A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining

Your PC 8th Edition Jean Andrews

Solutions Manual
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A+ Guide to Managing & Maintaining Your PC, 8th Edition 10-1

Chapter 10

Maintaining Windows

At a Glance

Instructor’s Manual Table of Contents

• Overview

• Objectives

• Teaching Tips

• Quick Quizzes

• Class Discussion Topics

• Additional Projects

• Additional Resources

• Key Terms

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Lecture Notes

Overview
This chapter reviews how to support a Windows operating system and how to maintain the OS
after it is installed. Most Windows problems stem from poor maintenance. If the student is a PC
support technician responsible for ongoing support of several computers, he or she can make
their work easier, and their users happier, by setting up and executing a good maintenance plan
for each computer. A well-maintained computer gives fewer problems and performs better than
one that is not maintained.

In this chapter, the student will learn how to schedule regular maintenance tasks, how to
prepare for disaster by setting up backup routines for user data and system files, how to manage
files and folders that the users and system depend on, and how to manage a hard drive.

Chapter Objectives
After reading this chapter and completing the exercises, the student will learn:
• How to set up and perform scheduled preventive maintenance tasks to keep Windows
healthy
• How to prepare for disaster by keeping good backups of use data and Windows system
files
• How to use commands to manage files and folders and how to use Disk Management to
manage hard drives
• How to configure Windows to use a language other than English

Teaching Tips

Scheduled Preventive Maintenance

Verify Critical Windows Settings
1. List the three critical Windows settings that should be verified:
a. Windows updates
b. Antivirus software
c. Network location setting

Clean Up the Hard Drive

1. Explain how lack of free disk space and fragmentation can cause Windows performance
to degrade.
2. Introduce the user profile as a collection of data and settings specific to a user account,
which includes:

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a. A user folder ( C:\Users\username) together with its subfolders, called a user

profile namespace
b. Ntuser.dat file, which contains user settings
3. Discuss how Windows organizes program files depending on whether a 32-bit
Windows OS is used or a 64-bit Windows OS is used.
4. Describe the registry as a database that holds configuration information for software, as
well as user preferences and hardware information.
5. Initialization files should be discussed as files that have an .ini or .inf extension and
contain configuration data.
6. List some of the important folder locations used for the registry and other Windows
data.
7. Offline files should be mentioned as a way for users to keep a copy of a network folder
locally stored on their computer, allowing access to the files when the network is
unavailable.
8. Compare the Windows 7 / Vista folder structure for user profiles to the Windows XP
structure, which used C:\Documents and Settings\username.
9. Demonstrate the use of the Disk Cleanup utility to remove temporary files and other
unnecessary data from a drive.
10. Explain how the Defragment utility rearranges data on a hard drive so that each file is
stored in contiguous clusters, rather than in fragments.
11. Define a cluster, or file allocation unit, as a group of whole sectors on a disk drive.
Explain why slack, which is wasted space at the end of a cluster, occurs.
12. Show how to use the error checking utility to automatically fix file system errors and/or
scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors.
13. Discuss some strategies for recovering disk space within Windows 7, such as using
drive or folder compression or uninstallation of software.
14. Explain that Windows makes use of virtual memory in the form of a Pagefile.sys file at
the root of the C: volume. Students should understand how moving this file to a
different drive could improve performance.

More information regarding features of the Windows 7 hard disk

Teaching defragmentation utility may be found at:
Tip http://blogs.msdn.com/b/e7/archive/2009/01/25/disk-defragmentation-
background-and-engineering-the-windows-7-improvements.aspx

Backup Procedures
Planning for Disaster Recovery
1. Give a basic explanation as to the purpose of a backup, and discuss what data typically
is included in a backup.
2. Discuss some of the decisions involved in making a backup and recovery plan:
a. Decide on backup destination
b. Decide on backup software
c. Decide how simple or complex your backup strategy needs to be

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3. Explain that once a backup plan is in place, the recovery plan should be tested by doing
the following:
a. Test the recovery process
b. Keep backups in a safe place, routinely test them

