MCTS: Configuring Windows 7(70-680)

1. MCTS: Configuring Windows 7(70-680) Chapter 14, Lesson 2 System Recovery

2. Lesson 2 Objectives After this lesson you will be able to: • Create a restore point manually. • Perform a system restore to a selected restore point. • Restore from a System Image backup. • Boot from the Windows 7 installation DVD-ROM and run a system repair. • Use the Advanced Boot Options. • Configure System Protection.

3. Perform a System Restore: • Windows 7 creates system restore points on a regular schedule and prior to events such as the installation of applications and drivers. • A restore point contains information about registry settings and other system information. • Windows 7 generates restore points automatically before implementing significant system changes. • System restore does not alter users files. • When you perform a System Restore following a normal boot or following a boot that uses the Last Known Good Commnabd (advanced) option, a restore point is created that enables you to undo the changes if they do not fix your problem.

4. Cont’d • However a System Restore when the computer is in Safe Mode or by using the System Recovery Options, cannot be undone. You will have to run another Restore point. • Windows 7 reserves disk space for system restores and restore points are saved until this disk space is filled up. At this point, as new restore points are created, old ones are deleted. • For a system restore to be effective, you need to ensure that system protection is enabled and you have at least 300 MB of free space left on your hard disk.

5. System Protection • System protection regularly creates and saves information about your computer’s system files and settings. It also saves previous versions of files that you have modified. It saves these files in restore points. • Restore Points are created just before significant system events, such as the installation of a program or device driver • Restore points are also created automatically every seven days if no other restore points were created in the previous seven days. • You can create restore points manually at any time. • System protection is automatically on for the drive that holds the operating system and can be enabled only for drives that are formatted using the NTFS file system. It enables you to use system restore and to restore files to previous versions

6. Advanced Recovery Methods • The advanced methods available by clicking Advanced Recovery Methods in the Recovery window under All Control Panel Items in Control Panel can return Windows to a usable state if it is badly damaged. • There are two Methods that can return Windows to a usable state. • 1) Use a System Image Backup • 2) Reinstall Windows either from a recovery image provided by your computer manufacturer or the original Windows installation files. Both Methods can result in loss of data. Therefor backup personal files to an external location such as a USB hard disk. FYI: Restoring from a system image backup is not the same as performing a system restore.

8. Restoring From a System Image Backup • A System Image restore rewrites the entire contents of a system volume. • You can restore from a System Image backup by booting from the Windows 7 Installation DVD-ROM and loading System Recovery tools or by pressing F8 during the boot process. • Restoring from a System Image backup enables you to quickly get a computer running after you replace a failed hard disk, or if the operating system installation has been corrupted. • Typical Restore will take from 30 to 60 seconds per gigabyte.

9. Advanced Boot Options and System Recovery Options • On a computer running Windows 7, you can access the Advanced Boot Options by restarting the computer and holding the F8 key down while it reboots. You can do this when you boot from the installation DVD-ROM or when you boot from hard disk • This gives you a method of accessing repair tools such as system restore. • Safe Mode • Safe Mode with Networking • Enable Boot Logging • Enable Low Resolution Video • Last Known Good Configuration (Advanced) • Directory Services Restore Mode • Debugging Mode • Disable Automatic Restart On System Failure • Disable Drive Signal Enforcement • Start Windows Normally

10. System Recovery Options • If you select Debugging Mode in Advanced Options you get 2 options: • 1) Use Recovery Tools that can help fix a problem starting Windows • 2) Restore your computer using a system image you created earlier.

11. If you choose number 1 you are asked to select an operating system to repair: a) Startup repair- Automatically fixes problems that prevent Windows from starting. • b) System Restore -another method of starting a system restore to a previous restore point.You can access this menu when you boot from a DVD-ROM, this lets you repair your system when recent changes to system settings prevent your computer from booting normally • C) System Image Recovery Enables you to implement a System Image restore. You would choose this option if your hard disk failed or needed to be wiped. If system changes are causing problems, you would choose the System Restore option. • D) Windows Memory Diagnostic Analyzes the computer memory (RAM) for hardware problems. • E) Command Prompt Gives access to the file system, volumes, and files through a command-line interface.

