Windows XP Installation

When you install WinXP, the Setup program asks you to specify how to install and configure the operating system. Preparing in advance helps you avoid problems during and after installation.

Preinstallation Tasks
Before you start the installation, complete the following tasks:
Ensure that your hardware meets the minimum requirements for installing WinXP
Determine whether your hardware is on the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL).
Decide how you will partition the hard disk on which you will install WinXP.
Choose a file system (NTFS or FAT32 or FAT16) for the installation partition.
Determine whether your computer will join a domain or a workgroup. Complete a preinstallation checklist.

Minimum Hardware Requirements for WinXP

Component Requirements

CPU
Pentium 233 megahertz (MHz) or equivalent

Memory
64MB minimum; 256MB recommended; Maximum 4GB RAM

HDD Space
1.5 GB on a 2-GB hard disk minimum

Networking
Network adapter card and related cable (Not required for stand alone PC)

Display
Monitor with VGA Card minimum resolution 640x480 & 256 colour; recommended resolution 800x600 or higher & 32bit colour

Other drives
CD-ROM drive, 12X or faster recommended (not required for installing WinXP over a network), or DVD drive

Accessories
Keyboard and mouse or other pointing device

Hardware Compatibility List

Although the WinXP Setup Wizard automatically checks your hardware and software for potential conflicts, before you install WinXP, you should verify that your hardware is on the WinXP HCL. Microsoft provides tested drivers for the listed devices only. Using hardware not listed on the HCL could cause problems during and after installation. The most recent versions of the HCL for released operating systems are on the Microsoft Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/hcl/.
NOTE: If your hardware is not on the HCL, the hardware manufacturer might be able to provide you with a WinXP driver for the component.

Disk Partitions

The WinXP Setup program examines & determines its existing configuration. WinXP setup then allows you to install WinXP on a new or existing partition.

Remaining Free Hard Disk Space
Although you can use Setup to create other partitions, you should create and size only the partition on which you will install WinXP . After you install WinXP , use the Disk Management administrative tool to partition and format any remaining unpartitioned space on the hard disk.

Installation Partition Size
Microsoft recommends installing WinXP on a 1.5-GB or larger partition. Although WinXP requires less disk space for installation, using a larger installation partition provides the flexibility to install WinXP updates, operating system tools, additional Windows components, applications that you will be installing, users' data and other necessary files in the future.

File Systems
After you create the installation partition, Setup prompts you to select the file system with which to format the partition.
MS Windows NT 4 and MS Windows 2000, WinXP supports the NT file system (NTFS) and file allocation table (FAT).Only Win9x, Windows 2000 and WinXP support FAT32.

Using NTFS Partition for WinXP provides the following features

File-level and Folder-level Security

NTFS allows you to control access to files and folders, securing them with NTFS Permissions.

Disk Compression

NTFS compresses files to store more data on the partition.

Disk Quotas

NTFS allows you to control disk usage on a per-user basis.

Encryption

NTFS allows you to encrypt file data on HDD, using MS Encrypting File System (EFS).
The version of NTFS in WinXP also supports remote storage, dynamic volumes, and mounting volumes to folders.

NOTE: WinXP , Windows 2000, and Windows NT are the only operating systems that can access data on a local hard disk formatted with NTFS.

FAT and FAT32
FAT & FAT32 do not offer many of the features (eg file-level security) that NTFS supports.
You must format the system partition with either FAT/ FAT32 if you will dual boot WinXP & another OS that requires FAT/ FAT32 (eg Win9x / DOS).
But you need to format only the system partition as FAT/ FAT32, if you are setting up a computer for dual booting,. For example, if drive C is the system partition, you could format drive C as FAT/ FAT32 and format drive D as NTFS.
NOTE: Setup formats the partition as FAT on partition size smaller than 2GB and FAT32 on partition size larger than 2GB.