Create and Use Backups in Windows 7

1. Define a system image backup as a backup that includes the entire drive on which
Windows is installed. Students should be aware that the restore process for a system
image replaces everything on a volume with the image.
2. Show how to create a system image via the Backup and Restore utility, which must use
a hard drive as the destination for the backup.
3. Describe how the Backup and Restore utility can make a full backup of folders or
volumes, and then compare this to the incremental backup, which only backs up data
that has changed since the last full backup.
4. Demonstrate how the Backup and Restore utility is used to restore files and folders.
Place emphasis on the ability to restore specific files and folders from a backup, rather
than having to restore an entire backup to recover one file.
5. Use the Restore previous versions option to recover a folder within Windows Explorer.
6. Explain how the System Protection utility makes use of restore points to ensure that
Windows system files can be restored to a previous version if they should become
damaged / corrupt.
7. The System Protection functionality must be turned on in order for restore points to be
made automatically. These restore points are then kept in C:\System Volume
Information.
8. Manually create a restore point within the System Protection tab of the System
Properties window.
9. Show how System Restore is used with a restore point to revert changes to Windows 7
settings.
10. List some of the caveats of restore points. Students must know that restore points cannot
remove viruses or worm infections, and can often hide viruses. Additionally, explain
that system restore has the potential to affect software installed on the system.
11. Compare the backup options available in Windows 7 to the backup utilities available in
Windows Vista (Complete PC Backup) and Windows XP (Automated System
Recovery, or ASR).

Teaching More information on Automated System Recovery in Windows XP may be

Tip found at: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/818903

More information regarding the Windows Backup and Restore Center may be
Teaching
found at: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-
Tip
US/windows7/products/features/backup-and-restore

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Managing Files, Folders, and Storage Devices

How Partitions and File Systems Work
1. Define a sector as a unit that is typically 512 bytes in size, and is the smallest amount of
addressable space on a hard drive.
2. Explain that information regarding partitions is stored in the partition table, which is
kept in the very first sector on a hard drive, called a Master Boot Record (MBR).
3. Differentiate primary partitions or volumes from extended partitions, which hold logical
drives. Students should know how many primary partitions / extended partitions can
exist on a drive. They should also know how many logical drives could exist within an
extended partition.
4. Define a file system as a structure used to name, store, and organize files on a drive, and
then list the file systems supported by Windows 7:
a. NTFS
b. FAT32
c. exFAT
5. Describe formatting a partition as the process that creates a usable file system within the
space of the partition. Note that this process is also known as a high-level format.
6. Explain that the active partition on a drive is the partition marked as bootable. This is
used by the BIOS to determine which partition should be booted.
7. Discuss the differences between the system partition (usually the C: volume) and the
boot partition (which contains the Windows operating system).
8. List the various types of file systems that can be used by Windows for volumes and
drives that don’t hold the Windows installation:
a. NTFS
b. exFAT
c. FAT32
d. FAT16
e. Compact Disc File System (CDFS) and Universal Disc Format (UDF)

More information on the differences between FAT and NTFS file systems can be
Teaching
found at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Comparing-NTFS-
Tip
and-FAT-file-systems

Commands to Manage Files and Folders

1. Explain how to open the Command Prompt, or cmd.exe utility, by typing cmd.exe into
the Windows search box.
2. The elevated command prompt window should be launched to demonstrate how some
commands must be run in order for them to work.
3. Discuss the file naming conventions to keep in mind. Students should be aware of what
is considered a legal character in a file name.

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4. Provide information on how to use a wildcard character within the command prompt to
match characters. The question mark can be shown to match any one character, while
the asterisk can match one or more characters.
5. Demonstrate how to use the help command, and how to get help for specific commands
using command /?
6. Use the dir command to list directories and files within the Command Prompt window.
Then, use the md to make a directory. Use cd to change into the directory created, then
cd out of that directory. Use the rd command to remove the directory created.
7. Show how the del or erase commands are used to remove a file or files.
8. The ren should be used to rename a file. Note that the second filename cannot include a
path to the file.
9. Use the copy command to create copies of files in a specific destination target.
10. The recover command should be used when a file is corrupted, and is best used from the
Windows 7 / Vista recovery environment or the XP Recovery Console.
11. Define the xcopy utility as similar to copy, but with more functionality. Compare the
features in xcopy to copy.
12. The robocopy command is similar to the xcopy command, and is not available on
Windows XP.
13. Show how to use the chkdsk utility to check for file system errors and bad sectors on a
drive.
14. Discuss how the FAT, FAT32, and exFAT file systems make use of a file allocation
table (FAT) to keep records for files, and then compare this to the master file table
(MFT) used in NTFS.
15. Explain that the chkdsk utility, when used with the /F parameter, can fix two types of
file system errors in FAT or MFT:
a. Lost clusters
b. Cross-linked clusters
16. The chkdsk /R parameter should be noted as performing the same tasks as /F, with the
addition of checking for bad sectors on the drive.
17. Fragmented files can be rearranged by the defrag utility. Note that this command
requires elevated privileges.
18. Discuss the use of the format command in performing a high-level format within
Windows 7 / Vista and Windows XP, and give example uses of the command.
19. Demonstrate how to use the shutdown command to perform a shutdown of the local
computer, or a remote computer. List some of the options available for this command.

