls the movement of the mouse


4. Select the "General" tab for: Automatic reset—automatically turns off

accessibility options if idle for specified time Notification—sets whether or not to give a visual

or audible warning before turning off accessibility options

SerialKey devices—for configuring and selecting serial port for alternative key or mouse input devices (including baud rate)

Administrative options—apply all the settings to logon desktop and/or new users

The Accessibility Folder (Page 1)

Additional accessibility tools found by selecting Start Programs Accessories Accessibility

1. Accessibility Wizard Self-prompting applet that asks for special

needs including text size, color, display, configuration, sound, and pointer settings

2. Magnifier Zooms in on specific items

The Accessibility Folder (Page 2)

3. Narrator Limited text-to-voice application

4. On-Screen Keyboard For keying text with a pointing device

5. Utility Manager Applet which can activate "Magnifier",

"Narrator" and "On-Screen Keyboard" automatically each time user logons on

Add Hardware (Page 1)

Every time the system starts up, it polls the entire computer for new devices

XP's attempt to identify a new device is called Plug and Play (PnP): Always install new device first; then turn on

system and wait to see if it is detected Installs drivers automatically or prompts for

alternative source path (a disk or CD/DVD)

Add Hardware (Page 2)

The "Add Hardware" Wizard Used for manual configuration Only use:

If PnP fails and … After discovering there is no vendor-

supplied installation utility Wizard is not difficult to follow

Device Manager (Page 1)

After devices are installed, this applet can manage, configure, trouble-shooting and removing them Discussed later in the chapter

To run Device Manager:1. Click "System" icon in Control Panel

2. Select "Hardware" tab

3. Click <Device Manager> button in the "Device Manager" group


Also found in "My Computer": Select "View system information" then

continue with steps 2 and 3 above Or right-click "My Computer" and select

Properties from shortcut menu Then continue with steps 2 and 3

Add or Remove Programs (Page 1)

1. Change or Remove Programs Displays installed applications, disk space for

the application, and usage frequency Only if application's setup routine includes a

partial or optional setup method

2. Add New Programs From vendor supplied disk From Microsoft Update website Over Internet through "Intellimirror" and

"Windows Installer"

Add or Remove Programs (Page 2)

3. Add/Remove Windows Components Wizard: Add XP components not included in the

initial installation, i.e. Faxing service, Indexing service, Internet

Information Services (IIS), etc. Remove components no longer needed

Activity—try removing and then reinstalling "MSN Explorer" (need XP install disk)

Activity—try removing and then reinstalling "MSN Explorer" (need XP install disk)

Administrative Tools

Shortcut to Administrative Tools option which is discussed briefly in this chapter, as well as in subsequent chapters

Date and Time (Page 1)

For setting date, time, and time zone Clock setting is maintained directly in the

system’s BIOS The reason the clock usually is close to the

correct time whenever the computer boots Time Zone tab

World map and pull-down list of time zones Automatically updates for daylight savings

time if checked

Date and Time (Page 2)

On non-domain computers, Internet Time tab defines a server on the Internet to which clock automatically synchronizes … Machines on domains synchronize time

automatically to the domain server (the tab may not be visible)

Display (Page 1)

Used to make interface changes Also accessed by right-clicking desktop

and selecting "Properties" from shortcut menu

Display (Page 2)

Themes tab: Overall visual styling including background, icons,

sounds and other elements Starts with two basic themes: Windows XP and

Windows Classic User creates new themes by modifying elements

on the four other tabs Then click <Save As…> button and name the new

personalized theme Additional themes can be downloaded from the

Internet

Activity—feel free to make changes on other tabs to be saved as a new theme

Activity—feel free to make changes on other tabs to be saved as a new theme

Display (Page 3)

Desktop tab: Select wallpaper graphic, center, stretch

or tile it

Display (Page 4)

Desktop tab (con.): Click <Customize Desktop…> button to:

On the "General" tab:To select if icons display on the Desktop for My

Documents, My Computer, My Network Places and Internet Explorer

Change desktop icons for the applications listed above as well as for Recycle Bin

Enable/disable Desktop Cleanup Wizard to clean up unused icons every 60 days

On the "Web" tab to select a webpage to display on the Desktop

Display (Page 5)

Screen Saver tab: Define and set wait period before screen

saver activates Sets energy-saving features including wait

time to shut down monitor and hard drive, when to standby or hibernate

Additional battery monitoring features for notebooks and portables

Display (Page 6)

Appearance tab: Window and button scheme, color scheme,

and font size Select the <Effects…> button to modify

effects including transitions for menus and tool tips, large icons, etc

Select the <Advanced> button to modify individual appearance elements

I.e. Desktop, menus, tool tips, etc.