Converting a FAT or FAT32 Volume to NTFS
WinXP provides the Convert command for converting a partition to NTFS without reformatting the partition and losing all the information on the partition.
To use the Convert command, click Start, click Run, type cmd in the Open text box, and then click OK. This opens a command prompt, which you use to request the Convert command. The following example shows how you might use switches with the Convert command. Convert volume /FS:NTFS
For example Convert d: /FS:NTFS
Will convert partition named D to NTFS from FAT/FAT32For help with any command-line program, at the command prompt type the command followed by /? and then press Enter. eg, Convert /?

Domain or Workgroup Membership
During installation, you must choose the type of network security group that the computer will join: a domain or a workgroup. The requirements for joining a domain or workgroup.

Joining a Domain
When you install WinXP on a computer, you can add that computer to an existing domain. Adding a computer to a domain is referred to as joining a domain.

NOTE: A computer can join a domain during or after installation.

Joining a domain during installation requires the following:
A domain name. Ask the domain administrator for the Domain Name System (DNS) name for the domain that the computer will join. Eg. Mhssphnwm1.com, in which microsoft is the name of the organization's DNS identity.
A computer account. Before a computer can join a domain, you must create a computer account in the domain. You can ask a domain administrator to create the computer account before installation or, if you have administrative privileges for the domain, you can create the computer account during installation. If you create the computer account during installation, Setup prompts you for the name and password of a user account with authority to add domain computer accounts.
An available domain controller and a server running the DNS service (called the DNS server). At least one domain controller in the domain that you are joining & one DNS server must be online when you install a computer in the domain.

Joining a Workgroup
When you install WinXP on a computer, you can add that computer to an existing workgroup. This process is referred to as joining a workgroup. If you join a computer to a workgroup during installation, you must assign a workgroup name to the computer. The workgroup name you assign can be the name of an existing workgroup or the name of a new workgroup that you create during installation.

Preinstallation Checklist
Use the following preinstallation checklist to ensure that you have all the necessary information available before you begin installing WinXP .

Task
Verify that your components meet the minimum hardware requirements.
Verify that all of your hardware is listed on the HCL.
Verify that partition on which XP is installed. has a min.1.5GB of free disk space.
Select the file system for the WinXP partition. Format this partition with NTFS unless you need to dual boot OS that requires FAT
Determine the name of the domain or workgroup that each computer will join. Write down the domain name in the DNS format: server.subdomain.domain or a workgroup name , using the 15-character NetBIOS naming convention
Determine the name of the computer before installation.
If the computer will join a domain, create a computer account in that domain. (administrative privileges required in the domain )
Determine a password for the Local Administrator account.

Boot Sequence Win2000/WinXP

Boot: The process of starting or resetting a computer is known as booting. The computer runs the software that loads and starts the computer's operating system.
Cold boot = When the computer is first turned on .
Warm boot= When the computer is reset without switching it off.

Basic Input/Output System (BIOS)
On x86-based computers, the set of essential software routines that test hardware at startup, start the operating system, and support the transfer of data among hardware devices. The BIOS is stored in read-only memory (ROM) so that it can be executed when you turn on the computer.

Master Boot Record (MBR)
The first sector on a hard disk, which starts the process of booting the computer. The MBR contains the partition table for the disk and a small amount of executable code called the master boot code.

Partition Boot Sector
A portion of a hard disk partition that contains information about the disk's file system and a short machine language program that loads the Windows operating system.

Boot Files
The files needed to start Windows. The boot files, in XP or win2000, are Ntldr, Boot.ini, Ntdetect.com.

System Partition
The partition that contains the boot files needed to load Windows. The system partition can be, but does not have to be, the same as the boot partition.

Boot Partition
The partition that contains the Windows operating system and its support files. The boot partition can be, but does not have to be, the same as the system partition.

Systemroot
The path and folder name where the Windows system files are located. Typically, this is C:\Windows, although you can designate a different drive or folder when you install Windows. You can use the value %systemroot% to replace the actual location of the folder that contains the Window system files. To identify your systemroot folder, click Start, click Run, type %systemroot%, and then click OK.

Boot Logging
A process in which a computer that is starting (booting) creates a log file that records the loading of each device and service. The log file is called Ntbtlog.txt, and it is saved in the system root directory.

