Chapter 4

Understanding and Supporting Windows

NT Workstation
 Learning Outcomes
• About the Windows NT environment and its
architecture
• About the strengths and weaknesses of
Windows NT
• How to evaluate when Windows NT is the
best choice a PC OS
• How to install and customize Windows NT

continued
 Learning Outcomes
• How to set up a Windows NT environment for
a DOS or Windows 3.x application
• How to use some Windows NT
troubleshooting techniques and tools
WIN NT VS WIN 9.X
Windows NT vs. Windows 9x
 What is NT?
• Windows NT is a family of operating systems
produced by Microsoft, the first version of
which was released in July 1993.
• It was a powerful high-level-language-based,
processor-independent, multiprocessing,
multiuser operating system with features
comparable to Unix.
• It was intended to complement consumer
versions of Windows that were based on MS-
DOS.
 What is NT?
• NT was the first fully 32-bit version of
Windows, whereas its consumer-
oriented counterparts, Windows 3.1x
and Windows 9x, were 16-bit/32-bit
hybrids.
• Windows 2000, Windows XP,
Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista,
Windows Home Server, Windows
Server 2008, and Windows 7 are
based on Windows NT, although they
are not branded as Windows NT.
 Desktop
Performance

Hardware
OS Stability
profiles
Features
of Win
Security
NT Internet
Explorer

Peer web
Services
 Desktop performance
• Has the user interface of Windows 95, including
the Windows Shell, Windows Explorer (known as
Windows NT Explorer), and the use of "My"
nomenclature (e.g. My Computer).
• It also includes most applications introduced with
Windows 95.
• Internally, Windows NT 4.0 was known as the
Shell Update Release (SUR)
 Hardware Profiles
• A hardware profile is a set of instructions that tells Windows which devices to
start when you start your computer or which settings to use for each device.
• When you first install Windows, a hardware profile called Profile 1 (for
laptops, the profiles are Docked Profile or Undocked Profile) is created. By
default, every device that is installed on your computer at the time you install
Windows is enabled in the Profile 1 hardware profile.
• Hardware profiles are especially useful if you have a portable computer.
• Most portable computers are used in a variety of locations, and hardware
profiles will let you change which devices your computer uses when you move
it from location to location.
• For example, you may have one profile named Docking Station Configuration
for using your portable computer at a docking station with hardware
components such as a CD-ROM drive and a network adapter And you may
have a second profile named Undocked Configuration for using your portable
computer in a hotel or on an airplane, when you are not using a network
adapter or a CD-ROM but you are using a modem and a portable printer.
Customizing hardware profiles

Step 1: Right-click My Computer > Properties > Hardware

tab

Click on Hardware Profiles.

Step 2: Review current hardware profiles
Step 3: boot up menu will change. Instead of the usual
expected Windows logo, you will be prompted to choose a
profile
 Internet Explorer
– Used for browsing internet, shared data and
communicate.
 Peer Web Services
• Microsoft® Peer Web Services (PWS) makes it
easy to publish personal and departmental Web
pages on your corporate intranet.
• Internet Information Services (IIS) – formerly
called Internet Information Server – is a web
server application and set of feature extension
modules created by Microsoft for use with
Microsoft Windows.
• It is the most used web server after Apache HTTP
Server: As of March 2010, it served 22.7% of all
websites on the Internet. IIS 7.5 supports HTTP,
HTTPS, FTP, FTPS, SMTP and NNTP
 Security

• Computer, Group and User Account for each folder/file/program

• User Accounts
– Windows NT security is based on the concept of user accounts. You can create an unlimited number
of accounts, grouping them as appropriate. You then permit or restrict their access to any computer
resource.

