MCDST 70-271: Supporting Users and Troubleshooting a Microsoft Windows XP Operating System

1. MCDST 70-271: Supporting Users and Troubleshooting a Microsoft Windows XP Operating System Chapter 1: Planning the Installation of Windows XP

2. Objectives • Understand your role in the support process • Understand the types of installations available • Plan an installation Guide to MCDST 70-271

3. Objectives (continued) • Understand network- and CD-based attended installations • Understand volume licensing • Understand Windows XP activation Guide to MCDST 70-271

4. Your Role in Supporting the End User • Supporting end users requires that you wear many hats • The hat of a listener • The hat of an expert • The hat of a co-worker Guide to MCDST 70-271

5. Your Role in Troubleshooting Windows XP • Restoring desktop settings for end users • Backing up System State data • Working with storage mechanisms to troubleshoot problems Guide to MCDST 70-271

6. Your First Step: Understanding Upgrades and Clean Installations • Clean installation performed: • When no operating system currently exists on the computer • When you wish to overwrite an existing operating system Guide to MCDST 70-271

7. Your First Step: Understanding Upgrades and Clean Installations (continued) • Attended installation • Requires the presence of an operator • Unattended installation • Partially or fully automated installation Guide to MCDST 70-271

8. Your First Step: Understanding Upgrades and Clean Installations (continued) • Upgradeinstallation • Performed when you wish to retain system configuration and personal data • Multiboot systems • Have two or more operating systems installed Guide to MCDST 70-271

9. Planning the Installation • Careful planning • Essential for the smooth installation of any OS • Windows XP Professional • Has specific set of minimum system requirements that a target computer must meet or exceed Guide to MCDST 70-271

10. Planning the Installation (continued) Guide to MCDST 70-271

11. Hardware Compatibility List • Contains all known Windows XP-compatible hardware devices • Points to each device’s driver • Always a good idea to use HCL as primary reference when evaluating prospective Windows XP system Guide to MCDST 70-271

12. Finding the HCL • Easiest place to look is on the Windows XP CD-ROM in the Support folder • Exists as a text and a Help file • Microsoft’s Quality Labs are constantly updating HCL • Version of HCL on the CD-ROM will quickly become outdated as new drivers and devices are introduced Guide to MCDST 70-271

13. Why the HCL Is So Important • Microsoft’s technical support policy • Any hardware that is not on the HCL is not supported for Windows XP • Windows XP • Automatically investigates your hardware and determines whether the minimum requirements are met Guide to MCDST 70-271

14. Network or CD Attended Installations • Performing a network installation • Means launching the Setup routine from a network share instead of a local device • To install Windows XP Professional over the network • Must have an existing OS with network connectivity and access privileges Guide to MCDST 70-271

15. CD-ROM Installation Launched from Setup Boot Floppies • Preferred method • If you must install storage drivers manually • When your system will not boot from the CD • When an existing OS is not present • When network access is not available Guide to MCDST 70-271

16. Using a Bootable CD • Most common installation method for individual installations • Faster than the floppy method • Can be used regardless of the presence of an OS on the system or network access Guide to MCDST 70-271

17. CD-ROM Launch from Existing OS • Setup process can be launched: • From an existing OS • From a boot floppy that contains CD-ROM drivers • Launching Setup requires execution of WINNT or WINNT32 file from the \i386 directory Guide to MCDST 70-271

18. Important Setup Option Differences • Text mode setup • Used when you initialize the setup from any method other than launching Setup from a preexisting Windows OS • GUI setup method • Employs an initialization SetupWizard to preselect or predefine several setup options Guide to MCDST 70-271

19. Important Setup Option Differences (continued) Guide to MCDST 70-271

20. Partitioning the Hard Disk • Reasons • Some people wish to create a partition for Windows XP itself and another partition for data files • When creating a multiboot system, you need separate partitions for each OS • Many people create a DOS boot partition that’s accessible when booting from a floppy Guide to MCDST 70-271

21. Volume Licensing • Must have a user license for Windows XP Professional installation to be valid and legal • When you purchase a volume license, you obtain: • A special volume license version of the Windows XP Professional installation CD • A list of your special volume license product keys Guide to MCDST 70-271

22. Activating Windows XP • Product activation • Mechanism by which a product has a finite initial functional lifetime • Activation benefits • Ensures that you have purchased a fully licensed and valid product Guide to MCDST 70-271

23. Activating Windows XP (continued) • Activation drawbacks • If you make a significant change to your hardware, your activation can be invalidated • Activation must be completed even if you do not have Internet access Guide to MCDST 70-271

24. Activating Windows XP (continued) Guide to MCDST 70-271

25. Activating Windows XP (continued) Guide to MCDST 70-271

26. Summary • Supporting end users requires that you wear many hats • Role in troubleshooting • Restoring desktop settings, backing up System State data, working with storage mechanisms • When installing Windows XP Professional, options include: • A clean installation • Upgrading an existing installation Guide to MCDST 70-271

27. Summary (continued) • Options for attended (manual) installations include a network installation or a CD installation • FDISK DOS utility can be used to partition hard drives • Windows XP needs to be activated on each computer Guide to MCDST 70-271