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A+ Training Manual
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Table of Contents
Section 1: Personal Computer Components................6
Fundamental PC Concepts......................................................6
Storage Devices..............................................................................6
Floppy Drives.........................................................................................6
Hard Disk Drives....................................................................................7
Hot-Swappable.....................................................................................................7
Hard Drive Connectors........................................................................................8
IDE (EIDE/PATA)...............................................................................................................8
SATA (Serial ATA)...............................................................................................................9
SCSI......................................................................................................................................9
Motherboards...............................................................................11
Processors (CPUs).......................................................................11
32-bit Processors..................................................................................11
64-bit Processors..................................................................................12
Multi-Core Processors..........................................................................12
RISC versus CISC................................................................................12
Memory........................................................................................12
DIMM Chips........................................................................................13
SDRAM DIMMs .................................................................................................13
DDR SDRAM (DDR1) DIMMs ..........................................................................13
DDR2 SDRAM DIMMs ......................................................................................14
Power Supplies............................................................................14
Installing a Power Supply.....................................................................14
Display Devices............................................................................14
External Monitors.................................................................................15
Input Devices...............................................................................15
Adapter Cards..............................................................................16
Ports and Cables..........................................................................17
USB......................................................................................................17
Other Types of Ports and Cables...........................................................18
Cooling Systems...........................................................................19
Liquid Cooling Systems.......................................................................19
Installing and Configuring PC Components.........................19
Internal Hard Drives...................................................................19
How to Install an IDE Hard Drive........................................................20
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Processor..............................................................................................30
Hard Drives..........................................................................................30
Expansion.............................................................................................31
CardBus................................................................................................32
User Input Devices...............................................................................32
Difference Between Desktop and Mobile Technologies............32
Installing, Configuring, and Upgrading Laptops..................33
Power Management.....................................................................33
BIOS ACPI...........................................................................................33
Suspend, Hibernate, Standby................................................................33
Hot Swappable versus Non-Hot Swappable Devices.................34
Troubleshooting Issues with Laptops...................................34
Diagnosing Problems..................................................................34
Monitor Issues.............................................................................35
Stylus Issues.................................................................................35
Preventative Maintenance and Laptops................................35
Preventative Maintenance Techniques.......................................35
Section 3: Operating Systems.....................................36
Operating System Fundamentals..........................................36
Differences Between Operating System Platforms....................36
Windows..............................................................................................36
Linux....................................................................................................39
OS Components...........................................................................42
Core Services........................................................................................42
File System..........................................................................................................43
Virtual Memory...................................................................................................43
The Registry........................................................................................................44
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT..................................................................................................45
HKEY_CURRENT_USER.................................................................................................45
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE..............................................................................................45
HKEY_USERS....................................................................................................................45
HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG............................................................................................45
Registry Files......................................................................................................................45
Editing the Registry..............................................................47
Windows Interface Components.................................................48
Windows Explorer................................................................................49
My Computer.......................................................................................51
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My Documents.....................................................................................52
The Recycle Bin...................................................................................52
Control Panel........................................................................................53
Command Prompt.................................................................................54
My Network Places..............................................................................56
Task Bar and System Tray....................................................................56
Start Menu............................................................................................56
Operating System Files...............................................................59
BOOT.INI............................................................................................59
NTLDR................................................................................................64
NTDETECT.COM...............................................................................64
NTBOOTDD.SYS................................................................................65
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Storage Devices
Storage devices are hardware which is used to store files and data. This includes floppy disk drives
(FDD), hard disk drives (HDD), CD & DVD drives (Optical drives), and all sorts of removable storage –
thumb drives, flash drives, SD cards, memory sticks, tape backup drives, USB drives.
In this section, we need to identify what each type of storage is and what characteristics each has.
Floppy Drives
Ok, raise your hand if you have a newer computer with a floppy drive in it? Anyone? Anyone? Ok,
maybe a few of you do, but floppy drives are a technology which has gone by the wayside. Several years
back, Dell made the decision to cut out floppy drives. The other manufacturers were quick to follow.
There are two primary types of floppy drives that existed in the early years of the PC industry: 3-1/2” and
5-1/4”. If you can find a PC in your company which has a 5-1/4” floppy drive, I give you props – and a
recommendation to clean out your old PCs. 5-1/4” floppy drives have been gone from mainstream PCs.
Unfortunately, a few 3-1/2” floppy drives still exist so we have to discuss them here.
The images above show a 3-1/2” floppy and a 5-1/4” floppy. The 3-1/2” floppy has a hard outside shell
while the 5-1/4” floppy was, well, floppy. In the early days of tech support, the 3-1/2” floppy was often
referred to by users as a “hard disk” – because they just didn’t know any better.
Note from the Field: If you have a few floppies still lying around, keep them, they can be very useful. I
was consulting with a client the other day who had several old Compaq ProLiant servers. Compaq
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ProLiants come with a nice setup utility called SmartStart. Due to the age of this equipment, I had to use
an older version of SmartStart which required a floppy disk to setup Windows. Guess what I couldn’t
find? I ended up rummaging through some boxes in my basement and finding an old driver disk I could
reformat for the server setup.
Hard drives come in many different physical sizes, speeds, and connector types. The guts of a hard drive
are all basically the same: it contains one or more platters with a head which reads data. You will often
hear speed described in RPM: 5400RPM, 7200RPM, 10,000RPM, and even 15,000RPM. The higher the
number, the faster the drive spins the platter and can read data. Typically you will only see 10,000RPM
(also called 10K) and 15,000RPM (15k) drives in servers or high-end workstations.
Speed is also measured by the data transfer speeds which is limited by the type of connector the hard
drive uses. We will discuss speeds with each connector section.
Hot-Swappable
Most Hard Drives are fixed inside desktop PCs, but servers frequently contain hot-swappable hard
drives. A hot-swappable drive is mounted inside a special drive cage which can be pulled out and
replaced while the server is on. You don’t want to remove a hard drive from a desktop PC while it is still
running!
Hot-swappable drives are important in servers as uptime is extremely important. Most server
configurations use some sort of redundant drives (RAID technology) to have data spread across multiple
drives.
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In a RAID 5 configuration, for example, you can have one drive fail and the data will be safe. A hot-
swappable drive can be replaced and rebuilt in the array without shutting down the server.
IDE (EIDE/PATA)
For years, IDE and its successor EIDE were the most popular drive adapter types on the market. It is still
in use and is frequently used to connect CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drives even if your system has SATA
or SCSI for the hard drives.
ATA-2: Sold as Fast ATA or Enhanced IDE (EIDE), ATA-2 supports block transfers and logical block
addressing.
ATA/66: Developed by Quantum and supported by Intel, doubles ATA throughput to 66 Mbps.
Whereas the ATA drives use a 4 pin molex power connector, most SATA drives use a new flat style
power cable.
SCSI
Small Computer System Interface, or SCSI, has been around for a long time in the computer industry.
Once the only interface on Apple Macintosh systems and still used in a variety of servers and
workstations, SCSI is a very reliable and fast connector which is frequently used in RAID configurations
with multiple hard drives for redundancy.
Maximum
1 x 68-pin
(SCSI-3)
Ultra SCSI (SCSI-3 20 MHz (8-
IDC50 20 MB/s 1.5-3 m NA 25m 8
SPI) bits)
Ultra Wide SCSI 20 MHz (16-
68-pin 40 MB/s 1.5-3 m NA 25m 16
(SCSI-3 SPI) bits)
Ultra2 SCSI (SCSI-3 40 MHz (8-
50-pin 40 MB/s NA 12m 25m 8
SPI) bits)
Ultra2 Wide SCSI 68-pin; 80-pin 40 MHz (16-
80 MB/s NA 12m 25m 16
(SCSI-3 SPI) (SCA/SCA-2) bits)
Ultra3 SCSI (SCSI-3 68-pin; 80-pin 40 MHz DDR
160 MB/s NA 12m NA 16
SPI) (SCA/SCA-2) (16-bits)
68-pin; 80-pin 80 MHz DDR
Ultra-320 SCSI 320 MB/s NA 12m NA 16
(SCA/SCA-2) (16-bits)
160 MHz
Ultra-640 SCSI 68-pin; 80-pin DDR (16- 640 MB/s 16
bits)
Table 1: Parallel SCSI Versions, retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCSI
SCSI comes with a variety of connectors, both internal and external. The table above describes some of
the connectors based on which version of SCSI you are using.
