Overview

1. Chapter 3Windows NT 4.0 Workstation Overview • Introduction to Windows NT Workstation 4.0. • Installing Windows NT Workstation 4.0. • Customizing and managing NT Workstation 4.0. • Managing Windows NT Workstation security. • NT boot-up process and creation of a startup disk. • Troubleshooting common Windows NT problems. Introduction to Windows NT Workstation 4.0 • Features of Windows NT. • Limitations of Windows NT. • Strengths of Windows NT. • Hardware and Windows NT Workstation 4.0.

2. Features of Windows NT • Desktop – Windows NT provides a better user interface and allows users to create a hierarchy of folders and shortcuts. • File system – NT 4.0 supports the FAT16 and (NTFS4) • Security - NT’s advanced file system protects files and folders by assigning permissions to individuals or groups. • Better Stability - NT 4.0 allows a user to work on different applications without the risk of data loss • Memory – The NT virtual memory manager allows more programs and data in memory.

3. Features of Windows NT Software compatibility: • NT 4.0 runs applications in environments called subsystems. • 32-bit Windows applications are the ‘native’ applications of Windows NT and run in the Win32 subsystem. • A DOS application in Windows runs within a virtual DOS machine (VDM). • NT 4.0 provides support for different types of applications by creating a simulated environment specific for the application.

4. Limitations of Windows NT • Hard drive limits - The Windows NT setup program can only create a maximum hard disk partition size of 4 GB. • Hardware support - NT does not support a variety of hardware and does not support the plug and play feature. • Software compatibility – A few DOS and 16-bit Windows-based applications do not work in NT’s simulated environment. Strengths of Windows NT • Organizations use Windows NT 4.0 for backward compatibility. • An organization owning a license for Windows NT can continue to use the same license when old computers are replaced.

5. Hardware and NT Workstation 4.0 • Windows NT 4.0 Workstation can be installed on a computer that complies with the Intel/Microsoft set of standards. • Windows NT Workstation 4.0 supports symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) with two processors. Recommended hardware requirements for installing NT are: • Intel Pentium processor. • 128 MB of RAM. • 2 to 4 GB of hard disk space. • CD-ROM drive. • SVGA or higher resolution video adapter. • Microsoft mouse. • It is essential that the hardware and the software to be installed are both compatible with the operating system. • Users can refer to the Microsoft site to check the list of hardware & software that have passed MS compatibility tests.

6. Prerequisites for NT Workstation 4.0 Installation • Ensure the system complies with hardware requirements, and the hardware is compatible with the operating system. • All the connections should be in place for the installed components. • Ensure device drivers required for the hardware are present. • A device driver is a small program that allows the operating system to interact with and control a hardware device. • Manual and automated are the two methods of installing NT. • Automated installation is used by organizations that need identical applications and desktop configurations on a large number of systems. • Automated installations and some manual installations use the WINNT.EXE or WINNT32.EXE program.

7. Installing NT Workstation 4.0 • The common Windows NT 4.0 installation strategy involves installing Windows NT 4.0 using the generic drivers. • A clean installation of the op-system is recommended. A clean installation in Windows NT refers to either: • Installing the operating system on a clean hard disk, or • Removing the old partitions and allowing setup to create a new partition, and formatting the same during the installation process.

8. Post-Installation Tasks Verifying network access: • Ensure that users requiring access to the LAN are able to connect to other resources on the network. • The Network Neighborhood window is used to display a list of computers visible on the network. Installing service packs: • The latest service pack must be tested before being installed. • The WINVER program can be used for determining information regarding the Windows version, license, amount of memory available, and the service pack level.

9. Creating a New Hard Disk Partition • A partition defines the boundaries on a hard disk. • Primary and extended are the two standard partition types. • A primary partition has a single drive letter assigned to the partition, while an extended partition has multiple logical drive letters. • Each area, defined as a drive letter, is a volume. • A hard disk can have a total of four partitions, but the number of extended partitions cannot exceed one. • The Disk Administrator tool is used for creating and managing disks in Windows NT.

10. Installing and Removing Applications and Windows Components • Most applications come with their own installation programs. • The Add/Remove Programs applet in the Control panel can be used for installing and uninstalling applications and Windows components.

11. Managing NT Workstation Security • The NT operating system offers both, a local security database for authentication of users and the ability to set permissions on local files and folders. • Logons can be enforced only at the network level. • A hard disk can have a total of four partitions, but the number of extended partitions cannot exceed one. • The Disk Administrator tool is used for creating and managing disks in Windows NT.

12. Managing Users, Groups, Permissions, and Rights • Security accounts in Windows NT include individual user accounts and group accounts that can contain multiple users. • User and group accounts are used to protect sensitive data. • In a workgroup, security accounts are on individual computers • In a domain, security accounts are contained in a centralized accounts database on special servers called domain controllers.