Quick Quiz 1
1. The easiest way to clean up temporary files is to use the _________ utility on the drive
properties box.
A. Error Checking
B. Defragmentation
C. Disk Cleanup
D. Backup
Answer: C

2. True or False: By default, Windows 7 automatically defrags daily.

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Answer: False

3. When Windows reads a(n) ____________________ file, the drive must work hard to
move its read-write head all over the drive to retrieve the file.
Answer: fragmented

4. Use the ____________________ utility to check the drive for errors and recover data.
A. Xcopy
B. Defrag
C. Format
D. Chkdsk
Answer: D

5. The ____________________ file is called virtual memory and is used to enhance the
amount of RAM in a system.
Answer: Pagefile.sys

Use Disk Management to Manage Hard Drives

1. Using the Disk Management tool, show how to resize a volume in Windows 7. The
process of shrinking a partition or growing a partition should be demonstrated.
2. Explain a quick format as a format that does not scan a drive for bad sectors. This
should only be used on drives in a healthy condition.
3. Emphasize that the first step in using a disk is to initialize it as a basic disk, which
installs a partitioning system on the drive.
4. Compare the use of the Globally Unique Identifier Partition Table (GUID or GPT)
system to the use of a Master Boot Record (MBR).
5. Demonstrate the process to create a new simple volume within the Disk Management
tool.
6. The use of a mounted drive can be explored as a method to place more storage under a
pre-existing volume. Note that this does not increase the storage space available on the
volume, but only adds additional storage in the form of a mount point that points to
another drive. Show how to create a mount point.
7. Compare the dynamic disk to a basic disk, emphasizing that a basic disk is independent,
while a dynamic disk can work with other drives for storage purposes.
8. A dynamic volume can be defined as a volume stored on a single dynamic disk, or on
multiple dynamic disks. A simple volume exists on only one hard drive.
9. Introduce the concept of a RAID (redundant array of inexpensive disks or redundant
array of independent disks), and describe the following types of RAID:
a. Striping, or RAID0
b. Mirroring, or RAID1
10. Discuss the difference between software RAID and hardware RAID, and note some of
the advantages / disadvantages of either option.
11. Use the Disk Management utility to demonstrate how to convert basic disks into
dynamic disks, and show the options available when performing this action.
12. Provide information regarding the different statuses that can be seen in the Disk
Management window:
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a. Healthy
b. Failed
c. Online
d. Active
e. Unallocated
f. Formatting
g. Basic
h. Dynamic
i. Offline
ii. Foreign drive
iii. Healthy (At risk)

More information on basic and dynamic disks may be found at:

Teaching
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-IN/windows-vista/What-are-basic-and-
Tip
dynamic-disks

Regional and Language Settings

1. Describe the two different methods to install a different language within Windows:
a. Windows Update (Windows 7 / Vista only)
b. Language Interface Pack
2. Discuss some of the other options that can be changed in the Region and Language
window, such as the way dates are displayed, or keyboard layout.

Teaching More information on the Microsoft update feature may be found at:
Tip http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Updating-your-computer

Quick Quiz 2
1. A(n) ____________________ is an extra copy of a data or software file that a user can
use if the original file becomes damaged or destroyed.
Answer: backup

2. In Windows 7, a PC technician can use ____________________ to resize volumes.

Answer: Disk Management

3. A(n) ____________________ disk status indicates the disk has been sensed by
Windows and can be accessed by either reading or writing to the disk.
A. online
B. active
C. basic
D. allocated
Answer: A
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4. True or False: The Windows Vista backup utility is called the Backup and Restore
Center.
Answer: True

5. In a(n) ____________________ backup, all files that have been modified since the last
full backup are copied, and have the archive bit unset.
A. incremental
B. differential
C. encompassing
D. daily
Answer: A

Class Discussion Topics

1. Why is it preferable to backup the entire registry using the Backup utility, rather than by
individually saving each of the keys?

2. When manually deleting programming files, why do corresponding registry entries also
need to be deleted?

3. What is the difference between virtual memory and physical memory?

Additional Projects
1. Perform research on three types of backups: incremental backup, differential backup,
and full backup. Describe each type of backup, including the advantages and
disadvantages of each. Provide a response in 3 to 4 paragraphs.

2. Perform additional research on paging and virtual memory. Find out what kinds of
problems paging with virtual memory was designed to solve. Describe the problems
created by paging itself. Explain why the benefits of paging outweigh the
disadvantages. Report your results in 3 to 4 paragraphs.

Additional Resources
1. Formatting a Hard Drive under Windows 7:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Create-and-format-a-hard-disk-
partition

2. More Information on Backups:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backup

3. Microsoft Windows Registry:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Registry
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4. How Virtual Memory Works:

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/virtual-memory.htm

Key Terms
 active partition The primary partition on the hard drive that boots the OS. Windows
calls the active partition the system partition.
 Automated System Recovery (ASR) The Windows XP process that allows you to
restore an entire hard drive volume or logical drive to its state at the time the backup of
the volume was made.
 basic disk The term Windows uses that applies to a hard drive when the drive is a
stand-alone drive in the system. Compare to dynamic disk.
 boot partition The hard drive partition where the Windows OS is stored. The system
partition and the boot partition may be different partitions.
 cluster One or more sectors that constitute the smallest unit of space on a disk for
storing data (also referred to as a fi le allocation unit). Files are written to a disk as
groups of whole clusters.
 Compact Disc File System (CDFS) The 32-bit file system for CD discs and some CD-
R and CD-RW discs. See also Universal Disk Format (UDF).
 Complete PC Backup A Vista utility that can make a backup of the entire volume on
which Vista is installed and can also back up other volumes. Compare to system image.
 defragment To rewrite a fi le to a disk in one contiguous chain of clusters, thus
speeding up data retrieval.
 Disk Cleanup A Windows utility that enables you to delete temporary fi les to free up
space on a drive.
 dynamic disk A way to partition one or more hard drives, so that the drives can work
together to store data in order to increase space for data or to provide fault tolerance or
improved performance. Also see RAID. Compare to basic disk.
 dynamic volumes A volume type used with dynamic disks by which you can create a
single volume that uses space on multiple hard drives.
 elevated command prompt window A Windows 7/Vista command prompt window
that allows commands that require administrative privileges.
 extended partition The only partition on a hard drive that can contain more than one
logical drive. In Windows, a hard drive can have only a single extended partition.
Compare to primary partition.
 file allocation table (FAT) A table on a hard drive or floppy disk used by the FAT file
system that tracks the clusters used to contain a file.
 file allocation unit See cluster.
 file system The overall structure that an OS uses to name, store, and organize files on a
disk. Examples of file systems are NTFS and FAT32. Windows is always installed on a
volume that uses the NTFS file system.
 formatting See high-level formatting.
 fragmented files A file that has been written to different portions of the disk so that it is
not in contiguous clusters.

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 Globally Unique Identifier Partition Table (GUID or GPT) A partitioning system