One of the primary differences between SCSI and ATA adapters is the number of devices one port
supports. SCSI supports either 8 or 16 devices, depending on the version you are using, with the SCSI
adapter card being one device. Each device has a unique SCSI ID in the chain, from 0-7 or 0-15. The
SCSI host adapter is typically SCSI ID 7 – the ID with the highest priority on a narrow (8 device) or wide
(16 device) host adapter.
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Motherboards
The motherboard, or system board, contains the central processing unit (CPU), BIOS, other processing
chips, memory, IO device connections, expansion slots, and more. Over the years, the motherboard has
increasingly taken more functions from what was historically installed as expansion cards. For example,
many computers you buy today have all of your typical input connectors (keyboard, mouse, USB), and
added in Firewire (IEEE1394), video, network, audio (input and output), IDE, SCSI, SATA, and more.
The primary purpose of the motherboard is to process instructions from the operating system and
applications. The processing is performed by the CPU which we will discuss in the next section. The
motherboard stores active information in the memory and facilitates sending data to the hard drives
through the drive interface.
Motherboards are not typically considered a field replaceable unit by consumers, but is replaceable by a
certified vendor technician. A field replaceable unit is a component which is able to replaced in the field
– not requiring the computer be sent in to be repaired. For example, a hard drive is replaceable while a
CPU is not.
There are many different motherboard vendors and thousands of different types of motherboards. A
motherboard is unique to a certain chipset and family of processor. For example, a vendor might create
one motherboard which is compatible with the Intel Socket 370 series of chips and a different
motherboard which is compatible with AMD’s AM2 Sempron series of chips.
Processors (CPUs)
Processors, or Central Processing Units (CPUs), are the chips that are at the core of the computer system
and process instructions and direct information between all of the other chips, memory, and storage
systems on the computer.
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There are two main CPU manufacturers: Intel and AMD. Each has a full line of 32-bit and 64-bit
processors. There are other CPU manufacturers such as IBM, Motorola, and VIA, but each of these is
small market share or specialized for a specific purpose (e.g. IBM/Motorola PowerPC in the old PPC line
of Macintosh computers). VIA (Cyrix) makes Intel-compatible chips, but is a small player compared to
Intel and AMD.
32-bit Processors
Most computers built in the last decade, and a majority of those being built today, use a 32-bit processor.
The Intel compatible 32-bit chips are often referred to as “32-bit x86 architectures.” Intel licensed early
32-bit chips to other manufacturers but declined to license the Pentium models, so AMD and Cyrix began
designing their own 32-bit chips.
64-bit Processors
AMD introduced the first 32-bit backwards compatible architecture, the AMD64, in September 2003.
Intel subsequently released their version of x86-64 chips and 64-bit chips were brought to the Windows
desktop. The AMD and Intel chips can run 32-bit software, but Microsoft, Apple, and Linux has
Operating Systems written to run in native 64-bit code. Microsoft calls their OSes Windows XP 64-bit
edition and Windows Vista x64. One of the big differences between the 64-bit edition and 32-bit edition
is the use of device drivers. The 64-bit editions of the Windows OS required native 64-bit signed device
drivers to recognize and properly use hardware. If you are running a system with hardware with no 64-bit
drivers, you may run into problems.
Multi-Core Processors
If you wanted to increase the speed of a computer, you could install multiple processors. Running
multiple processors is an expensive proposition and required you to have a motherboard designed for it.
Additionally, if you have a one processor machine and add a second processor, you will need to reinstall
the Operating System for the system to function properly. If you want to upgrade your computer to dual
processors, you must reinstall Windows as the HAL is based on the number of processors you have in
your machine.
Microprocessor manufacturers wanted to get more performance out of their chips so they began
designing chips with multiple microprocessors in one chip. By 2007, it is very common to see desktops,
laptops and servers with a dual-core processor – one which has two microprocessing cores in it. Quad-
core, or chips with four processors, are becoming increasingly common in datacenters and specialized
workstations.
Some high end manufacturers, such as Sun Microsystems, build systems with 8-core CPUs.
Memory
Memory is referring to RAM, or Random Access Memory. RAM is a
volatile type of computer data storage. RAM are integrated circuits which
can be accessed “randomly” – the data stored on the chips is accessed in
any order.
RAM is volatile – it loses the data stored on it when the computer is turned
off – versus hard drive storage which is non-volatile, turn off the computer
and the data isn’t lost.
RAM is used for storing the working area of the OS, applications, and
data. RAM comes in memory “sticks” which insert into slots on the
motherboard. RAM can be removed and upgraded very easily – and
depending on the type of memory, could be upgraded a chip at a time.
Other upgrade configurations include upgrading two chips at a time or
four chips at a time.
As an IT technician, you will need to learn the differences between types
of RAM and the technologies they use to ensure you properly upgrade or
switch out memory in PCs.
A RAM module is the gum-pack size chip which plugs into the motherboard. On the RAM module, there
are several memory chips.
DIMM Chips
A DIMM, or Dual Inline Memory Chip, is a major type of memory which is replacing SIMM, or single
in-line memory modules. SIMMs have a 32-bit data path while DIMMs have a 64-bit data path. Most
new chips have at least a 64-bit bus width, so it would require two “matched” SIMMs, versus a single 64-
bit DIMM.
The most common types of DIMMs are:
72-pin DIMM, used for FPM DRAM and EDO DRAM
72-pin SO-DIMM, used for FPM DRAM and EDO DRAM
100-pin DIMM, used for printer SDRAM
144-pin SO-DIMM, used for SDR SDRAM
168-pin DIMM, used for SDR SDRAM (less frequently for FPM/EDO DRAM in
workstations/servers)
184-pin DIMM, used for DDR SDRAM
200-pin SO-DIMM, used for DDR SDRAM and DDR2 SDRAM
240-pin DIMM, used for DDR2 SDRAM and FB-DIMM DRAM
For various technologies, there are certain bus and device clock frequencies that are standardized. There
is also a decided nomenclature for each of these speeds for each type.
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SDRAM DIMMs
These first synchronous registered DRAM DIMMs had the same bus frequency for data, address and
control lines.
PC66 = 66 MHz
PC100 = 100 MHz
PC133 = 133 MHz
Power Supplies
A computer power supply unit (PSU) is the component which converts AC electrical power into DC
power of various voltages used inside the PC. The PSU converts 100-120V American AC power or
220-240 European AC power into low voltage DC power. Some power supplies automatically sense and
convert between European and American voltage, some have manual switches, so do not work with
different power sources.
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Power supplies are rated by their maximum power – generally from 200 watt to 500 watt. Workstations
and high end gaming PCs have power supplies near the upper end of the range, while small form factor
and inexpensive PCs are down towards the lower end.
Display Devices
There are two types of display devices you should be familiar with: notebook screens and external
monitors.
Notebook screens are typically LCD and are measured by the diagonal length of the screen. Screen sizes
range from several inches to 17” widescreen on most commonplace laptops. Screen resolutions vary, but
that is much less of a concern now than it has been in the past.
External Monitors
CRT Monitors
For years, Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitors were standard and very few people could afford an LCD
screen like a laptop uses. Over the past several years, LCD has become the predominant type of external
monitor – it’s hard to even find a CRT monitor (though I have a couple in the basement you can have!).
CRT monitors are known for their size and bulk, but have great picture and color quality. It took several
years for LCD to catch up – and exceed – CRT monitors. CRT monitors range in size from old 12” to
24” and larger.
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LCD Monitors
Over the last several years, LCD monitors have become very commonplace and are loved by consumers
for their small size and low weight. At one time LCD monitors were very pricey as compared to CRT
monitors, but the price gap has narrowed so much as to not be a significant factor any longer.
You must be more careful with an LCD monitor as it is easier to damage than a CRT monitor.
Input Devices
Input devices are all of those accessories you use to input data to your computer including keyboards,
mice, pen tablets, joysticks, etc.