Display (Page 6)

Settings tab: Screen resolution, the higher the

resolution, the better the image but the smaller the images

I.e. 800 x 600, 1024 x 768, 1280 x 800, etc. Color quality (16-bit or 32-bit) Click <Troubleshoot…> button to launch

the Microsoft "Help and Support Center"

Advanced Display Settings (Page 1)

Clicking <Advanced> button on "Settings" tab of Display applet accesses dialog for setting video card and monitor properties

Available tabs vary depending upon the installed hardware and drivers There are five (5) default tabs


The General tab: Sets DPI (dots per inch)—default is 96 Sets system restart options when modifying

DPI: (1) restart required; (2) restart not required—some applications may not display correctly; or (3) ask before restart

The Adapter tab: Displays video card information Click <Properties> button to access the

Device Manager's dialog for the video card


Monitor tab: Displays and sets screen refresh rate Click <Properties> button to access the

Device Manager's dialog for the monitor Troubleshoot tab:

Displays and sets hardware acceleration of video card

Adjust level downward to solve problems with corrupted images, shadowed cursors, etc.


Color Management tab: For installing color profiles which fine-tune

video card and monitor for color clarity and trueness

Predefined profiles may be included with the card driver set, or available from the video card and/or monitor vendor

Additional tabs are hardware dependent based upon installed display components


"Dualview" is XP's capability to use multiple display devices (monitors) Up to 10 monitors may be connected to a

single computer

Activity 3-3: To Add Additional Monitors to Your Configuration

Objective: Add monitors to your configuration

Use Display applet to specify that the computer is for home use Use Settings to add monitors to display Select each monitor; select "Extend my

Windows desktop onto this monitor"

Folder Options (Page 1)

Options for all folders on all drives The General tab:

Show common tasks in common folders or use Windows classic folders (Task Menu at the left of the window)

Open each folder in the same window or a separate window

Open folders by single- or double-clicking Single-clicking option displays each file as

though it were a hyperlink in a webpage


The View tab: A series of checkboxes which determine

how file information is displayed in a folder (the functional and visual parameters)

"Hide extensions for known file types" can make it more difficult to know which file belongs to a specific application


The View tab (con.): Folder views group near the top only from

Folder Options… in the Tools menu when viewing a folder in "Windows Explorer" …

I.e. Tiles, Icons, List or Details "Apply to All Folders" the setting for the

current folder "Reset All Folders" to their defaults


The File Types tab: Associate file extensions with applications When a specific file is selected, software

application to which that particular file type is associated will launch

File extensions can be added or deleted from the list

The <Advanced> button allows alternate operations to be performed on the file rather than opening it


The Offline Files tab stores network files on the local machine so the user can work with them even when not online Covered in Chapter 4

Fonts

Lists all currently installed fonts Add fonts from the Install New Font…

command in the File menu on menu bar The file with the font must be available

Remove fonts like any other file Delete command from File (or shortcut

menu) or <Delete> key on keyboard Select a font; then File Open (or shortcut

menu) to launch "Windows Font Viewer" Click <Print> button for font samples

Windows Font Viewer

Game Controllers

Install and configure Joysticks Other gaming controls

Connected to sound cards and serial ports The dialog offers device-specific properties

and troubleshooting aids

Internet Options

Define settings for Internet Explorer Settings for general Internet access Applet is discussed in Chapter 8

Keyboard

The Speed tab: Character repeat group

"Repeat delay"—how long before a key that is held down starts repeating

"Repeat rate"—how fast will that key repeat There is a textbox for testing the settings

Cursor blink rate group sets the insertion point from no blink ("None") to "Fast"

Visible insertion point is used to test settings The Hardware tab for troubleshooting and

updating the keyboard device and driver

Mouse (Page 1)

The Buttons tab: Button configuration—to make right button

the primary for selecting and dragging Double-click speed—from "Slow" to "Fast" ClickLock—activates the ability to use the

mouse to highlight or drag without holding down the button

<Settings> button use used to modify how long mouse button must be down initially before the feature activates

Mouse (Page 2)

The Pointers tab enables changing the viewable pointer to different images: There is a drop-down list of different styles

of groupings—the default is "Windows Default (system scheme)"

Any grouping can be modified or new style groups created

Click <Browse> button to find new images Click checkbox to Enable pointer shadow

Mouse (Page 3)