installed on a hard drive that can support 128 partitions and is recommended for drives
larger than 2 TB.
 hardware RAID One of two ways to implement RAID. Hardware RAID is more
reliable and better performing than software RAID, and is implemented using the BIOS
on the motherboard or a RAID controller card.
 high-level format A process performed by the Windows Format program (for example,
 FORMAT C:/S), the Windows installation program, or the Disk Management utility.
The process creates the boot record, fi le system, and root directory on a hard drive
volume or logical drive, a floppy disk, or USB flash drive. Also called formatting, OS
formatting, or operating system formatting. Compare to low-level formatting.
 initialization files Text files that keep hardware and software configuration
information, user preferences, and application settings and are used by the OS when
first loaded and when needed by hardware, applications, and users.
 logical drives A portion or all of a hard drive extended partition that is treated by the
operating system as though it were a physical drive or volume. Each logical drive is
assigned a drive letter, such as drive F, and contains a file system. Compare to volume.
 low-level formatting A process (usually performed at the factory) that electronically
creates the hard drive tracks and sectors and tests for bad spots on the disk surface.
 Master Boot Record (MBR) The first sector on a hard drive, which contains the
partition table and a program the BIOS uses to boot an OS from the drive.
 master file table (MFT) The database used by the NTFS file system to track the
contents of a volume or logical drive.
 mirroring A Windows XP technique to provide fault tolerance whereby one hard drive
duplicates another hard drive.
 mount point A folder that is used as a shortcut to space on another volume, which
effectively increases the size of the folder to the size of the other volume. Also see
mounted drive.
 mounted drive A volume that can be accessed by way of a folder on another volume so
that the folder has more available space. Also see mount point.
 Offline Files A utility that allows users to work with files in the folder when the
computer is not connected to the corporate network. When the computer is later
connected, Windows syncs up the offline files and folders with those on the network.
 Pagefile.sys The Windows swap fi le that is used to hold the virtual memory that is
used to enhance physical memory installed in a system.
 partition A division of a hard drive that can hold volumes. Using the MBR system,
Windows can support up to four partitions on one hard drive.
 partition table A table at the beginning of the hard drive that contains information
about each partition on the drive. The partition table is contained in the Master Boot
Record.
 primary partition A hard disk partition that can contain only one volume. In Windows,
a hard drive can have up to three primary partitions. Compare to extended partition.
 quick format A format procedure, used to format a hard drive volume or other drive,
that doesn’t scan the volume or drive for bad sectors; use it only when a drive has been
previously formatted and is in healthy condition.
 RAID (redundant array of inexpensive disks or redundant array of independent
disks) Several methods of configuring multiple hard drives to store data to increase

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volume size and improve performance, or to ensure that if one hard drive fails, the data
is still available from another hard drive.
 RAID0 Using space from two or more physical disks to increase the disk space
available for a single volume. Performance improves because data is written evenly
across all disks. Windows calls RAID 0 a striped volume. Also called striping.
 RAID1 A type of drive imaging that duplicates data on one drive to another drive and is
used for fault tolerance. Windows calls RAID 1 a mirrored volume.
 registry A database that Windows uses to store hardware and software configuration
information, user preferences, and setup information.
 restore point A snapshot of the Windows system, usually made before installation of
new hardware or applications.
 sector On a hard disk drive or SSD, the smallest unit of bytes addressable by the
operating system and BIOS. On hard disk drives, one sector equals 512 bytes; SSD
drives might use larger sectors.
 shadow copy A copy of open fi les made so that open files are included in a backup.
 simple volume A type of volume used on a single hard drive. Compare to dynamic
volume.
 slack Wasted space on a hard drive caused by not using all available space at the end of
clusters.
 software RAID Using Windows to implement RAID. The setup is done using the Disk
Management utility.
 striping See RAID 0.
 system image The backup of the entire Windows 7 volume and can also include
backups of other volumes. The backup is made using the Windows 7 Backup and
Restore utility.
 system partition The active partition of the hard drive containing the boot record and
the specific files required to start the Windows launch.
 System Protection A utility that automatically backs up system files and stores them in
restore points on the hard drive at regular intervals and just before you install software
or hardware.
 System Restore A Windows utility used to restore the system to a restore point.
 system state data In Windows 2000/XP, files that are necessary for a successful load of
the operating system.
 track One of many concentric circles on the surface of a hard disk drive or floppy disk.
 Universal Disc Format (UDF) A file system for optical media used by all DVD discs
and some CD-R and CD-RW discs.
 user profile A collection of files and settings about a user account that enables the
user’s personal data, desktop settings, and other operating parameters to be retained
from one session to another.
 user profile namespace The group of folders and subfolders in the C:\Users folder that
belong to a specific user account and contain the user profile.
 virtual memory A method whereby the OS uses the hard drive as though it were RAM.
Also see pagefile.sys.
 volume A primary partition that has been assigned a drive letter and can be formatted
with a file system such as NTFS. Compare to logical drive.
 wildcard An *or ? character used in a command line that represents a character or
group of characters in a filename or extension.

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