Installing a keyboard mouse is as simple as plugging it in and turning on the computer to let the operating
system recognize it. On older systems, a keyboard and mouse may use the PS/2 style connectors, while
more newer systems (and newer input devices) use USB.
Installing a Scanner
A scanner is also an input device. A scanner can be connected via several different I/O ports including
USB, SCSI, and parallel.
Most parallel port scanners have two parallel ports on the back – one to the computer and one which acts
as a passthru to your printer. Parallel port scanners often require driver software to get them to function
properly which should be included with the scanner.
A USB scanner just requires a USB cable from the scanner to one of the open USB ports on your
computer. In the illustration above, A illustrates the USB cable end to the scanner while B shows the end
connecting to your PC. Some USB scanners are plug’n’play with no driver software needed, while others
require Windows drivers to operate correctly.
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For SCSI scanners, you must follow the manufacturer’s directions to install. One thing to note for the
exam is that the scanner, like all SCSI devices, must be part of a properly terminated SCSI chain. If it is
the last SCSI device and is not properly terminated, the SCSI devices in your system will not function
correctly.
Adapter Cards
Most newer systems have plenty of ports for every day use, but you may find yourself upgrading, adding,
or replacing adapter cards in a variety of situations in a professional capacity. This may include adding
additional USB ports, adding a Firewire (IEEE1394) port, or adding a new sound card into a system.
Attached your ESD strap to your wrist. Open the case of the computer.
Identify an open slot for the adapter card. If there is a slot cover, remove it.
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Insert the adapter card and press firmly into the slot. Close the case of the computer. Follow the
manufacturer’s directions for properly installing the device drivers.
USB
Universal Serial Bus, or USB, is the new standard for peripheral connection to PCs. USB is a jack of all
trades – handling a wide variety of input devices and storage devices including external hard drives,
keyboards, mice, scanners, printers, PDAs, digital cameras, USB devices range from scanners to printers
to storage devices.
Because of the ability to handle multiple types of devices easily, systems are moving towards also
complete ubiquity of USB ports and devices are moving toward using only USB for connectivity. I
recently bought a system where its only input ports are USB and Firewire.
There are two standard versions for USB: 1.1 and 2.0. 2.0 is backward compatible with 1.1 (it supports
1.1 devices) but has a much faster data transfer speed. USB 1.1 supports data transfer up to 12 mbps
while USB 2.0 supports data transfer speeds of up to 480 Mbits per second. USB 3.0 will bring us
transfer speeds of up to 4.8 Gbits per second. Each PC supports up to 127 devices.
DB-9 is a standard connection for a COM cable (serial cable). Contains 9 pins.
DB-25
DB-25 is the other standard connection for Serial cables. Serial communications only use 9
of the available 25 pins.
Parallel (IEEE 1284)
A 25 pin connector on the computer side and a 36 pin connector on the printer side. Most
printers are moving to a standard Ethernet or USB connection.
RJ-11
RJ-11 is a standard telephone type connection. It is 4 or 6 wire and some networking
equipment has used RJ-11, though RJ-45 is more common.
RJ-45
RJ-45 is the most popular network cable/connection type. RJ-45 is similar to the RJ-11
type connector, though it has 8 wires.
BNC
BNC is a type of network connection most commonly used in 10 Base 2 networks. BNC is
primarily used with a coaxial cable.
PS2/MINI-DIN
PS2 is a standard developed by IBM for keyboards, mice, and input devices. Uses a DIN
connection with 6 pins.
IEEE 1394
IEEE 1394 is the standard for what is commonly referred to as “Firewire”. Apple
Computer coined the term when they began adding Firewire ports to their Macintosh
computers.
IEEE 1394, or Firewire, is a high speed connector for data intensive applications such as video editing or
external storage devices. Standard Firewire supports up to 400 Mbits per second transfer while newer
Firewire/800 supports 800 Mbits/second. Each PC can support up to 63 Firewire devices.
Cooling Systems
PCs generate a lot of heat – the CPU, hard drive, video card, processing chips, etc. put out a ton of heat in
a small enclosed space. The computer system must properly maintain a reasonable temperature or things
could – literally – melt down. There are several different type of cooling systems available for PCs with
two primary methods: air and liquid.
The most common cooling method is a series of fans designed to blow heat away from heatsinks on the
CPU and video cards – the two biggest heat generators in the system.
Liquid cooling uses water or another liquid to cool the system and maintain proper temperatures.
Formatting Drives
Before you can use your new hard drive, you need to format it. You can format it several different ways.
First, you need to create a new partition in Windows XP or Windows Vista.
Creating a Partition
1. Open Computer Management – right click on My Computer and select Manage.
6. Select your partition size – unless you want multiple partitions, leave it as is and click Next.
System Imaging
System Imaging is the process by which you make an exact copy of one system onto another. For
example, if you are in a large corporate environment, you may create one system image for your desktop
which you then want to deploy to all of the systems you buy – ensuring continuity from one system to the
next and saving time. Can you imagine how much time it would take to setup thousands of workstations,
install an operating system, install all of the applications, and configure each system?
With system imaging, you setup one computer with the operating system, drives, applications, and
configuration you want, save the image, and then you can deploy it multiple times.
There are several different types of systems which allow you to perform this imaging: the most popular
are Ghost and Microsoft SMS.
Sysprep
Sysprep is a tool from Microsoft which prepares a system for imaging after it has been configured.
Sysprep is required because Microsoft assigns a system ID (SID) to a computer when the OS is installed.
This SID is used in a variety of security situations and needs to be different for each computer. If you
were to just image a computer and apply it to thousands of new computers, each workstation would have
the same SID which may cause problems in your network and on your domain. Sysprep prepares the
computer to assign a new SID on bootup and does a variety of other configuration things to prepare the
computer for imaging. Sysprep is free and available in the Microsoft deployment tools on the corporate
Windows XP or Vista discs.
The graphic shown is a typical monitor control panel which appears superimposed on whatever is current
displayed on your monitor. In the monitor control panel, you can control brightness, contrast, color
settings, monitor settings, and audio (for monitors with built-in speakers).
You can control the settings of your display and which display to use as your primary (when you have
multiple monitors) in this control panel.
LCD Projectors
When you plug an LCD projector into a laptop computer, you must often activate the external monitor
port. This typically requires you to press a key combination on the keyboard.
On Dell Laptops, Function+F8 cycles through the monitor combinations including internal only, external
only, and both on.
On Compaq/HP/Gateway models, Function+F4 cycles through the monitor combinations.
Troubleshooting PC Problems
Troubleshooting Problems
As an IT technician, troubleshooting PC problems will be one of your core job responsibilities.
Troubleshooting is both art and science and you can learn how to do it. Troubleshooting also happens to
be why many of us sign up for jobs in IT and enjoy the day to day – troubleshooting and diagnosing
problems excites us!
Diagnostic Procedures
Communicate
The first step in diagnosing a problem is to communicate with the user. Determine exactly what the user
believes the problem is – this will go a long way in determining the true issue and how to best resolve it.
The user may describe a symptom to the problem and not the actual problem. For example, a user might
say:
“I’ve got a 6:00pm flight to catch and this stupid printer won’t spit out my document. I need this
document before I go and I need to go!”
The real issue is that the user needs the document printer so she can run out the door. Spending several
hours troubleshooting why the particular printer/document won’t print won’t help her – instead, getting
the document printed and then getting the overall problem fixed is the right order – get her the document
so she can get out the door, then fix the root problem!
Alternatively, the user might say something like this:
“I can’t get my email!”
When really, the problem is the user isn’t even connected to the network. By identifying what the user
believes the problem is also helps in one other way – it puts some constraints on what you have to do so
you do not get stuck fixing every possible thing on his machine without solving the one thing he wants
you to fix.
You should ask the user probing questions to determine the scope of the problem:
When did the problem start?
How often does the problem occur?
Do you remember adding any software or hardware before the problem occurred?
Can you re-create the problem for me?
Does it happen in certain applications or at certain times?
These questions can help narrow down what the problem is.