The Pointer Options tab: "Motion" setting is how fast screen pointer moves

when mouse is dragged When "Snap to" is on, mouse automatically moves

to the default button for a dialog when that window opens

The "Visibility" group can: Enable a trail when mouse pointer moves Hide pointer while typing Highlight the mouse location when the <Ctrl> key is

clicked

Mouse (Page 4)

The Wheel tab is used to control how far documents scroll for each click of the mouse wheel: Either a specific number of lines up or

down in the document … Or one page up or down

The Hardware tab for troubleshooting and updating the mouse device and driver

Network Connections

Manage all network connections Includes:

LAN (local area network) connections which is where the IP address information is entered for Internet connectivity

RAS WAN

Applet is discussed in Chapters 7 and 8

View or Update IP Address Data

To access the IP address screen in XP:1. Launch the Network Connections applet in

the Control Panel

2. Double-click on "Local Area Connection"

3. Click the <Properties> button

4. Select "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)" from the list and click the <Properties> button Or simply double-click the item in the list

5. View/enter IP and DNS server addresses (the group radio buttons must be on)

Activity 3-4: Configuring Windows XP for Standalone Use

Objective: Configure Windows XP to run as a standalone computer

Use System applet to specify that the computer is for home use Computer Name tab Network ID button Select "This computer is for home use and

is not part of a business network"

Phone and Modem Options

Define dialing locations Install and configure modems Configure Remote Access Service (RAS)

and Telephony API (TAPI) Applet is discussed in Chapter 8

Power Options (Page 1)

Power Schemes tab—to select from a drop-down list of named power scheme options: The "Settings for …" group allows setting

when to turn off the monitor and/or hard drives, as well as when to go into standby or hibernate mode

Separate settings exist for when machine is powered either plugged in or running on battery power

Power Options


Power Schemes tab—(con.): In standby mode, computer is running on lower

power with all data saved in RAM; in case of a power loss, all data is lost, but restarts quickly

In hibernate mode, system is saved to a temporary disk data file; when the system "awakes" previously running applications are restored completely, but takes longer

<Shift> + Standby manually places system into hibernation ???


Alarms tab—available only on portable machines with an internal battery: Settings alarm warning percentages for low

battery (typically 10%) and critical battery (typically 3%)

Power Meter tab—displays the power status of the AC plug (Is it plugged in?) and a meter showing how much battery power remains


Advanced tab—select to set any of the following options: A checkbox to select "Always show (power)

icon on the taskbar" A checkbox to select "Prompt for password

when computer resumes from standby" Drop-down lists to determine what happens

when power button is pressed, sleep button is pressed, lid on notebook is closed, i.e.

Turn off, hibernate, go into standby, etc.


Hibernate tab—select to turn on/off the hibernation feature (checkbox): Disk space requirements and availability

are displayed

Activity 3-5: Configuring Power Options

Objective: Learn how to configure power options

Follow instructions to create a power scheme named "Never Use"

Printers and Faxes

Install, share, and configure many types of output devices Printers, film printers, slide printers, faxes

Manage the print queue Folder where print jobs waiting for printer

to become available are stored into a file on disk

Applet is discussed in Chapter 9

Regional and Language Options (Page 1)

Regional Options tab—select to define location-specific uses or requirements for:

Numbers, currency, time and dates Click the <Customize> button for GUI wizards to

automate the process Languages tab—used to configure default

input language: An input locale—is a combination of language

and keyboard layout which defines how data is entered into computer

Regional and Language Options (Page 2)

Advanced tab—enables the configuration support for non-Unicode programs and conversion tables: For programming language interpreters

Scanners and Cameras

Install drivers Configure digital cameras and optical

scanners Plug and Play devices like a digital camera

plugged into a USB port may not require configuration using this applet

Scheduled Tasks

Automate starting and running of various tasks and applications

Add Scheduled Task Wizard Step-by-step scheduling Start by clicking the "Add Scheduled Task" icon

in the "Scheduled Task" window Can be moved from system to system

Define administrative actions or batch files on single computer

Place on client systems

Activity 3-6: Scheduling Tasks

Objective: Use Scheduled Tasks to automatically start an application at a specified time

Use Scheduled Tasks Wizard to launch application (Calc.exe) at scheduled time Necessary to enter Administrator password

Sounds and Audio Devices

Volume tab—set master volume for sound card and speakers

Sounds tab—assign specific sounds to different program events

Audio and Voice tabs—select and configure sound card and sound devices for recording and playback: Also (on the Audio tab) select which device will be

used for MIDI playback Hardware tab—set properties for and troubleshoot

all system audio devices

Activity 3-7: Custom Sound (Page 1)

