Karlie Meyer Kait Sharer Christina Angstadt. Overview Description/Comparison Installation...

Karlie Meyer Kait Sharer Christina Angstadt

Overview Description/Comparison Installation Troubleshooting

Windows XP Short for eXPerience Successor to Windows 2000 and Windows Me First released October 25, 2001 Direct Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and retail sales ceased June 30, 2008 Cont. to sell through System Builders until January 31, 2009 Codename was Whistler* Most Widely Used Operating System in World 58.4% Market Share as of Feb 10 having Peaked at 76.1% in Jan 07 On April 8, 2014 all Windows XP support, including security updates and security-related hotfixes, will be terminated *Many Microsoft Employees skied at the Whistler-Blackcomb Ski Resort in Whistler, British Columbia

XP Editions 4 Main Editions Windows XP Home Edition Windows XP Professional Windows XP Media Center Edition Windows XP Tablet PC Edition Other Editions

Editions Cont. Windows XP Home Edition Targeted at Home users Windows XP Professional Offers Support for Windows Server domains 2 physical processors Targeted at Power Users Features that are accessible for XP Professional can also be used in XP Home. They are disabled, but can become functional if the user wants them.

Editions Cont. Windows XP Media Center Edition Introduced in 2002 Updated every year until 2006 Used to: Incorporate new digital media Broadcast Television Media Center Capabilities Never made available for retail purchase Sold through OEM channels or preinstalled on computers that were typically marketed as media center PCs Windows XP Tablet PC Edition Produced for a class of specially designed notebook/laptop computers called tablet PCS Compatible with a per-sensitive screen Supports: Hand Written Notes Portrait-Oriented Screens

Other Editions Windows XP 64-bit Edition for Itanium processors Introduced in 2001 but discontinued a few years later when vendors of Itanium hardware stopped selling workstation- class machines due to low sales Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Supports the x86-64 extension of the Intel IA-32 architecture Implemented by AMD as AMD64 and found in AMDs Opteron and Athlon 64 chips Implemented by Intel as Intel 64 and found in Intels Pentium 4 and later chips Windows XP Embedded Edition for specific consumer electronics, set-top boxes, kiosks/ATMs, medical devices, arcade video games, point-of- sale terminals, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) components

Other Editions cont. Windows XP Starter Edition Lower-cost edition of Windows XP available in Thailand, Indonesia, Russia, India, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Mexico, Ecuador, Uruguay and Venezuela Similar to Windows XP Home Limited to low-end hardware, can only run 3 programs at a time, and has some other features either removed or disabled by default Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs A thin client version of Windows XP that targets old machines Intended for corporate customers who would like to upgrade to XP to take advantage of its security and management capabilities, but cant afford to purchase new hardware

New and Updated Features Faster Start Up and Hibernation Sequence New, more user-friendly interface Fast User Switching allows a user to save current state and open applications ClearType font which improves text readability on LCD and similar monitors Remote Desktop functionality allows users to connect to a computer running Windows XP Pro from across a network or the Internet and access their apps, files, printers, and devices Support for most DSL modems and connections as well as networking over FireWire and Bluetooth

User Friendly Interface The Start Menu and Windows Indexing service were redesigned and many visual effects were added including: Translucent blue selection rectangle in Explorer Drop shadows for icon labels Task-based Sidebars Ability to group the taskbar buttons of the windows of one app into one button Ability to lock taskbar and other toolbars to prevent accidental changes Highlighting of recently added programs on Start Menu Shadows under Menus

Service Packs Service Pack 1 released on September 9, 2002 Contained post-RTM security fixes and hot fixes, compatibility updates, optional.NET Framework support, enabling technologies for new devices such as Tablet PCs, and a new Windows Messenger 4.7 version Service Pack 2 released on August 25, 2004 Had an emphasis on Security Included WPA encryption compatibility and improved Wi-Fi support, Pop-up ad blocker from IE 6, and Bluetooth Support Windows Security Center provided a general overview of security on the system, including the state of antivirus software, Windows Update, and the new Windows Firewall Service Pack 3 released on July 10, 2008 A total of 1,174 fixes were included in SP3, and can be installed on systems with IE versions 6, 7, or 8 but the package does not include IE 7 and 8. A large number of users with AMD processors reported that their PCs would not boot after installing SP3, and this resulted from OEMs who preinstalled a copy of Windows XP which had been created on a machine with an Intel processor. This resulted in the Intel SpeedStep driver attempting to load on the AMD-based PC. Microsoft never supported this configuration