• Others protection:
– Registry protection
– Printer protection
– Auditing
– Monitoring Performance
– Password
– File and Directory protection
 OS stability
• In early releases of 4.0, numerous stability issues did
occur as users attempted to use existing 3.51-
specific device drivers which had not been written to
use their newfound access to the kernel responsibly.
• The change to move the GDI to a closer position
relative to the kernel was prompted by complaints
from NT Workstation users about real-time graphics
performance, but this change put a considerable
onus on hardware manufacturers to update device
drivers
 OS stability
• Windows NT 4.0 also included a new Windows Task
Manager application.
• Previous versions of Windows NT included the Task
List application, but it only shows applications
currently in memory.
• To monitor how much CPU and memory resources
are being used, users were forced to use
Performance Monitor.
• The task manager offers a more convenient way of
getting a snapshot of all the applications running on
the system at any given time.
Not All Hardware Devices Are Supported
by Windows NT
The Windows NT Desktop
The Windows NT Command Prompt
The Windows NT Command Prompt
 Choosing Between Windows 9x and
Windows NT
• Does Windows NT support all the hardware
devices on your PC?
• Is the PC powerful and big enough to support
Windows NT?
• Will the software you intend to use on the PC
work better under Windows 98 or Windows
NT?
• Is price a factor?
 Upgrading from Windows 9x to
Windows NT
• No automatic upgrade path
• No transfer of system settings
• Requires reinstallation of each application
 A Choice of File Systems
• FAT16 file system
• Windows NT file system
• NT does not support FAT32
 FAT16 File System
• Used by Windows 9x and its predecessors
• To manage data on a logical drive, uses:
– Boot record
– FAT
– Directories
– Data files
• Advantages of FAT16 over NTFS
– Less overhead
– Compatible with other operating systems
– Can boot PC from a disk to gain access to drive
 Windows NT File System
• Works only with Windows NT
• Uses a database called the master file table (MFT) as
its core component
• Advantages of NTFS over FAT16
– Recoverable
– Increased security
– Supports mirroring drives
– Uses smaller cluster sizes
– Supports large-volume drives
Master File Table
Hard Drive Partitions
 The Dual Boot
• The ability to boot from either Windows NT or
another OS
• System partition must be FAT rather than
NTFS
 Windows NT Environment and
Architecture
• Goals of Windows NT
– Room to grow
– Portability to different platforms
– Compatibility with other OSs and legacy software
– Security
– Performance and reliability
 Core Components of Windows NT
Architecture
• User mode
– Nonprivileged processor mode
– Programs have only limited access to system
information and can only access hardware
through other OS services
• Kernel mode
– Privileged processor mode
– Programs have extensive access to system
information and hardware
 User Mode
• Divided into different modules called
subsystems
– Environment subsystems
– Integral subsystems
 Kernel Mode
• Combination of hardware abstraction layer
(HAL) and executive services
Windows NT Memory Model
 Processes and Threads
• Process
– A program or group of programs that is running,
together with the system resources assigned to it,
such as memory addresses, environmental
variables, and other resources
• Thread
– A single task that the process requests from the
kernel, such as the task of printing a file
 Virtual DOS Machine
• Isolates an application from the rest of the
system by providing the entire DOS-like
environment to the application
• Components of a NTVDM
– Ntvdm.exe
– Ntio.sys
– Ntdos.sys
– An instruction execution unit
 Windows NT Networking
• Workgroup
– Logical group of computers and users that share
resources
– Control of administration, resources, and security
is distributed throughout the network
• Domain
– A group of networked computers that share a
centralized directory database of user account
information and security for the entire set of
computers
A Windows NT Workgroup
A Windows NT Domain
 Primary Domain Controller (PDC)
• User accounts
• Group accounts
• Computer accounts
 User Accounts
• Control who has access to what programs,
files, and other resources
• Are stored in the SAM database that defines
the NT user, including username, password,
memberships, and rights
Creating a User Account
 Installing and Customizing Windows
NT
• Preparing for the installation
• Step-by-step installation
 Preparing for the Installation
• Preparing for Windows NT
– Determine if hardware can support Windows NT
by searching the HCL or using the NT Hardware
Qualifier (NTHQ)
• Choosing the right file system
(FAT16 vs. NTFS)
NT Hardware Qualifier
 Step-by-Step Installation
• Installing Windows NT as a second OS
• Installing Windows NT as the first OS on the
hard drive
• Installing a local printer
Installing Windows NT as a Second OS
Installing a Local Printer
Installing a Local Printer
 Supporting Windows NT and
Applications
• Common procedures that apply to supporting
a standalone NT PC using both 16-bit and 32-
bit applications
• The boot process works
• Troubleshooting problems during booting
The Windows NT Boot Process
The Windows NT Boot Process
What Happens During the Boot
Sequence
What Happens During the Boot
Sequence
Files Needed to Successfully Boot
Windows NT
 Troubleshooting the Boot Process
• Last Known Good Configuration
– Copy of hardware configuration saved from the
Registry
• Windows NT boot disks (3)
• Windows NT emergency repair disk (ERD)
– Contains information unique to the OS and hard
drive (a backup of the Windows NT Registry on
the hard drive)
Windows NT Boot Disks
Windows NT Boot Disks
Using the Boots Disks and ERD to
Recover from a Failed Boot
Using the Boots Disks and ERD to
Recover from a Failed Boot
Using the Boots Disks and ERD to
Recover from a Failed Boot
Using the Boots Disks and ERD to
Recover from a Failed Boot
 Managing Legacy Software in the
Windows NT Environment
• Customizing an NTVDM for a DOS application
• Customizing an NTVDM for 16-bit Windows
applications
• Why applications might not work with
Windows NT
 Customizing an NTVDM for a DOS
Application
• Create a shortcut to the DOS application
• Edit the properties of the shortcut
• Configure memory for a DOS application to run
under Windows NT
Customizing an NTVDM for a DOS
Application
Customizing an NTVDM for a DOS
Application
 Customizing an NTVDM for
16-bit Windows Applications
• Create a shortcut for the application
• Display Windows Properties box and check
Run in Separate Memory Space
Properties Box for a 16-bit Windows
Application
 Customizing an NTVDM for
16-bit Windows Applications
 Why Applications Might Not Work
with Windows NT
• DOS applications that try to access hardware directly
are shut down by Windows NT
• A 16-bit Windows application that uses virtual device
drivers (VxD) will fail because these drivers attempt
to access hardware directly
• A 32-bit application developed on a different
hardware platform than the current PC might not
run under Windows NT
• Some OS/2 applications are not compatible with
Windows NT
 The Windows NT Registry
• Hierarchical database containing all the
hardware, software, device drivers, network
protocols, and user configuration information
needed by the OS and applications
• Ways to look at Registry organization
– Physical organization
– Logical organization
How the Registry Is Organized