Objective: Customize the sounds for different events on the computer

Use Sounds and Audio Devices applet to create custom sounds scheme: Select Sounds tab Sound Scheme: "Windows Default"—if

prompted to save previous—"No" Program Events: ProgramsAsterisk

Sounds: "(None)"

Activity 3-7: Custom Sound (Page 2)

Use Sounds and Audio Devices applet (con.): Program Events: ProgramsAsterisk

Sounds: Any sound you would like Click <Save As…> button

Name: "Windows Example 1" & <OK> Restart computer

Speech

Speech recognition tab—to convert the speaker's voice to text

Text-to-speech tab—capability reads and speaks document text: For Microsoft’s Speech API (SAPI)

compatible applications Distinct from the "Narrator" Accessibility

Accessory application

System (Page 1)

Most important of Control Panel applets Essential for Microsoft 70-270 exam

General tab—displays: O/S version and service pack level The registered user name and licensing Basic hardware information including the

CPU type and speed, and the amount of physical RAM

System (Page 2)

Computer Name tab—used to change computer name or to join domain network or a workgroup: Click the <Network ID> button to launch

the "Network Identification Wizard" to connect to a domain server

Click the <Change> button to change the system name, or alter domain or workgroup membership

System (Page 3)

Computer Name tab—(con.): May also be accessed from the Network

Connections applet on the "Advanced" menu by clicking <Network Identification>

Controls on this tab are discussed in Chapters 7 and 8

System (Page 4)

Hardware tab—select: <Add Hardware Wizard> button only if

Plug and Play, and device install disk fails <Driver Signing> button to set system

requirements for drivers that have not passed Microsoft Windows Hardware Quality Labs evaluation and tests

System (Page 5)

Hardware tab—(con.): <Device Manager> button to list and

manage all installed and known devices and to check any device's status

<Hardware Profiles> button to setup and store different hardware configurations

Driver signing, Device Manager, and Hardware profiles covered later in chapter

System (Page 6)

Advanced tab—select: Performance group—settings for optimizing

visual effects, processor scheduling, memory usage, and virtual memory

User Profiles group—set roaming or not Startup and Recovery group—control

machine behavior during startup as well as when it is recovering from a system error (covered later in chapter)

System (Page 7)

Advanced tab—(con.): Environment Variables button—view and

manage (covered later in chapter) Error Reporting button—enable or disable

(covered later in chapter)

System (Page 8)

System Restore tab—enable or disable, and select amount of disk space to use for this applet Discussed in Chapter 14

Automatic Updates tab—enable/disable the automatic downloading and installation of Windows XP updates Discussed in Chapter 14

System (Page 9)

Remote tab—enable, disable and configure: Remote Assistance—lets user at a remote

machine connect to your computer to walk you through a solution to a problem

Remote Desktop—gives you access to a Windows session on your computer from another machine

Both discussed in Chapter 7

Driver Signing (Page 1)

Driver signing identifies whether drivers have passed Microsoft Windows Hardware Quality Labs testing

Configuring the system's response to an unsigned driver is found on the Hardware tab of the System applet

Driver Signing (Page 2)

Options are: Ignore—install anyway Warn—prompt each time for an action Block—never install unsigned driver

The "Make this action the system default" checkbox allows administrator to make the option the default for all users


The button to launch "Device Manager" is found on the Hardware tab of the System applet

Lists all known devices and their status: A yellow exclamation point or stop sign

over device icon indicates a problem Double-click device icon to open its

Properties dialog window


General tab of the Properties dialog: Displays device type, manufacturer and its

location Click the <Troubleshoot…> button to

open a browser window and launch the "Windows XP Help and Support Center"

The "Device usage:" drop down list is used to enable or disable the device


Drive tab of the Properties dialog: Shows the filename and other information

about the device driver (software) Click <Driver Details…> button to view a

listing of all files that make up the driver, as well as information about each

Click <Update Driver…> button to launch the "Hardware Update Wizard"; it may be necessary to provide a disk with updated or replacement driver


Driver tab of the Properties dialog (con.): Click the <Roll Back Driver…> button to

uninstall updated or replacement driver if it presents problems

Click the <Uninstall> button to completely uninstall driver; still may be detected until system reboots


Resources tab of the Properties dialog: Shows device's resource settings (IRQ,

memory range, etc.) and indicates if any settings are in conflict with another device

Non-Plug and Play devices often have settings that in conflict with existing device

May be necessary to preset jumpers or dip switches, or re-configure device after it is installed

Activity 3-8: Managing Devices

Objective: Verify that there are no problems with the CD-ROM drive using Device Manager