Criticism of XP Security Criticized for its susceptibility to malware, viruses, trojan horses, and worms By default the user sets up an administrator account that provides unrestricted access to the underpinnings of the system. If the administrator's account is broken into, there is no limit to the control that can be asserted over the compromised PC. Microsoft has stated that the release of patches to fix security holes is often what causes the spread of exploits against those very same holes. Hackers exploit these holes by figuring out what problems the patches fix, and then proceed to launch attacks against unpatched systems. Integration of Operation System Features Windows XP has drawn fire for integrating user applications such as Windows Media Player and Windows Messenger into the operating system, as well as for its close ties to the Windows Live ID service. Backward Compatibility XP comes with the ability to run DOS programs in a virtual DOS machine, it still has trouble running many old DOS programs Does not use DOS as a base Operating System

Windows Vista During development, known as Longhorn Development completed on November 8, 2006 Released worldwide on January 30, 2007 The longest time span between successive releases of Microsoft Windows desktop Operating Systems Microsoft began work on Vista in May of 2001, 5 months before the release of XP It was originally set to be shipped sometime late in 2003 as a minor step between XP and Blackcomb, which was planned to be the companies next major operating system Eventually Longhorn acquired many of the important features and technologies slated for Blackcomb, which resulted in the release date being pushed back several times Microsoft announced on August 27, 2004 that Blackcomb was scrapped, and Longhorns development started anew, building on the Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 codebase, and reincorporating only the features that would be intended for an actual operating system release In July 2005 Longhorn was named Windows Vista Development of Windows Vista came to an end when Microsoft announced that it has been finalized on November 8, 2006. Vista cost Microsoft 6 billion dollars to develop.

Vista Editions Windows Vista Home Basic: Budget users with low needs Windows Vista Starter Edition: limited to emerging markets Windows Vista Home Premium: Covers majority of the consumer market, and contains apps for creating and using multimedia Windows Vista Business: Specifically designed for small and medium sized businesses Windows Vista Enterprise: Only available to customers participating in Microsofts Software Assurance program Windows Vista Ultimate: Contains the complete feature-set of both the Home and Business (Combo of Home Premium and Enterprise) editions, as well as a set of Windows Ultimate Extras, and it aimed at enthusiasts

New and Updated Features For the End-user Windows Aero (Authentic, Energetic, Reflective, and Open): The new interface is intended to be cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing. New transparencies, live thumbnails, live icons, and animations. Windows Shell: New range of organization, navigation, and search capabilities. Windows explorer task pane is removed. Address bar replaced by breadcrumb navigation system. Preview Pane allows users to see thumbnails of various files and view contents of documents. No longer uses ever-expanding boxes when navigating through Programs. The work Start has been removed and replaced by the Windows Pearl Instant Search: Faster and More In-depth Windows Sidebar: Transparent Panel anchored to the side of the screen where a user can place Desktop Gadgets Windows Internet Explorer 7 Windows Media Player: Major Revamp Backup and Restore Center: Gives users the ability to schedule periodic backups of files on their computer, as well as recovery from previous backups Windows Mail, Windows Calendar, Windows Photo Gallery, Windows DVD Maker, Windows Media Center, Games and Games Explorer, Windows Mobility Center, Parental Controls, Speech Recognition Windows Update: Software and Security updates have been simplified, now operating solely via a control panel instead of as a web application

New and Updated Features cont. Core Complete restructuring of the architecture of the audio, print, display, and networking subsystems ReadyBoost and ReadyDrive which employ fast flash memory to improve system performance by caching commonly used programs and data SuperFetch utilizes machine learning techniques to analyze usage patterns to allow Windows Vista to make intelligent decisions about what content should be present in system memory at any given time Windows Disk Defragmenter makes sure that those apps are strategically positioned on the had disk where they can be loaded into memory very quickly with the least amount of physical movement of the hard disks read-write heads IPv6 has been fully incorporated into the operating system and a number of performance improvements have been introduced Typically earlier versions of Windows needed third party wireless networking software to work properly, but Vista includes more comprehensive wireless networking support. Security User Account Control, or UAC, is a security technology that makes it possible for users to use their computer with fewer privileges by default, with a view to stopping malware from making unauthorized changes to the system UAC asks for credentials in a Secure Desktop mode, in which the entire screen is dimmed, and only the authorization window in active and highlighted. The intent to stop a malicious program misleading the user by interfering with the authorization window, and to hint to the user the importance of the prompt. Windows Firewall is upgraded The 64-bit versions of Vista require that all device drivers be digitally signed, so that the creator of the driver can be identified

Service Packs Service Pack 1 released on February 4, 2008 Three major areas of improvement: reliability and performance, administration and experience, and support for newer hardware and standards Service Pack 2 was released on May 26, 2009 and included a number of security and other fixes Service Pack 1 must first be installed Platform Update released on October 27, 2009 Included a number of major new components that shipped with Windows 7, as well as updated runtime libraries

Complaints of Vista PC World rated it as the biggest tech disappointment of 2007 InfoWorld as #2 of Techs all-time 25 flops User Account Control has been widely criticized for generating too many prompts Mojave Experiment In July 2008, Microsoft introduced a web-based advertising campaign called the "Mojave Experiment", that depicts a group of people who are asked to evaluate the newest operating system from Microsoft, calling it Windows 'Mojave'. Participants are first asked about Vista, if they have used it, and their overall satisfaction with Vista on a scale of 1 to 10 They are then shown a demo of some of the new operating system's features, and asked their opinion and satisfaction with it on the same 1 to 10 scale After respondents rate "Mojave", they are then told that they were really shown a demo of Windows Vista According to Microsoft, the initial sample of respondents rated Vista an average of 4.4 out of 10, and Mojave received an average of 8.5, with no respondents rating Mojave lower than they originally rated Windows Vista before the demo Hardware requirements: Many people found themselves with new computers that were unable to use the new software to its full potential despite the assurance of Vista Capable designations Cost- Was a lot higher to purchase when first released; originally priced at $399 for Ultimate and $239 for Home Premium

Comparison of Windows Vista and Windows XP Vista faces backward compatibility problems as well because there are about 2000 apps that are specific to the number of programs that can currently work under XP and carry the Vista Compatibility Logo- This is very low compared to the number of programs for XP File Copy Operations proved to be one area where Vista performs better then XP Windows Vista clearly is not a great new performer when it comes to executing single applications at maximum speed In Windows XP, most home users ran all software with Administrator Access which left the computer open to potential security threats, such as hacking and malware downloads. UAC in Vista improves this by limiting application software to standard user privileges until an administrator authorizes an increase in privilege level Vista also includes Windows Defender, a spyware scanning and removal tool that is also available for XP for free. Luna is the default visual style in XP and the default theme in Vista is Aero, but it requires a compatible Graphic Card

Windows 32 Bit vs. 64 Bit 64 Bit OS process at a faster speed than 32 Bit OS Think of how much faster we thought 32 Bit was then 16 bit OS which was used in Windows 95 A processor with 32-bit memory addresses can directly access 4 GB of RAM and less 64-bit versions have the ability to access RAM that is about the 4 GB range Faster and More powerful system Enhanced Security Features

Installation

Minimum Requirements XP 300 MHz processor clock speed 128 MB of RAM 1.5 GB available hard disk space CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive Keyboard & Mouse Video adapter and monitor with Super VGA (800 x 600)or higher resolution Sound card Speakers or headphones Vista 1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor 1 GB of system memory Windows Aero-capable graphics card 128 MB of graphics memory (minimum) 40 GB hard drive 15 GB of free hard disk space provides room for temporary file storage during install or upgrade Internal or external DVD drive Audio output capability

FAT32 File System Maximum partition size is 32GB Provides little security Access to drive = access to all files on drive More susceptible to disk errors + Backward compatibility + FAT32 NTFS volumes

NTFS File System + Max partition size 16TB Use of NTFS Permissions Difficult to implement + Directory & file access controlled individually + Supports disk quotas Control amount of disk usage per user + Supports file compression + Smaller cluster size & less disk space waste + Better ability to recover from errors + Uses log files for automatic file system repairs NTFS FAT32 (must be reformatted)

Convert FAT32 Disk to NTFS Windows XP Open command prompt :\> vol c: volume label for the C partition :\> convert c: /fs:ntfs When prompted, enter the volume label for the partition Windows Vista Open command prompt :\> convert c: /fs:ntfs Volume label

Disk Preparation Back up any data you want saved CD, DVD, hard drive not being formatted Format & Partition Hard Drive Full (regular) Format Scans disk for bad sectors Quick Format Hard disk previously formatted Sure disk is not damaged

Device Manager Manage system resources Update drivers Each device Manage installed hardware Configuration Disabling / enabling Conflicts btwn. hardware devices

Update Device Drivers Software that tells O.S. how to communicate with a piece of hardware * 32-bit & 64-bit drivers Solution to hardware issue Current status of device Add new features for hardware Download.com DriverGuide.com MyDriverDetective

Virtual Memory Simulated RAM Computer shifts data to empty space on hard drive Data swapped to/from RAM as needed Increase Virtual Memory Increase empty space reserved for RAM overflow

Directories & Files Folders :\>mkdir dirname :\>rmdir dirname :\>dir :\>tree Files Attribute :\>attrib attribute path (R)Read-only, (H)Hidden (A)Archive, (S)System Permissions :\>cacls pathname options (N)None, (R)Read, (W)Write, (C)Change (read/write), (F)Full Control

Application Compatibility in Windows XP Windows XP must provide compatibility with previous operating systems; Windows 2000 and Windows Me, along with their predecessors Compatibility mode Tool built into Windows XP for end users Use compatibility mode when you run an application that does not recognize XP Antivirus programs, disk utilities, backup programs and system utilities that were not designed for Windows XP should not be run in compatibility mode

Setting a Program to Compatibility Mode Right click program and click properties Click compatibility to open the menu to the left Check run this program in compatibility mode and select a version of windows

Windows XP NTLDR is not found during bootup error FAT32 partitions: boot with a Win98 floppy and copy the NTLDR or NTDETECT.COM files from the i386 directory to the root of the C:\ drive. NTFS: Insert and boot from your Windows XP CD. At the first R=Repair option, press the R key Press the number that corresponds to the correct location for the installation of Windows you want to repair. Typically this will be #1 Enter in the administrator password when requested Enter in the following commands (X: is replaced by the actual drive letter that is assigned to the CD ROM drive) COPY X:\i386\NTLDR C\: COPY X:\i386\NTDETECT.COM C:\ Take out the CD and type exit

Windows XP Why won't 16-bit programs install on a computer running the 64-bit version of Windows XP? 16-bit programs are not compatible with the 64-bit version, therefore they will not install. However, the 64-bit XP platform is backwards- compatible with 32-bit programs. If you attempt to install a 16-bit program on the 64-bit XP platform, you may receive one of the following error messages: Install.exe is not a valid win32 application. Setup.exe is not a valid win32 application.

> Right-click on My Computer and choose Properties. Click on the Advanced tab Under the Startup and Recovery category, click Settings Locate the "Automatically Restart" entry and uncheck the checkbox Click Apply, then OK. Now, when an error is encountered, your system will not automatically reboot, but instead, it will show the actual error message that is causing the issue. Note: Be sure to have a pen and paper handy to copy the message.">

Windows XP Random Reboots Problem: When booting up my system (XP Home Edition), it will sometimes reboot after the BIOS POST (power on self test) or Windows XP Splash Screen. Answer: When Windows XP encounters a problem, it is programmed to reboot itself in an attempt to fix the error. If Windows XP is not fixing the errors and you continue to reboot randomly, then it may be necessary to find out what is causing this behavior. By turning off the "Automatic Restart" feature, you will force Windows to show the actual error. Once you have this information, you can supply it to a support professional for troubleshooting purposes. Here's how to set this up: Go to Start>> Right-click on My Computer and choose Properties. Click on the Advanced tab Under the Startup and Recovery category, click Settings Locate the "Automatically Restart" entry and uncheck the checkbox Click Apply, then OK. Now, when an error is encountered, your system will not automatically reboot, but instead, it will show the actual error message that is causing the issue. Note: Be sure to have a pen and paper handy to copy the message.

Windows XP Shutdown Problems You receive an error message when you shut down or restart the computer: 1: Configure Windows so that it does not load the file or the service mentioned in the error message 2: See whether a program has recently been removed from the computer The computer stops responding when you try to shut down or restart the computer 1: Try to shut down or restart the computer from safe mode 2: Use Device Manager to determine if the problem is related to a device driver 3: Try to restore operation of Windows XP by using System Restore 4: Try to restore operation of Windows XP by using the Last Known Good Configuration functionality 5: Try to repair your installation of Windows XP by performing an in-place upgrade 6: Confirm that the CMOS/BIOS settings are correct 7: Confirm that your hard disk or file system is not damaged

Windows Vista Top 10 Windows Vista Hardware Problems by Jason Kerluck: 1. Greedy hardware specifications: at least 512Mb of DDR RAM, a minimum 2.4 GHz Pentium 4 or AMD equivalent processor, and a 128MB video card that preferably supports Direct X 9 Many have had problems with Vista, only to realize after the fact that they fall below these specs. 2. Dearth of drivers One of the biggest challenges has been rewriting drivers to accommodate the strict new security controls 3. Audio card issues Many component manufacturers have decided not to make Vista drivers for devices older than five years. Soundcards like Creatives SoundBlaster Live series are not supported in Vista. 4. Video card issues. Many ATI drivers and devices they run relied on services and files in Windows XP. These files are either no longer used, or run is a different fashion in Vista. 5. Older motherboard chipsets. While you may meet the minimum requirements to run Vista, your motherboard may harbor chips that are not Vista-ready. A prime example of this is the 915 laptop chipset.

Top 10 Windows Vista Hardware Problems by Jason Kerluck:(Cont.) 6. High Performance Drive Controllers Many RAID and Serial ATA drivers are also left out in the dark when it comes to Vista. Many are included on the Vista disk itself, but if you manage to find a drive controller thats slow to put out a Vista driver, you may be stalled out before you even get Vista installed! Always find out what parts you have on your system before you install Vista 7. Printers and Scanners. As of this writing, there are still several high-end HP and Epson printers that have no Vista drivers at all. Newer model printers are often missing Vista drivers off the HP site. 8. USB 1.1 Vista requires that the USB ports must support version 2.0. While many have been able to get motherboards with 1.1 to work, its a good idea to disable them in BIOS and add in a PCI USB 2.0 card instead 9. Digital Video Adapters Vista requires at least one DVI-D video adapter in the system video card. It makes you wonder what Microsoft is trying to do here, as the output of the video shouldnt be tied to the operating system. Perhaps it has more to do with HDCP compatibility? 10. S3 power Management Vista requires that motherboards use the S3 power management protocol when hibernating and resuming from standby. It also requires that the return from "Suspend to RAM" standby occurs in less than 2 seconds. Needless to say, this can be a problem for older motherboards that use or are set to use the S1 standard

Windows Vista "An unauthorized change was made to your license error: The most common reason for receiving this error is due to installing incompatible software in Vista. It can also be caused by a hard disk error. Troubleshooting this: Uninstall the incompatible software Validate Windows Check Your Hard disk for erros

> Control Panel>> System and Maintenance>> Administrative Tools>> Memory Diagnostic Tool. You may be prompted for an administrators password or confirmation at this point. Select the option titled: "You can restart your computer and run the tool immediately". Once the tool has completed the diagnostic process, you will know whether your problem is memory related or not.">

Basic Windows Vista Troubleshooting Guide System Restore: If you do not know where to start and you don't have a clue as to why you're having trouble with Vista, then use System Restore to take your system files back to a time. Start>> All Programs>> Accessories>> System Tools>> System Restore Click Next Select "Choose a different restore point Click Next Select a date and time that you would like to restore to. Click Next to begin the process In the confirmation prompt, select Yes. Identify a hardware problem: Memory Go to Start>> Control Panel>> System and Maintenance>> Administrative Tools>> Memory Diagnostic Tool. You may be prompted for an administrators password or confirmation at this point. Select the option titled: "You can restart your computer and run the tool immediately". Once the tool has completed the diagnostic process, you will know whether your problem is memory related or not.

Basic Windows Vista Troubleshooting Guide (Cont.) Hard Disk (CHKDSK) Go to Start>> Computer Right click the hard disk that you would like to test. Select Properties Select the Tools tab Click the Check Now button under Error-Checking. You may be prompted for an administrators password or confirmation at this point Select the option: "Automatically fix file system errors Select the option: "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors". Selecting this option will perform a thorough scan of your selected hard disk and attempt to fix any physical errors on the drive. Depending on the size of your hard disk, this could take quite some time to complete. For best results, avoid using your computer system during this process Click Start Devices If you have recently installed a new device on your computer. It is possible that the driver for your device is not compatible with Windows Vista. In most cases, downloading an updated driver from the manufactures web site will solve this problem. If you cannot find an updated driver for your device, try removing the device from your system and see if Vista now boots correctly.

Basic Windows Vista Troubleshooting Guide (Cont.) Vista is running slow Dual Boot or Multi-boot systems: If your computer is setup to run two or more operating systems, you can select the boot order so that only one operating system will start when your machine is turned on. Go to Start>> Control Panel>> System and Maintenance>> System Select Advanced System Settings. You may be prompted for an administrators password or confirmation at this point. Select the Advanced tab Select Settings under Startup and Recovery Under the System startup category you'll find a default operating systems list. Select the operating system that you would like to use when you start your computer. Click OK and exit all windows. Using Startup Repair If you are sure that your Vista systems poor performance is not hardware or virus related. You can try running the Startup Repair feature to fix system files that may have become corrupt or gone missing..Insert your installation disk Restart your computer. Your computer should boot to your installation disk. If it won't, you will need to change the boot order in your BIOS. Consult your computer manufactures operating guide for this procedure. You may receive a prompt asking you to press any key to start Windows from the installation disk. Select the language setting and then click Next. Select Repair your computer Select the operating system that you would like to repair and then click Next. Select Startup Repair from the System Recovery Options menu. Follow all of the on-screen prompts and answer the questions accordingly. Your system may restart as repairs are made.

Basic Windows Vista Troubleshooting Guide (Cont..) Using the System File Checker (SFC): If you are experiencing system lockups or error messages when using Windows applications, you can try running the System File Checker tool to scan your operating system for corrupt files. If the SFC finds any corrupt files, it will automatically replace them with "known" good files. Here's how to use SFC: Go to Start In the Search field, type in: cmd Right click the "cmd" entrySelect "Run as administrator". Continue through any resulting UAC prompts. At the command prompt, type in the following command: sfc /scannow Press Enter on your keyboard-Using Safe Mode: Safe Mode is a very useful diagnostic tool used to troubleshoot system startup problems and performance issues. When you start your system in Safe Mode, Vista will run only the basic default Windows settings, services, devices and drivers. If your system performs fine in Safe Mode but poorly in regular mode, you can eliminate these default settings as the cause. You can access Safe Mode by tapping the F8 key on your keyboard as Windows first begins to boot.

Karlie Meyer Kait Sharer Christina Angstadt. Overview Description/Comparison Installation...

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