13. Managing Users, Groups, Permissions, and Rights Users and groups: • NT requires an authenticated logon with a valid username and password. • For easier administration, NT uses security groups to group user accounts. • Administrator and Guest are the two built-in user accounts that are created by default when Workstation is installed. • Windows NT Workstation, by default, creates the Administrators, Backup Operators, Guests, Power Users, Replicator, and Users built-in group accounts.

14. Managing Users, Groups, Permissions, and Rights Users and groups (continued): • All local user accounts automatically become members of the Users group. • The User Manager administrative program is used for creating and managing users and groups. • The Everyone group is a special default group, which includes all users on a network irrespective of their authentication.

15. Managing Users, Groups, Permissions, and Rights User rights: • A right is a privilege to perform system-wide functions. • In Windows NT, user rights can be viewed by opening User Manager and selecting User Rights from the Policies menu.

16. Managing Users, Groups, Permissions, and Rights Permissions: • Permissions define the actions that can be performed by a user on an object. • Each folder and file in a NTFS file system has a set of security permissions associated with it. • No Access, List, Read, Add, Add and Read, Change, and Full Control are the standard folder permissions.

17. Managing Users, Groups, Permissions, and Rights Planning for users, groups, and permissions: • Additional user accounts must be created if a Windows NT Workstation computer is to be used by more than one user. • A user must log on as a member of the Administrators group to create users or groups.

18. Using and Managing a Local Printer • A local printer can be used only after the printer driver is installed. • Only the Administrator or a member of the Administrators group can install a printer driver. Windows NT Startup Diskette • A Windows NT startup disk can be created by formatting a diskette in NT, and copying the files NTLDR, NTDETECT.COM, and BOOT.INI to the diskette.

19. NT System Files and Partitions • The NTLDR is a file that loads the operating system into the memory from the boot sector of the active partition. • The active partition in Windows NT is called the system partition. • NTLDR, NTDETECT.COM, BOOT.INI, and NTBOOTDD.SYS are the NT boot files, and they reside in the system partition.

20. NT System Files and Partitions • The partition containing the system files is called the boot partition. • System files include the operating system kernel, the file containing the operating system settings from the registry, and the driver files. • The system files are installed into the WINNT\SYSTEM32 folder.

21. NT Boot-Up Process Boot-up process in NT is divided into the following stages: • Pre-boot sequence. • Boot sequence. • Load sequence. Pre-Boot Sequence • In the pre-boot sequence, the NTLDR is loaded into the memory. • A part of the instructions in the NTLDR are activated in this stage.

22. Boot Sequence • In this stage, the NTLDR loads, switches the processor into the protected mode, and reads the BOOT.INI. • NTLDR loads and starts NTDETECT.COM, if ‘Windows NT Workstation Version 4.0’ is selected. • NTLDR also loads NTOSKRNL.EXE, HAL.DLL, and the system portion of the registry into the RAM. • NTLDR is also responsible for loading the drivers that are configured to load at boot time.

23. Load Sequence • The load sequence begins when NTLDR passes control to NTOSKRNL.EXE. • Windows NT gets loaded and initialized in this stage. • The load sequence has three phases – the kernel initialization phase, the services load phase, and the Windows system start phase. • The components NTOSKRNL.EXE and SMSS.EXE control the first two phases of the load sequence respectively.

24. Troubleshooting Common NT Problems Registry: • The registry is a central place where NT stores all configuration settings for the operating system. • The REGEDIT.EXE and REGEDT32.EXE tools are used for viewing and modifying the registry as a hierarchical structure. Event Viewer: • System, application, and security are the three categories of events that can be logged in the Event Viewer. • The system log shows events involving the operating system components. • The application log shows events involving application.

25. Troubleshooting Common NT Problems • The Microsoft Web site and the Windows NT Help program provide help for troubleshooting problems with Win NT. • The defragmentation tool can be used to reorganize data on the hard disk, thereby increasing the speed of the computer. • Ensure that the contents of the TEMP folder and temporary Internet files are cleaned regularly. • The Windows NT backup program can be used to back up all valuable files, thereby preventing data loss. • The Windows NT startup disk can be used to resolve startup errors that occur while booting.

26. Troubleshooting Common NT Problems The Blue Screen Of Death (BSOD): • The BSOD is a blue character-mode screen that displays a message indicating a fatal error. • A bad driver can cause the BSOD during installation and during startup. • The BSOD problem can be solved by either reporting it to a computer support person or by researching on the stop code in the Microsoft’s Technet site. • The Recovery settings on the Startup/Shutdown tab of the System applet in the control panel can be used for configuring the behavior of the computer after a BSOD error.