Itanium
An Intel microprocessor that uses explicitly parallel instruction set computing and 64-bit memory addressing.

Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI)
In computers with the Intel Itanium processor, the interface between a computer's firmware, hardware, and the operating system. The Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) defines a new partition style called GUID partition table (GPT). EFI serves the same purpose for Itanium-based computers as the BIOS found in x86-based computers. However, it has expanded capabilities that provide a consistent way to start any compatible operating system and an easy way to add EFI drivers for new bootable devices without the need to update the computer's firmware.

GUID Partition Table (GPT)
A disk-partitioning scheme that is used by the Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) in Itanium-based computers. GPT offers more advantages than master boot record (MBR) partitioning because it allows up to 128 partitions per disk, provides support for volumes up to 18 exabytes in size, allows primary and backup partition tables for redundancy, and supports unique disk and partition IDs (GUIDs).

When an Intel x86-based computer starts, sector 0, or the master boot record (MBR), is loaded from the first hard disk and executed. Sector 0 contains the partition table and some code, or the master boot code (MBC). The MBC scans the partition table for the single active partition and loads sector 0 from this partition into memory and executes it. This sector may be a utility or diagnostic program or a boot sector containing boot code for an operating system. The boot code starts the operating system in a manner defined by the operating system.

If a hard disk contains, for example, an MS-DOS, a Unix, and an IBM MOST partition, a user can change which of these systems will be started by changing the active partition. (If you are running MS-DOS, you can use FDISK to do this.)

Windows NT is started when a partition containing Windows NT boot code is active. The boot code loads the Windows NT Boot Loader. The Boot Loader enables you to choose which Windows NT installation is to be started, or to start the previous root-based operating system on the C drive.

The Boot Loader starts the root-based operating system by executing BOOTSECT.DOS, thus simulating the root-based operating system's ordinary boot sequence. BOOTSECT.DOS is usually the MS-DOS (or OS/2) boot sector, but this is not necessary. BOOTSECT.DOS could be another multi-boot program.

Each operating system provides one or more means of organizing data within partitions it recognizes. Some operating systems recognize and use the same file systems and some do not. For example, MS-DOS and Windows NT both recognize and use FAT partitions; Windows NT and Unix each use file systems that are unrecognizable by each other. Operating systems that recognize and use the same file systems can share partitions, meaning that a user can see files on such partitions from whichever of the operating systems is currently running.

If an operating system (like Unix) does not recognize the file system on the C drive, then it follows that the operating system cannot reside on the C drive and therefore the Windows NT Boot Loader cannot provide that operating system as a selection on its boot menu.
Also note that MS-DOS, OS/2, and Windows NT could all reside on separate partitions, in which case the user could select among them by changing the active partition. Or, MS-DOS and Windows NT could be on one partition and OS/2 on another. Or, as long as you keep the first partition FAT, you can have Windows NT and OS/2 on separate partitions, keeping only a bootable MS-DOS floppy for the times when you need to use MS-DOS.

New Features and Improvements in WinXP

New Features and Improvements in WinXP

Welcome Screen

Welcome Screen provides the ability to set up multiple user accounts on one computer. You create these accounts during Setup or from the Control Panel. The separate accounts establish profiles that separate each user's data. By default, the accounts are not password protected, but users can set passwords on their specific accounts if they want. You can go to login/password dialogue box (like win9x/win2000) by pressing ctrl+alt+del.

Fast User Switching

Fast User Switching feature allows multiple users to simultaneously share a computer without closing all of their applications first. For example, if you are creating a Microsoft Word document and leave your computer for a short time, Fast User Switching permits another person to use your computer to access another computer account-perhaps to find a customer's account balance-while leaving your Word session open. All of this is done without either of you logging off the computer.

Start Menu

Start Menu has been redesigned for easier access to important and frequently used tasks. In addition to prominent Internet and e-mail links, the new Start menu lists the programs that you use most frequently. WinXP continually updates this list based on your usage of programs. It adds programs that you are using and removes programs from the list that you have not been using. WinXP does not remove the programs from your computer, just from this list. The Start menu also lists important user folders such as My Documents, My Pictures, and My Music.