continued
How the Registry Is Organized
Logical Organization of the Registry
The Windows NT Registry Editor
Physical Organization of the Registry
Physical Organization of the Registry
Subtrees on the Windows NT Registry
 Two Registry Editors
• Regedt32.exe
• Regedit.exe
Registry Editor
 Backing Up the Registry
• Use Rdisk.exe to create an ERD
• Make a new ERD so that the Registry backup
is up to date
 Installing Software and Hardware
• Use the Windows NT Control Panel
• Changes are made to the Registry
Installing Hardware
Installing Hardware
 Windows NT Diagnostic Tools
• Task Manager
• Event Viewer
• Windows NT Diagnostics
 The Task Manager
• First introduced with Windows NT 4.0
• Allows you to monitor processes and applications
running on the PC, and to start and stop them
• Displays performance measurements (processor
time, main memory and virtual memory size,
number of threads) to help in diagnosing problems
with poor performance
The Task Manager
The Task Manager
The Task Manager
 The Event Viewer
• Used to view a log that Windows NT created
because of a failed event
• Tracks events as they are performed by the
applications, the OS, services, or processes,
and by user actions
The Event Viewer
The Event Viewer
 Windows NT Diagnostics
• A graphical view of the Windows NT Registry
showing hardware and OS data, which can be
used to:
– Resolve conflicts
– Diagnose failed hardware
– View information about drivers and services that
are loaded
Windows NT Diagnostics
 Chapter Summary
• Introduction to Windows NT (new technology)
– Basic architecture
– Installation
– Maintenance
– Troubleshooting

continued
 Chapter Summary
• Two versions of Windows NT
– Windows NT Workstation
• Can be used on a standalone PC or can be used as the
operating system on a workstation connected to a
network
– Windows NT Server
• Can do the same, as well as provide a domain
environment on the network

continued
 Chapter Summary
• Windows NT is architecturally more like UNIX OS
than other Windows operating systems
• Windows NT design
– Emphasis on room for expandability (modular
approach)
– Intended to port to several non-Intel-based
platforms
– Provision of high level of security, performance,
and reliability
– Offers strong networking features