Understanding Windows

Chapter 12

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 • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o
E6nEt3uRM
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT
Q6HtCkSBQ

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 Overview

• In this chapter, you will learn to

– Identify and explain the basic functions and

features of an operating system

– Install and upgrade Windows 2000 and Windows

XP

– Troubleshoot installation problems

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 Historical/Conceptual

Functions of the Operating System

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 Functions of an Operating System

• Communicate with hardware

• Provide a user interface

• Provide a structure for access to

applications

• Enable users to manipulate programs

and data

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 Operating System Traits

• An OS works only with a particular type

of processor

• An OS begins running as soon as the PC

finishes its POST

• Application programs cannot run on a PC

without an OS
– Programs use APIs (application programming
interfaces)

• Flexible—allows use of new software and

hardware

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 Creating a User Interface

• A user interface needs to

– Show what applications are

available

– Provide an easy way to access

applications
Pick a shoe
Pick an application
– Provide a way to label and save
the data

– Disappear and allow the application

to take over the screen

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 Organizing Programs and Data

• The OS needs to be able to organize and

manipulate programs and data

– Provides name (or label) for each program and

each piece of data

– Provides naming system for drives

– Allows users to store data and programs in

organized fashion

– Allows users to manipulate data and programs

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 Operating System Interfaces

• Command-line interface
– Character-based or text-based
– Covered in Chapter 14

• Graphical user interface (GUI)

– Uses icons and pictures
– User interacts with OS by pointing and clicking with
mouse

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 Today’s Operating Systems

Overview

• Microsoft Windows

• Apple Macintosh

• UNIX

• Linux

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 Microsoft Windows

• Corporate Users • Home Users

• Windows NT 3.1 • Windows 9x

• Windows NT 4.0 • Windows 95
• Windows 2000 • Windows 98
• Windows XP Pro • Windows Me
• XP Home
• XP Media

• Recently released—Windows Vista

– Versions for corporate and home users

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 General Windows Features

• File systems
– Corporate used NTFS
– Home used FAT and FAT32
– Today both supported, but NTFS used for security

• Plug and Play

– Appeared with Windows 95
– Migrated to corporate side with Windows 2000

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 Windows NT 4.0, 2000 Pro, XP

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 Windows XP

• Ended the Windows 9x product line

• Windows XP Home
– Basic features for home users

• Windows XP Professional
– Advanced features include security for corporate
users

• Windows XP Media Edition

– Advanced features for home users include ability to
watch TV and movies

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 Windows Server Products

• Windows NT 4.0 Server

• Windows 2000 Server

• Windows 2003
Server

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 Apple Macintosh

• Used GUI long before Windows

• Proprietary computers
• Current OS is OS X
• Macs now run
on Intel CPUs

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 UNIX

• Oldest, most powerful OS

• Many current OSs have concepts

developed from UNIX

• Open source—allows variants of OS

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 Linux

• UNIX-like OS written by Linus Torvalds

• Runs on Intel/AMD processors

• Free OS
– Source code also freely available
– Uses the GNU general public license (GPL)
– Linux and applications bundled as Linux
distributions (distros)

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 Linux

• Distributions

– Fedora Core (https://getfedora.org/)

– Debian (https://www.debian.org/)
– Slackware (http://www.slackware.com/)
– Ubuntu (https://www.ubuntu.com/)
– SuSE (https://www.suse.com/)

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 Installing and Upgrading Windows

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 Preparing for Installation
or Upgrade

1. Identify hardware requirements

2. Verify hardware and software compatibility
3. Decide: Clean install or upgrade?
4. Back up data
5. Select an install method
6. Identify partition and file systems to use
7. Determine computer’s network role
8. Decide on language and locale settings
9. Plan for post-installation tasks

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 Identify Hardware Requirements

Core Resources
• CPU
• RAM
• Free hard disk space

Miscellaneous
• Video adapter
• Display
• Storage devices

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 Verify Compatibility

• Hardware and software

• Use Windows Marketplace (formally
known as Hardware Compatibility List)

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 Clean Install or Upgrade

• Clean install
– Usually done on empty hard disk
– All applications must be installed

• Upgrade
– New OS installs on top of the old one
– Many previous settings and capabilities retained
– Applications don’t need to be reinstalled

• Multiboot
– Doing a clean install side by side with another OS
– Enables you to boot to more than one OS
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 Back Up Data