Compressed Folders

Compressed Folders feature provides the ability to create ZIP folders and view their contents. Compressed folders allow you to compress large files so that you can store more files on a floppy disk or hard drive. To create a compressed folder follow these steps:
Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Explore.
On the File menu, click New, and then click Compressed Folder.

NOTE : If you drag and drop files and folders into a compressed folder, they will be compressed. You cannot save a file to a compressed folder.

Copying Files and Folders to a CD

WinXP enables users to save information such as photos and software to a compact disc (CD) without using third-party software. Because CD-recordable (CD-R) and CD-rewritable (CD-RW) drives are now inexpensive, this feature enhances the standard conveniences that Windows offers to users. Users can select a folder of images from a digital camera, drag it to the CD-R icon, and then create a CD.

To copy files or folders to a CD follow these steps:
Insert a blank, writable CD into the CD recorder. (You must have a blank, writable CD and a CD-ROM drive that has the capability of writing CDs to use this feature.)
Click Start, right-click My Computer & select files/ folders you want to write to the CD.
Under File And Folder Tasks, click Copy This File, Copy This Folder, or Copy The Selected Items.
In the Copy Items dialog box, click the CD recording drive and then click Copy.
In My Computer, click the CD recording drive and then under CD Writing Tasks, click Write These Files To The CD.

NOTE: Standard CDs hold 650 MB of information. High-density CDs hold at least 700 MB of information. You must have enough space on your hard drive to temporarily hold the files you want to copy to the CD or the operation will fail.

ClearType Support

ClearType Support is a new text display technology. ClearType triples the horizontal resolution available for rendering text through software, which provides a clearer text display on a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen with digital interface.
To specify ClearType follow these steps:
Click Start and then click Control Panel.
Click Appearance And Themes, and then click Display.
In the Appearance And Themes dialog box, click Appearance.
In the Appearance tab, click Effects.
Select the Use The Following Method To Smooth Edges Of Screen Fonts check box, and then select ClearType from the drop-down list (see Figure 1.1).
Click OK to close the Effects dialog box.
Click OK to close the Display Properties dialog box.

Desktop Cleanup

Desktop Cleanup Wizard helps keep your desktop uncluttered by periodically checking for unused shortcuts and removing them without harming the installed program. By default, the Desktop Cleanup Wizard checks for unused shortcuts every 60 days and offers to move them to a folder on the desktop called Unused Desktop Shortcuts.
To run the Desktop Cleanup Wizard follow these steps:
Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
Click Appearance And Themes, and then click Display.
Click Desktop and then click Customize Desktop.
Under Desktop Cleanup, click Clean Desktop Now to run the Desktop Cleanup Wizard.

Fax Support WinXP

Fax Support WinXP provides fax support that enables you to send faxes over a network from a computer with an attached fax modem or fax board or with a local area network (LAN) connection. You can print to fax from any application, send cover fax pages, and track and monitor faxes. New wizards enable simpler configuration of this feature and fax sending.
To send or manage faxes follow these steps:
Click Start, point to All Programs, and point to Accessories.
Point to Communications and point to Fax.

Locale Support Additions and Regional Options Enhancements

Locale Support Additions and Regional Options Enhancements. A locale is a set of cultural and regional preferences that correspond to a user's language and sublanguage (for example, Canadian French and U.K. English). Compared with Windows 2000 Professional, this feature adds support for the following locales: Galician, Gujarati, Kannada, Kyrgyz, Mongolian (Cyrillic), Punjabi, Divehi, Syriac, and Telugu. The feature also includes enhancements to the Regional and Language Options control panel.

Auto-Configuration for Multiple Network Connectivity

The Auto-Configuration for Multiple Network Connectivity feature provides easy access to network devices and the Internet. It also allows a mobile computer user to seamlessly operate both office and home networks without manually reconfiguring Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) settings.
You can use this feature to specify an alternate configuration for TCP/IP if a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server is not found. The alternate configuration is useful when a computer is used on multiple networks, one of which does not have a DHCP server and does not use an automatic private Internet Protocol (IP) addressing configuration.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0

Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 provides visual refresh and enhanced support for Document Object Model (DOM) Level 1 and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) Level 1. Internet Explorer 6.0 also provides the following features:
Media acquisition enhancements, which include a shortcut menu to make saving images more discoverable and support for My Videos and My Music folders as defaults for those media types.
Native support for Macromedia Flash and Macromedia Shockwave Player files.
Automatic Image Resize, which allows you to automatically resize an image to fit entirely within the current browser frame. This feature works only when you have directly navigated to an image; it does not resize images embedded within Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) pages.
Networking has also been enhanced to include changes to cookie handling for improved privacy, and changes to Passport and other authentication dialogs to allow a more integrated password and credential management.

Instant Messaging

Instant Messaging allows users to quickly communicate with one another over the Internet. Internet Explorer 6.0 includes the ability to show MSN Messenger, Outlook Express, and Outlook contacts in a side panel. The Windows Messenger in WinXPoffers multimedia audio, video, and data real-time communication over the Internet. All you need is a .NET passport, which you can create using your Microsoft Hotmail account or using MSN Messenger, and a dial-in connection to the Internet. If you want real-time audio and video, you will need a microphone and a Web cam.

Internet Connection Firewall (ICF)

Internet Connection Firewall (ICF). Microsoft designed the ICF for use in the home and by small businesses. It provides protection on computers directly connected to the Internet. It is available for LAN or dial-up networking, virtual private networking (VPN), and Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE) connections. It also prevents scanning of ports and resources (file and printer shares) from external resources.

Terminal Services

Terminal Services: Remote Desktop and Remote Desktop Connection.
Remote Desktop enables Remote Console access, allowing the primary screen output to be redirected to a Terminal Server client.
The Remote Desktop Connection feature is the end-user tool for establishing connections to computers running Terminal Services. Corporate employees who work at home, using a line-of-business application that is hosted on a Terminal Server, can use the Remote Access Service (RAS) to dial in and the Remote Desktop Connection to use the application.

WebDAV Redirector

WebDAV Redirector The Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning (WebDAV) redirector is a new mini-redirector that supports the WebDAV protocol for remote document sharing over Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
For example, the WebDAV redirector allows users at different locations to share and collaborate on a file. A user can also use WebDAV redirectors to publish Web data, or make use of Internet repositories for storing data or sharing information with family and friends.

Web Publishing

Web Publishing feature enables users to publish files to a Web-hosting service. This feature uses the .NET Passport Wizard to sign up for passports so a user does not need to enter a password at the Web site.
NOTE: To publish files, click Start, click My Documents, and select the files you want to publish. Under File And Folder Tasks, click Publish This File To The Web. In the Web Publishing Wizard page, click Next. In the Destination Web Site page, select a destination location for your files, and then follow the wizard prompts to complete publishing the files.

Automatic Updates

Automatic Updates (AU) is a proactive service that allows users with administrative privileges to automatically download and install critical operating system updates, such as security fixes and patches. Because the installation might require you to restart your computer, you are notified before the installation takes place and given the opportunity to postpone the download operation.

Troubleshooting Using Help and Support Center

Troubleshooting Using Help and Support Center. Fllowing Help feature are available:
The Remote Assistance feature allows you to remotely view and control a computer for any support task. It also enables chat and file transfers. If you have a computer problem, you can invite another person (a remote assistant) to help you over the Internet. The remote assistant can accept your invitation, chat with you about the problem, and view your desktop. The remote assistant can also transfer any files required to fix the problem. With your permission, the remote assistant can also get full control of your computer to perform any complex steps needed to fix the problem.
Windows Newsgroups You can use the connectionless message boards and the real-time chat rooms to get answers quickly in a free, online setting.
Compatible Hardware and Software feature provides up-to-date, comprehensive, user-friendly hardware and software compatibility information to aid users in upgrading equipment, making purchasing decisions, and troubleshooting problems.
Device Driver Referral Site with Knowledge Base articles related to the device in question (To access Knowledge Base, connect to http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/support/search.asp )
Help system uses HTML to format and display information with Full Text Search
Tools to view your computer information & diagnose problems
Assisted Support services-Microsoft Incident Submission & Management allows you to submit electronic support incidents to Microsoft, collaborate with support engineers, and manage submitted incidents.
My Computer Information provides you with an easy-to-comprehend, accessible view of personalized software and hardware information specific to your computer or to remote computers on your network.