12. The Last Know Good Configuration (Advanced) • The Last Known Good Configuration (Advanced) feature in Advanced Boot Options isa recovery option that you use to start your computer with the most recent settings that worked. • restores registry information and driver settings that were in effect the last time the computer started successfully. • Use the Last Known Good Configuration (Advanced) feature when you cannot start Windows 7 after you make a change to your computer, or when you suspect that a change that you just made is causing a problem. • Windows 7 Boot Options: • Windows 7 implements a boot loader, a boot configuration and storage system called Boot Configuration Data (BCD), and a boot option editing tool called Bcdedit • Win 7 includes the following Boot loader features: • A) Windows boot manager (Bootmgr.exe) • B) Windows OS loader (Winload.exe) • C) Windows Resume loader (Winresume.exe)

13. Boot Configuration Data (BCD) • boot options and BCD are stored in the BCD store • enables administrators to assign rights for managing boot options. BCD is available at run time and during all phases of setup, including resuming after hibernation. • You can use the Bcdedit utility to manage BCD remotely and manage BCD when the system boots from media other than the media on which the BCD store resides. • This feature is important for debugging and troubleshooting, especially when a BCD store must be restored while running Startup Repair from DVD-ROM, from USB-based storage media, or remotely.

14. You can use the Bcdeditutility to do the following: • Create a BCD store • Rebuild BCD • Add entries to a existing BCD store • Modify existing entries in a BCD store • Delete entries from a BCD store • Export entries to a BCD store • Import entries from a BCD store • List currently active settings • Query entries of a particular type • Apply a global change to all entries • Change the default time-out value

15. Rolling Back Drivers • First use Last Known Good Configuration or System Restore. • If those options are not convient then you boot the computer into Safe Mode or Enable Low Resolution Video and roll back the driver. • The roll back is to the previous driver installed.

16. Lesson 2 Review

17. You are testing unsigned device drivers on a computer on an isolated test network. You install a display driver and find that the computer boots to a blank screen. You restart the computer and press F8. What Advanced Boot Options could you choose to help remedy the situation? (Choose all that apply.) • A . Safe Mode • B. Enable Boot Logging • C. Enable Low Resolution Video • D. Last Known Good Configuration (Advanced) • E . Disable Driver Signal Enforcement

18. 2. You are deciding on which storage devices you want to configure system protection. System protection is enabled by default on your C: drive, which holds your system files. No other storage device on your computer has system protection enabled. On which of the following storage devices can you enable system protection? (Choose all thatapply.) A . Your second internal hard disk, formatted with NTFS B. An external USB hard disk formatted with FAT C . A USB flash drive D. Your optical drive E . A mounted VHD created on your second internal hard disk

19. 3. You are investigating instability and boot problems on a computer running Windows 7 Enterprise. You boot using the Last Known Good Configuration (Advanced) option and perform a system restore. This does not solve your problems, and you want to undo the system restore. Can you do this, and what is the reason for your answer? A . No. You can undo a system restore only if you initiate it from the System Recovery tools. B. No. You can undo a system restore only if you carry it out after booting normally. C . Yes. You can always undo a system restore, no matter how you booted the computer or how you initiated the restore. D. Yes. You can undo a system restore that you perform after either booting normally or booting using Last Known Good Configuration (Advanced).

20. 4. You are troubleshooting instability problems on a computer running Windows 7 Ultimate and suspect that they might be related to hardware faults in RAM. You access the System Recovery options. Which option is most likely to help you diagnose the problem? A . Windows Memory Diagnostic B. Startup Repair C . System Restore D. System Image Recovery

21. 5. What command-line utility can you use in Windows 7 to edit boot options? A . Bootmgr.exe B. Winload.exe C . Bcdedit.exe D. Winresume.exe

22. Lesson 2 Summary • If system protection is configured on a disk drive, restore points are created automatically when you make significant system changes. You can also manually create a restore point. • You can restore your system settings to a selected restore point. • You can restore your entire computer from a System Image backup to how it was when the backup was taken. • You can boot from the Windows 7 installation DVD-ROM and run a System Repair, or you can access the Advanced Boot Options by pressing the F8 key during a reboot. • Both techniques access tools that let you investigate boot and system problems.