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In this example, we start at the general problem, “No Network Connectivity”, and then increasingly get
more detailed throughout troubleshooting. We may have gone in a different direction at one point, but
eventually, we troubleshoot enough potential problems to find the core problem.
Real World Example
There was once a situation where we were troubleshooting a network connectivity issue. A user couldn’t
connect to the network. We went through a troubleshooting process of identify the problem from a “large
circle” perspective and determined the problem could be in any of these areas:
• Network Issue (e.g. bad switch, bad wall port, DHCP server down)
• Network Cabling Issue (bad patch cable, bad cable on the back end)
• PC Network Interface Card (bad card, bad port, wrong card settings)
• Software Issue (bad driver, incorrect configuration settings, Windows issue)
We worked on this issue for awhile and decided the user had a bad cable and replaced it. The problem
still occurred and we searched for another solution. Several troubleshooting steps later and we came back
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around to it being a cable issue. Again, we replaced the new cable with no resolution to the problem.
After much more troubleshooting, we replaced the cable a third time and the problem was resolved!
We had a bad original cable and two bad replacement cables. No matter how obvious you think the
solution is – and think it can’t be that simple – try it anyways! You never know when the solution isn’t
just sitting in front of you. I often find in troubleshooting that the most simple explanation is usual the
right one.
Web Research
The next step is to research the issue using the Internet. There are hundreds of good knowledge bases and
forums out there for you to use in research, but quite frankly, it comes down to Google.com and
Microsoft.com. These two resources will help you find the answer to almost any problem.
Actually, in my many years in IT, I have only had one problem which we were unable to use the Internet
to find a solution. We found one user in Germany who had a similar problem to ours and no answer on
the forum. Unfortunately, he didn’t reply to our emails so we ended up troubleshooting the problem for
weeks until we found a solution.
Otherwise, the Google has always been the best resource to find a solution.
It is often the case that how you phrase your search term will depend on if you find the answer to your
problem or not. You might try several different versions of your search term to see what results come up.
I have found that Microsoft’s internal search engine is lacking. To find something in Microsoft’s
knowledge base, try this search term:
Site:Microsoft.com inurl:kb my search phrase
You should also be aware that many hardware vendors have extensive knowledge bases and forums on
their sites. Some are better than others, but all have great information to help track down your problem.
Hardware Troubleshooting
If the problem is related to hardware, there may be some obvious clues as to what the issue is. For
example, if the computer is beeping during POST, you are dealing with a hardware issue.
Exam Moment
One of the frequently asked questions on the exam involves a computer system continually losing time
setting. This is often caused by a CMOS battery which has lost its charge. Replace the CMOS battery and
the computer will start retaining its time settings.
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Preventative Maintenance
Preventative maintenance is work you perform to prevent future problems from occurring. Preventative
maintenance could include:
• Vacuuming the interior of a desktop PC for dust
• Replacing frayed or old cables
• Hardware driver updates
• Firmware updates
• Cleaning equipment
• Software updates
• Hard drive defragmentation
• Microsoft Windows Security updates
• Antivirus software updates
• Mouse trackball cleaning
• Keyboard cleaning
These are just some of the examples of preventative maintenance you can perform on computer
equipment you service.
You should schedule preventative maintenance for machines you work with. This maintenance could
include any number of the tasks we discussed above, but commonly include cleaning and software
updates.
When you do perform preventative maintenance, you should only use approved cleaning solutions and
materials, such as canned air for cleaning our keyboards or monitor wipes for cleaning monitors.
Preventative maintenance should occur in a static free environment with the technician using ESD straps
to prevent electrostatic discharge which will ruin electronic equipment.
In this section, you will learn about mobile technologies, how they make laptop computers function,
primary differences between desktop computers and laptops, upgrading laptop computers, diagnosing
problems on laptop computers, and preventative maintenance techniques with laptops.
Fundamentals of Laptops
Laptop Technologies
Battery
One of the most obvious differences between a laptop and a desktop computer is the ability to use a
laptop where you do not have an AC outlet. Battery technology has evolved over the past decade from
manufacturers primarily using NiCad batteries to new Lithium Ion and NiMH batteries. Newer batteries
(such as the ones in Apple’s portable computers) can get five or more hours of use – versus older NiCad
batteries where you were lucky to get two hours!
Alkaline
You know alkaline batteries by the common ones you use everyday – AA, AAA, C, D are all Alkaline
batteries. Alkaline batteries are frequently used in PDAs, but not used in laptops or notebooks.
Memory Effect
You’ve probably heard the term “memory effect” before. Memory effect describes batteries which lose
some of their ability to charge over time. Some batteries, such as NiCad batteries, require an occasional
drain to 0% or 1% to be able to be fully recharged. If, over the life of using your battery, you consistently
let the battery get down to about 50% charge, then recharge it, over time the battery has “memory effect”
and is not able to be fully charged. Users with laptops with NiCad batteries should be informed that they
need to frequently let the battery run down to 0% charge before recharging.
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Exam Moment
Which of the three primary laptop battery types – NiCad, NiMH, and Li-Ion – is considered the best?
Answer: Li-Ion. Its combination of light weight and good performance outweighs the other two. It is the
most expensive of the three, but by far, the best option.
AC Adapter
Notebook computers use an AC Adapter to charge the battery and run the computer while the battery is
being charged. There are two primary type of AC Adapters: built-in and brick-style. A built-in AC
adapter is integrated into the laptop itself and only requires a cable to the AC outlet. A brick style AC
adapter is an external “brick-shaped” adapter which must be used to power the laptop.
LCD Screen
LCD screens have evolved since the early laptops with a monochrome screen to ones of vibrant color and
high resolution. Newer (high end) laptops ditch LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) in favor of newer low
power LED screens.
As a popular choice for desktops and laptops, support for LCD monitors has become ubiquitous in IT
support departments.
You should be aware of two types of color LCD screen technologies: active matrix and passive matrix.
Active Matrix: Active Matrix displays use at least one transistor per pixel on the screen. This allows the
electrical charge per pixel be held longer and provides vibrant and fast LCD screens. Active Matrix is
also known as a Thin Film Transistor (TFT) display.
Passive Matrix: Passive Matrix monitors have one transistor per horizontal row and one per vertical
column on the display. The monitor sends an electrical signal across one row and down one column,
where they intersect, it displays a pixel. This produces much lower quality images and a slower display.
Though you need to be aware of the two types of LCD screens for the exam, almost all laptop
manufacturers have moved to using Active Matrix at the very least.
Video Adapter
Just like a desktop computer, the laptop computer has a video adapter. It is frequently much smaller in
size than on a desktop computer and often is built-in to the motherboard on the system.
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System Board
The system board in a laptop is designed for two things: small size and heat dissipation. Two of the
major problems laptop manufacturers have is how to fit all of the components into the laptop and how to
handle the tremendous heat CPUs, video chips, memory, and hard drives produce.
The system board commonly contains all of the chips required for the system to run and interface. These
include the video adapter, sound card, networking, expansion port circuitry, and more.
Laptop Motherboard
As you can see in the picture, the laptop motherboard looks very similar to a desktop motherboard. At the
upper left handcorner, you see where the processor plugs into the system. Just below that is where the
memory is inserted.
Memory
Laptop memory is similar to desktop memory, though smaller in size.
Due to size constraints, most laptops support only one or two memory slots limiting the total amount of
memory you can run in the laptop. Most laptops support a maximum of 2GB of RAM.
Processor
Some laptop computer use desktop processors, though most use processors designed for the high demand
of mobile computing. The primary problem with desktop processors is the amount of heat they generate.
A desktop computer can use a series of heat sinks and fans to dissipate the heat which is not possible in a
notebook computer due to size constraints. As processor manufacturers develop faster and faster chips,
they find the chips produce more and more heat which is extremely difficult to offset.
Processor manufacturers (such as Intel) design mobile chips to use less power and often run at a slower
speed than their desktop cousins.
Most processors are not field replaceable for laptops and instead need to be replaced by a computer
manufacturer authorized technician.
Hard Drives
Laptop computers use a smaller form factor of hard drive than their desktop counterparts. Mobile hard
drives are typically 2.5” in size, versus a 3.5” in size for desktop computers. Because of their smaller
physical size, laptop hard drives trail desktop hard drives in the amount of storage they can contain.
Whereas in early 2008 desktop hard drives have reached 1 terabyte in size, laptop hard drives are maxed
out at 250GB. Most manufacturers put 500-750GB hard drives in desktops while most laptop
manufacturers build notebooks with 80-120GB drives.
Expansion
Expansion of a laptop usually takes one of two connections: PCMCIA or USB.
A PCMCIA slot is an expansion slot accepting standard cards about the size of 20 business cards stacked.
As a computing standard, PCMCIA cards come in a wide variety of purposes including TV tuners,
network adapters, cellular cards, or sound cards.
Almost all notebook computers (less some ultra-lightweight computers) support PCMCIA expansion
cards. The PCMCIA association has since renamed the card as a “PC Card” .
There are several types of PCMCIA cards, described below from Wikipedia’s PCMCIA description
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC_card):
All PC Card devices use an identical 68 pin dual row connecting interface. All are 85.6 mm long and
54.0 mm wide. This is the same size as a credit card. The form factor is also used by the Common
Interface form of Conditional Access Modules for DVB broadcasts.
The original standard was defined for both 5 volt and 3.3 volt cards. The 3.3 V cards have a key on the
side to protect them from being damaged by being put into a 5 V-only slot. Some cards and some slots
operate at both voltages as needed. The original standard was built around an 'enhanced' 16-bit ISA bus
platform.
Type I
Cards designed to the original specification (version 1.x) are type I and feature a 16-bit interface. They
are 3.3 mm thick. Type-I PC Card devices are typically used for memory devices such as RAM, flash
memory, OTP, and SRAM cards.
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Type II
Type-II PC Card devices feature a 16- or 32-bit interface. They are 5.4 mm thick. Type-II cards
introduced I/O support, allowing devices to attach an array of peripherals or to provide connectors/slots
to interfaces for which the host computer had no built-in support. For example, many modem, network
and TV cards use this form factor. Due to their thinness, most Type II interface cards feature miniature
interface connectors on the card which are used together with a dongle; a short cable that adapts from the
card's miniature connector to an external full-size connector.
Type III
Type-III PC Card devices are 16-bit or 32-bit. These cards are 10.5 mm thick, allowing them to
accommodate devices with components that would not fit type I or type II height. Examples are hard disk
drive cards, and interface cards with full-size connectors that do not require dongles (as is commonly
required with type II interface cards).
Type IV
Type-IV cards, introduced by Toshiba, have not been officially standardized or sanctioned by the
PCMCIA. These cards are 16 mm thick.
CardBus
CardBus are PCMCIA 5.0 or later (JEIDA 4.2 or later) 32-bit PCMCIA devices, introduced in 1995 and
present in laptops from late 1997 onward. CardBus is effectively a 32-bit, 33 MHz PCI bus in the PC
Card form factor. CardBus includes bus mastering, which allows a controller on the bus to talk to other
devices or memory without going through the CPU. Many chipsets are available for both PCI and
CardBus, such as those that support Wi-Fi.
The notch on the left hand front of the device is slightly shallower on a CardBus device, so a 32-bit
device cannot be plugged into a slot that can only accept 16-bit devices. Most new slots are compatible
with both CardBus and the original 16-bit PC Card devices.
The speed of CardBus interfaces in 32 bit burst mode depends on the transfer type; in byte mode it is 33
MB/s, in Word mode it is 66 MB/s, and in DWord mode it is 132 MB/s.
Notebook computers use power management to control the amount of power it uses to increase battery
life time. Power management does a combination of things, including slowing down the hard drive,
dimming the monitor, and throttling down the processor to reduce power usage.
Mobile computers are also more likely to use wifi than desktop computers. Since the computer is more
mobile, it is likely to have wireless networking built-in to take advantage of wireless hotspots and
corporate wireless implementations.
In Windows XP, you have an option to select Standby when you choose to shut down the computer.
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In Windows Vista, you can set your computer to Sleep or Hibernate via the shutdown menu in the Start
menu.
Though hardware may be hot swappable, it is a good idea to use Window’s Safely Remove Hardware
utility to stop the device before removal. The icon is found in the status bar when you have a hot
swappable device (such as a USB hard drive) connected.
Many laptop manufacturers have a status light available on the battery to determine its charge. The
example above is from a Dell battery and shows you the strength of the battery.
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Third, you should remove unneeded peripherals when troubleshooting problems. Things such as external
hard drives, printers, scanners, mice, external monitors can be removed to thoroughly troubleshoot the
problem.
Fourth, you should toggle the Fn keys and lock keys, suck has NumLock, ScrollLock, or other function
keys on your laptop. There is a common problem with users who have numlock on and try to enter a
password.
Fifth, if you are experiencing a monitor issue, try issuing the function keys which rotate the display
between the internal and external monitors (e.g. Function+F4).
These are steps you should understand when troubleshooting problems with notebook computers.
Monitor Issues
You might also experience problems with the LCD screen on the laptop. LCD screens could have
backlight or pixilation issues. The backlight is the light which makes your LCD screen bright. If it is not
functioning, the screen will be very dull. Pixilation issues occur when individuals pixels on the monitor
have a problem or are dead.
Stylus Issues
On Tablet PC notebook computers, you use a stylus to act as a mouse and for handwriting input. This
stylus may malfunction or operate incorrectly. If you are experiencing stylus issues, check to see the
battery inside the stylus has power. Next, run the calibration utility included with the computer to
calibrate the stylus to the screen.
The cooling pad uses several fans to move heat away from the laptop. It usually uses DC power via a
USB plugin.
Second, you need to be aware that you should only use approved cleaning solutions for notebook
monitors and hardware. Compressed air should be used to clean out the keyboard and LCD monitor
wipes can be used to clean the screen.
Finally, you should be aware that laptop computers should be shipped and transported in containers
designed for them. This will reduce the chance for breakage during shipment.
Windows
As you already know, Microsoft Windows is the dominant Operating System in terms of market share.
Currently, Windows holds a commanding lead of around 90% of the PC OS market.
Microsoft Windows has been around since the early 90s, but today’s OS barely resembles Windows 286
and Windows 3.0. There are several versions of Microsoft Windows you should be aware of:
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· Windows 3.11 for Workgroups: a networked version of Windows 3.0. This version of the OS was an
overlay on top of DOS and was very limited in its features.
· Windows 95/98: Still had a core of DOS underneath, but started moving into a much more user friendly
OS. Windows 95/98 are often referred to as Windows 9x which can also include Windows ME.
· Windows ME: Windows Millenium Edition was a stepping stone from the 95/98 OS to Windows 2000
and subsequently Windows XP. A problematic OS which was supposed to integrated new multimedia
functionality. Anyone moving to this OS was promptly recommended to move off of it with all of the
issues and problems it had.
· Windows NT: Came in two “modern” versions: 3.51 and 4.0. Designed as a business operating system
and lacked many of the features consumers came to enjoy such as “plug’n’play.” Added security in the
form of users and groups, business networking features, and NTFS (New Technology File System). All
of us who had to support Windows NT have a special place in our heart for this rigid OS – it was a great
learning experience!
· Windows 2000: The upgrade for Windows NT for businesses, Windows 2000 combined many of the
features we love on the consumer side (plug’n’play) with the stability of NT. Windows 2000 was a stable
and easy to use OS – I kept it installed on one of my machines for many years after XP was out – it just
worked!
· Windows XP: The welding of the consumer side and business side into one code base. Windows XP
came in several “flavors”: Windows XP Home, Windows XP Professional, Windows XP Media Center
Edition (MCE), and Windows XP Professional x64 edition. Windows XP was a big step forward for
Microsoft in terms of integration of their product set and creating a stable platform by which to launch
many new desktop applications. Last report I saw has Windows XP market share in the low 80s, even
after Vista has been on the market for months.
· Windows Vista: Released in 2007, Windows Vista is the next step forward for Microsoft. Windows
Vista includes many new features to help users take a step forward with productivity – and to add a little
eye candy. It’s the first major interface change for Microsoft in many years, so getting used to where
everything is organized in the new OS will be the biggest challenge for users and support technicians.
Mac OS
The Mac OS has been around since the mid 1980s, but recently was moved from Motorola chips to Intel
based processors. This move has allowed Apple to take advantage of Intel dual core chips and to
continue to increase its market share – which stands at about 3% of the market. Apple has been very
successful with its iPod and other products to make penetration as a “digital home” manufacturer, not just
another PC maker. Companies are starting to buy a few more Macs as there are very few interoperability
problems between PCs and Macs. Plus, they produce really great commercials!
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The Mac OS uses a concept of a Finder (think Windows Explorer) to manage the basic aspects of the OS
and desktop. A lot of the concepts you find on the Windows side you will find on the Mac. Since the Mac
OS is a variation of BSD, many Linux (and Unix) commands are available via a command line if you
want to get into the guts of supporting the OS. We recommend you become familiar with the basic
operation of the Macintosh if you have a chance, it really is a nice operating system.
The Finder also provides a column view so as you move through the hierarchy of the drive, you see the
path you took.
The Mac OS X Dock provides quick access to commonly used applications and open applications. You
will find an arrow below the applications which are currently open.
Unlike Windows Applications, the menu bar is at the top of the screen and does not exist within the
application window. This menu bar changes based on which application you are in, the image above
shows Finder’s menu bar.
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Installing a printer is somewhat easier on a Mac than on a Windows PC. Most printers are installed
automatically if you plug them into the Mac. On my home network, I plugged a HP Color Laserjet into
the network, assigned it an IP address and my Mac automatically found it and installed a driver. On my
PC, the setup wasn’t quite that easy, but 15 clicks later, I had it installed on the Windows machine as
well.
This little tour is meant to expose you to the Macintosh platform.
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Linux
2007 was supposed to be the year of the Linux desktop, but it hasn’t turned out that way. While Linux
has made great in roads into the data center, Linux on the desktop hasn’t been as popular as once thought.
The Linux Operating System has many great variations from Red Hat to Ubuntu and is equal in many of
its features as its bigger commercial rivals.
Linux is an open source Operating System, meaning anyone can view or change the source code as they
wish. It is developed by thousands of volunteers worldwide and dozens of companies which maintain
their own versions of Linux, called distributions.
In this section, we will review the similarities and differences between two of the major distributions
(Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Ubuntu) and Microsoft Windows.
Most Linux distributions provide Gnome or KDE as the user interface environment. Linux allows you to
setup multiple “desktops” – each running their own applications – so you can rotate through those and
not get one desktop too cluttered. Does it improve productivity? I don’t know, but Linux users I know
love it.
“The Panel” as it’s called in Red Hat Enterprise Linux, is similar to the taskbar in Windows. The Panel
contains the Red Hat Menu (similar to the Start Menu), shortcuts to applications and other virtual
desktops, and open applications.
Like the other platforms, Linux comes with its own web browser. In RHEL, it’s Konqueror shown above.
You can install other browsers if you would like, but the default one has competitive features with other
browsers on the market.
One of the frequent assertions in the OS wars is that Linux and many of its applications are free – so
there should be more adoption. Open Office is the most popular free suite of desktop applications which
is very similar to Microsoft Office. Open Office Writer is the Microsoft Word equivalent.
OS Components
In the previous section, you had a great opportunity to review the similarities and differences between
Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. In this section, we start really exploring the internals of
Microsoft Windows, the largest install base and is most likely the OS you will work on frequently in your
next job as a computer support technician or network administrator.
This section provides us an opportunity to review the components that provide the core services of the
OS to run. In later sections, we look at more of the “front end” pieces of the operating system – such as
Windows Explorer, My Computer, the Control Panel, and the command prompt. This section provides
detail on the innards of the OS and how it all works together.
Core Services
Microsoft Windows is a very complex operating system with millions of lines of code. It has to be – just
think of all of the different types of computers and components out there Microsoft has to support. With
millions of different combinations of motherboards, hard drives, accessories, and software applications,
Microsoft has a tremendous job to produce a stable OS which doesn’t crash at a moment’s notice.
I could insert a joke here about Windows crashing, but just think about the stability of your computer
systems over the past few years. I very infrequently have my laptop suffer a crash – in fact, I can’t
remember the last one I had.
The core services in Microsoft Windows are the file system, virtual memory, and the registry.
File System
The File System is responsible for managing all of the storage system activities. Windows NT based
Operating Systems such as Windows 2000, XP, and Vista have two primary file systems available: FAT
and NTFS. The Installable File System (IFS) Manager in the I/O Manager is responsible for managing
file systems.
On FAT systems, it has two partition types available for each hard drive: primary and extended. A
primary drive partition is what is commonly referred to as the “C:” drive. Up to 23 logical drives can
exist in the extended partition – allowing you to partition one physical drive into several “drives” on your
computer – e.g. C:, E:, F:, etc.
The active partition is the logical drive the system will boot up to. The system files need to be located on
this partition and it must be set to active for the system to properly boot. The active partition must be the
primary partition in a FAT system.
NTFS differs in many ways from FAT. NTFS can have up to four primary partitions or three primary
partitions and one extended partition. Primary partitions can be marked as active in NTFS system.
One hard drive only supports up to 32 primary partitions plus logical drives.
Virtual Memory
PCs are often limited by the amount of physical RAM (Random Access Memory) they contain. Often,
Windows requires more memory than the system physically has to open all of the applications and
services you want to run. The Operating System exceeds the physical limits of the system by providing
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virtual memory, or memory space which is swapped back and forth to your physical hard disk. Later, you
will learn about the paging file and how this swap occurs from physical memory to the hard disk.
The Registry
In the days before Window 9x, system and application settings were stored in .ini files. With a few
applications, the OS could get away with managing a couple .ini files, but can you imagine doing that
now? With dozens of applications installed on a given machine and thousands of potential preferences
and settings, not to mention multiple users on each machine, the OS would not be able to manage the
potentially thousands of settings files.
Enter the registry, a database containing all of those application settings and user preferences stored in a
hierarchal structure. Understanding how the registry works – and what you can and can’t do in it – will
be crucial to your role as a computer support technician. Since the registry is such an integral part of the
Operating System, changing it manually can cause major problems – including a non-booting system.
Likewise, if parts of the registry become corrupt, it can also cause major problems which you will learn
more about in the troubleshooting sections .
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Figure 28: The Registry Editor - One Way to Edit the Registry
The Registry is divided into five sections:
1. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT (HKCR)
2. HKEY_CURRENT_USER (HKCU)
3. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (HKLM)
4. HKEY_USERS (HKU)
5. HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG (HKCC)
Each of these five sections has a specific purpose for the operation of Windows.
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, sometimes abbreviated HKCR, is really a subkey of
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software. This key ensures that the proper application opens when you
double-click on a file in Windows Explorer. For example, if you open your C: drive and double-click on
a .xls file, Windows looks at HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT to see what application .xls files are associated
with, finds out that it is Microsoft Excel, and then opens Microsoft Excel to view the file.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER
HKEY_CURRENT_USER contains the root of configuration information for the user who is currently
logged on. The information is the settings, user’s folders, configuration options, and user’s profile. This
key is frequently abbreviated as “HKCU.”
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
One of the most frequently accessed areas in the registry, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (HKLM)
contains the configuration information for the entirely computer – applicable for any user.
HKEY_USERS
HKEY_USERS, sometimes abbreviated HKU, contains the configuration information for each of the
user profiles on the machine.
HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG
Contains information about the hardware profile that is used by the local computer at startup.
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Registry Files
Unlike a traditional database, the registry is not stored in just one file. There are several files (and
supporting files) which make up a registry. In Windows NT 4, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and
Windows Server 2003, the registry files (other than HKEY_CURRENT_USER) are located in
Systemroot\System32\Config, for example, on my system that is c:\windows\system32\config. The
following files make up the sections of the registry:
The HKEY_CURRENT_USER supporting files are located in the user profiles, often located at
C:\WINNT\Profiles\Username\, C:\Documents and Settings\Username\, or C:\Users\Username\
depending on the OS.
Classic Windows: In Windows 98, the registry files are name User.dat and System.dat. In Windows ME,
the files are Classes.dat, User.dat, and System.dat.