Multiple instances You can open two sessions of the Help and Support Center application at the same time. Running concurrent sessions enables you to submit incident reports while looking at Help or System Information. You can also Print, as well as, Copy-Paste the help articles.

Microsoft Windows XP Family

Microsoft Windows XP Home
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition:
4 PC Cluster, Boots from SAN (Storage Area Network),
Hot Install Memory, Support 4 Processors
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter EditionMicrosoft Windows Server 2003, Web Edition

Windows 2000 Datacenter Server

This new product is the most powerful and functional server operating system ever offered by Microsoft. It is optimized for large data warehouses, econometric analysis, large-scale simulations in science and engineering, and server consolidation projects. This product is not covered in this training.

Windows 2000 Advanced Server (formerly Windows NT Server 5 Enterprise Edition)

This product is a more powerful departmental and application server, and it will also provides rich network operating system (NOS) and Internet services. This product is not covered in this training.

Windows 2000 Server

This product is a file, print, and applications server, as well as a Web-server platform, that contains all of the features of Windows 2000 Professional plus many new server-specific functions. This product is ideal for small- to medium-sized enterprise application deployments, Web servers, workgroups, and branch offices.

Windows 2000 Professional

This product is a high-performance, secure-network client computer and corporate desktop operating system that includes the best features of Microsoft Windows 98, while significantly extending the manageability, reliability, security, and performance of Windows NT Workstation 4. This product was the main Microsoft desktop operating system for businesses of all sizes.

Graphical User Interface – GUI

Microsoft Windows Family of OS :
Windows ver 3.1 1991 16bit OS, Runs over MS-DOS Multitasking
Icons, Menus, Dialog Boxes
Mouse – point, click, double click, drag, drop
Address memory beyond 640K
Windows ver3.11 1992 Peer to peer network = file/ Resource sharing,
for Workgroup supports MS Mail & Workgroup Scheduler
Virtual Memory – swap file
DOS is still required for booting the PC &
managing partition, Filing system.
Uses File Manager & Program Manager
-------------------------------------------
Microsoft Windows 95 Family of OS :
Windows 95 Aug1995 32-bit OS; takes over from DOS after starting
New costumizable user interface: Desktop; Start
Button, Task bar = more user friendly
Multi-tasking; Premptive Muti-threading
Recognizes & Connects to other NOS
like Netware, NT, Unix etc
Uses windows Explorer for disk/file management.
Windows 98 1998 Integrate web browsing features
Windows 98 OSR2 More stable then previous version
Can still run old DOS in command Window
Windows ME (Millenium Edition -2000) released before windows 2000 family
------------------------------------------
Microsoft Windows NT (New Technology) Family of OS
Windows NT Workstation 3.1
Windows NT Advance Server 3.1
Windows NT Workstation 3.5
Windows NT Server 3.5
Windows NT 4, Workstation
Windows NT 4, Server
Windows NT 4 Server, Enterprise Edition



Microsoft Windows 2000 (NT 5.0) Family of OSThe Windows 2000 platform consists of the following four versions:

Command Prompt Interface (Text Base Interface)

Input = Text ; Output = Text (on monitor or printer)

Disk Operating System – DOS
MS DOS ver 3.3 Apr1987 Support HDD, 3.5” FDD, network file sharing,
International support
MS DOS ver 4.0 1988 Support HDD greater than 32MB
DOS Shell
MS DOS ver 5.0 1991 More utilities &
Memory ManagementMS DOS ver 6.0/6.2 1993 More Utilities & Scandisk