Follow instructions to export Device Manager

During this activity, the missing video driver should be installed

Activity 3-9: Hardware Resource Configuration

Objective: Use Device Manager to verify and configure the resources for hardware

Follow instructions to set manual configuration for a device

Hardware Profiles (Page 1)

A collection of enabled hardware device specific to a situation Often used on portables where hardware

configurations may change from one location to another

Typically enables and disables network support, modems, external monitors, and docking stations


A hardware profile may be selected each time the system boots System will attempt to discover current

hardware each time it boots and match to an existing profile

If a match is not found, user will be prompted to select one from a list

Any changes made within Device Manager are made to the current hardware profile


The <Hardware Profiles> button is found on the Hardware tab of the System applet

Activity 3-10: Multiple Hardware Configurations

Objective: Use hardware profiles to set up different hardware configurations for a workstation

Follow instructions to create a new hardware profile

Activity 3-11: A Mobile Computer

Objective: Create a hardware profile that does not use a NIC

Create a new hardware profile that does not access a network via a NIC

Startup and Recovery (Page 1)

For defining startup parameters and how STOP errors are handled

Found on the Advanced tab of System applet


For the System startup group: Select the “Default Operating System” from a

drop-down menu The amount of time to display the operating

system options at system boot time may be selected

The amount of time to display recovery times also may be selected

Click the <Edit> button to work with the “BOOT.INI” file directly


The System failure group provides options to deal with full Windows crash Contents of virtual memory can be saved to a

dump file--can be enabled and be used to debug system or application problems

Other options are to send an alert to the administrator and to automatically restart

Specific type of dump and folder to save it in is selected in the Write debugging information group

Environmental Variables

Found on the Advanced tab of System applet

System wide and local user environment variables control how Windows operates

Error Reporting

On machines with Internet connectivity, systems can report anonymously if an error occurs

The <Error Reporting> button is found on the Advanced tab of System applet Enables/disables system reporting for Windows

XP and/or programs Click <Choose Programs…> button to select

all or specific programs

Advantageous to Microsoft, not the user

Taskbar and Start Menu (Page 1)

Taskbar tab—checkbox settings for: Locking (increase/decrease "Quick Launch" area size)

or auto-hiding the taskbar Keeping it on top of other windows Grouping similar applications together Showing "Quick Launch" (the one-click application

icons to the right of Start button) Display clock, or not Controls "Notification Area" (at right end of taskbar

where clock usually displays) Icons for background applications

Taskbar and Start Menu (Page 2)

Start Menu tab—for selecting between new Windows XP or Classic start menu

Applet also is launched by right-clicking "Start" button and selecting "Properties" from shortcut menu

User Accounts

Create and manage local user accounts, passwords, and .NET passports

Access the Local Users and Groups tool Part of Computer Management from

"Administrative Tools" Specify whether <Ctrl>+<Alt>+<Delete>

key sequence is required to log on Applet is discussed in Chapter 5

Microsoft Management Console Overview

Provides structured environment for consoles, snap-ins, and extensions

Provides consistent interface for all management tools MMC utilities are found mainly in Administrative

Tools Can also be used to create your own custom

consoles Settings and layout options can be stored as

an .msc file

The MMC Console

Like a document window Console tree in the left pane

Loaded snap-ins and extensions are listed Details pane in the right pane

Details associated with the active item from the console tree

Snap-Ins

Adds control mechanisms to the MMC console for specific service or object

Standalone snap-ins: Provide main functions for system

administration and control Extension snap-ins

Add functionality to standalone snap-ins

Activity 3-12: Microsoft Management Console

Objective: Create an MMC console for managing your computer's devices

Add the "Device Manager" snap-in Name the file "My Devices.msc"

Administrative Tools

Must have administrative privileges to use these tools: Component Services (used by application

developers) Data Sources (ODBC) Event Viewer (Chapter 10) Local Security Policy (Chapter 6) Performance (Chapter 10) Services (Chapter 15) Computer Management (an MMC utility)

PCMCIA Or PC Cards

PCMCIAs (Personal Computer Memory Card Interface Specification) cards are credit card-sized devices that can be: Memory expansions SCSI cards to connect portable hard drive Network interface cards (NICs) or modems

Automatically handled by Windows XP Best to use "Unplug" or "Eject hardware" icon in

notification area to release control and stop device's driver

Case Project 3-1 (Nos. 1, 2, 3), p. 130)

Windows XP System Utilities 70-270: MCSE Guide to Microsoft Windows XP Professional.

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Transcript of Windows XP System Utilities 70-270: MCSE Guide to Microsoft Windows XP Professional.