1. Click Start, click Run, type ntbackup.exe, and then click OK.
2. On the "Welcome to the Backup and Restore Wizard" page, click Advanced Mode.
3. Click the Backup tab.
4. On the Job menu, click New.
5. Click to select the check boxes for the drives that you want to back up. If you want to be more specific
in your selections, expand the drive that you want, and then click to select the check boxes for the files or
for the folders that you want.
6. Click to select the System State check box.
7. If you want to back up system settings and data files, back up all the data on your computer plus the
System State data. The System State data includes such things as the registry, the COM+ class
registration database, files that are under Windows File Protection, and boot files.
8. In the Backup destination list, click the backup destination that you want to use.
9. If you clicked File in the previous step, click Browse, and then select the location. You can specify a
network share as a destination for the backup file.
10. On the Backup tab, click Start Backup. The Backup Job Information dialog box appears.
11. Click Advanced.
12. Click to select the Verify data after backup check box.
13. In the Backup Type box, click the type of backup that you want. When you click a backup type, a
description of that backup type appears under "Description."
14. Click OK, and then click Start Backup. A Backup Progress dialog box appears, and the backup starts.
15. When the backup is complete, click Close.
16. On the Job menu, click Exit.
The Backup and Restore Center (available under All Programs\Maintenance or the Control Panel) has
several options to backup your computer. You can select to just backup your files or the entire computer.
Additionally, if you select Backup Status and Configuration under the All Programs\Accessories\Tools
menu on the Start menu, you can setup automatic backups to occur at some frequency.
These options eliminate some of the advanced settings you could do under previous versions of
Windows, but reduces complexity significantly for most users.
So, silly Microsoft had two separate applications where one would suffice. Fortunately for us, they
moved down to one application, regedit.exe, for XP and future operating systems.
Windows Explorer
Windows Explorer is a graphical user interface into the computer to manage and access files and disk
drives. It can be opened through the Start Menu:
Windows 95 Explorer was very similar to the Program Manager in Windows 3.x. As folders were opened
in Windows 95 Explorer, the window size was determined by the number of files in the folder – a folder
with 2 files would have a smaller window than a folder with 12 files. If a folder had hundreds of files, it
would default to a list style window.
Windows Explorer in Windows 98 was based on Internet Explorer technology which was integrated into
the Operating System. Note the addition of an address bar at the top of the window. Additionally,
Windows 98 provided the ability to customize the view of folders. Windows 98 also saw the addition of
an Active Desktop, allowing a user to add Internet items to the desktop. You could also choose “single
click” icons instead of double-click.
Windows 2000 and ME saw the addition of full text searching and a built-in media player application to
play media files directly in explorer.
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Windows XP added many new features such as the task pane on the left hand side of Explorer. These
features were designed to increase productivity in Explorer. Microsoft also changed search functionality
in an attempt to make it easier and more useful for users.
Windows XP also added preview functionality in Explorer to see what is in a folder and to preview
images directly from Explorer.
Windows Vista saw even more changes in Explorer including new search functionality, a greater
integration of Explorer into Windows, document previews, and the details pane at the bottom of the
screen:
Additionally, Windows Vista adds new quick access to file metadata to allow individuals to rate and add
keywords to files and images.
Windows Vista also increased the number of view options to allow you to see images at larger sizes.
Microsoft removed the integration of IE into Explorer and added support for burning CDs and DVDs.
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My Computer
My Computer is one of the most frequently access interfaces into your computer. It is similar
to Windows Explorer as it allows you to explore and work with files on your drives. It also
has links to My Documents, My Network Places, and Network and Dial-up Connections.
My Documents
Windows 2000 and XP are multi-user friendly operating systems and stores users’ data in their own user
profile. When you open My Documents, you are really looking at a folder elsewhere on the computer.
Each user has their own My Documents folder to store their personal documents in. Administrators on
the computer can open everyone’s My Documents folder.
Changing the My Documents Folder Location
The My Documents location can be changed in Windows XP by right-clicking on the My Documents
folder and selecting Properties. Click on the Target tab. Type in the path you want the My Documents
folder to point to, e.g. C:\MyFiles. Click OK.
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On your desktop, there is a Recycle Bin for deleting your files. The Recycle Bin holds a link to the file
you wish to delete but does not automatically delete the file until you empty the Recycle Bin. Right-click
on it to delete all of the files in the Recycle Bin.
You need to be aware that placing a file in the Recycle Bin does not automatically delete it, but instead,
this is an additional step the users need to do.
If you move something from a removable media device (such as a USB memory stick) to the Recycle
Bin it is automatically deleted – it is not temporarily stored. Be aware of this.
Control Panel
The Control Panel is the interface to most of the settings on your computer. Windows 2000 and Windows
XP have slightly different interfaces to the Control Panel as you can see by the screenshots. Each of the
icons in the Control Panel is a Control Panel Applet – controlling the settings of one area of the operating
system or PC.
Review the different Control Panel Applets and become familiar with their function.
Command Prompt
Though most users have given up on using the command prompt years ago, technicians still frequently
access it to perform many functions. To start a command prompt session, click on the Start menu and
click on Run. Type in cmd to open a command prompt.
To enter a command, just start typing. All commands in the Command Prompt are entered via the
keyboard. To see the available options for a command, type in the command name followed by /?, such
as: dir /?
Common Drive Commands
You will often find that you use the Command Prompt to perform disk drive, directory, and file related
maintenance. There are several commands you should be familiar with for the exam:
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Convert
The Convert command converts a drive from FAT to NTFS (though it cannot convert the other
direction). You will use this command commonly if setup installs the drive in FAT format. The format
for this command is:
Convert C: /FS:NTFS
This will convert the C: drive to the NTFS file system. If you wanted to convert the E: drive, simply
change the drive letter like this: convert E: /FS:NTFS.
Format
The Format command formats a disk – from a floppy disk through an entire hard disk. Since the format
command destroys data, ensure you use it correctly. The command format can be as simple as:
Format a:
Format /? shows you all of options available for the format command. You could perform a command
like this:
Format e: /FS:NTFS /Q /C
This command formats the E: drive with the NTFS file system, quick, with compression enabled by
default.
Dir
The dir command shows a listing of the current directory. You should become familiar with the different
options available with the dir command.
With the dir command, you can also show files meeting a certain filename pattern, such as this
command:
Dir *.doc /S
This will show you all .doc (Microsoft Word) files in all of the subdirectories on the current drive.
Command commands you should know for the exam include dir /w which shows a directory the width of
screen and dir /p which pauses each screen length of data for you to view and press any key to continue.
MD
The MD command creates a directory. For example:
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md MyFolder
This command creates a folder named MyFolder in the current directory.
RD
The RD command removes a directory.
CD
The CD command changes the current directory. Common uses include cd .. which changes the directory
up one directory and cd/ which will change the root of the current drive. In addition to changing to a
directory on the current drive, you can use a command such as cd e: to change to the e: drive.
My Network Places
My Network Places is a view into the network shares available on your computer. A network share is a
resource available to your computer externally – such as a shared drive on a file server. My Network
Places also lets you browse computers on your network – such as in your local workgroup or in the local
domain.
There are several properties you can set by right-clicking on the taskbar and choosing Properties. On
Windows XP, you can make the taskbar and Start Menu look like the Windows 2000 version by clicking
on the Advanced tab and selecting “Classic Start Menu.”
Start Menu
Nothing has evolved more over the years than the Start Menu. The Start Menu is probably the most
frequently accessed part of your system and you use it to open applications, open the Control Panel, or a
command prompt.
We started in the Windows 9x era with a small Start Menu, it evolved into a very wide Start Menu with a
lot of options in Windows XP, and shrunk down to a more manageable size in Windows Vista (and lost
the name “Start” menu – replaced by a Windows logo. Rumor has it that Prince (or the star formerly
known as Prince) had a hand in forcing the Start Menu to lose its name into Windows Vista and be
replaced by formerly known as the Start Menu. Another rumor is Bill Gates was tired of people
using the joke, “Only Microsoft would come with an operating system where you have to click Start to
shut down.”
/CMDCONS
Passed when booting with into the Recovery Console (described later in this chapter).
/CRASHDEBUG
Causes the kernel debugger to be loaded when the system boots, but to remain inactive unless a
crash occurs. This allows the serial port that the kernel debugger would use to be available for use
by the system until the system crashes (vs. /DEBUG, which causes the kernel debugger to use the
serial port for the life of the system session).
/DEBUG
Enables kernel-mode debugging.
/DEBUGPORT=
Enables kernel-mode debugging and specifies an override for the default serial (usually COM2 on
systems with at least two serial ports) to which a remote kernel-debugger host is connected.
Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 also support debugging through accept IEEE 1394 ports.
Examples: /DEBUGPORT=COM2, /DEBUGPORT=1394.
/EXECUTE
This option disables no-execute protection. See the /NOEXECUTE switch for more information.
/FASTDETECT
Default boot option for Windows. Replaces the Windows NT 4 switch /NOSERIALMICE. The
reason the qualifier exists (vs. just having NTDETECT perform this operation by default) is so
that NTDETECT can support booting Windows NT 4. Windows Plug and Play device drivers
perform detection of parallel and serial devices, but Windows NT 4 expects NTDETECT to
perform the detection. Thus, specifying /FASTDETECT causes NTDETECT to skip parallel and
serial device enumeration (actions that are not required when booting Windows), whereas
omitting the switch causes NTDETECT to perform this enumeration (which is required for
booting Windows NT 4).
/INTAFFINITY
Directs the standard x86 multiprocessor HAL (Halmps.dll) to set interrupt affinities such that only
the highest numbered processor will receive interrupts. Without the switch, the HAL defaults to
its normal behavior of letting all processors receive interrupts.
/KERNEL=/HAL=
Enable you to override Ntldr's default filename for the kernel image (Ntoskrnl.exe) and/or the
HAL (Hal.dll). These options are useful for alternating between a checked kernel environment
and a free (retail) kernel environment or even to manually select a different HAL. If you want to
boot a checked environment that consists solely of the checked kernel and HAL, which is
typically all that is needed to test drivers, follow these steps on a system installed with the free
build:
1. Copy the checked versions of the kernel images from the checked build CD to
your \Windows\System32 directory, giving the images different names than the default. For
example, if you're on a uniprocessor, copy Ntoskrnl.exe to Ntoschk.exe and Ntkrnlpa.exe to
Ntoschkpa.exe. If you're on a multiprocessor, copy Ntkrnlmp.exe to Ntoschk.exe and
Ntkrpamp.exe to Ntoschkpa.exe. The kernel filename must be an 8.3-style short name.
2. Copy the checked version of the appropriate HAL needed for your system from \I386\Driver.cab
on the checked build CD to your \Windows\System32 directory, naming it Halchk.dll. To
determine which HAL to copy, open \Windows\Repair\Setup.log and search for Hal.dll; you'll
find a line like \WINDOWS\system32\ hal.dll="halacpi.dll","1d8a1". The name immediately to
the right of the equals sign is the name of the HAL you should copy. The HAL filename must be
an 8.3-style short name.
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and device drivers, and allocate all memory pools, from above that boundary. This switch is
useful only to test device driver compatibility with large memory systems.
/NOPAE
Forces Ntldr to load the non-Physical Address Extension (PAE) version of the Windows kernel,
even if the system is detected as supporting x86 PAEs and has more than 4 GB of physical
memory.
/NOSERIALMICE=[COMx | COMx,y,z...]
Obsolete Windows NT 4 qualifier-replaced by the absence of the /FASTDETECT switch.
Disables serial mouse detection of the specified COM ports. This switch was used if you had a
device other than a mouse attached to a serial port during the startup sequence.
Using /NOSERIALMICE without specifying a COM port disables serial mouse detection on all
COM ports. See Microsoft Knowledge Base article Q131976 for more information.
/NUMPROC=
Specifies the number of CPUs that can be used on a multiprocessor system.
Example: /NUMPROC=2 on a four-way system will prevent Windows from using two of the four
processors.
/ONECPU
Causes Windows to use only one CPU on a multiprocessor system.
/PAE
Causes Ntldr to load Ntkrnlpa.exe, which is the version of the x86 kernel that is able to take
advantage of x86 PAEs. The PAE version of the kernel presents 64-bit physical addresses to
device drivers, so this switch is helpful for testing device driver support for large memory
systems.
/PCILOCK
Stops Windows from dynamically assigning IO/IRQ resources to PCI devices and leaves the
devices configured by the BIOS. See Microsoft Knowledge Base article Q148501 for more
information.
/RDPATH=
Specifies the path to a System Disk Image (SDI) file, which can be on the network, that the
system will use to boot from. Often used in conjunction with the /RDIMAGEOFFSET= flag to
indicate to NTLDR where in the file the system image starts.
/REDIRECT
Introduced with Windows XP. Used to cause Windows to enable Emergency Management
Services (EMS) that reports boot information and accepts system management commands through
a serial port. Specify serial port and baudrate used in conjunction with EMS with redirect= and
redirectbaudrate= lines in the [boot loader] section of the Boot.ini file.
/SAFEBOOT:
Specifies options for a safe boot. You should never have to specify this option manually, since
Ntldr specifies it for you when you use the F8 menu to perform a safe boot. (A safe boot is a boot
in which Windows only loads drivers and services that are specified by name or group under the
Minimal or Network registry keys under HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SafeBoot.)
Following the colon in the option you must specify one of three additional switches: MINIMAL,
NETWORK, or DSREPAIR. The MINIMAL and NETWORK flags correspond to safe boot with
no network and safe boot with network support, respectively. The DSREPAIR (Directory
Services Repair) switch causes Windows to boot into a mode in which it restores the Active
Directory directory service from a backup medium you present. An additional option you can
append is (ALTERNATESHELL), which tells Windows to use the program specified by the
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[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
NTLDR
NTLDR, or NT Loader, is the boot loader for Windows NT – XP. NTLDR is located on the boot volume
and requires the BOOT.INI file to load Windows. NTLDR follows this boot process (from Wikipedia at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NTLDR):
1. Accesses the file system on the boot drive (either FAT or NT File System NTFS).
2. If hiberfil.sys is found, and it finds a hibernation image, its contents are loaded into memory and the
system resumes where it left off.
3. Otherwise, reads boot.ini and prompts the user with the boot menu accordingly.
4. If a non NT-based OS is selected, then NTLDR loads the associated file listed in boot.ini (bootsect.dos
if no file is specified or if the user is booting into a DOS based OS) and gives it control.
5. If an NT-based OS is selected, then NTLDR runs ntdetect.com, which gathers information about the
computer's hardware. (If ntdetect hangs during hardware detection there is a debug version called
ntdetect.chk which can be found on Microsoft support.)
6. Starts Ntoskrnl.exe, passing to it the information returned by ntdetect.com.
Windows Vista
Windows Vista dumped NTLDR along with the BOOT.INI, relying instead on winload.exe and the
Windows Boot Manager.
NTDETECT.COM
NTDETECT.COM is a component of Windows NT-Vista which detects the basic hardware in order to
start the OS. NTDETECT handles assigning resources to devices if ACPI is supported. If ACPI is not
supported, the BIOS handles assigning resources. Additionally, NTDETECT.COM determines which (if
any) hardware profile to load. On pre-Windows Vista Operating Systems, the OS can be setup with
multiple hardware profiles to support different drivers for different configurations – such as if a laptop
docking station is present.
Classes of hardware that NTDETECT.COM will detect include:
· Hardware identification
· Hardware date & time
· Bus and adapter types
· SCSI adapters
· Video adapters
· Keyboard
· Serial and parallel communication ports
· Hard drives
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· Floppy disks
· Mouse
· Floating-point coprocessor
· Industry Standard Architecture-based devices
Windows Vista
Windows Vista only supports ACPI, so Windows must allocate resources to devices. Additionally,
Windows Vista dropped support for hardware profiles.
NTBOOTDD.SYS
The NTBOOTDD.SYS file is created for systems which have a primary SCSI boot device not using real-
mode INT0x13. It handles disk access based on the driver installed for the particular SCSI card and
device you are using.