• If data saved to central server, this step

can be skipped

• If data exists on local drive, it needs to

be backed up

• Back up to network server, DVD, USB,

hard drive, etc.
– Will need to restore data from this location after
upgrade or reinstall

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 Select an Installation Method

• Two basic choices

– CD-ROM (A+ focus)

• Boot from CD and start

installation

– Over the network (Network+ focus)

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 Determine Partition & File System

• Partition
– Create when drive first created (or use third-party
tools to repartition)
– If multiboot, use one partition for each OS

• File system
– Use NTFS whenever possible—security features are
valuable
– If older OSs need FAT or FAT32, use FAT or FAT32
for their partition

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 Miscellaneous

• Network role
– Standalone, workgroup, or domain
– Environment determines choice

• Language and locale settings

– Languages and displays can be configured for
different countries

• Post-installation tasks
– Install service packs, hotfixes, etc.
– Install updated drivers
– Install applications

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 Install or Upgrade

• Text mode
– End user license agreement (EULA)
– Partition hard disk
– Files copied to hard disk
• Graphical mode
– Enter product key
– Remaining installation completes

• Upgrade disks are typically cheaper

– Require OS to be already installed or separate disk
used to verify upgrade disk can be used

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 Post-Installation Tasks

• Similar as required for clean install

– Identify installation problems

– Install patches, service packs, and updates

– Upgrade drivers

– Restore user data

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 Windows 2000 Professional

• Hardware Requirements

Component Minimum Recommended

CPU Pentium 133 MHZ Pentium II 350 MHZ
Memory 64 MB 128 MB
Hard Disk 2 GB with 650 MB 6.4 GB with 2 GB free
free
Network None Modern NIC
Display VGA resolution SVGA resolution
Optical Not required unless Not required unless
installing from CD installing from CD

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 Install Upgrade XP Pro

• Upgrade paths

Windows 98

Windows Me

Windows NT 4.0 Windows

SP5 or later XP Pro

Windows 2000 Pro

(including SPs)

Windows XP Home

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 XP Professional

• Hardware Requirements

Component Minimum Recommended

CPU Intel or AMD 233 Intel or AMD 300 MHZ
MHZ
Memory 64 MB 256 MB
Hard Disk 1.5 GB available 4 GB available hard
hard drive space drive space
Network None Modern NIC
Display DirectX version 8 DirectX version 8
800 X 600 resolution 800 X 600 resolution
Optical Any CD or DVD Any CD or DVD drive
drive

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 XP Installation

• Bootable CD-ROM boots into setup

– May need to set boot order in BIOS

• Registration—optional

• Activation
– Mandatory within 30 days
– Anti-piracy mechanism
– System disabled after 30
days if not activated
– Via Internet or phone

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 2000/XP Clean Install

• Steps same for both

• Start by booting to CD-ROM
• Text mode
– Can partition drive in this mode
– Choose file system (usually NTFS)

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 2000/XP Clean Install

• Graphical mode

• Enter product key

– Good idea to write this on the CD

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 2000/XP Clean Install

• Configure computer name and

administrator password

• Network settings

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 Automating the Install

• Scripted installation
– Setup Manager creates answer files
– Available on CD or can be downloaded
– Creates answer files for multiple OSs
– Fully automated or partially automated

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 Automating the Install

• Disk cloning problem

– Unique security identifier (SID) is not unique
if cloned

• Solution

– GhostWalker or NewSID can be used to create new

SID
– Sysprep sanitizes many unique settings on a
computer such as SID

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 Troubleshooting Installation
Problems

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 Text Mode Errors

• No boot device
– Either startup disk is bad, or CMOS not set to boot
off CD-ROM first
• Windows Setup requires X amount of
available drive space
– Check formatting and/or space of C: drive
• Not ready error on optical drive
– Check the CD-ROM drive and disc
• BSOD
– Probably due to hardware incompatibility
– Check KB 165863

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 Graphical Mode Errors

• Hardware detection errors

– Could be hardware incompatibility
– If non-critical hardware, find and install correct
drivers

• Can’t read CAB files

– Check the CD-ROM for scratches
– Try copying i386 files onto hard drive
– Replace the CD-ROM

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 Lockups During Install

• Smart recovery, repair install

– Unplug system and restart
– Will automatically start where it left off

• Optical drive, hard drive

– Try another disc or another CD-ROM drive

• Log files—track progress of install

– Setuplog.txt
– Setupapi.log

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© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved